He couldn’t return to the theatre. They were there, and they were looking for him. He would end up dead. They could ambush him from any vantage point. There were plenty of high, obscured areas in that theatre.
Evan frowned, thinking furiously. Why were they still in the theatre? Why had they decided to stay, when they should be in their hiding place, guarding Maya?
He sat up, suddenly. Unless…they were in their hiding place. It would make perfect sense. Billy Jenkins had told him that Leonie had made him carry Maya through back corridors in the theatre. Evan had assumed that Billy was about to tell him that he had carried Maya out a back door and somewhere else. But what if he hadn’t been about to say that?
What if Billy had been about to tell him that he hadn’t taken Maya out of the theatre, but instead taken her somewhere within it? Which would mean that Maya was being hidden in the theatre, and that the demons were hiding there with her.
What had Billy Jenkins said?
She’d already planned the way—down through back corridors. Places where no one would see.
Evan drew in a sharp breath. Billy had taken Maya down. Through the back corridors, which were mostly out of sight. Therefore, Maya had been hidden somewhere in the depths of the building. A basement or some such thing.
She had never left the theatre. She was still there.
His first impulse was to rush back there and tear through the place. He controlled himself with difficulty. The demons knew that he was onto them and would be on guard, looking for him. If he walked into that theatre now, he would not be saving Maya. He would probably be signing his own death warrant.
No, he had to be very careful about this. He needed a plan, and a good one. Thad and the others would probably be able to help him, and if he didn’t rush back into the theatre straightaway like a vigilante with all guns blazing, it would lull the demons into a false sense of security, as well.
Let them think they had scared him off.
He was going to get them. He was going to get every last one of them. And he was going to save Maya, if it took the last breath in his body.
He crept out and leapt into the shadows, heading back to the warehouse.
***
Maya opened her eyes, rearing upwards in fright.
She must have fallen asleep. She stared around, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness. How long had she been here for?
The air was stale in here. It was also very dusty. She suppressed a sneeze. For the thousandth time, she wondered where they had taken her.
She couldn’t see anything, but she remembered that the room didn’t have any windows. It was almost claustrophobic. And there had been heavy cobwebs and cleaning utensils. Which made her think that it was some kind of utility room. That, and the fact that there was no furniture in here.
It was almost like a dungeon. Maya put her head on the side, trying to think clearly. Or…a basement?
Suddenly, she could hear footsteps, directly above her. Heavy, thumping footsteps, and the muffled voices of people. She was below something. She was in a basement of some sort, in a building where there were rooms above her. Rooms that had people in them, by the sound of it.
She stared down at her bound hands and feet. If only she could free herself of them and knock on the ceiling of this room, alert the people above that she was down here! But then, she had no idea who the people walking above her were. It could be the demons themselves.
Maya tensed in frustration. How was she going to get out of this situation?
Leonie had not been back to see her since she had spoken to her earlier. And no one else had entered the room. Maya had no idea if Leonie had spoken the truth before, when she had told her that Evan was dead. If it was true, then no one would be suspicious in the slightest that she had been abducted. They would think that she was crazy to have abandoned the show halfway through, but they wouldn’t assume anything sinister.
Maya gritted her teeth. No, it couldn’t be true. Evan wasn’t dead. She would…feel it somehow if he was. She would know, in her heart, and in her deepest soul. She loved him so much. They shared such a special connection. He was her soul mate.
Evan was alive, she told herself, fiercely. And if he was alive, then he would be searching for her. But even if he was, that didn’t mean that he would find her. No, she had to figure a way out of this herself, if she was to survive.
Survival. That was all that mattered for now. She had to figure out a way to get the demons onside. She had to put them off their guard.
She had to play along with them.
The door squeaked open, and she saw Rachel enter the room. The woman’s face was impassive as she stared at Maya. She carried a tray in one hand, and a lantern in the other.
“You’re awake,” said the woman, blinking. “We thought you’d probably need some refreshments. It’s been a long night.”
Maya smiled. “Thank you, Rachel.”
The woman looked a little startled. She placed the tray on the floor and turned to walk back out.
“Rachel,” called Maya. “It’s a bit hard to eat and drink with my hands tied, you know.”
Rachel turned back. She hesitated then nodded. “Of course. Hold them out, and I’ll untie you.”
Rachel untied her, handing her the food. Maya smiled at her, again, and looked down at the food. It was a piece of bread and baked beans. “Prison food, huh? Where’s the fettucine that Leonie has been promising me?”
Rachel smiled slightly. “No time for fancy cooking, Maya. And no facilities, either.” She stared at the other woman. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” said Maya slowly. “Considering everything. Rachel, could you untie my feet, as well? They are starting to get pins and needles in them. I can barely feel them.”
Rachel gazed down at her. “I don’t know, Maya. Leonie hasn’t given instructions about that.”
“Mmmm.” Maya looked downcast. “The thing is…I am starting to see that I have been wrong about you guys.” She sighed deeply. “I didn’t want to admit it to Leonie before, but things haven’t been working out between me and Evan. You were all right about him, Rachel.”
Rachel kept staring at her. “You agree with us?”
Maya nodded her head. “I’m still a bit scared, though, about what is involved.” She took a deep breath. “But I want to join you. I have had enough of being used and lied to by men. What made you want to join Leonie?”
Rachel hesitated. “A string of bad ex-boyfriends.” She stared off into space. “They all chewed me up and spat me out. I was so angry, Maya. And then, Leonie offered me immortality, and a chance to get back at them all.”
Maya nodded. “I can see now why you took it. You get to the point where you’ve had enough, don’t you? Enough of the lies and the betrayal. I think that I have reached that point.”
Rachel stared at her. “You won’t regret it. I am more powerful now than I ever was in life, believe me. And to know that I will live forever…well, it is intoxicating, Maya.”
Maya nodded again. “You can tell Leonie that I am ready,” she said slowly. “For the ritual, or whatever you want to do, so that I can become one of you.”
Rachel’s eyes gleamed. “Thank you, Maya. We need our fifth member for our power to be complete. With you, we can clear not only this city of lying men, but the world.” She smiled. “I’ll go and tell Leonie that you have come around. We should do it as soon as we can.”
Maya smiled. “Fantastic! You’ve convinced me. But Rachel…my feet?”
Rachel laughed. “Of course.” She reached down and untied the ropes around Maya’s feet. “There you go. You’ll need to be able to walk.”
Maya laughed. “That feels amazing!” She reached down and rubbed her ankles. “Thanks again, Rachel. You are such a great friend.”
Rachel smiled. “Our group is the closest of friends. We don’t need anyone else. You’ll see, Maya.”
She turned and walked out, closing the door firmly behind her
. Maya could hear her twisting the lock outside, and then she was plunged into darkness once again.
She stood up, unsteady for a moment, before she found her balance. The effects of the sedative, or whatever they had given her, was almost worn off. And even if it hadn’t been, she had no choice but to act this instant. Rachel would be informing Leonie of her change of heart, and they would be coming for her, very soon. She needed to escape before then.
She looked down at the key in her hand. She had reached over and taken it from Rachel’s pocket when the woman had been untying the rope around her ankles. But Rachel would be aware that it was missing, very soon.
Maya had no time to waste. Her heart thudding, she walked towards the door.
***
Evan made a sharp turn back down the alleyway. It had only been an hour since he had crept out from behind the trash cans and towards home.
Now he was back. With reinforcements. And in disguise as a stagehand.
He glanced up at the top of the theatre. He could see a figure moving stealthily across it, creeping along like a cat burglar. Shay. You could always rely on him for any climbing work that needed to be done.
He glanced behind him quickly. A hobo was stumbling along behind him, stopping randomly to check the trash cans.
“Got a penny, brother?” the man called, holding out his hand.
Evan stopped and walked back, taking a few coins out of his pocket. He handed them to the man, whose fingers closed over the money quickly.
“Remember,” said the hobo, his voice low. “Don’t make any rash moves. I’ll follow you into the theatre, asking for coins. Then at the first opportunity I’ll head below.”
“Thanks, Thad,” whispered Evan.
He turned around and started walking again, quickening his pace.
He was at the back door of the theatre, but no one was there. He slipped in, quickly, and headed backstage.
The crew were clearing up for the evening. He slipped amongst them, staring at one man. The man stared back, then went on with his work. Zach, dressed like a maintenance man. None of the other crew looked suspicious of him in the slightest. They must have swallowed the story that a specialist had to move certain equipment and that the company was sending one over tonight.
Evan kept walking. The dancers seemed to have gone home for the night, but Freddie and Vera were still there. The artistic director and the choreographer were sitting across from each other at a table, their heads bowed, a bottle of whiskey between them. Freddie was melancholy, and almost slurring his words.
“It’s too late, Vera,” he claimed, grabbing his glass and raising it to the ceiling. “My career and yours is over. I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to raise this sinking ship. After tonight’s debacle, the patrons will be leaving in droves.”
Vera blinked, sipping her whiskey thoughtfully. “I still cannot understand it, Freddie. Maya would never have walked out of her own volition. That girl has the work ethic of a soldier, as well as the stamina.” She frowned. “Something has happened to her. I can feel it in my bones.”
Freddie shrugged. “We don’t know that. No one saw her. As far as we know, she just decided to walk out, halfway through the show, and got Isabel to cover for her. Maya’s career is dead in the water, Vera. She will be the laughingstock of the ballet world.” He drained his glass. “Teachers at ballet schools across the globe will warn their students to never utter her name.”
Vera sighed. “And what about the others? Maya’s not the only one. Leonie, Isabel, Rachel, Jessica, Genevieve… none of them were there after the show. No, there is something going on that we aren’t aware of.”
Evan frowned. Freddie was being a bit overly dramatic, wasn’t he? But then, he had suffered a great disappointment tonight, and he was pretty tanked by the look of it. At least Vera was giving Maya the benefit of the doubt.
He glided past them. They didn’t even glance his way. He couldn’t stop a small smile from playing over his face. His disguise was obviously working.
He stared around. There was no sign of any of the demons. They were obviously below, hidden away. With Maya. At the thought of her, his heart clenched again. If they had hurt her, he would blow them all sky high, regardless of the meticulous plans that he and Thad had made.
He glanced to his left. There he was. Noah. The new guy, who had been shadowing Shay on a case. He was dressed as a security guard, patrolling the grounds. Only half an hour before, they had knocked the real security guard for this evening on the head and dragged him away. Noah had stepped seamlessly into his shoes, adjusting his uniform.
Evan smiled slightly. He had barely had time to talk to Noah since he had arrived, he had been so busy protecting Maya. But he seemed like a good guy, and he just had to trust that he could act under fire.
Noah was a Wild Keeper, like all of them. A fellow brother in arms. And Evan needed all of them tonight, if he was going to get Maya out of this theatre alive, and finally defeat this group of demons, once and for all.
Chapter Twenty
Maya’s heart was hammering in her chest as she made her way up a narrow staircase. Were there lights in the distance? She could just barely see.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. Two women were talking, in low voices. She recognised them. Leonie and Rachel. They were coming for her.
She slid back down the staircase, looking around frantically. Where could she hide? Then she saw a large trunk of some sort, against a wall. She sprinted towards it, crouching low behind it, just as they made their way down the staircase and walked towards the room that she had been imprisoned in.
“That’s funny,” said Rachel. “I swear that I locked the door behind me when I left.”
Maya could hear Leonie’s swift intake of breath. “You fool,” she hissed. “She’s played you!”
They rushed into the room. Maya could hear their raised voices as they searched for her. It didn’t take them long. Next minute, they had returned, and were running back up the stairs.
They were gone.
Maya hesitated, not knowing what to do. Instinct told her that she should make a bolt for it, but she had no way of knowing where they were. They could be waiting for her on top of the stairs, or at least spot her once she got to the top of them. Should she just stay here, and let them look for her on the next floor? Make them believe that she had gotten away?
She took a deep breath. It was so very dark down here, and so dusty. What was she even hiding behind? She peered at it, trying to make out some writing that was emblazoned across the trunk. Slowly the letters started to form in her head.
Covenester Ballet Company, it said in black, block letters. Maya gasped, understanding dawning on her.
She was still in the theatre. They hadn’t taken her away at all. They had hidden her in the bowels of the theatre, and whatever they intended to do to her, it was going to happen here.
She realised, now. The ill-wish that Leonie had placed in the costume room. She didn’t know that it had been destroyed, and she was planning to perform the ritual to convert Maya there. It was where everything significant involving this group of demons had occurred, starting with the death of Evan’s ancestor in that long-ago fire.
A room infested with their evil power. A room where Leonie was confident that the ritual could be performed, and Maya would be unable to resist.
Maya took a deep breath, trying to think clearly. At least she knew where she was. She wasn’t familiar with this part of the theatre, but if she could navigate her way onto the main floor, she could find a way out. It was a start, at least. Better than being in a completely strange place, where she had no idea of the layout at all.
She took another deep breath. She was going to have to brave it. She would just have to be on her toes and be looking out for them at every turn.
She stood up and ran towards the stairs.
***
Evan tried to appear casual as he made a beeline for the lower part of the building.
Billy Jenkins had said that he had carried her down the back corridors.
He had quickly looked at the floor plan of the theatre when he had gotten back to the warehouse and saw that there was a series of basements below the main floor. That must be where they had taken her and were hiding themselves. Waiting for their moment when the theatre cleared for the night, and they could start their evil work.
He glanced behind him, but he couldn’t see anyone. He knew that the other Wild Keepers were surrounding him, though. They were stealthy enough to know how to make sure their presence wasn’t detected. He took a deep breath. He felt a lot better, knowing that they were here, and that they had his back.
This was it. The staircase that should take him to where the basements were.
He walked down it, cautiously, shining his torch to guide his way. He had reached a large room, and there was a door to another leading off it. He swung the torch around. The only thing that he could see was a large trunk in one corner.
“Maya?” he whispered into the darkness.
No response. She wasn’t in this room. He walked towards the other door and opened it, shining his torch into it.
It was dusty and so dark that even with the torch he could barely make it out. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and he could see cleaning stuff in one corner. Other than that, the room was deserted.
He walked slowly into it, his heart sinking. She wasn’t here. He had been so sure this was where they had taken her, and now…he just didn’t know.
The light from the torch swung across the ground. Wait. There was something else in here.
He bent down, shining the light. A tray with food and a drink. And ropes, just lying there, as if they had been recently discarded.
He picked up one of the ropes, staring at it. She had been in here. They had tied her up with these ropes and brought her food and drink on a tray. He swung the torch around, his heart beating wildly.
But no. She had been here, but they had taken her somewhere else. He was too goddamn late!
He stood up, swallowing down panic. Where would they have taken her?
Wild Keepers Page 47
