The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek(86)

Travis and Donna nodded.

“Mark, you’ll hang back in the woods as lookout. If you see anyone—and I mean anyone—heading toward us at the spring, give us a signal. Can you do a good owl hoot?”

“Definitely.” Hornhat made an unsettling noise that reminded Rex of his late Grandpa Mack’s smoker’s cough.

“Yeah, no,” Ben said. “If you see someone coming, just shout at us.”

“Got it.”

“Anyone have any last questions?” Ben asked.

Why is my heart beating so damn hard? Rex wanted to ask.

“Good luck out there, you guys,” Janine said from behind her camera.

“Let’s save Alicia,” Donna said. “And take down those assholes who killed my dad.”

Janine had never heard Donna talk about her father’s death, let alone refer to it as a murder, and she found it oddly moving. “We’re going to,” she said.

They crossed through the gap in the chain-link fence one by one. Rex’s right scuba fin momentarily got stuck as he went through, and of course he couldn’t help but think of Leif. It reminded him that he was exactly where he needed to be, doing exactly what he needed to do. And also that it was very challenging to walk in scuba fins. They probably could have waited to put these on.

“Wonder if Mr. Whitewood knows there’s this big ol’ gap in his fence,” Travis said as he passed through last.

That was the last thing any of them said, as once they’d all made it to the other side, Ben held a commanding finger to his lips. Rex’s heart continued to pound as they moved through what was now familiar territory: the woods, the two-trunked tree with a view of the spring, the thirty or so exposed steps down toward the water. A sense of calm settled upon him as the group approached the water’s edge; with his hammer in one hand and bag of pig’s blood in the other, Rex was ready to do whatever it would take to save Alicia from this cursed spring.

That calm only lasted a few seconds, though, as a row of torches suddenly lit up in front of them.





25


“WELCOME BACK,” WHITEWOOD said from the far side of the spring, dressed in his light blue robe with the white stole over the shoulders, the rest of the cult fanned out behind him with torches. “Nice to see you again, Candidatus.”

Rex didn’t know what that meant, but he did know their plan had fallen apart before they’d even started. Somehow they’d timed their rescue incredibly poorly, choosing the same night as this ritual, which looked to be particularly horrifying. Just beyond the cult—on the lawn between the school and the spring—about twenty or so students were lined up, hands tied behind their backs, ankles bound. Rex did a quick scan for Leif but didn’t see him.

He wondered if he and his squad might be able to run back to the hole in the fence. But as he turned his head toward the woods, he saw that four more robed cult members had emerged from the tree line.

There was no escape.

Had Whitewood known they were coming?

“I’d like to extend a special thanks to my Employee of the Month, Travis Bethune,” Whitewood said, “for letting us know about this little mission and making all of this possible.”

Rex felt woozy. He should have known dim bulb Travis would accidentally reveal their secret.

“I’m sorry, guys,” Travis said. “But what Mr. Whitewood is doin’ here is real important. It’s what our town needs. I can’t let y’all mess it up.”

“Wait,” Rex said, trying to keep up, “you’re a part of this…thing?”

“Yeah, man,” Travis said, growing excited. “I been wantin’ to tell ya, it’s good that Alicia’s in the spring! She’s gonna be one of the Seven Shepherds. And one of y’all might be too!”

“That’s exactly right, Travis,” Whitewood said, spreading his arms dramatically, his robe billowing around him. “Tonight is our last night to offer one final Lost Cause to the One Below!”

“The Seven Shepherds shall rise!” shouted Leggett Shackelford, standing next to Whitewood.

“The Seven Shepherds shall rise!” the cult repeated.

Rex still had no idea what the hell they were talking about, but he was fairly certain he had no interest in being one of their weird shepherds. And that Alicia wouldn’t either.

Apparently Ben felt the same way, because he was already awkwardly bolting toward the spring in his flippers.

“Come on!” he shouted.

Rex started to run after him, hammer and bag of pig’s blood in hand, but the fins made it challenging. After only a few steps, Travis grabbed him by the shoulders.

“No!” Whitewood yelled. “Let them go! If they want to offer themselves to the One Below, don’t stand in their way!”

Travis did as he was told. Though Rex wasn’t exactly encouraged by the idea that he and Ben were making an offering of themselves, he knew if they had a chance to save Alicia, they had to take it.

He followed Ben into the spring, watching as he pulled his mask down.

“We won’t have any pullers!” Rex realized.

“We’ll figure it out!” Ben said, putting the regulator in his mouth and diving under.

Rex did the same, submerging his blood-covered body and watching as a pale blue glow spread all around him, bubbles percolating on the surface above. Using the back of his hammer, he tore a hole in his bag of pig’s blood, then watched the red fluid commingle with the bright blue of the water, breaking down into smaller strands as it dissipated throughout the spring. It was oddly beautiful.