[Mystic Caravan Mystery 04.0] Freaky Games Read online

  “I hope so.” Kade gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before releasing me. “Get rid of him.”

  I sucked in a breath as I swiveled, finding Pardo staring at us with unfettered loathing. “You need to go,” I ordered. “I’ve told you how things will play out. We’ll get the money Luke owes to you before we leave town. I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”

  “Plus interest.”

  “No interest.”

  “Listen, you little bitch, you’re not in charge here!” Pardo’s anger grew at a rate that matched the whipping wind outside.

  Kade took a step away from the tent flap and rubbed the side of his face, casting me a sidelong look. “The storm is here.”

  “Which means the creature is here,” I murmured, shaking my head. “It’s too late to send them out of here. They’ll be easy targets if we do. We need a new plan.”

  “Sometimes I think we should get T-shirts made up with that saying,” Nixie said, grinning. “Mystic Caravan, come for the food and show, stay for the new and even more craptastic plan.”

  I didn’t want to laugh – it wasn’t a funny situation, after all – but I couldn’t stop myself. “I think you found our new slogan.” I shifted my eyes to Pardo. “I think you and your friends should move back to the far wall – away from any openings – and wait there until the storm passes.”

  “You have got to be kidding me.” Pardo exchanged an amused look with one of his trained monkeys. “Do you think we’re idiots? We’re not going to fall for this, woman. If you think … .”

  As if on cue, the wind swept inside of the tent and began swirling. I shoved Kade away from the flap in an effort to keep us clear of the guest I knew was coming. Nellie took an aggressive stance in the middle of the tent, crouched low and waited. Pardo widened his eyes to comical proportions and for the first time I got the distinct impression that he was starting to believe.

  I felt a presence at my side and turned, locking gazes with the invisible figment. He still lacked form, but the red eyes were open and full of warning.

  “Which one are you?” I asked. “You’re Rodney, aren’t you?” I’m not sure how I knew – or why it mattered – but something about the creature’s demeanor reminded me of the frightened man in the memory. “Were you the last to survive?”

  Yes.

  The creature answered in my head, not so much as blinking as it stared.

  “What is that thing?” Pardo asked, his voice going unnaturally squeaky. “Is that a … monster?”

  I ignored him. “Your soul separated from your body before you died, didn’t it?”

  Yes.

  “Is that thing talking to you?” Kade whispered, resting his hand on my hip.

  I nodded. “In his own way. What’s the creature? Is it a Gorgon?”

  I don’t know.

  “Is there a way to kill it?”

  Not unless it takes human form.

  Now that was an interesting. “Can it do that?”

  I’ve seen it once before. It happened in the mine. It hollows out men and takes them over for a time … but only until it can’t keep the bodies working any longer. The mind works in the new space, the body starts decaying right away.

  “Oh.” Realization dawned. “It’s not a Gorgon. It’s a soul eater. I’ve never seen one like we have here, but I’m betting that’s what it is.”

  Kade arched an eyebrow. “What’s a soul eater?”

  “They’re numerous things, but it makes sense that the original settlers might’ve thought it was a Gorgon,” Nixie replied. “They’re evil beings. They can take multiple forms – including animals – and they’ve been known to twist animals into mutilated forms while inhabiting them.”

  “Thus the legend of the Gorgon,” I added. “And the webbed footprints we found. A creature wouldn’t need webbed feet in the desert, but it might underground.”

  “And that’s the woman with snakes for hair, right?” Kade queried.

  “Yes.”

  I ran my thumb over my lip, an idea forming. “We can kill it if it’s in human form.”

  “Doesn’t that mean we have to sacrifice a human to kill the creature?” Kade didn’t look thrilled with the prospect.

  I saw no reason to lie – or back away from the prospect. “Yes.”

  Kade swallowed hard, absorbing the news, and then flicked his eyes to Pardo. “I think we have a volunteer.”

  I followed his gaze, my stomach rumbling with distaste at the thought. “We’re not there yet.”

  “Not where?” Pardo asked, shifting closer to his bodyguards. “What are you guys talking about?”

  I turned back to the figment. “Will you go when it goes?”

  I hope so. I am tired of … all of this.

  I couldn’t blame him. “How close is it?”

  Very close.

  “Then I guess we’d better get ready.” I pressed my eyes shut, sending out a mental distress call for Raven and Max. I had a feeling we’d need both of them before the night was done. When I opened my eyes I found Kade shifting closer so he could slip his arm around my back. “Max and Raven will be here soon.”

  “Can’t you do it?” Kade asked. “I mean … if it comes to it … can you do it?”

  “Maybe, but I doubt I’m strong enough,” I replied. “I could do it with Raven and Naida, but Max is more powerful. He can do it himself.”

  “Well, at least we have that going for us.” Kade rested his forehead against mine. “I don’t see where we have much choice. It solves multiple problems.”

  “Yes, but it’s also cold and makes us murderers.”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s a murderer,” Kade pointed out, inclining his chin toward Pardo. “The only other choice you have is to let Pardo go, hope he won’t come after Luke again down the line – which seems unlikely – and leave the soul eater to keep hunting this area. How many innocent people do you think will die because of that decision?”

  “More than I’m comfortable with, but … I’m not sure I’m altogether comfortable with this either,” I admitted.

  “Then let Max decide,” Kade suggested. “He’s the leader. He should have to take on some of the responsibility. It shouldn’t always fall on you.”

  He had a point, still … . “It’s here.” I snapped my head to the opening a few feet away and stared at the shadow taking form in the entryway. It didn’t even glance in my direction, instead focusing on Pardo and his men.

  Kade moved to shove me behind him, inserting himself in the space between the soul eater and me. It didn’t matter. The soul eater seemed much more interested in Pardo and his men than the circus brethren scattering to the walls of the tent.

  “Nellie, you and Luke need to move away from them,” I ordered, causing Nellie and Luke to snap their eyes in my direction. “Do it now.”

  They both did as I instructed without argument, leaving the space in the center of the tent empty except for Pardo and his four cohorts. Pardo realized they were being isolated but only when it was too late to make an escape.

  “What is that thing?” Pardo demanded, his face flushing with unnatural color. “I … it’s sucking the oxygen out of the room.”

  I didn’t feel that in the least, and when I glanced at Kade he didn’t seem to be having trouble breathing either. “I think you might be having a heart attack or something,” I offered. “No one else is having trouble breathing.”

  “I think it’s karma.” Nellie clutched his ax handle as tightly as possible. Because he didn’t have an enemy to strike at, he could do nothing but watch. “It’s coming for you.”

  “What is it?” Pardo repeated, jerking the shoulder of one of his bodyguards and attempting to shove the man in front of him. The man – however well paid – had no interest in sacrificing himself to an evil hell beast, so he wisely wrenched himself out of Pardo’s grip. “Do something, you idiots!” He screamed so loudly I jolted. “Kill it!”

  One of his men pulled a gun from inside his coat and pointed,
causing Kade to shove me further back and drape his body protectively over mine. “Don’t fire that thing in here! You’ll hit someone by accident!”

  The man didn’t listen, pulling the trigger and firing wildly. The soul eater didn’t slow its approach, the bullets passing harmlessly through it as it advanced.

  “What’s happening?” Pardo sounded like a shrieking child, which made what was about to happen all the worse.

  “What do we do?” Nellie called out, appearing across the main ring with Luke on his heels. “Do we just let this happen?”

  “We need it to happen,” Kade replied. “The other thing … the figment … says that the soul eater can only be destroyed when it’s in human form.”

  “That’s a soul eater?” Luke didn’t bother hiding his surprise. “I’ve read about them, heard the stories and stuff, but I’ve never seen one. I had no idea they looked like that.”

  “I don’t think they all look the same,” I said. “It doesn’t matter. We need it to invade a human host.”

  “I think you’re about to get your wish,” Nellie said, wrinkling his nose. “He seems very interested in Pardo.”

  It always goes for the dark souls first.

  I glanced at the figment. That made an odd sort of sense. “It wants to take Pardo because it thinks that they’re somehow alike and it might be able to survive longer in his body,” I deduced. “We don’t even have to point it in that direction.”

  “No, we don’t,” Max agreed, moving into the tent. His eyes were glassy and full of fire as he absorbed the situation. “There it is.”

  “You got my call.” I couldn’t help but be relieved. “The only way we can kill it is … .”

  “If it takes on a human host,” Max finished. “I understand.” He flicked his gaze to the figment. “Is that one of the fallen miners?”

  I nodded. “Rodney.”

  “Well, Rodney, we thank you for your insight and time,” Max said. “We can take it from here.”

  The figment didn’t respond, merely hovering in midair and watching as Max closed the distance behind the soul eater. “He’s right there,” Max whispered, his voice carrying to the soul eater. “Take him.”

  “Who is this?” Pardo was on the edge of a mental breakdown. His four bodyguards scattered to the sides of the tent, abandoning him to a fate he couldn’t hope to fight off. They didn’t look nearly as tough as they pretended to be a mere twenty minutes before. “Do something!”

  “We are,” Max replied calmly, raising his hands as the soul eater finished its trek and began merging its ethereal body with Pardo’s physical one. “We’re ending the terror. It won’t be long now.”

  Pardo screamed in protest, vainly fighting against a creature without physical form. I closed my eyes and buried my face in Kade’s shoulder, lifting my hands to cover my ears as the screams grew more and more desperate.

  “It’s almost done.” Max sounded pleased with himself. He looked upon the terrible sight with something of a clinical detachment. “As soon as it is, I’ll handle the rest of it.”

  “How?” Kade asked, wrapping his arms around my back and pressing me tightly against his chest. “What are you going to do?”

  “What needs to be done,” Max replied simply. “It seems we’ll solve two problems tonight.”

  The screaming returned – although only briefly – and then died on the wind as the dust storm really got going outside. I glanced at the figment and watched it rather than the violence occurring on the other side of the tent, trying to ignore the grunts, groans and gasps coming from the creature as it took over Pardo’s body.

  Kade cupped the back of my head and I felt more than saw when Max delivered the killing blow. Whether the soul eater realized what was coming, or it was simply too late to stop the transformation, I would never know. It screamed in protest as Max attacked – Nellie jumping in to help, of course – and then it went silent as its useless body, the shell that used to be Pardo, fell to the ground.

  The figment turned its eyes to me one last time when it was over.

  Thank you.

  Then he was gone … and all that was left was the cleanup.

  30

  Thirty

  Cleanup was easier than I expected.

  Naida whipped up an indoor rainstorm and Nellie handled the body disposal. Because he got to use his ax after all, he was in a fairly good mood and didn’t complain even once about having to dump a body. We doubted Pardo’s goons would send the police our way, but we were prepared in case they did, an extravagant lie all plotted out and ready to drop on Detective Dorsey.

  Dorsey never came. Perhaps that was on purpose. Perhaps he was simply too busy to spare the time. Perhaps the final discussion he bore witness to was simply too much.

  It didn’t matter.

  We opened the circus on time the next morning, worked all day and then started our teardown the moment the show closed. We were anxious to get out of town, put Vegas in our rearview mirror, and debate how wise a return was once we had distance between the city and us.

  Dinner was a muted affair, very little conversation shared, and I was exhausted when I finally turned in. I simply slid under the covers, waited for Kade to get comfortable, and placed my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead, whispered that everything was going to be okay, and then hummed a bit for me before I drifted off.

  We rose with the sun Monday morning, ready to hit the road. We were already packed, only a few small things left to store for the ride, when I found Luke waiting for me in front of my trailer.

  “I’m going to check with everyone and make sure they’re ready,” Kade offered, running his hand up and down my arm. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Take your time.”

  I nodded in thanks. “Okay.”

  “You don’t have to go,” Luke offered. “In fact, I think it would be better if you stayed.”

  Kade glanced to me, as if asking permission, and I nodded. There was nothing Luke could say that Kade shouldn’t hear. We’d all gone through the same thing together. There was nothing to hide.

  “I’ll stay then,” Kade said, his expression flat rather than warm.

  “First, I want to thank you,” Luke started, twisting his fingers together. He was clearly uncomfortable, something I didn’t see often in my gregarious best friend. “Both of you, in fact. You stood by me when other people might’ve left me to clean up my own mess … no matter how dangerous it was.”

  “We’ve already been over this, Luke,” I pointed out. “Only some of this was your fault. Do you feel the need to talk about that again, or do you need reassurance?”

  “I don’t need either.” Luke’s eyes flashed. “I’m not here to beg for forgiveness, if that’s what you think.”

  “I think you should beg for Poet’s forgiveness,” Kade interjected. “You put your hands on her.”

  “And he already apologized for that,” I countered. “He didn’t hurt me.”

  Kade wasn’t quite ready to let it go. “He could’ve hurt you.”

  “Yes, and I could’ve hurt him worse,” I said. “It doesn’t really matter, though, does it? It’s over. He wasn’t in control of his own faculties. I know Luke would never hurt me.”

  “Not on purpose, no,” Luke agreed. “But I did hurt you, and I will be forever sorry.”

  “Well, you can pay me back when I think of a proper punishment,” I teased. I was sick of the melancholy man in front of me. I wanted my mischievous best friend back. I hoped he was only taking a brief break, because the alternative was too much to bear.

  “You’re going to punish him?” Kade was understandably intrigued. “Can I punish him, too?”

  “That sounds vaguely sexual when you say it,” Luke said dryly, earning an antagonistic glare for his lame attempt at humor. “I might like that. Poet’s kept me apprised of your abilities, so if you want to punish me … .”

  “Don’t push it,” Kade warned, wagging a warning finger.

  I snorted in amuse
ment, grabbing Kade’s hand and pushing it down. “Luke, not everything that happened was your fault. We’ve already talked about the parts that were your fault. You can’t dwell on it. It will eat you alive.”

  “Like the soul eater ate David Pardo alive?” Luke involuntarily shuddered. “I can’t get that out of my head.”

  He wasn’t the only one. I refused to watch the entire show, so I didn’t have as many dark memories to grapple with as the rest. “I can’t either, but you should know that Kade and I were already talking about sacrificing Pardo to the soul eater before it fixated on him. That was probably always going to happen.”

  “Yeah, I still don’t understand why that thing did what it did,” Kade admitted. “I thought for sure it would go for Poet because she was the most magical being in the room.”

  “I thought that was a possibility,” I conceded. “That’s why I planned to direct it in Pardo’s direction. It clearly saw something dark inside of Pardo that it identified with. I’m starting to wonder if he didn’t have a little warlock in his blood.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because they say his sister was a witch – and I’m really surprised that she didn’t show up to question us, by the way – so maybe she wasn’t self-taught after all,” I replied. “Maybe they both had a little magic in their blood. Pardo pointed his inner urges toward business and his sister handled the magical heavy lifting.”

  “I guess that’s possible, but why didn’t the sister come out here looking for her brother?” Kade asked. “I’d think that we would be her first stop. Wouldn’t she want some form of confirmation?”

  “I’m sure the men who were out here with Pardo told her what happened, and that’s on top of the other two men we saw earlier in the day,” I explained. “If she’s smart, which I’m guessing she is to have pulled off what she did for so long, she realized she was outnumbered and wisely kept her distance.”

  “Should we go after her?” Kade asked. “If she’s supplying the magic to ensnare people, shouldn’t we do something to save them?”

  I shrugged, unsure how to answer. “In theory, yes, but it’s a slippery slope. People go in those casinos of their own free will. No one makes them gamble that first time.”