by A. I. Nasser
“You still haven’t answered me,” Michael said.
“I came to ask you about one of your employees,” Deborah said.
Michael frowned at her in confusion. “Since when do you care about my employees?”
“Generally, I don’t,” Deborah said, “but this one’s important. His daughter, Jamie Drew, is a student of mine.”
Michael’s left eye twitched, a quick motion that would have gone unnoticed if she hadn’t been staring directly at him.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Michael lied.
The discomfort Deborah had felt this morning suddenly grew tenfold. “He has your company listed as his place of employment.”
Michael shifted uneasily. “Do you expect me to know every employee who works for me?”
“You have a dozen people working for you, Michael, so yes, I do.”
Michael hesitated, enough for Deborah to know that something was very much off. He looked up and down the hall, then stood to one side and gestured her in. A red flag jumped up in Deborah’s mind, but she went inside anyway, determined to find out what was going on.
“Did my father send you?” Michael asked, closing the door behind him. “Is it because I’ve been ignoring his calls?”
Deborah took a quick look around the small studio and the mess that usually followed Michael Cole wherever he went. It had taken her months to get him to pick his clothes up off the couch and floors back when they had been living together.
“Nobody sent me,” Deborah finally said after assuring herself that she had done the right thing in regards to her relationship with the man. “I’m just curious. I met Mr. Drew, one of the most stand-up men I’ve known. His daughter’s one of my best students, and now she’s moving away because you fired her father.”
Michael smirked. “You have a very strange relationship with your students. What do you care what happens to her father. If the man were so great, he wouldn’t have been fired.”
“So you do know him,” Deborah said firmly.
Michael threw his hands up in exasperation. “Yes, okay, I know him. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that you just lied to me,” Deborah said.
“We’re not dating anymore, Debs,” Michael’s voice went up in volume. “I don’t owe you anything. I can lie to whomever I please. And I don’t have to tell you anything about my company or my employees.”
“Then why did you invite me in?”
“What is this, CSI?”
Deborah tried to keep her anger in check as she asked, “Why did you fire him?”
“Because he sucked at his job, Debs,” Michael articulated. “He was a terrible accountant. Satisfied?”
Deborah wasn’t, but she could already tell that she was getting to Michael. The twitch in his left eyes was getting worse, and he was doing that strange thing with his nostrils that he did whenever he wasn’t telling the whole truth.
“He wasn’t an accountant,” Deborah said, clearly remembering the title ‘software engineer’ in the admission sheet.
Michael opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. Deborah could see him trying to weigh his options, maybe find a way to get out of the hole he had dug for himself, but it was obvious he was stuck.
“You really didn’t know him, did you?” Deborah asked, a satisfied smile on her face. “You know his name because you fired him, but other than that, you have no idea who he is.”
Michael shrugged and crossed his arms again, taking a defensive stand. “So what?”
“Why did you fire someone you knew nothing about?” Deborah asked. “Did someone tell you to fire him?”
“It’s my company,” Michael said, suddenly angry. “No one tells me what to do or not to do in my company.”
Deborah felt static throughout her body as a sudden burst of adrenaline rushed through her veins. Her eyes grew wide as she had what she could only assume was an epiphany. Michael might not allow anyone to tell him what to do, but there was one man in Melington that could. Michael always did what he was told when it came to that one person, even if he didn’t like it, and Deborah suddenly felt a chill race down her spine with the realization of what that entailed.
Alan was right.
He had been right all along, she thought.
How had she not seen it? The Council meetings, the file her mother had taken with her.
Oh God, her mother.
Deborah suddenly felt the air around her grow very heavy, and she quickly raced past Michael and out of his apartment.
From the Journal of Jeremiah Carter.
Melington. October 22nd, 1826.
Rejoice, for justice is at hand!
I can barely write a word as my hand shakes with excitement. It is a fine day indeed! I wish to dance about the room and light a dozen candles of joy!
The Council has come through! They searched Copper Tibet’s home today, and they have found the proof they need. I cried profusely at the mention of it, comforting my equally emotional wife as Chairman Cole shared the news.
We will go to the Council tomorrow to identify what they have found, but the look in Cole’s eyes was one of strong determination like I have never seen before. There was the man I trusted with his position, his true strength finally showing!
My wife cannot stop crying, tears of joy no doubt, and I find myself unable to sleep. I cannot wait for dawn, for our ride into town so we can finally see this through to its end.
Copper Tibet will finally get what he deserves!
Chapter 16
Alan woke up to frantic knocking on his door.
He had fallen asleep on the living room couch, files littered around him after having had spent hours trying to find a connection between the most recent Melington disappearances. He had spent the entire evening on the phone trying to reach any relatives that could give him something, and he had gotten absolutely nowhere.
The knocking grew more urgent, and Alan jumped to his feet, quickly gathering the paper around him into a small pile that he hid under his teacher’s textbooks. Scanning the living room quickly, making sure he had not left anything out in the open, he hurried to answer the door.
“Alright, alright!” he yelled, yanking it open.
Deborah raced past him, pushing him aside with urgency as she quickly closed the door behind her and locked it.
“Debbie?”
Deborah said nothing, grabbing Alan by the arm as she hurriedly led him down the hall, into the kitchen, then further into the garage. She closed that door too, resting her hands against it as if waiting for someone to follow them. Alan watched her breathing heavily as she rested her head against the garage door and gasped for breaths.
“Debbie, is everything okay?”
Deborah shook her head. “You were right,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“What?”
“You were right, Alan,” she said, louder this time as she turned and looked at him. Her hands gestured around the garage. “About all this. About your sister. You were right.”
Alan could feel his hands shake with excitement. “What happened?” he asked, forcing himself not to smile.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “What matters is that we stop it before it happens again. I don’t know what is going on exactly, but I know that I believe you now.” Her voice shook uncontrollably and Alan rushed to her, taking her into his arms as she burst into tears.
“They’re taking the kids, Alan,” she sobbed, her entire body shivering like a leaf. “They’re taking the kids!”
“Shh,” Alan soothed. “It’s okay. Tell me what happened.”
Deborah stepped back and took in deep breaths as she tried to get a hold of herself. Alan waited patiently, eager to find out what she knew while at the same time cautious not to push. He could only imagine what this was doing to her.
“I think I know who’s next,” Deborah said, her voice cracking. “I know who they’re going after next.”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“Daniel Cole,” Deborah said. “And I think my mother’s involved. Oh my God, Alan, my mother’s a part of this!”
Alan grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to stop her from breaking down again until she told him everything.
“Who’s next?” Alan asked, the urgency in his voice resonating through the garage. “Deborah, stay with me now. Who’s next?”
“Jamie Drew,” Deborah was finally able to say, her face twisting as tears threatened to break free again and she tried to control them. “Michael fired her father and they’re supposed to be leaving Melington.”
She cried freely now, unable to hold back her emotions, and Alan quickly hugged her again. “You were right,” she whispered. “It’s just like Blake. Oh, Alan, I am so sorry.”
Alan pressed her closer to him and kissed her head, trying his best to calm her down.
“We need to stop this,” he whispered. “We need to get to Daniel Cole and stop this.”
Deborah nodded as Alan quickly tried to come up with a plan. He looked at the calendar on the garage wall where the day’s date was circled.
It was the twenty-sixth.
***
Jamie sat up in bed, startled.
She had been dreaming a beautiful dream where she was riding one of her My Little Ponies as she laughed and pranced through a purple colored field. It was one of those dreams she loved, and one she vigorously kept to herself in fear of ridicule. Sometimes her classmates could be cruel.
The dream ended abruptly though, a loud knock startling her in her slumber and forcing her awake. She looked about the darkness of her room, unable to comprehend where the sound had come from, squinting to make out anything in the shadows that littered the walls.
She didn’t dare call out for her mother, knowing well the reaction she would get, especially today. The news of her father’s firing had hit them pretty hard, and although Jamie couldn’t comprehend the full effects of it, she knew that it meant leaving Melington and her friends behind. It was a tough decision for all of them, especially since they had recently bought the house and her mother had already had her garden planned out.
The knock came again, a bit louder this time, and Jamie’s head snapped to the left where her window shivered in its frame. She could see the large maple outside her house dance in the harsh weather, the branches flailing as if waving to her to join them outside. When she heard the knock for the third time, she immediately saw the window latch rise dangerously out of its place and fall back down with a metallic cling. The window pane knocked again.
Jamie sighed in relief. She lay back down and pulled the covers to her chin, her eyes still open as she tried to shake off the initial feeling of dread that had woke her up. She began counting the knocks as they came, every few seconds, finally smiling as she felt the sleep returning.
She was immediately brought back when a soft rattling broke through the monotonous knocking of her window. Jamie opened one eye and stared at the window latch, convinced that it was also the cause of the new sounds. However, the rattling was coming from a different area in the room, and when Jamie turned her head in its direction, she stared dumbfounded at the knob of her closet door.
It was turning, slowly, back and forth, as if someone were letting her know that they were coming. Jamie felt her heartbeat quicken, and she held her breath as the turning stopped, then continued in one single direction tentatively.
The closet door clicked open, slightly ajar, and through the gap, a hand materialized slowly from within. Long, slender fingers curled and grasped onto the wooden door, pushing it open inch by inch as the room suddenly filled with the gagging smell of rot.
Jamie wanted to scream, but her breath had caught like a lump in her throat. All she could do was stare in horror at the opening door, waiting for what was attached to the grotesque hand to come out from the darkness beyond.
Then it stopped.
Jamie felt a shiver race down her spine, a sudden cold that cut straight to her bones. She didn’t dare hope that this was all there was to it, fearful that even thinking it might result in a continuation of the horror. Yet, the door did not move, the hand gripping it completely still as someone, or something, breathed heavily inside.
“Carter,” a voice whispered from the darkness, like nails across a blackboard.
A soft chuckle followed, and the hand slowly disappeared, the closet door closing behind it.
***
Daniel Cole was surprised when he opened his front door and gazed upon his guests, the trained smile on his face quickly disappearing when he realized the implications of both of them visiting him together.
“We need to talk,” Deborah Adams said, not waiting for Daniel to respond as she brushed past him and led Alan Carter inside.
“It is rather late, Deborah,” Daniel said, closing the door behind him and briefly glancing upstairs to make sure his wife hadn’t woken up to the knocking. “This could probably wait until tomorrow. You can always call my secretary.”
Daniel watched in frustration as his guests ignored him and made their way into the living room. He followed them, running possible scenarios through his head. In his heart, he knew this was more than a friendly visit.
“Believe me, this is something you don’t want us talking about in your office,” Alan said, looking Daniel firmly in the eyes.
Daniel forced a weak smile as he look from one face to the other. “What is this about?”
“Jamie Drew,” Deborah said, and Daniel could almost feel his skin crawl at the mention of the name.
They knew.
“Never heard the name before,” Daniel said, shaking his head in mock confusion.
“Stop playing dumb with us,” Deborah spat. “We know you had Michael fire her father, and we know that you planned a nice little going away party for the whole family.”
“I really do –” Daniel started.
“Copper Tibet,” Alan said, cutting him off, the name suddenly hanging in the air like a bad omen.
Daniel felt his heart jump up into his throat as he stared at Alan, noticing the determination in the man’s eyes. Daniel hesitated, unsure as to how to respond to this, and that was all Alan Carter needed as confirmation.
“Where’s Copper Tibet?” Alan asked, his voice taking on a much more aggressive tone.
“Your father told you, didn’t he?” Daniel mused. “That old fool faltered.”
Deborah frowned in confusion as she watched both men stare each other down. “Alan, what’s he talking about?”
Daniel turned to her and smiled. “I’m surprised Rachel hasn’t shared the truth with you, dear, although I cannot say I am very surprised.”
“Shared what?” Deborah asked, shaking in anger at the mention of her mother’s name. Until now she had hoped her mother had not been involved in the disappearances, but it was apparent she didn’t know her mother as well as she had thought she had.
Daniel chuckled and turned his attention back to Alan, ignoring Deborah’s question completely. “You’re a fool if you think this can be stopped, Carter,” Daniel said. “Your father made that mistake, and look what happened to him. To your family. To Kathri –”
Alan rushed forward, grabbing Daniel firmly by the collar, their faces inches from each other. “Don’t you dare speak her name,” Alan hissed. “My sister’s dead because of you, and I’m going to see you burn for this.”
“The way your ancestors made sure Copper burned for his crimes?” Daniel asked, inexplicably calm despite the situation.
Alan tightened his hold. “Where is Copper Tibet?”
Daniel chuckled softly and closed his eyes. “It’s done, Alan,” he whispered. “It’s already begun. You’re too late.”
Alan’s eyes widened as he realized what that meant. He let go of Daniel, firmly shoving the older man away and turned to Deborah. “Do you know where Jamie lives?”
Deborah nodded, still frowning as she wrestled to understand what had be
en going on.
“We need to go,” Alan reached for her hand.
“What about Cole?” Deborah asked, unmoving.
“Now, Debbie!” Alan yelled. “We don’t have a lot of time!”
Deborah nodded, and as Alan turned to leave, a hand shot out from under the couch beside him. Deborah screamed from behind him as the firm grasp around his ankle dug in deep and pulled, sending Alan straight to the ground. He felt his head slam against the hardwood floor and the world spin out of control.
“Carter,” a voice hissed from behind him, raspy and cold.
Alan’s mind suddenly shot back to the day he had watched his sister get taken away, how he had tried to pull her back, how she had screamed for help that had never come. He looked back at the hand latched onto his ankle, the same hand that had grabbed her and had scarred him. He pulled his leg, but the grip was firm, and the harder he tried, the deeper the nails sunk into his skin.
Deborah jumped forward, but was pushed quickly aside as Daniel Cole slammed into her. “Stay back!” he snapped.
Alan waited for the pull. He waited for the hand the dig deeper into him and drag him away, the way it had his sister, and he fought vigorously to break its hold. It was useless, though, and as he looked back, he realized that he couldn’t see past the bottom of the couch. It was as if somehow the darkness beneath it had materialized out of thin air and was blocking out the light.
“Carter,” the raspy voice came again, and Alan felt his entire body freeze as red eyes stared out at him from the nothingness. It was Copper, his face hidden in the darkness, but for his eyes. Oh God, those eyes!
Alan could almost feel the reds burning into his, the colors flickering as if tiny flames threatening to engulf his very soul. He quickly lost the will to fight, and as he stared at Copper Tibet’s eyes, as he felt the darkness reach out for him, his body seemed to go completely numb.
