Page 41 of You Can Make Me (Carnival of Mysteries #28)

Twenty-Three

D enny

“It’s showtime.”

Soto flicked on the lighter—and that was my cue.

I sprang up from the ground and tackled him, throwing punches as he laughed. I knocked the lighter from his hand, but I was too late.

The fumes were strong enough that the fire caught without him touching the lighter to the wood.

Smoke filled my nose before I felt the heat.

I swiveled around as best I could with my ankles still together and got the old man in a chokehold as the flames erupted around our legs.

He was strong, but age had stolen his stamina, and his body caught fire before mine.

“You’d think it wouldn’t crank me up no more after I’d let it get too close,” he croaked out. “I’m a slave to its power.” He let out a humorless laugh and coughed. I squeezed tighter, not caring if he lived or died at this point. I was driven by the need to get back to Cooper.

“Then let it take you, you bastard.”

One more squeeze, something snapped in his neck, and he went still.

I fell back and shouted as flames burned through my jeans and singed the hair on my head.

I pushed away from the stones, remembering the Afterschool Special instructions to “stop, drop, and roll.” I looked back and realized I’d managed to tackle Soto on top of the pile of wood, which had been doused in accelerant.

His entire body was engulfed in flames—flames that were spreading along the ground and about to block the only exit I could see.

I pushed myself to my feet, turned them out, and squatted with as much force as I could.

“Fuuuuuck!”

I heard a tear, but the tape had melted against my jeans and the movement pulled at my scorched skin.

I bent and tore at the places where I could grip, and after a few painful moments, I got enough of the tape off that I could separate my legs and haul ass out of what was quickly becoming an inferno.

He must have spread the accelerant all around, because the entire floor caught fire despite there being only dirt and stone.

I reached the doorway he’d entered and took one look back. Whoever those remains belonged to, we’d likely never know, but I couldn’t worry about a crime scene now. I had to get out.

The tunnel was short, and I came to a metal door.

I was glad it had just been him. I didn’t think I’d have the stamina to fight anyone else.

My chest burned, the smoke made my eyes sting, and my limbs moved as if they were in sludge.

I pushed through the door and stumbled out into a wooded area.

His truck was parked right outside, and I peered in the window.

There were no keys, and I wasn’t up on my hotwiring skills.

I jogged up the gravel road and hill, fueled by the need to get to Cooper. Soto was gone, but Evans was still out there.

A siren sounded from up above, so I kicked it into high gear, ignored my chest pain, and pushed until I made it to the top, where I found myself on a two-lane road on the side of a hill that appeared to be in Laurel Canyon.

Good. We hadn’t gone too far. A fire truck came around the bend, and I waved my arms over my head.

The rig passed me by, but the fire department SUV behind it crossed over and came skidding to a halt in front of me.

Relief flooded my body, but so did pain. I fell to a knee as the driver came running out.

“What happened to you? Is there a fire?”

“In the mountain below. It’s contained. I need… Harlesden Court. Please!”

“That’s where we’re headed,” he said, frowning. “But you need a hospital.”

I clung to the lapels of his fire department windbreaker.

“Harlesden. Deputy Walter Muse’s place. Now .

” I pulled out my wallet and showed him my Kern County Sheriffs ID, then reached into my front pocket and pulled out my pill bottle, which had been cracked in the skirmish but thankfully hadn’t broken.

I popped a pill under my tongue and nodded to the guy.

He helped me into the truck and skidded back onto the road and flew around the dangerous curves.

“What happened to you?”

“I was abducted from the Muse home. My partner is there. Please?—”

“We got a call there’s a fire. You need a medic.”

“Later. I need to get back. People I care about are in trouble.”

He answered a call on his radio, and I heard him tell whoever was on the other end that we were right behind them and to send another truck to the spot where he’d picked me up. Two minutes later, we turned onto Laurel Canyon Road. I was grateful that bastard hadn’t taken me too far.

We turned the corner and the chaos in front of Walter’s house had my heart seizing in my chest again. Thankfully, there didn’t appear to be any smoke from the house, just from the porch, where the firefighters were just shutting off their hoses.

The fire captain pulled the SUV over, and before he’d put the thing in park, I was out the door yelling for Walter.

“Junior!”

“Denny!”

We crashed into each other and held on tight for a brief moment until the pressure made me yelp.

“What the hell? You’re burnt! What?—”

“I’m fine. Where are they?”

The front door burst opened, and Walt and I took off running.

Cooper’s eyes went wide as I approached, and he burst into tears. “Don’t you ever do that again, you asshole!”

I laughed as I let him squeeze me, even though every inch of my body was starting to scream in pain.

“I love you, baby. Where’s Evans? I’m going to rip his spine out with my bare hands.”

Cooper’s eyes flared, and he looked to Dane, who was huddled against Walter.

“We can’t find him,” Dane said. “The board went silent when we asked.”

I exhaled and looked at the gathered men. The six of us were surrounded by first responders examining the front of Walter’s house for hotspots and tending to a body…

“Dax. He set himself on fire.” Walter’s eyes were red and wet.

“ Fuck . Kid had no chance. This Evans guy has got to be put down.”

“But how?” Ryan had his hands planted on his hips. “I’m so sick of this fucking guy!”

I took in a breath as the others started to argue, and then held up a hand. “This shit all started with the board? Then we go back to the beginning.”

“The witches.” Dane turned to Walter. “They helped me figure it out last time. I can’t think of anything else.”

“Let’s go.”

Walter looked around at the chaos helplessly. “What do I tell them?”

Cooper put his arm around me. “That we’re taking him to the hospital, which is where we should be going.”

He was right, but there was no time. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

I let Kal and Ryan guide me over to Walter’s truck, while Walter and Dane talked to the officers on scene to tell them he’d be available by phone but that he needed to take me in. Cooper opened the backseat door and they helped me inside.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Ryan said, and Kal shut the door.

The two of them ran off to Ryan’s truck and Cooper climbed in beside me.

With Dane and Walter in the front seats, we took off, and I focused on staying upright.

I was quickly running out of gas, but I had to hold on…

for Cooper, for my best friend, for every victim of John Soto and Virgil Evans and whoever else they had in their cabal of cruelty.

A few minutes later, Walter pulled up in front of the Canyon Store and cursed.

“They’re not here.”

“But they’re always here.”

Dane and Walter traded looks.

“We’re on our own.”

“Wait, what about Charlene?” She was the only other person I could think of who knew about woo-woo that I trusted.

“She’s our next best bet,” Walter said to Dane, and he nodded.

“Can you hang in there, Den? We need to get you seen?—”

“Just go,” I said. I lay on my side with my head in Cooper’s lap and blew out a breath. “I’ll rest here.”

Cooper put his fingers to my neck. “Your pulse is racing, Denny. You need the hospital?—”

“We have to stop Evans. Soto told me. Evans won’t stop hurting our people until he gets what he wants.”

Something moved in the periphery of my vision, and I leaned over to look at the floor. “Holy shit! How did this get here?” I reached down to grab the 8 Ball. I held it up for Cooper. “You’re seeing this too, right?”

Cooper’s eyes flared. “How?”

“Hey, Walter? You haven’t picked up a Magic 8 Ball lately, have you?”

Dane turned to look, and he gasped.

“I have not. Ask it a question. We need all the help we can get right now.”

I blew out a breath. “Can Charlene help us?”

I shook the plastic menace and waited for the triangle to settle in the window.

You may rely on it.

“You’re headed the right way. I’m just going to get a little shut-eye.”

“Stay with me, Denny.” Cooper’s order was one I intended to follow, but as I closed my eyes, my situation seemed a little more dire than I’d let on. The shivers came on strong and every nerve ending felt like it had been ignited by Soto’s torch.

As I drifted off, I prayed I could keep my promises to Cooper, and I cursed my body for its weakness.

Please, let me make it to the other side of this mess…