After what felt like a lifetime, one of the figures stepped forward and pulled back the hood of her robe. The woman’s features were striking, with deep, piercing eyes and a noble chin. She raised her hands and made some gesture, which sent fresh terror through the small Indian girl. It was obscene and gruesome, but if one were to ask the small girl why, she wouldn’t have been able to put into words how the gesture could fill her with such dread.
“Tonight, we gather,” the woman said, over the monotone drone of her coven. “To beseech the Old One to return and free mankind of its cancer and wanton ways. Tonight begins the journey to our rightful place at his left hand. TONIGHT. WE. WILL. BECOME. GODS.”
The girl saw the knife too late, as it came plunging down out of the darkness.
Chapter Five
Twelve Months Ago
Washington, D.C.
Thaddeus sighed as the answering machine came on. “Casey, I know you’re there. Please pick up.”
“Lemme guess. You’re working late again.” His daughter’s tone held an obvious taunt.
“Look—” Thaddeus bit back the retort on the tip of his tongue with great effort. “I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped.”
“So I guess we won’t be seeing Mom today. Bet that makes you happy. Another day you don’t have to see her and deal with what you’ve done. I’ll be fine.”
Click.
A blaring dial tone assaulted his ear, and he yanked the phone away. He sighed, thought about calling back, but knew she wouldn’t answer if he tried.
Thaddeus leaned back in his chair and looked over the mountain of paperwork on his desk—months and months of investigation notes he still had to go over. He’d be there for hours. Sighing, he stood, shrugged into his rumpled jacket, and walked out of the office. As he left, he glanced at the rest of his team, hard at work—all had families.
He’d kept Tracy’s condition as quiet as he could. Still, due to his sensitive position, he’d had to inform his bosses about it, but they’d been understanding so far. He wondered if they’d dug into Tracy’s records yet, as he had. Eventually, they would, if he allowed his personal trials to affect his work life. Keeping the two separate was becoming quite difficult.
“What up, boss?” Bill Cavalari asked as he noticed Thaddeus.
“Can you guys handle things for a bit?”
“Sure.”
“Good. I have to go see my wife and daughter.”
The other agents nodded, but no one said anything. They all needed to get away from the office sometime. They’d been trained to read people, and they’d read Thaddeus. The unspoken elephant in the room wasn’t entirely in his head.
An hour later, he pulled into the driveway. He’d rehearsed his speech to Casey all the way home, but now that he was there, all of it sounded trite and useless. Sighing, he got out of the car and trudged up the walkway to the house.
“Casey? I’m home,” he called as he entered. “You’re right. Your mom is more important than work. I’m sorry.”
When he received no response, he made his way to Casey’s room. The door was closed, and he could hear music blaring inside. After knocking gently, he waited. No response. Upon trying the door, he found it locked.
“Casey? Open up.”
The music’s volume lowered and the door opened a crack. He saw she’d been crying, and it broke his heart. In vain, she tried to hide the tears.
“Let’s go see your mom. Get ready.”
Casey flashed a small smile, but she was still mad at him, he could tell. She wouldn’t give that easily. “Why? You don’t want to see her.”
Thaddeus sighed and held his tongue. “I do want to see her. I miss her as badly as you do, baby. I know you know that. Truce?”
She considered his offer and nodded. “I’ll be ready in five.”
Returning to the kitchen, he grabbed a beer from the fridge. They hadn’t been to see Tracy in weeks, due to his being so busy with work, and he was nervous about seeing his wife. Would it be a good visit, or another bad one? Would Tracy be lucid like her old self, or would she be raving about demons, monsters, and the end of the world again? She’d become convinced, in the last few months, that a cult was after Casey, wanting their daughter for some diabolical purpose. Dr. Klein had warned Thaddeus that the religious delusions were a possible outcome of the dementia, but neither of them anticipated they’d be so severe.
Casey appeared, as promised, five minutes later. The drive to the hospital was quiet, but Thaddeus let it be, as it wasn’t a completely uncomfortable silence. He was lost in his own thoughts, and he wondered what Casey was thinking about.
They parked and made their way to the entrance. The smells assaulted him, reminding him why he hated hospitals once more. Casey slipped her hand in his and squeezed. He was surprised at the gesture, but he didn’t question it.
“You’re always so tense,” she said. “Why do you hate hospitals so much?”
She could be so perceptive. Thaddeus smiled and shrugged. “I guess hospitals remind me of how weak I really am.” He was surprised at the honesty of his admission.
“Wow, that’s deep,” Casey teased good-naturedly.
“Your dad still has some surprises left.” He grinned
They both fell silent as they approached the nurse’s station. From beyond the secure doors, the screams and shouts of patients drifted out.
The nurse checked them in and led them to a visitation room, then left without a word. Thaddeus waited nervously for the orderlies to retrieve Tracy.
Casey sat on the couch and played with her hair. It was her nervous twitch, Thaddeus knew. He wondered what his was, and grimaced as he found himself pacing like a caged animal.
The door opened, and the orderlies ushered Tracy in. She looked from him to Casey, but showed no recognition.
Casey rushed from the couch and hugged her mom. “Mom! I’m so happy to see you!”
Tracy did not return the embrace. She merely stared at Thaddeus. “They’re coming. They’re close now. Soon, the Old One will rise and take our daughter.”
Casey pulled away from her mother and smiled through her tears. “It’s OK, Mommy,” she soothed. “I’m safe. Dad won’t let anything happen to me.”
It broke Thaddeus’s heart to see his daughter struggle to be so strong for Tracy. He approached with a hesitant step. Tracy smiled and glanced down at their daughter. “Casey! I’m so happy to see you!”
Her demeanor changed, and the “other” Tracy vanished. Thaddeus unleashed a sigh of relief as his wife hugged Casey close.
The orderlies shrugged and left the room.
The rest of the visit went well. Tracy showed no signs of retreating to her delusions. They caught up. Thaddeus told Tracy about his job, and Casey talked about school and boys.
Thaddeus was taken aback at the mention of boys. He hadn’t known Casey was seeing anyone, and he felt a rush of protectiveness. When had she started seeing this boy? While he was at work? He made a mental note to discuss this with her on the drive home.
“Casey? Why don’t you go get us some sodas?” Thaddeus wasn’t thirsty, but he wanted some private time with Tracy out of Casey’s earshot.
She gladly agreed and left the room. As soon as the door shut, he leaned forward and grabbed his wife’s hands in his own. “Tracy.” A sob threatened to escape, but he shoved it down. “I miss you so much, baby.”
“I miss you too, honey.” She smiled and patted his hand. “They treat me well in here. I’m happy.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I am getting better, you know.”
“I’m glad. I’m glad, baby. I can’t wait to take you…”
Tracy leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his. “Listen to me,” she hissed. “They’re talking to me in my dreams. They want Casey. They want her badly. You have to protect her. They’ll be coming for her soon. You can’t trust anyone. That boy is trouble…”
Thaddeus looked into her eyes and sensed she
was still coherent. “Please, Tracy, enough.”
“You have to listen to me. There isn’t much time left. They’re already making preparations in the sacred place. The plan is already in motion at the highest levels of government. Soon, you will be tested.”
“Please stop.” Thaddeus sighed.
“The shadows are coming.”
Tracy pulled back as Casey returned. The look of fear on her face vanished, as if it had never been there. Thaddeus remained quiet for the rest of the visit as Tracy and Casey caught up, giggling like two school girls. He was glad he’d come for Casey’s sake, but for his own, it was torture to see his wife in this condition. Her warnings ate at his very being and unsettled him. Sure, they were delusions, but it still scared him thinking about Casey being in any type of danger. He’d lost Tracy, but he wasn’t going to lose Casey, no matter what he had to do to protect her.
Chapter Six
Twelve Months Ago-
Rugby Rock, North Dakota
The woman pulled the robe over her head and carefully folded the sacred garment, ensuring the bloodied fabric didn’t touch the ground. She placed it in a plastic-lined briefcase and snapped the lid closed. Across the way, the others did the same. The sound of trunks and doors closing echoed across the deserted prairie. Soon, they would all be back in their respective positions of power across America and the rest of the world, awaiting the rise of the Old Ones.
She shivered with excitement as she contemplated the decades, perhaps centuries, of work culminated on this night.
She checked the luminous dial on her watch. She would be expected back in Washington by morning. Her protective detail was under the assumption she was still there, and she didn’t want to give them any reason not to think just that. She flipped open an encrypted SAT phone. “Have the jet powered up, I’ll be there shortly.”
Their next target was important. There could be no mistakes, no failures. They were so close. Soon, the cult would have all the pieces in place, decades of planning all coming to fruition. Pushing the excitement down, she concentrated on the next stage of the plan. The mother was taken care of, locked away in a facility, considered crazy. Tracy had almost become a problem, but Tracy had made her deal long before. Her marriage to Thaddeus Archer was no mistake. She’d been groomed to be his bride, long before they’d ever met. The child was the final step.
Now, Archer was lead agent for the president—his rise to such a position orchestrated by those in the cult who were in places of great power. The machinations of the cult were all set in motion.
With one last look at the blood-spattered stone altar, she got into the SUV and waited for what was to come.
Chapter Seven
Twelve Months Ago
Washington, D.C.
Casey planted a kiss on her father’s cheek. He was working night detail for a benefit the president was attending. She could barely contain her excitement at the night to come. Her dad broached the subject of Steve on their ride home from the hospital the previous day. She’d been vague, but her explanations seemed to satisfy his concerns. No, Steve had never been in the house when Thaddeus was at work. A small white lie. He’d come over a few times, but Casey and he sat in his car in the driveway. She didn’t trust herself to be alone with him in the house. At least, not yet.
Casey definitely had feelings for Steve, but she wanted to take it slow. He made her feel all fluttery inside—this she didn’t tell her dad either. They were friends, met at school. She was interested in him, but hadn’t said anything to Thaddeus until she was sure of where the relationship might be headed. He pressed her for more details, and the details she gave him were mostly the truth.
She’d been so excited to see her mother, the subject of Steve had just slipped out. As soon as it did, Casey had seen her father stiffen, and she realized her mistake. Casey felt comfortable she’d assured him enough on the drive home.
She considered calling her mother, but realized she probably wouldn’t be in any shape to talk. She didn’t mean to lash out at her father. After all, it wasn’t his fault, and she didn’t even know why she had gotten angry with him. Her mother had become a danger to herself at home, and the hospital was a safe place for her. Plus, Mom seemed to be getting better.
Still, her father had taken her mother away against her will. The night he’d admitted her was terrible. Her mother had clawed at the doorjamb as the cops dragged her away, while she’d screamed obscenities at both Casey and Thaddeus. Things she didn’t mean, couldn’t mean. There wasn’t a vicious bone in her mother’s body, but that night had rocked Casey to the core. She’d never seen her mother in such a state, and the look of helplessness on her father’s face was even worse. He’d always been her rock, her constant. Dad could take care of anything, no matter what it was. But that night, she’d seen him broken, unsure, deconstructed.
A knock came at the door. She got up from the couch and made her way through the debris left from her night alone: an empty pizza box, a half-full bowl of cold popcorn, and empty soda cans.
“Yeah?” she called through the door.
“It’s your knight in shinning armor,” came the playful reply.
Casey smiled and flung the door open. The happy look on her face stayed in place even as she focused on the masked man standing in her doorway.
“Steve?” she managed, before the intruder forced his way in and clubbed her in the face with a massive, gloved fist.
The man knelt down beside her unconscious form, checking to ensure she was merely knocked out. He gained his feet and called back into the night: “She’s taken care of. I want my money now.”
A flash of light exploded in front of the darkened doorway, and Steve collapsed to the ground, with a neat, smoking hole in the middle of the black ski mask.
Chapter Eight
Twelve Months Ago
Washington, D.C.
It took a special type of individual to be a cop, and an even more specialized person to protect the Leader of the Free World. Thaddeus pulled into his driveway that early Friday morning, and as soon as he turned the car off, his instincts began blaring.
Every light in his house was aglow—the first indication something was amiss. Thaddeus drew his service weapon before he exited the car. He checked the perimeter out of habit, but noticed nothing odd. Had his wife checked herself out of the facility? No, he’d made sure that wouldn’t happen again.
He’d rather face a cadre of armed terrorists than Tracy. He paused as he noticed the front door wide open. The light from inside flooded out onto the walkway, and he spotted the legs just inside.
Quickly, he circumvented the side of the house and made his way to the back door. He hated entering the house with all the lights glowing, but he had no choice. Entering low, he swept the kitchen, but found no intruders. He cleared the rest of the house and upstairs, before he forced himself to check the foyer, where he’d spied the pair of legs.
Blood had pooled and dried on the tile. Archer had seen plenty of blood over the years, and from the texture, he realized the scene was a few hours old. He pulled his cell from his belt and pressed speed dial #1.
“Archer here. Code 7310. I’ve got an issue,” he said calmly, though he felt anything but.
Where was Casey?
The neighborhood was crawling with Secret Service, FBI, and locals within minutes.
Chapter Nine
Twelve Months Ago
Washington, D.C.
Thaddeus watched the CSI unit as they dusted the door for prints. He felt helpless. He’d tried calling Casey’s cell for hours, but it had kept going to voice mail, which meant the phone was switched off. No luck trying to GPS it then, either.
He turned from the house and saw Cavalari approaching. The last man he wanted to deal with at the moment.
“We’re doing everything we can, boss. Think Tracy had anything to do with this?”
“NO!”
“Easy, calm down. We’re just covering all the bases.”
/> “I know you are.” Thaddeus sighed. “I’m just on edge because I want to find out what happened to Casey. Anything on the dead guy at my front door?”
“We ran prints. No record, but we got a hit with DMV.” Cavalari paused to check his notebook. “His name is Steve Booth…”
“Steve?”
“Yeah? You know the kid?”
“No, but Casey mentioned him. Never met him.”
Cavalari smirked at that. “Kids these days. Who really knows what they’re up to unless you ankle bracelet them, right? Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way…”
“Focus,” Thaddeus ordered. “I’m still your boss. You don’t have my job yet, Cavalari.”
“Right, right. I’m sorry, Thad.”
“Does he know yet?”
“Of course he does. You’re his lead agent. RAVEN was notified as soon as you let us know.” Agent Bill Cavalari smirked again.
Thaddeus resisted the urge to throttle the man. He stalked over to a uniform who nervously eyed the massive blood pool and snatched a smoke from the guy’s hand, taking a long drag while he studied the ceiling.
“For the time being,” Cavalari continued, “I’ll be taking lead until this whole thing is cleared up.”
Archer glanced at the man, a healthy dose of ‘shutthehellup’ in the stare. He wanted to do something, anything, but protocol dictated he not be a part of the investigation, as he was so intimately involved. Roadblocks were at every key location across the state, and having worked closely with the Staties and Highway Patrol, Archer knew they were doing their jobs. They couldn’t do anymore than he could’ve, had he been out there with them.
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