Latham's Landing (24 page)

A gunshot split the night, knocking the gun
from Mac’s hand. He turned, just in time to get another to the
chest. He fell back against the wall with a surprised expression,
sliding down to sit with legs askew.

Barb looked up to see Helter, a hand
extended. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “We’ve got twenty
minutes to get to the shore.”

Gratefully, she took his hand, then tried to
stand. With a cry, she crumpled. “Leave me,” she panted, looking
down at the spreading bloodstain at her side, and the protruding
knife handle. “Take your gun…in my pocket…”

Helter picked her up in his arms, hurrying
fast back the way he’d come, as thunder suddenly rumbled in the
distance. At the doorway he stopped, overcome, instead of open
space, there was now a long hall, and many doors.

Helter looked back at the veranda. The
dark-skinned man who had helped him before was there, looking out
at the rising storm. “Help me, please,” Helter begged.

A hiss sounded at his feet. A huge white
fluffy cat stalked there, hissing and growling at him. An old woman
stood there behind it, between the man and Helter, her eyes
angry.

“
Help us,” Helter pleaded
again.

Her black eyes were solid as onyx. “Mind your
business,” she said sharply over her shoulder to the dark-skinned
man. “Say nothing. Or you know what will happen.”

There was a clicking noise. Helter turned, in
time to kick at a human head with spider’s body cavorting over the
floor. It lunged at him then retreated, furry legs quivering, human
teeth bared in a rictus grin.

“
Third door on the right,” Barb
whispered weakly in Helter’s ear.

Helter ran toward that door, outdistancing
the spider thing scuttling after him. He burst through into the
night, running down into the grass. Emerging, he slid to a
stop.

“
Cooper?” he said.

Barb’s dog stood before him. But its
expression was menacing, its hackles raised.

“
No,” Barb breathed. “Not
Cooper…”

The dog withered before Helter’s eyes,
becoming a skeleton dog with skin. It snapped its large teeth, its
fur glowing white as its eyes morphed into lined black holes.
“Ours,” it said in a wavering moan, its tongue slavering. “Give her
to us.”

Helter raised his gun and shot it with his
last bullet. This time the dog wavered as the bullet passed
through, then reformed, grinning, its tongue lolling. “I learn,” it
chuckled, taking a step to spring. “Now I’m coming for you—”

Helter turned and ran down the slope, the dog
snapping at his heels, cavorting in glee.

“
I’m coming for you!” it
bellowed.

“
Helter!” Caroline cried from the
dock.

“
Shoot it!” Helter yelled.

Caroline took aim and shot at the dog as it
launched itself at Helter and Barb. The monster let out a human
shriek of pain as it ploughed into Helter, knocking him
sprawling.

Caroline hurried to Helter’s fallen form,
turning him over. A sudden growl sounded from behind her.

Caroline turned as the dog launched itself at
her, firing directly into its wide-open jaws. It screeched and
vanished, a sulphur scent pungent in the air.

“
Come on,” she said to Helter. “We’ve
got to get in the boat,”

“
Not all of us,” Helter said sadly,
taking his hand away from Barb’s neck. “She’s gone.”

“
Lift her in the boat,” Caroline said
roughly, blinking. “She’s not staying here.”

Helter lifted Barb’s body into the boat,
setting her down gently in the bottom. As he straightened, a razor
tip arrow punched through his chest.

“
Helter!” Caroline screamed. She raised
her gun to the rise as a low appreciative whistle
sounded.

A scruffy man in a plaid shirt and jeans
stood there, staring down at them triumphantly with glowing red
eyes, a compound bow in his hand. He whistled once more, in
appreciation. A yellow-eyed creature hopped at his feet, leering at
Caroline, and stroking a dagger.

“
Mac,” Helter gasped out, his lips
bloody. “He’s one of them now.”

Others joined the man on the ridge with
vacant stares, all of them looking down at Caroline. Lease was
among them. Then slowly, they all began to walk down the incline,
as Mac fitted another arrow to his bow.

“
Get out of here,” Helter said, pushing
Caroline toward the boat. “Get out of here.” Another arrow hit him
in the back, and he went to his knees, swaying.

“
Not without you,” Caroline cried,
pushing him into the boat. Helter fell into the bottom onto Barb
with a groan as another arrow thudded into the boat’s side.
Caroline turned and fired until her gun clicked empty, her shots
scattering Mac and the others on the ridge. Turning back, she
discovered a stone snake, coiled on the dock near the knotted rope.
It reared up, ready to strike, water dripping from its algae
covered scales.

As it tried to bite her, Carolyn grabbed hold
of the slippery writhing form, then threw it up on land.

A beeping sound emitted in strident tones
from the boat.

A huge explosion rocked the main house of
Latham’s Landing, engulfing the dry wood in flames. Several
additional smaller explosions dissolved the smaller surrounding
buildings, their fires adding to the conflagration. Crackling, the
flames rose higher, spreading to the other buildings and trees
quickly. With a satisfying boom, the bell tower fell, as Mac’s
helicopter exploded from inside.

There was an inhuman shriek of pain and
suffering. The wind rose, dark clouds beginning to form. A fog rose
from the lake, reaching up like a wall, obscuring the burning
house.

Caroline untied the boat, then went to push
off.

A loud appreciative whistle sounded from
behind her.

Caroline turned slowly, willing herself to
see rubble. Instead, Latham’s Landing still stood, the fog parting
to reveal the main house glowing white as bone in the darkness, the
flames that had engulfed it slowly ebbing into smoke. The new
house, the many verandas, and the belltower were gone, as if they
had never been. From behind the house came light bright as
daylight, the far off Sea Room a pulsating globe of light far away
on the water.

“
No!” Caro screamed, falling to her
knees beside the boat. “No!”

Figures materialized out of the fog near the
house, watching.

Caro remained huddled, weeping.

A lone figure approached her, its form
becoming more and more like a man dressed in a smoking jacket and
trousers. As it reached down for Caroline, she erupted suddenly,
her wrist flicking the vials of holy water at the figure.

It rippled, disappearing instantly, the holy
water scattering on the earth and rocks, where it began to smoke
and steam.

“
Damn you!” Caro screamed viciously.
“Damn you to Hell!”

“
Not Hell,” a low voice chuckled.
“Though you are damned.”

Caro spun to face the man, her face sneering.
“I’m not afraid of you, ghost. I’m here to end you, Latham!”

“
There is no ending,” the figure
replied, his tone both tired and old with the weight of years. “And
the fire within you, Caro, will fan our flames.”

Caro went still. It knew her name.

“
He waits for you,” the figure said
temptingly. “Come and be with him.”

“
No,” Caro said, shrinking back. “This
is a trick—”

“
No trick,” the figure said chidingly.
“His soul is captive here forever, as is yours. Make the most of
that, Caro—”

The figure’s hand clamped onto hers, the
shock of the cold and damp making her gasp.

“—
as we will make the most of
you.”

The figure released her, then walked back
toward the house, his outline blurring to become one with the
fog.

Silence descended, the only sound the quiet
lapping of waves at the water’s edge.

“
Caro?” a voice whispered.

Caro looked up quickly, then around
carefully.

“
I’m here,” a voice called softly.
“I’ve missed you.”

It’s not him. It’s not Rob.

“
Better to be in Hell with the one you
love than alone in Heaven,” his voice came lightly. “Isn’t that
what we always said, after we made love?”

“
That’s not you,” Caroline said,
disbelieving.

“
I love you as much as always. Stay
here with me, Caro—”

“
Stop it!” Caroline screeched, taking a
step forward “You’re not Rob!”

A shot rang out behind her, making Caroline
turn.

Helter hung over the edge of the boat, his
gun slipping from his bloody hands. “Stop talking and leave,” he
said weakly, as he drifted away from her, into deep water.

Caroline took off her jacket, and then waded
into the water.

Helter tried to reach for her, then collapsed
on the edge of the boat, blood dripping from his fingers into the
water.

Swimming hard after the boat, despair
overtook Caroline, as the rope moved farther and farther away.
God, she would never reach it in time…

Suddenly, the boat abruptly stopped moving.
Caroline swam up to it, and a ghostly figure passed it to her.
Caroline clung to the boat all of her strength failing as she
looked into the eyes of Bowman.

“
You have to stop this misbehaving,” he
said in a chiding manner. “You’re going to throw away your life,
when there is so much more to live for.”

“
Don’t tell me what to do,” Caroline
gasped. “You aren’t my mother—”

The spirit morphed suddenly, its features
changing and shifting, the masculine features becoming high
delicate cheekbones. Sad dark eyes looked back at her from a
familiar face.

“
It’s you…you’re here…” Caroline
whispered. All she was encompassed total shock, overwhelmed by
emotion, afraid to blink and have her mother disappear.

“
You have to keep going in the bad
times,” her mother said. “More are coming. That’s what life is. You
have to be brave and good, Caro. There is so much more to see than
what you’ve already had. You’ve got to go on. Don’t end here, on
that isle.”

“
Why are you here?” Caroline wailed,
scared, upset, and only wanting her mom, for this to truly be her
mom.

“
Because there are more than forces for
evil in this place,” he mother said lovingly. “I will always be
with you.” She let go of the boat with a swift push, then moved
away. With a last smile, she slipped beneath the waves.

“
MOM!” Caroline screamed.

Suddenly Helter was beside her, grabbing her
hand. “Caroline.” He helped steady her as she climbed into the
boat. She hugged him, trying to put pressure on his wounds. Both of
the holes were seeping blood steadily, though the arrows were
gone.

“
Did we destroy it?” Helter said
weakly. “I thought I heard the charges go.”

“
Yes,” Caroline lied. “I’m not sure how
you did it, but it worked.”

“
Your faith,” Helter said with a smile,
then he closed his eyes.

Caroline hugged him to her carefully.

“
We never got a happy ending,” Helter
murmured, putting his arms around her. “Sorry about that, Caroline.
You deserved one—”

“
Shh,” she said. “Save your
strength.”

“
Don’t worry,” he said weakly. “It’s
just a flesh wound.” Then his arms went limp, falling from around
her.

“
No,” Caroline said
tearfully.

A clap of thunder sounded overhead, and it
began to rain. The waves rose, churning the water. Looking up
through her tears, Caroline saw the fog clear, the isle of Latham’s
Landing rising from the water, fingers of ice again spreading out
from its base. A frantic look showed her the shoreline ahead was
open, but ice was already forming on both sides of the boat,
heading right for it.

It would trap her, as it had trapped the two
women who tried to escape.

“
Goodbye,” she said, kissing Helter’s
cooling brow. She clasped Barb’s hand briefly, then dove into the
waves, swimming hard for the shore.

The fire within her wasn’t hot anymore, but
cold—the cold fury left in the aftermath of catastrophic pain.
Everything else had been burned clean, leaving only the resolution
to survive this night. Because her mother and Helter were right.
She had to live.

Caroline staggered up on shore, the first
light of dawn lightening the sky behind her. Her breath plumed in
the frosty air, as she stood shivering before her car and Barb’s,
turning to look back at the house. A fog began to rise, hiding
Latham’s Landing from view, as the encroaching ice mysteriously
stopped, leaving the last few inches of water open.

Cooper came out from behind her SUV, whining
and wagging his tail. “You made it,” Caroline said, hugging
him.

Thank you God, for saving me. I only wish
you could have saved Helter, too.

Fishing in her pocket for the keys as she
blinked back tears, Caroline unlocked the door, then started the
SUV. Hitting the OnStar button, she activated the emergency
help.

Opening the back door, she let Cooper onto
the back seat, where he promptly shook himself.

Caroline gave a jittery laugh as she grabbed
a blanket out of the back for her shoulders, then shut the door.
“Let’s lock the doors and sleep while we wait for the police, shall
we—?”

The sky darkened suddenly, the light fading.
Caroline turned, the open driver’s side door falling closed with a
click behind her. Cooper began to bark, pawing at the glass.