Part X: The Wall
“Every truth uncovered demands a sacrifice.” --
Chapter Fifty-Nine: Mauled Truths --
The freeway roared with traffic as Manning pushed his unmarked police car past ninety, the dashboard clock glaring 11:45 PM. His phone buzzed.
“Your guy ran the roadblock,” the Captain’s voice barked.
Manning gripped the wheel tighter. “How does Parker get past a State Trooper blockade?”
“The Troopers were attacked while Parker made a run for it. Mauled. By something.”
Manning’s mouth went dry. “You’re saying Parker attacked them?”
“No,” the Captain said flatly. “An animal did. Parker and the girl escaped in a truck.”
part 10 - the wall
Manning hung up, the weight of inevitability crushing his chest. The sun was gone. Only the night remained.
Chapter Sixty: Between Light and Flesh
At a gas station, Brett crouched over the Suburban, duct-taping a cracked headlight back into place. Lauryn emerged from the ladies’ room, adjusting her skirt, a playful gleam in her eyes.
“I haven’t gone commando in a long time,” she teased.
Brett tried to ignore the heat rising in him. He finished taping, stepped back, and she moved closer—too close.
“You think it’ll hold?” she asked.
“It has to,” he muttered.
But his eyes were restless, and she noticed. “What’s wrong?”
He clenched the tape roll. “This… this isn’t science. None of it. I’m supposed to prove things. Disprove them. Now I’m the key, and it’s up to me to stop this. Not you.”
Her lips quirked. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “If I don’t make it, someone has to tell the story.”
She pressed a finger to his lips, voice low. “You’re not looking at all the evidence, doctor. I’m not here just because I’m supposed to be. I’m here because I want to be.”
Their kiss was tentative at first, then fierce. Hands wandered, tugged, pulled. They pressed against the truck, the heat of the world narrowing into each other.
When they finally broke, Brett whispered, “Let’s say we continue this after it’s all over.”
Lauryn sighed, regretful but resolute. “Let’s go.”
part 10 - the wall
Chapter Sixty-One: The Old House
The Suburban rolled onto a dark country road, headlights cutting the black. Portable lanterns glowed inside, a fragile cocoon of light. Brett’s hand gripped Lauryn’s, their fingers entwined.
They pulled to a stop behind a sleek Mercedes parked at the driveway of an old, overgrown house—the same one Brett remembered from childhood nightmares.
Lauryn frowned. “Whose car is that?”
“No clue,” Brett said, checking his watch. Midnight loomed.
They stepped out, flashlights in hand, Brett clutching a tire iron. Groans drifted from the distance, footsteps approaching.
“I’m not running this time,” Brett growled.
A figure emerged into the glow.
“Good evening, Brett,” Doreen Richards said smoothly.
Lauryn’s jaw dropped.
“Ms. Richards?” Brett stammered.
Doreen’s smile widened. “Hello, Lauryn.”
“You two know each other?” Brett demanded.
“She’s my protégé,” Doreen said. “We’ve been working together for almost a year. Since I found you, Brett.”
Lauryn’s voice cracked. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“The scientist and the psychic,” Doreen purred. “You haven’t figured it out? Your memory was erased. I needed Lauryn to coax it back. To remind you of your purpose.”
Brett’s blood chilled. “My purpose?”
“You’re the key,” she said.
Chapter Sixty-Two: Betrayal in the Blood
Lauryn clutched Brett’s arm. “Brett, we’ve got to get inside.”
“Yes,” Doreen agreed, her smile sharp. “But not for the reason you think. You will open the door to the other side.”
Brett’s eyes hardened. “You want to let those things in? Are you insane?”
Doreen’s voice was calm, almost reverent. “When I bring you to the wall, I’ll rule what comes through. Everything under my control.”
Images of Julia’s lifeless body and the slaughtered dogs flashed in Brett’s mind. Rage ignited. “Go to hell.”
Doreen raised a pistol and fired.
The shot ripped through Lauryn’s shoulder. She collapsed against the truck, blood staining her blouse.
Brett screamed, rushing to her side.
“I was aiming for her leg,” Doreen said coldly. “Next time, I’ll aim for her gut.”
Lauryn gasped, words tumbling between pain. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
Brett pressed his lips to her hand, whispering fiercely, “Stay in the light until morning.”
Doreen pointed toward the house. “Keep that light on you. Now move.”
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