It was was shadowy and a little creepy with all the odd scientific equipment spread around the place, even without knowing a powerful, angry warlock was coming for them.
“Run or hide?” Heather whispered, wide eyed.
“Run,” Mike and Michelle said, almost simultaneously.
They all hunched to make themselves smaller and scuttled around desks and lab benches toward the front door.
Michelle, in her white sheets knew she must be spectacularly visible, even in the shadowy darkness of the building. Lucifer, whom she was holding against her chest, was growling as they ran. She could feel his little body vibrate with the growl, which was turning into an angry high-pitched cat screech.
“Shhh, Lucifer,” Michelle whispered as she wove her way quickly through the desks.
Michelle couldn’t help smiling as she hurried after Heather and Mike. They were holding hands as they ran. It was so cute. They were perfect together. She couldn’t let anything happen to them.
Michelle stopped and took a deep breath. She would have to fight Omar.
It was almost unbelievable and boggled her mind that her friends would go to such lengths to try and rescue her. All the way to Mexico. But she knew Rod and Vincent would be coming over the bridge soon as well. She couldn’t let any of them be hurt or killed. Even if she had to yield to Omar’s wishes, she would do so to save her friends. Omar had no compunction against using lethal force. He’d almost succeeded in killing Heather with a lightning bolt he’d thrown a few weeks ago. He’d tried to kill Rod and Vincent, too.
Michelle knew she was no match for Omar. Even though Vincent said she had impressive witchy powers, she didn’t know how to use them. There might be untapped forces within her mind and body. Too late to figure out how to use them. Omar was coming now.
The diamond, Abigail, had magical properties, and Michelle wished she could communicate with the poor, sad and angry spirit, but she didn’t have any idea how to do so. She believed the life-force locked inside the diamond was willing to help protect her. It had let her know she was in danger by becoming hot in her hand and lighting up.
Lucifer would try to defend her as well. The little cat would fight to the death. He was precious to her, too.
Michelle was scared but she couldn’t let her friends be hurt or killed. It would be cowardly to flee, she decided.
She took a deep breath, turned around, and waited for Omar.
When Heather and Mike reached the door, pulling it open, they saw that Michelle wasn’t behind them anymore. They turned to look back and saw her standing up straight in the middle of the room.
“What’s she doing?” Mike whispered.
“Damn it...she’s going to confront Omar.”
They quietly tip-toed back inside and knelt down behind a desk, poking their heads up so they could see. They watched as Michelle glanced behind her, saw them and shook her head. She pointed at the door, motioning with her hand for them to leave.
“No way,” Heather called out stubbornly to Michelle. She turned to Mike and said softly, “She’ll do anything Omar askes to keep us safe.”
“Five of us against one angry warlock,” Mike said. “Rod and Vincent are on the way. How can we help her?”
Heather shook her head. “I have no idea. We’ll just have to wait for an opening. See what happens.”
They could tell when Omar arrived. The room temperature lowered at least ten degrees, but the scariest thing was that although they could only see a large shadowy form coming through the door from the bridge, his eyes were clearly visible. They were lit up strangely, like squinting oblong twin yellow lights shining in the darkness. He was moving stealthily and slowly forward into the laboratory. As Omar turned his head, his eyes moved around the room. It was the scariest thing Heather had ever seen. She felt like she was living inside a real horror movie.
“What is he?” Mike whispered. “Some kind of alien? Do you see his eyes. They’re like creepy lanterns. Like he can see us in the dark.”
Heather moved closer to Mike, leaning against him, shivering. “Not an alien. Maybe a demon.”
“Right now I wouldn’t be surprised if he sprouted horns,” Mike commented.
“And a tail. With a fork at the end of it,” Heather whispered.
Lucifer started screeching angrily and loudly as Omar moved toward Michelle. He sounded like a wailing banshee. Heather knew the banshee in Irish mythology moaned when someone was about to die. Lucifer’s cry was so shrill Heather clapped her hands to her ears. The screeching cat made the scene before Heather and Mike even more surreal.
Then Omar turned.
Rod and Vincent were coming briskly through the door from the bridge walkway, unaware of the danger.
Their ignorance didn’t last long with Lucifer creating such a howling disturbance. They stopped in the doorway, trying to adjust their eyes to the darkness.
Michelle saw Omar start to turn to look back at Rod and Vincent. She had to provide a distraction fast. Omar might try to eliminate the two men before claiming her. She didn’t think he sensed Heather and Mike were near, and she wanted to keep it that way.
“Come and get me, Omar,” Michelle called out. She tried to sound commanding, but was aware her voice was high and squeaked a bit. “Or at least you can try.”
As soon as she spoke, Lucifer stopped yowling.
Omar’s laughter was low and sinister, barely audible as he stalked toward Michelle. “Love, honor, and obey. That’s what you promised last night.”
Omar was slowly moving closer to Michelle, seemingly forgetting the two men behind him.
Michelle laughed back at him mockingly. “Promises, promises. A drugged up bride? Your vow was to honor, respect, and take care of me. So you immediately kidnap me to a foreign country and have parts of my body stolen away. All I see are empty promises.”
Omar was moving closer to Michelle,
