Mia heard the rumble of a storm brewing. It seemed to wake her, telling her that the house wanted this boy. Mia realized that it was going to go through all the PEEPs in order to get the child. She pulled Mark away from the building.
“You’ve been crying. Mia, don’t cry. I’ll help you find Mr. Mike.”
Mia’s nose burned at the sheer courage of this boy. She took ahold of him and hugged him, trying to gain the strength she was going to need to venture back into the house. She felt his hands on her arms, steadying her. Mia stepped back and looked him in the eyes and said, “I need you inside that trailer protecting my husband and son. Everyone else is busy, and I can’t find Murphy.”
“He was here. Maybe the house got him too.”
“I’ll look for him. Mark, no matter what happens, I want you to stay with Ted. I need you to take care of Brian. He trusts you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mia bent forward and kissed the child on the cheek. “I’m depending on you,” she said and ran around the house to where they’d found the cellar doors.
“Whoa, I have a boy, whose balls just dropped, entering the command center. Mia, those kisses are lethal, over.”
Mia laughed. “Asshole.”
“I can see you, look up,” Ted said.
There, clinging to the side of the house, was Curly. Mia waved. She looked around and saw an Ocular moving in the grass. She bent over, picked it up and stuffed it down the back of her shorts so the lens faced out.
“You won’t even let me do that, pumpkin. Is that the thing?”
“I’m so going to kill you when I finish with this house,” she growled. “How’s the view?”
“I’ve got your back, Mia. Be careful, over.”
Mia tugged on the handle of the cellar door to no avail. She then took her sword out, sliced the hinges and tried again. This time the door peeled back. She moved quickly downward. It took her a minute for her eyes to adjust. The floor was hard-packed earth. The walls, stone. Along one wall were the tins, Mark and Murphy talked about. She didn’t want to waste time looking through them, but the manuscript, if it was there, had to be found. She lifted and set aside anything that did not have the right weight or size to it. She found a few possible ones and tossed them up and out onto the lawn. Next, she followed the light from a previously lit disc, moving under the house, hoping to find Mike and Murphy. She had to crawl under some old cane chairs that were hanging from the ceiling. She was nearly at the end of the line when she saw Mike. His hands and feet were tied. Someone had stuffed a dusty rag in his mouth. His eyes were closed. She gently touched his face and drew the rag out of his mouth. She was rewarded with him coughing up a lung. “Ted, I’ve found Mike, and he’s breathing, over. I’ve got to untie him…”
There was a deep rumble. It shook the furniture over them. “Ted, is that thunder?”
“Yes, pumpkin. We’ve got a storm rolling in. I’m having the PEEPs evacuate. I’m still here with Mark and Brian.”
“Ted, if it gets too hairy, get out of there. Take Mark and Brian home. I’ve got this, over.”
“I hear you, but I’m not leaving, over.”
Mia cut through the old belts that were used to restrain Mike. He was still unconscious.
“Mee ah,” the chorus of boys said from behind her.
“I win,” she said. “I found Mike. Now where’s Murphy?” she asked, half dragging Mike through the last of the basement.
“Axeman is flying.”
Mia was confused. She stopped and looked behind her, and there before her was a vortex. She feared that it was the entrance to the demon line.
“Mike, wake up, buddy.”
“Mee ah,” Timmy said, tossing an old shoe at her.
“That’s not nice. I’m telling your mother,” she said.
“Tattletale!” Jimmy said and tossed a jar, hitting Mia on the side of her head.
“You little son of a bitch,” she said. “That hurt.” She yanked Mike over her back and trudged up the stairs. She got him to ground level and dragged him out into the yard before she charged down the stairs, catching the boys closing a trunk quickly.
“Mee ah, Mee ah, Mee ah,” they chanted, throwing things at her. Mia used her shield and moved forward. She felt the pull of the demon line but sensed that Murphy wasn’t in it. If he had been taken, he would have ended up in the basement of the lake house. He would have moved out of there and rushed back to help. She pushed the boys off the big steamer trunk and opened it. Inside was nothing. She felt two sets of hands behind her. Mia was pushed inside, and the lid slammed down.
She pushed upwards, but the trunk would not give. “Ted, I’m locked in a trunk. Mike is lying outside unconscious, and Murphy is gone.”
“Storm’s moving in fast, pumpkin. Cid’s taking the truck, Brian and Mark to the cottage. Hang on, I’m coming.”
Mia wiggled until she could move the sword around without injuring herself. She cut through the top. She managed to get her arm out and pull the piece of iron that was holding the hasp. She opened the trunk and got out. She looked frantically around for anything that could be containing her friend. “There has to be salt and iron, and oh, shit,” Mia said, spying the old, iron well cap. “How the hell did you get in here?” she asked as she put her entire body into lifting the massive lid.
Murphy moved out. He was very weak. Mia grabbed his hand and pulled him along. She met Ted at the top of the stairs. He crushed her in his arms. “We don’t
