A Way (The Voyagers Book 1)

by Tara Lutz

  “Jessie puts her phone on silent a lot.” Gerald tried to soothe, both their fears, with information he had learned about his sister during his time as Ger. He knew his input was useless. No one knew Jessie better than Dex; she would be sitting at the cottage, clutching her phone, waiting for his text. He had another suggestion.

  “What did the read receipt say?”

  Dex lifted the phone, trying to keep his eyes on what little road he could see, between the wash of the wipers and the accumulating stream of water. “It says, read.” He pointed the phone towards Gerald.

  “Well that’s good….” Gerald couldn’t finish his thought, nothing about their situation was good.

  “Dex, it’s only Rebecca. Sammy, Peter and that other guy are all at the cottage. What’s she going to do? She’s just obsessed with you, not completely insane.” He almost added – at least I don’t think she is- but left the thought unfinished.

  “You sound like Sammy.”

  “Did you show Jessie where our passage is?” Gerald asked. It was an unnecessary question. Even if Dex didn’t have time to show Jessie where their secret entrance, to the gateway, was, Sammy and Peter knew its location. They would get her there, if they encountered any danger.

  “I didn’t have time. I was going to do that as soon as I got back. We already decided to leave today.”

  Dex kicked himself, for not firming up their plans, in case something like this happened. He only found out that morning that Sammy and Peter wanted to come with them, but if they were forced to leave before he got back, they wouldn’t know which realm to choose. He knew which one Jessie would pick, but he wasn’t sure if she knew, yet.

  “Today?” Gerald was taken aback. “Is Jessie ready?”

  “We told her as much as we could last night.” Dex flashed him a sidelong glance. “I was going to wait to tell her about you, but she figured it out.”

  Gerald wanted to be the one to explain to her, what he did. “Of course she did.”

  The road to the causeway appeared through the torrential rain and Dex jerked the car, so quickly, Gerald’s head rang off the window.

  “I deserved that,” he said, rubbing his head.

  “No, you didn’t. I’m sorry,” Dex apologized. “Without you Jessie wouldn’t even be here. You’re a good friend, Gerald. You’re a good brother. Jessie is lucky to –SHIT!”

  Dex slammed the brakes, so hard, the car lurched sideways and narrowly missed sliding into the ditch.

  Gerald swiped his hand over the condensation on the glass, to see what caused Dex to stop, so abruptly. He felt the blood rush from of his face. The causeway was gone.

  CHAPTER 53

  “Seriously, Sammy, I’m not afraid of Rebecca. I’m going to go and talk to her.” Jessie stated, plainly, to her trembling sister.

  “Maybe we should wait for Dex?” Sammy suggested.

  “She hurt his dog!” Jessie was done hiding her anger. All the emotions that she buried under the surface, broke through. With purpose, she marched out of the room. She made it to the doorway, but Peter put his arm across and blocked her path.

  “Not you, too?” She rolled her eyes with disappointment. “It’s Rebecca, not the grim reaper. Let me go see what she wants.”

  “She doesn’t know we’re here. I think we should wait for Dex and Gerald.”

  “Of course she knows we’re here. The driveway is full of cars!”

  As usual, there was something they weren’t telling her.

  “What now?” Jessie asked.

  Jessie heard her phone chime, from the front room; it had to be Dex, texting her. She ducked under Peter’s arm, this time he made no effort to stop her, and ran down the hallway. Before she reached it, the phone sounded three more times, but only one message was from Dex. He sent it ten minutes ago, the same amount of time Sammy had trapped her in the other room. All it said was that he would be back soon. She typed out a message to him, but her reply bounced back with a red exclamation mark.

  Undeliverable.

  Another crack of thunder shook the house, accompanied by the continuous pounding on the main door. She checked the other two messages on her cell, both from Ger, neither of them making any sense.

  I know you’re in there.

  Answer the door, Jessie.

  Jessie felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her head and she shivered violently. These messages weren’t from Gerald, they were from whoever was outside; the same person who sent Dex on a wild goose chase into town, thinking he was on his way to help his friend.

  She had, had it, with Rebecca. Sammy, Peter and Adam watched as she threw open the door, with so much force, that the person on the other side lost her balance, mid knock, and fell across the threshold. As she fell, Jessie grabbed the front of her coat and slammed her against the opposite wall.

  Jessie recognized the face as Allison, but the eyes of Rebecca. “What are you doing here, Rebecca?”

  The girl’s lips twisted into a smile that brought with it another douse of ice water. “Hello, Jessie. Miss me?” She dug her fingernails into Jessie’s hands, forcing her to release her before they drew blood.

  Jessie saw that it wasn’t her own blood that appeared on her hands, it came off of Rebecca’s dripping coat.

  “Did you do something to Duke?” Jessie asked, incredulously.

  Rebecca seemed calm, which made Jessie even more nervous. The memories and flashbacks she had of her friend never included violence; this was something new. She should’ve listened to Sammy and waited for Dex.

  “Who?” Rebecca asked with a fake puzzlement. “Oh, you mean that mutt that almost attacked me? He just had a little run-in with the crowbar, I keep in my car.”

  Hearing his name, Duke joined the gathering in the hallway; his lips were pulled over his teeth and a snarl rolled across the back of his throat. Adam was holding him by his collar, stopping the dog, before he actually did attack the intruder.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? This can’t be just about Dex?” Jessie wondered what was in the bag Rebecca was carrying. She had never seen it before.

  “HA! Yes, Jessie, this is all about Dex. Who told you that? Your whiny sister?” Rebecca finally acknowledged the three people listening to their exchange, a few feet away. “Why don’t you enlighten her, Peter, with the real truth, about why I’m here?”

  Peter walked towards Jessie; she kept her eyes locked on Rebecca. The rain was so heavy that it sounded like someone was outside, throwing pebbles against the cottage windows.

  “She wants to destroy our passageway, the one Dex made.”

  “Bingo, Petey. You get a gold star.” Rebecca clapped her hands, mocking them.

  “You see, Jessie, sweetie, Dex and his gang of merry men here, have been using their own secret passage, to enter the gateway to find you. The voyagers don’t like that they’ve gained so much control, they see now it was a mistake, to pick the five of you, to protect it. Dex has done us a huge favour by gathering you all together at this dismal, little cottage. You’re all in one place, it will be easier to destroy it,” she winked, heavily, at Jessie, “and you.”

  “Dex is the only one who knows where it is.” Sammy had taken her place next to Peter. “And as you can see, he isn’t here.” She swept her hand around the space beside and behind her. Sammy didn’t know what Jessie did; that Rebecca lured Dex away with her texts, thinking they were from Gerald.

  “I know he’s not here, Sammy. Who do you think made sure of that? I don’t care where the passage is, but the voyagers that are on their way, do. I’m just sick of having to follow spoiled, lost, pathetic Jessie through realm, after realm, after realm. She’s the reason I’m here. While Dex is busy chasing after his damsel in distress, the voyagers, that you have been taking advantage of for years, will put an end to your unauthorized travels.” Rebecca saw Jessie look at her friends, with confusion.

  “Did they not tell you, Jess? Oh, that’s shame.”

  “What is she talking ab
out now, Sammy?” Jessie asked, grabbing her sister’s arm, turning Sammy to face her.

  “Dex may have been using the gateway more than he should. Some voyagers think that it should only be used for passage into the next life, not to travel back and forth, between them. He and Gerald have been able to hide how much they’ve used it by creating their own passageway. I guess, they want to stop that.” Sammy shrugged as if it wasn’t important. Jessie couldn’t see the big deal, either.

  “So what’s the problem, Rebecca? He’s doing something that a few don’t agree with? Get to the point,” Peter said.

  “Because of your little projects, the gateway is breaking down. Forget that the five of you are planning to reunite, to give the single souls a chance to destroy it; you’ve been doing a fine job of it yourselves, all so Dex could find Jessie. What do you see in him anyway, Jess? He’s a liar and a stalker. I would be happy to kill him, but it will be enough to watch him suffer, when he finds out what I have in store for you.”

  Jessie lunged at her and slammed her head against the wall. She was bringing her hands up, to wrap around Rebecca’s throat, when she felt a coldness against her thigh and heard a click. Identifying the sound, Peter grabbed Jessie and pushed her behind him. She looked past him and gasped. Rebecca was holding a gun, and it was pointed directly at Sammy.

  CHAPTER 54

  Dex approached what was left of the washed out causeway. He was able to make out where the car path started and pointed it out, to Gerald.

  “I think we can wad across here,” he suggested, sounding surer of the plan, than he felt.

  Water rushed across the road, at a pace that he had never seen before, and the bolts of lightning cutting across the sky, made the task even more perilous. Dex and Gerald exchanged a look; there was no question what they had to do and they started forward, into the shallow, storm water.

  The force of the undercurrent grabbed at Dex’s legs and tried to pull him into the open lake. He kept his eyes and mind focused on putting one foot in front of the other, looking back intermittently, to make sure Gerald was still upright. Raindrops assaulted his face, making it difficult to see. He blinked hard to keep them out of his eyes, and used his arms to stay balanced. Halfway across, Dex stepped forward, off an invisible cliff. Gravity pulled him into the water; the temperature of it, which he couldn’t fully feel through his jeans, took his breath away, as he was completely submerged. Water rushed into his nose and mouth as he grabbed, blindly, trying to find a way to break the surface. He felt the collar of his jacket tighten around his throat and was pulled out of the water, into a wobbly standing position, by Gerald.

  Gerald released his drenched friend, when he was sure Dex was steady. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

  “Thanks,” Dex sputtered, as he regained his balance.

  The water, pooled into the middle of the lake, turned to muddy ground as they got closer to the island. Dex felt like he was trying to run in a dream; the faster he pushed himself, the slower he went. Gerald was breathing heavily as they strained forward. They both resisted the urge to collapse onto the rocky shore.

  “It probably would’ve been easier just to swim out here,” Dex gasped, trying to regain the breath he left in the water.

  Thunder drowned out any response from Gerald. The wind picked up, and an electric snap, sent a tree toppling across their path. Any light that clung to the day, faded, the deeper they moved into the woods. The canvas the trees created above them did little to dull the sting of the driving rain and Dex had to stop every few feet to wipe the pine needles off his face. Overhead, the sky sounded like it was going to explode and take the island with it. He hoped the causeway had been washed away, before Rebecca, or anyone else, was able to cross it.

  Those hopes were dashed when they entered the clearing where the cottage sat.

  “That’s her car,” Gerald said, pointing one shaky finger in the direction of the driveway.

  Dex and Gerald approached the house, half running, half stumbling; the difficulty of their trek preventing them from reaching the door at the speed as fast as their minds wanted them to. They both froze when a sound, resembling the thunder above, but lacking the same velocity, rang out through the heavy air.

  “What the hell was that?” Gerald yelled.

  “A gunshot.” Everything around Dex turned red. He ran to the cottage, as if it exploded, into flames.

  *******

  Dex burst through the door, with Gerald right behind him, and they both surveyed the scene. Jessie, where was Jessie?

  Adam and Sammy were bent over Peter, his right hand clutching his left arm. Then he saw the blood.

  Dex fell to his knees, grabbed Sammy’s shoulders and spun her around; her cheeks were streaked with tears, a bright red streak across her forehead.

  “What happened, Sammy?” He shook her, watching her shell shocked eyes, try to clear.

  “Rebecca…she shot him.” Peter moaned on the floor. Dex leaned past her.

  “Pete, are you ok?” Dex asked his pale faced brother and was relieved to see him nod. From this position, he could see that the bullet only grazed Peter’s arm, a little deeper than a scratch; he would be fine.

  Dex stood and pleaded with Sammy to pay attention.

  “He’s fine. Where’s Jessie?” Dex had released her, but grabbed her shoulders again when she started to turn back to Peter. “Sammy, where’s Jessie? Is she with Rebecca?”

  The urgency in his voice pulled her attention to him and the words rushed out of her mouth, like the current that sucked him into the lake.

  “Rebecca took her out the back. She’s taking her to the gateway. Peter tried to stop her and she shot him.”

  Dex was running down the hall to the back door, Duke was barking, Gerald was yelling at him to wait, and Sammy was screaming. He didn’t hear anything except his own heart and his thoughts: it’s happening again, it’s happening again. Sammy’s words made him stop, she caught up to him in the kitchen and was following him out the door.

  “There are other’s coming, Dex. She said they’re going to destroy your passageway.”

  He spun around. “Stay here, Sammy. You know where our gateway is. In case we don’t get back, you need to leave with Peter and Adam.”

  He hadn’t asked Gerald to come with him to find Jessie, he already knew he wouldn’t be able to convince him to stay behind. He moved to leave again, but Sammy grabbed his arm. Her grip made him wince.

  “What?” He jerked his arm away. “We’re wasting time, Sammy. Let me go.”

  “She knows, Dex. Rebecca knows about the other path, the one you and Jessie were going to take today.”

  His limbs went numb. “That’s impossible. No other voyagers know about that path, except for you, me and…” His voice trailed off and he looked towards the hallway, to where Adam was helping Peter to his feet. “God dammit,” he whispered.

  “What do you want me to do?” Sammy asked, nervously.

  “Just make sure you get to the passageway: all three of you. I’ll deal with him, here, or in the next realm. We need to go. Gerald?” He nodded to his friend.

  Sammy watched Gerald and Dex dart into the woods towards the hidden gateway. The five were together; it had already started to reveal itself. She knew they didn’t have much time.

  CHAPTER 55

  “Dex didn’t tell you about his little plan, did he?” Rebecca was digging the muzzle of the gun into Jessie’s back, pushing her through the storm and the woods, towards the gateway.

  Jessie knew that Dex and Gerald were on the island, even though she hadn’t seen them yet. The hum in her ears started when she and her captor left the house. The sound could only mean one thing; the gateway was revealing itself. The high pitched sound gave her a sense of comfort. She believed the story he told her was true, now she had proof. Dex told her that some voyagers could hear the gateway; she was one of them.

  “Why don’t you tell me, Rebecca? I know you’re dying to,” Jessie prodded. Despite the
situation she was in, she wasn’t afraid. Dex would find her. He always did.

  “Your Prince Charming discovered a different pathway that leads out the other side of the gateway; one he made sure, no one knew about, except for your little party of five. He wants to hide all of you from the voyagers and have ultimate control over our gateway. The problem is, he allowed his inner circle to expand by one, forgetting that voyagers have spies everywhere.” Rebecca’s tone was light. Jessie remembered the good times they had spent together, it made her physically ill.

  “Get to the point,” Jessie snapped. She was expecting Rebecca to stumble over one of the many roots that intersected the path. Jessie knew herself to be clumsy, but she had walked this path in her dreams, the surroundings weren’t as familiar to Rebecca. Their tree was ahead, and just past it, the rock, protecting the gateway. She was running out of time.

  “So, what’s the plan? You get me into the gateway, and then what? Haven’t you learned, by now, that Dex always finds me?” Jessie tried to match Rebecca’s relaxed manner, but knew it wasn’t very convincing. Even to her ears, her voice sounded heavy and scared. She had to keep Rebecca engaged until Dex reached them.

  “Not this time. The voyagers are sick of the five of you. I’m taking you through, and as soon as we’re safely on the other side, the gateway will be hidden from all of you, forever. You will be there, Dex will be here, with no one to blame, but himself.” She laughed, waved Jessie towards the rock, and then seemed to remember something.

  Rebecca raised the gun and pointed it at Jessie’s head. She squeezed the trigger and, at the last second, rotated her feet and shot. The bullet pierced the bark to the left of Jessie, shattering the markings that had been etched into it.

  Jessie could feel the bullet strike her heart the same time it hit the tree. The phantom pain knocked her to her knees.

  “That felt good. Now, GET UP!” Rebecca laughed and aimed the gun back at Jessie. “Remember all the times you talked to me about your pathetic life? You don’t know how hard it was for me, to smile and comfort you. I would gladly put you out of your misery, but it will be more entertaining for me to let you continue living in it.”