Chapter Twenty-eight
“Why the heck can’t Stannard meet with you?”
Leah tightened her grip on her cell and lowered her voice as Sloan approached from across the playground. Between them, costume-clad kids ran screaming, all hyped up on sugar and holiday excitement. “He has something more important than buried human remains to keep him busy?”
“He promised to drive up here, but not until early evening,” Ryan answered. “They’re dealing with a reported hate crime, and he can’t get away any sooner.”
“Well, that sucks.” She shivered in her hippy costume as a cold wind fluttered the fringe on her suede vest. “What now?”
“I still want to hike up to the clearing to see what else is buried near that rock.”
Leah forced a smile when Sloan joined her. “If you can wait a couple hours, I’ll go with you. I should be finished here by three.”
“I guess there’s no rush. I’ll pick you up after school lets out.”
“Okay. Bye, Ryan.” She clicked off her phone and stuffed it in the pocket of her flowered bell-bottom pants.
“Do you and Ryan have plans for this evening? I’ve heard there are quite a few parties, despite the fact it’s a work night.” Sloan rolled his eyes. “My invitations must have gotten lost in the mail.”
“No, this is . . . something else.” She shot him a quick smile. “Maybe if your go-to costume wasn’t a nerd you’d be more popular.”
“Hey, dressing up is easy when I can simply pull my regular clothes out of the closet, add a little tape to my glasses, and voilà, instant geek.”
She smoothed the fringe. “Maybe that’s why I usually dress as a flower child . . . it’s not much of a stretch.” When the bell rang, she clapped her hands. “Line up, kids. Lunch is over.”
“We should just send them home now. It’s not like they’re going to learn anything this afternoon.”
“Don’t be such a pessimist. You never know when someone will surprise you.”
Two hours later, Leah’s enthusiasm for trying to teach had disappeared completely. When the final bell rang, she cheered nearly as loudly as her students. “Make sure you have all the pieces to your costumes.” She raised her voice to be heard over the clamor of excited voices. “Have fun trick-or-treating tonight, and remember the safety rules we talked about.” When the last fairy princess and devil disappeared through the classroom doorway, she slumped in her chair. “Oh, thank God.”
“Rough day?”
She glanced up as Ryan entered the room, and her fatigue evaporated. “They were understandably unruly.”
“I’ll say. I was nearly trampled by a stampede of skeletons and witches on my way down the hall.”
“You’re here ahead of schedule.” She stood and walked around her desk to meet him halfway. “I need to clean up the party mess before I can leave.”
“I came early to help.” Pulling her into his arms, he dropped a kiss on her upturned lips . . . then a second and a third lingering caress involving tongue. His voice was slightly hoarse when he finally turned her loose. “Put me to work.”
She blinked and took a deep breath. “Sure, work.”
They straightened the room in record time and had just finished cramming used paper plates and black and orange crepe paper into a garbage bag when Edgar pushed a wheeled trash container through the doorway.
Leah held up the bulging plastic bag. “Tada! It’s all yours.” She lobbed it into the bin.
He glanced around the room and nodded at Ryan. “You win the prize for quickest clean-up today.”
“That’s because I had help.”
Edgar dipped his mop up and down in a bucket of cleaning solution strong enough to burn the inside of her nose. “My shoes are sticking to the floor. How many cups of punch did the kids spill?” he asked.
“I lost count. You deserve hazard pay for a day like this.”
“Tell that to the schoolboard. Go on home, Leah.” His gaze shifted to Ryan. “I imagine you two have somewhere better than this to be.”
She pointed at the bucket. “We’re off on a hike. A little fresh air and exercise to clear the fumes out of my head will be welcome. You should try it.”
His lips curved in a quick smile. “I might just do that.”
Ryan handed over her denim jacket. “On that note, let’s get out of here. Have a nice evening, Edgar.”
Leah pulled her tote bag out of her bottom desk drawer, slung the strap over her shoulder, then glanced up when Sloan entered the room. “Ryan and I were just leaving. Do you need something?”
“Just a minute of Edgar’s time. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Leah.” He nodded as they passed. “Good to see you, Ryan.”
“Likewise.” Slipping an arm around Leah’s shoulders, he guided her from the room. “I want to get moving. It’ll be dark in a couple of hours, and we won’t be able to see squat.”
“We can take a couple of heavy-duty flashlights with us, just in case.” She waved to the office staff as they headed toward the front doors. “Any word from Detective Stannard?”
“I told him we intend to hike up to that clearing. Since he wants to take a look around, he offered to meet us there. Apparently he lived in Siren Cove when he was a kid and is familiar with the trail.”
“Good.” Leah shivered as a cold breeze hit her the minute Ryan held open the door. “Brrr. It’s going to be a chilly hike.”
An hour later she had warmed considerably as they set a fast pace up the trail, carrying packs loaded with flashlights, snacks, water bottles, and a shovel with a folding handle. Barney ran ahead but returned when she called him.
Leah glanced over at Ryan. “Maybe we should have left him at home. I don’t want my dog chewing any more suspicious-looking bones.”
“There may not be any bones to find, but if that femur is part of a larger stash, Barney will sniff it out. Why not take what help we can get?”
“I suppose.” She let out a sigh. “God, I hope we don’t discover anything too horribly gruesome.”
“Me, too.” Ryan nodded toward the shifting shadows crisscrossing the trail as tree branches waved in the wind. “At least there’s no fog this afternoon, but we probably don’t have much more than another hour of daylight left.”
“I hurried as fast as I could.” She stubbed her toe on a protruding root and winced. “Oh, I forgot to tell you Chief Stackhouse left a message on my cell earlier that there was a glitch in getting the warrant to search George Dorsey’s financial records, something about Judge Reardon being indisposed. He expects to have his signature by tomorrow. If the evidence is there, the chief will make an arrest.”
“I sure hope so. Did you talk to your grandma?”
Leah shook her head, huffing a little as they hiked up the last steep incline. “I didn’t tell her because I don’t want to get her hopes up too soon. Since her packing isn’t finished yet, we did ask the management company for a week extension on the apartment. They don’t have her unit rented until December, so they were happy to oblige.”
“Maybe she’ll be able to stay, after all.”
“I’m not sure she’ll want to, even if the police do recover her money. Gram seems pretty happy about moving in with Magnus.”
“Whatever makes Evie happy, right?”
“Absolutely.” Leah waved a hand as they reached the top of the climb. “We’ve arrived. Barney, get over here right now.”
The dog cast a guilty look back at her before bolting through the bushes.
“Damn it, Barney.”
“I’ll get him.” Ryan pushed through the manzanita in pursuit of the dog, with Leah following. “What the hell?”
She jerked free of a prickly branch snagged on her jacket, stepped into the clearing, and drew in a sharp breath. Dead wood was heaped in a tall pile near the mammoth stone, apparently waiting only for a match to turn the pyre into a flaming beacon. A white cloth covered the rock’s flat surface. A black star inside a circle stood out in stark relief.
“What is that thing?”
“A pentagram.”
Leah stared at the satanic symbol as fear crawled up her spine. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Too late for that, I’m afraid. I was told you’d be hiking up here.” A man in a hooded gray cloak stepped out of the trees. His face was hidden in the gathering twilight, but the muzzle of an ugly black revolver protruded from the sleeve of his garment.
Barney stopped sniffing the heap of branches and growled as the fur stood up along his back.
“I like dogs, but I won’t hesitate to put a bullet through his head.”
The conversational tone struck a note of recognition. . . and disbelief. Surely the hooded figure couldn’t be—
Barney barked low in his throat and bared gleaming teeth.
“Don’t hurt him!” Leah stepped closer on shaking legs. “Come here, Barney.” Her voice rose when her dog hesitated. “Now!”
Ryan pushed her behind him and lunged forward to grab Barney’s collar. Turning, he unzipped her backpack and yanked out a leash, then tied the still growling dog to the nearest tree. “This doesn’t have to end badly. If you let us go—”
“You know far too much to let you walk away. Any threat to the Brotherhood must be eliminated, but I’d prefer to wait for the others to get here to decide how to handle this.” He waved the gun. “However, if you don’t cooperate, I’ll shoot first and figure it out later. Understood?”
Ryan grabbed Leah around the waist and pulled her close to him. “We’ll cooperate. Maybe the others will listen to reason.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” He pointed with the revolver. “Both of you, over to that big fir.” He bent for something behind the stone and straightened holding a coil of rope. “Leah, I want you to tie Ryan up nice and tight. I’ll be checking to make sure you do a good job, so don’t waste time trying something stupid that will only make me angry.”
She caught the rope he tossed her way. They left Barney whining and tugging against his leash to approach the tree he indicated. Her hands shook so badly, she fumbled to unwind the rope.
“Easy, babe. Just do what the doctor says.” Ryan’s voice was barely above a whisper. “We have to stay alive long enough for Stannard to get here.”
“You recognized Dr. Carlton’s voice?” Her lips practically touched his ear as she looped the rope around him and the tree.
“He used that same calm tone when I was a kid getting a shot. Obviously something seriously twisted has been going on in Siren Cove for years.”
“How did he know we were coming up here?”
“Sloan Manning and Edgar Vargas both heard us talking about taking a hike. One of them could have figured it out,” he whispered.
“I can’t believe—”
“Quit talking and get the job finished.” The doctor’s voice slashed through the falling darkness.
“I’m trying.” Leah pulled the rope tight and knotted it. “There, Ryan’s secure.”
Carlton set his weapon on top of the pentagram. “I’m going to tie you up now. If you make any attempt to escape, I’ll shoot your boyfriend. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.” She stood perfectly still while this man she’d always liked and admired tied her next to Ryan. “Can I ask why you’re doing this?”
He checked to make sure the rope was tight without cutting into her arms, then stepped back. “I don’t mind satisfying your curiosity since the information won’t leave this spot.” He picked up the gun and dropped it into a bag he pulled out from behind the rock, then laid a knife with a long, serrated blade on the pentagram in its place. “By the way, that pistol shoots pellets. At close range, it might have injured you. Nothing more. I don’t believe in firearms, but I figured it would be a handy way to contain you.”
“Shit.” Ryan’s frustration gave the single word an ugly undertone.
The doctor lifted a container of lighter fluid out of the bag and squirted streams onto the pyre. Stepping back, he tossed a lit match, and the piled branches exploded in flames.
“The others should be here shortly, but back to your question. The Brotherhood was organized by the group of men who founded Siren Cove a hundred and fifty years ago. They were the sole survivors of a massacre on the trail west, and witnessed their fellow travelers die in agony as the savages scalped them.” Carlton’s voice hardened. “Our ancestors renounced God that fateful day and promised their souls to Satan in exchange for the lives of their families going forward. We’ve all prospered ever since.”
Leah stared at him in horror. “Surely you don’t believe devil worship is the reason for your success.”
“Oh, I believe. Once every decade we offer up a sacrifice to Satan, and our families continue to thrive. In order to keep our numbers strong, we’ve brought a few carefully vetted newcomers into our ranks over the years, but the core group is still the male descendants of those original men.”
“That’s sick.” Ryan’s words rang out, echoing through the forest. “Twisted and ugly.”
A burning lump filled Leah’s throat. She wiggled her hand until she could just touch his fingers and held tight.
“Twenty years ago we were nearly found out, but thankfully our current leader was able to neutralize a suspicious cop. He picked up the knife and turned it over as the firelight gleamed along the blade’s length. “With a little help from me. The right drugs will mimic a heart attack every time. After that, we stopped photographing the ceremony. Too risky. I’m happy to say our sacrifice last decade went off without a hitch. Too bad this year you insisted on digging up that damn time capsule where the film was buried.”
“Sorry to inconvenience you.” Leah’s voice rose. “You and your brotherhood are nothing but a bunch of sick—”
The doctor held up his hand and turned as lights flashed and voices carried on a gust of wind. “Your insults don’t faze me in the least. Here come my brothers now.”
The bushes parted, and a robed figure entered the clearing carrying a naked woman. Long, dark hair streamed over the sleeve of his robe, and her mouth hung slack, eyes open mere slits.
Carlton spoke up to be heard over Barney’s barking. “And so the tradition continues with a sacrifice to appease our lord and master.”
“Oh, my God.” Leah breathed hard through her nose as the world swayed around her. “I saw that woman on the news. Is she dead?”
Ryan shook his head and spoke in a low tone. “Maybe just drugged for the trip through the woods. I have a feeling they’ll want her alive for whatever perverted ritual is planned.”
Six more hooded figures followed the man carrying the unconscious woman. The final member of the group wore a black robe instead of gray.
Ryan squeezed Leah’s hand. “He must be the head of this freak show. I’d sure like to know who he is.”
“I’d like to know who they all are. It’s too dark to see anything that isn’t directly in the firelight.” She shivered and pressed closer against Ryan’s side. “I wonder why Barney stopped barking. One of those men is standing next to him. If he hurts my dog—”
“Barney looks okay. The guy isn’t doing anything, but if Stannard doesn’t get here soon . . .”
“They’ll kill that poor woman and us. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe our town has been harboring this kind of evil. To think Dr. Carlton and—”
“Pete.” Ryan let out a harsh breath. “The one to the left of the leader. See how he stands with his arms akimbo. I’d swear that’s Pete Brewster.”
“Then I’d bet money his father is in the group, too.”
She stiffened when Dr. Carlton raised the knife in both hands in some kind of salute before sheathing it in the folds of his robe. With a grunt, the man holding the unconscious woman lifted her onto the rock. One of her arms dangled limply over the edge as she let out a low moan.
“She’s definitely all drugged up. Damn, the head freak is looking this way.” Ryan tugged harder against their restraints. “I’ve got a tiny bit of slack going on the rope binding you. Can you slide your hands free?”
Leah pressed back against the tree and wiggled one wrist. “No, but almost. Keep working on it.”
Ryan’s breath brushed her cheek. “Look, the man who was near Barney is arguing with the one in black. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.”
“. . . can’t just kill her.” The words fell into a sudden silence.
“Shit. Definitely not good.” Ryan twisted harder against the ropes. “Try now.”
The hemp dug into her wrist, but Leah barely felt the burning pain as she wrenched her hand free. She couldn’t breathe through the tightness in her chest. “That’s Brock.”
Ryan stopped moving. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Her voice broke. “Oh, God.”
“Leah.”
She stared across the towering fire at the man she’d once loved, and her stomach convulsed. She swallowed hard against the hot bile.
“Leah!” Ryan’s voice was low but sharp. “Work your other wrist loose then untie the knots holding me. Keep your hands behind you so they can’t see what you’re doing. The firelight doesn’t reach this far, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
She nodded and forced back the surge of nausea. Gritting her teeth, she went to work on the knots. With numb fingers, she picked at the rope, loosening it a little at a time. When the hooded figures formed an organized circle around the woman on the makeshift altar, and the leader held up his arms, a whimper slipped from her throat.
“Where the hell is Stannard? He should be here by now.” Ryan pressed his lips to her ear. “Forget about me, scramble out of these ropes and run like hell.”
“No, I won’t leave you.” She sniffed back tears as the first knot came loose.
“You damn well will.”
“Reveal yourselves to our lord and master as we let the blood of our sacrifice.” The leader’s voice rang out before he slowly lowered his hood.
Ryan’s breath left in a rush. “Shit.”
“What?” Leah’s whisper was fierce. “Who is he?”
“No one will be coming to save us. The head freak is Detective Stannard.”
The lump in her stomach grew heavier as each man lowered his hood and revealed himself: Arnold Dorsey and Judge Reardon, Waylon and Pete Brewster, the manager from the bank, Brock . . . Her heart pounded so hard, she could barely breathe. “Dr. Carlton has his knife out again . . .”
“Now, Leah. You have to get the hell out of here while they’re focused on their . . . sacrifice.” Ryan’s tone was unyielding. “We can’t wait any longer. Try to get out of the ropes without drawing attention this way.”
The blade of the knife glinted in the firelight as the group chanted softly, their voices rising in unison.
Her tears fell faster. “I won’t leave you here.”
Carlton held the knife high before bringing it slashing down to pierce the woman’s thigh. A shrill scream echoed through the trees, ending on a sob as the doctor passed the bloody knife to the man beside him.
“Oh, God, I have to help her.” Leah worked the ropes down her arms.
“There’s nothing you can do for her, and I won’t watch them carve you up, too. I love you more than my life. Please, go.” Ryan’s whisper was harsh against her ear. “Please.”
She jerked her arms free and shimmied out of the rope. When another shrill scream rang through the night, she glanced toward the sick ceremony, met Brock’s feverish gaze, and froze. When he didn’t so much as blink, she dived behind the tree.
“Damn it, Leah. Run!”
“No!” Ignoring Ryan’s quiet cursing, she worked at the knots binding him to the tree.
“Stop her! That bitch is free.” Waylon Brewster’s voice rose in a shout.
“Leah, go!”
With a cry, she spun around and slammed into a solid chest as men ran out of the woods. Shots echoed, and a hard shove pushed her to the ground as all hell broke loose. Crawling to her feet, she threw herself against Ryan, wrapped her arms around him, and prayed.