Holding hands, they walked toward the door and didn’t turn the light on.
“Who is it?” she asked softly.
“It’s me, Marcus,” a voice said from outside. Instinctively, they pulled themselves closer together.
“What do you want?” Eva said. She made her voice sound as stern as she could while trying not to wake Gabrielle.
“I need to talk to Gabrielle.”
“She’s not here,” Arielle lied. “She’s spending the night at her parents’ house.”
“Okay, thanks,” he replied. His voice was soft with not a hint of anger. They heard a car door slam, a car pulling away, then complete quiet.
“What in bloody hell did he want at this hour?”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad you said that,” Eva said. “Now we have to tell Gabby in the morning to make sure we’re not caught in the lie.”
They went back to bed but it took a long time for Arielle to get back to sleep, and when she slept it was restless.
In the morning Gabby was still there, and seeming a bit more like her old self. They told her what had happened the night before. She agreed to cover their lie, and promised to stay away from Marcus for a couple of days, telling him that her parents needed her at home.
To their relief, Marcus seemed to believe her story and didn’t make any trouble for Gabrielle. They ran into him a few times, and he was very polite when he saw them. But every time they saw him they felt that same clutch of cold fear and that same uneasiness about his character.
Three days later, when Robert called them, he said he had some information to share with them, and asked them to meet him at his place that afternoon.
Gabrielle’s car was still at her parents’ house from the previous day, so they dropped her off there and told her they would call her a little bit later. “Please, Gabby, do not go out with Marcus until we talk to you again,” Eva said. “Give us at least until this evening. After that we will leave you alone and you can do whatever you want to do.”
Gabrielle agreed to their request. They left her at the door and could see how happy her mother was to see her as she waved to them and they drove away. When they arrived at Robert’s flat, he met them at the door, and they were hardly inside before he started talking. “You are not going to believe this at all,” he said. His face was flustered and his voice was very disturbed.
“What is it, Robert?” Arielle said.
“Well, I found a few stories about things happening in the area about four years ago, and Marcus is in the middle of all of them. He was a junior in secondary school when all of this took place.”
They took the newspaper articles he was holding out toward them and started to read aloud. As Eva read, Arielle sank onto the sofa in utter dismay.
“The Sussex authorities have discovered the body of the missing secondary school student, Alice Norwell, buried in a shallow grave in Preston Park. They fear it is the work of a cult group called Dark Shadows. They believe the girl was used as a human sacrifice as her heart was missing. Four teenagers have been arrested and charged with murder. Charges were filed this morning against the leader of the cult, Marcus Fairchild.”
Both girls jumped with fright, and began to gasp for air as they read Marcus’s name. The names of the other three cult members were also printed in bold letters, but they didn’t recognize any of those names.
Eva picked up another article and began to read.
“This morning the district attorney announced that the cult group Dark Shadows is believed to be responsible for three other murders of young women in the past four years. Their leader, Marcus Fairchild, is being held without bond in the city jail.”
Arielle was now barely breathing as overwhelming thoughts were invading her head. Her whole body felt sick inside, and she suddenly didn’t know whether she was going to pass out or vomit. Suddenly she stood up and ran to the bathroom.
When she came back out, Eva was talking quietly with Robert. They both seemed to be very disturbed. They turned towards her as she stood there completely lost for words.
“Arielle, you really need to see this one as well,” Robert said. He handed her another article. She sat down again, dry mouthed. She could feel her heart hammering within, pulverizing her chest. Eva sat next to her, trembling, they both looked at the article. This time they read silently.
“The prosecutor did not have any witnesses and could not hold the charges against Marcus Fairchild. The other three cult members were interrogated separately; they all accused each other in an attempt to receive lighter sentences. They were questioned about their leader but they never accused Marcus of any wrongdoing. The authorities and the prosecutor believe beyond any doubt that Marcus Fairchild is the person that ordered the sacrifices, however they had to release him due to lack of evidence against him. They have advised young ladies in the area to be very careful in their associations with cult members.”
The last line of the article stated that cult members never accuse their masters of wrongdoing, as they are afraid of repercussions by devotees of these satanic beliefs.
Arielle and Eva were both completely stunned. They leaned as far back as the sofa would allow, as if they had been pinned to the back of it by the weight of what they had just learned.
“I truly believe this guy is guilty of those crimes,” Robert said. “But his followers have protected him. I would suggest that you keep Gabrielle away from him by telling her the complete truth.” His voice was very calm and soothing. Seeing how upset they both were, he came over and sat between them, putting his arms around them.
“Robert, can we ask her to come here to talk, in case Marcus comes over to our flat again before we have a chance to talk with her?” Eva asked.
“Sure, go ahead,” Robert said. “Let’s do it now and get this over with.”
Rising to her feet Eva faced both of them for a couple of minutes, then started to pace back and forth. Finally she leaned against the doorframe and they heard her shaking voice, eager and anxious.
“This man has broken the most fundamental human law by taking a life,” she said. “It’s terrifying to think that Gabrielle could have been his next victim.”
As Eva spoke, Arielle squeezed Robert’s hand, feeling fear and a pang in her gut. Robert’s blue eyes were meeting hers, and he tightened his hold on her.
“It’ll all work out, Arielle, trust me,” he said. “Call Gabrielle and I’ll be here with you both when she reads over these articles.” His mouth slightly lifted in a soft, assuring smile.
Feeling a bit nervous, Arielle picked up her phone and called Gabrielle, who answered on the first ring.
“Hi Gabby, can you come over to Robert’s place?” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “It’s very important,” she added.
“I’ll be there shortly,” Gabrielle said. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, we’re fine,” Arielle said, not exactly answering her friend’s question. “But we really need to show you something.”
“See you in a few,” she said and the phone went dead.
Twenty minutes later she walked through Robert’s door with a wide smile on her face, looking just as beautiful as ever. There was nothing about her to show either stress or anxiety, as if everything in the world was in its perfect place.
“Hey there, what’s up?” she said, greeting Robert as she came in, and looking over at Eva and Arielle who were sitting on the sofa. “Why the long faces?”
“Gabrielle,” Robert said, “We wanted to show you something and maybe talk about it for a little while. You should probably sit down.”
Gabrielle sat down in the chair across the table from them, her face full of anticipation. Robert handed her the first article and she started to read quietly. It was a short article but it seemed to take a long time for her to look up or say anything. Arielle was sure she had finished reading.
Next Robert handed her the other two articles. She took them from him with shaking hands and w
ithout looking up. She read each one of them slowly and shuffled them back and forth as if she wanted to read them over and over again. They were watching her carefully and suddenly it happened.
Her head fell forward and her hands fell to her sides, the articles spilling to the floor. She had blacked out. They ran to her, laid her on the sofa while Robert brought a wet towel to wipe her face.
“Gabby…Gabby…” Arielle whispered close to her ear as she shook her slightly.
Gabby opened her eyes and looked around, completely disoriented. Arielle helped her sit up and Gabrielle moved her gaze between the three of them, as if she were trying to remember what had happened, and finally her eyes stopped at the newspaper articles spread across the floor. Her body went rigid as she started to hyperventilate and her eyes looked pinched, as if she were in physical pain.
Eva moved first and sat down next to Gabrielle, putting her arm around her shoulders, looking helplessly frustrated. Robert and Arielle sat down across from Gabrielle, who remained perfectly still for a few long moments.
“Oh my God,” she murmured. She seemed to be in absolute shock, but clearly was beginning to get a grasp of the information contained in the documents. Suddenly her shoulders began to shake as she started sobbing and gasping violently. They all remained silent, letting her cry the stress out of her system. Eva took her hand and held it, stroking her comfortingly on her back.
Finally Gabrielle looked up and glanced at the three of them quickly. Obviously she was wondering what to do next.
“Gabby, are you all right?” Arielle asked.
Gabby took another deep breath and tried to smile, but it turned out to be a poor attempt.
“Well, I’m sickened by what I’ve read,” she said. She stopped for a second or two before continuing in a shaky voice. “And I can’t believe I used such poor judgment when it came to Marcus. I guess I was mesmerized by his looks. When I think that something like that could have happened to me…” Her voice trailed off and she broke once again into soft sobbing. Then suddenly, as if she had just thought of it, she looked at them with panic in her eyes. “How am I going break up with him without letting him know that I found out about his past history?” she asked.
“Just tell him the truth,” Arielle said. “You’ll soon be leaving on holiday and you aren’t sure when you’ll be coming back,” she said. “Have you made any commitments to him at all?”
“No,” Gabrielle said quickly. “We have just been dating but nothing serious. And sometimes we kiss, but nothing more.” She took another deep breath and seemed to be calming down a bit. “There may be something of an issue with him since he has exposed me to his otherworld. But thank God I’ve not seen anything really bad.”
“Just tell him you’re not interested in those activities any longer,” Eva advised.
To their relief, it seemed that the shock of what she’d learned had brought Gabrielle back to her normal self. She had been informed about the truth and she was going to do the right thing. They told her they would be there to support her when she informed Marcus of her decision. Robert offered to be there as well in case she needed his help.
They knew now they couldn’t trust Marcus and his friends. So the plan was to let him know that if he didn’t go away quietly and leave Gabrielle alone, they would expose him to the authorities.
Chapter 7
A FEW DAYS LATER on a Friday, early in the afternoon after class, Gabrielle approached Marcus in front of the library. Eva, Arielle, and Robert stayed hidden behind a building, watching as he reached to embrace her and she pulled away. He looked shocked, and they couldn’t hear the conversation that ensued, but it lasted quite a long time. At one point they could see that Gabby tried to move away from him and he locked his arm around her wrist, but she twisted away and told him something that made him step back and agree to whatever she was saying.
Even from a distance they could clearly see that his face looked cold as a statue, but it appeared that Gabrielle was holding firm, and they were so proud of her. Arielle reached over and squeezed Eva’s hand, and they shared an excited smile. Then Gabrielle turned around and walked away as Marcus stood watching her until he couldn’t see her any longer. She walked around the corner of the building where they were all waiting, smiling, looking happy and relieved.
“So, what happened? Tell us!” Arielle practically squeaked.
“I just told him I didn’t want to be around him and his friends any longer, that they scared me. First he said he loved me and he didn’t want me to leave him but when I told him I didn’t love him, that’s when he got nasty. He started threatening me, telling me I’d be sorry, in a very scary way. So then I told him that I knew about his past and that I had spoken to my father about it. And that my father would be willing to reopen his case and expose him if anything ever happened to me. He looked shocked and upset but he backed off immediately and said that he wouldn’t want to keep me if I didn’t want to be with him.”
Gabrielle turned to look at Robert. She held his gaze for a short moment and then, reaching out, she put her arms around him and gave him a warm hug.
“Thank you so much, Robert,” she whispered. “I’ll never forget what you did for me.”
In reply he just smiled, squeezed her warmly, and gave her a peck on the cheek. “What are friends for?” he asked, putting on his most charming smile.
“Well, I think if you don’t need me any longer, I’ll just leave you girls here,” he said.
“Thanks again, Robert,” Arielle and Eva said simultaneously. “We owe you big time!”
“I’ll see you later,” he called out, grinning happily as he walked away.
Arielle needed to check out a book from the library for next week’s test, so Gabrielle and Eva waited for her as she went inside.
“Gabby, Marcus is a liar,” Eva said in a low voice. “He doesn’t love you, he doesn’t know how to love. You were just a simple conquest. His eyes are impassive and his heart is cold. He doesn’t have the ability to love anyone but his Satan god.” Gabrielle winced at the sound of Eva’s unyielding voice.
“He is a murderer,” Eva added. “He’ll find someone else to take your place, and we need to stop him.” She gave Gabby a meaningful look as she added, “You must take this to your father and to the authorities.”
Gabrielle looked like she was considering Eva’s request. She looked down at her feet, her fingers moving idly back and forth on the cover of a book in her arms. Finally she looked up into Eva’s eyes. “I’m afraid to tell my father about this,” she said, and her expression grew worried.
“You need to forget about your fears, Gabby, you must do the right thing,” Eva said. “Gabby, people like Marcus never rest until they accomplish what they are after.”
Gabrielle exhaled several times in sheer frustration. Then she finally nodded, forcing a smile.
“All right, I’ll do it, but I want you to be with me when I tell him.”
“Gabby, you are not the bad person here – Marcus is,” Eva reminded her in a voice that was soft and loving.
Arielle came back with her book tucked under her arm. Immediately she noticed Gabrielle’s tense expression. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“We’re going to see Gabrielle’s father,” Eva said firmly.
“Great!” Arielle said, pleased to hear the news. Eva handed Gabrielle her phone before she had a chance to change her mind.
“Call your father and find out if we can go to his office right now,” she urged. Gabrielle took the phone and thoughtfully keyed her father’s number.
The receptionist answered. “Dr. Taylor’s office.”
“Hi Stephanie, this is Gabrielle. Can I speak to my father please?”
“Hello, Gabrielle,” Stephanie said pleasantly. “Your father is with a patient right now. Is this important?”
“Yes, please tell him that I need to see him as soon as possible. It’s urgent!”
“Hold for a moment,” Stephanie said. Gabriell
e waited nervously, biting her nails and glancing between Eva and Arielle. Then Stephanie was back on the phone.
“Your father will see you as soon as you can get here.”
“Thank you, I’m on my way.” Gabrielle pressed the end button and handed it back to Eva.
“Okay, let’s go before I lose my nerve,” she said.
They went down the steps in a hurry, and got into the car before she could finish her sentence.
“Gosh,” they heard her murmur.
“What is it, Gabby?” Eva asked.
“My father will be bloody livid!” she said with a nervous chuckle.
“Rubbish,” Arielle said. “It’ll be alright. What you’re about to do is the right thing.
“I know that I’m doing the right thing, but I’m still scared about telling my father the details,” she said with a trembling voice. “He’ll be awfully disappointed in me.” She swallowed hard.
Arielle reached over and took her hand. “We’re going to be by your side,” she said.
“Sometimes it’s not easy to do the right thing, but it still needs to be done, for your sake and others,” Eva encouraged her.
Arielle couldn’t stop thinking about the girls that had been Marcus’s victims in the past.
When they arrived at Dr. Taylor’s office Gabrielle had a hard time getting out of the car. She was fearful of her father’s wrath for attending those rituals and involving herself knowingly with a warlock. Dr. Taylor welcomed the girls in his office with a wide smile on his kind face, and asked them to sit down.
“What a wonderful surprise!” he said. “How was school today?”
“Fine,” they all answered in unison.
“So what brings you this way?” he asked.
“I needed to talk to you, Daddy,” Gabrielle said in a quivering voice.
He was now watching her carefully. He stood up and walked around his desk and stood in front of Gabrielle. “What’s the matter, pumpkin? Don’t you feel well?”
“I’m fine, Daddy, but I have something dreadful to tell you, and I’m scared.” His face grew concerned.
Arielle Immortal Awakening (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 1) Page 7
