Field of Graves(90)

Taylor nodded at him, then kicked it open.





74



The interior of the shed was about ten feet by six, and smelled musty, like old mulch left to rot through the fall. Taylor flashed her Maglite from corner to corner and saw nothing to excite her. A few rusted garden tools, an old lawn mower, a bag of birdseed ravaged and emptied by scavengers. She shook her head to Miller and closed the door behind her.

“Go on back to the house. I’m right behind you.”

She took advantage of the relative calm to congratulate herself. They had found Jill safely and had identified where Lucas was doing his horrific crimes. Now they just had to find Lucas himself, and they could wrap this up with a neat little bow.

She started back to the house, and a shadow flitted out of the corner of her eye. She felt every nerve ending start to tingle. Her heart thumped hard in her chest.

He was here. She could feel him now. He must have been hiding in the woods behind the shed. She drew her Glock and went into a crouch, trying vainly to see in the darkness. She swung the sight of the gun left, then right, started to move forward. She heard a twig snap and spun around, then a loud grunt. It was too dark to see—was that Miller? She was afraid to call out, didn’t want to draw attention to her spot.

She took a cautious step forward, and something shoved her backward. She fell hard on her butt, her gun jolting out of her hand as she tried to catch herself. She caught her breath and scrambled up. The gun, where is the gun? Where is Miller?

Gabriel Lucas stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of her, a wicked long chef’s knife held in his right hand.

“Did you hurt her? Did you hurt Jill?”

Breathe, Taylor. Talk him down.

“No, Professor Lucas, Jill is fine. She’s inside with some of my men. Why don’t you drop that knife and we can go in and talk to her.”

Taylor could see the fright in his eyes. “You said you didn’t hurt her? You’re lying, I can tell you’re lying. Jill!” he screamed.

“Professor Lucas, stop right there. Drop the knife. If you don’t drop the knife, you can’t talk to Jill.”

Gabriel’s mood shifted, and he smiled at her. His voice was calm now, gentle. “I am Gabriel. Only Gabriel. I have changed the universe. You can’t hurt me.” He took two steps backward, never taking his eyes off Taylor.

Taylor tried to keep his line of vision to the kitchen blocked. “Gabriel. I told you Jill is fine. Now put your hands on your head, and turn around, very slowly.” She stepped back, saw the outline of her Glock four feet away to her right. She’d have to dive for it if she needed to use it. She needed to distract Lucas, get him to put down the knife.

His eyes were roving, searching, looking behind her, almost as if he was trying to get her to turn her head away from him, and then he’d tackle her. She wasn’t falling for it, kept her eyes locked on his.

When he feinted a move toward her, she stepped to the right. One step closer to her Glock.

“Gabriel, it’s all over. We know what you’ve done.”

He started to laugh. “You know what I’ve done? How can you possibly know what I’ve done? I’ve saved you. I’ve saved all of you! I have created the perfect One, He who will reign forever, the spirit of humanity, the one true God. His path has been cleared. His way will be followed. The signs have been fulfilled! ‘And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his name shall be in their foreheads.’” He was screaming now, arms thrown to the heavens, his face a mask of ecstasy.

Taylor was thankful for his episode; surely his screaming would bring some backup. Keep him distracted, step to your right again. Pick up the damn gun.

Gabriel continued howling. “‘And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither the light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.’ Don’t you see? Don’t you understand? I have created the light!”

Taylor spoke calmly. “I know what you think you’ve done, Gabriel. I know you think you can create the Messiah through Jill. But you haven’t, you can’t. All you’ve done is get a young girl pregnant and murder five other people. You’re sick, and we want to help you. Now turn around and get on the ground. Get on the ground now. Now!”

Gabriel ignored the command. He was looking over Taylor’s shoulder. She caught it, realizing that Gabriel must have seen Jill somewhere behind her.

The transformation was amazing. He was suddenly calm, the joy on his face shining like a beam of light. Gabriel held out his arms.

“Oh, my love, my sweet. You’re okay now. I won’t let anything happen to you. Come to me, my dove.”

His eyes were glazed, and he had a smile on his face, one so yearning that Taylor almost felt sorry for him for a moment. The man was seriously ill, and it was possible his illness had robbed him of his ability to think competently. But they had him now, and he would pay. She’d make sure of it.

She gave a quick look over her shoulder and saw Jill standing with Fitz in the back door of the house. The light radiated behind her, and she shone like an angel.

Taylor turned back to Gabriel. She saw something in his eyes that frightened her. She shouted over her shoulder. “Fitz, get the girl back inside. Now!”

Gabriel’s face was suffused with love and hatred. Taylor watched him warily as she heard the first of the sirens pulling into the drive. He was going to go after the girl; she was certain of that. She couldn’t let him get past her.