Monsters' Gift (Crude Hill High 2)

We knew what we were doing.

After climbing behind the wheel, I started the engine as Caleb got into the passenger side. “You trust him?”

“We’ve got no other choice,” he said, pulling on his seatbelt.

I didn’t bother to put mine on.

Pulling out of the parking space, I pressed on the gas and sped right up to the gates. I clicked the button I had installed in my car, and they opened. I drove past them and waited long enough for them to close. I didn’t like the thought of someone waiting for an opportunity to slip right past.

It had happened once.

A woman had gotten through the gates and been able to pass as a maid. She’d hidden in Vadik’s bathroom and he’d gotten a nice scar as she’d stabbed him. The woman in question had been a soldier’s mother. She’d been pissed about his death sentence, and well, since then, we’d been a little more cautious with our own safety.

Right now, my first priority was to make sure Emily didn’t die. I wouldn’t be able to handle her death and I couldn’t even handle the thought of it. We needed to make sure she never got hurt in any way.

She meant everything to all of us. I didn’t want to lose her. Not for a single second.

Tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, I drove in silence toward our destination. Our fathers’ prison wasn’t too far from our own home. We’d designed it purposefully so we could be close to them at all times.

Turning off the ignition, I climbed out and stared up at the house. On the outside, it looked like a beautiful, lavish estate. On the inside, death and decay clung to the walls.

I flicked my keys as I followed Caleb to the door leading to the basement. He keyed in the code, and I turned, looking around. Something caught my eye as the door opened, and I grabbed Caleb’s arm.

“Wait.”

“What for?”

“When did we install security leading into the bastards?” I pointed my finger at the camera. It rested between two exposed posts.

Caleb took a step toward it. It was a little too high but the angle was perfectly placed for the door.

Neither of us could reach it. Caleb looked around. Finding a plank of wood, he used it to poke the camera through and I caught it before it could smash.

It wasn’t one of ours. I would’ve recognized it.

“Someone’s been here,” Caleb said. “Fuck. Is there any way of finding out how long that has been here?”

“Nope. We need to get this back to Gael or Vadik. They’re the only ones of us who know their way around a computer.”

“And Drake. He was able to get Ashley’s phone number for Emily.” Caleb looked toward the door.

I stared at the camera then at the door. “Wait, didn’t you say you came here the other day?”

“I did.”

“Did you see the camera?”

“River, I wasn’t exactly looking.”

Dropping the camera, I took off, heading toward the stairs, charging down them so fast I nearly fell, but I caught myself.

The light was on but I knew. I just knew our fathers weren’t here.

“I guess we now know who is responsible for the three men mysteriously arriving,” I said.

“Fuck.” Caleb lashed out, kicking over a chair. I was as pissed as him, but I was able to control my rage.

“They’re out,” I said.

“I need the schedule. I need to know who was here last.”

“Let’s get out of here first.” I had a sick feeling twisting my gut and I took off upstairs, clearing through the door. As I did, a blade was embedded into my shoulder as I was stabbed from behind. I growled out at the instant hit of pain, but I was used to feeling something like it.

Spinning around, I lashed out as Caleb came through the door. I turned and kicked it closed as Caleb took over, hitting our assailant. The man was big, strong, and knew how to fight.

I couldn’t reach for the knife in my back. Instead, I grabbed the plank of wood and used it to slam across his head.

He turned toward me just as Caleb had gotten some rope. We all liked to carry certain tools. Mine was always a blade, while Caleb seemed to prefer rope. Caleb wrapped the thick knot around the man’s throat.

I grabbed my knife from my back pocket and began to use it, slicing at him until finally, he didn’t take another breath and slumped. We let him fall to the ground.

We were both panting.

My hands shook a little from the rush of adrenaline, but I brought up the schedule on my phone.

“Kyle,” I said. “He’s the one who was supposed to be here.”

I struggled to get my breath, but as I turned to the kitchen, a smell I hadn’t noticed before lingered.

Stepping inside, I walked toward the pantry and opened the door. Sure enough, there was Kyle, dead. His throat slit. A lifeless corpse.