The Harlequin - 29. Chapter 29

Adam stood at the back door of the haunted house. The note said to knock hard twice, and wait. Waiting was something Adam couldn’t do if Patrick had already given himself up to the Harlequin. He needed to see inside undetected. He glanced up and saw a window that might be his entrance point.

The climb up the vine fence was easy and surprisingly quiet as Adam peered into the room and found it empty. He checked the window, and found it was unlocked, he lifted it with ease. He started to climb inside, when he noticed on his left, two hundred feet from the house, a small shed with the door opened.

Wondering if he should investigate. Adam had another problem when he heard movement on the other side of the door.

Adam held his breath as he leaned against the outside wall. Hoping the vine ladder held his weight. The door was flung open, and someone was moving things inside the room. Thankfully they didn’t seem to notice the window half open as they dragged something heavy out of the room, then shut the door a moment later.

With caution, Adam looked in the window and saw a bed against the right wall, and a wooden chair by the window, and a chest at the foot of the bed. He reached to open the window again when the door opened. He turned away just in time as he waited again for the door to close, but instead the window was shoved closed and locked.

There was nothing Adam could do but climb back down. Slowly he descended, but stopped halfway when the back door opened. He froze in fear as a man in all black came out of the house holding what look to be a rolled up rug. He dropped it beside the house, and was about to go back in when he looked over and saw the open shed door.

“What the fuck,” Adam heard the man in black say. He locked the back door and bolted towards the shed.

“What the hell got him all upset?” thought Adam, who suddenly had the worst case scenario manifest in his head. “Could Patrick be in there?” The thought sent adrenaline racing through his body as he raced down the ladder and sprinted in pursuit towards the shed.

************

The climb was tedious for Justin, who needed to rest after the first landing.

“Please Justin, you can rest once we get out of here. I’m sure Adam will be here soon. He’ll take you someplace safe,” said Patrick, who didn’t count on Adam wanting anything to do with him after leaving him and stealing his car.

When they started up the second flight, a sound at the top of the stairs caused them to stop in their tracks.

“Who’s down there?” screamed Cain. Patrick and Justin, who was more motivated to move faster, turned and headed back down the stair. They rushed down the hallway, and reached the turn at the end of the hall when Cain reached the bottom of the stairs.

They came across another flight of stairs. Patrick took a deep breath and Justin, who seemed more alert now that he was being pursued, climbed towards the top. Patrick reached into his coat pocket, which Justin wore, to retrieve the Taser, but it wasn’t there. He remembered he forgot it back in the room.

They reached the door, and Patrick tried to open it when Cain’s hand reached out between them and shoved the door closed. The two turned in fear as Cain grabbed Justin, and yanked him from Patrick’s arm, and pushed him down the cement stairs. Justin cried out as he tried to grasp the railing to slow himself down only to hit a wall. Patrick stood stunned, staring at Cain’s icy stare.

“Patrick, so good to see you again. It’s been a long time.”

“Cain, please, Justin’s hurt. Let me take him to a hospital.”

“But you just got here… We need to catch up.”

“Please, Cain, Justin—”

“I don’t care about Justin!” Cain snapped. “Tell me, how’s Poe doing?” Cain asked, calmer. He reached out and touched Patrick’s cheek and soft curls.

Patrick saw no other way out so he tried to reason with Cain. “Poe’s fine. Now can I see if Justin’s alright?”

“Forget him. We have so much to do still.”

“I know Cain, but—Justin’s in a bad place right now, and we should get him to a hospital first.”

Cain studied Patrick for a moment. Then without warning he leaned in to kiss him. Patrick jerked his head to one side, cringing from Cain’s lips on his cheek and ear. Cain moved to his neck and breathed in Patrick’s cologne. Patrick wished he had that Taser as Cain glided his tongue along his skin.

“I missed you. This can all be fixed,” said Cain.

“No, Cain, it can’t be fixed.”

“Yes, baby, it can. We just need to pick up where we left off.”

“You mean after you killed Gavin and abducted Justin?”

“Wait, killed who?” he asked, but before Patrick could answer, Adam grabbed Cain by the neck and tossed him down the stair. He barrel-rolled into the same wall Justin had been thrown against.

“Adam, no… Justin—”

“It’s okay; he’s safe, and now so are you.”

But Cain rose to his feet and reached into his pocket, pulling out the Taser Patrick had brought. He turned it on high as he climbed the stairs back to Adam.

Adam had enough. Cain killed once, tried to rape Patrick, nearly strangled him, and kidnapped Justin. He lunged at the man and caught his wrist just as Cain tried to hit him with the electrical device. They slammed into the wall, and wrestled down the stairs, each struggling to gain control of the other. Adam thrust his knee into Cain's gut twice before grabbing his head and slamming it into a solid wall.

Cain didn’t give much of a defense as Adam punched him in the face, then flipped him forward onto his back. The stun weapon dropped to the ground, sliding a few inches away. Adam picked it up and noticed the setting was on high as he pressed it into the man’s chest, sending him into convolutions. Once he pulled the device away, the man lay unconscious on the floor, his body jerking due to the electrical shock. Adam turned it off, and watched him for a moment making sure he wasn’t getting up anytime soon.

Patrick hurried down the stairs when he heard silence.

“Adam,” he called, frantically.

“It’s all right—I’m all right,” said Adam. Patrick jumped into his arms and hugged him tight.

“Thank God. I thought he might have…wait, Justin?”

“He’s fine.” Adam looked towards the room Justin was held captive. “Justin, it’s all right, you can come out,” Adam called. Justin limped out of the room holding a cell phone, as Adam and Patrick went to him. Patrick helped Justin onto Adam’s back. “Come on; we’re leaving, Justin did you call the police?”

“Yeah, boss,” he said, slowly.

“Good, I’m taking you both to the hospital.”

“But what about Cain?” Patrick asked.

“He’s not getting up anytime soon. Beside my priority is the both of you. Now get in front of me and start climbing.”

They emerged from the shed just as sirens were coming close to the cemetery. Adam wasn’t going to let Justin walk as he piggybacked him. None of them said a word as they approached the house and the squad cars came up with an ambulance. The EMTs took Justin from Adam, and helped him onto a gurney.

“Is there anyone else hurt?” asked one EMT.

“Only the suspect, from a fall and a hit from a stun gun,” He informed them as a police officer approached. Adam told them about Cain and where they left him. the uniformed men took off in a car in the direction of the shed.

Another car came up to them, and this time Artie and A.J. climbed out. Adam braced himself for what was to come as he stepped in front of Patrick, who was facing in the direction of the shed.

“So Potter, you defeated the killer, saved the guy, and now you’re the big hero?” said Artie.

“He’s back there, underground; the entrance is through the shed,” Adam answered ignoring Detective Cutter’s comment.

“You also stole a police car and used an officer’s badge,” said A.J. walking past him to confront Patrick.

“You two were out cold. I needed to get to Justin and Patrick,” Adam acknowledged turning his gaze to where A.J. was going.

“Oh really,” chimed A.J. “And what made you think Mr. Valdez would be here?” he asked, watching Patrick ignore them as he continued to watch the shed.

“A hunch,” said Adam.

“A hunch—that’s it?” said Artie.

“Well, it turned out to be true,” replied Adam.

“What proof do you have that Patrick didn’t have connections with the killer?” asked A.J.

“He was trying to save Justin.”

“Trying or was he just pretending to keep the focus off of him because he knew we were coming?”

“A.J. do you know how crazy that sounds?”

“It’s alright, Adam,” Patrick cut in, turning to face them. “The detectives have their reasons to doubt me.”

“You did nothing wrong, Patrick.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” he said feeling a knot in his throat. Adam moved to him, grabbing his shoulders.

“Patrick don’t blame yourself. Cain was a crazy stalker.”

“Who—because of me lost control and started hurting people.”

“No…” Adam was interrupted by the sounds of gunfire ringing out from the direction of the shed. Artie and A.J., were about to check it out when headlights appeared, coming toward them. A police cruiser barreled towards them.

“It’s Cain,” said Patrick. A.J. and Artie drew their guns and aimed to fire. Adam grabbed Patrick by the hand and started running. The driver saw who he wanted, as Adam tried to make distance between them and the oncoming car. Cain veered the car to follow Adam and Patrick as A.J. and Artie opened fire. A bullet hit Cain in the shoulder but didn’t slow his pursuit as he raced towards his victims.

Adam knew they couldn’t outrun him as the lights came closer. Then he saw it—an open grave with a plot digger still there. With luck, the soil would still be soft, and the concrete foundation not placed. Adam pulled Patrick close.

“Patrick, go limp!” Adam yelled, praying he listened as he leaped into the hole, turning so that he landed on his back and Patrick on top of him. The soil was there, but not as soft as he had hoped. Patrick lay on top of him, shocked from the fall but all right. “We’ll be okay now,” Adam said, prematurely, when Cain tried to drive the police car into the grave after them. The turning wheels kicked up dirt that showered down on the two. They did their best to cover their faces when the dirt started to bury them and the light from the headlights dimming as they’re buried.

Shots rang out again, and this time the car stopped.