Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Nigel flung up his hands instinctively as a black mist seemed to pour from the broken box. For a moment, it hovered in the air—then dove for the VCR.
The VCR that was still switched on and connected to the generator.
“Salt—salt!” he yelled. “Ullman is feeding on the electricity!”
“Seth Ullman!” Oscar’s commanding tone cut through the roar of the wind. “Leave—”
An unseen force hurled the TV at Oscar’s head. Oscar barely ducked out of the way; it sailed past and shattered against the wall.
The temperature in the room dropped by twenty degrees. Nigel’s ears popped as the pressure shifted along with it.
A whirlwind of darkness formed as the generator coughed and sputtered outside, Ullman draining every drop of energy he could get his hands on. Shards of glass from the TV and mirror box rose into the air and began to circle, just as the toys had whirled around Andy on the first tape they’d seen.
Except broken glass was a hell of a lot more deadly.
The camping lantern they’d been using for light went out, plunging them into darkness. “Get out of the dining room!” Oscar yelled.
Of course—the salt would keep Ullman trapped. If they could get out without scuffing the lines.
Thanks to the storm, not a sliver of moon or starlight could reach them.
The blackness was as utter as anything he’d ever experienced.
Nigel tried to grope his way toward the hallway and shield his face from flying glass at the same time.
His foot caught on something, and he went sprawling to the floor.
A light switched on—Ethan had been outside the circle. “Ms. Montague?” he called frantically. “This way! Ms. Montague?”
Nigel lunged in the direction of the flashlight, but Ethan was swinging the beam around wildly, making it difficult to pick out obstacles. Even so, he’d almost reached the hallway when he realized the shards were no longer whizzing past his head and ripping into his clothing.
They fell to the floor, some bouncing, others breaking even further. Had Ullman expended so much energy so fast? Or…
Ethan’s flashlight pointed toward the floor, revealing scuff marks scattering the salt. In the chaos and dark, someone had accidentally broken the line.
Ullman was free.
Another flashlight switched on. Chris seemed to have dug it out of their backpack, which had been left near the door when they retreated from the storm. “Fuck—where did he go?”
Blood trickled from a shallow cut on Oscar’s forehead. “Up—I can feel up him heading up. I think Ms. Montague was right, and he’s going for Gloria. She’s been opposing him for over a century, and now he might have the energy to finish her off once and for all.”
“Where is she, though?” Ethan demanded. “Where’s Ms. Montague?”
Nigel looked around. There was Oscar and Chris, Tina and Dr. Lawson, all of them battered but on their feet. But there was no sign of Montague.
“What the hell?” Dr. Lawson asked. “Patricia? Where the fuck are you?”
Oscar’s face paled. “I think…I think he took her.”
Was that even possible? Why was he even bothering to wonder, since clearly she wasn’t here, and Nigel didn’t think she could move that fast on her own?
“She was trying to help cover up his crimes, though,” Tina said.
“At least some of his friends on the boat surely wanted to keep everything hidden.” Oscar’s expression was grim. “That didn’t stop him from killing them.”
Ethan clutched his flashlight. “You—you have to save her!”
Dr. Lawson let out a hollow laugh. “Why? She’s the one who wanted to let Ullman out of the box. Let her reap what she’s sown.”
“Can you live with that?” Oscar asked.
Lawson’s anger visibly foundered. “I…no. God damn her.”
Nigel went to where the Faraday tent lay propped against a wall.
“The tower is the safest place to hide from the storm—it’s made out of stone, even if it does have a few windows.
Ethan, go to the room on this floor. It was used for storage, like its counterpart on the third floor, but there’s just renovation supplies in this one.
Throw out anything you need to make room, set up the Faraday tent so Ullman can’t get to you, and hunker down. ”
“I will.” He took the mesh tent from Nigel. “Thank you. I-I’m story I took the ledger and the tape.”
Dr. Lawson gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder. “Patricia’s a persuasive woman. Now get to cover, while we try to save her from her own bad decisions.”