by Mark Lukens
“I’m not saying that you’re a part of it,” Shane added quickly. “But I just want to know if you think Nick might be doing all of this.”
She didn’t answer.
“I need to know, Kristen. If this isn’t a hoax, then we could all be in some very grave danger.”
“I don’t think it’s a hoax,” she said. “If it is, then Nick has managed to keep it a secret from everyone in the production crew and around Hollywood … which can be a difficult thing to do.”
Shane just nodded. It was what he feared. He heard voices. He turned and saw the others gathering on the front porch. Beams of light from their flashlights searched the darkness. They waited at the edge of the porch, none of them venturing out into the storm just yet. But Shane was sure that even from where they stood, they could see the bright silver chain and gold padlock on the gates.
“Why is your uncle buying this island?” Shane asked as he turned back to Kristen. He kept his voice low, his words rushed. He wanted to find out as much as he could before the others got to them.
“I don’t know. I really don’t. But I think he’s looking for something.”
Shane didn’t bother asking Kristen what Nick was looking for on this island; Kristen didn’t seem to know. He thought of Harold being here—a geologist, and maybe that was an odd choice for a ghost hunt. But if Nick was buying this property, maybe a geologist made sense … a geologist checking for sinkholes and earthquake activity. Even though there wasn’t much on this island except for the Thornhill Manor, Shane could imagine that it would still cost quite a bit to purchase it and no one would make such a purchase without an inspection.
But then again, if Nick was looking for something, maybe the geologist was here to help him find it. Maybe Nick was looking for something buried underground, something priceless. But what could be priceless to a billionaire? Was it something personal to him?
“I think he gathered all of you here for a specific reason,” Kristen said. “I think there was a reason he chose each of you for this team. Maybe it had something to do with everyone’s past and their exposure to the paranormal. Especially Laura.”
Shane looked at her, about to ask her what she meant, but his words were cut off as Warren and Laura ran up to them in the rain. They had brought their own tarp. It was smaller than the tarp Shane and Kristen had, but it was protecting them a little from the rain. They stared at the chain and padlock like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
“Who did this?” Warren asked.
“Who do you think?” Shane answered him. He looked back at Kristen. She was staring out at the darkness again like she’d seen something out there.
“Why would Nick lock us in here?” Warren asked.
“I don’t know,” Shane said.
Warren looked at Kristen.
“Kristen doesn’t know,” Shane said. “But we need to find out.”
“This isn’t good, Shane,” Laura said as she huddled up next to Warren. “Harold’s gone. That thing in there took him. He’s in the walls now. The same thing’s going to happen to all of us if we don’t get out of here. We need to get out of here right now.”
“I know.”
Kristen jumped back into Shane’s arms and let out a short yelp of a scream.
“What is it?” Shane asked her.
Kristen pointed out at the darkness. “Did you see it? There are … people out there.”
Laura and Warren got closer to the gate, almost pressing up against it, both of them staring out at the darkness.
“She’s right,” Laura said. “There are people out there … they’ve been awakened.”
“I don’t see them,” Warren said.
Just then a flash of lightning lit up the world for a split second, and Shane saw the figures out in the weeds and grasses, one was trying to stand up. Two others were on the ground, writhing, almost like they were pulling themselves up out of the ground … out of their shallow graves.
“That can’t be possible,” Warren said as the world turned to darkness again.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Billy handed out paper towels for everyone to dry themselves off as they stood around the battery-powered lanterns. Shane used one of the spare shirts he’d brought in his duffel bag to dry his arms and then his hair. He ran a hand through his hair, the hair standing up like little spikes on his head.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Warren demanded from Nick. “Chaining the front gates?”
Nick didn’t even try to defend himself.
“This is dangerous,” Shane yelled at Nick. “Harold’s gone! What we saw up there, that was no hallucination! Those teeth that were thrown at us were real.”
“He’s right,” Kristen said. “We need to leave.”
“We’re staying,” Nick said. “All of you agreed to stay, and we’re staying!”
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Shane asked Nick.
Nick stared at Shane with a twisted smile. “Didn’t you used to lock the gates and doors shut to the properties you investigated?”
“That was for a TV show,” Shane answered. “A gimmick the producers wanted to use.”
“I knew it,” Nigel said, beaming. “I always knew it was all a hoax.”
“I didn’t say my investigations were a hoax,” Shane said through clenched teeth. “I just said that the locked doors and chains were a gimmick.”
“And you had a camera crew with you the whole time,” Nigel said. “You can admit it now.”
“No … it was just me.” Shane turned away from Nigel. “I’m not going to argue about this right now.” He looked at Nick. “We’ve got seismic earthquake activity here. We may have side effects from gasses escaping the earth’s surface. And we have some kind of demonic infestation of this manor, one that was likely put into effect by the original owners, the Thornhills. Harold is gone—inside these walls somewhere. And you think it’s a good idea to lock our only escape route?”
“I said we’re staying, and that’s final,” Nick said.
Shane looked around at the others. Of course Billy, his loyal guard dog, wasn’t going to say anything. And probably not Nigel—he was still too busy trying to convince himself that this was all one big hoax for his benefit. But the others, why weren’t they outraged by this? He looked back at Nick and took a step towards him. He was done playing around now. “Give me the key right now.”
Nick didn’t budge.
“You can stay here if you want to, Mr. Gorman,” Shane said. “But me, and anyone else who wants to, is going to be allowed to leave this place.”
Shane took two more steps towards Nick.
Nick backed up quickly and pulled his gun out of the waistband of his pants that had been hidden underneath the tail of his large shirt. He aimed it right at Shane.
Shane stopped in his tracks.
“Nobody’s going anywhere,” Nick said. He gestured with his gun at Shane. “You just back up a few steps.” Nick’s ever-present smile was gone now. He looked tense, his grip on the gun was firm and steady—the look in his eyes said that he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
“You’re crazy,” Shane said. He glanced at Kristen who looked as horrified as everyone else did.
“Uncle Nick,” Kristen said.
Nick ignored her pleas. “Get over there with the others,” Nick told Shane. “I want all of you standing together in a group.”
“This is ridiculous,” Nigel complained.
“I am going to finish this,” Nick said through clenched teeth. “I came here to find something and I’m going to find it.”
Shane knew it. Nick was after something and it had nothing to do with ghosts or haunted houses. “Whatever you want to find so badly, fine … go find it. But let us leave.”
“I need Laura’s help.”
Nick aimed his gun at Laura. “I want you over there, away from the others.” He nodded at Billy. “You too.”
Billy looked hesitant. So far he had seeme
d willing to go along with whatever Nick wanted, but it seemed for just a moment that things might be going too far for him. But Billy only hesitated for a moment—he followed Nick’s orders and walked across the room to stand beside Laura.
Nick aimed his gun at the others, but he spoke to Billy. “Get some extra shirts out of their duffel bags and tear them into strips.”
Billy hesitated for a moment.
“What do you need strips of cloth for?” Nigel asked.
Nick ignored Nigel and glared at Billy. “Did you hear me?”
Finally Billy moved into action. He picked up Shane’s duffel bag and spilled the contents out. He grabbed a T-shirt and pulled a pocket knife out of his front pants pocket. He cut at the shirt and tore the bottom of the shirt into strips.
“Nobody’s going to get hurt,” Nick said, his tone more conversational now. Even his fake smile was back.
But Shane could see the malice in the man’s eyes. He was no one to challenge right now. Kristen had said her uncle was dying of cancer. Who knew what his mental state was right now, or what different medicines he might be taking.
“Everyone just needs to do what I say and we’ll all get out of this just fine,” Nick said.
“You’re going to tie us up?” Shane asked as Billy tore another one of his shirts into strips of cloth.
“You made me do this,” Nick snapped at Shane. “You had to rock the boat. You had to keep whining about leaving.”
“That’s because it’s dangerous here.”
“You don’t have to tie us up,” Kristen said, already beginning to cry.
“I can’t trust any of you now,” Nick said. “Billy’s just going to tie your arms up for a few hours while Laura helps me find something.”
Kristen took a step towards her uncle. “Please … What’s wrong with you? You’re not yourself. You’re sick. This place … it’s affecting your mind somehow.”
Nick aimed his gun right at Kristen.
She froze in mid-step, horrified that her uncle was pointing a gun at her. But it was more than that—it was the look in his eyes; she didn’t know this man anymore.
“You know I love you, Kristen,” Nick said. “But I can’t let you and the rest of them ruin this. I can’t have any distractions. You’ll understand everything in a few hours, I promise. All of you will. This may be one of the most important discoveries of all time.” He looked at Billy. “Kristen first.”
Billy walked over to Kristen with the lengths of cloth dangling from his hands. He moved around behind her.
“Billy, don’t.”
“Come on, Kristen. Put your hands behind your back.”
“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to do what he tells you.”
“Yeah, actually I do.”
“Kristen,” Nick growled, his gun still aimed at her. “Don’t make him ask you again.”
Kristen reluctantly complied and put her hands behind her back. Billy made quick work of tying her wrists together. And then he moved on to Warren.
Once Billy had everyone’s hands tied, he tied Laura’s hands together in front of her.
“Okay,” Nick said. He seemed much more relaxed now that everyone else was tied up. He looked at Billy. “Leave our fearless leader here, and take the others to different rooms, all of them separate from each other. I don’t want them helping each other escape. Tie their legs together too.”
Billy had some more lengths of cloth in his hands and he gestured at Warren, Nigel, and Kristen to start walking towards the foyer.
“I’ll never forgive you for this,” Kristen told Nick as Billy marched the three of them out of the dining hall. “I want a lantern with me,” she yelled and she seemed on the verge of panicking.
Billy grabbed one of the lanterns and took it with him.
“Don’t take a light for Nigel,” Nick called after them. “He’s too tough for that. He doesn’t believe in ghosts.”
Nick watched them walk away as Billy’s flashlight beam and lantern disappeared into the darkness. And then he smiled at Shane. “Sit tight,” he told him.
• • • • •
Billy helped Kristen sit down on the ballroom floor not too far away from the nearest set of the double stairs that led up to the balcony above them. He set the lantern on the parquet floor a few feet away from her.
“Stand over there,” Billy told Warren and Nigel.
They did as he ordered, shuffling back into the gloom, Warren struggled with the cloth binding his wrists together but he couldn’t get free.
“Billy, please don’t do this,” Kristen begged as he wrapped the length of cloth around her ankles twice and then tied the ends together.
“I have to help him.”
“How much is he paying you?” Nigel sneered.
“A lot,” Billy said over his shoulder, but then he looked at Kristen and his expression softened. “I need it. I’m in some … in some trouble with the kind of guys you don’t want to be in trouble with. Your uncle helped me. I owe him.”
“Nick’s your uncle?” Warren asked.
Kristen didn’t answer Warren; she kept her eyes on Billy. “I can help you. I know some people—”
Billy just shook his head and smiled at her, stopping her words. “I know you would help if you could,” he said as he tied another knot in the cloth. He rested a hand on her ankles for a moment. “Too tight?”
“How considerate,” Nigel said.
Warren stood beside Nigel but he remained silent, glaring at Billy.
Bill looked back at Kristen and he shook his head slightly. “Don’t be afraid. You know your Uncle Nick would never hurt you. He just needs these guys out of the way for a few hours.”
“What for?” Nigel asked. “What’s he looking for?”
“I don’t know,” Billy said over his shoulder.
“Yeah, right.”
“Then untie me,” Kristen said to Billy with a glimmer of hope. “I’ll go with you. I … I won’t be in the way. I don’t want to be here alone. Please.”
“I’m sorry,” Billy told her. “It’s not my decision.”
“There’s nothing here to be afraid of,” Nigel assured Kristen. “Except for your uncle and this coward, that is.”
“Uncle Nick is going crazy,” Kristen told Billy, ignoring Nigel. “Can’t you see that?”
Billy didn’t respond. He looked up at the balcony above them, and then he looked over at Warren. “I’m going to take you up to the balcony so you can be close to Kristen, but not close enough to help each other.”
Warren just glared at him.
“Talk to her if she needs it,” Billy told Warren.
Warren wouldn’t acknowledge Billy, but he nodded at Kristen.
Billy shifted his eyes from Warren to Nigel as a mean smile appeared on his face. “And you … I’ve got a special place in mind for you.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Nick set his gun down for a moment and tore a strip of cloth off of another shirt. He walked over to Shane. “Feet together.”
Shane put his feet together in front of him, sitting up with his hands tied behind his back. He watched Nick wind the long strip of cloth around his ankles and he thought about kicking Nick in the face before he could get the cloth tied, but what would that accomplish? His hands would still be tied and he would still be helpless. A fantasy played in his mind of knocking Nick out and then Laura untying his hands … but he knew it wasn’t going to work. He could see how cautious Nick was being, he would’ve backed away from his kick the moment Shane began to draw his legs back.
“What’s here on this island that’s so precious to you?” Shane asked Nick.
“Something I’ve been looking for. Something humanity has been searching for ever since we discovered fire and became aware of our own mortality.”
“Why didn’t you tell us about it to begin with? Why not just be honest?”
“Because he needed us here to awaken it again,” Laura answered for Nick.
&nb
sp; Nick shrugged as he stood back up and looked at Laura. “I don’t know about that. I know I needed you here, and to get you here I brought the others.”
Laura looked disgusted. “You just can’t see it, can you? You don’t understand what you’re playing with. But you will … you’ll understand everything very soon.”
• • • • •
Billy pushed Nigel into Room 214. “I hope you’re looking forward to spending a few hours in here all by yourself.”
“Do you want to know what I’m looking forward to?” Nigel asked as he turned around to face Billy.
Billy walked over to the camera in the corner of the room and switched it off, ignoring Nigel.
“I’m looking forward to having a conversation with my team of lawyers and discussing how much we’re going to sue Nick Gorman for.”
“Good luck,” Billy said as he walked back towards Nigel. “I’m sure Nick’s team of lawyers can beat up your team of lawyers.” He stood the flashlight up on the floor on its end, the beam of light pointing up at the ceiling. He had two more lengths of cloth in his hands. “Sit down on the floor.”
Nigel remained standing, defiant.
Billy smirked. “It’s okay if you want to stand. I’ll tie your legs together and eventually you’ll get tired enough to fall over. It probably won’t be an enjoyable landing, I’m sure.”
Nigel knew when it was prudent to give in. With some effort he squatted down and then settled into a sitting position.
“Legs out straight. Feet together.”
Nigel complied, letting Billy tie his ankles together.
Billy stood up with the last strip of cloth in his hand and smiled at Nigel. “I’ve got one last little surprise for you.” He pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket and walked around behind Nigel. “Everybody’s sick of hearing your mouth.”
“You’re going to pay for this.”
Billy shoved the wadded-up handkerchief into Nigel’s mouth and then wrapped the strip of cloth around Nigel’s head before he could make another threat. He tied the strip of cloth tightly behind Nigel’s head, jerking his head a little in the process. “Go ahead and sue me … you won’t get much. Blood from a rock and all that shit.”
