314 Book 3 (Widowsfield Trilogy) (35 page)

“Is she really?” Paul’s tone revealed that he wasn’t sure Helen was right.

“Let’s hope. She’s lost a lot of blood,” said Helen.

“Maybe we should call an ambulance,” said Alma.

“No ambulance,” said Rosemary. “Don’t bring anyone else into this. When Oliver gets here, we can leave. Is he here?” She was dazed as she looked around the room.

“Stephen and Rachel went to find him,” said Alma. “They’ll be back soon.”

“Why is she so insistent on not going to a hospital?” asked Paul.

“Don’t bring anyone else into this,” said Rosemary as her eyes fluttered. “No one can know what happened here. We have to stop it from happening again. Alma, listen to me.” She gripped Alma’s hand tight. “Take Ben back to Terry’s house, and at 3:14 you have to perform the same ritual on him that your mother did on you. In my bag you’ll find the same type of candles that she used. You don’t have to wait until tomorrow afternoon. Just go ahead and do it at 3:14 in the morning. That should still work.”

“Wait,” said Alma. “You don’t expect me to…”

Rosemary squeezed Alma’s hand as she tried to sit up. Helen was quick to settle the wounded woman back down again, but Rosemary’s insistence was evident as she spoke, “You’re the only one that can end this, Alma. You have to send The Skeleton Man back to where he came from, and then we can finally end this whole nightmare.”

“How will forcing him to look at that stupid number do that?” asked Paul.

“I don’t know why it works, but it does,” said Rosemary. “You tapped into something powerful the last time you did it. The ritual that your mother performed brought The Watcher out again. He thinks that date and time are important, but I’m not sure why. If you take Ben there, and do the ritual again, then I think The Watcher will take him back.”

“And what about us?” asked Paul. “The last time Alma stared at that damn number, we ended up in a nightmare.”

“And I’m the one that got you out,” said Rosemary, her anger obvious. “Alma followed my lead and got everyone out of The Watcher’s prison. I’m not going to let you get trapped there. That’s part of the reason I took your things from you. The things you gave me are in my bag along with the candles. Right before you perform the ritual, take those things back, but not before. It’s important that you don’t have them until right before you start the ritual. Those things will protect you, just like the bear when you were stuck in The Watcher’s web, Alma. It’ll work the same way. Just keep those things close, and his lies won’t affect you.”

“Just keep calm,” said Alma. “You’re going to be all right.”

Rosemary shook her head and tried to smile, but the agony of her wound was too intense and she grimaced before taking several sharp breaths. “It’s okay if I don’t make it out of here. I never planned to.”

“Don’t talk like that,” said Alma.

“Go,” said Rosemary as she closed her eyes. “Hide at the cabin until tomorrow. Helen can take care of me.”

“We have to get Stephen and Rachel,” said Alma. “We can’t leave without them.”

“They’ll be fine,” said Rosemary. “When they get back, I’ll send them to the cabin to meet up with you.”

“No,” said Alma. “I’m not going to just leave them here.”

“You have to trust me,” said Rosemary. “I’ve spent the last five years of my life trying to protect you, and trying to put a stop to whatever Oliver and his company were up to in this town. Do you trust me, Alma?”

Alma was quiet for a moment, but then relented and said, “Yes, I trust you.”

“Good,” said Rosemary. “Then do as I ask. Take Ben back to the cabin, and wait there until tomorrow. Stay away from Ben if you can, and don’t all go to sleep at once. I don’t know what he’s capable of, but I don’t think he can control all of you.
At least not yet.”

“Not yet?” asked Paul.

“He doesn’t know what he’s capable of yet, and you can’t let him find out. You have to trap him again.”

“He’s my brother,” said Alma.

“No he’s not,” said Rosemary. “He’s a weapon.”

Both Alma and Paul looked at one another in shared confusion, and then Alma asked, “What do you mean?”

“That’s what this has been about since it started,” said Rosemary. “It’s a weapon experiment that went wrong. But if they know The Skeleton Man got out, then they’re going to try and figure out a way to use him. You can’t let that happen. Ever since I left this place, I’ve come back here every March to try and make sure Oliver doesn’t figure out how to get The Watcher or The Skeleton Man out of their prison. You’re the only one that can put an end to it, Alma. You have to finish this. You have to trust me.”

Alma looked up at Paul for answers, but he just stared plaintively at her. He raised his brow and took a heavy breath before saying, “Your call,
babe. I’m in it till the end with you, wherever that takes us.”

Alma nodded and said, “Okay, let’s go.”

“Thank you,” said Rosemary. “You’re making the right decision.”

The injured woman laid her head down on the gurney with a content smile as she closed her eyes, appearing finally at peace. Alma looked at Helen as the nurse began to check Rosemary’s pulse.

“She’s alive,” said Helen. “But she’s fading fast. I’m not sure she’s going to make it.”

“I’m not sure she wants to,” said Paul.

On the bottom floor of
Cada E.I.B.’s building

March 13
th
, 2012

Shortly before 6:00 AM

Stephen and Rachel had followed the trail of blood to the bottom of the stairs, and they carefully opened the door and peered into the hall beyond. The trail continued on, and they silently followed, too scared to speak as they delved deeper into the building.

Stephen was using the viewfinder on the camera to see, and Rachel was watching behind them with her flashlight. When she shined her light forward, the night vision on Stephen’s camera was useless, so she kept the flashlight pointed behind them and let him lead.

“Oh shit,” said Stephen in a loud whisper.

“What?” asked Rachel as she tried to look into his viewfinder to see what had frightened him.

“Shine your light out that way,” said Stephen as he pointed forward, down the hall ahead.

Rachel did as he asked and saw what looked like a fire extinguisher lying in a pool of liquid.

“Is that blood?” asked Stephen.

“I think so,” said Rachel. “Oh fuck me. We need to get out of here.”

Stephen shushed her, and started walking forward again.

“What are you doing?” asked Rachel. “Are you out of your mind?”

“We have to find him,” said Stephen with odd determination.

“No we don’t.” Rachel grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “We don’t have to do anything but get the hell out of here. I’m through with this place.”

“We have to stop him,” said Stephen. “We’re the only ones who can. If he attacked that other nurse, then we’ve got to help her.”

“I’m scared,” said Rachel.

“It’s okay,” said Stephen as he took out the pistol that he’d taken from Rosemary’s bag. “If that fucker’s whacking people with fire extinguishers in the dark, he’s going to have trouble taking me out. I’ve got a gun and a night-vision camera.”

“When have you ever fired a gun in your life?” asked Rachel.

“I play Call of Duty,” said Stephen, but his joke went unappreciated.

“I swear to God, Stephen, if you get me killed I am going to haunt the fuck out of you.”

“Cool,” said Stephen as he started to follow the trail of blood again. Rachel smacked him, but followed along.

A massive trail of blood tracked back from where the fire extinguisher was laying and then around a corner and down another long hall. Rachel and Stephen agreed that the marks were left by a dragged body, but they stayed silent after that. As they got deeper into the facility, they could hear what sounded like whips snapping in the distance.

“What is that?” asked Rachel in a whisper.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s making the hair on my neck stand up,” said Rachel.

“Look at my arm,” said Stephen and Rachel shined the flashlight on his arm to reveal that his hair was standing straight up.

“What the fuck?” asked
Rachel.

“We must be getting close,” said Stephen as he continued on.

Rachel followed, although Stephen knew she didn’t want to. He understood her fear, but at the same time he was angered by it. They were so close to having the answer they’d been seeking ever since first considering coming to Widowsfield. Nothing could sway him from soldiering on. This would be the story that would define his career.

“The trail leads to there,” said Stephen as he stared ahead at a closed door at the end of the hall.

“Is there any way in hell I can convince you not to go in there?” asked Rachel.

Stephen shook his head and said, “Nope. Come on, babe. Don’t chicken out now.” He moved to the door at the end of the hall and the sound of electricity got louder each step he took. He could feel the energy, and it was exhilarating.

“Stephen, don’t,” said Rachel as he reached out for the handle. Her plea for him to stop was practically unheard. There was nothing she could do to stop him now.

The door should’ve been locked, but in Oliver’s haste he hadn’t secured it. As Stephen opened the door, the sound of electricity intensified. His night-vision camera caught the burst of orbs that spewed forth from the opened door and quickly lit up the viewfinder with green light. He lowered the camera, and opened the door further.

“Oh my God,” said Rachel.

They saw the machine that had been the origin for
Widowsfield’s nightmares. The pillars on either side of the metal box were crackling with blue electricity as rings spun around them. The arcs of lightning reached high into the air, zapping the beams above and causing them to release white puffs of smoke. The motion of the machine’s rings was causing the ground to shudder, and Stephen could feel the vibration hitting him.

The man they’d come to find was straddling the nurse that Helen had sent down first. He had a knife gripped with both hands, and he was stabbing down into the woman’s belly. Her body was a mess of blood, and she was clearly already dead, but his maniacal slaughtered continued unabated.

“Oliver,” said Stephen, halting the man before he stabbed down again. Stephen clicked off the night-vision on his camera to allow it to record what was happening in the room. “Get off of her.”

Oliver looked
up, his face splattered with the girl’s blood, and raised his hands slowly. He said something, but the zapping electricity muted him.

“Put down the knife,” said Stephen.

Oliver stepped towards them.

“Put down the knife!”

Oliver continued walking forward.

“Shoot him,” said Rachel from behind Stephen.

Stephen pulled the trigger, but was holding the gun in one hand and wasn’t prepared for how strong it kicked. The gun nearly sailed out of his hand as it jerked back.

Stephen’s aim had been off, and the bullet sailed past Oliver. It struck the machine behind him, causing the bullet to ricochet off somewhere else in the room. The gunshot prompted Oliver to stop and glance back at what Stephen had hit. He glared at Stephen and Rachel and said, “You’re going to ruin everything. Get out. You can’t be here.”

“Put the knife down,” said Stephen again.

“You have to get out,” said Oliver as he used the blade to point at them. He continued to move forward.

Stephen dropped his camera and held the pistol with both hands. He pleaded, “Stop,” but Oliver continued to come at them. Stephen pulled the trigger, and this time he didn’t miss.

Widowsfield

March 14
th
, 2011

One year before Alma’s return

Rosemary was in her usual spot, on the cliff overlooking the Jackson Reservoir, and was continuing to spread her lies about Alma Harper by infecting the area with a false memory about the girl’s death. Despite her effort, she still got the sense that the town was longing for Alma’s return, and Rosemary often debated if she should try to seek out Alma first. She decided against it, and hoped that the young woman would never return, and would leave the town always longing for the final piece of the puzzle that it was searching for.

The most important thing, and the reason for these annual trips, was that Rosemary wanted to make sure Oliver never succeeded in his attempt to contact the creature that was hiding in the walls of Widowsfield. Furthermore, she knew that Oliver hadn’t worked alone. If she could track down Oliver’s boss, then she might have a chance at putting an end to the Widowsfield experiments once and for all.

She was considering this possibility when she heard a loud pop. The sound passed easily across the still water of the reservoir, making it sound as if it had occurred closer to Rosemary than it actually had. She moved to the edge of the cliff and scanned the area below, searching for the source of the noise.

Far below, across the reservoir, she saw a car stopped on the side of the road. A woman was getting out of the car and Rosemary reached into her satchel to retrieve a pair of binoculars to get a better look. She watched as a familiar looking woman inspected her blown-out tire.

“Who are you?” asked Rosemary to herself as she watched the frustrated woman open her trunk to get her spare.

Rosemary watched for several minutes before she remembered who it was that she was spying on. “Helen,” she said as she watched. It was one of the nurses that worked for Cada E.I.B. while Rosemary and Terra had been there. She remembered Helen coming in for the evening shift, and a thought occurred to Rosemary about how she might be able to finally end the Widowsfield experiments. It would require manipulating this woman’s memories, but it could lead to finally figuring out who was funding Oliver’s project.

Inside Cada E.I.B.’s facility

March 13
th
, 2012

Paul held Alma’s hand tightly as they made their way through the dark recesses of the Cada E.I.B. facility. He felt guilty for leaving without Stephen and Rachel, but Rosemary had been insistent that they get out as soon as possible. Rosemary was a persuasive personality, and Paul wondered if his reluctance to disobey her had something to do with her psychometric ability.

“Alma, wait,” said Paul as they got to the stairs that they were going to take up to the ground level. He shined his light down at the tracks of blood and mud that led through the door. “Are you sure we should leave Rachel and Stephen?”

“We have to,” said Alma, and she sounded sure of herself. Then her expression changed and she asked, “Don’t we?”

“Why?” asked Paul.
“Just because that chick says so?”

Alma was holding Rosemary’s satchel and she adjusted its strap on her shoulder as she thought about it. “She’s been right about everything else.”

“Yeah, but are we the type of people that leave friends behind? I mean, I know we don’t know Rachel and Stephen all that well, but I’m not sure I’m okay with just leaving them here.”

“You’re right,” said Alma before she moved closer to give him a kiss. “That’s why I love you, babe.”

“I love you too,” said Paul as he opened the door to the staircase. “And about that Lacey stuff; I hope you know I’m going to break things off with…”

Alma hushed him with another kiss. Then she smiled up at him and said, “Don’t worry, I know. I almost let myself get upset about that, but I came to a realization about it that calmed me down.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” asked Paul.

“I love you enough that I want you to be happy. Hopefully that means you and I get to be happy together, but if not, then I just want to know you’re happy, wherever you are and whoever you’re with.”

“I’m your guy for as long as you’ll have me, babe,” said Paul.

“Damn straight you are,” said Alma, making Paul laugh as they headed down the stairs together.

They’d both heard Rosemary give Stephen the directions to Oliver’s lab, but it wasn’t hard to find. The blood trail led them along, and as they got closer they could hear the crackle of electricity. Then the distinct sound of a gunshot echoed through the halls and they quickened their pace. They turned the corner and could see bright blue light emitting from a room at the end of the hall. The cacophonous noise of the electricity got louder as they approached, and they could feel the hair on their arms standing on end. Rachel and Stephen were ahead, but the electric zaps drowned out anything they were saying before another shot rang out.

Paul and Alma rushed to the room, but stopped in shock once they saw what had happened. Oliver was on his knees, a butcher knife clutched against his chest, the tip resting just under his chin. He was already splattered with the blood of the nurse that was lying on the ground behind him, but it was clear that he’d been the victim of the gunshot. The amount of blood that was pumping from his chest was startling.

Stephen stood in shock, his arms still held forward with the smoking gun gripped in his hands. His shadow danced behind him from the wavering light of the machine that dominated the space. Alma and Paul got to Rachel, and asked what happened, but the reporter just shook her head and explained, “He had to. He had to shoot.”

“Help me figure out how to shut this thing off,” said Paul as he pulled Alma along. He looked at Stephen, thinking he would ask for his help as well, but it was clear he was in shock. Stephen just stared at the ground where the nurse lay.

“Rachel’s dead,” said Stephen as he stared at the nurse. “Rachel’s dead.”

Rachel tried to console Stephen as Paul and Alma approached the machine that was producing the electricity that crackled above. Alma and Paul examined the various gauges and levers on the machine, and Paul picked the one that looked the most like it would power the
thing. It was a wide-bar lever with orange and black stripes on the arms, and he pulled it down to see what would happen. It worked, and they heard the motors within the spires on the side begin to slow. The rings grinded to a stop and the blue electricity finally stopped arcing forth.

As the noise went away, they heard Oliver saying something. He was on the floor now, staring at the ceiling with the knife still clutched to his chest. Beneath his hands, the gunshot continued to produce a fountain of blood that was seeping out through his clothes.

“I won’t make it…”

Paul assumed Oliver was talking about surviving the gunshot, but then he continued.

“…make it past.” Oliver wasn’t speaking for the benefit of anyone else in the room but himself. He was staring at the ceiling as he held the knife to his wound. “There’s no light ahead. Only fog. There’s only fog.”

His hand lost its grip on the blade, and the weapon fell to the wet floor. Oliver died there, staring up with unblinking eyes, just like the myriad of sleepers he’d hidden for so many years.

“Stephen,” said Rachel as she took the pistol away from her dazed husband. “Look at me.”

Stephen looked at his wife with glassy eyes. “I’m a murderer.”

“You had to, honey. He didn’t give you any choice. You did what you had to.”

“Are they all dead?” asked Stephen.

“Yeah, buddy,” said Paul. “He’s dead. Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.”

Inside Cada E.I.B.’s facility

March 13
th
, 2012

“Rosemary,” said Helen after watching the others leave. She approached the psychometric cautiously, like a child sneaking into a sleeping parent’s room. “Honey, are you okay?”

“No,” said Rosemary with an attempt at humor. “I got stabbed.”

“You really should get to a hospital,” said Helen.

“You know I can’t do that,” said Rosemary. “You know what we have to do.” She looked over at the portly nurse and grinned. “Did you send the message to
Vess?”

Helen nodded. They could see each other by the glow of a single flashlight that was sitting on the counter. “I went to Oliver’s office earlier and sent
Vess an email.”

“Good,” said Rosemary. “Hopefully that’ll draw the old snake out of his hole.”

Helen’s hands were trembling, and she gripped them together as she paced. “I’m scared. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Yes you can, Helen,” said Rosemary. She was having an easier time speaking now, and Helen realized that her previous weakness and agony had been largely an act. Rosemary had certainly been stabbed, and she was far from healthy, but her near-death pantomime had been for Alma and Paul’s benefit. “We’ve been working on this for too long to let it fall apart now.”

“But this isn’t how it was supposed to happen,” said Helen. “I didn’t know so many innocent people would be involved.”

“And if we don’t do something about this now, then a lot more people are going to get hurt before this is over. Helen, listen to me, we’re the only ones that can put a stop to what’s going on here.”

“I know, you’re right.”

“Do you have the shots ready?” asked Rosemary.

Helen nodded.

“You should get started on that as soon as possible,” said Rosemary.

“But some of the sleepers woke up,” said Helen. “They don’t have to die, do they?”

Rosemary nodded and said, “All of them. They all have to die.”

“But, why?” asked Helen, rattled by what she was being asked to do. “They can’t tell anyone anything. They don’t know what happened here.”

“They met The Watcher,” said Rosemary. “They’re better off dead. We all are.”

Helen turned away and closed her eyes.

“You know I’m right,” said Rosemary.

“I know,” said Helen, defeated. “I just wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

Helen reached into the cabinets below the counter and retrieved the box labeled, ‘
Muriate of Potash.’ She set the small box on the counter and the glass vials inside clanked together. Next, she got a syringe from one of the drawers and pulled off the plastic wrapper.

Helen took the box with her as she left Rosemary and went into the sleepers’ room. The women were still tied down to their beds, and were moaning in pain and fear. Their bodies were victimized by sixteen years spent lying in the same spot, only moving when the nurses turned them or changed the sheets. Now, for the first time since Helen started working for
Cada E.I.B., the sleepers watched her.

The men were still catatonic, and staring up as their tongues licked at the inside of their jaws, but something had happened inside of The Watcher’s world that allowed many of the women to wake up. Helen thought it would be best to inject the women with the Potassium Chloride first, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She decided to start on the ones that were still sleeping.

As she was preparing the needle, the lights in the facility came back on. The fluorescent lights above clicked on one by one, starting at the far end of the room. They clicked and buzzed, and then flickered before coming to life. One by one, the rows of lights came on, and the sound of nearby machines resetting caused the room to come alive with blips and beeps as Helen stood in the center of the sea of sleepers.

She cursed at the timing, upset that she would have to kill these people while seeing their faces. She knew this had to happen. She’d been trying to prepare herself for it ever since meeting Rosemary a year earlier. Helen looked at the bracelet that Rosemary had given her, and she felt a renewed sense of purpose that stilled her. This had to be done.

Helen injected the needle into the first sleeper and pushed on the plunger until the pinkish liquid within the canister flooded into his veins. When she first learned that she would have to murder the sleepers, she looked into what would be the most efficient way. She studied Dr. Kevorkian’s suicide machines, and decided upon using the same Potassium Chloride solution that he employed. While this compound is found at most pharmacies, it was important to prevent anyone from getting concerned about such large quantities being purchased. Fortunately, Potassium Chloride can be made at home. Over the past year, she’d worked hard perfecting the process of dissolving ash and using hydrochloric acid to neutralize it. The box she was carrying was the result of her work, and she was confident that it would kill the sleepers.

Her first victim began convulsing within a minute of being injected. His eyes rolled back and his teeth clenched as he began to shake. His fingers clawed at the sheet beneath him and his legs did their best to kick. Soon, the convulsions subsided, and the first sleeper died.

She looked around at the room full of victims she had to make her way to. All of the women watched her, but they seemed calmer now, as if patiently waiting their turn.