Dead Asleep (25 page)

Chapter 44

O
nce in the trees, the wind lessened but the darkness was worse, if that was possible. Emma turned on the lights and swerved to avoid a flailing tree branch that had cracked but not broken off. It swung back and forth in disjointed arcs. Some of the trees made creaking noises as the wind hit them. At one point the trunks were spaced so closely that the Jeep couldn't squeeze through.

“Tuck the sideview mirrors in,” she said. Sumner, still facing toward the back of the car, turned and opened the window on the passenger side. He flipped the mirror in while Emma did the same with hers.

“Does that buy you enough space?” he asked.

“We'll see,” she replied. She inched forward. The car fit but the trees moved and scraped along the driver's side. The wheels slipped and the car shifted, causing the back of the car to hit one of the trees. Emma grimaced at the scraping sound but kept the car moving. After a few seconds they were past the narrowest portion of the opening and she could breathe easier again.

“They're on to us,” Sumner said. “I see headlights coming our way. Bet that the voodoo woman told them our direction.”

“I hate that woman,” Emma said.

“She's got a screw loose, that's for sure.”

Emma turned onto the dirt road and depressed the gas pedal. The car moved out, flinging dirt and mud in all directions. She flipped on the fog lights, deciding that visibility was no longer an issue. The woman, she thought, must have told Joseph their direction.

After a few minutes on the access road she reached the asphalt. She had an overwhelming urge to hammer the pedal down in order to make the best time possible but fought the impulse. Water rushed across the road, and the combination of the wet and grease would mean she'd be hydroplaning in an instant.

“You'd better turn around and buckle up,” she said to Sumner. “We'll hit Deadman's Curve in a couple of minutes. I'm going to take it as fast as I can.” Sumner reversed and sat down, snapping the belt into position.

“Wish we had a better car,” he said.

“I know. This thing is top heavy. Carrow has an Aston Martin that turns on a dime. I would love to be driving that one right now.” A branch cracked and fell onto the right side of the road and Emma swerved to avoid it.

“But the Aston wouldn't have the clearance you need to avoid the debris,” Sumner said, “so that might not be the right one either.” He lowered his window and rain sleeted into the car. “The rain is falling almost sideways.” He returned the mirror to its normal position and closed the window. Emma did the same with hers and wiped her face once the window was shut.

“How good a shooter is this guy?” Sumner asked.

Emma slowed for another turn. “Kemmer seemed to think he was a pro. I can't tell. He fired and missed, but both boats were bucking up and down so much that it was nearly impossible to get a decent shot off.”

Sumner had his phone in his hand, and the small screen lit up the car's interior.

“I'm calling Stromeyer,” he said. “I hate to expose them to whatever virus is spreading on this island, but we need both her and Banner. They should be able to get clearance to land despite the quarantine.”

“Isn't it dangerous for them to fly through the storm?” Emma downshifted into second on the curve.

“It's risky, but I think Banner can do it. He's a competent pilot. Of course, if the wind gets any worse then the only guys who will be flying are the hurricane hunters. Ah, no. I can't get a connection.”

“You can use the one at Carrow's villa.”

“If we get there,” he said.

Emma turned onto a fairly long straightaway and shifted back up into third. She glanced into the rearview mirror. The road had curved once before straightening and she couldn't see more than fifty meters behind her. No car appeared, but she could make out a glow that lit the area.

“Think that's their headlights?” she said. Sumner checked the sideview mirror.

“I do. What car did Carrow drive?”

“His own Jeep. Just like this one.”

“So we won't be outclassed by their vehicle.”

Emma caught a glimpse of headlights as the car behind them appeared on the short stretch of road that was visible before it was once again blocked by the mountain. She returned her attention to driving, because they were hitting the first part of Deadman's Curve.

“The car that's behind us isn't a Jeep,” Sumner said. “It looks like a standard four-door.”

“Then it will take the turns better, especially in this wind. It'll be less top heavy,” Emma said.

She eased off the gas and waited until the Jeep slowed to press lightly on the brake. To her great relief they stayed in contact with the road and the vehicle slowed in response. They weren't hydroplaning. Yet.

“Here we go,” she said.

The road in front of her disappeared around a tight portion of the mountain, and she slowed into the turn. The car skid a bit but made it around without incident. At the second twist it slid out farther but she corrected and they made it around. “Last one,” Emma said. Her hands were sweating on the wheel and her throat was dry. The interior of the car lit up, telling her that their pursuers were close, but she didn't take the time to check the rearview mirror to determine how close. She was nearly through the turn when a massive tree branch tumbled down from above. It landed in a flurry of leaves and bark and wood.

Emma hammered the brakes but it was too late. She felt the Jeep shudder in a shaking motion while it slid forward. They drove directly into the branch with a sickening, cracking sound. The Jeep spun 180 degrees and she saw the residual glow of their pursuer's headlights growing brighter. The Jeep shimmied sideways to the edge of the road. It teetered precariously for a moment, the body parallel to the mountain, before it started sliding down.

“Shift your weight to this side,” Sumner said. He grabbed her right arm and pulled her toward him, but Emma was still strapped into the seat and had no time to unhook the belt. She felt the car tip, and then her window slammed into the ground and glass flew into her cheek. The air bags deployed with a booming sound and smoke billowed into the cabin. The Jeep, though, wasn't finished falling. It rolled again onto its hood, and she heard the sickening creaking of bending aluminum and steel. The canvas roof above her head ripped off, but the side supports held. The steering wheel air bag deflated and she caught a glimpse of Sumner. His face was hidden by his own air bag, but she could see his shoulder and a portion of his head. The car rolled onto the passenger side and he grunted at the impact. He's still alive, she thought.

The Jeep frame collapsed some more and bits of leaves and mud oozed through the broken window. The windshield cracked and popped and a crazy kaleidoscope of fissures snaked across the glass. Emma's head slammed against a side support that had buckled inward. She felt warm blood run down across her temple.

Then the car picked up momentum, the creaking and straining noises of the frame louder as the body took the beating. The only sound that eclipsed it was the booming of thunder. Lightning flashed in a strobe light effect that lent a terrifying new level to the crash, because Emma could see the chaos all around her in short bursts. Mud was everywhere, and she felt it hitting her face and coating her clothes.

The Jeep slammed to a halt, but her body was still in motion and she felt the seat belt cut into her neck as she strained against it. She whipped sideways and then jerked violently back when her body met the immovable force of the belt. The driver's side was up and the passenger side pressed into the mountain against some sort of protuberance. She hung above Sumner, who was slumped against the ground and what was left of the passenger window. He didn't move.

Emma hung there catching her breath. Rain poured in through the missing window and ripped canvas cover. She grabbed at the frame above her shoulder to steady herself and reached down to try to unhook the seat belt, but it had contracted so tightly that she couldn't get enough play in it to unsnap it. She pulled on the frame with her left arm to lift some of her weight off the belt while pushing on the button. It unsnapped, releasing the right side of her body but staying wrapped around her left armpit. She fell against Sumner.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Sumner inhaled and she saw his eyes flutter open.

“I'm alive. I can't tell if anything's broken,” he said. He sounded groggy.

Emma took stock. Her head injury felt raw but the blood had congealed a bit on her cheek. She moved her toes and fingers and twitched her arms and legs. It all felt intact. She knew that the muscle ache would begin once the shock wore off, but for now all she wanted to do was get out of the wreckage.

“I'm going to climb out, carefully. We're stopped, but nowhere near the bottom of the mountain, and I'm afraid to dislodge us and finish the ride.” Something hit the side of the car. “What the hell was that?”

“Where's my gun?” Sumner said. Emma looked around but saw nothing that resembled the pistol.

“I don't know. I put mine in my pocket. With any luck it's still there.” Something else hit the undercarriage of the car with a clanging noise.

“What is that sound?” Sumner said.

“Maybe rocks rolling downhill? Whatever it is, we need to get out of this car.”

“Look up before you move. He could be watching from above.”

Emma paused. Sumner was right. She had forgotten about Joseph. She moved higher, doing her best to keep from any violent movements, and peered into the darkness. The car shifted and sank lower into the muck. Rain hit her face and she kept wiping her eyes, waiting for the lightning to illuminate the area. Finally it came and she saw that they were fifty feet down the mountain. From her angle she could only see the edge of the road and the rest of the mountain as it continued upward. Two people stood in a pool of light thrown by the headlights of a parked car. One had a gun.

Chapter 45

E
mma lowered herself back down.

“Joseph is there with Carrow.” She fished in her pocket for her gun and found it. Her hands were unsteady but she was able to release the safety. She rose again and peered out. The two men were gone, as was the car. “They left. I can't see anyone.” She put the gun back in her pocket and her foot on the console between the seats that housed the gearshift. She hoisted herself up and out of the wreckage. It sagged and began to slip, and she grabbed at the remaining frame.

“Hold it. I'm getting out,” Sumner said. She dug her heels into the mud and held on while Sumner unbelted and stood up. He hauled himself out of the window, swearing when the remaining shards of glass snagged at his wrist. He swung his right and then left leg out onto the dirt and stood a moment, swaying. He held onto the car's wheel.

“You look shaky,” Emma said.

“I am.” He glanced to his left, said, “Oh shit,” let go of the wheel and staggered back. Emma felt her own nerves take a jump and she hauled her gun out of the coat pocket while looking up at the road above their heads.

“Is he there?” she said.

“Not the killer. The beast,” Sumner replied.

Emma turned back. Sumner was staring at a spot farther down the mountain. Lightning skated across the sky.

“There's nothing.”

“Where the hell is my gun?” Sumner said. “I do
not
want to face that thing without it.”

“Sumner there's nothing there,” Emma said. “But I'll help you find the gun because we're going to need it.” She worked her way around the car, doing her best to keep her feet from slipping out from under her. The muscle ache began and she felt the injury to her head begin to throb. Cold drops of water ran down her neck and seeped under the coat collar and she shivered. She looked inside the vehicle for Sumner's gun. A flash of lightning lit up the interior and she saw it in the rear foot well. She reached through what used to be the roof of the car and snagged it by the trigger guard.

“You don't see that?” Sumner pointed to a spot farther down the mountain. Emma squinted in the pouring rain.

“All I see is a bunch of scrub and a few trees. What do you see?”

“A misshapen beast-type creature with long claws for fingers and huge, pointed teeth. It's coming this way.”

“It's the scopolamine. You're having a hallucination.” She handed him the gun.

“I want to shoot it,” he said. Emma reached out and took the gun back.

“Absolutely not. Don't you dare waste a bullet on an imaginary creature.”

“It looks so real, it's amazing.” The car began a slow slide downward, stopping again after three more feet. He looked at it. “There's a thing with red eyes peering from inside the car.”

“More hallucinations. Interesting, though, because what you're describing are exactly the two beasts that I saw when that witch poisoned my food.”

“Can people have identical hallucinations?” he asked. Emma came around to him and wrapped his arm over her shoulder.

“I've never heard of it, but anything's possible. Come on, let's go back up to the road. But on the other side of that branch.”

“Creepy.” He leaned on her and they started upward. He looked back down the mountain. “Slouching toward Bethlehem.”

“Are you quoting Yeats?”

“ ‘The Second Coming,' ” he said. He slipped and Emma kept him upright.

“In the poem it has a lion's body and a man's head,” she said.

“It's meant to be the devil returning. That's what this beast looks like. A creature from hell.” He twisted his head to look behind them. “It's starting to move. Coming toward us. It has long, thin, bent legs with claws for feet, but it stands fairly upright.”

“There's nothing there, you've got to believe me. Think about Joseph. He's the one we need to worry about, not random beasts.”

“With any luck Joseph thinks we're dead,” he said. Emma kept dragging him up the slope. Her feet sank deep with each step and she pulled them out with a sucking sound. He turned his head again.

“The red-eyed one is crawling out of the car.” Emma felt a chill run along her spine.

“You need to stop telling me about it. It's creeping me out. Focus on something else.”

“ ‘And what rough beast, its hour come 'round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?' ” he said. He slipped and dropped to his knees, taking Emma down to hers as well. She rose back up and they kept moving.

“Almost there.” She felt him twist again to look back. He inhaled sharply.

“They're gaining on us. The red-eyed one has the same body, but it's crawling on all fours. Moving fast.”

“Stop looking back,” Emma said. Her thighs burned from dragging the heavy rubber boots out of the mud and walking up the steep incline.

“Give me the gun,” he said.

“No. We need the bullets.”

“They're only five feet away. I've got to shoot them.”

Emma dragged him the final few feet onto the asphalt road. Only then did she look back. She saw something flit into the trees a few feet lower to her left.

“The big one is gone. The red-eyed one ran into the trees,” Sumner said. He looked at her. “You saw the one go into the trees, didn't you?”

She didn't want to encourage him in his hallucinations, but she didn't want to lie to him either.

“I saw something but it could have been an animal. Besides, I got hit with the scope, too. It's likely I'm having hallucinations as well, but milder than yours.”

He raised an eyebrow and put out his hand. “My gun.”

“You promise not to shoot at beasts?”

“I promise nothing. But if I see a beast, I'll verify its existence with you first.” Emma handed him his weapon. He checked it. “It looks like it's been dragged through the mud.”

Emma nodded. “It probably was while the car was sliding on its side.”

“I hope it fires. I don't have the time to clean it.” He shoved it in his coat pocket, straightened and looked around. “Do you see all the bats?”

“No bats.”

He rubbed at his face. “This isn't exactly a recreational drug, is it?”

“Not at all.”

“Which way?”

Emma pointed down the road. “Further down four miles and then back up about five if we stay on the road. We can cut that in half by running down the road one more mile and then hiking straight up.”

“Then let's go.”