Chapter 5

Sunday

Rachel was up early Sunday morning. She woke Kat for a last minute briefing.

“I’ve put cash in the cookie jar,” she said. “There’s plenty. It should easily last you a week.”

“Okay,” Kat nodded, stifling a yawn.

“You need me, for anything, call me, okay?”

“Sure, Mom. And you call me. I wanna know you’re okay.”

“I will, I promise. Finally, an’ Kat, I don’t want you to think I’m nagging at you cos I’m not but I cannot emphasize this enough – ”

“I know. James can visit but he has to leave at ten. An’ no parties.”

“Right. I love you.”

Kat hugged her. “I love you too, Mom. Safe journey.”

Rachel looked around and sternly told herself it was not for the last time. “I’d best get going. Enjoy yourself.”

“I will.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Rachel winked and silently made that a promise.

*****

Detective Jon Redding didn’t manage much sleep and, when he did finally sink into unconsciousness, he was woken early by the sound of a ringing phone. He forced his eyes open.

“Yeah,” he grunted.

“Jon .. we got another one,” Houseman said.

*****

Philip was another one up early that Sunday morning. He knew he’d done everything he could possibly have done but he still felt guilty that he’d failed. He went to the nearest Catholic church and he knelt to pray, asking for peace to be granted to his soul and for strength to continue the fight. He prayed for mercy to be given to the souls who had once inhabited the bones found in the field. He prayed for the Bromptons, still missing and whose situation grew darker with every day which passed. Lastly, he prayed for the Sumners, whoever they were, and that, if they had been taken, snatched away, they would survive and be freed. It was now only a matter of time before Nick and Merlin arrived and the research would be over. Then the hunt would be on.

His lips moved soundlessly as he prayed for all those trapped in the bubble. Let them be strong. Let them survive. Dear Lord, in whose mighty hand we are all cradled, let me help them …

Philip crossed himself, paused a moment with his head lowered, then rose to his feet.

“Amen,” he said.

*****

Nick woke somewhat later and stretched luxuriously. There was something about the aftermath of wedding parties. It was strange, he realized. When he’d been a younger man and he’d gone to any wedding with his then girlfriend, he’d always felt a little on edge. A little uneasy. He hadn’t been able to settle. He’d felt hunted. Now, he knew why he’d felt that way – at the time, he’d been single and either scared or reluctant of commitment to a person. Weddings got girls dreaming and, worse, thinking the big one – ‘what if ..?’ Now, of course, he wasn’t single and he’d enjoyed the wedding and the party, and the night which had followed.

He’d celebrated his own wedding all over again, silently renewing his vows. He’d partied like it was his party. And then he’d re-consummated his marriage in a sacred act of love.

He felt Merlin move and breathe in, and he turned his head to look at her. Nick was so glad she was there, not just in the bed but in his life. Last evening, surrounded by people, they’d seen none of them – it was all a blur. She had a way of drowning out the world and its distractions, and filling him with such joy that his life was a pleasure.

He was glad too that they had made love last night, that they’d renewed their vows that afternoon. Meeting Liz later today wouldn’t be so traumatic.

He rolled onto his side and slid an arm around her waist, and drifted back into sleep.

*****

Alex and Derek were on their way down to breakfast and met Philip on his way back from the church. As soon as he saw Philip’s expression, Derek felt the tension start to knot his muscles.

“What happened?” he asked, halting outside the diner’s door.

“We couldn’t reach them,” Philip replied, his shoulders sagging. “They’d already left home and, while Officer Houseman could get their listing, he couldn’t find any other numbers to call.”

“That should have been our priority,” Derek muttered, blaming himself. “The bones are important but they weren’t going anywhere. We should have concentrated our efforts on the living, not on the dead.”

“The family wasn’t local,” Philip went on. “If they had been, Officer Houseman felt he might have known if they had relatives in another town. He might have been able to do something. But they lived over on the coast. Watsonville.”

Alex frowned slightly as a memory nudged her for attention. Watsonville. That sounded familiar. Now why was that?

“Well,” Derek declared, “with luck, they may not have driven back yet.”

“Derek, it rained, hard, yesterday evening,” Philip pointed out. “I thought I heard thunder.”

Derek paused, considering what this almost certainly meant. “All right, we’ll assume the worst and that they have disappeared. With luck, their ordeal may not last long. We’ll have them free again very soon.”

He pushed open the door and led the way inside. Philip began to follow but Alex hung back, trying to pinpoint the reason why the town sounded like she should know it.

“Alex?” Philip queried, glancing back.

“Are you sure it’s Watsonville?” she asked.

“Yes. I was right there when Houseman pulled up the details from the database.”

“I’ve heard that name, and recently too,” she said, following him into the diner. “What’s the family’s name?”

“Sumner,” Philip replied.

“Oh my God … ” Alex froze. “Nick.”

*****

Jon Redding met his partner by the trees in the field. All the bones had been found and carefully removed but Redding could still see them there. He thought he always would.

“You know what’s strange, Jon?” Houseman remarked.

“What?”
“It rained last night. Came down real hard. After Father Callahan’s warning, I was expecting it to pour, an’ it did. Yet .. there’s no sign of it out here. Dry as a – ” He fell silent. “Like it never rained at all,” he amended.

“Yeah, that is strange,” Redding agreed but he sounded distant, his mind on other things. Then he raised his head. “I took a call before I came out here to meet you. They’ve identified one of the skulls. Little Benny Schiff, from the first case. Dammit, Rick, the kid was only eight years old. Makes me sick to my stomach,” he muttered, shaking his head. “There any new bones here today?”

“Uh uh. I’ve searched. Now we know where they’re being dumped, this was the first place I looked before I checked the highway. An’, anyway, unless whoever’s doing this has some way of stripping flesh completely, there won’t be any bones yet.”

“You saying we should maybe look round some of the outlying properties? See if anyone has a chemical bathtub with bodies soaking in it?”

“I’m saying that .. there won’t be bones yet, is all. It’s too soon. We don’t know if bones are being dumped, Jon. Could be bodies an’ time an’ animals are doing the rest.” Houseman sighed, pacing away then back. “Father Callahan was pretty mad yesterday. He identified the station wagon, the license plates, everything, but there was damn all I could do to find those people before they disappeared.” He shook his head. “You know they were gonna have the baby baptized today? The grandfather told me when he called to report them missing. He’s .. well, upset doesn’t begin to describe it. He’s mad and he’s in a lotta pain. They were there yesterday only cos he called an’ asked for a ride. He forgot his wife has a car they could use. He feels guilty, that this is all his fault.”

Redding shook his head too. “We can’t undo what’s been done, Rick. We can’t find ’em, just like we couldn’t find any of the others. But we can work on the bones. That is a concrete lead an’ we have to follow it up.” He paused. “You told Father Callahan the family’s gone?”

“Not yet. I think he knows. They’re all pretty smart people, Jon. They saw the rain last night. They figured out what that meant before we did, so they can do the math just as easy as we can. The grandfather’s phone call .. that was just a formality.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He ran a hand around the back of his neck. “I’ll head back to town, swing past their motel. Maybe they can help with the forensic side too.”

“Cos that Rayne guy’s a psychic?” Houseman queried.

“Something killed little Benny Schiff,” Redding remarked as he walked back to his car. “And I wanna know what.”

*****

“Nick?” Philip frowned.

Alex sat at the table. “Derek, the family who were in the station wagon – it’s Kevin and Luz Sumner and their two children. Watsonville. Nick’s going there today, to the baptism. We have to call him.”

“Nick knows these people?” Philip queried, shocked.

“Liz Sumner is an old girlfriend of his. Actually,” Derek amended, “she’s a former fiancée. I’m not surprised you don’t remember her – it was after you left us.” He shook his head. “This will hit him very hard. He’s still fond of her.”

“He’ll come straight here,” Alex realized. “We won’t have so long to wait before we can do something.”

“And maybe we’ll have to wait longer than ever,” Derek countered. “If the bubble appeared last night, it may not return for some time. There’s no way to predict it. It could be weeks, or even months.”

She sighed. “That has to work to our advantage, somehow,” Alex commented, trying to find a positive spin. “If it needs to build up again, we can go take some detailed readings along the highway, see if we can establish some boundaries to this phenomenon. It was here last night, it has to have left something of itself behind.”

“If we could mark its area,” Philip agreed, “the police could do something to seal off that piece of road. Set up a diversion, even if it means making people drive thru the grass.”

Derek nodded. “Very well. Be careful, both of you. I’ll call Nick, and wait for Rachel to arrive.”

*****

Nick was in the shower when his cell phone began to beep. “Can you get that, babe?” he called.

Merlin paused in their packing and took the call. “Hello?”

“Peri. Is Nick there?”

“He’s in the shower, Derek,” she said, frowning at something in his voice. “You want me to get him or can I take a message?”

There was a heavy pause.

“Are you all okay?” Merlin asked steadily.

“We’re fine.”

“I’ll get him. Hold on.”

She put the phone on the bed and went thru to the bathroom. “Who is it?” Nick asked.

“It’s Derek. He wants to speak with you. Whatever it is, it’s bad news. He didn’t say but I can hear it in his voice.”

Nick hurriedly stepped from the shower and took the towel she held out. “Is it Alex?”

“He says they’re all fine.”

Frowning, Nick went to take the call. “Yeah, Derek. What’s up?”

Merlin watched as he slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, his face draining of expression as he listened. Then he nodded, his jaw muscles twitching.

“We’re on our way,” he said in a tight voice, and closed the line.

“What is it, Nick?” Merlin asked.

“We need to get outta here. We won’t be going to the baptism today,” he replied, standing quickly and starting to towel off. “Liz and Kevin, an’ their two kids …”

“Oh no.” Merlin looked away. “We have to crack this open. There’s no choice, not any more,” she said softly. “Now it’s personal.”

*****

Derek was reviewing their findings to date so he could give Nick a comprehensive briefing before sending him into the field. Nick would be fired up and wouldn’t want to waste time in hearing all the peripheral, minor details. He’d want the meat, something he could sink his teeth into. The knock on his door startled him.

Rising quickly, he went to get it, checking his watch and thinking maybe Rachel had made good time. It was just on eleven now and he hadn’t been expecting her until at least noon.

“Oh, Detective Redding,” he greeted, stepping back in surprise. “Is there something more I can do for you?”

“You know there’s been another disappearance – ”

“Yes. After my vision yesterday and the rain last night, I would’ve been surprised if they hadn’t vanished.”

Redding nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know you’re one gifted individual, Dr Rayne, but .. I need to know what killed those people who found for us. Do you have any experience with forensics?”

“I do. The other members of my team are arriving today, one of whom is a medical doctor. With her expertise and mine, we should be able to provide you with assistance.”

“What about the others?” Redding inquired. “Are they scientists too?”

“Not exactly. They will be going into the field. Literally. Our purpose in being here, detective, is not merely to investigate the disappearances but to find those missing people and free them. The family who vanished last night is known to us. Liz and Kevin Sumner. Two of us were to attend the baptism this afternoon. They are now on their way here instead.”

“You mean .. they’re going to deliberately – ”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

“Are they crazy?” Redding asked in a perfectly level voice.

“No, they’re experienced in dealing with phenomena. Did you honestly think all those people disappearing over such a length of time were the victims of a serial killer? What you have near this town, detective, is some kind of paranormal phenomenon. I see you’re not reacting with skepticism. That’s wise. We intend to find it, stop it taking any more people, and free those it has already taken.”

Redding didn’t say anything for a moment. “Dr Rayne – ”

“Derek.”

“Okay, Derek. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it taking the Sumners. We did what we could. You have to believe that.”

“I do.”

“Thank you. Well, thanks to you, we have a break in this case. I can’t do anything about paranormal phenomena and I wouldn’t know where to start, but I can try to find out what killed those people. I need your help.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Derek promised.

*****

When Rick Houseman got back to his desk, there was a message from the forensics people asking him to call. With the discovery of the bones in the field, he and Jon Redding were now full time on the investigation. Redding’s lieutenant was also pressing for fast progress. As yet, the press hadn’t gotten wind of the discovery but that, he felt, was only a matter of time and he needed something to give reporters in an official statement.

Houseman called the lab.

“We’ve identified four more of the skills, all on dental records. Abraham Moore, Christopher Holland, Neil Black and Gordon O’Meara.”

He scrawled down the names. “Thanks. Keep me posted.”

Houseman opened the thick file and started searching thru it. He made an interesting discovery. He sat back, frowning, wondering what it meant.

In each of these cases, there had been an odd number of people in the vehicle.

Gordon O’Meara, his girlfriend and her brother had vanished in ninety four. Christopher Holland had been with his wife and daughter in eighty two. Neil Black had been alone in seventy eight. Abraham Moore had been traveling with his wife and three grandchildren in sixty seven.

Cautiously, he began to search the file again, making a note of all the other uneven numbers.

There had been thirty seven skulls found in the long grass near to that clump of trees.

He crossed thru the names of Abraham Moore, Christopher Holland, Neil Black and Gordon O’Meara. Then he crossed thru Benny Schiff as well.

That left thirty two to identify. He counted down the cases he hadn’t crossed thru.

There were thirty two of them …

*****

Merlin studied the roadmap for the quickest route to San Stefano while Nick locked their bags in the trunk. It was eleven a.m. She’d insisted they eat breakfast, or at least drink some coffee, before they left Santa Cruz. Reluctantly, Nick had yielded. They’d partied pretty hard the previous evening and he didn’t want to get stopped and breath tested. It would waste time they didn’t have. The thought of Liz being in danger though had driven away any appetite he might have had.

When he slid behind the wheel, he didn’t ask for a route. He gunned the engine and set off without a word.

“Where we going?” Merlin asked.

“Watsonville. It’s on the way. I wanna check out the house. Make sure Derek’s gotten his facts right.”

Merlin felt this was clutching at straws. Legacy Precepts didn’t rise to that position by making simple errors.

“There could be another Kevin Sumner in Watsonville,” Nick explained. “I just wanna be sure, okay?”

“It’s on the way, Nick. It isn’t like we’re making a big detour,” she commented.

His jaw muscle was twitching. “You think I’m overreacting, don’t you?”

Merlin hesitated. “I think you’re worried about a friend. That isn’t overreacting. How you deal with that worry .. well, I’ll reserve my opinion.”

“Fine. You don’t know Lizzie. I do.”

The speed inched up, faster and faster.

Within thirty minutes, they’d parked outside the address Liz had written on the back of the invitation. Nick prowled around the exterior, peering thru the windows, trying the doors. He’d tried the bell but no one had answered it.

Merlin tried the neighbors. “Oh, excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you but I’m looking for Kevin an’ Liz. They don’t seem to be home.”

“They went out, yesterday afternoon around two. The whole family. She said they were going over to Kerman. Kevin’s parents live there. To be honest, I’d expected them back last night, what with the baptism this afternoon.” The woman checked her watch. “They’re leaving it awful late.”

“Yeah. Thanks,” Merlin said and went to find Nick. She relayed the information she’d gathered and watched his face settle into a hard mask. “I’m sorry, Nick. I wish Derek had gotten it wrong. But Kerman is the other side of San Stefano.”

“We gotta go,” he decided.

*****

Alex stood by the trees and surveyed the broad expanse of grassland. “My thinking is that this bubble builds up energy and then, in appearing, expends that energy. It affects this world, the area of real space time it occupies while it’s here.”

Philip nodded.

“So, there should be a residual TK along the boundary.” She pulled out a meter. “We can test for that.”

“And I’ll follow in your footsteps as a companion,” Philip remarked.

“Oh no.” Alex got out a second meter. “I’ll take this side. You take that side. And, somewhere over there, we’ll meet up again. Flatten the grass as you walk, it’ll mark out the area. Kinda like a crop circle in reverse,” she grinned.

“Right.” Philip took the meter and studied it. “Are you getting a reading here?” he asked, his voice curious.

Alex swung the sensor rod. “No. Which is strange. The bones, we assume, are of people who once were trapped.” She moved a few steps away from the trees. “Over here, yeah, it’s like .. a border. But not where Derek found the bones .. which means that this is outside the bubble.”

“Maybe the assumption is wrong,” Philip said. “Maybe the bones are nothing to do with the disappearances.”

Alex considered it. “Derek saw them in a vision, Philip. Yeah, okay, sometimes his visions are pretty obscure but they are usually related to what we’re working on. But you could be right. The field is in the area and that could be enough to provide the link.” She gestured. “You go that way.”

“See you on the other side,” he grinned.

*****

“Nick, I know you wanna get there but I’d really like to get there in one piece,” Merlin said as he swerved to pass a slower moving vehicle. She saw the way his hands were clenched around the wheel, the way he was hardly blinking as he watched the road. “Killing us is not going to help anyone.”

“I’m not gonna kill us,” he stated.

“C’mon, slow down.”

“We have to get there.”

Merlin twisted round to face him. “You’re worried an’ you’re scared. Fine. I understand. But this is being irresponsible. We will get there, Nick. We can’t go into the danger zone without a thorough brief .. or did you forget that?”

His jaw twitched. “We know what’s going down. I don’t need to hear any more.”

“Do you still love her?” Merlin asked.

Nick shook his head. He didn’t pause to think about it or hesitate and then lie. His response was instant.

“Then why are we in such a hurry? Explain it to me. I want to know.”

“When Liz got in trouble before, she had Kevin call me. I helped .. but I didn’t feel like .. I had closure. I told you there were things left unsaid an’ I said them but she was in a coma and … ” He shook his head once more. “I need to do this, Merli. If I can free her, save her, tell her again the things I said before, maybe then it’ll be over.”

“That isn’t everything. You’re keeping something back.”

“You said you weren’t interested in my past girlfriends.”

“If it’s gonna get me killed in a car wreck, I am very interested,” she responded.

Nick glared at her. “Okay. There was this doctor, surgeon, he was deliberately poisoning people an’ putting them in comas. Liz was a victim. I caught him an’ he did the same thing to me. I found myself in .. some hell dimension. The demon this surgeon worshipped tried to trick me by appearing as Liz. Derek told me that it had no power over me unless I gave it to the demon. I wouldn’t do what she, it wanted. An’ then .. there were two of her. One was Lizzie, the other was the demon. I had to choose which one to save. One was begging me to save her. The other was telling me .. to save myself. I chose that one an’ I chose right.” He paused. “Even in that place, even knowing she was engaged to another guy, knowing that she could die, she didn’t think of herself. She still loved me.” Nick was silent for a moment. “I let her down so badly in the past that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay it. If she’s inside that bubble, Kevin won’t be able to do anything. He doesn’t have the balls. She’ll want me .. an’ I have to be there for her.”

“Fine. So, if you get pulled over for speeding an’ we’re both in jail, how does this help you do what you feel you must?”

“Look, I have to get there!”

Merlin shook her head slowly. “Okay. Pull over just up here. Please.”

“Why?”

“So I can get out. You go on, recklessly throw yourself into danger, don’t bother to find out as much as you can before you go in. You just go be there for Liz. And, like always, I’ll come along an’ clear up the mess the Legacy has made. Or you can slow down, calm down, an’ we’ll do this together. Your choice, Nick.”

For a second, nothing happened then he eased off the gas. “I’m sorry. We’re a team. A partnership. I guess I didn’t expect you to buy into what I feel I owe.”

“It’s okay. I’m your wife, Nick. We have a life together. If you feel you owe Liz this debt, I’ll help you repay it. But we work together, not as individuals. You’ve told me that enough times that I can say it back to you.”

He nodded and stretched out a hand. She took it and squeezed it. “Derek will have learned more,” Nick remarked. “We should hear what he has to say.”

Merlin smiled briefly. “That’s a good plan.”

*****

Rachel finally pulled into the parking lot of the motel at midday. She went to register but, before she could begin to unlock the trunk of her car and take her bags to her room, Derek met her and said they had an appointment with the police downtown.

“You’re here not even three days an’ you’re in trouble?” she queried, only mildly amused.

“They’ve requested our assistance in identifying causes of death.”

Rachel blinked. “You’ve found bodies?”

“Bones.” He took her arm and hurried her along. “I’ll explain as I drive.”

She trotted along at his side. “Where’s Alex an’ Philip?”

“Gone to examine the highway.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Rachel wondered. “I thought you said she had to wait till Nick an’ Peri arrived.”

Derek unlocked the Range Rover’s door. “Things have been happening, Rachel. Events have moved on. The bubble claimed four more victims last night.”

“Oh no.”

“Liz and Kevin Sumner, and their children.”

Her eyes widened. “Does Nick know?”

“I called, told him. He and Peri are on their way here now.”

“How did he take it?” she asked.

Derek glanced across at her. “How do you think?”

“God, Derek, we’re gonna have to play this very carefully,” Rachel commented, sliding into the passenger seat. “You know Nick,” she continued, raking one hand thru her hair. “He’s happily married, Liz is married to another guy, but Nick still feels for her. Maybe not love but there’s affection. A fondness. A shared past unique to them. He’ll be so fired up, we’re gonna find it tough to restrain him.”

“If this had happened three years ago,” Derek responded, starting the engine and backing out of the space, “I would agree wholeheartedly with you. But this is now. Peri is with him.”

“She may not be strong enough,” Rachel announced. “Not to do this.”

“I think you underestimate her influence,” Derek countered.

Rachel shrugged, silently agreeing to disagree. “Okay, bring me up to speed. What’s been happening since you arrived?”

*****

Alex thought they were making good progress. They looked like a couple of blind people, walking and swinging a cane to check for obstacles, but it was working. Slowly, they were mapping out an area. And it was huge. Philip was a tiny speck way over in the distance. They’d almost done the bulk of the rather regular shape and would soon slowly be heading back toward each other. She paused to look at what they’d accomplished.

Alex had assumed that, as Merlin called it a bubble, it would be round. But it wasn’t. It was more an ellipse, she realized. A long, stretched ellipse. Like a squashed cigar. It was broad across the middle but no way was it round.

She applied this knowledge to what they already knew. Derek had said he’d seen a town. Or a street in a town. Maybe this cigar shape represented the street. And, of course, dimensions which intruded into this one might be bigger on the inside. What she and Philip were measuring could be only a tiny fraction of what was actually there. This might only be the interface.

Philip was walking parallel to the highway, about thirty yards in from the black strip. He, too, thought they were making significant progress. He was not really any closer to finding the Bromptons but, physically, he felt close to them. They were somewhere nearby, on the other side of a locked door. He paused to gaze at the expanse of tall, waving grass.

“Stay strong,” he whispered. “With God’s help, we’ll find a way to get you out. Have faith. It won’t be much longer now.”

*****

“Detective, this is my colleague – Dr Rachel Corrigan,” Derek introduced. “Rachel, this is Detective Redding who is in charge of the case.”

“Hi, I’m pleased to meet you although I wish it could be under different circumstances,” Rachel nodded, holding out a hand.

“Dr Corrigan, glad you can help us out,” he responded, grasping her hand in a firm grip and releasing it. “Has Derek told you what’s been going on here?”

“Yes, he has.”

“We need to know how these people died. Obviously, we can’t do an autopsy but there must be other ways to determine what killed them.”

“Yes, there are, an’ I will do whatever I can to help.”

“Thanks.”

“Jon, I need to speak with you,” Rick Houseman cut in. “Excuse me, folks.”

“If it’s to do with the case, Rick, I think you can say it in front of these people,” Redding responded.

“Okay. Well .. the lab called to say they’d ID’d four more skulls from dental records. I checked the file an’, yeah, they’re all in there. But .. I noticed something weird.”

“Really,” Derek said. “What was it?”

“These people .. they were in a vehicle containing an odd number of passengers. I listed all the instances where there was an odd number, crossed thru the ones we’ve ID’d. There are thirty two cases left. An’ there are thirty two more skulls to ID. That says weird to me.”

“It’s beyond a statistical possibility for it to be coincidence,” Rachel commented flatly.

Redding was watching Derek. “What does it mean?”

“My initial reaction is that .. the phenomenon only wants an even number of people. Multiples of two.”

“And the odd one out ..?” Redding began.

“Has to leave.”

“So .. this phenomenon thing .. it ejects them an’, in the process, they die?”

Derek raised an eyebrow. “It could be, yes. However, we don’t know. At this stage, we’re only guessing.”

“Derek, if it’s true,” Rachel began, “how are we gonna get the victims out? It really could be a one way door, an’ that way is in. We can’t risk sending in anyone else.”

“Let’s examine these bones first,” Derek said calmly. “They may answer all our questions.”

*****

Nick kicked the fender and turned away, swearing. A flat was unfortunate, Merlin thought, but a blown engine would have been a lot worse. Even so, it was a delay they didn’t need.

“Nick, watch my back,” she said, bending down to the tire.

“Okay.”

He stood behind her, watching the road, watching the traffic. Merlin flexed her hands and put them on the rubber. It was hot. Carefully, she extracted the shard of glass, sealed the puncture, and inflated the tire again.

“Am I clear?”

“Uh huh.”

She straightened, rubbing her hands on her jeans. “Let’s take a few minutes, huh? It’s just past one. A few minutes isn’t gonna hurt an’ the car could use them. Call Derek, get the latest. Call Alex, put your mind at rest over her at least. Don’t just stand there an’ glare at me.”

Nick called Alex, but still glared. Alex wasn’t in danger, Liz was.

“Hello?”

“Alex, it’s me.”

“Oh, hi, Nick. Where are you?”

“Not far now, but still too far away. About forty minutes, an hour should see us there. Where are you?”

“In the field.” She paused. “Literally. I’m in a field. Philip is .. almost with me. We’re mapping out the area of the phenomenon.”

“Isn’t that a little unwise?” he asked and Merlin swung round to watch.

“We figured that we’d be safe enough in that the bubble would need time to recharge. I’m so sorry that it took Liz and Kevin. We tried so hard to prevent it but we couldn’t find them in time.”

“You knew they were at risk?”

“Not exactly. We knew a station wagon and its occupants were but Philip went to the police and he didn’t recognize the name.”

“Where was Derek?” Nick asked in a hard voice.

“Out here, with me and the police, showing us where to find the bones.”

“What bones?”

Alex paused. “Philip and I are just about done. We’ll head back to the car then we’ll all meet up at the motel. A lot’s been happening, Nick.”

“Okay. Forty five minutes.”

“I’ll see you then. Drive carefully,” she added, because she knew Nick.

Nick put his phone away.

“She’s in the field?” Merlin queried.

“She says the bubble will take time to recharge. They’re safe.”

“Get in. Drive.”

“I thought – ” Nick began.

“Drive!” Merlin ordered.

*****

Rachel repositioned the lamp and angled her head to peer at something with narrowed eyes.

“Does anyone have a magnifying glass?” she murmured.

Redding looked around and saw one sticking out from under a heap of files. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Derek bent closer. “What do you see?”

“This right here.” Rachel pointed with the end of a scalpel. “A chip in the bone. Actually, there’s a sliver missing. Just there at the very base of the skull.”

Redding leaned in as well. “What does it mean? Could it be natural?”

Rachel straightened. “It could be a genetic abnormality, something this family was born with, but I don’t think so. Who’s skull is this?”

“Abraham Moore,” Houseman replied. “He went missing in sixty seven.”

“Thirty five years ago … ” Rachel thought. “That’s enough time for any damage to become discolored, for this area here to be the same color as the bone next to it. I don’t believe this is natural. Bone, y’see, doesn’t have any sharp edges. It’s rounded. See this part right next to the damage? See how smooth it is? This is rough. It has an edge.” She looked at it. “I think that, if you complete this skeleton, you’ll find a similar injury to the first, an’ maybe the second, cervical vertebrae.”

“Okay, Dr Corrigan, but .. what caused it?” Redding asked.

“I’d want to see the whole skeleton to check for other causes but I have an idea. Derek, would you mind kneeling down?” she asked.

Obediently, Derek got on his knees. Rachel bent his head forward slightly.

“Imagine,” she told Redding and Houseman, “that this scalpel is a little bigger.”

She lifted it and brought it round toward Derek’s neck, halting a couple of inches short of his head and spine.

“There’s no evidence of this on the other skulls I’ve looked at today,” Rachel said, “because .. the aim was better or maybe they didn’t move. This guy could’ve raised his head at the last moment.”

Redding swallowed. “He was decapitated?”

“If all the skeletons have sheer markings on the first, second, or third cervical vertebrae, I’d say it’s pretty much guaranteed,” Rachel replied as Derek got to his feet. “Your pathologists should be able to tell but I’d be happy to consult.”

“They all had their heads cut off?” Houseman echoed. “But .. why? Benny Schiff was eight years old! Why would anyone cut off his head?”

“The world can be a sick place,” she murmured and shrugged. “I don’t know,” Rachel answered. “But that’s what killed him .. if he didn’t have heart failure first thru acute terror. “

“It was necessary,” Derek said quietly.

“Excuse me?” Redding exclaimed. “How was any of this necessary?”

“Not necessary by our standards, but necessary according to some bizarre, sadistic set of rules. Officer Houseman pointed us in the right direction with his discovery. Only an even number of people can enter the phenomenon. I don’t know why. But any one person over the even number was ritually removed by decapitation and their bodies ejected into that area by the trees.”

“Which means what exactly? It’s some kind of sick an’ exclusive club?”

“Well,” Derek replied, “it means the Sumners are relatively safe. So are the Bromptons. Relatively being .. a relative term. They are all still in serious danger.”

“And you’re still gonna send your people in there.”

Derek drew in a breath. “I don’t believe I’ll be able to stop them.”

*****

“I’m surprised,” Philip commented. “It doesn’t touch the road itself.”

“Derek an’ I were discussing that,” Alex remarked. “Of course, nothing can be proved but I think the victims are marked somehow on the outward journey, whenever that is. Then, the next time they travel this highway, the storm hits. Torrential rain which forces them off the road to seek shelter or to wait it out.”

Philip nodded. “That sounds reasonable.”

“Why they’re selected .. that I don’t know. I know Liz and Kevin Sumner. At least, I know a little of their history. I wasn’t there when she had that problem. Nick, Rachel and Derek helped out on that one.”

They were walking back toward the car. Philip slowed a little. “She had some kind of problem the Legacy had to help with?”

“Yeah. What about the Bromptons? You know them.”

“They came to us and asked for their house to be blessed. They thought it was haunted. After the blessing, they had no more trouble.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting. I wonder if any of the other people who vanished had a similar experience. I doubt it’d be in the police reports,” Alex remarked with a wry smile. “Maybe – ”

“They were pre-marked by it,” Philip cut in.

Alex halted abruptly. “Philip … ”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked in a hollow voice.

“I think I am, yeah. Maybe heading back to town right now would be a very good idea.” She pointed. “Have you seen the sky?”

They set off again, and, after a few moments, broke into a run.

*****

Derek and Rachel emerged from the morgue and both paused for a moment to clear the smell from their noses.

“Ritual killing,” she said. “People snatched from this world. A town which is a trap. This gets worse by the second.”

Derek didn’t react. He didn’t speak, didn’t move. He just stood there, staring. Rachel turned to look in the same direction. East.

“That looks like it’s gonna hit at any moment,” she said, shivering. “The air is so still … We should head back to the motel.”

She began to move but he didn’t follow.

“Derek ..?” Rachel called.

He swallowed. “Alex … ”

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