Mack spoke first. “He’s insane!”
“He hates us,” Kali added.
“I want to go home!” Shannon wailed.
Kali was exhausted. She was hungry. But most of all, she was frightened. She looked to where the driver had vanished. “Do you think he’s coming back?”
“I don’t know,” Mack said. “Just nobody move.”
Small and wrinkly Mr. Ma reappeared as if summoned. He spoke rapidly, gesturing with both arms. Kali looked at Mack. “Does he want us to get off the bus?”
“And let him leave us here?!” Shannon was on the verge of hyperventilating.
Kali really saw Shannon then. Tears ran together with mascara, staining large rings around both eyes. Her ashen face was crowded by a mess of disheveled blonde hair. The intern looked a bit like a raccoon in a wig. Kali might have laughed had not their situation been so uncertain.
Mack tried to reassure everyone. “He won’t leave us. They haven’t received full payment yet.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Kali muttered.
“M-a-ck,” Shannon whined the name in three syllables, sucking in choppy breaths between.
“Kali, please,” Mack said angrily. “Shannon is frightened enough.”
While they chattered, Mr. Ma had grown increasingly irritated. His arms flapped harder. His words came out faster and louder. But no one moved a muscle.
“I don’t understand,” Mack kept repeating in Chinese. “Speak slower please.”
To their surprise, Mr. Ma said several words in broken English. “Pee…crap now…go!”
It was hard to tell who moved first. Three bodies were suddenly plowing toward the open door. Kali darted behind a nearby tree and undid the zipper of her jeans. Leaning against the smooth bark, she released the well of water that had pressed against her bladder walls for sixty miles. It was the happiest she had been since the godforsaken trip began.
Shannon ruined the moment, startling Kali by poking her head around the tree. Kali jumped in surprise and nearly wet her shoes. Yanking her jeans up, she glared at the intern. “What is it?”
“I don’t want to go back to the bus alone.”
Understanding melted annoyance. “Hold on a second.” She kicked up enough dirt to cover her business and then led the way back to the bus.
Mack climbed aboard not long after the girls. Mr. Ma stood on the step, watching them. He frowned at Kali. Then his dark eyes moved on to Shannon. They fixed on the intern as he stalked over to the seat she shared with Mack. In one fluid motion, the old man pulled a skinny bough of leaves from behind his small form and whacked Shannon on the shoulder.
“Hey!” both Shannon and Mack exclaimed in unison.
Mr. Ma flung a small object into Shannon’s lap. Shaking his head, he spoke harshly, punctuating each word with another blow to Shannon’s shoulder. When Mack rose from his seat yelling for him to stop, Mr. Ma held up his hand and switched to English.
“If you want live…leave nothing behind.”
He shuffled to the driver’s seat, grinded the gears until the right one caught. And the bus roared back to life.
Shannon’s frightened whisper was barely audible. “Did he just threaten us?”
Kali leaned across the aisle to get a better look at the shiny little item the driver had returned to Shannon. “What did he give you?”
The intern held up an earring. “I don’t even know how he could have found this.” She slipped it into her earlobe and rubbed her shoulder. “Imagine being brutally murdered and left in the middle of nowhere because you lost a cheap earring.” With a shudder, she turned to Mack. He was staring into the black square of what used to be a window.
Shannon nudged him. “What did he say?”
He looked at her but turned away again without answering.
Shannon sobbed, clamping a hand over her mouth to smother the sound. Her whole body shook as she struggled to collect herself.
A huge tug of sympathy pulled at Kali’s heart. She searched for something comforting to say. “It’s okay, Shannon. Maybe he was just trying to warn us.”
Shannon seemed to accept that simple explanation, becoming visibly calmer. “May I sit with you?”
When Kali nodded, Shannon quietly slid off her seat, leaving their boss alone with his thoughts. Kali moved closer to the window to make room. On the inside, she was as panicked as Shannon but couldn’t let it show. Her falling apart would not help the situation, especially since Mack was so mysteriously detached. Where was the savvy, ready for anything businessman everyone counted on to make the right, if not the popular, decision?
The troubled feeling that followed Kali since their first night in Beijing grew tremendously. Sweat tickled down her armpits. An ominous blanket of darkness folded around her, constricting with every mile. The further they traveled, the closer danger…and death came. But there was no one to offer her the reassurance she had given Shannon.
“Breathe,” she said. Exhaling softly, she rested her forehead against the dusty window. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.
#
Kalista jerked her eyes open, startled she had fallen asleep. It was pitch dark. Her heart was racing. Her breath came harshly, each inhale sharper and shallower than the last. She strained to see, strained to hear. There was only emptiness. Panic clutched at the thresholds of her mind, threatening to take hold and send her into a tailspin.
She slowly understood that she was not alone. Something not of her world was approaching from a soundless void. A chilling stream of hatred flowed from it like ice water, seeping into her veins. The creature wanted her. She could sense the hunger as it came closer.
Her mind screamed Run! But she couldn’t move. She was paralyzed and directly in terror’s path.
An empty moan replaced the quiet. The horrible sound resonated everywhere, never changing in pitch or tone. It echoed against nothing, rebounding and multiplying, piercing into the very essence of her awareness. Air departed from her lungs in a hot rush as visions of suffering and death hammered into her mind, provoked by an evil so powerful, it breathed a life of its own. This monster craved pain to feed an insatiable appetite. And it wanted Kalista.
Then something changed. The sound transformed to become a voice. At first only grating hisses, three simple words formed: “You are mine.”
Kali willed herself to leave the darkness. She abandoned every thought of the evil thing, and the presence began to fade. Then the monster rushed forward, narrowly missing her as she escaped its den. “I am coming.”
The void was gone, but Kali remembered those words long after she awoke.
Chapter 40
Kali sat up. Cold sweat soaked her shirt, sticking it to the tattered leather seat. She was afraid she had returned to her nightmare. Things were so dark. But the rocking and jarring bus were reality. She was awake. They were still traveling, and it was nighttime.
Shannon was staring at her. “Kali?” she whispered urgently. “Are you awake? The bus is slowing down.”
“We’re stopping,” Mack confirmed.
Every fiber of Kali’s body came to full attention. “We can’t stop. Not tonight. Not here.” She couldn’t explain to them the sudden anxiety she felt. The darkness was rushing up, wanting to pull her back inside the void. She couldn’t go there. Nothing would stop the creature from finding her if she did.
Mack gave her a curious look. “What’s going on, Kali?”
She ignored him and called out to the driver, “Please keep moving, a little longer…at least until daylight.” She stood up, grabbing the back of the seat to maintain her balance as the bus crawled over rough terrain.
The diesel engine died noisily. “We stop now.” Mr. Ma pointed beyond the window to the outside. “You safe here.” He said something more in Chinese.
“Ancestral grounds—the shadows do not come here,” Mack translated.
“Oh, this is just perfect,” Shannon said.
> Mack got up. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but this is not what was agreed upon. My buyer is expecting me in six hours. We must keep going.”
“We stop now. Everything in time.” The old man left the bus and was swallowed by the night.
Mack glared after him. “Talk about being lost in translation.”
Kali wrapped her arms about herself and settled quietly into her seat. But Shannon wasn’t ready to give in. “Does he expect us to sleep out here in the middle of absolutely nowhere? Mack, you can’t let him do this.”
Though the narrow aisle between the seats didn’t allow much room for it, Mack paced around. He stopped abruptly and faced the girls. The decision on his face was inscribed in stone. “We’re going to finish this. Let’s get these blankets unrolled.”
“Please, Mack. Not in the woods!”
“Look around you, Shannon,” Mack said impatiently. “Do you see any trees? We’re not in the woods anymore.”
It was true. The mountains the road cut through had become a desert. Trees and stones were replaced by sand and more sand. “So what?” Shannon said. “Now it’s sand instead of trees. Don’t make us stay here.”
“I don’t like it anymore than you do, but I don’t see where any of us have a choice.” He went over to the straw-filled beds and pulled down some of their gear. “I packed thermal blankets. Each of you should take one.” He tossed a blanket first to Shannon and then Kali. “Temperatures in the desert can get extremely cold at night.” Mack turned and headed toward the front of the bus.
Shannon frowned. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to talk to the driver. That’ll give you ladies time to get changed and settled,” he said, and left before any more objections could be raised.
With a resigned sigh, Shannon went to her suitcases and began rummaging through her things. “The perfect gentleman is also the perfect jerk,” she said, but affection tempered the anger in her words. She huffed again and looked out the window worriedly. “I hope he’s okay. That old man gives me the creeps.”
Kali observed her with new understanding. “You love him.”
Shannon shrugged. “Twisted, huh?”
Rhane’s face, with his unusual eyes and the way his hair constantly fell into them, came to Kali’s mind. “No,” she said. “Sometimes we can’t help who we love.”
#
Kali couldn’t sleep. The reasons why were pretty obvious. Being in the middle of a desert wilderness with a complete stranger who didn’t care if his passengers lived or died, and a boss whose motives had become shady at best, put her mind in a state of considerable unease. There was also the feeling from her dreams that continued to pursue her. Something was coming. To sleep would mean to fall back into the dark place. And the monster would find her.
Despite the blanket between her body and the wooden bed, sharp straws dug into her flesh whenever she even considered shifting into a different position. She thought of the bugs living in the bedding and the likelihood of one of them burrowing into her inner ear and laying eggs. The eggs would eventually hatch into milk-white larvae and squirm around, pulsing through her brain. Before ultimately assuming control of her mind, the insects would eat all of her grey matter and poop it out in her skull. Kali just couldn’t stand the thought of worm poop touching any part of her insides.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Stop freaking out.
Shannon snored from above. No nightmares were troubling her. Across the cabin, Mack’s deep breathing flowed in a steady rhythm, indicating he too was sound asleep. Only Mr. Ma was awake.
He sat in the driver’s seat, unnaturally still, staring out the dusty windshield. He had been that way for hours. Kali wondered if the motive for his vigilance was good or evil. Once, she had sat up to look at him, heard a rustle of movement, and then felt rather than saw his eyes on her in the darkness. As a warning chill slithered over her skin, she lowered her head back into the straw, afraid to look again. After that, she tried not to move or make any noise. She wished morning would come faster.
She had no idea what hour it was when Mr. Ma’s feet scraped across the dirty floor, coming closer and closer to the sleeping area. Her eyes closed. Her breath caught in her chest. The sound stopped beside the bunk she shared with Shannon. Kali froze.
His breathing sounded nearer than anyone else’s. He was right next to her. She felt him looming over her body. “Can you feel him, Darkesong?” His voice was a raspy whisper. “He is coming.”
She didn’t want to, but one word forced its way past the terror. “Who?”
“My master.”
“Please, don’t hurt me.” Her words trembled like the rest of her.
“Deliver you and I will be rewarded with life.”
He reached for her, and Kali screamed at the top of her lungs. Light flooded the cabin. There was a flurry of movement as Mack scrambled from his bed and tackled the bus driver. The light flickered wildly as a heavy flashlight clattered to the floor. Mack found his legs first. He dragged Mr. Ma to his feet and slung him toward the front of the bus. The old man landed with a resounding thud. The sound of rattling bones accompanied the sight of his frail looking body rolling across the metal floor.
Mack grabbed Kali by the shoulders. His eyes were wild. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She turned anxiously to where Mr. Ma lay still. “Mack, we should go.” To her relief, he nodded in agreement.
Wide awake but very confused, Shannon slid down from the top bunk. “What the hell is going on?”
“Shannon, we’ll talk later. Get your things.”
“What?”
The heap of tattered clothing and battered flesh started to move. Like a corpse in a bad zombie movie, Mr. Ma’s upper body whipped upright as he rose from the floor. Dark, soulless eyes leveled on the three of them. The malicious gaze shifted its entire focus to Kali.
“He comes soon.” The old man took a step toward them. One hand hung limply at his side. The other stayed hidden behind his back.
Shannon whimpered. “This just got really creepy.” Without being told, she and Kali backed toward the emergency exit.
Mack stepped in front of them. His hands were outstretched, palms wide. “This was not the deal.”
Mr. Ma’s expression did not change. He continued moving as if a man possessed. “He is coming.”
He raised his hand, revealing a knife, and rushed forward. Kali gasped. Shannon screamed. Mack bravely launched himself toward Mr. Ma, catching the knife arm in mid-arc. The curved metal of the dagger glinted as the point aimed at Mack’s head. Mr. Ma brought his free hand up and down, striking his opponent with incredible force over and over. Mack staggered backward. His grip loosened enough for the old man to wrest the weapon free. Joints enlarged by arthritis wrapped around the hilt expertly as he executed another lunge. Mack scrambled backward, twisting to avoid what would have been a lethal stab.
While their boss was literally fighting to keep his head, Kali and Shannon should have been running for their lives. But Shannon was scared stupid, and Kali was busy studying the old man’s weapon. The steel blade was set in rhinoceros horn, a material carried only by the wealthiest of Yemeni citizens. And yet, this Asian man of low social status possessed one. Stolen? Or traded?
Shannon let out a scream two octaves beyond bloodcurdling. Time must have slowed as Mack dropped to his knees. He was clutching his side. Blood gushed between his fingers. Sounding a victorious warble, Mr. Ma brought the dagger down again. Kali squeezed her eyes shut and heard Mack slump to the metal floor. When she opened them, the old man was standing over a motionless body. Worn leather sandals soaked up Mack’s blood. Shannon’s mouth hung open as if she still screamed, but Kali couldn’t hear her anymore. She couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of her own heart.
Shoving the intern aside, she threw her weight onto the lever that would release the emergency exit. It didn’t budge. Years of nonuse had combined with mois
ture to create a seal of rust, leaving the door inoperable. Kali didn’t give up. Again and again, she slammed onto the lever. Bit by bit, the latch gave way. The hatch opened. Cold night air rushed in and circulated the smell of Mack’s blood. Stifling a sob, she stuck her arm outside and tried to finish wedging the door open. If we can get outside…we might have a chance.
She readied to jump through the opening, but sharp needles of pain radiated across her scalp as Mr. Ma dragged her back by the hair. Stale breath hissed against her ear. Kali’s mind flashed to the parking lot of the movie theater…being groped while held at knifepoint. This time, there would be no handsome stranger to save her. Rhane was over 7,000 miles away. Mack…Mack was probably dead. And Kali wanted very badly not to join him.
If I die now, no one would ever find my body in this desert. This old man will do strange, indecent things to me. My parents will never know what happened. And Rhane…
Anger as white and as hot as the sun flared up inside her. It took control, spilling into her fingers and toes, taking over movement and thought. Suddenly, Kali knew what to do. Her elbow flew back and up, buried deep into the old man’s side until his flesh couldn’t give anymore. He gasped, but his grip held fast. Kali twisted around, shutting her mind off against the pain in her head and neck. She drove the heel of her hand into Mr. Ma’s throat, momentarily ending his supply of air. Choking, the old man stumbled backward, releasing her. His eyes widened with fear. Still clutching the dagger, he crept unsteadily towards her. Kali stretched out her hand to stop him. What happened next astonished her.
Grey flames licked out from her fingertips, erupting into a blaze that aimed for her attacker with purpose. Mr. Ma raised both arms to shield himself, but the strange fire made easy fuel of his clothing. The old man screamed. Kali grabbed Shannon’s hand and jumped off the bus. The girls landed atop a soft dune and tumbled down the side. Each rolled at least six times before coming to a stop at the base of the huge mound.
Their struggle wasn’t over. Rising above the noise of their panting breaths, a cry left the earth, erupting into the night. Like a raging wind over a field of reeds, the howls filled the empty desert, resonating all around them in endless succession.