Half-Past Dawn

CHAPTER 43

Jack and Cristos stood on the front steps of the house, the orange glow of flame dancing around them.

Cristos held his cell phone in his hand, awaiting the call.

The minutes dragged as Jack awaited word of Mia’s safety. And in his interminable wait, everything began to cascade through his head: waking up to the announcement of his death, the tattoo on his arm, the unraveling of the day’s mysteries, racing through the Tombs, his father, Jimmy Griffin, the stranger in the psych ward who told him to hold on to his mind. Jack realized that as the day had progressed, the mystery of finding Mia, of saving her, had only produced far greater mysteries.

Ryan’s diagnosis of madness echoed in Jack’s head.

He vividly remembered his dog being run over in the driveway. He remembered his sad, pleading eyes, uncomprehending his broken body. Jack remembered as his last breath escaped his body… yet he also remembered him in his kitchen that morning, playing with him, the smell of his breath, the sound of panting, his warm eyes.

Jack’s hand went to his chest, rubbing his wound. He realized that as the day went on, the pain was growing, the wound feeling new. Despite the nurse telling him she had redressed the bandages, Jack felt as if it was attacking him from the inside. He assumed it was somehow related to the tumor, to his enhanced senses.

And his senses… despite the darkness around him, the subtle glow of flame seemed to light the whole world for him. He could hear what seemed like every raindrop’s fall; he could hear Cristos’s breathing, the sound of distant thunder as it escaped out to sea.

He knew that his psyche was at the brink of failure, the tumor, the smallest of things, chipping away at his mind, the disease momentarily blessing him with a new view of the world while wiping away his sanity.

But it didn’t matter. Mia would soon be safe. She would grab their girls and whisk them into her arms, far away from Cristos and all this madness.

Frank watched from his position by the fallen tree, hidden in the shadows of the glowing fire, his gun trained on Cristos.

One of Cristos’s men had left with Mia, presumably escorting her to their boat, while the other three went back into the dark house. Frank had no idea of the possible significance of the body Daly had found, but that could be dealt with later.

There was still a nagging sensation running through him that he couldn’t put his finger on. He shook it off and trained his gun on Cristos. He knew hell was about to be unleashed.

With the rain falling around them, the distant mainland coming in and out of view, Mia sat on the edge of the inflatable skiff next to Jacob as he began dialing the phone.

She had no intention of letting him or anyone near her children.

With Jacob focused on his phone in the teeming rain, she grabbed the anchor rope and threw it over his head, pulling it tight with every bit of energy she had. Jacob’s hands went for the rope, dropping the phone and his gun. Mia held tight, leaning back, keeping up her leverage, keeping the rope taut around his neck.

But Jacob outweighed her by seventy pounds. He grabbed the rope, pulling it forward, gasping for air. And suddenly, he launched himself backward, throwing back his head, smashing it into Mia’s face, stunning her, knocking her back onto the sand.

Suddenly free, Jacob scrambled to his feet, searching for his gun, but as he turned, Mia spun around like an Olympic hammer thrower, holding tight to the small anchor, hitting him upside the head, knocking him into the skiff.

Mia took off running into the woods.

Jacob struggled to his feet. He found his gun, but before taking chase, he turned and shot out the inflatable skiff, plugging it with two bullets.

Mia raced through the forest, the clouds above parting; streams of moonlight poured down with the now sporadic rain. She felt a horrible sense of deja vu, but this time, she could see… but so could Jacob. She saw the semiclearing up ahead and pushed toward the old graveyard.

She cut through the potter’s field, staying low, watching her footing over the broken head-and footstones, leaping over fallen trees and bushes heading toward the center of the graveyard. She finally stopped, winded, catching her breath, when all of a sudden, Jacob was there, blood mixed with rain pouring down his face, his gun aimed at her heart. She looked around. There was nowhere to go; she was trapped. She thought of Jack and her children and how she had tumbled into this nightmare before throwing her hands up in surrender.

“Stupid bitch!” Jacob screamed as he ran toward her.

And he fell as the earth beneath his feet gave way, sucking him down into the crypt sinkhole that Mia had fallen into earlier.

Jacob’s hands clawed the muddy ground to no avail. He looked up at Mia, his rage-filled eyes turning to fear knowing that death would soon claim him.

Two gunshots shattered Jack’s hearing, despite the distance, the rain, and sounds of the night. Fire raced up his spine as he realized that Cristos was playing him and Mia. He had no intention of letting her leave the island.

Suddenly, an explosion that dwarfed the first two shredded the fabric of the night, and an enormous fireball mushroomed into the sky, turning night into day, lighting the distant ocean, casting enormous shadows. Flaming tendrils spiked high in the air from what was left of the fuel tank and the generator; shooting starlike bits tore through the sky, shrapnel rained down, crashing like tiny meteors. The blast of heat ignited trees, curling leaves, shattering the windows of the mansion. A river of fire raced toward the stone estate.

Cristos bolted in shock, diving for cover. He reached for his gun, instantly aiming it at Jack.

With nowhere to run, Jack raced into the mansion.

He cut through the foyer, its white marble painted red with the glow of flames, only to find three of Cristos’s men charging his way, guns drawn.

Jack quickly cut through the parlor toward the rear of the house as gunfire erupted around him.

Frank raced for the rear of the mansion. Seeing Jack run into the house was not on their agenda, nor was hearing the two distant gunshots from where they had left the boat. Hugging the rear of the stone facade, he sought and found an open door. Stepping into the mudroom, he reached behind him and pulled out a second pistol from the small of his back. He knew there were at least three to face, plus Cristos.

Gunfire exploded around Jack. He was pinned behind the stairs, nowhere to go. He could see the muzzle flashes coming from across the hall and knew it would be only moments before he was shot or they were upon him. His mind focused. He hadn’t come this far only to fail now. Somehow he would escape his position and-

The gunfire stopped…

And a gun came to rest against Jack’s head.

“Can’t kill you, but there’s plenty we can do short of that.” The man stood over him; he aimed his gun at his leg and began to pull the trigger.

A gunshot exploded, and the man fell dead to the floor beside Jack.

“You’re supposed to run away from the house, not into it,” Frank said as he crouched next to Jack, handing him a gun.

The gunfire resumed, chipping away at the stairway around them.

“I’ve got to get to Mia,” Jack said between breaths.

“Back door. I got your back.”

Frank aimed his gun and began firing as Jack raced away.

The night was awash in fire as Jack headed for the woods. He had no idea where she was but prayed that Mia was being Mia, staying alive for their girls.

As he raced across the backyard, Jack saw Frank through the window, racing down a hallway, and suddenly stopped, overcome with deja vu.

Jack was the better shot, always had been, and yet it was Frank who was facing Cristos’s men. Jack knew if he was to find Mia, it was far better if they searched together instead of splitting up. He hoped it wasn’t too late as he turned and ran frantically across the yard back into the house.

Entering the darkened house, the glow of flame diminishing, Jack was thankful for his heightened sight. He tuned his ears, listening, and the sound of gunfire filled them.

Jack charged down the hallway and kicked in the door of the library to find Frank pinned behind an overturned table. Two shooters had taken up positions flanking him, relentlessly shooting away. Frank stayed tucked low. Jack could see his thick arms flexed in stress as he gripped his pistol, waiting for an opportunity to fire back. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, Jack took everything in, the flame from the exploding barrels, the smoke drifting skyward in fingerlike wisps, the bullets exploding around the table, splinters shattering, flying around.

Jack drew his pistol, and with two shots, he took out each shooter, their heads snapping backward in abrupt death. Jack didn’t need to confirm his kills as he raced to Frank’s side.

“Took you long enough.”

“Sorry,” Jack said as he crouched down.

But then Frank rolled toward him, and Jack could see the crimson stain blossoming on his shirt, just above his heart, the blood pulsing out of him.

“Not again!” Jack cried out.

“Hey, you knew this was inevitable.”

“No. It’s not inevitable. I can change this.”

“No, Jack. Shut up.” Frank’s speech slowed, his eyes falling to half-mast as his life ebbed. “Save Mia. That’s all that matters; that is the only fate you can change.”

Jack pulled him closer.

“I’m sorry I never met her.”

Jack stared at him, confused at his words. “I don’t understand.”

“You will.” And Frank’s eyes slid closed as a final breath escaped his lips.

Jack’s heart broke as he laid his hand across his friend’s head.

His own head throbbed, events of his life merging and falling apart all at once.

“Jack,” Mia whispered.

He turned to see Cristos standing in the doorway, his gun jammed into Mia’s neck.

“Seems you can’t save anyone today, huh?” Cristos said. “Where are my things?”

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Mia whispered.

“No. This is my fault. I’m sorry.”

“My things?” Cristos cut in.

“Let her go, and I’ll give them to you.”

“We tried that once already.”

“Kill her, and it will all burn.”

“I will say this only one time. No more idle threats.” Cristos’s voice grew calm. “If it burns, I will kill you both and pay a visit to your children. I will kill one of them in front of the other and take the second child to raise her as my own.”