Page 17 of Headless Hollow

Putting my water away, I grabbed a fresh pair of gloves, but my phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text from Branson.

B: The Horseman struck again.

My heart sank as I stared at the words. Not only was he escalating at a breakneck pace, but I wasn’t sure I could handle it if it was someone else I knew.

I: Do I want to know who?

B: No. Apparently, my theory was wrong. I just got the call and am heading to Eli’s house. I’m so sorry Izzy.

My brow furrowed, and then I sucked in a sharp breath and covered my mouth.

“What’s wrong,” Brianna asked, rushing over.

Guilt over treating Eli like he couldn’t be trusted filled me as I looked up into her worried face. “The Horseman got Eli.”

Brianna covered her mouth, tears filling her eyes. “No, not Eli,” she said, and I pulled her into a hug. “He’s coming for all of us.”

I wasn’t so sure about that but kept the thought to myself. If the Horseman had been following me around and watching everything and everyone, then he’d know that Eli had asked me out. Fear shot down my spine. Branson…he was going to go after Branson. No. I couldn’t let that happen.

My phone buzzed again, and I looked down at the address that Branson sent through. “No matter what I have to head to the scene. Do you want to go home? I know this is a huge shock that hits very close,” I said, looking at Brianna’s striken face.

Brianna stepped back and wiped away the tears. “No, Eli deserves all of us working to catch this guy. He was my friend. I’m not running away from that.”

“Okay, but we’ll travel together. It’s safer that way,” I said, hoping I was right and not just saying that to make myself feel better.

I: I’m on my way, and Brianna is coming with me.

B: Good, I don’t want you traveling anywhere alone. Hell, you’re not going anywhere or doing anything alone anymore.

I: We’ll talk once I get there. Does the mayor know yet?

B: No, and I’m not going to tell him. You’re right. We need to do something. This is getting out of control, and I’ll be damned if the Feds are coming in and taking this case from me.

I: See you soon.

“Okay, Branson knows we are coming, so we better get going,” I said, heading to the office to grab my jacket and kit as Brianna finished packing hers. She didn’t make a sound, but I caught her wiping away tears and knew this was going to be a huge loss all around. We were a tiny town, and not many people chose to move here unless they were looking to retire. It made our hiring pool very small and our friendships tighter. Everyone here was like family. “It’s going to be okay,” I said, just as the fans stopped.

I looked up at the ceiling and the loud ventilation unit that we always had running to keep the air quality at its best. With a hiss, the containers that held the bodies shut down.

“No, this can’t be happening. I haven’t processed the bodies yet,” I said and ran to the wall with the control panel for the backup generator. It should’ve turned on by itself. I flicked the switch and nothing. Spinning around, I looked at Brianna, my heart in my throat. “Grab a weapon,” I ordered, heading for the tray that had unpackaged scalpels when we were plunged into darkness. It wasn’t the type of darkness where you could still see your hand in front of your face. No, this was the kind of darkness that only terrorized you in your nightmares.

“Izzy, I’m scared. Where are you?”

“I’m over here,” I answered. “Follow the sound of my voice. I’m heading for the wall with the microscopes.” I’d gotten down on the floor and was feeling my way across the room when I heard the sound of the only exit out of here opening. I held my breath, freezing in place as it clicked closed.

Thud, thud, thud.

I didn’t know what was louder, the sound of the boots slowly walking across the room and getting closer or the pounding of my heart in my chest.

“Stay away from me.” Brianna’s normally calm voice became shrill as she screamed, and terror raced down my spine. There was a loud hissing and the sound of struggling. I could hear Brianna’s shoes hitting the floor and squeaking as she fought.

“Leave her alone,” I screamed. “You want me? Fine, I’m right here. Come and get me, but don’t you dare hurt her.”

There was a distinctive thud like a body being dropped, and my lower lip trembled. “You asshole, if you hurt her,” I growled and then crawled as fast as I could until my hand landed on something that wasn’t the floor.

It took a second to register that it was a boot, and I slowly looked up. I’d been scared many times in my life, close calls in bad weather driving, a distraught ex wielding a gun at a scene. I’d faced down killers, stared into the eyes of the dead, and seen the worst that humanity could do to one another, but nothing could prepare me for the terror that gripped me as surely as a hand around my throat.

Suddenly, the mask I’d seen in the video at Branson’s lit up. But he wasn’t standing over me. He was right in front of my face, and I screamed at the evil Jack-o-lantern mask. Bright orange lines made the shape of the sadistic face, the eyes glowing red.