“He knocked on the door. I think he’s holding something…it looks like…shit. It’s glitching.” Another few seconds slowly tick by as Gemma tries to refresh the screen. “Okay. He’s holding another envelope.” She pauses and I can hear someone knocking again, loud enough this time to have it echo through the house. I speed down another block, racing through a yellow light. Only two more blocks and I’m out of the main traffic. “Now he’s going back to the car. He put the envelope down on the porch.”
“Okay, keep watching.”
“I’m switching views to the driveway,” she says, and a minute or two later she says nothing has happened but it looks like there’s another person in the car. “They’re just sitting there with the engine running. I’m going to invoke the amethyst now.”
“Stay out of sight. I don’t think he knows you’re staying with me.”
Nick can’t stay silent for any longer. “Who are you talking about, Ace? Should we call in for backup?”
“No backup,” I tell him, gripping the steering wheel tightly again.
“Is someone in the car with you?” Gemma asks.
“Yeah, a friend from work,” I say shortly, irritated I have to come to another stop. We’re getting closer, and the closer we get the more anxious I am. I can catch this guy. Arrest him for trespassing. It won’t be enough to hold him, but it’ll give me an edge I didn’t have before.
Gemma puts the phone down, and I hear her chanting as she invokes the powers of the crystals to protect her.
“What the fuck is going on?” Nick asks, sitting up. His hand lands on the door, and I know he’s thinking about getting the fuck out of here. “Is this a joke? It’s not funny, Ace.”
“No,” I say harshly. “It’s not a joke.”
I fall silent, listening to Gemma cast a protection spell on the house. We’re only minutes away now.
“Someone else is getting out of the car,” Gemma says. “A woman…she looks pretty young. Maybe early twenties?”
“What else?”
“She’s in all black, red hair in a high ponytail, and big hoop earrings.”
“What’s she doing?”
“Coming onto the porch. Something is wrong with her eyes, Ace.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“They’re like reflecting weird on the camera.”
I let out a slow breath. “There’s a gun upstairs in my room,” I start.
“What the fuck, Ace?” Nick blurts. “That’s it. I’m calling this in.”
“Don’t you dare,” I say, pressing the pedal down and sending the car lurching forward. “We’re almost there. Gemma?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Going upstairs. Something feels wrong, Ace. I can’t describe it, but it just does.”
“I think I know what you mean,” I say, remembering the way I felt when I first saw Mr. Trent. “Just stay low and I’ll be home soon.”
“Okay.” I hear Gemma going up the stairs. She opens and closes a bedroom door. “I’m in my room now. Blinds are closed and I have the computer with me. She’s doing something…I…I think she’s casting a spell.”
“A spell?” Nick echoes. “You better tell me what the hell is going on. Now.”
I turn onto my road. “I think you’ll find out soon enough.”
Speeding down the road, I narrowly avoid a bird that swoops down in front of us. The black SUV is still in my driveway as I barrel in.
The redheaded girl is on the porch with her hand outstretched and her head turned down.
“What the hell?” Nick unbuckles.
I drive around the SUV, screeching to a halt right by the house. Almost forgetting to put the car in park, I shut off the engine and get out. The redhead turns, hand outstretched.
“Ace,” Nick gasps, and rushes around the car. “That girl…she’s one of the missing kids.”
