Cold Death

by Mary Stone

  Adrenaline surging, Ellie dropped the phone and unholstered her gun, almost tumbling out of the SUV in her frantic state. Clay leapt out from the driver’s side while the chief’s tinny voice yelled from the floorboard.

  “Kline, was that gunfire? Kline!”

  No one answered. There wasn’t time. Ellie’s shoes hit the pavement, and she was racing toward the house.

  34

  Creak.

  The noise penetrated Bethany’s sleep from a distance, like a scream traveling underwater. Drowsy, she ignored the disturbance and cuddled up to the long, warm shape beside her.

  Don’t wanna wake up yet. Go away.

  Refusing to be put off, the siren in her head grew more insistent.

  Wake up.

  Wake! Up!

  With a small cry, Bethany’s eyes burst open. What was that noise?

  Her heart pounded as she laid there still and quiet, waiting for her eyes to grow accustomed to the dark. With no clock or phone to check the time, she couldn’t be sure of how long she’d been asleep. If she had to guess, she’d say an hour? Maybe two? Not much more than that, based on how her body felt all heavy, like she was stuck in quicksand, and how it hurt to think.

  As her vision adjusted, the pitch-black faded to gray, allowing Bethany to scour the contents of the room. No one was creeping across the floor or crouching beneath the window. Once she’d cleared all four corners with no sign of an intruder, Bethany’s fear began to ease.

  See? No more creaking. Probably just a bad dream or the poky old mattress, groaning when she’d rolled over.

  Soft snores coming from the lump beneath the covers calmed her worries even more. Along with the arm draped across her chest, the little snort-gasps reminded Bethany that she wasn’t alone in the tiny bedroom any longer. The nice lady was here to keep her company.

  After yawning so wide that her jaw cracked, Bethany wiggled closer to Helen’s warm body. Time to go back to sleep. With a happy sigh, she allowed her eyelids to drift shut.

  Creak.

  Her eyes shot open again, heart galloping while the rest of her body was paralyzed by fear. She definitely hadn’t imagined that. Not a dream. Someone really was sneaking down the hallway to their room.

  Part of her was too scared to move. Maybe this was one of those times her mama had warned her about, when Bethany should play possum for real. If she stayed very, very still, whatever bad thing was out there might think she was dead and go away.

  Except Bethany knew, deep in her bones, that Doctor Rotten was too smart to fall for that trick. Which meant she needed help. Fast.

  Bethany shook Helen’s shoulder and pressed her mouth to the woman’s ear. “Wake up.” She kept her other hand close to Helen’s face, ready to cover her new friend’s mouth in case she woke up noisy.

  They couldn’t be noisy now.

  The woman stirred, and her eyelids fluttered open. “What is it?” The question came in the faintest of whispers, which was a tremendous relief.

  “Listen.”

  They strained their ears. Nothing. The silence stretched long enough that Bethany started to doubt herself. Maybe it had been a dream, after all. Sometimes that happened when—

  Creak!

  Helen’s fingers tightened on Bethany’s arm. She’d heard the noise too.

  The quiet resumed while Bethany’s heart pounded in her legs, her arms, even her toes. She counted out fifteen beats before the next creak, which sounded closer this time.

  Helen shifted their positions so that Bethany was farther from the door, and Helen’s body formed a barrier between the two. The footsteps continued at that same slow pace, like the intruder was either in no hurry or trying extra hard to be sneaky.

  Bethany could picture both of those being true of Doctor Rotten.

  Every creak of the floorboard sent Bethany’s heart hammering a little faster and made her head go all dizzy and weird. Cold sweat broke out all over her skin. Her brain kept yelling at her to hide, but where? How? The room was too tiny. Besides, Doctor Rotten knew she was here. If she crawled under the covers, he’d just throw them off and drag her out by the hair. Maybe even lock her back up in the refrigerator.

  Or worse.

  A truly terrible idea occurred to her next. What if Bethany had been so bad at dinner that he’d decided to kill them? Like that blonde woman who’d knocked on the front door? Her teeth started chattering when she remembered the crack of the poor lady’s neck. The thump when she’d dropped to the floor and never moved again.

  Bethany never should have looked at the lady after that. If she hadn’t, she’d never have seen the way her neck was bent all funny. As soon as she’d understood the lady was dead, Bethany had turned away. Not quick enough, though, because she’d already noticed the lady’s eyes.

  They were wrong, all wrong. Empty, like her soul had left her body and flown away to heaven.

  Until that moment, Bethany hadn’t realized people could die with their eyes open. But she knew that now because the blonde lady was definitely dead.

  Bethany whimpered. She didn’t want to go to heaven. Not yet. Not without spending more time with her mama first and the two of them visiting that beautiful island with the clear blue water and white sand she’d told her about.

  The doorknob squeaked. Bethany cowered into a ball. Someone was opening the door.

  Helen tilted her head close to Bethany’s ear and whispered so softly that Bethany almost didn’t catch the words. “Be very still and calm, no matter what. I’ll get us out of here.”

  Bethany nodded, but it was so hard to stay calm, especially when her breaths kept coming harder and faster. She was so scared. For herself and her new friend. Helen was only trying to help, but Bethany knew Doctor Rotten by now. He’d punish the nice woman for fighting him. Afterward, he’d punish Bethany too. Just like he had the blonde lady.

  Crack. Thump.

  What if he killed Helen too? Bethany’s gut clenched so tight she was afraid she might puke. No. Not Helen. She didn’t want the cop’s mama to fall to the floor and have her eyes turn all blank and glassy too.

  The door creaked again. A dark shape flitted into the open space. Helen sprang to the floor and stood tall, putting her body between Bethany and the shadow figure.

  Bethany wanted to crawl under the covers and hide. To cover her ears and pretend like everything was fine. That the shadow would go away.

  Except, she understood by now that none of those things worked, so instead, she shook off the fear’s icy grip and peeked. Her breath caught in her chest.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, opened them again. No. She wasn’t imagining things.

  The shape was too short and too curvy to be the bad man.

  Her traumatized heart skipped a beat before pounding double time as Bethany’s deepest hope broke free from its cage. Oh, please. Please.

  The intruder moved forward and whispered, so soft that the word floated like a sigh. “Bethany?”

  A sigh, or a dream. Just to make extra sure, Bethany pinched her arm, hard enough that the pain made her gasp.

  The gasp turned to glee as pure happiness bubbled up her throat and spilled out, echoing as loud as a door slam in the quiet night air. Bethany clapped her hands over her mouth, while both Helen and the shadow woman froze.

  They looked so silly, like they were in the middle of a game of freeze tag, that another giggle tried to break free. Bethany trapped the hot breath in her palm as joy threatened to spill over.

  Helen repositioned herself in front of Bethany, spreading her arms wide. “Who are you?” The whisper sounded like a snake.

  Silly Helen. She didn’t need to protect Bethany now.

  Too excited to stay still any longer, Bethany scrambled around Helen’s side, pride lifting her chin. Even so, she used her best whisper voice. “That’s my mama.”

  “Your...mother?”

  “Let’s worry about introductions later.” Mama peered over her shoulder before edging closer. “Right now, we need
to get the hell out of here.”

  Helen didn’t budge. “And just how do you plan on doing that?”

  “Easy.” She put her finger to her lips. “Through the front door.”

  Mama took another step forward, and the strip of light from the window washed over her, giving her whole body a soft glow, like an angel or an actual superhero.

  Her mama was here. She’d kept her promise, just like Bethany had known she would.

  Safe. She was finally safe again.

  “Baby.” Her mother held out a hand, and with a tiny sob, Bethany raced forward.

  “Mama!”

  She reached for that hand, shuddering with relief when their fingertips grazed. Bethany gathered strength in her weak legs, but before she could launch herself at her mama’s chest, a crash shattered the night. Quick as a cat, Mama whirled, and the only thing Bethany’s hand touched was air.

  Helen screamed. “Get down!”

  Bethany tried to move, but her legs were too stiff, her feet stuck to the floor. Mama grabbed her around the waist, and they flew across the room, twisting in the air as a bang rattled the walls.

  The air rushed out of her lungs when she landed on her mother’s chest. She was still gasping as another explosion rocked the room. The doorframe shattered.

  Bethany ducked her head to keep splinters from stabbing her face. Too late, because something warm and wet splattered on her cheeks and into her open mouth. The taste reminded Bethany of sucking on a penny or when a tooth fell out, and she stuck her tongue in the empty socket.

  Oh no.

  Hand shaking, she scrubbed at the liquid and opened her eyes.

  She couldn’t see it well, but she knew she’d just swallowed someone’s blood.

  Don’t let it be Mama’s.

  Bethany pushed up onto her hands and knees and dry-heaved as someone turned the light on in the room. Still gagging and blinking against the sudden glare, she lifted her head in time to catch Helen launch herself, her hands curled into claws, at the person in the doorway.

  “You bastard, how dare you hurt my daughter! You deserve to rot in hell for eternity!”

  As Helen scratched at Doctor Rotten’s face and neck, Bethany’s mama sprang to her feet and lunged forward, but pulled up short two steps in.

  Why? Why is Mama stopping?

  Bethany scrambled to her knees, to cheer Mama on, but a flash of metal froze her tongue to her teeth. Her gaze locked on the gun as Doctor Rotten swung his hand wide.

  Bethany tried to scream as the gun shimmered in the moonlight before slamming into Helen’s skull with a sickening thud. She flew sideways and hit the floor headfirst.

  Crack. Thump.

  Bethany couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Could only stare at her new friend’s limp body in disbelief.

  No. This isn’t happening. I’m dreaming, please, let me be dreaming.

  Except, this was happening. The same way it happened to the blonde lady. Once they hit the floor, they never got up again.

  The bad man had killed Helen.

  Bethany’s hair whipped her cheeks as she shook her head, faster and faster. “No! No, no, no!”

  She thrashed like a wild creature when rough hands grabbed her, not even stopping once her mama hissed, “Stop!” Then Bethany was sliding across the floor, her pajama top riding up as Mama shoved her under the bed.

  “Stay put!”

  Without waiting for Bethany to agree, Mama rolled to her feet. As she did, she saw a dark stain spread across Mama’s shirt like a ketchup spill. Right above Mama’s elbow.

  Her knees quivered. “Mama?”

  But Mama was too busy facing off with Doctor Rotten to answer.

  With tears streaming down her cheeks, Bethany pressed her palms to the floor and fought with herself over what to do.

  If she were brave, she’d crawl out and help her mama fight the bad man.

  But Mama told her to stay put, and she was smarter than Bethany.

  As she struggled to decide, her heart beating too loud and fast, no one in the room moved. From beneath the bed, Bethany had a hard time seeing her mama’s face, but she had a clear view of Doctor Rotten, and he was just standing there, staring and acting strange.

  Her stomach lurched when he moved, but no, he was only tilting his head and ever so slowly reaching out his hand. The same exact way mama had reached for Bethany only a few minutes ago.

  A chill crept down Bethany’s back. Whatever new game the bad man was playing, she didn’t like it, not one bit.

  Quiet as possible, Bethany shimmied forward beneath the bed. She’d be ready in case Mama needed help. The overhead light spilled on Mama, and Bethany went still. She was staring at the bad man’s fingers with a weird look on her face. Almost like she wanted to hold his hand.

  Bethany rejected that idea immediately, mad at herself for even thinking such a dumb thing. Mama would never want to hold the bad man’s hand. She was probably just trying to trick him.

  The tightness across her chest eased. Yes, that had to be it. Her mama was playing the pretend game.

  “Is it true?”

  Bethany frowned. Was what true? And why had Mama’s voice turned all soft and wobbly? The bad man deserved mean, loud words.

  Doctor Rotten dipped his head. “It is.”

  Bethany struggled to understand. It…what? And why was the bad man speaking so nice all of a sudden?

  Bethany’s fists balled up tight. Mama had to realize the bad man was faking. He wasn’t nice at all. He was awful and scary and liked to hurt people.

  Mama’s gaze dropped to Doctor Rotten’s hand again. Her fingers twitched.

  No! Don’t do it, Mama!

  If this was a new game, Bethany hated it. Maybe even more than the refrigerator game because, deep inside, a voice whispered that once her mama accepted Doctor Rotten’s hand, there was no turning back.

  Please, Mama. No.

  Just when Bethany was sure Mama was going to make a terrible choice, she wrenched her gaze up to the bad man’s face, and her hand fell to her side. Relief swooshed through Bethany like a river.

  Thank you, thank you, thank—

  A crash from another part of the house cut off Bethany’s thoughts. She jumped, cracking her head on the metal bed frame. Pain exploded in her skull. As she yelped and grabbed at the tender spot, footsteps echoed down the hallway.

  Through the pain, hope blossomed. The front door. Someone had broken down the front door and was coming to rescue them. They were going to be okay.

  As she started to crawl out from under the bed, the bad man whirled and pointed his gun out the open door. When he did, Mama attacked. One second she stood close to Bethany. The next, she soared through the air like her favorite superhero. She struck the man’s chest with her head, and they both went down, crashing to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. The gun flashed, disappeared, and flashed again.

  Come on, Mama, you can do it!

  While they grunted and wrestled for the weapon, Bethany darted out to help but retreated again when a man and a woman burst through the doorway.

  “Police, drop your weapons and freeze!”

  Bethany’s eyes widened when the redhead stepped forward with a gun in her hand. Wait, she recognized that lady! Helen’s daughter must be the same nice cop who’d saved her before.

  Right as she figured that out, motion flashed near the floor.

  Bethany tensed, relaxing again as her mama climbed to her feet. She raised the gun shoulder-high and pointed it at Doctor Rotten, who knelt on the floor with his hands raised overhead.

  “Don’t shoot. I’m unarmed.” When Mama didn’t lower her hand, he tried again. “Remember who rescued you from those terrible people you were living with and helped you become something more? Something better? If I’d left you with them, you would have shriveled up and died, like a rose bush without water. Instead, you blossomed into a shrewd, capable woman. Don’t I deserve some credit for that?”

  Mama’s arm shook before steadyi
ng again. “The only thing you deserve is to die.”

  The pretty red-haired cop stepped forward. “Katarina, please put the gun down. Let us do our job and arrest him, take him back to the station. Then this whole nightmare will finally be over.”

  Mama shook her head. “You of all people should know better by now. As long as he’s drawing oxygen into his miserable lungs, the nightmare will never be over. He’ll always find a new way to torment us, but he can’t do that from six feet under.”

  “Kat—”

  Her mama squeezed the trigger before the policewoman finished.

  Bethany clapped her hands over her ears, but there was no loud bang. Just a clicking noise as Mama pulled the trigger, again and again.

  “Tell me you loaded this thing with more than one bullet!” Mama screamed at the gun like she thought it might answer.

  Like she was living in a nightmare, Bethany’s arms and legs refused to move. She was trapped. Weightless. A stranger to her own body, floating outside herself. Helpless to do anything but watch as everything happened in the space of a few heartbeats.

  Thump thump.

  The red-haired cop yelled, “Show me your hands!” Instead of doing what he was told, the bad man lurched upright.

  Thump thump.

  A silver knife whizzed through the air. Mama’s body jerked, and her hands flew up to clutch her throat.

  Thump thump.

  Gunshots erupted, and the bad man stumbled back and spun, like he was doing a dance.

  Thump thump.

  He grabbed for Mama, but another loud bang rang out, and Doctor Rotten fell to the floor while blood sprayed the air.

  Thump thump.

  Mama’s knees slammed the floor near Bethany’s head before she tumbled sideways, striking the wood with a thump.

  Thump thump.

  The pretty cop yelled for someone to call an ambulance.

  “Mama?”

  Inch by inch, Katarina’s head rolled to face Bethany, and her lips trembled into the tiniest smile. Spell broken, tears streaked down Bethany’s cheeks, and she sobbed in relief.

  Mama’s alive. She’s going to be okay.

  But when Bethany scooted closer, her body went cold, so cold, and the world came crashing down all around her.