Dreams: Part Two (22 page)

Eddy Spooner climbed slowly into the car and turned the key in the ignition. A big, heavy engine exploded into life, the kind of engine seldom heard in modern automobiles.

“What kind of car is this, Eddy?“ Diana asked quietly.

“It’s a Corvette, ma’am. Hottest car in the county.“

“Where did you get the car, Eddy? I thought you drove a Camaro.“ Diana watched the darkness flow past the window.

Eddy was driving too fast, and she sensed immediately he didn’t have the control over his vehicle that Colby always had. Eddy’s driving added to the panic she was battling. She put up her hand and touched Specter. The dog touched her ear with his nose.

“The ‘vette’s mine.“ Eddy’s voice was infused with pride. “Found her in a junkyard a while back. I’ve worked on her on and off for the past couple of years. Keep her in a shed I got out back of my place. No one’s ever seen her in the daylight.“

“Is that right?“ Maybe if she could just keep him talking, she could figure out what was going on.

“Started takin’ her over to the next county on weekends. Wanted to test her out, you know? She beat everything that she went up against. Just like that black ‘vette of Colby’s. Nothing could touch her. This here car’s going to be more of a legend than that ‘vette ever was.“

Diana swallowed, her fingers tightening on Specter’s collar. “You told Colby that the black Corvette was going to be down on River Road tonight.“

There was silence beside her. “Yeah,“ Eddy said finally, “I did, didn’t I? You know somethin’? I’d kinda liked to have gotten another chance to go up against Colby on River Road. This time I could have taken him. I know I could have. He wouldn’t have lost me on that turn near the bridge the way he did last summer.“

Diana shivered. “Eddy, this isn’t the way to the hospital.“

“I know.“

She fought to keep calm. “Where are Colby and Brandon?“

“Don’t know.“ Eddy sounded vague. “Somewhere up in the mountains, I guess. That’s where Harry was going to take them. Except he was only supposed to take Colby first. We were gonna get Brandon when we got you.“

“Harry?
What does Harry have to do with this?“

“Harry and me, we’re in on this together,“ Eddy explained. “He’s my partner. This is it, you see. Our big break. We’

re gonna cash in on this one together, and then we’re both gonna blow this town for good.“

“Cash in on what, Eddy?“

“The Fulbrook money.“ He glanced at her as if surprised she hadn’t figured it all out. “Old lady Fulbrook was plannin’ on leaving Harry a lot of cash, you know? But she cut way back on his share when she met that boy of Colby’

s. She went to see a lawyer and changed her will. Harry says he’s pretty sure she put Brandon in it and maybe Colby, too. Harry says that if we get rid of Colby and Brandon, he’ll get their shares, just like he was supposed to originally.

He told me that if I help him, hell split the money with me.“

“Eddy, you know it won’t be that simple. That kind of thing never is.“

“Harry says this will work and he ought to know. He’s been planning it for months now. We got lucky when the old lady had the heart attack. That was a real lucky break, all right.“

“Why?“ She breathed through another contraction. Her eyes watered with the effort.

“Don’t you understand nothin’? We had to get Colby and Brandon back up here into the mountains, you see?

Thought the three of you might come at Christmas, but instead the old lady got a phone call from Brandon invito’ her down there. That wrecked everything. But we figured you’d all come up next summer. Then the old lady got sick a couple days ago and Harry said this would be our chance.“

“He knew we’d come up to see her?“

“Right. And it’s just what you did. Harry’s real smart. Colby and me used to figure him for a fool, the way he kowtowed to the Fulbrooks and all. But it turns out he’s just played it real cool all these years. Now it’s gonna pay off.“

It was taking more concentration now to handle the contractions. Diana felt as if her mind was being strained to the breaking point. She was panicky about Colby’s fate and equally panicky about the imminence of birth. It was too much to deal with at the same time.

“Colby,“ she whispered. “You haven’t seen him since you came by the house to tell us about the ‘vette, have you?“

“No.“

“So you really don’t know what’s happened to him.“

“Harry’s got him by now. That’s why I picked you up. I was supposed to wait a couple of hours and then come tell you there’d been an accident.“

“But there was no accident.“ She clung to that. “Of course there wasn’t an accident. Colby’s too good a driver.“

“He ain’t the best,“ Eddy muttered. “He just thinks he is.“

Diana seized on that. “Oh, he’s good, Eddy. He left this Corvette in the dust that night on River Road. You had more power than he did, but you didn’t have his driving skill, did you?“

“It was another sucker punch, the way he went into that curve.“ Eddy was clearly outraged. “Made me think I could take it faster, made me go into it too quick. Faked me out. But he knew I couldn’t take it that fast. He knew I’d lose it. He tricked me. Harry says Colby always has a sucker punch up his sleeve. That’s why we had to get him first.“

“But you don’t know for certain Harry’s got him, do you?“

“Hell have him by now.“

“I
wouldn’t be too sure of that. Harry was expecting only Colby, but instead he’ll have had to deal with Brandon as well. Brandon’s a lot like Colby, you know. Colby taught him everything he knows. Brandon even drives like his father.

Think your friend Harry could handle two Savagar men?“

“Shut your mouth, you little bitch,“ Eddy shouted. He took his eyes off the road to glare at her.

“Watch out!“

The Corvette swerved sharply as Eddy quickly brought it back in line. “Don’t say nothin’ more about how Colby might have taken out Harry. It didn’t happen that way. Couldn’t happen that way.“

“Why not?“

“Harry has a gun. He knows what he’s doin’ with it. Harry and me been huntin’. I’ve seen him handle a gun.“

Diana sucked in her breath and wrapped her arms around herself as the next contraction hit her. “Oh, my God.“ She tried not to think of Harry’s gun, but the image kept getting mixed up in her mind with the rapidly escalating pain of her contractions.

No, not pain, she reminded herself with grim humor.
Discomfort.
Intense discomfort.

The real pain was yet to come.

Colby, where are you? I need you. You promised you’d be here with me. It’s happening too fast, Colby. It’s not
supposed to happen this fast.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?“ Eddy asked. “Is it the baby? You’re not having it now, are you?“

“Yes, it’s the baby. I’m in labor, Eddy.“

“Damn. Goddamn it to hell. I got to get this done. Harry didn’t say nothin’ about what to do if this happened. I got to hurry up and get it over.“

“Get what done, Eddy? Are you going to kill me?“ She was surprised at how calm the question sounded. It was probably because she had too many other things to think about. It was hard to get worked up over a mere murder threat when you were in labor and you were trying to deal with the fear that the man you loved might be dead.

No. Colby wasn’t dead. She’d know if he were dead. A light would have gone out somewhere in her mind. He was
still alive and as long as he was alive, he would be there when she needed him. He would move heaven and earth to
get to her.
She just had to keep going until her warrior found her.

“Don’t say nothin’ else, okay? I don’t want to talk.“

Diana kept her fingers wrapped around Specter’s collar. He waited, tense and expectant, making no sound.

Somehow Diana wasn’t surprised when Eddy pulled into a familiar parking area. She sat staring out at the starlit veil of water and knew that this was the way it had been meant to be.

“Chained Lady Rails,“ she said quietly. “What are we going to do here, Eddy?“

“You’re gonna have an accident from the top of the falls.“ He opened the car door and as the overhead light came on, he showed her the small handgun in his fist. His eyes were glittering.

“The same kind of accident your father had?“

“He deserved to go over those falls. Everyone in town said so at the funeral. I heard ‘em.“

“Do I deserve to go over the falls, Eddy?“

“You got to. No other way. I’m sorry, if you want to know the truth. You’re a real classy lady. But you belong to Colby Savagar and everything of his has to be destroyed. Don’t you see?
Everything
of his has to go.“

“Including my baby?“

“Don’t say nothin’ more, you hear me? Now get out of the car.“

Specter’s lips peeled back, revealing his teeth, but he made no sound. He followed Diana out of the car. She had never seen him quite like this. There were no threatening growls or angry, warning whines. The dog was deadly silent.

She knew Specter was ready to attack. For the first time she wondered just what Specter had done for a living in his former life. Colby had said once that he’d probably been a junkyard dog. According to the old saying, there wasn’t much that was meaner than a junkyard dog.

Eddy eyed Specter as he came around the car but when the dog made no move, he ignored him. He trained the gun on Diana.

“We got to climb to the top of the falls.“

“Don’t be a complete ass, Eddy. I’m in labor. I can’t possibly climb up to the top of the falls.“

“You got to. Harry said this is the way it has to be.“

“Probably because Harry wants you to take the blame for my death. I’m sure he’s got this all figured out so that he won’t have to split the money with you.“

“Move.“

She started forward and then screamed. The cry was only partially faked. The contraction that went through her was strong enough to generate a very real shriek. Diana doubled over in pain.

The sound totally unnerved Eddy. He jumped and leaped back involuntarily. “Damn you, don’t yell like that. Don’t yell like that again.“

“Specter,
get him.“

She wasn’t sure what the dog would do. She had never given him permission to attack anyone. She didn’t even know what constituted a proper attack command.

But Specter knew a threat to his mistress when he saw it. Her fear and anguish were more than enough to guide him. He sprang toward Eddy, fangs glinting in the starlight.

This time it was Eddy who screamed. He fell back, frantically waving the gun as a club. The dog’s big body bowled him over. Eddy broke free for a moment, rolled on the ground and tried to get to his feet. This time he aimed the gun at the charging dog.

But Specter reached him an instant too soon for Eddy to squeeze the trigger. Animal and man tumbled over the edge of the rocky pool and into the churning water at the base of the falls. They both disappeared.

“Specter!“

There was a terrifying pause, during which Diana could see nothing in the cold starlight. The roar of the falls blanked out all sounds of a struggle. Then Specter’s head appeared briefly amid the foam.

“Specter. Here boy. Come here, Specter.“

He responded to her call, swimming toward her with great, surging movements. A moment later he pulled himself up out of the pool and stood shaking the cold water out of his coat.

“Good dog. Good boy. Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.“ Diana was halted on her way to the car by another contraction. When she got moving again, she yanked open the door and discovered the keys to the Corvette had gone into the water along with Eddy and the gun.

Diana’s hands flattened on the roof of the car. She closed her eyes, leaned forward and whimpered in helpless fear and pain. She was stranded.

And then an image formed in her mind. It was an image straight out of her dreams.

The grotto. She would be safe in the grotto. She would be warm there. She would find comfort in that little
hidden place. Her baby would be born where it was meant to be born and they would both be safe.

“No,“ she whispered to Specter. “I must be going crazy. I’ll have to have the baby right here on the ground.“

She looked about at the dark, uninviting parking area. Not
a fetal monitor or an anesthetist in sight,
she thought hysterically.

She would use her jacket as a receiving blanket. She rummaged around in the cockpit of the Corvette and found a flashlight. She began talking to Specter as she made her meager preparations.

“There’s this tribe in Africa,“ she told him bracingly, “which has this thing about childbirth being a real macho thing for the women. They have to go off by themselves and have their babies all alone out in the bush. They aren’t even allowed to have any friends around, let alone a doctor or midwife: Tribe’s still surviving, so I guess it must work.

Specter, I’m so scared.“

But Specter wasn’t paying any attention to her. He was staring out into the darkness, watching the pool at the base of the falls. His body was gathered for battle once more. He was eerily silent.

Diana raised the flashlight and swung the beam out over the water. At first she could see nothing in the white foam, and then she saw what Specter had detected.

Eddy Spooner was swimming slowly toward the edge of the pool. His movements were hampered by the heavy rush of water cascading around him. He had an object in his fist. The gun.

Did guns work after they’d taken a dunking? Diana had no idea, but it seemed to her she’d seen movies where the heroes had risen from the water and proceeded to let loose a hail of gunfire over the bad guys.

There was little chance Specter would get away with another attack on Eddy. Eddy would be prepared this time.

The only safety lay in the grotto.

Diana hesitated no longer. She didn’t know if she could make it up the path to the cave entrance but she also knew she had no option except to try.