“Thank you; I could use a shower and a short nap, after all. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
The room was pleasant with the earth-tone colors and simple furniture. Mac had decided to take Tom up on the offer to put her clothes in the dresser, so she walked over to her suitcase and began putting her clothes away. After she had emptied her suitcase, she walked to the bathroom and got in the shower.
As she stood under the showerhead, allowing the warm water to flow over her head and down her body, she thought back to the telephone call from Erebus. What is he up too now?
She knew this time he would step things up, so she wondered if she would not only be able to save John, but also herself.
“Damn, I’m so tired,” she moaned, as she stepped out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror above the sink.
Who had the green eyes, Erebus? Was it a lover? Maybe it was your mother or a sister. What drives you to play your games? Could it be that your mommy and daddy were mean to you or are you just merely a bad seed?
She knew she would probably never know the truth about him, but she had to hold on to the hope that he would make a mistake. She also knew it was up to her to stop him from destroying any more lives in his games.
Once she finished in the bathroom, she got into the bed and pulled the blanket over her. She found the bed to be quite comfortable, and before she knew it; she was fast asleep.
***
The dark, foreboding fog rolled toward Mac, but when she tried to escape, she found her hands and legs tightly bound. She attempted to scream as the fog devoured her, but nothing came from her mouth. As she strained to see through the fog, it wrapped firmly around her, tightening its grip, nearly choking her until she heard a familiar voice.
“You know that you can’t win, so why are you fighting me? I have taken John, and you will be next. Lucinda, don’t fight me, it’s your destiny to join me.” She found the voice to be soothing, yet with a frightening undertone.
“No, I will never stop fighting, and I’ll never join you!” Mac cried out with the sound of her cell phone awakening her from the nightmare.
“Hello,” she found herself breathless, barely able to speak.
“I’m sorry, did I awaken you?” his voice was light and playful, but Mac was in no mood to talk to him now. “I understand you took the first available flight after our last conversation. I knew you would join our game.”
“Listen, I’m here for nothing more than to stop you! I’m in no mood for your little game, so you need to get that through your damn head!” Mac hated the sound of his voice, and she knew he heard the fear in hers.
“My, my, are we in a bad mood today? I must admit that I’ve missed our little conversations. I’ve always loved your fighting spirit,” Erebus laughed, knowing full well, the effect his words had on her.
“Bad mood, you have no idea what’s going on in my head. You’ve been a thorn in my side since the first time we spoke. I don’t find you amusing, or charming, so why don’t you just let John go free! If you want to play then, we’ll go head to head; no one else, only you and me, alright?”
She knew her words would never convince him to release John, but she wanted him to believe she was not afraid of him.
“Oh Lucinda, I do love your spirit, but you see, I can’t grant your request because I’m not quite finished with our mutual friend, John. I do have to admit that I’m beginning to get worried, though. I must have given him a touch too much of my little drug cocktail because he’s still not fully conscious. I do hope I haven’t harmed him: yet.”
Panic filled Mac. She knew it had been nearly twenty-four hours since Erebus took John, so if he was still under the influence of the drugs; it was not good.
“What’s wrong, are you getting sloppy?” She prayed this would throw him off guard.
Erebus laughed, “You truly are a delight. Even in the face of his potential death, you can still throw a wild punch. Maybe I did give him a bit more than he needed, but I didn’t want him to awaken and disrupt my plans for the two of you.”
“Well, I hope you’re ready because I’m not stopping until I destroy you!” Mac could no longer hold back the rage surging through her. She wanted him dead, and she wanted to be the one to do it.
“Good, now you’re ready to continue our game. I need to go and check on John because I believe I hear him.” The telephone call ended before Mac could respond.
“Damn it, I hate when he does that!” She growled, tossing her cell phone down on the bed.
“Well, so much for a nap.” She got out of the bed and grabbed her clothes. “My God, he makes me angry!”
***
“That was a fast nap.” Tom met her at the bottom of the stairs with a hot cup of coffee in his hand. “Would you like to join me for some coffee, and talk more about what we need to do?”
“I would love a cup of coffee, thank you.”
“Great, why don’t you go on into my office and I’ll get you a cup, and then join you there. How do you take your coffee, black?”
“Black is perfect, thank you,” she turned and walked to his office without saying another word.
***
When Tom returned to his office, he found Mac sitting in the same chair by the fireplace. He walked up to her and handed her the cup of coffee, and then sat in the chair across from her. “You look upset, has something else happened?”
“He called me again.” She hated to see the look of fear that came across Tom’s face, but he needed to know everything if he was to help her stop Erebus.
“What, he called you here?” Tom felt the anger well up inside of him again. “Does he know you are not in Houston?”
Tom hated the idea that Erebus knew she was in Philadelphia because it removed the element of surprise he had hoped they would have.
“Yes, he knows. Tom, I’m worried about John. Erebus told me how John was not fully conscious yet, and then he laughed saying that he may have misjudged the drugs he gave him.”
Mac felt helpless, and she did not enjoy that feeling at all. How many times had she dreamt of taking her Glock, placing it between Erebus’ eyes, and then blowing his brains all over the room with its powerful .45 slug? She knew it was wrong to think that way, but she could not help herself. He did not deserve a trial; he deserved the same treatment he had given all the innocent pawns in his games.
“Damn, that’s not good at all. John is still alive, right?” Tom held his breath and waited for the answer.
“Yes, at least for now. Erebus said he had plans for the two of us, so I’m sure he will make sure John stays alive long enough to finish his game.” Mac took a sip of the hot coffee, “This coffee is delicious.”
“Thank you. Marge makes the best coffee I’ve ever tasted. I’m not quite sure what her secret is because she doesn’t allow me in the kitchen too often,” he laughed, then took a sip of his own.
“Well, she would be smart to keep me out of the kitchen because I’m a horrible cook,” Mac laughed when she saw the surprised look on Tom’s face.
“Huh, I thought all you southern women knew how to cook, or are you too busy chasing the bad guys?”
Mac looked at Tom, and she could see why John liked him so much. “I never have been the domestic type. If it weren’t for take-out, I’d starve,” she grinned.
“Well, if you stay around here long enough, Marge will have you spoiled. She’s so excited to have you here. She’s been in the kitchen since breakfast, baking and cooking all sorts of goodies. You can stay as long as you want because I don’t get this kind of special treatment too often.” Tom loved his wife’s cooking, but as he had gotten older, she decided it was best if he cut down on the sweets and heavy meals.
“I’ve noticed a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen,” Mac smiled and then licked her lips before she took another sip of coffee.
“She’s making a pot roast for dinner, and I think I saw a pie cooling on the counter,” Tom grinned while patting his stomach.<
br />
“Oh, that sounds delicious. I love pot roast and pie. Damn, if I stay here too long, I’ll have to go on a diet,” they both nodded in agreement.
“Mac, I’m glad you came because I know I could never handle this alone.”
Mac looked at him and did her best to be strong. “I had to come, Tom. John needs both of us, and together we’ll finally stop Erebus.”
Chapter 4
“I was wondering when you’d wake up,” Erebus teased John, who found himself tied to a chair sitting in the middle of a large room.
John’s mind was foggy. He tried to focus his eyes, but everything around him was a blur.
“Who are you?” He squinted, trying to make out the face in front of him.
“Oh John, I’m disappointed that you don’t recognize my voice. We’ve spoken numerous times in the past, so I was sure you would remember me,” Erebus teased.
John shook his head, attempting to clear his mind. He thought he recognized the voice, but how could it be him?
“Erebus, is that you?” However, no sooner had he asked the question than he knew the truth.
“Yes, and I must admit that it’s nice to meet you face-to-face. I’m sorry for the need to keep you tied to that chair, but I can’t have my plans for you and Lucinda disrupted,” Erebus paused a moment, waiting for John’s response.
“Lucinda, do you mean Detective Mackey?” John felt his heart sink at the thought that Erebus had plans to go after Mac again.
“Why do you want to involve her in our game? She has nothing to do with us.”
Erebus smiled, “Ah, but you’re wrong. You see, when she came to the mental hospital to speak with you, it altered our game. Lucinda was the first Tracker to prove I was real, and not merely a part of their delusional mind. So you see, when she met with you, I was forced to change my moves, and that never sits well with me.”
John was relieved his vision was finally beginning to clear, but mostly, he was pleased to be finally able to look into the face of the man who had destroyed his life.
“So, the all powerful Erebus was thrown off his game? I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. It must bother you to have her spoil your little game,” John grinned, when he saw the look on Erebus’ face transform into one of anger.
Erebus knew John was correct; it did bother him that she had not surrendered to her fate, as all the others before her had. He had never known anyone to have the strength to stand up to him once he had chosen them for destruction; not even his own family.
“Yes, I must admit she did surprise me, Lucinda is quite a remarkable woman.”
“So tell me, do you plan to kill me?” John stared at Erebus; never once blinking.
Erebus looked John directly in the eyes, returning the challenge. “Yes I do, but not before I have some fun with your friend, Captain Thomas Riggs. I do have to admit how impressed I am with the way he stood by your side, even when you were locked up in that mental institution for murdering your beautiful wife.”
“You leave Tom out of this; he has nothing to do with our damn game!” John growled, in a deep and threatening tone.
“Not true, he already is part of our game because he placed himself right in the middle of it. You see, Lucinda is staying at his house while they’re looking for you. I knew she would come as soon as she learned of your abduction.” Erebus watched the look on Johns face change from anger to concern.
“You keep referring to this as our game, but it’s not, is it?” John was not sure what Erebus had planned for Mac and Tom, but he felt it was not going to end well for them either.
“True, I do have to admit that I was disappointed when you didn’t make your final move that night, but it has worked out to my advantage.” Erebus smiled, as he contemplated the coming events.
“How’s that?” John held his breath, dreading the answer.
“When Lucinda changed our game and forced us into a stalemate that was something I could never accept. At first, I was at a loss for what to do, but when I received the news of your pending transfer, I knew my fortune had changed,” Erebus chuckled.
It amazed him how easy it was to enter the high-security facility, abduct John, and drive away without alerting the authorities. People are such trusting fools. You only need to show them an official looking form of ID, and they will open the door wide for you.
“So you see this game is not for us as you are no longer the Tracker but are merely a simple piece in my continuing game with Lucinda.”
John felt a tightening in his chest. First, Erebus had used him, and that had led to Kathy’s death. Now, Erebus would use him to destroy Mac.
“Why do you need to hurt her? What does it matter if she found out about you? You’ve won, so just kill me, and end it here.” John knew his words were useless, but he had to try.
“John, you know better than that besides, what is the rush to die? You had your chance to choose the time of your death, but you didn’t have the courage to follow through with it,” he laughed, at seeing the hate burning in John’s eyes.
“Besides, if I were to kill you now, you would miss all the fun I have planned for our two friends.”
“OUR friends? If I were you, I would hardly call them friends. I’m sure a monster like you doesn’t even understand the concept of friendship, do you? You’re simply a lonely, sick bastard who gets his rocks off by destroying people’s lives! If I didn’t hate you so much, I’d almost feel sorry for you.” John frowned, once he realized his words did not have the intended effect.
Erebus smiled at the frustrated look on John’s face. “How quaint, you’re always quite amusing, and just so you know, I’m not a bastard. I know who my father was.”
“Oh really, well do tell. What type of upbringing would create someone like you?”
John leaned back in the chair. “It looks as if I’m not going anywhere and since you plan to kill me, the least you can do is share the story of your past with me.”
Erebus had sat silent for a few long moments before he responded. “Fair enough; I would offer you a beverage, but you seem to be tied up for the moment. So, what would you like to know first?”
“Why don’t we start with your real name? I doubt your parents called you Erebus.”
Erebus smiled. He decided there would be no harm in humoring John while they waited for the next move in the game to become apparent. “You’re correct; my name is not Erebus. My parents named me Caleb.”
He watched, as a strange expression appeared on John’s face. “What are you thinking now?”
“Only that you had parents. You know, I never thought of you as being someone’s child. I always figured you escaped from the pits of hell to torture the world,” John said, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Erebus shook his head, realizing the humor of John’s statement, “Well, Erebus is from the underworld, but yes, I had two loving parents.”
“So, tell me then, what made you into the monster you are today? If mommy and daddy didn’t abuse you, where did the evil inside of you come from then? Did some big, mean kid bully you in school, or did you have siblings who tortured you? Come on, who was the cruel person that turned you into the monster you are today?” John prayed this would goad Erebus into talking more so that he might slip up and say something that could aid in his demise.
“John, you’re quite amusing. While those are the usual excuses used today for bad behavior, I hate to disappoint you. I just enjoy playing my game when I find someone who piques my interest,” Erebus smiled, seeing the surprised look appear on John’s face.
“You have already told me why you chose me, but why Mac? She doesn’t strike me as the type to let her pride get the best of her.”
John hated the idea of Mac facing Erebus again, and he wondered what he had planned for her.
“Let’s just say that I saw something special in her.”
John began to laugh, “Are you telling me you chose her because she’s beautiful? Oh, now that’s rich! So, you
are a man, after all.”
“You do think like a Neanderthal, don’t you? Of course, I’m attracted to her beauty, but there’s so much more to Lucinda than that. No, she has a fire burning inside of her that makes her the perfect Tracker. I did try to use her past against her, but she hasn’t held on to her demons the way you did,” his voice carried a hint of danger now.
While John watched Erebus speak of Mac, he could not help but think there had to be more to the reason he chose her.
“Okay, so why don’t you tell me about your parents. What kind of people were they? Since you’re going to kill me, I’d like to know all about you before I die.”
Erebus looked at John and smiled. “Well, I guess there’s nothing wrong with granting your request, but first I have something important I must do.”
Chapter 5
Mac and Tom had spent the remainder of the afternoon fine-tuning their plans to rescue John. They knew their chance of success was slim, but they held out hope.
“Come on you two, dinner is on the table,” Marge whispered, as she poked her head through the office door.
“Thank goodness, I didn’t know how much longer I could sit here with that magnificent smell in the air,” Mac grinned.
“Let’s go; after you, Detective,” Tom walked to the door and held it open for Mac.
***
“There you two are, I was wondering if you would leave your planning long enough to eat.” Marge smiled, while setting the platter with the pot roast on the table, next to the homemade bread.
Mac looked at all the food on the table and licked her lips, “Oh Marge, this looks delicious!”
“Well, you had better dig in before Tom does, or you may not get any,” Marge gave Mac a playful wink.
“That is right, Marge’s pot roast is the best around, so if you want any you had better dig in.”
Erebus Page 4
