Part 27 (1/2)

”Lesbian abominations, that's what you are. Just like my worthless sister.”

Rainey ignored the taunts. ”I just told Mackie where I was. I'm sure Katie's told you about Mackie. If I don't call him back in a few minutes, he'll bring the cavalry down on this place.”

Chelsea let out an evil laugh. ”Then they'll find a bunch of dead d.y.k.es when they get here.”

Rainey only gave Mackie a rough idea of her location. She needed to keep Chelsea busy long enough for him to realize something was wrong. Maybe he could figure out where they were. Rainey could only hope.

”Dara told me about your upbringing, how her coming out ruined the only good family you had known. She feels bad about that. She told me she was glad you moved back here, so you could be a family again.”

”I'm not her family,” Chelsea bellowed. ”I share no blood with her. I came here to root out the evil she does and slay her and her kind. She is going to burn in h.e.l.l for her debauchery, just like you and the perfect Miss Meyers over there.”

Logic and reason were of no use in Rainey's bag of tricks. She tried another distraction. ”Where does Dalton Chambers fit into all this?”

Chelsea brightened at the mention of Dalton's name. ”I'm carrying on his work, ridding the world of sinning women. Wh.o.r.es, lesbians, they all deserve to die. He helped me see the way.”

”And Jared, he was just your servant?”

”He was a tool, an instrument of G.o.d, sent to help me with my calling.”

”Jared did what he did to those women for you. He loved you and you killed him. How does that sit with your G.o.d?”

”He was a soldier in the war for morality. He knew I had to kill him. He knew he was too weak to take the torture the police would put him through.”

”Chelsea, I don't know what you were told out there in Oklahoma, but the police don't torture people. They'll get you the help you need, if you just put down the gun. I promise I won't let anything happen to you.”

Chelsea's evil laugh bounced off the old wooden walls. ”You aren't going to be around long enough to keep that promise. Get my sister on her feet. We're going to the woods. I have a place prepared for you.”

Rainey didn't move. Letting Chelsea take them to the woods would sign their death warrants. ”What's the plan, Chelsea? Did Dalton lay it all out for you? How do you expect to get away with this?”

”Oh, it's genius really. I'll escape the mad partner, while he's chopping your heads off. At least, that's what I'll tell the cops. I'll come out of the woods and direct the police to your mutilated bodies. Everyone will be so sad and n.o.body will suspect me. You didn't.”

”That's a lot of forensic evidence to hide. Are you sure you've thought this through? I think Dalton is setting you up to take the fall for all of this.”

”Then I'll take my punishment and join him in heaven, where we will be as children of G.o.d, forever young, frolicking on streets of gold, while your souls roast in h.e.l.l.”

Rainey forced a laugh. ”Oh, Dalton has no intentions of joining you in heaven. He told me we were going to fry together in h.e.l.l. I think that's closer to true, don't you?”

Chelsea's face flushed blood red, aiming the gun at Rainey's head. ”Get her up. Move! You too, Katie, stand up.”

The sound of the front door opening startled Chelsea. Rainey hoped it was someone who could help them and not someone that would send Chelsea into firing away at all of them.

”Yoo-hoo, Mr. Thomas. It's Ernestine, from down the road. Are you home? I'm looking for Katie Meyers. She's a friend of your daughter Chelsea. I saw her car out front. Mr. Thomas, can you hear me?”

Chelsea aimed the gun toward Katie and whispered, ”You say a word and Katie gets it first.”

Ernie's voice grew closer. She was headed straight into a slaughterhouse, still calling out, ”Yoo-hoo, anybody home? Chelsea?”

At the sound of her name, Chelsea turned her head toward the door. The instant Chelsea took her eyes off her, Rainey's fight reflex kicked in. She flew at Chelsea, sending all her weight into the smaller woman, smas.h.i.+ng her into the wall. The pistol flew from Chelsea's hand and skittered across the floor in Katie's direction, but Chelsea wasn't giving up. With the strength of a madwoman she clawed at Rainey and kicked her in the ribs with her knee.

Instead of buckling her, the shards of pain brought forth a rage from the depths of Rainey's soul. Combined with the time spent with her father, learning how to survive with her bare hands, it proved to be a nearly lethal combination. She slammed her forearm down on Chelsea's throat, forcing an instant choking cough out of the smaller woman. Rainey leaned down harder, as Chelsea clawed at her arm, gasping for a single wisp of air.

Rainey bared her teeth. ”When you get to h.e.l.l, save Dalton a seat. He's going to be right behind you. You sick twisted f.u.c.k!”

Rainey pushed down harder. The blood vessels in Chelsea's eyes began to swell. Tiny spider veins appeared just below the surface of the skin on her cheeks.

”Rainey, let her up,” Ernie said, calmly.

Rainey held fast.

Ernie spoke again. ”Rainey, it's over. Let her up.”

Rainey suddenly became aware of the other people in the room, again. She let go of the gagging woman and crawled across the floor, picking up Chelsea's gun. She stood up, tucking the gun in her waistband and ran to Katie's side. She pulled the gag down and started untying Katie from the chair.

”Are you hurt, Katie?”

”I'm sorry, Rainey. I didn't see it coming. I couldn't warn you.”

”I didn't see it coming either.” Rainey released Katie from the chair. ”It's okay, we're all right now.”

Chelsea continued to clutch at her throat, sucking in air.

Ernie moved to Dara. ”What is this child's name?”

”Dara, Dara Thomas,” Rainey replied, still checking Katie for injuries.

”Dara, honey, wake up,” Rainey heard Ernie say, but she was too concerned with Katie to listen for a response.

Rainey dropped down on one knee in front of Katie. The jolt of hitting the floor doubled her over, wincing in agony. The adrenaline was subsiding and her body now remembered the pain.

Katie leaned over her, grabbing her shoulders. ”Rainey, are you all right? Ernie, call 911. Rainey, answer me.”

Rainey couldn't answer. She didn't have the breath. She could only look up at Katie, helplessly. Katie's expression of concern instantly changed to horror as her eyes locked on something behind Rainey. Recognition hit Rainey after her instincts had already taken over. Her hand was on the grip of the gun, before she even thought about it. In one move, she ripped the gun from her waistband, swung around and fired, at the same time another firearm discharged in the room.

Chelsea Thomas staggered, a large knife in her hand, poised to strike. A pool of crimson formed on her blouse, where the two bullets entered her heart. She took one more step forward. Rainey saw the moment of recognition in Chelsea's eyes, the second it dawned on her that she was already dead. There was a short intake of breath, and then she was suspended in motion, before dropping as if someone cut the strings on a marionette. Dalton's puppet would dance no more.

The noise of the shots startled Dara awake. She screamed. Rainey looked over the table to see Ernie, still holding her revolver.

Comforting the frightened woman, Ernie said, ”It's okay, Dara. She's gone. She won't hurt you anymore.”

Katie slumped to her knees in front of Rainey. She put her arms around Rainey's neck and started to cry. Rainey dropped the gun on the floor and held Katie. She heard Ernie calling 911.

Rainey whispered into Katie's ear, ”It's okay, baby. We're safe now. It's okay.”