Their first stop, they both knew, had to be home, to see if there was any word from Scarlet, any trace of her anywhere. And if not, to pack up, head to Florida, to Caitlin’s grandmother’s, to search her attic and get the clue they would need to lead them inside the lost city beneath the Sphinx.
As they pulled up in front of the house, Caitlin, expecting to see her home empty, was shocked by the sight: her front door was ajar, the lights were on, and she saw motion inside.
“Did you leave the door open?” she asked Caleb.
He shook his head.
Caleb reached out, grabbed his gun, and cocked it.
Caitlin looked at him, horrified.
“What are you doing? Where did you get that?”
“I don’t know what’s going on around here anymore,” he said, “and I’m not taking any chances.”
They jumped out of the car, hurried up the creaking wooden steps to their porch, and ran through the open front door.
As they crossed the threshold, Caitlin gasped.
It was a devastating sight. Her entire house, everything she’d known and loved and saved for her entire life, was smashed, destroyed, everything in bits and pieces. There were shards of broken glass, broken china, furniture ripped, everything destroyed, as if a lawnmower had ridden over it. She couldn’t imagine what could cause such awful destruction, short of a tornado.
Even more shocking was the sight of the three priests slumped on the floor, bloody, and a fourth priest, the one she knew from down the block, standing in her living room, looking at her, terrified.
“What are you doing in our home?” Caitlin asked.
“What happened here?” Caleb asked him.
The priest looked shell-shocked, eyes open, mouth agape, as he slowly shook his head. He seemed too stunned to even speak.
Caitlin walked through the mess, glass crunching beneath her feet, her eye attracted to a note she saw on the floor. She leaned down, picked it up, and with shaking hands began to read.
“Caleb, look at this,” she said quickly.
Caleb hurried over, and the two of them examined the note together.
“This note was left for Scarlet,” she said. “Sage. That was the boy. Boldt Castle… I think she was here. I think she read this. I think that’s where she’s gone. She’s going to save him.”
“Let’s go,” Caleb said.
Caleb grabbed her hand, and they began to hurry out of the house, Caitlin caring about nothing but finding Scarlet and saving her.
As they reached the front door, the night suddenly lit up with flashing sirens outside the house. She saw a police cruiser parked outside, heard footsteps on her wooden porch, and saw two local police officers, whom she knew from town, walk in uninvited.
“Mr. and Mrs. Paine,” one of the officers said.
The officers did not look at them in a friendly way, as they had their entire lives. Instead, they looked at them suspiciously, as if they were criminals. Even the tone of his voice was more somber than ever before.
They stepped in and looked around the house, taking it all in.
“What happened here?” he said. “We received complaints.”
Caitlin and Caleb looked around the house themselves, and Caitlin realized how bad it must look. She didn’t know how to explain, and she didn’t have time to – she wanted to find Scarlet.
“I don’t know,” said Caleb. “We just walked in.”
The cops look at him suspiciously, unwavering.
“I’m sorry to say this, Caleb,” he said, “but we have multiple reports of you at the high school, carrying a gun, firing. You and your brother-in-law, Sam. A lot of witnesses. Was it you?” he said, as his eyes roamed the house, then looked at the priests lying on the floor with concern.
“Did you do this?” the other police officer asked Caleb. “Who are those men? Are they hurt?”
The officer hurried over and knelt beside the priests.
Caitlin suddenly felt a sense of horror, as she realized they were both looking at Caleb suspiciously, clearly thinking he was responsible.
“You have the wrong idea,” Caleb said. “This wasn’t me. None of it was me. You don’t understand what we are dealing with here. Why would I destroy my own home?”
“A lot of cops are dead,” an officer said. “A lot of people are asking a lot of questions, and a lot of fingers are pointing to you.”
“Me?” Caleb said, indignant.
“Are you denying that you were at the high school? That you fired a gun?”
“I was there,” Caleb said. “I did fire. But you don’t understand.”
“I’m sorry,” the officer said, shaking his head, reaching for his handcuffs, “but we have to bring you in for questioning.”
Caitlin and Caleb exchanged a horrified look as the two officers approached. Caleb looked stunned, frozen.
Caitlin realized that if they took Caleb away, their only hope of finding Scarlet would be gone.
“No!” Caitlin shouted.
Caitlin stepped forward and shoved the officer, pushing him away from Caleb – and Caleb grabbed Caitlin’s hand and pulled her, racing out the front door.
“FREEZE!” the cops yelled out behind them.
Caitlin and Caleb ran down the steps, racing through the cold night, jumping into the car together. Caleb slammed the door, turned the key, gunned the engine, and the two of them peeled off.
Caitlin looked over her shoulder, saw the cops running after them, scrambling into their car, turning on the lights, talking into their radios. The cruiser took off after them; it was only a few blocks behind them.
They sped through the night, fugitives on the run, and Caitlin knew that soon, the entire police force would be after them.
“Where are we going?” Caitlin asked Caleb.
Caleb, driving like a maniac, didn’t look at her as he replied:
“To Scarlet.”
Chapter Twenty Seven
Kyle landed outside the tall stone gates heralding a long, tree-lined cobblestone driveway that wound its way longer than any driveway ever should, up to a massive private mansion. Kyle could have landed inside the gates – he could have landed right on the roof of the mansion if he’d wanted. But instead, he had flown over it, scouting it out from above, seeing the sprawling acres, the huge historic structure, the swimming pool and tennis court, the ancient oak trees, the sculpture scattered on the lawn, and he had felt sick from it. It was more than any one man should be entitled to. Much less this bratty little girl, Scarlet’s best friend.
Vivian.
Kyle thought it would be fun to land before the gates, to take his time walking up to the house and enjoying himself. After all, it was a beautiful fall day, and it would be a nice long walk up the driveway. He hoped he could even let them see him approaching, and strike terror and fear into their hearts. He smiled at the thought. Nothing would give him more joy.
As Kyle stepped toward the massive iron gates, a sudden crackle came out over the intercom.
“May I help you?” came a voice. “This is a private residence.”
Kyle smiled as he walked over to microphone.
“You can’t help me,” he replied, “but maybe you should help yourselves.”
Kyle reached out, grabbed the box, and yanked it out of the wall, exposing its wires. As it hissed and beeped with feedback, Kyle smashed it to the ground. There, he thought. That was already an improvement for this place.
Kyle reached out grabbed hold of the two huge iron gates, a thousand pounds each, and he easily tore them from their hinges. There came a crumbling of rock and rubble.
Kyle wound up and threw the iron gates and they went flying a good hundred yards, smashing into the car sitting at the end of the driveway – a brand new Bentley. There came a great showering of glass, and car alarms went off, piercing the tranquil fall afternoon air.