Page 63 of Dead Serious: Case 3 Mr Bruce Reyes

Suddenly, Dad lets out a cry and his grip tightens again as he buries his face in my shoulder. I turn toward the corner of the room by the door to see what’s upset him so badly, and I can’t help the gasp that escapes my lips. My heart thunders in my chest and my adrenaline spikes.

It looks like a tear, a long, vertical slice in the air that ripples and splits open, and just beyond it is utter darkness. Cruel-looking, black, thorny vines slither from the opening, coiling around the edges like threatening tentacles.

I grab hold of Dad’s arms to pull him away from me and shove him toward Danny, who drops his crutches, trying to balance on one leg as he holds onto Dad. Stepping in front of them instinctively, I shield them both with my body.

The fear that at first coursed through my veins is obliterated by the sheer anger flooding my system.

Somehow, I know what it is, and I know what it’s trying to do. An icy fury washes over me as I stare it down.

“You don’t belong here,” I say coldly. “And you’re not going to stop us.”

From the corner of my eye, I see the bedroom door open beside the tear, and as it swings wide, the tear disappears, but the heaviness in the air remains.

“Brought your tea, boys,” Lois says as if nothing is amiss, and for her, it isn’t. She wouldn’t have seen anything, just like Danny, but my dad obviously did, and if that thing has been terrorising him since the storm began, it’s no wonder he’s been so unsettled.

Lois settles the tea tray on the top of Dad’s chest of drawers. “Poor love.” She glances over at Dad, who’s now clinging onto Danny for dear life. “He hasn’t been sleeping well. If he’s responding to you both, maybe you could try and get him to take a nap. He looks exhausted.”

“We will,” I say, forcing a tight smile, hoping she’ll leave quickly.

“Okay, well, let me know if you need anything. I’ll be in the day room with some of the other residents.”

“What the hell was that?” Danny frowns once the door is closed again.

“What did you see?” I reach down to pick up his crutches from the floor.

“Nothing exactly.” He shakes his head and although his eyes are a little wild, he holds my dad gently and rubs the same sort of soothing circles on his back that he does for me when I’m upset. “The room went really dark and, like you said before, it felt like it was filled with shadows, and it was freezing cold. Next thing I know, you’re shoving Martin at me.” He frowns as he searches my face in concern. “I’ve never seen you so angry before.”

“Believe me”—my jaw clenches so hard I’m surprised I don’t hear it crack—“I’m fucking livid right now.” Closing my eyes, I draw in a deep breath and then another. The last thing I need is for Dad to pick up on my fury.

Once I feel more in control, I hand Danny back his crutches and take Dad’s hand, leading him over to his sofa. I settle him in the middle and pull the blanket from the back to cover him gently since he’s still shaking. Wrapping my arms around him, I pull him in and cuddle him close.

Danny limps over and settles on Dad’s other side, propping his crutches against the side of the sofa and taking his hand.

“What happened?”

I blow out a harsh breath. “I believe I just caught my first glimpse of Death’s evil twin.”

“What? Why? How?” Danny’s eyes widen. “Whitechapel is miles away and why here? Why Martin?”

I glance down at Dad, who now has his eyes closed, and I can see the lines of exhaustion etched into his face. God knows how long he hasn’t been sleeping. Guilt weighs in right alongside the heaviness I feel.

“Because of me,” I whisper. “It’s trying to distract me, and what better way than coming after my dad.”

Danny stares at me long and hard. I can see his mind turning over my words and coming to the same conclusion I have.

“It’s trying to clear all the obstacles in its way before the eclipse,” Danny murmurs thoughtfully. “The storm and all the disruption it’s causing. Unearthing Bruce’s bones and forcing him to confront his unfinished business, which will take him away from the doorway. Then scaring Martin so you’d come running to take care of him.”

“And you,” I whisper.

“Me?”

“Given what we now know, do you still think your accident was actually an accident? Or was someone trying to stop you too? You think it’s a coincidence that the accident happened just after you’d been called to the scene where Bruce’s bones were uncovered?”

“That fucker,” Danny growls. “He’s been busy. We need to warn the others. If he’s coming after anyone who could potentially stop him from coming through the portal, they could be in danger too. We don’t know how much power he actually has while he’s trapped on the other side, but we need to be careful.”

I nod, knowing he’s right, then look down at Dad, who’s now sleeping peacefully sandwiched between the pair of us where he obviously feels safe.

“How can I leave him?” I say miserably. “He was so scared, and that thing isn’t going to stop.”