“You’re in luck, Dr Corrigan. This is the last ferry today. Fog’s closing in.”
“How typical is that?” she laughed and
drove onto the boat.
“It means we can’t get off the
island,” Pete remarked.
“It’s an omen,” she declared.
He laughed quietly. “You’re a scientist! You can’t possibly believe in omens.”
“In this particular area of my life, I
have come to accept omens as being occasionally relevant,” Rachel
retorted. “How stupid would you have
felt, having gone thru all that figuring out an’ planning, if we’d gotten to
the ferry only to be told they’re not running till tomorrow?”
“Can I think of it as being a sign of good fortune?” he
asked. “Omen does come from ominous,
doesn’t it?”
“I think it’s the other way round,” she
commented. “But, yeah, a sign of good
fortune works for me.” She paused for a
moment. “When we get over there, I’ll
drive as far as the gate an’ leave the car.
I may have to do some fast talking to get you past the security. Just go along with what I say.”
He nodded. “Y’know, maybe moving out here would be a good idea after all.”
Rachel glanced quickly at him. “Why?”
“You need friendly people on the
inside.”
“We already have them.”
“One more couldn’t hurt.” He shook his head. “I’ve never known anyone get into so much trouble as you. Least, not anyone innocent. You do this all the time?”
“No … ” Rachel replied slowly. “I have my practice. This is something I do the rest of the day.”
“Go one on one with madmen.”
“That is my practice,” she grinned.
“The rest of the time .. well, I guess you could say I fight the good
fight.”
“Magic. Ghosts an’ such. The
whole nine yards.”
“The paranormal is a worthy scientific study.
When I first became involved, I found it tough,” she admitted. “A lot of the things I experienced, saw, got
in the middle of .. went against everything I understood and had learned. Even now, when Derek comes out with some ..
pie in the sky wild theory, I want to laugh an’ tell him what he’s saying just
isn’t possible. But it usually is. My expertise as a doctor, a scientist ..
yeah, it does have a part to play.
Sometimes what we investigate can be explained scientifically. Often it can’t, and then I have to try an’
find an explanation. My viewpoint is
unique and can sometimes point out the way to go or shine a light into some
mysterious situation. I mean, we’re
dealing with magic here but my character analysis has helped formulate a plan.”
“You never told me Kat was psychic,”
Pete said.
“It isn’t something I like to talk
about. She has a gift, yes.”
“You’re scared she’ll end up in that
house doing what you do.”
Rachel smiled quickly. “I’m
the psychiatrist.”
“That tells me I got pretty close to
the mark,” he commented.
“Yeah. I am scared. Well, it’s more
a background concern. I chose
this. Kat got dragged in. She’s seen things because of my choice that
a child her age should never see. Come
to that, an adult shouldn’t have to see them either. As her mother, I’m responsible for her well-being. I feel particularly blessed that, so far and
with only a few exceptions, Kat is very sensible. Balanced. But I am
concerned that .. inside, psychologically, she could be scarred by what I’ve
done, and that scarring could lead her into joining the Luna Foundation when
she’s an adult.”
Rachel shrugged. “Most of us feel we have no choice but to
join, and I know Derek, Nick and I all suffered emotional trauma prior to
joining. When the chance was given to
me, it felt right. Appropriate. I felt safe there, even dealing with the
things I do. The idea of dealing with
them alone, without the structure an’ support of the Foundation .. now that’s
scary. I’ve had to face a lotta my own
demons and I’m a better person for doing that.
Stronger. More settled internally. If Kat wants to join when she’s older, I
won’t stop her but I will shield her from as much of it as I can .. while I
can.”
“Uh huh. And that’s why you let her join in the discussion earlier.”
Rachel considered. “To have excluded her wouldn’t have been
fair. She isn’t here now, putting
herself in danger but she is involved at a distance. She has her tasks to do.
Shutting her out would have been non-productive. She’s been there, at the house. She knew things we didn’t. It would’ve only caused resentment. She gets bored an’ then she makes the wrong
kinda friends, an’ then I have a major problem to deal with. I’ve found it wiser to bring her into the
discussion stage. It saves a lot of
hassle later on.”
“Plus she gets to see more of what goes
on behind the scenes.”
“Yeah. All part of the balancing process. So far .. it’s working.”
“Doc, assuming the worst occurs an’ I
have to come in after you,” Pete began quietly, “you’d better tell me what your
friends look like so I don’t hurt them by accident.”
“Good thinking,” Rachel agreed
soberly.
*****
Randolph Hitchcock put a hand to the
front door and bowed his head for a moment.
William waited in a cynical silence.
Then Randolph pushed the door open and took a step over the
threshold.
Richard was in the foyer. “Mr Hitchcock. Welcome.”
“Thank you, Richard. It’s most gratifying to be back.” His gaze swept around. “It hasn’t changed, not in the slightest.”
“Shall I assemble the others?”
“Oh, please do,” Randolph nodded. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Come along inside, William.”
Despite telling his body to remain
still, William Sloan obeyed the order.
So I am being controlled, he mused.
Astonishing. I am really rather
impressed .. in a disturbed way.
They heard footsteps and turned toward
them. Randolph straightened.
“Derek … ”
Knowing their history, William felt a
little sick when he saw the smile break over Derek’s face.
“Randolph, my old friend – ”
“Ah ah,” Randolph chided. “I am not here as your friend. I believe you know this.”
“Of course, forgive me,” Derek
immediately responded, bowing and directing his gaze at the floor. “Mr Hitchcock, welcome to Angel Island. Please make yourself at home.”
“I intend to. You remember William?”
“Naturally,” Derek replied, looking up
again. “Hello, William. How are you? You look very well.”
“I’m fine, thank you,” William
nodded. “Alex,” he acknowledged.
“William,” she returned. “Mr Hitchcock.”
“Ms Moreau,” Randolph said with a
slight, courtly bow of his head. “We
appear to be two missing, Richard.
Where are Mr Boyle and Dr Corrigan?”
“Dr Corrigan is on her way, sir. Around three hours, maybe even slightly
less. Mr Boyle is … ” Richard flushed uncomfortably. “He’s tracking down the intruder. He’s the best man for the job.”
Oh, he is, William agreed silently,
his hopes struggling to rise. He has
exactly the right background. And I do
so hope you were specific in your instructions to him.
“I see,” Randolph said with a distant
mildness to his voice. “Well .. it’s
been a long journey at the end of a long day.
William and I will require rooms and supper. Derek, you and Ms Moreau can begin your domestic duties in the
kitchen. We will dine in one hour.”
“Yes, Mr Hitchcock. Come, Alex,” Derek meekly instructed.
“Richard, with me, please,” Randolph
requested as he went toward the stairs.
“You let her escape?”
“Of course not, sir. She was tied up and unconscious. She must have come round – ”
“Obviously, unless she’s
sleepwalking!” Randolph ground out with a petulant show of temper.
“Yes, sir,” Richard muttered. “She freed herself and has gone into
hiding.”
“How long ago was this?” he inquired.
“Several hours, Mr Hitchcock.”
“Hmm.
Well, it is a big house. There
are lots of places to hide. I’m sure Mr
Boyle will do the right thing. Do you
believe he’ll do the right thing, William?”
“Yes, Randolph, I do,” William replied
honestly.
*****
Nick returned to the stairs leading up
to the attic. As before, he cautiously,
silently crept up them to the door at the top and listened. This time, he didn’t let the barrier on the
other side stop him. He shoved hard and
felt something give. He pushed again
and managed to widen the opening enough for him to slip thru.
He switched on a small flashlight and watched
the beam dance over old trunks and packing cases, picture frames minus their
pictures. Someone had put the chair
behind the door, therefore someone was in here. He eased over the floor as silently as a summer breeze.
Nick found her in the far corner. There was a trace of dried blood on a cut,
swollen lip. A bruise on one
cheekbone. Her face was sheened with
sweat yet she was shivering. Feverish
spots of color burned on each cheek yet the rest of her face was white.
She flinched as the flashlight passed
over her closed eyes.
“You’re awake,” Nick breathed,
crouching down beside her.
“I’m alive,” Merlin corrected in a
harsh whisper, “no thanks to you. But
alive is a bonus, I guess. I could be
dead. Hell, I should be dead. No one who
feels like this should have to be alive to suffer it.”
“You’re my wife.”
“Oh .. so you believe me now. That’s nice.”
“I hit you.”
She shivered violently. “Don’t worry about it. You were just doing what you were told.”
Nick stretched out a hand to smooth back
one errant tendril of hair from her brow but got a strong electric shock while
still twelve inches from her body. His
hand jerked away, numb to the wrist, his entire arm throbbing.
“What the hell did you do?” he gasped.
“Natural defenses. Only someone like me can get thru so they
can heal me. But no one’s gonna do
that,” she whispered. “I’ll last a
little longer, maybe even a few days, but I’m dying slowly .. and it hurts.”
“Must be something I can do,” Nick
said.
“Yeah, there is.” Merlin hoisted herself painfully onto one
elbow and looked at him thru glazed eyes.
“Find the weapon an’ destroy it.”
“What weapon?” he frowned.
“The artifact.”
He swallowed. “I gave it to Hugh.”
“Nice job, Nick,” she smiled, and her
lip started to ooze blood again.
“But I’ll find it,” he promised. “And I’ll smash it.”
“Sure. Whatever.” She lay down
again.
“I’m sorry … ”
Merlin had drifted into sleep once
more. Nick straightened and turned for
the door. He glanced back, just once,
and felt a pang of bitter regret.
*****
“Greg.”
“Dr Corrigan,” Greg nodded, and looked
past her.
“This is my friend – Detective
Miller,” Rachel introduced.
“Going up to the house?”
“Yeah. Is there a problem with that?”
She crossed her fingers behind her back. However, the answer she got wasn’t quite what she’d expected.
“Nope. Dr Rayne said to let everyone thru, no questions asked. His authority,” Greg replied with a stiff
shrug which gave his opinion of the order.
Rachel nodded slowly. “And .. has anyone gone up there?”
“Uh huh. Mr Sloan and Mr Hitchcock.
About forty, forty five minutes ago.
Dr Corrigan, for the record, I’m not happy with that. Those two were on the no entry list. Mr Hitchcock had two red stars by his name
an’ that means ‘under any circumstances’.
He could be bleeding to death right where you’re standing now, and I
wouldn’t have let him go a step closer to that house. Yet I had to let him on thru.
Maybe a detective is needed up there.
Least he’s with you.”
Pete listened to this, his expression
darkening. “I’ll do what can.”
“You need any back up, you know where
I am,” Greg added and waved them thru.
Rachel walked steadily. She knew she had to enter the house but she
wasn’t going to rush. She was anxious
on two fronts – Hitchcock and staying away from him, and Merlin. Kat had said she was very sick. Merlin never got sick. Weakened, yes, but not ill. Yet to help her meant finding the artifact
and destroying it. Only then could
Rachel become a healer again.
She knew her plan wasn’t much. Hitchcock had been years developing his, and
she’d had only a few hours. There
again, Rachel couldn’t plan out loud.
The most important variables had to be kept shut away. Although she was very grateful that he was
with her, she couldn’t say anything in front of Pete about the control room,
the Legacy, the secret skills each possessed.
Hitchcock and William Sloan would be
tormenting their prisoners. As much as
Rachel felt disgusted by it, she could, to a degree, ignore it. Hitchcock was a typical tyrant. He’d want his pound of flesh. He’d want to play before the kill. He’d want to gloat and preen, demonstrating
how he was the master and how he’d tricked them all into letting him win. It gave her time. If the artifact wasn’t in the foyer, it could be in the lab. The fake butler would be the biggest
threat. She didn’t know what he looked
like. So long as she avoided him, she
could creep around that house and search to her heart’s content. They were expecting her, yes, but not just
yet.
As far as the second magical item was
concerned, Rachel was more uneasy. She
would have to be very careful. It could
be a wand or a crystal. It could be
anything. It wouldn’t be something
glaringly obvious because that would have triggered a premature response from
Derek, alerted him. It would be
something .. a butler might well bring with him. Something he could easily explain.
They climbed up the steep part of the
drive in the gathering twilight and rounded the bend.
“Holy crap,” Pete muttered, getting
his first good view of the mansion.
Rachel smiled. “It is
something, isn’t it?”
“When you said a house, I never …
” He fell silent and shook his head.
“Sometimes, its size is a pain. Right now, however, it works to our
advantage.” She eased him off the drive
into the undergrowth. “We’ll go the
rest of the way cross-country. It’ll be
more cover.”
“That’s where I’ll wait,” Pete
deduced.
Rachel nodded. “The fog’s closing in as well. That’s good. And I never thought I’d
hear myself saying that.”
They walked in silence for a few
minutes.
“Pete, what kinda thing would a butler
bring with him?”
“Well, I wouldn’t know cos I don’t
have a butler and I don’t tend to mix with those who do.”
“You’re mixing now,” Rachel pointed
out flatly.
He grunted. “I guess we’re not talking anything big. This guy’s supposed to have flown in from
England. It’d have to fit in his bags. Something .. he’d use in the kitchen
maybe?” He shrugged. “Wouldn’t be electrical, cos their system’s
different to ours. It’d be something
small and able to be used as is. A
lucky saucepan or something like that.”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “A bowl?
Like a mixing bowl?”
“Sure, I guess.”
A bowl would fit. A bowl, suitably ornate, could be left just
about anywhere. It would look right at
home. Just like ‘Hugh’. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
*****
Nick went down the backstairs. He didn’t know exactly why but he felt he
couldn’t trust Hugh. Hugh had lied to
him. Yet Hugh was his friend. The conflict was giving him a pounding
headache and a twitchy, punchy feeling.
He eased into the foyer, looking all
around. Where would Hugh have put the
artifact? If Nick had been guarding it,
he would have it locked away behind a lot of security. Especially as this artifact was more a
weapon …
His searching gaze came to rest on the
table. There it was, just visible
behind the vase with the dried flower arrangement. Nick went toward it, his hand stretching out.
“Stop!”
He froze. Every muscle strained to complete the mission, but his body had
locked solid.
“What are you doing, Mr Boyle?”
Richard inquired. “Tell me .. the
truth.”
“I’m gonna smash this.”
“Why?”
“It’s a weapon.”
“And ..?”
“It’s making her sick.”
“She’s lying to you. It’s just an act. Where is she?”
The words emerged thru gritted
teeth. “In the attic.”
“Well done. You see? It wasn’t so
difficult now, was it? Go to the
kitchen, assist in the domestic chores.
That’s your place now – below stairs.”
Stiffly,
Nick walked away, silently screaming inside his head. Richard smiled and went to make a report to his master.
*****
Alex
took the best china and crystal and left it ready to be carried to the dining
room. Derek was busy at the stove.
“Derek
… ” she began, her voice troubled.
“Yes,
Alex?”
“Doesn’t
this seem .. a little strange to you?”
“We
must make the master feel at home.”
“But
… ” She shook her head. “It feels wrong somehow. I mean, William’s here. He’s our friend. He was head of the Legacy and Precept of the London house – we
all had to do what he said .. more or less,” she qualified, “and now even he’s
obeying Mr Hitchcock. It feels off.”
Nick
came in and closed the door.
“Did
you find the intruder?” Derek inquired.
“There
isn’t one. I found Peri. She’s in one of the attics. She’s dying.”
“No
..!” Alex exclaimed softly. “How?”
“That
artifact. It’s a weapon. We have to destroy it. I tried but Hugh stopped me. Why would he do that? He’s supposed to be our friend. Something’s wrong here, Derek. I mean, Hugh’s the butler so why are we
doing his job?”
“The
master said. He gave his orders.”
“Nick’s
right. The whole world’s gone crazy,”
Alex commented.
“Maybe
there is a plan at work,” Derek replied.
“But our place is here. We must
not interrupt.”
“What
about the weapon?” Nick persisted. “I
can’t destroy it but one of you could.
He didn’t tell you to stop. It’s
killing Peri.”
“When
they’re eating supper,” Derek decided.
“We’ll make an attempt then.”
*****
“She’s
been found, sir.”
“Dr
Corrigan?”
“The
intruder,” Richard corrected politely.
“In the attic.”
“Would
you like me to deal with her, Randolph?” William offered. “I do know her. She may be more amenable to a face she recognizes.”
Randolph
considered. “Very well. I would like to see her. Bring her down from the attic, will
you? I’d like to see what all the fuss
was about.”
William
put down his sherry glass and rose smoothly.
“Of course.”
“Where
is Mr Boyle?” Randolph then inquired as William left the study.
“In
the kitchen, sir.”
“Hmm. What were his orders?”
“To
track down the intruder, Mr Hitchcock.”
“Is
that all?”
“And
kill her, sir.”
“So
why is she still alive?” Randolph asked.
Richard
blinked.
“I
believe your use of the Eye has been a little sloppy,” Randolph declared
cheerfully. “Once supper is served, I
will begin giving the instructions. You
will learn how to do it properly by observing me.”
“Yes,
sir. I’m sorry, sir.”
“No
need to apologize, Richard, providing you do
learn,” Randolph responded. “A dog
cannot have two masters. It never knows
which voice to obey.”
*****
Rachel
paused. “Y’see? There’s the front door. The foyer’s right on the other side of
it. You go thru the door, directly
opposite is the fireplace. In the summer,
there’s a table there. That’s where the
artifact should be.”
“And
if it isn’t?”
“I’ll
try an’ get it there, even if I’m under the influence.” She turned to him. “Pete, stay focused.
Don’t listen to anyone else, not even me if I don’t come out. Don’t look at anything or at anyone. Just keep your mind on the job .. an’ we
should be okay.”
He
nodded. “Same goes for you too, doc.”
“Right.”
“How
long should I give you?”
“Better
make it ninety minutes,” Rachel said, looking at her watch. “Just on ten thirty.”
“Check. Be safe, Rachel.”
She
smiled bravely. “You too.”
*****
William
walked up the stairs and into the attic.
His gaze passed over the old relics of family life, the discarded bits
and pieces no longer needed yet too precious to be thrown away. They were a link to the past. One day, someone would come up here and
inspect them, and begin a journey of reminiscence.
Rather
sad, he thought, picking his way thru it to the corner.
“Peri
…” he called quietly.
Her
eyelids flickered open. “William. Come to save me? It’d make a pleasant change.
Usually, it’s me doing that for you.”
“I
don’t believe I can,” he replied, coming a little closer. “You don’t look at all well.”
“I’m
dying, William. I’m not supposed to
look my best. In fact, it’s one of the
few times when you can let your appearance go to hell and no one really gives a
damn.”
He
hunkered down. “I told you not to let
him win. Why couldn’t you have
listened?”
“I
can be as stubborn as you.”
William
smiled sadly. “A failing.”
“It’s
worth dying just to hear you admit you have one failing,” she said with a tired
grin.
“Why
can’t you heal yourself?”
“That
thing. It’s sapping me. I can’t fight it.”
“What
about Aquila?” he asked.
“Gone. I can’t contact her.”
“She’s
locked inside you?”
“Yeah,”
Merlin replied.
He
nodded slowly. “If the weapon is
destroyed, could she break free?”
“I’m
sure of it.”
“All
right.” He straightened. “Try to hold on a little longer. I know you have no reason to obey me anymore
but .. for old times’ sake?”
She
met his mild gaze. “Somehow .. I’ll be
ready.”
*****
Derek
served supper and Alex filled the crystal glasses with wine. Nick was a silent, twitching observer. Randolph sampled the soup and declared it
excellent.
“Why
isn’t Mrs Boyle here, William?” he asked.
Nick’s nostrils flared.
“She’s
dying, Randolph. I think moving her
would kill her,” William replied. “Best
to leave her where she is, amongst all the other old cast-offs which have no
further use.”
Nick’s
hands curled into fists.
“If
the poor soul is dying, she should .. expire in comfort, surrounded by her
grieving friends and her husband. But,
first, we’ll have supper,” Randolph declared.
“And a little entertainment. The
Eye. Derek, Alex, Nick .. listen to me,
carefully.”
William’s
appetite, never huge, faded entirely as he listened to Randolph’s words. Derek Rayne possessed one of the finest
minds with which he’d ever had the pleasure of crossing swords. Alex Moreau was sensitive and caring, and
utterly dedicated to the Legacy. Nick
Boyle would never bend his head to anyone.
And they had been told they were children. Five years old. They were
to play quietly while the adults ate supper.
It
was difficult to eat while listening to them squabble and fight over
non-existent toys, and Randolph laughing in pure joy. It made no difference to Randolph that he had to serve himself,
he was enjoying the pathetic, demeaning spectacle far too much to notice.
“Nick
.. do you have a gun?” Randolph asked.
“Uh
huh.” Nick had to take his thumb from
his mouth to answer.
“That
would make a wonderful toy for you and your friends to play with.”
William
swallowed. “Isn’t that a little foolhardy,
Randolph?”
“No,
it’s dangerous and delightful. That’s
right, Nick. Let your friends share.”
“What
does this do?” Derek asked, sitting cross-legged on the carpet.
“Makes
it go bang,” Nick replied, around his thumb.
“Can
I? Let me! I wanna!” Alex begged.
Dear
God, he’ll have them skipping on the edge of the tower battlements before he’s
finished with them, William thought, smiling a false smile at the
‘antics’. This is a nightmare …
Derek
resentfully passed the gun to Alex because she had tears in her eyes.
His
eyes twinkling maliciously, Randolph leaned forward and softly suggested, “Why
don’t you point it at someone ..?”
*****
Rachel
eased open the front door and stepped inside.
She didn’t quite shut it, just in case.
She paused there to listen. She
could hear voices coming from upstairs somewhere. Randolph Hitchcock’s smoothly modulated, cultured tones .. and
the shrill voices of children, yet voices she still recognized.
The
sick bastard, she thought, shaking her head.
He should be put against a wall an’ –
She
jumped violently at the crack of a gunshot.
Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle any sound. Oh, please, don’t let anyone be killed. Don’t let anyone be hurt. Don’t let Pete come rushing in to the
rescue.
She
heard an echo of his voice in her head.
Same goes for you, doc. Stay
focused. Don’t get sidetracked.
Upstairs,
there was laughter and crying, but, thank God, no screams. Rachel shut it out as best she could and, on
her tiptoes, went across the foyer to the table. She couldn’t see the stupid little thing. Damn, it wasn’t there!
Then
she drew near enough and saw one piece of terracotta protruding from behind the
vase. She glanced round over her
shoulder, just to check the coast was clear, then looked back. She reached out a hand.
“Ah,
Dr Corrigan.”
Rachel
jumped and had to swallow her heart back into her chest. Snatching her hand back, she turned. “Hugh, you startled me!”
“Apologies,
madam,” he said, smiling blandly. “We weren’t
expecting you just yet, but I’m sure Dr Rayne will be pleased to see you. He’s in the dining room, madam.”
“I’ll
check in with Derek later,” she smiled.
“I’ve already eaten and I do have some – ”
“He
has guests, madam.” Richard was quite
close now.
“Then
I shouldn’t really disturb him. Alex
said something about an emergency?” she queried.
Richard
frowned for a moment then his face cleared.
“Ah, yes. Mrs Boyle is dying but
I don’t believe anything can be done to save her.”
“I’d
still like to see her,” Rachel declared, straightening her shoulders and
lifting her chin in defiant challenge.
“I’m
sure that can be arranged. But, first –
”
Rachel
shut her eyes.
“Dr
Corrigan? Are you all right?” Richard
inquired.
“I’m
fine.” She opened her eyes again, and
resolutely stared at his face.
“I
was going to say but, first, you must come and meet the guests.”
“Is
that William Sloan’s voice I can hear?”
“Yes,
madam.” He gestured to the stairs.
Rachel
moved toward them and Richard followed like a guard. She braced herself, ready to push back against him.
“I
wouldn’t do anything foolish, madam,” he murmured.
I’ve
still got time and I’m still relatively free.
I know where the artifact is.
Stay focused, Rachel. Everyone’s
depending on you.
She
climbed the stairs and went to the dining room. There, she halted in the doorway, her eyes widening.
“What
the hell’s going on?” she demanded.
Randolph
Hitchcock turned in his chair. “My dear
lady, we’ve missed you. Now our family
is complete. Would you come here,
please?”
Rachel
stared at Derek, her heart twisting in sympathy for him. This was worse than seeing him in pain. He glanced up and she saw a damning
intelligence in his eyes. Somewhere,
some part of him stood remote from all this.
Helpless. Caged. It screamed in silent agony.
Nick
was on his hands and knees, Alex riding on his back and shrieking with
laughter. Yet her eyes, too, were
wretched with misery.
“Let
them go!” Rachel ordered.
“Why
would I do that?” Randolph inquired. “I’m
having so much fun.”
“Alicia
doesn’t want this! She never blamed
Derek and she never blamed you! Her
death was a tragic accident, nothing more!”
At
Alicia’s name, Randolph’s eyes grew cold, his face lost its cheerful
expression, and his voice hardened to chips of ice.
“If
it hadn’t been for that man,” he spat, stabbing a finger toward Derek, “my
beloved Alicia would never have died!”
“Really,”
Rachel challenged. “I heard she went
everywhere with you.”
He
reared back, sucking in a strangled breath.
“You blame me ..?”
“No,
Randolph, I don’t. Her death was an accident. No one’s to blame. This
quest for revenge .. it’s destroyed your life.
It’s driven you all these years .. for nothing.”
William
watched this exchange and, for a brief, fleeting moment, thought Rachel was
getting thru to him. Randolph’s face
crumpled into a mask of anguish, his shoulders sagged, and he looked
broken. But then the moment passed and
his cold sanity reasserted itself.
“Nothing?
Oh, hardly! I have my revenge at hand.
The man I have hated and despised for such a long time is now completely
at the mercy of my every whim. All I
must choose now is how much longer I can defer the inevitable. For now, it is enjoyable to watch him humiliate
himself.”
Rachel
glanced at William and, to her astonishment, saw the same caged misery in his
eyes. He hated this as much as she did,
and, like the others, was powerless to stop it or to break free.
“Randolph,”
she said, taking a step closer. “Let me
help you.”
“I
rather think I can help you,” he responded, picking something up from the
table.
Without
thinking, Rachel glanced down. As her
eyes moved, she saw William shake his head, but it was too late.
“The
Eye of Thoth,” Randolph said, and Rachel was trapped.
*****
Pete
was almost hypnotized himself as he watched the pale fingers of fog curl
blindly thru the undergrowth. Somehow,
here, it seemed exactly right. Kinda
spooky, he considered. Like the fingers
of a corpse seeking the warmth of the living …
He
shivered suddenly. For crying out loud,
don’t start scaring yourself. Stay
focused. Mind on the job.
He
checked the time and swore under his breath.
Only twenty two minutes had slipped by.
Still over an hour to wait. He
sighed.
The
gunshot had almost spurred him into action.
He hadn’t been expecting to hear it and his instincts had taken
over. First, he’d flattened to the
ground, second, he’d picked himself up, gun in hand, and taken two frantic
steps forward before hauling up and retreating to the cover of the bushes,
berating himself the entire way.
I’m
gonna go in there at the appointed time an’ I’m gonna find a couple of lunatics
an’ a big house full of dead bodies. I
just know it. And it’ll be my fault for
staying put when I should’ve gone blasting in.
I
can hear it now. Kat, honey, I’m real
sorry but .. y’know I promised to look out for your Mom? I screwed up. She’s dead .. an’ so are all the others. But, hey, I got the bad guys …
Pete,
no matter how much you wash it, it still sounds dirty.
He
watched the fog again for what felt like hours, then checked his watch once
more.
All
right, look on the bright side .. if you can find one. No one screamed when the gun was used. That’s usually a good sign. I don’t like gunplay but I can see how
someone could find it amusing.
Maybe
Rachel’s already done what she went in there to do an’ I’m just sitting out
here, watching the fog because I’ve nothing better to do with my time. Any second now .. she’ll remember I’m out
here an’ she’ll open that door, and everything will be just fine.
The
night was unnaturally quiet. Pete was
used to the roar of traffic, the sounds of sirens, music, people, city
life. This island wasn’t silent but it
was full of alien sounds. The breeze
rustling the leaves on the trees. The
scritter of tiny animal feet. He felt
uncomfortable. He knew everything
wasn’t just fine.
Pete
watched the fog then checked the time.
Twenty five minutes had elapsed.
He still had over an hour to wait.
He sighed.
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