The Devil, the Witch and the Whore (The Deal Book 1) Page 46

  “You're Esther Stewart,” I whisper, barely able to believe what I'm seeing. “I read the file about you, your parents' car went missing twenty years ago...”

  “He made me serve him,” she continues, her voice starting to crack again as her sobs return. “I helped Ramsey. Or I tried to, at least. So now you have to help me in return, it's only fair. The devil promised I could go back to my parents, he promised everything would be alright, but he lied to me. Now you have to save them instead. Take me home.”

  “I can't take you home,” I tell her. “Esther, you and your parents have been missing for twenty years.”

  “He promised Tommy, too,” she groans. “We have to find him, so he can go home too. He can't break his promise to either of us.”

  “Esther...”

  “I'll take you to the car,” she continues, stepping back. “I'll take you and show you the bones. The devil was going to make them live again, but you'll have to do it instead. You can bring Mom and Dad back, and then you can make me young again, and then everything will be back to how it's supposed to be.”

  “Let me get you out of here first,” I stammer. “Esther, there's a fire blocking the nearest exit. Do you know these tunnels? Do you know a different way out?”

  “We have to find them!” she hisses, sounding increasingly angry. “You're going to put everything right!”

  “Did you see who hurt my friend?” I ask, looking over at Lewis's body. “Something attacked him.”

  “He wouldn't give me what I wanted.”

  I turn to her, and it's only now that I notice patches of blood around her chin and neck, along with dark red splashes on the rags she's wearing.

  “I told him to give my parents back,” she continues, “and he refused, so I punished him. But now you're going to get then back for me, aren't you?”

  She hesitates, staring at me, and slowly a hint of fresh anger reaches her eyes.

  “Aren't you?” she adds finally. “I won't let anyone else lie to me. I'm not a fool! Tell me you'll get my parents back for me. Tell me right now!”

  “Esther -”

  “Tell me!” she screams, spraying me with blood-stained saliva as she leans closer. “Promise me!”

  “I can't promise you that!” I tell her. “You -”

  Before I can finish, she lets out a loud cry and lunges at me, sinking her teeth into the side of my neck and biting hart. I immediately feel a burst of hot blood rushing out onto my flesh, and I sink down screaming to the tunnel's rocky ground as Esther bites deeper and deeper into my neck.

  Sixty-Four

  Ramsey Kopperud

  Another pine tree comes crashing down ahead, missing me by only a few feet as it slams against the burning ground. A rush of heat blasts me, causing me to stop and turn away. When I turn back, I see that the fallen tree has blocked my route, cutting me off from the path that past the edge of the clearing.

  The heat is so strong now, I swear I can feel my face starting to sear.

  “Dad!” I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth. “Where are you?”

  I'm lost.

  Maybe I had a vague idea of the right direction when I set out, but now I'm completely, totally lost.

  “Dad!” I scream. “It's me! It's Ramsey! Where are you?”

  I wait, but all I hear in return is the powerful roar of the flames and the constant crackling of tall, tilting trees. Stumbling forward, I feel the ashy ground sinking slightly beneath my feet, and for a moment I can't figure out where to go. The forest is burning all around me, filling the air with so much smoke that I can barely breathe, but I know I have to keep going. The last time I spoke to Dad, he said he was coming out this way, and Sebastian told me where I'd find him. I can't leave, not until I've made certain that Sebastian was lying.

  “Dad!” I yell again. “I'm here!”

  After a moment, I spot a patch nearby where there are fewer burning trees. Hurrying over, I duck down and look ahead, and suddenly I realize I can see what looks like a car parked in the flames. I stay low, making my way beneath a partially-fallen tree that has ended up burning as it leans against two others, and finally I reach the car. To my horror, I find that it's a police cruiser, but when I reach the windows I find that there's nobody inside. I grab the handle, hoping to open the door, but the metal is too hot and I let out a gasp of pain as I pull back.

  “Dad!” I shout, hoping against hope that he's nearby.

  Spotting the entrance to the tunnel, I realize that there are far too many flames blocking my path. If I try to go that way, I'll never reach the entrance before the heat and the smoke overwhelm me. I guess I could try to hot-wire the cruiser, although I don't know where I'd begin other than fumbling for random wires around the ignition, so instead I raise my coat over my head and step as close to the flames as I dare, and then I focus on the tunnel entrance. This is crazy, but it's my only hope, so finally I pull my coat down over my head and get ready to run forward.

  So much for that asshole Sebastian providing a path for me. He might have guided me here through the burning forest, but he's not exactly making it easy.

  And then I remember Dad's spare key trick.

  Back when I was a kid, he always tucked a spare set of house keys in the dash compartment of his car, and that spare set always included a spare key to whatever he was driving.

  Pulling my coat back down, I take it off entirely and wrap it around my hands, and then I hurry over and try the cruiser's handle. To my relief, I find that it was left unlocked, so I clamber inside and start searching for the spare keys. My father is a smart guy, but he's always been a very slightly lazy and careless guy too, and after just a few seconds I pull out a thick clutch of spare keys. I swear to God, some people just never change. I'm pretty sure leaving your vehicle unattended with a spare set of keys isn't recommended in his business, but right now I'm just grateful that he's still lazy after all these years.

  It only takes a moment for me to figure out which key is which, and I quickly get the engine started. I know this idea is crazy, but it's slightly less crazy than running through the flames, and I figure I can just drive forward slowly until I reach the entrance to the tunnel, and then I can hop out and get down there to check for him.

  The cruiser has a stick shift transmission, but I'm pretty sure it can't be that hard to figure this thing out. I take a moment to acquaint myself with the set-up, and then I hit the gas pedal.

  Immediately, the cruiser lurches forward and starts speeding toward the flames. I try to switch my foot to the brake pedal, but somehow I miss. By the time I'm ready to try again, it's too late and the cruiser crashes through the burning forest before slamming into rocks next to the tunnel entrance. Thrown forward, I hit the dashboard shoulder-first, but by some miracle I manage to keep my head from bouncing off the windshield. At the same time, burning branches crash down against the cruiser's roof.

  I quickly clamber out of the vehicle, bracing myself against the wall of heat as I hurry into the tunnel entrance. I immediately feel a little cooler, although I'm suddenly very aware that I don't have any kind of flashlight. I look ahead into the pitch darkness, and for a moment I wonder if maybe I have a better option here. Finally, figuring that this is my only chance to find Dad, I hurry forward into the void.

  ***

  “Dad!” I shout, for what must be the hundredth time as I continue to wander along yet another dark tunnel. “Dad, say something! Are you down here?”

  I've only been walking for a few minutes, and I've been very, very careful to make sure that I can find my way back, but so far the tunnel system seems completely empty. I know I'm only in one small section, but I was convinced that Dad would be close and now I'm starting to wonder whether he might have already left. Either that, or something bad happened down here and I'm too late.

  Then again, Sebastian's words keep ringing in my ears. Why would he taunt me and tell me I still had a chance, if Dad was already gone?

  “Hello?” I yell. “Are you -�
��

  Suddenly my feet bump against something on the ground. Whatever it is, it's soft rather than rocky, and when I reach down I'm shocked to feel a human leg wearing a pair of pants. I run my hand up to the chest, and I quickly find what feels like a badge from the sheriff's department.

  “Dad?” I whisper, trying not to panic. “Are you okay?”

  As soon as I touch his face, however, I realize that it's not him. Whoever this is, he's too thin and wiry, without any stubble at all. A moment later, I realize there's something wet and sticky on one side of his neck, and I move my fingertips down until they brush against scraps of torn flesh.

  He's dead.

  Getting to my feet, I look ahead into the darkness, and I can't help noticing that the air down here feels a little thin. I hesitate for a moment, listening to a very faint rushing sound, as if air is being drawn past me along the tunnel and out toward the fire, but I know I can't turn back. Not now.

  I stumble on through the darkness, although I'm starting to feel a little light-headed and I almost trip several times. After a few more minutes, however, I spot a discarded flashlight up ahead. Once I have the light in my hands, I shine the beam forward and see the rocky walls of the tunnel, although a moment later I spot a patch of blood on the ground. Stepping closer, I see that the blood is glistening in the light, which means it was spilled recently.

  “Dad!” I shout, trying not to panic. “Are you down here?”

  “Ramsey!” a voice shouts back suddenly. “This way!”

  I freeze.

  That's not Dad.

  I know I recognize the voice, but it takes a moment before I realize where I've heard it before.

  “Esther?” I yell as I start hurrying forward. “Where are you? Have you seen my father?”

  “Hurry, Ramsey! He's here! I'm trying to help him!”

  Running along the tunnel, I follow the sound of her voice as she continues to call out. At every junction, I have to stop and shout at her again, but each time I'm able to edge a little closer. I've completely lost track of my route now, but all I care about is finding Dad. And then finally, after what feels like forever, I suddenly find myself back at the chamber that I first discovered several days ago, and I see that Dad is slumped against the wall with Esther frantically trying to pack dirty cloths against a wound on the side of his neck.

  “What happened?” I yell, hurrying over and dropping to my knees. “Dad, can you hear me?”

  “He's unconscious,” Esther replies. “Something attacked him in the tunnels. I don't know what. Maybe it was Tommy.”

  I turn and look back across the chamber. The witch is still on her chair, with wooden poles still impaling her, and there's a pale corpse on the ground over by the far wall, with most of its head having been blasted away. It looks like the creature that chased me last time I was down here, but I guess there'll be time to figure out the truth later. Turning back to Dad, I see that there's a lot of blood already soaking through the piece of cloth on his neck.

  “There's a fire,” I tell Esther. “It's huge, it's like the whole forest is burning. Sebastian started it.”

  “Who?”

  “The devil,” I reply, figuring that even if I know he's not the devil, that's how Esther knows him. “Whatever. I met him. He tried to offer me a deal.”

  “He's scared you'll free the witch,” she explains, “although...”

  She pauses for a moment, eyeing me with suspicion as I take hold of the cloth and pull it away to get a better look at Dad's injury.

  Before I can ask what's wrong, I notice that there's a hint of blood on her chin.

  “He'd never have let you come back here,” she continues finally, “not unless he was absolutely certain that you'd take the deal he's offering. What are you willing to give him in return, Ramsey? What power does he think he has over you?”

  “I don't care about that right now!” I tell her, trying not to panic. “All I care about is getting my dad out of here! There has to be another exit, one that'll lead us out to a part of the forest that isn't burning!”

  “I doubt it,” Esther replies, getting to her feet. “The forest has been so dry lately, and if Sebastian wants it to burn, then it'll burn. None of the exits will be clear.”

  “I don't need to hear that right now,” I mutter helplessly, as fresh blood runs from Dad's wound. He's already lost so much, and I have no idea how to help him.

  “He offered you a deal, didn't he?” Esther continues, towering over me. “He offered me a deal once, but he went back on it. He did the same thing with Tommy, he promised he'd let him go when he was done with him, and now Tommy's dead. Then again, I suppose he can't go back on a deal with you, can he? He knows that if he does, you'll free the witch.”

  “I don't care!” I hiss. “Help me get my dad out of here!”

  “But maybe the witch can still help me,” she whispers, turning and shuffling away. “Maybe she's my only hope now. If I get her out of here, she'll be grateful, and she'll have to offer me a reward. Ramsey, you have to set her free. Whatever the devil offered you, the witch can give it to you instead!”

  “You have to help me with my father first!” I tell her. “He's -”

  Before I can finish, Esther lets out an agonized cry.

  I turn, just in time to see her slumping back against the wall. She's clutching her right arm, with smoke rising from the sizzling flesh.

  “No!” she hisses, stumbling back toward the witch. “Why should she be the only one who can free her? I want the chance! I deserve it!”

  I watch in horror as she tries again to grab one of the wooden poles, but suddenly her arms burst into flames and she falls back again. The flames quickly die down, but it's almost as if some kind of force is preventing her from pulling the poles away. Clearly in pain, she tries again and again, and each time her arms briefly start burning.

  “Stop!” I shout. “Help me find a way out of here!”

  “I can do this!” she gasps, throwing herself against the witch and this time not letting go. Even as the flames spread along her arms and onto her shoulder, she grabs one of the wooden poles and pulls with all her might, although she seems unable to twist it free. “Help me!” she screams. “Ramsey, please!”

  Turning back to Dad, I take one more look at his wound, and finally I realize that I'm going to have to carry him out of here myself. Maybe I'll find an exit, maybe not, but at least I have to try. And my luck has been pretty good so far, so I figure I've got nothing to lose, and maybe – just maybe – Sebastian really will guide us to safety. I can worry about what that might mean later, but right now I have no choice.

  Reaching down, I slip my arms under his unconscious body and start to pick him up.

  “No!” Esther screams, grabbing me and pulling me away, leaving Dad to fall back to the ground. “You're going to free the witch first! You're going to let her go, so she can save me!”

  I try to pull back, but she throws me forward until I slam against the wooden poles that are imprisoning the witch. None of the poles move, and I try to stay away, but once again Esther shoves me forward. Turning, I see that her arms are charred and burned, and that her eyes are filled with wild desperation.

  “I need her to save me,” she sobs, holding up her charred hands. “I deserve that! Please, I need someone to save me!”

  I open my mouth to tell her I don't know how to help, but suddenly Sebastian's words fill my head from earlier.

  “You'll never have to face your father's death, not at the hands of the fire and certainly not in a hospital bed as cancer claims him. I can keep him alive for you, and in return all you have to do is leave the witch alone. She's mine.”

  “Free her!” Esther screams, pushing me forward again.

  Staring at the naked, bloodied woman with wooden poles running through several parts of her body, I tell myself that helping her would be the right thing to do. I have no idea what's really going on here, but I could start pulling the poles out and then maybe Esther c
an do the rest. I could do all of that, but still Sebastian's voice echoes in my mind.

  “If you save your father, Ramsey,” he told me earlier, “then it means you've accepted the terms of the deal. I sincerely hope you'll do the smart thing.”

  “He'll die if I do this,” I whisper, trying to think of some other way.

  “Save me!” Esther yells, shoving me forward yet again.

  This time, I turn to her, feeling a sense of panic as I realize that whatever else happens tonight, I can't risk letting my father die.

  “I can't help you,” I stammer. “Please, you have to understand, if I do this, my father...”

  My voice trails off, and I can already see the hatred in her eyes.

  “I'm so sorry,” I continue, backing away, “but this is really nothing to do with me. I just want to take my father home.”

  She stares at me for a moment. Braced for her to attack again, I take another step back, but this time she simply turns and looks at the witch.

  “Fine,” she says, her voice filled with anger. “If you won't help me, then I'll have to prove the prophecy wrong. I'll have to be the one who frees her.”

  “Esther, please -”

  “Save me!” she screams, lunging at the witch and grabbing hold of one of the many poles. Her arms are already starting to ripple with flames again, but she refuses to let go and I watch in horror as she tries desperately to set the witch free. “Give me what I was promised!” she gasps, although a moment later she drops to her knees while still holding onto one of the wooden poles. Flames are burning through her flesh, covering her body, and I can barely even see her face as her skin starts to fall away. “I just want to go home!” she screams from the heart of the inferno. “I was promised! I just...”

  She freezes, remaining completely for a moment, and then finally her body slumps to the ground and continues to burn.

  And the witch remains trapped in her tomb of sticks and rocks.

  “Esther?” I whisper, stepping closer to the burning corpse. “Esther, please... Come with me. Let's just get out of here, and we can figure something else out later.”