Chapter 6 #2
For a brilliant man, a monster who had managed to manipulate and terrorize people and manage all this, he had ridiculously given her just what she’d needed to know.
“You don’t want to do this!” she cried.
“Oh, Special Agent Angela Hawkins Crow!” He declared.
“You are so wrong. I can’t wait to do this!
I mean the others . . . that was Arabella, by the way, the girl you just tried to help.
I was so clever, reeling you all in, not letting you realize at first just how far I’d gone, how many people I’d twisted into helping me!
Start with a kidnapping at a coffee shop, take a young woman and an old woman.
But they’re just collateral damage. Wait, it’s me!
Collateral fun, so much fun, cutting people, letting them know that they’ll die slowly but they will die!
You. You are the grand prize. Do you know what got me through the days in prison?
Dreaming. Day dreaming, night dreaming. And they were beautiful dreams. Dreams about the way I’m going to cut all your fingers and toes off and then slice you all over that glorious body of yours!
Maybe I’ll chop up your limbs, but I want you to live long and suffer horribly for every night I spent in that place!
Oh, and don’t worry, you won’t be alone, trust me. Boy toy is going to die, too.”
“Boy toy?” she queried.
“He came in with his gun. But it was you, miss sweetness and light, talking about the way you needed to understand life and death, how you were looking for the man or the god or the way to go, how to give of yourself . . . you claimed you were ready to make any sacrifice, your own life, to discover the truth of our being here on earth. Well! That time, boy toy and the boys were already rounding up my most ardent believers, and he managed to get a gun to my head. But that kid out there is going to kill him. Shoot to kill. I taught him you two were the worst demons, that you misbehaved, that you ruined all that was to be done and his family and he would be burning, burning forever, if he didn’t follow through with my commands.
And believe it or not, the kid can aim.” He started to laugh again.
“Don’t worry! Your boy is like you; there are a few decorations out there that are really props from the old costume shop.
But by the time he rushes in to be a savior, Gil will have a bullet in his head.
I just didn’t need to torture him. You—well, I can’t wait for the torture to begin!
I think that it should start right now!”
He wrenched her by the arm, dragging her over to an area in the trees. From behind one he drew out a large dress, one that was as blood red as the coming sun, and a black cape and pointed witch’s hat.
“I thought about a dog costume,” he told her.
“Bitch, witch, a truly bitchy witch! But I wanted you all nice and beautiful when they finally made their way through the woods! Time for you to strip! Strip now! I’ll bet you’ll look truly fine in this red mist!
But you do know, you needn’t worry about me touching you with anything but a knife.
You may be little miss blond beauty, but I’m not interested in seeing you do anything but bleed! ”
Angela was never sure herself, just how Jackson had managed to move.
But he was suddenly there.
And once again, he had his Glock flush with Darrell Manderley’s head.
“Not today, phantom-vamp,” he told Manderley. “Not today.”
“How the hell—” Manderley began, spinning around and trying to thrust Angela before him.
She ducked, evading his grasp, and he let out a roar, heedless of the Glock, raising his knife and racing toward one of the remaining witches.
Jackson fired.
And the man fell. And just as he did, the sun suddenly rose higher in the sky.
The blood red mist seemed to evaporate.
And there was a rush of movement. Brian McFadden and a dozen other agents rushed into the woods with cops and EMTs and more. Angela turned to help.
She didn’t need to do so.
Bruce McFadden was directing Krewe members; Detective Valiente had also arrived with police officers.
All helping the EMTs, finding the victims created to be Halloween creatures within the shadows of the forest.
“We’ve got this! You and Jackson chill!” Bruce told her.
She smiled. The Krewe and the cops and rangers and all had done a great job; she hadn’t known until they burst out into the clearing that they were that close.
But then, of course, her concentration had been on Manderley, on finding out just how many people he had taken, and still . . .
Somehow, the law enforcement groups had gotten what appeared to be more than a dozen EMTs into the area and they were working together and it was true.
She truly wasn’t needed.
Except for one thing and Jackson beat her to it.
“Bruce!” he cried. “There’s a young man named Gil running around out there somewhere and he’s been convinced his family will die horrible and burn—”
“Already got him, Jackson!” He arched a brow and grinned, well aware that the EMTs and cops wouldn’t understand they’d been helped by the spirit of a dead man.
“We, uh, had a little help. He’s good; alive and being taken to the local station.
Seriously. You and Angela did the hard work; let us earn our keep! ”
Angela smiled, but her smile faded quickly.
Eight victims. Eight bleeding victims.
And Manderley.
Yes, Manderley, groaning—and swearing—where he lay on the ground.
Because Jackson hadn’t taken him down with a kill shot.
Angela looked at him as others hurried to find and help the victims, arching a brow.
And, of course, he knew what her question might be.
“I always remember,” he told her quietly. “We are not judge and jury. We are law enforcement. And he just might suffer more knowing that this time, he will die in prison.”
“He’ll face federal and state charges,” Angela reminded him. “This time, he might get the death penalty.”
“He might. It’s just not for us to decide.”
“Right.”
“You know, you might look really good in that costume,” he told her.
“We’re law enforcement—so I can’t hit you!” she told him.
Naturally, he grinned.
They were partners in life just as they were partners in their vocation.
He crossed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. While the clean-up rushed around them, he just held her.
“I’m really, really glad we had parties for the kids already,” he told her.
And she had to agree.
“Still, we do have kids. Trick or treating!” she told him.
“I think we’ve had the trick part already.”
She smiled at him. “Yes, in history, there are those who can twist anything. But, seriously and really, you remember! The ‘treat’ thing started because in centuries long ago, bonfires were lit, yes, things happened, but it was also a time when the poor could go to their neighbors, they’d be given food and help.
There’s something good in everything, there have always been good people—”
“Always a sun to break through a blood red mist?” he asked.
“Always. And, sadly, Manderley did commit murders. But Jackson! These people, those we’ve found already, those here . . . they’ll have a chance! With luck, prayers, and great medical attention, they’ll live.”
“True.” he said softly. “And we’re so close to home here—”
“Uh, not really,” she reminded him.
“But—”
She laughed.
“What?”
“Paperwork,” she reminded.
He groaned. But then they both smiled because someone had come up beside them.
“I wish I could hug you.” Angela told Trent.
“Well, I’ll hug you. It will be a little cold, maybe, but—”
“The best hug I could get.” Angela assured him.
And it was. She smiled. Carefully, of course. They were surrounded by Krewe members, but others as well.
And eventually, they were able to get home.
And once home . . .
Angela knew they might still have a wonderful Halloween. They faced a great deal, but they came home to be a family and that . . .
That was everything!
Epilogue
Victoria, naturally, was adorable. She had chosen a princess outfit, something it seemed many little girls her age chose to be.
Corby, now in his teen years, had been going for something more diabolical.
But he changed his mind. He decided he was going to dress as a cowboy and Jackson was pretty darned sure he had done so because he knew what his parents had been dealing with the day just preceding.
But their son was wise, naturally wise beyond his years, he was also ‘gifted’ or ‘cursed’ with the ability to see those souls who had remained on earth for whatever reason they had seen as necessary.