Darkest Dawn (18 page)

With resolve in her heart, she pushed past Sloane and Max and headed for the stairs. She had confirmation Abbey was alive and she wasn’t going to wait another minute to see her.

She practically flew down the stairs and went for the closet.

Tucker came into the hallway. “What are you doing?”

Max and Sloane came down the stairs.

“Abbey is at the school,” Max said, still out of breath.

Jake and Tucker met the girls in the hallway.

“Kael said to stay here,” Tucker said under his breath.

Bri whirled around on him. “This can’t wait. I need to see her.” And get an explanation from her for giving her the longest heart attack ever. “Besides when were you ever on Kael’s side?” She shrugged on her coat and Sloane and Max did the same.

The guys exchanged glances.

“It’s five against one,” Sloane said.

Jake’s jaw clenched. “As long as we stick together. I don’t trust Kael at all.”

They squished into Tucker’s truck and before they knew it they were back at the school.

Bri’s hands were numb from wringing them in her lap. This was it. After Bri was done yelling at her mom and then hugging her tighter than ever, she’d get Sloane some answers; then they might be able to go back to a normal life. Even though deep down she knew they were forever changed. How could she let go of Sloane that easily? Especially since she knew whatever connection they had was much deeper than she originally thought.

Bri noticed a car parked by the Emerson building as they passed and recognized it immediately as Coach’s. She was probably cleaning the pool herself after the dead animal had been discovered.

Bri tore her eyes away from Coach’s car. “Over here.”

They entered through the unlocked back entrance. Bri knew the janitorial staff kept the back doors open while they cleaned to make trash disposal to the garbage bins easily accessible. If one of them caught her, she knew she wouldn’t be in trouble. Another perk of her mom working at the school.

The thought of her mom gave her a renewed resolve as they headed to the library. A flash of déjà vu came over her from the other day when they saw Kael and Chloe in the library. Would they be there again? Kael had told her to stay in the house and a minute part of her wondered if she should have listened. Even though she hardly knew him personally, for some reason he trusted her. He seemed to be on her mom’s side so why shouldn’t she trust him?

Sloane led the way with Bri only a few steps behind. Bri understood the urgency filling Sloane; she had the same feeling. It propelled each of her steps. She wanted to be the first to talk to her mom.

Sloane stopped in the middle of the hallway and Bri nearly ran into her. Before she could ask what had happened, she caught a streak of blonde hair cruising across the courtyard through the bank of windows outside of the library.

Max pressed her hands against the window. “What’s Chloe doing here?”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sloane

I didn’t take my eyes off Chloe as she disappeared through a door on the opposite side of the courtyard. No one trusted that girl, least of all me. If she’d been a part of this, I’d do more than twist her finger.

Max pushed away from the window. “Abbey called from her office. Let’s start there.”

I caught up with the others who had taken off without me.

Bri was already inside the library when I made it to the entrance. The lights were off except for the office behind the counter. The shadows thrown by the lack of light made this place seem more menacing than it had before.

“Mom?” Bri called and took off for the office. “Mom?”

The rest of her friends walked to the middle of the space and looked around without moving too far away from each other.

Bri came out of the office, panting. “She’s not here. I don’t understand.” She took her phone out and moved her fingers over the screen. The office phone rang loudly in the empty space. “She called from here.”

“Didn’t you say her car was here the other day?” Max asked.

I nodded. “And she mentioned it on the phone.”

Bri rubbed her temple. “It was still in the parking lot. I don’t understand.”

Jake rubbed her shoulder and pulled her against him. A surge of heat touched my cheeks.

I turned to the group. “Why was Chloe fleeing from this direction? Kael knew Abbey was missing, so wouldn’t Chloe?”

The others stared at me, unable to make a decision. Until I did it for them. “I’m going to look for her.”

Bri frowned and I felt a sinking sensation in my chest at the thought of splitting up. I had to follow my gut, even though it hadn’t been at all helpful in my journey thus far.

“Okay,” Bri said quickly.

Relief flooded me. I didn’t want to separate. I led the way down the hallway and Bri came to my side. She touched my arm and directed us to where Chloe had entered the school through the doors at the end of the courtyard.

I sensed Bri’s unease. We needed answers. And I had a feeling Chloe could at least answer some of them.

“Stop!” Jake moved in front of us, pushing us behind him.

I followed his gaze through the doors where we’d entered the school.

Chloe and Kael were further down the parking lot. Kael held a long, thick rope in his hands and Chloe’s hands were glowing. I couldn’t tell what the object was.

Jake turned to us. “She has a knife.”

The couple jogged toward the annex building and Bri and I were the first to follow.

“Wait!” Jake said. “They have weapons. We should call the police.”

“You call the police,” Bri said on the verge of tears. “I’m going after them.”

Bri and I burst through the doors and the others were right behind us. Jake didn’t call the cops. At least not yet. I wondered if this was the time to involve law enforcement. They’d have a lot of questions, Dad would be notified, and I’d never be able to leave the house again. On second thought, keeping the police out of it was best. We could handle Kael and Chloe. She may have had a knife but my stun gun tipped the favor to our side.

We made it to the annex building and the front doors were locked. Max’s labored breathing was the only sound other than Bri’s groaning frustration. We rounded the corner of the building until we saw a door propped open on the other side.

“Yes,” Bri hissed under her breath. She’d embraced this mission, even though that sinking sensation inside of me widened into a pit. Something was about to happen. I knew it deep in my bones. I only knew that I’d do anything to protect Bri. The thought overwhelmed me to the point of tears. I’d only known her for a few days but our connection was stronger than ever. And by the subtle glance she’d given me, I knew she felt the same.

We entered the building. I recognized it as the hallway leading to the natatorium.

“I’m so freaked out right now,” Tucker said quietly. “This is serious slasher-movie stuff.”

“Shut up,” Max hissed. “Do you want them to find us?”

Bri passed the locker rooms and went straight for the natatorium, as if she already knew something.

“That door is never open,” she said quietly, indicating the door leading to the pool. “I saw Coach’s car here. She’d never allow it, even when she is here.”

It had been open that morning. I took Bri’s hand in mine. She squeezed back.

Jake shoved his way to the front of our group and stopped. “I’m going in first.”

Bri gave him a small smile and allowed it.

I touched the stun gun in the pocket of my jacket. At least he’d have some backup.

Jake pushed open the door and peered through it. My heart raced and I could swear the sound echoed off the walls.

I held my breath as we took in the dim room around us. I stared at the still water, grateful that someone had removed the dead animal from it. We walked between the bleachers and the pool toward the other end of the room. The lack of movement made me realize that we might have taken the wrong route to finding Chloe and Kael.

“Should we check the locker rooms?” Max asked quietly.

Jake cocked his head to the side as if he were listening for something. “Tucker and I will go first—”

His words were cut off by a splash.

Bri and Max screamed; the sound echoed off the high ceiling. Mine had caught in my throat just as something thumped from behind us.

I turned around and saw nothing that could have made that noise. Instead I followed the ripple that quickly spread across the water’s surface.

“Um … guys?” Tucker’s eyes were on the water.

Nothing came to the surface even though I held my breath long enough that anything living should have surfaced by now.

“Did someone throw something in there?” Max asked.

Another thump sounded behind us. This time I knew I wasn’t imagining it.

“It’s coming from the supply closet.” Bri bolted to the closet before anyone could stop her. I was happy to follow and get away from the pool’s edge. I had no idea what was going on in the pool and I didn’t intend on investigating.

Bri pulled open the door and gasped. She dove into the room and Max and I came up behind her.

“Abbey!” Max said and went into the closet.

Surrounded by pool supplies and equipment, Abbey was tied to a chair with her mouth gagged. Bri frantically worked at the knot at the back of her head while Max went for her hands. I should have helped but I was so overwhelmed by meeting her in that state that I froze.

Her eyes met mine and they widened. She started frantically moving as much as the ropes allowed her to and her fast-moving words were a jumble of mumbles under her gag.

“One sec, Mom.” Bri’s mouth pursed as she worked on the knot.

Abbey blew a hard breath out of her nose and locked eyes with me. Her gaze moved between me and the space behind me. As Bri removed the gag, Abbey shouted, “Behind you!”

I turned around and something crashed into my face, blanketing my world in darkness.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Bri

Bri watched in slow motion as Jake picked up an unconscious Sloane and carried her toward the pool. His eyes were glossy and blank.

Max stood up. “What the—”

Tucker moved in front of the door, his eyes narrowed at Max. His movements toward her were slow and calculated. He looked more like a zombie than himself. She barely had time to move out of the way before he bear-hugged her against him and lifted her from the ground, carrying her out of the room. Max struggled and screamed in his grip.

Bri was torn between helping Sloane or Max. She went after Jake. She grabbed his arm. He shoved her to the ground with one movement.

Abbey struggled in her chair. “Let me out of here. She has them under her spell. Untie me, quickly.”

Spell?

“Brianna, now!”

Bri was able to finish off untying one hand before she heard a splash. She looked up and Jake no longer held Sloane in his arms. He stood at the edge of the pool, looking at the water.

Abbey loosened her hand from the rope and started on her other hand. “I’ll distract Jake, get Sloane out of the water. Now!”

Bri had only heard her mom yell once or twice in her life and it terrified her as much as it did those times. Abbey was out of her binds in seconds and Bri sprinted from of the closet. Jake eyed her and she stopped. “Jake?” He lunged for her as the chair that Abbey had been tied to flew across her periphery. Jake moved out of the way and Abbey came forward, pushing Jake aside. “Get her out,” she yelled to Bri.

Bri obeyed and surveyed the water. Max and Tucker were no longer in the natatorium and as much as she wanted to save Max from Tucker, she had to get Sloane out of danger. Jake had knocked her out before throwing her in the water. If Sloane was unconscious, Bri didn’t have a lot of time. The sound of his fist against Sloane’s jaw had rattled in Bri’s ears. What had possessed him to do that? Abbey mentioned a spell. Whose spell was he under? She knew something was off for Jake to harm her. Sloane’s body sunk beneath the water only a few strokes from the side of the pool. She kicked off her sneakers and peeled her jacket off before diving in. She needed to get to her in time with the least amount of resistance.

The cool water that normally soothed away her worries made her skin crawl. She couldn’t let anything happen to Sloane. Ever.

Bri reached Sloane midway down at the deep end and grabbed her arm. Sloane’s lifeless body and lack of breathing alerted Bri to the scary truth. She kicked off from the bottom of the pool and rocketed to the surface with Sloane in tow.

When they broke the surface, Bri inhaled deeply before checking Sloane. Her head lolled backward as if her neck had suffered some damage. Bri’s eyes welled with tears. She swam to the edge of the pool and tried to lift Sloane out of it. She searched desperately for her mom but Abbey was in a standoff with Jake at the other end. She fended him off as he lashed out at her. Had the world turned upside down?

A loud whistle rang out by the entrance to the locker rooms.

Jake snapped his head toward the sound and so did Bri. Chloe stood in the doorway. Her hands were in fists at her sides.

“It’s about time,” Abbey said.

“Oh I’m sorry,” Chloe snapped. “I’m not the one saving your ass right now.” Jake’s defensive stance drooped as he went to Chloe. Chloe disappeared into the locker room and Jake followed her like a lost puppy. He rarely had any contact with Chloe and now she was leading him away into the locker room? Were all the guys in Willows Lake in love with her?

“Here,” someone said close to Bri’s ear.

She kicked away from the edge, startled.

Kael held his hands out to her. He wore a bulky set of headphones, which looked like something out of a movie from the eighties. “Hurry!”

Bri swam back to the edge with Sloane. Kael scooped Sloane out of the water as if she weighed nothing. He gently placed her on the tile.

“Is she okay?” Bri’s teeth started to chatter.

“Get her out of there!” Bri was surprised at her mom’s panicked expression. She started to lift herself from the pool until something slimy wrapped around her leg, pulling her under the surface.

***

Bri sucked in a breath and choked on the water as she sank deeper. She tried to get whatever was stuck to her leg off by wriggling around. With the lack of oxygen her movements were sluggish. When she reached the bottom of the pool the thing gripped her leg tighter. She cried out, a froth of bubbles erupting around her. She whipped around and came face to face with the most hideous creature she’d ever seen. Even in the shadowy depths she could see its face was a mix between a human and a fish. Its huge dark eyes were too close together and placed high on the forehead. It didn’t have a distinct nose but two vertical slits that moved in a rhythmic pattern. Its mouth was closed but Bri could only imagine what was inside.