In the confined space of the town hall’s basement, Ella paced between the two hatches. Everything she’d done over the last twenty-four hours had gone awry. That private investigator was causing her no end of grief, and if she’d have listened to Hal, who wanted to shoot him from the start, none of this would have happened.
She'd was also harbouring doubts about Brett’s success, which was her reason for releasing the black girl he’d come looking for. That, she saw as a masterstroke, one that just might persuade him to leave. But the only thing stopping him from doing so was the rain, which, if she managed to get a change in luck, should stop within the hour. After that, the dogs will have no trouble in tracking them down.
The fact of the investigator causing problems wasn’t her greatest worry. Fair enough, she could have done without it, but for it to happen today of all days, on the most pivotal day of the Collective’s history, that’s what bothered her most. She feared more for the Collective now, than she had ever done in the past.
Dane and Sam returning with Marianna was their last hope, and if they’d come across the investigator before she’d released the black girl; he may have killed them, and their saviour.
‘Hey, is anyone up there?’ came a shout from below.
Recognising the voice, she kicked across the two bolts holding the shaft door shut, and Sam pushed it open from underneath. He was just about to speak when Ella beat him to it.
‘Who’s out there?’ she asked.
‘Sheldon’s outside, or what’s left of him, and Brett’s lyin’ in the garage tunnel with a bullet in his head. What the fuck’s been goin’ on here?’
Ella sighed at the news of Brett, but it didn’t come as too much of a shock. ‘And you saw no one else out there?’
‘No one.’
Dane climbed from the hatch carrying Marianna. ‘We had to give her another dose, only a short one though. She should come round pretty soon. Where do ya want me to put her?’
‘Put her down there,’ she said, pointing. ‘I’ll move her later.’
‘There’s a van out on Old Liberty road, no one in it though. Thought Young Billy might be gettin’ it when the rain stops,’ Sam said.
‘I think Young Billy’s dead, Hal too, and Zach. And, from what you just said, Sheldon and Brett, and maybe even Mervyn, too!’
‘Holy fuck,’ said Dane. ‘What’s been happnin’ round here?’
‘Trouble, and plenty of it, but if you say you saw no one out there … then it may have passed.’
‘Y’wan us to go check?’ offered Sam.
‘No, Sam. You boys have already done enough for the Collective, go and stand with the others, if I need you, I’ll come get you.’
Sam and Dane left the basement as ordered, and Ella locked the door after them, and again she looked down at Marianna. She was wearing white shorts, white running shoes, and a blue V-neck pullover, perfect attire for her usual morning trip around the lake. Her hair was long, blonde, and fashioned into a pony-tail.
The wooden hatch was once again slammed shut, and once again bolted. Ella entered the numeric sequence on key-pad, lifted Marianna from the floor, carried her down the steps, and, as she passed it, pressed the close button.
When she reached the gurney on the other side of the plastic curtain, she placed Marianna on it, at the same time stealing a glimpse at Martins. He was very still, very silent, and looked to be sleeping.
Ella commenced to strap Marianna down when she noticed a similarity in facial features, a similarity she shared with Martins. And after peeling back one of Marianna’s eyelids, she saw the same piercing blue colour Martins had when she’d first met him. It was one of the reasons she’d fallen in love with him.
Going by her looks, Ella would say that Marianna aged at an extremely slower rate than they did. She was seventy-one, and if Ella hadn’t have know that, she’d say she looked no older than twenty.
And even though Ella was certain that Marianna wasn’t affected by water in the same way they were, she felt she needed to check for herself. She’d seen her sailing on the lake on numerous occasions, with no fear of what lay beneath, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be harmed by it. So, carrying out a simple test would either prove, or allay any fears she had regarding the matter.
