Chapter 11

Against the wall, hidden by the bushes, was the perfect vantage point to watch. The man pulled his dark hood tightly around his head moving deeper into the shadows. It was too damn hot for the hoodie. Sweat was already forming on his forehead. A branch whipped across his face when the breeze caught it, leaving a stinging welt. The place was crawling with cops. Except for the one who was out of commission—he wasn’t moving. A bit of hocus pocus and—bam—there was one less cop. Laughter rolled through him in silent waves. Boy, they were dumb. The boss put one of them to sleep right under their noses, and they hadn’t seen a thing. Surprise, surprise. The cop would have one hell of a headache if he survived. Stupid cops! They had to play by the rules, but not him. He was the game changer and the game changer made the rules. A smile spread across his face when the ambulance rolled up.

Those damn altars had worked. Unbelievable! The cop was picking himself up off the ground. The Game Changer rocked back and forth, his grin broadening with each motion. Another check of his watch. Almost showtime. This was going to be fun. Jessie was smart, but no match for the boss’s skill. “Be patient, all you have to do now is be patient.” He knew his boss was close by. A shudder racked his body. He could almost feel the darkness swirling around him.

****

Jeremy joined Matt after following the women safely back. They hid in a place where they could watch the area for a while.

The night was quiet except for the chirping of a few crickets. The air was warm enough to be outside and enjoy the moonlight. Matt looked over at Jeremy. “How long have you known Jessie?

“Several years. I first met her when she set up a meeting with me. I was doing research on banking fraud in the housing industry, and she was doing a story on it at the time. She walked in, and it was all over for me.” He grinned. “I could hardly hold an intelligent conversation with her. I don’t know how, but somehow I managed to hold it together. We worked together several times after that.” Jeremy got quiet and then smiled. “It took a while, but eventually I realized she saw me as a brother and nothing more. I nursed my broken heart, and we became great friends. That’s what we are now.”

“How long did that take?” Matt asked him.

“Let’s just say long enough. How did you meet her?” Jeremy stretched out his arms behind his back.

“I met her right after she moved to Blue Cove. It was the first day of her arrival. She was at Angelo’s with Katie. I tried to play it cool, but one look and she hooked me. We both fought the attraction for a while. I was a jerk.” Matt’s grin broadened. “I wonder if I’ll ever escape the need to slug every guy who comes along and looks at her.”

“Once I got over I wasn’t the guy for her, I watched her reaction to those who came on to her. She seemed to take it all in stride and put them in their place fast if they crossed a particular line with her. She had to handle some sticky situations with co-workers and people she interviewed. She did it with class, but she still put them in their place with little doubt about how she felt about their actions.” Jeremy slapped Matt on the back. “That’s why I can say she’s different with you. Lots of guys have fallen for her, but she always kept her distance.” He shook his head. “Not so much with you.”

“That’s good to know.” Matt’s grin vanished. “Do you think it’s possible this guy is one on the long list of those who she’s discouraged? Are we looking at a disgruntled would-be suitor who is unstable, or a stalker?”

“That’s an angle to consider. Maybe Adriana’s stalker became hers, and maybe he’s setting it all up because Jessie’s the ultimate prize.”

“Hell, we could be dealing with someone’s obsession. We’d better dig deep and see if we can find anything.” Matt’s jaw flexed.

“I don’t know how you can stand the waiting.” Jeremy strained to see what had moved the bush on the other side.

“Let’s just say I can’t. I was never good at it.” Matt moved out of their hiding place. “I think we should call it a night.”

****

Jessie was restless. Sadie was asleep and so was Katie, but she was wide-awake. She remembered Reba’s words about being the gatekeeper of her mind and she shouldn’t let anyone into her thoughts who didn’t belong. Maybe Adriana would try to get in touch with her or maybe the dark figure who had been standing over Adriana would try to force his way into her thoughts. The resort staff had already turned down the bed and left a piece of chocolate on the pillow. She opened it, popped in her mouth, and let it melt slowly, savoring its goodness.

Shutting off the light, Jessie lay across the cool silky sheets, but sleep still evaded her. Adriana had been too quiet. Why? Drugged perhaps. Jessie didn’t want to consider the other possibilities. Her mind raced on. Is that what the note meant when it said tucked in tight? Talk to me, Adriana. Jessie rolled onto her side, the blankets bunching around her legs. Boy, another piece of that chocolate sounded good. She could still taste its smooth rich flavor.

She took a deep breath in through her nose, held it for eight seconds, and released it through her mouth. Whoever had told her breathing this way was supposed to relax you had it all wrong. It wasn’t working. The loud ticking of the clock shifted her attention. The numbers moved ever so slowly. One, one-fifteen, one-thirty, and then two. Jessie tossed and turned in rhythm with the ticks of clock. It was at five minutes after two when everything began to change.

The room came alive with dancing shadows and snake-like creatures with eyes that glowed in the darkness; hypnotic, hissing creatures spinning ever closer to the bed. Covers flew one way and Jessie rolled the other direction trying to distract them. Tightness settled across her chest. She gasped for air. Drums beat in the night. Had anyone else heard them? A quick peek out the window showed only a quiet night. No shadows, nothing. It was getting harder to breath. The curtain slipped from her fingers, and she crouched in the corner of the room in fear. “You’re the gatekeeper, don’t let them in,” Jessie repeated the words in a panic. The creatures stopped to stare at her with hideous glowing eyes.

Jessie started humming a song remembered from her Sunday school days as a child. The words came flowing back and she found herself singing it aloud with gusto. Her mind closed tight to the one who was trying to infiltrate it. The drums beat on, the creatures danced into a frenzy, whirling about the room. As long has she sang her song, they didn’t come near her.

The bedroom door flew open, and the light snapped on. Sadie burst through followed by Katie. They joined her on the floor and sang along with her until the sun peeked up over the horizon, and the darkness slunk away, taking the fear of the night with it.

****

“What happened?” He screamed at his boss standing beside him. “You didn’t do what you said.” He pulled his dark hood tighter. “You promised it would work if I did everything that you told me to do.”

The man mumbled under his breath. “She fought us. I’ve never seen this strength before.” He wiped the sweat from his brow. “She wouldn’t let us in. Let me worry about getting her ready for you.”

“I won’t give up, do you hear me? I’ve waited too long for this. You told me it would be easy for you to take care of.” He shoved his hands in his pocket. “I’ll do it myself.”

“You can try, but you’ll make mess of it. You always do,” his boss said, poking him in the chest. “Do what I tell you. Get back to Adriana and let me worry about Jessie. You don’t want a visit from my friends do you?” He got in his car and drove away.

Out of control, he lashed out in anger. The trashcan careened across the sidewalk, emptying its contents along the way. It was time to find a new place, a way to change the game. His racing heart slowed, the anger subsided, his breath returned to normal. Round one went to Jessie, but that’s the last one he’d give her or anyone else.