Curse (Blur Trilogy Book 3) (31 page)

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

So far we haven’t found anyone in the basement.

We’ve passed a window to a room filled with thousands of swarming flies, and another room set up for surgery, outfitted with strange wired caps and brain electrodes.

This hotel is like something straight out of a nightmare. It doesn’t need to be haunted—it’s horrifying enough as is.

No sign of Petra.

Tane is ahead of us and when he peers into the next room, he shouts for us to get over there, then disappears inside.

“What is it?” I call, as Nicole and I sprint toward him.

He just yells for us to hurry.

Petra? Is it her?

Nicole must be thinking the same thing, because she exclaims, “Is she okay?”

I enter the room.

A man is strapped to what looks like a dentist’s chair.

Bloody utensils and grim-looking tattooing equipment lie beside him.

Nicole is right behind me and I tell her to wait in the hall. “Nikki, you don’t need to see this.”

“What is it?”

The man has been beaten and his face is pulp
y
and swollen. One of his e
ye
balls is colored completel
y
black, just like T
y
Bell’s were.

At first I don’t recognize him.

But then I do.

Malcolm.

He’s unconscious.

Tane is working to undo the straps holding him in the chair.

“Daniel?” Thankfully, Nicole is still in the hall. “What is it? Tell me.”

“It’s Malcolm. He’s hurt.”

I shake him gently to wake him up.

It takes a few moments, but finally he stirs.

“Malcolm? Can you hear me? Are you alright?”

Tane finishes freeing his ankles and wrists.

“Daniel?” Malcolm’s voice is raspy and weak.

“Yeah.”

“I heard them talking. Petra is upstairs. Fourth floor.” Every word sounds strained and full of effort. “Third room on the left. Forget me. Just get her out of here.”

From the shape he’s in, I doubt he’ll be able to stand on his own, let alone get up the steps without help. With my recovering shoulder, I’m not the best one for that job. “You two help Malcolm. I’ll get Petra. We’ll meet you outside by Poehlman’s car.”

I still have that gun with me, and as I head toward the steps I start wishing I hadn’t unloaded it.

Mia and Alysha crouched behind the deadfall near the shed.

“What’s happening?” Alysha asked her.

“A guy left the hotel. He’s coming this way.”

“What should we do?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Do you know what time it is?”

“No. Why?”

“Petra’s deadline is at nine. It’s gotta be close.”

“Alright. That’s it. I’m going to help them—but you can’t stay here.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Maybe someone left their keys in their car. Let’s get you to safety.” She placed Alysha’s hand on her elbow so she could lead her. “C’mon.”

I take the stairs two at a time.

Past the second floor.

Third.

Thunder booms outside and the lights flicker.

To the fourth.

I push open the stairwell door.

Another poorly lit hallway.

By the looks of it, this level is still under construction.

The door to the room Malcolm told me to check is partly open.

With the empty gun out so that I can bluff if I need to, I approach it. “Petra?”

No reply.

I ease it open the rest of the way.

“Are you here?”

The room is empty.

Rain splatters in through an open window.

I cross to the sill.

Though it’s not completely dark yet, it’s tough to see very far—but then a thread of lightning illuminates the area and I make out a woman’s body lying on the ground four stories below me.

She isn’t moving.

But there is movement along the side of the hotel, about ten feet below the window. Someone is clinging desperately to the vines.

Thunder from that last lightning strike peels through the night.

“Petra?”

She looks up and there’s just enough light for me to recognize her from her college graduation pictures.

“Help!” Her voice is filled with terror. “They’re all around me!”

“You’ll be okay. You’re okay. Climb back up here. You can do it.”

“It’s the snakes. Please! I’m gonna fall!”

“There aren’t any snakes. Relax. You can make it. Come on.”

“Who are you?” The words tremble with a mixture of hope and fear.

“Daniel Byers. I’m here to help.”

“Daniel?”

“Yes.”

“I know about you.”

“Malcolm told me about you too. I met your dad.”

“My dad?”

“He’s really worried. You can do it. Come up and we’ll get out of here.”

With her arms shaking, she begins to climb.

In the darkness of the shed, Henrik raged against the ropes biting into his wrists and ankles, but they were too tight.

Then the door swung open and he heard Garrett’s voice. “Henrik? Are you okay?”

“Cut me free. Now!”

Nicole walked down the hallway beside Tane, who was supporting Mr. Zacharias, with one arm slung around him.

“I’m not sure how I’m gonna get Malcolm up the steps,” Tane said. Then, with his free hand he dug Poehlman’s keys out of his pocket. “Get the other girls from the shed and get out of here. We’ll follow you in the minivan. I have the keys to it. Go.”

Petra’s almost to me.

She keeps worr
yi
ng about snakes getting her and I keep telling her that she’s going to be alright.

Earlier toda
y,
her dad had mentioned that she takes antips
yc
hotic meds, and that he wasn’t sure how well she would do if she had to go three da
ys
without them.

Well, here was the answer.

Hallucinations that don’t stop.

Listening to her reminds me of the videos of Jess and Lia
m—h
ow the
y
lost it.

I hope it’s not too late for her.

Finall
y,
she reaches the windowsill and, gripping her wrist firml
y,
I help her into the room.

“She was tr
yi
ng to hurt me,” she gasps. “I didn’t mean to push her. I didn’t tr
y
to make her fall.”

“It’s oka
y.
”

“Her name’s Deedee. I think she might be dead.”

“We need to go, Petra.”

“Did the
y
bite me?”

“No, the
y—
”

“I know the
y
did.” She starts examining her arms and legs. “I kno
w—”

“You’re oka
y.
” I put m
y
hand gentl
y
on her shoulder to calm her. “Listen. Let’s go.”

She shakes her head. “Malcolm’s here. The
y
said the
y
have him. We can’t leave. We need to find him.”

“M
y
friends are with him. The
y’
re going to meet us outside. C’mon.”

Because of the slope of the road and the slick mud, Kyle hadn’t been able to find his stride, and now, for the third time, he wiped out.

After scrambling to his feet, he checked the phone just in case.

No signal.

Drawing in a quick breath, he raced down the mountain toward the car.