Quicksand

He could afford to wait. Laura Ann's light would draw them right into his line of fire. As soon as they got close enough, they'd use binoculars and see the little bitch hovering over that light, all alone and waiting to be rescued. Quinn wouldn't swallow that Kistle released her, but he'd still have to come and investigate. He gave a glance back at the other island. Quinn should be putting on speed because they'd be able to see-

No light.

What the shit? Where was the flashlight? Where was the little bitch?

He raised his binoculars. No light. No Laura Ann.

Dammit, not now. Quinn was on his way and he needed to keep him focused and distracted.

Where the fuck was the kid?

THE WATER WASN'T COLD, BUT Laura Ann's teeth were chattering. It was dark and she couldn't see what was in the water with her. Alligators. Kistle had said the alligators would tear and hurt her. She wanted to be back on the island with the flashlight where she could see. Maybe she should have stayed there.

But if Kistle wanted her there, then it was the wrong place to be. Wrong for her and wrong for Eve. She could swim, she could climb. If she could get to one of those huge cypress trees growing out of the swamp water, then maybe she'd be able to climb up and hide.

Monsters.

The waters are trembling.

Alligators.

The tears were pouring down her cheeks as she started to swim toward the trees a short distance away. She didn't have to hide them; she didn't have to be brave. He wasn't here. It didn't matter if she cried now.

MEGAN BENT DOUBLE AS THE pain hit her. She couldn't stand it. But she had to stand it. She couldn't get away from the voices.

Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me.

I'll be good.

Let me see my Mama.

Shrieks.

Don't do it again.

Stop him.

I can't do it. Too late. Too late.

So many…

Nora Jean. Cambry. Paul. Letitia. Eric. Danielle. Monty. Natal-

'Megan,' Eve whispered. 'What's happening?'

'Too strong,' Megan sobbed. 'Too many. I can't close them out. So much pain. Lonely. Hurting. Mama. They want their mothers. They want to go home. Why won't he stop? I can't help them.'

'Them?' Eve asked. 'Bonnie?'

'I don't know. There are too many voices. I can't… separate. Names, but not all. Not all.'

'What the hell is happening?' Joe was looking back at Megan. 'This isn't the time for playact-' He stopped as he saw her expression. 'My God.'

'Too many,' Eve echoed. 'Not just one grave?'

Megan shook her head. 'Dozens. I don't know… Too many.' She was shaking. 'And I can't close them out. I don't want to close them out. They need- But it hurts. It hurts.'

'Laura Ann?' Eve asked.

'I can't-I don't think so. I might not be able to tell the difference.'

Mama!

Sobbing.

You shouldn't do that to me.

Please, can I go home? I'll be good.

Shock. Pain. Shock. Death.

'Megan.' Eve's hand was gripping her own. 'We need you. Where are the voices coming from?'

Where? They were surrounding Megan, filling the world. But Eve needed her. Laura Ann needed her. She might still be alive.

'Where?' Eve repeated.

Megan made an effort to pull herself together. She jerked away from Eve's grip and tried to get the voices to stop.

Let me alone. Just for a moment. I want to help you, but I can't do it. Help me. Help Laura Ann.

She drew a deep breath and pointed to the left. 'There. There's an island behind all those trees and swamp shrubs.'

Eve shook her head. 'There's an island on the right. That's about where I saw the light.'

Megan shook her head. 'On the left. They're all there… the children. Every one of them.'

'You're sure the light was on the island on the right, Eve?' Joe asked. 'That island looks like the same one that's in the photo.'

He wasn't going to believe her, Megan thought in despair.

Eve nodded. 'I'm certain I saw-'

'I don't care where you saw a light,' Megan said fiercely. 'That's not his island. That's not his damn burial ground. It's there, across the way, hidden somewhere in that mass of trees and foliage.'

'There's no hint of any island there,' Joe said. 'It's just a bank of dense trees and plant life. We're supposed to trust you that it's there and try to find it?'

Screams.

Help me, Mama.

Hold on. Keep the voices at bay.

'His island is there,' she said. 'I hear him talking about it to one of the children. Danielle… He loves it. He says her blood is going to soak into-'

'Shut up.' Joe's gaze was on Eve. 'She shouldn't hear-'

'No one should hear it,' Megan said. 'But I do, and I didn't come here to suffer through this hell without it meaning something.' She stared him in the eye and her voice was vibrating with passion. 'You listen to me, Joe Quinn. I can only say this once because I don't know how long I'm going to be able to stand this. I can't hold them off. As God is my witness, there is an island that's a burial ground in those trees. If there was a light on the other island, it was a trap. You expected a trap, didn't you? Well, there it is.' Her voice broke. 'Now you go and find Kistle and those children so that we can get the hell out of here.'

He didn't speak for a moment. 'Only one child, Megan. Laura Ann.'

She shook her head. 'So many children. They all want to go home,' she whispered. 'Believe me, Joe, so many children.'

'Joe,' Eve said.

He was still searching Megan's expression. He slowly nodded. 'The light could have been a trap.' He was taking off his boots as he spoke. 'If it was, Kistle had to have a vantage point to spring it. That island's pretty barren and there's no place to hide. So there's only one other thing I have to swallow as truth, and it's sticking in my throat.' He handed Eve his rifle and his Magnum before fastening on the belt holding his machete and the waterproofed holster holding his.38. 'But I'm going to force it down.'

'What are you going to do?' Eve asked.

'I'm going to swim past that jungle of foliage and see if I can find an island.' He smiled recklessly as he took off his shirt and threw it on the bottom of the boat. 'And, if I do, I'm going to go hunting.'

'And you expect me to stay here and let you go alone?' Eve asked. 'No way. Tell me what to do to help.'

'Not a damn thing until I see if there's an island there.' He slipped out of the boat and into the water. 'Other than that, stay out of Kistle's way so that he can't use you as a hostage against me.' He started swimming in the direction of the bank of trees. 'And take care of Megan. She looks as if she's-take care of her.'

Eve muttered a curse beneath her breath as she turned to Megan. 'He couldn't wait to go on his damn hunt.