by Greg Taylor
“Hey … Be careful over there.”
That got Strobe’s and Toby’s attention.
“Why?” Toby asked.
“Word is those parties can be kinda wild.” The clerk gave Toby and Strobe a you-know-what-I-mean kind of wink.
“Rrrrrright,” Strobe replied. “Thanks for the tip.”
“That you won’t get from the dude. Not much of one, anyway. If you were making a delivery, that is. Can you believe it? He’s only one of the richest guys around. But then, that’s what they say about rich people, right? They’re rich because they’re so stingy. This one time? I took about three hundred dollars’ worth of groceries to this guy down the road. He’s the owner of, like, some kind of Internet thing, I don’t really get how they make so much money, it’s not like they’re making anything solid … But, anyway, I take this stuff down to him …”
Strobe and Toby waved and slipped out the door as the clerk continued his story about the miserly rich. They didn’t want to be rude or anything, but they had some business to tend to.
The Subaru finally gave out on the way to Farrior’s house. No sputtering, no lurching, no warning, just … done. Strobe pulled over to the shoulder of the dark two-lane road and coasted to a stop.
“Good Sub,” Strobe said. “She got us here, anyway.”
“We have time to fix it?” Toby asked.
“No way. We gotta move, man.”
“But how are we gonna get back?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we have to. First we get Annabel away from any danger. Then we’ll call Harvey. C’mon, let’s motor.”
Strobe and Toby gathered up their gear and jogged off down the road. They had gone about a mile when they arrived at the driveway to Farrior’s Echo Lake retreat. Strobe pulled Toby into the woods after confirming that the address on a stone mailbox next to the driveway was the one they were looking for.
“Probably have all kinds of security cameras around here,” Strobe said as he pulled his NVGs out of his backpack. “We’re not about to walk right down the driveway, that’s for sure.” Putting on his goggles, Strobe looked off through the trees. Farrior’s house had not been visible from the road. But from this vantage point, the glitter of lights could be seen in the distance.
“Let’s go,” Strobe said. He started off toward the house. Toby fell in behind him. When they got closer to the glittering lights they were able to hear music, drifting through the pines. Disco music. Weird. The thumping beat got louder and louder as Strobe and Toby made their way through the dark forest. Their trek was interrupted by an eight-foot-tall, barred security fence. There, on the other side of the fence, was Farrior’s “log cabin.”
A massive, three-story, modern version of a log cabin, that is. Lights blazed in the house. Dozens of vehicles were parked on the side of a long circular driveway that curved around in front of the entrance to Farrior’s getaway home. A mass of people was visible through the windows on the first floor, movin’ and groovin’ to the music.
The Gathering.
Strobe and Toby hid behind the trunk of a large pine, dug into their backpacks, and pulled out their infrared binoculars. “How on earth are we gonna get in there?” Toby asked after studying the fortress-like complex that stretched out in front of him. “There must be more than a hundred people at this shindig!”
Strobe was eying the lone lit window on the third floor through his binoculars. “I think maybe just I go in. You stay here, be lookout.”
“What are you talking about?” Toby asked, surprised at Strobe’s suggestion.
“This is the best way.”
“How do you figure?”
“I need someone to be my eyes out here. Get your headset on.”
Toby could tell there was no point in arguing with Strobe. The guy’s mind was obviously made up. As Toby rummaged in his pack for his headset, Strobe said, “Keep in touch.” Then he was off.
Toby watched Strobe disappear into the dark night. Actually, it was beyond dark. The dense blanket of pine branches overhead, coupled with the new moon—when no moon is visible—tipped the visual scales from dark to pitch-black.
All Toby could do now was wait for word from Strobe. And watch for any suspicious activity around the house.
“Ommmmph!”
Strobe hit the ground and instantly rolled to try to break some of the impact. The roll might have helped a bit more if Strobe hadn’t had the bazooka-like CSG strapped across his back. He had figured out how to use the thing on the way up to Echo Lake—and had elected to take the bulky weapon over the fence with him instead of his crossbow. Which meant he resembled a severely flat tire as he thumped and wobbled across the lawn, finally coming to a halt on the dew-covered grass.
The wind having been knocked out of him, Strobe lay still for a moment, then rolled over, pushed himself to his feet, and ran to the side of the house, which was cloaked in shadow.
“You okay?” Toby asked over the headset.
“Yeah,” Strobe replied. “I’m gonna try the back way.”
Hugging the house, Strobe moved away from the front rooms, where the party was being held. It sounded as though the celebration was reaching a fever pitch. It sounded wild in there. No way did Strobe want to deal with those people if he could possibly help it.
When Strobe turned the corner at the rear of the house he heard voices in the darkness ahead. Two men, standing on a pier at the bottom of a sloping lawn. Strobe instantly shrank back into the shadows, stood stock-still, and waited to see if he had been noticed.
He hadn’t. Strobe shifted his gaze from the men to a nearby set of French doors that were opened onto the patio. He was tempted. Should he make a run for the doors or find another way to get into the house?
A woman suddenly appeared at the open French doors. It was the blue-eyed woman. Strobe didn’t like the look of her. Dangerous. Definitely dangerous. The woman stood silently for a moment, staring out into the night, then walked down the lawn to join the two men on the pier.
The woman’s appearance at the back door seemed to answer Strobe’s question. Too risky going in the back way.
But how else to get in? No telling how many people were in the house or where they would be at any given moment. Getting inside was looking to be a very tricky deal. Strobe decided to go back the way he had come.
“Strobe, what’s wrong?” Toby asked from his vantage point beyond the fence when he saw him.
“People back there. I need another way in.” Strobe stopped when he was directly under the lit third-story window and looked up. He felt one of the logs that made up the exterior of the house. He put his foot up on another log, testing it. Then he rubbed his hands together and gave himself a nod.
He had found his other way in.
“Strobe? Are you crazy?” Toby watched through his binoculars as Strobe began his climb up the side of the house.
“I have a feeling Annabel’s up in that top room,” Strobe replied. “If not, I’ll work my way through the house from there.”
“If you fall you won’t be any help to Annabel. Or me. You could break your neck goin’ up that way!”
“I don’t intend to fall. I did a little sheer rock climbing when I lived in Colorado. But, hey, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Toby was already getting a jolt of vertigo just from watching Strobe. His eyes flitted from his friend to the dancing silhouettes behind the windows at the front of the house to the dark areas around the large grounds.
Strobe made steady, impressive progress up the sheer wall of the house. He was about halfway to his destination when the three people from the backyard walked into view.
“Strobe!” Toby hissed over his headset.
Strobe instantly froze. Toby watched helplessly as the woman and two men walked slowly along the side yard. One of the men was Gome, his bald head shining in the night. Talking intently, the threesome were soon directly beneath Strobe. All they had to do was look up and they’d see him!
Str
obe was somewhat sheltered by a shadow cast by the large stone fireplace chimney that stretched from the first floor to the third. But Toby was alarmed to see that the metallic barrel of the CSG was catching some light from a nearby second-story window and glinting in the darkness.
“Please … keep going,” Toby prayed. As though they had heard Toby’s whispered plea, the three suddenly stopped!
Toby went rigid with fear. He stared breathlessly at the three as they stood in the shadow of the house, then saw the flare of a lighter glow in the darkness. Gome was lighting the woman’s cigarette.
It wasn’t until they had resumed their walk toward the front yard, had gone up the front steps to the large wraparound porch and disappeared inside the house that Toby allowed himself a sigh of relief.
“That was close, man.”
“Next stop, third floor,” Strobe replied.
When he got there, his hands grasping the lower sill of the window, his feet lodged on the top of a log below, Strobe peeked cautiously into the room. He felt his heart leap when he saw Annabel, sitting in a chair across the room. But his elation was quickly cut by anger. No, it was more than anger. Seeing Annabel bound and gagged filled Strobe with an intense rage, a boiling, over-the-top emotion he’d never felt before. He knew he had to contain that feeling, however. He couldn’t let emotion get in the way of what needed to be done.
“Strobe! What’s goin’ on?” Toby’s voice was muted, as though it was having a difficult time traveling the distance between Strobe and him.
“She’s here,” Strobe responded. He delicately maneuvered over and up until he was in a position to be able to grasp the frame of the lower part of the window. It took a few tries, but Strobe was finally able to open the window.
Alerted by the sound, Annabel stared at Strobe as he eased himself into the room. Her expression wasn’t what Strobe was expecting, however. Instead of being happy to see him, Annabel looked concerned. Panicked, even.
“Greetings, young man.”
Strobe whirled to see Farrior standing by the bar in the corner, casually mixing a drink. The intense vibes that emanated from him filled the room, held Strobe motionless. Strobe knew he was in the presence of someone—something—extraordinary, that’s for sure.
“I don’t get involved in that ruckus downstairs,” Farrior said pleasantly. “Once I’m done giving them what they need, it’s their party, their time to let loose. I don’t mind being the designated driver, so to speak. I have to look out for my people, after all.”
Strobe was dismayed at how he was reacting to Alpha Man. His hands were shaking. His knees felt weak. He willed himself to focus on one thing: getting Annabel out of this monster pit. That’s what he was here for.
Strobe stepped toward her. Farrior mimicked his movement with a smile. “In other words,” Farrior said, picking up where he had left off, “I don’t wish for you to interrupt my little get-together. And you won’t. I’ll see to that. When my people are sleeping off their fun later on, you’ll be sleeping with the fishes. Sorry, an overused expression, I know. But it’s one I happen to like.”
Farrior’s casual, engaging manner suddenly disappeared. It was as though a switch inside the man had been abruptly flicked off.
Blood ran cold.
Strobe suddenly knew what that expression truly meant. He felt like his blood was no longer warming his body. The man facing him had absolutely chilled him to the bone.
“Your commander in chief, whoever he may be, should know better than to send a kid to do his dirty work,” Farrior said, the disgust obvious in his voice. “I’ll take no pleasure in dispatching you to the hereafter. But I do promise I’ll make it quick.”
Strobe knew he had one shot at saving Annabel. And himself. Ready or not, he was about to take it.
10
KA-BOOOOOOM!!!
Toby jerked in surprise when he heard the explosive sound erupt from the third-story window.
“Strobe! What happened?”
Strobe didn’t respond. Toby instantly felt an explosion of emotions—fear-concern-panic-“OH-MY-GOD-WHAT-TO-DO?!!” —slam through his veins.
“Strobe! Answer me! What’s goin’ on?!”
No reply.
The blast from the CSG had been so loud it had cut through the music downstairs and brought the party to a screeching halt. Several people bounded onto the porch and scanned the grounds. It was clear they weren’t sure where the explosion had come from.
KA-BOOOOOM!!!
Another blast from the third-story window. Panicked yells from inside. The people on the porch turned and ran back into the house.
Toby grabbed his backpack and ran to the fence. He had to get in there! Try to help somehow!
“Toby!” Strobe’s voice suddenly crackled over the headset.
“Strobe! Where are you?”
“Comin’ out! Meet me at the front gate. Get ready for action!”
Toby was frozen for a moment, then grabbed his crossbow from his pack and quickly assembled it. He slapped on his bicep plate—the extra arrow cartridge already attached—grabbed Strobe’s backpack from the ground, and ran in the direction of the front gate.
Even though he had the benefit of his NVGs, Toby could barely see his way through the dark maze of pines. He banged his arm painfully against a tree trunk, stumbled over a tree root, barely managed to stay upright, then continued his blind rush through the woods.
KA-BOOOOM!!!
A third blast from the house, echoing among the pine trees!
“You okay, Strobe?” Toby yelled into his headset. “I’m on my way!”
Finally, there it was. Toby could see the front gate off to his left. He broke from the forest and blazed down the driveway, passing several cars that had been parked outside the gate.
There! There they were! Toby felt a wave of relief when he saw Strobe and Annabel on the other side of the fence, sprinting across the front yard.
But just behind them were three people. Gome. The blue-eyed woman. And the other man from the backyard. Toby skidded to a stop just as Strobe and Annabel hit the fence at a run and started to climb. He tossed Strobe’s backpack to the ground and aimed his crossbow through the bars of the fence. Focusing on the lead man—Gome—he pulled the trigger.
Gome cried out as he grabbed his side and fell to the grass. At the top of the fence, Annabel leaped and grabbed hold of a nearby pine branch. Strobe was right behind her.
Toby fired again, this time spinning the other man around when his arrow penetrated the man’s shoulder. Before he was able to get off another shot, the blue-eyed woman slammed into the fence and grabbed for him.
Startled at the woman’s ferocity, Toby accidentally fired his crossbow—the arrow thudding harmlessly into the ground—as he stumbled away from the fence. Even though Toby knew the woman couldn’t turn guttata at this time of month, he had no doubt she could rip him to shreds just the same. She had that look about her: a blisteringly feral, primitive spark in those ruthless blue eyes of hers.
Surprisingly, the woman didn’t make a move to get over the fence to attack Toby. She didn’t back off when Toby raised the crossbow to his shoulder, either. Instead, she smiled. A mirthless, hair-raising smile that gave Toby the chills.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with here, little man.” Toby couldn’t take his eyes off the woman. It was as though she had hypnotized him or something.
SMASH!!!
Toby was jolted out of his eye-lock with the woman by the sound of a window shattering behind him. He turned to see Strobe reaching in and unlocking one of the vehicles—a Hummer—which had been parked outside the gate.
“Let’s go!” Strobe yelled as he slid behind the wheel and leaned down to hot-wire the SUV.
When Toby looked back at the woman, she was walking slowly away from the fence. Her casual dismissal of him was somehow more intimidating than those feral eyes of hers. Such an odd, unexpected change in attitude!
Toby heard the Hummer roar to life
behind him. When he arrived at the vehicle, Annabel was already in the passenger seat. She looked drained and unsettled from her kidnapping ordeal.
“Definitely time to book outta here,” Strobe said. As he swung the Hummer around, Toby glanced back at Farrior’s house. The entire compound on the other side of the gate had fallen eerily quiet. The woman, and the two men Toby had stopped with his crossbow, were nowhere in sight. There was no sign of anyone in the house.
After Strobe had turned out of the driveway and was gunning the Hummer for all it was worth down the two-lane road, Annabel looked back at Toby, then at Strobe. “Thanks, guys. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Toby was concerned for Annabel. Her eyes were clouded with emotion. He’d never seen her like this before.
“We’re not out of the woods just yet, Annabel,” Strobe observed. “But, hey—I’m sure you’ll return the favor. One of these days.”
The reason the trio couldn’t see anyone in the house or on the grounds was because they were all upstairs, crowded in and around the third-story room where Annabel had been held prisoner.
A group of Farrior’s inner circle was in the room, standing and kneeling around his inert body. Strobe had hit him with two blasts from the CSG. He wasn’t dead. But he was stunned—practically to the point of coma.
But Alpha Man didn’t go down for the count easily. When his hand twitched, a ripple of relief ran through the guttata pack. When his eyes opened, they were already clear and focused. Farrior’s disciples backed away from their leader. They knew what was about to happen.
First it was the hands, the fingers growing to three times their normal length, the perfect nails turning into ugly, curved talons.
Then the feet, the long, deadly, taloned toes punching through Farrior’s gorgeous suede loafers.
His chest swelled, shredding his silk shirt, the tough, reptile-like skin emerging from beneath the beautiful fabric.
His skull began to expand in strange, unexpected directions, like something being boiled, overheated.
