49. Jack
FORTY-NINE
JACK
“Me?” Jack asked. “What are you talking about?”
“Damn it, woman!” Sloan stalked forward, looking Abigail straight in the eyes. “Control yourself and tell us what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry.” Abigail took a long breath and let it out slowly between her quivering lips. “My father is controlling the beast that’s going around the town killing everyone.”
The room was quiet; even Sloan looked to her traveling companions for direction.
“Abigail…” Marcus bent a knee and gave the young girl a comforting smile. “Are you sure? How do you know this?”
“I knew something was going on for a while now. He’s changed, he’s different. I just never thought he could be capable of killing anyone.”
“How, Abigail?” Sloan asked, taking a hard tone. “How do you know this?”
“I’m sorry, Jack.” Abigail took another deep breath. She looked at Jack with tear-filled eyes. “I should have told you when I first talked with you. I knew something was going on, but you have to believe me—if I thought you were in any danger from him, I would have said something.”
“I know you would have. I believe you.” Jack did his best to give Abigail a genuine smile as he cupped her hand in his.
“Thank you.” Abigail took a quivering breath.
“Aaaahhhhem.” Sloan reminded the two she was still in the room. “How do you know this, Abigail?”
“My father’s been going out at night more and more.
At first, I wrote this off as church business, but tonight, I followed him.
Earlier today, I saw him sneak into this house, and as soon as he heard you coming back from the hunt, he ran.
I saw him carrying something but couldn’t be sure what it was.
Tonight, he was out late again, so I went to the church.
The door was locked. I looked through a window.
I saw him sitting there with some kind of large scarf in his hand and?—”
Abigail stopped talking as she looked beyond the group to the far wall. Her eyes saw something that only her imagination told her was there.
“Go on, it’s okay.” Aareth recognized the symptom of shock.
“I saw a monster. It looked like a large dog. My father—my father was stroking its back. It—it was smelling the scarf in his hand.”
It was clear whatever Abigail was telling them was the truth. The girl was so shaken by what she witnessed, there was no denying her honesty.
“Well, looks like all the puzzle pieces are fitting together,” Sloan thought out loud. “The preacher has somehow been able to control a failed project from the cave laboratory. An experiment started by Dr. Oliver Livingston and this secret order.”
Jack saw his father tense and stand. His head cocked to the side. His hand reached for his staff. Jack knew the look and action like it was his own. His father heard something.
“Let’s go kill this thing and end its bloody rampage.” Sloan looked to her comrades for consent.
“We won’t have to go anywhere,” Marcus’ voice was low as he wrapped his hands around his brown staff so tightly, the wood groaned.
“Why?” Sloan asked.
“Because it’s come to us.”