His heart thudded, and his breath eased out of his mouth.
He reached out and wiped away the line of sweat streaking down her cheek. “You did it, sweetheart, you did it.”
Cully gave a shout. “Good going, Sherlock. Hey, I can get this duct tape off—”
There was a loud pop.
Sherlock said, “Hold that thought, Cully. What’s going on now?”
59
PEAS RIDGE, GEORGIA
Kjell was tall, well over six feet, angular, and good-looking. His shaved head glistened in the stark white light. He wore glasses.
He bowed from the waist to Blessed, and said in a clipped British accent, “Keeper, we did not know if you would come. I see you have the little girl. Excellent. But the man and woman?”
“The sheriff and the child’s mother.”
“Keeper, we have never before brought outsiders here. It is a danger. Are you certain you were not followed here?”
“I am very certain.”
“But why did you bring them here? Why did you not rid us of them?”
Blessed said, “I could not stymie them because of the child. I needed them to get her here.
“Do not look away from the sheriff, Kjell. He is dangerous. As I said, no one followed us, I made very certain of that. Twilight will remain a secret. Kjell, I must see the Father immediately. There is news I must give him.”
“Where is Grace?”
“I must see the Father,” Blessed said again. “Take them to see the Master. Be careful with the sheriff.”
Kjell gave him a small bow, drew a revolver from his loose pants. “The child, Keeper, she will come to embrace us, you will see.”
Blessed gave Ethan and Joanna one last look, then smiled down at Autumn. “All will be well,” he told her, and walked through the same door as Kjell. The door closed soundlessly behind him.
Autumn stood perfectly still and looked up at Kjell.
He said, “Sheriff, you and the woman back up against that wall.” He came down on his knees in front of Autumn. He lifted his hand and touched her face. Autumn didn’t move, merely stared at him in his eyes.
“What can you do?” she asked.
Kjell smiled. “I am a student.”
“Of what?”
“All who are here are students. We study with the Father and with the Master. We study miracles of the mind that reach back many hundreds of years. We watch and we learn. This is an amazing place, Autumn. I also protect Twilight from anyone who would try to harm us.”
He rose again and turned to Ethan and Joanna.
Ethan said, “Blessed is the Keeper. What is your title, Kjell?”
“I? I am the Master’s right hand.”
“I can’t say I care much for all the white.”
Kjell said, “White is the essence of light, it is peace and tranquility, it is life to the devout. That is enough, Sheriff. I believe you are both small-minded, incapable of understanding something so sublime as what we are.”
Ethan said, “We’re the small-minded people who are going to bring you down, Kjell.”
Kjell laughed. “Dream your little dreams, Sheriff. All of you will follow me. We will see what the Master wishes to do with you.”
Joanna asked, “Where are all the cult members? You call them the devout?”
“The devout are here, but you will not see them. We do not wish them to be disrupted by outside corruption. You need know nothing more. Let us go. You will meet the Master.”
60
THEY STEPPED INTO a wide corridor, its walls white, the ceiling lower here than in the large room, the low hum of air-conditioning the only sound other than that of their footsteps. Every several feet there were framed photographs, all of them of the sky, each an evocative moment of time. Ethan thought there was real talent here: a magnificent sunset, a slash of lightning with a dying sun behind it, moments he’d tried to capture himself.
Kjell walked soundlessly behind them, Joanna in front, Autumn pressed against her side, her hand held tightly in her mother’s. Ethan knew he had a gun pointed at the back of his head.
They passed doors with glass windows and brass door handles, most of them with their blinds pulled tight. He saw a flash as one of the blinds fell, and caught a glimpse of a beautiful young woman’s face through the window before she disappeared. One of the devout? Or someone else? Had they been warned to remain in their rooms to avoid being corrupted by the outsiders? Or did the leaders not want them to know what was happening?
Corridors veered off to the right and left as they walked. It seemed to be a huge place. They walked another twenty feet before Kjell said, “Knock on this door, Sheriff.”