Haunted

18

By watching Lucia during the next few seconds, I learned something that would take time to understand: when panic transitions to horror in human being, God frees us from our bodies-an act of the greatest kindness. The sufferer is replaced by a mindless creature who is left to struggle and endure pain in the hope of escape.

For Lucia, there was no escape-unless I went to her aid. And I did go to her, although I’m not sure why. My reaction, however, was delayed by my own horror. The chimpanzee’s fingers, after burying themselves in her flesh, found her collar and tried to pull her through a slot no larger than a mailbox. Bones snapped. More bones snapped when he tried again. Finally Lucia fell after the robe ripped away. The chimp’s hand was searching for Lucia’s hair when I at last took action.

A moment later, I had the aluminum pole overhead, ready to strike. Lucia saw me, stared up with glassy eyes, and once again made a whistling noise because she couldn’t scream. Perhaps she feared I intended to hit her. That’s exactly what I didn’t want. So I waited for the chimp to extend his arm before I slammed the pole down. Unlike my distant aunts, Hannah and Sarah, I’ve never chopped wood for a living. But I have used an axe. I swung so hard, my feet came off the floor-and was rewarded by a screech from the other side of the door, then a furious baritone chatter that warned of revenge. Yet the chimp refused to let go of the woman’s hair.

I swung again… and again-finally, the animal’s hand retreated. Stupidly, I tossed the pole away and used both hands to grab Lucia’s waist and tried to push her out of danger. The smart thing to do would have been to reposition myself and pull, but I didn’t. Nor did I consider the length of a chimpanzee’s arms.

When I believed we were safe, I started to say, “I’ve got to roll you on your stomach because-”

That’s as far as I got. On my buttocks, I felt a tentative weight, then the chimp latched onto my belt. With my left hand, I reached back and clawed at his hairy wrist while I searched my right pocket for the box cutter. Before I could use it, I was yanked backward; I sledded across the tile and slammed into the door. My tailbone absorbed most of the impact. Pain radiated into my spine and caused the box cutter to spin to the floor. I was dazed, but the razor was still within reach. I grabbed it and slashed blindly. The chimp shrieked… Then I was free, lying on my side.

I rolled, and kept rolling, until I knew I was safe. When I looked up, Lucia was still in danger, so I lunged, grabbed her ankle, and pulled her away, too.

“Open your mouth!” I yelled. “Wider.”

She made a gagging noise but did it. I couldn’t see, but my fingers soon found the dart lodged in her throat. Gently, I jockeyed it free. It came out as two slivers. The point was sharpened like a needle, blackened as if it had been scorched.

“Did I get it all? Swallow. Open your mouth again-let me see.”

“He… would have killed me.” Her voice was raspy, but at least she could speak. “Why… why did you…?”

I steadied her head with my hands and for the first time noticed the pendant hidden beneath her dress: a silver ram’s head mounted on a pentagram. I knew its meaning but let it go. “We both need a doctor. What kind of poison is on those darts?”

Lucia shook her head. “Can’t move. Am I bleeding?”

Her spine was broken, I realized. “I need the key to the front door. I’ll call an ambulance. Tell me about the poison while I look for the key.”

The woman’s eyes glazed, but deep, deep within was a glittering awareness. “No,” she said.

I felt like shaking her. “I need to know what kind of poison. If I die, you’re going to die, too.”

Lucia’s eyelids fluttered to beckon me closer. “Go to hell… stupid girl.” Those were her last words before she died.

I tried CPR. Her lips smelled of moss when I blew air into her lungs. Out of a sense of duty, I kept at it, but was preoccupied with my own fear. Had the poison killed her or a broken neck? The spot on my wrist was red but no longer burned. If poison was circulating through my system, the effects were mild. A mild euphoric edge, if anything. Unlike Lucia, I had pulled the dart free instantly.

She’s beyond help, I decided. Find the key-run.

But where was the key? In Lucia’s robe-had to be-but the robe had been ripped off and was piled at the foot of the door. Before risking that, I hoped the key was somewhere on her body. As I searched, the metal slot opened. The chimp’s eyes peered through: two oyster-sized orbs of glowing amber. They swept the room… found the dead woman, then focused on me. Intelligent eyes. Eyes that noted details of my face, the color and size of me.

Oliver is brilliant, Theo had bragged. Or was I dealing with the female chimp? The snake pole and bamboo tube were within my reach. I grabbed the bamboo, yelled, “Get away-Savvy!” and hurled the thing.

It wasn’t the female chimp. The metal lid slammed shut, then levered upward. The chimp thrust his hand through and flipped a middle finger in reply. He grunted-UNT… UNT… ITCH!-a series of baritone belches intended to be understood. Then added, “OWL-A-BER!” to correct me. He glared at me for several seconds and then went to work on the door’s hinges, prying and pounding with a tool of some kind.

I understood more than the foul names he’d called me. I had to escape or a killer that Theo claimed was half chimp, half ape would soon force his way into the room.

The key… Where is that key?

My eyes settled on the robe piled within easy reach of the door.

THE GLOVES near the milking table were made of leather and wire mesh. They extended above my elbows. I wore them to cross the room, even though the bucket I carried was hooked to the end of the snake pole.

The door had been loosened by the chimp’s pounding. It crossed my mind that he was so busy, he might not notice if I tiptoed close enough to snatch the robe. I didn’t have the courage to try, though, couldn’t bear the thought of his hands on me again, so I stuck with my plan. It was a variation of something I’d thought about earlier, a way to surprise Theo.

When I was closer, I lowered the bucket to the floor and removed my left glove. I dropped the glove into the bucket, then watched and waited.

Coral snakes are shy. They live underground. Even when hunting, they prefer cover, which is why they are seldom seen. The snake I had captured used its tongue to find the glove’s opening. Soon, two feet of segmented colors-black, yellow, and red-disappeared inside as if slurped down a drain.

Now came the dangerous part. Using my right hand, I lifted the glove from the bucket and folded the wristlet closed. At the same time, I slipped my left hand under the glove to provide support, but also to appear as if I was wearing it. I took a big breath… then walked toward the door and pretended to have courage. “Hey… Hey, you-Oliver! I heard those names you called me.”

The silence on the other side was abrupt. The metal lid opened. Amber eyes blinked with what resembled surprise. I hollered, “I’ll shoot you if you cross me again!” then extended the left glove as if it were a weapon.

Never have I seen anything move so fast as the hand that snatched the glove from me. I had intended to offer brief resistance. Impossible. The glove disappeared through the slot before I could jump back. Then I did jump back and immediately grabbed the aluminum pole with its dull hook.

I heard a series of sniffs and guttural belches… then a grunt of surprise. After a beat came a roar that would have sent me running if I’d had someplace to run. While Oliver thrashed and roared, I rushed the door and used the hook to snag Lucia’s robe.

I didn’t look back until I was near the computer screens. My attention seesawed between the robe and the chaotic noise in the next room and the security cameras. In the kitchen, Gail and her skinny teenage friend laughed while the plump witch gestured-but Theo was gone. Nor was he in view of the other cameras stationed around the property. Most likely he was returning to the serpentarium.

The key… Lucia had to have hidden it somewhere.

The robe contained several pockets. I found a bamboo quiver with a few darts left, a cigarette lighter, and a quarter-sized bag of powder. I placed it all near the box cutter, then turned the robe inside out, my hands shaking.

I was running out of time. The chimp had refocused his rage on the door. Over and over he slammed his body against it-two hundred pounds of sinew and muscle. After another violent collision, the top hinge exploded, throwing shrapnel across the room. It created an opening through which the chimp’s fingers appeared. When Oliver had a handhold, he began to rock the door back and forth. The opening at the top grew incrementally wider. Very soon, the bottom hinge would snap.

The robe’s hood revealed a hidden pocket, something hard inside. I struggled with it, then gave up. I wouldn’t have time to unlock the door even if it was the key. I had to do something… anything to buy time.

What?

Snakes. I was in a room filled with venomous snakes. Deploying weapons that might also kill me was a reckless act. But recklessness was my only hope. Shelves were stacked with shallow trays. I ran across the room, pulled a tray free, and spun it toward the door. Impact jarred the lid off. I watched long enough to see a rattlesnake as thick as my arm appear, then reached for another tray. As I did, I heard a slavering growl. I turned. Oliver’s long arm was draped over the door. His head would soon follow.

Don’t panic-fight back.

I did. Freeing one snake at a time was useless, so I squared my shoulders and grabbed the closest section of shelving. Back and forth I rocked the frame until an entire stack of trays crashed to the floor. Amid the buzz and hum of reptiles sliding across tile, I hurdled the mess, dodged Lucia’s body, and ran to the robe.

“Please, God, let the key be here.” I whispered those words before opening the hidden pocket.

It was.

OUTSIDE WAS moonlight and clean air, but I tarried only long enough to bolt the door behind me, then ran. I had to get to the RV park and find help. That’s what I intended to do, but soon had to stop because Theo and Carmelo blocked my path.

Fortunately, I saw them before they saw me, so I ducked into bushes at the corner of the serpentarium. The men stood near the Land Rover beneath a moon that dimmed and brightened as clouds streamed past. Spoke in low voices-serious issues to discuss-while I tried to reorganize my options.

There weren’t many. I could circle the property in the hope of finding my SUV. Or run to the river and hope Theo had told the truth about owning a canoe. If not, half a mile downriver there would be boats and canoes at the campground docks.

The safety of my own car was more appealing-punch the door code and use the key I keep hidden under the seat. Fire up the engine, spin the wheels, and go. I pictured Carmelo trying to stop me. Imagined him stepping out to face my headlights, then his expression of shock when I floored the accelerator. Too bad for either man if he got in my way.

One terrifying concern: Oliver. The room where Theo had once served detentions had windows and presumably a door. The chimp might be waiting if I retraced my steps. The property was big. He might also pick up my scent if I circled around the back or if I angled toward the gravel road.

Oliver’s nose is as good as any bloodhound’s. Theo’s words.

Coral snake poison-if the snake had bitten him-was lethal but slow-acting. Victims had up to twenty-four hours-another of Theo’s claims. Worse, I also had to worry about the younger chimp. I had no idea where she was caged or if she was caged. And, according to Lucia, Savvy was just as vicious or more so. My only weapons were in a paper sack: a few bamboo darts, a lighter, and the box cutter. They were no match for animals that could rip steel off its hinges.

Make up your mind, Hannah.

The dart’s poison had caused a slight numbing of my left arm, and my lips, too. I couldn’t waste more time peeking from bushes. I needed to move, but where? Concrete walls and a steel door had muffled the chimpanzee’s chaos. It was blessed relief after what I’d been through, but now I strained to listen. Was Oliver still inside?

Above me were louvered windows. I touched fingers to the glass and waited. A series of tremors signaled that violence continued somewhere inside the building.

Yes. Now was the time to search for my SUV.

I took a last look at the men and reversed course. A distant row of trees marked the river to the west. It wasn’t far, only half a football field away. Ahead was the entrance to the serpentarium. Beyond was the back side of the property, probably fenced, but that was a guess. Separating me from freedom was an expanse of mown lawn, where oak trees and moss created islands of gray on a frosted plain. If I tried to cross, there was nowhere to hide except for the trees and trees were a poor choice when fleeing a two-hundred-pound chimp. Krissie’s death had proven that.

I took off running anyway. Jogged with long, silent strides until I neared the serpentarium door, which I sprinted past. Then I settled into a comfortable pace while my eyes searched. The dimensions of the snake facility were fixed in my mind. The adjoining room, where Theo had served detentions, was easy to pick out. I monitored it closely as I ran: a pair of lighted windows, glass unbroken… and no door until I came around the corner where light spilled onto the grass, which meant there was a door-and that the door was open.

I felt my breath catch. I nearly stopped. Had Oliver escaped? Or had he left the door open before entering the room to attack Lucia?

Possibly both.

I couldn’t risk another change of plans. I ran faster, every sense alert for sounds or movements of any kind. And there was movement-gray shapes furrowed the grass around me. Moon shadow, I thought, until an elongated shape materialized to my right. The object augered itself into a coil… its head blossomed wide and flat… then it pivoted to face me.

A cobra. That’s what it was. And a cobra’s hiss is actually a raspy roar. The sound was so loud and threatening, I stumbled when I swerved away and nearly fell. Luckily, I caught myself or would have sprawled atop several snakes that were all gliding westward toward the trees… or they smelled the river.

Panicking, I hurdled and high-stepped until I thought I was clear. Wrong. Every few strides I heard weeds move or a rattlesnake’s buzz that warned the field was alive with snakes. The result was a zigzag course with my senses focused on the ground, not on what lay ahead.

The error could have been deadly. But my luck held. When I did shift my attention forward, a safe haven awaited: Belton’s camper was parked in shadows under a tree. No lights showing, but that was okay. Even if Belton was gone, there was a chance they’d left the keys in the ignition… or that my car was parked on the other side, hidden by the camper’s bulk.

Best of all, Carmelo and Theo were busy at the front of the property. I was on the back acreage, shielded by buildings, just me and the snakes.

With Lucia dead, what was there to fear?