Rob blinked the black room into existence as he came to in the old leather chair. He couldn''t see anything except Zack and Deb in their chairs and the table at the circle''s center. Lindsey''s badge was glowing on the table, drawing his attention to it. Zack began to move in his chair.
"Did we make it?" Zack said softly, running a hand through his damp blonde hair. His eyes scanned the seemingly endless room, where fog drifted gently across the floor.
"I mean I''ve never been to the spirit world before but this seems like it," Deb reached forward and grabbed Jessica''s revolver off the table.
"So we''re here. What now?" Rob retorted, picking up Lindsey''s badge. They all stood up, and the fog pulled back. Five pillars rose in the distance.
"I guess we head that way," Zack said, as they approached the massive carved stone, an altar was placed in the center. Their symbols pulsed with dim blue light, almost appearing to shift and rearrange between pulses.
"Guardians of life," Zack read aloud, tracing the words carved into one of the pillars. "My name is here and so are yours."
"Seriously?" Rob squinted at the symbols, finding his name carved next to Zack''s. "This is some next-level creepiness."
"Paulina, Ethel and John are on here too," Zack remarked, he traced his fingers along their names.
"So is Tara, Ethel''s mother. I think the crosses mean they''ve passed," Deb noted dozens of names with a small cross-like symbol next to them. "Who is Janelle? It looks freshly carved,"
"Maybe she comes after us," Rob suggested.
Zack turned his attention to the alter, his fingers grazing the cold stone—then, without warning, he vanished.
"Zack!" Deb cried out as she raced to where he was standing just moments ago.
"Damn it," Rob swore, scanning the room frantically for any sign of where Zack had gone. That''s when he saw it—a door, just slightly opened, it seemed so familiar but he couldn''t place it.
"Be right back, Deb," he called over his shoulder as he pushed the door open, not noticing that Deb had also sunk into the fog.
Rob stepped out into a cold fall night; the night Zack was cursed by Gluttony. There he was, his younger self, more reckless, jumping out from behind the bushes with a mischievous ''boo''.
"Why bring me back to this night?" Rob asked himself, watching with a sense of detachment as Lindsey appeared, catching the other him by surprise.
His past self started asking about the crime scene, but Rob couldn''t take his eyes off Lindsey.
"Focus, Rob," he chastised himself, shaking his desire to run to Lindsey and tell her everything that was about to happen. He turned and noticed Lindsey''s shield glowing next to a tree. His hand went to his pocket and the badge inside wasn''t there, he went to the tree but the badge had vanished. Turning it reappeared farther down, leading him deeper into the woods. It appeared shining over a cave entrance her didn''t recognize, as he stepped inside he saw them, the sacred stones.
"They were in the park all along," he whispered to himself. He turned back to find a golden rope leading off into the shadows. It felt like it was leading him back, "Guess it''s time for me to wake up then," He grabbed the rope and began to follow it through the fog
---
Deb had gone back to her chair to think. She sat down and closed her eyes trying to come up with a plan to find Rob and Zack, when she opened them again she was in the back seat of a car, driving down the highway.
"You are going to love it here," Father Bill''s voice echoed through the small car. "You''re parents and I go way back, I assured them I would take good care of you."
Deb gave a small head nod. "Thank you, I am excited to learn more about Canada and attend school here."
A sharp turn jerked her around the back seat as Father Bill almost missed it. The headlights sliced through the darkness and a figure appeared in their high beams, hobbling across the road and back into the woods.
"Watch out!" Deb cried, bracing against the front seat as Bill swerved at the last second, tires screeching a protest against the asphalt.
"What was that?" Bill gasped, slamming on the brakes and throwing the car into reverse.
"I'' don''t know, can we just go to the dorms?" Panic laced Deb''s demand; she could have sworn she saw the creature''s orange-glowing eyes.
Father Bill went back and stepped out of the car, inspecting the area the creature had come from. Deb flung open the door, her gaze locking onto tracks etched in the dirt, leading toward the quiet woods.
"Stay by the car, this could be a coyote or something," Bill warned the past Deb, she stopped at the tree line.
Deb stepped next to her past self and followed her gaze, noting a glowing revolver in the distance. Paulina''s words echoed in her head, it was trying to guide her to Jessica.
She stepped away from her past and into the woods. Nothing would stop her from following the light.
Within minutes she was standing at the entrance to a cave, whispers escaping from its entrance.
Deb could feel it, Jessica was there, and now she knew exactly where it was. She smiled as a golden rope began to materialize, guiding her back to the other side.
***
"I know where they are!" Deb exclaimed, sitting up from her chair now safely back in Paulina''s basement, beads of sweat rolling down her face. Rob and Zack nodded fervently, as they rejoined the land of the living.
"That''s great but there was a complication," Paulina said, glancing at the grandfather clock. "You''ve been under for almost twenty-four hours."
"What? But that means..." Zack started, remembering that Amanda would be coming for Ethel tonight. He had an impossible choice to make rescue their friends that have been kidnapped or save Ethel.
---
"Drink, Ethel," urged Ashley, her hand trembling slightly as she held the water bottle to Ethel''s lips. "Thank you for saving my life."
"Yes it was very selfless of you to do," said Kyle, offering a slow clap. "Although your timing could use some work since Amanda will be here any minute,"
"I''m afraid she is going to be very disappointed," Ethel murmured, mustering a smile. "We won''t be here to say hello,"
"So we''re running then?" Kyle retorted, seeming almost disappointed. "I''ll pack my bags,"
"We are surviving," Ethel whispered, looking back at Ashley. "Go pack too,"
---
"So that''s the plan," Zack finished, looking around at each of his friends. "Any questions?"
"It''s super risky," Deb said, "Are you sure you can keep Lust and Greed busy for that long?"
"I can make you something that could give you more time" Paulina interjected. "But it would have to be used only as a last resort, you must be careful with it."
"Careful''s my middle name," Rob smiled, looking over to Zack.
"Ok, but we should make a stop at my apartment. I think it''s best if Rob and I don''t go up against sins empty-handed," Deb said, thinking about their plan, their final gambit against these seemingly unstoppable sins.
"Good idea. I know I can get Greed to help, he knows Lust is coming for him," Zack stated, it''s what Danny had been fearing this whole time.
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Rob paced the length of Paulina''s living room, the wooden floorboards creaking under his restless steps. "Right but how can we trust that Greed won''t turn on you," he said, his voice a blend of concern and exasperation. "He will always put himself first, even if you might become so special kind of Supreme,"
Zack shook his head. "Without Danny, Jake won''t come to us," he retorted, the flicker of something dark crossing his features. "He is the only bait we have,"
"Just don''t let your guard down for a minute," Deb implored.
Paulina shook her head, her gaze fixed on the ancient book open before her. "In our world, sometimes the enemy of our enemy is a necessary ally," she said cryptically. "Danny''s desire to get rid of Jake aligns with ours for now. He will do what it takes to eliminate the threat to himself,"
The front door swung open with urgency, and Kenneth stumbled through the threshold, his breath coming in harried gasps. "I need Ahmed," he blurted out, looking wildly around the room. "It''s Brian, I can''t talk him out of it. He''s going with Amanda to finish off Ethel..."
---
Meanwhile, the cave''s silence made its captives feel more uneasy. Jessica, with her aura emitter sputtering its last moments of life, cursed softly in Portuguese. "This thing''s about to give out," she warned Lindsey and Kenzie. "We need to be ready."
"Ready?" Kenzie''s voice trembled, the fear unmistakable. "We don''t really have anything we can use to fight Jake,"
"He''s going to kill us and I didn''t even get the chance to apologize to Rob for not believing him," Lindsey stated matter-of-factly, her eyes welling up.
Before another word could be uttered, the earth began to shake beneath them. The stones seemed to lift, growing into the ceiling of the cave.
"This can''t be good," murmured Jessica, her fingers tightening around the failing device.
---
At the safe house, Ethel regarded Ahmed and Kenneth with an eyebrow raised. The safe house felt smaller somehow, and Ashley and Kyle continued to pack. "Amanda knows you''re trying to leave early," Kenneth warned, glancing nervously at the clock. "She won''t wait until midnight to strike,"
"Then we leave now," Kyle cut in, as he stuffed some herbs into a bag. "Stay and die, or run and live."
"You don''t know if we would die," Ashley rolled her eyes, but she did seem worried. "But we can''t fight them with you still recovering, we should go now,"
"Don''t worry about me," Ethel said softly. "Nobody is dying tonight,"
"Are you sure about that?" Kyle asked, his eyes locking on Ahmed, "Why don''t we ask someone who actually knows? What do you see, Ahmed?"
All eyes turned to Ahmed who swallowed hard, his youthful face paling. "I wish I couldn''t see it," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "But all I see... is death, three bodies on the ground."
---
"Ok, all we need is something with cave''s aura on it," Zack interjected, as they made their way back to the apartment. "Then John should be able to find it too."
"Deb says Father Bill had been there before," Zack said, as the elevator doors opened to Deb''s apartment building. "Jessica kept all of Father Bill''s things so we should be able to get a trace of it."
"Got it." Rob nodded, already moving with purpose.
Zack turned to John. "Make sure you take care of them for me ok?"
"Of course,"
They had barely stepped through the front door when Spencer, flanked by two officers, cut them off.
"Zack," Spencer began, his face a mask of forced composure. "I didn''t expect to see you here."
"Spencer," Zack replied with a smirk. "Still pretending to solve cases?"
Spencer''s jaw clenched. "I''m trying to avoid making a scene, Zack. I just had some questions about Jessica''s disappearance,"
"Acting professional isn''t really your thing, Spencer. But then again, neither is detective work," Zack retorted, drawing a stifled laugh from John.
---
At the safe house, the shrill sound of an alarm pierced the silence just as Amanda''s boot connected with its source, sending the device skittering across the floor.
"Where is she?" Amanda demanded, her eyes scanning the room for signs of Ethel or Ashley.
"Movies," Ahmed lied without missing a beat. "They''ve been dying to see that new Shreek movie."
"You think you''re funny don''t you?" Amanda snapped, closing the distance between them. "Tell me where they are and I promise to make your death quick,"
"I''m not scared of you," Ahmed straightened, his dark eyes steady. "I''m a Siren, I know who''s going to die tonight."
Amanda reached for Ahmed but Brian growled low in his throat, taking a protective step forward. Amanda seemed almost amused by his actions, "You''ve got to be kidding me,"
Just a few kilometres away, Ethel and Ashley hurried towards Ethel''s car, the cold night air biting at their skin.
"Keep your phone off until we''re far away," Kyle instructed, placing their bags in the trunk. "I''ll come for you when it is safe for you to return,"
"Got it," Ethel replied, as she turned the key and Ahsley buckled up next to her.
The engine roared to life, cutting through the stillness of the night as they pulled away, leaving only tire tracks and the echo of their departure.
---
"Disturbing, isn''t it?" Spencer''s voice was accusatory, as they all huddled into Jessica''s office. "The three of you seem very close and each of you is personally tied to a missing person."
Zack leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, staring at the RCMP agent. "So either arrest us or leave us alone, we don''t have time for this right now," he watched the clock behind Spencer''s head.
John, half smiled, seemed unaffected by the tension, casually popping a mint into his mouth. "Can I at least go?" he smirked, crunching down on the candy. "I didn''t know any of them,"
"No one is going anywhere, you are all acting strangely and are persons of interest in a missing persons case," Spencer rubbed his temples.
Amidst the charged exchange, Zack''s gaze landed on three cylindrical canisters lined up neatly on the desk. Flashbangs. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
---
Back at the safe house, Amanda shook her head, her voice wavering between disappointment and anger. "Oh no, don''t tell me you actually fell in love with him Brian? And here I thought you were the heartless one,"
"We came here for Ethel, not Ahmed," Brian stepped between them, his eyes shifting black, and claws began to extend from his fingertips.
"He''s one of Zack''s, he''ll have to go eventually anyway," Amanda countered, her own eyes shifting to their red colour.
Ahmed swallowed hard, his eyes tracing the ceiling. "Something''s coming," he muttered, but no one seemed to hear him.
Without warning, the window shattered inward, glass cascading like a waterfall of diamonds as Jake made his grand entrance, landing gently amongst the shards.
"Hello, darlings," Jake drawled, dusting off a shard from his shoulder and taking in their surprised expressions.
Amanda lunged, but Jake stepped back, his movements so fast she couldn''t track them. He moved behind Amanda, pressing his palm to her back and unleashing a wave of power that sent her spiralling into the coffee table.
"I wouldn''t" Jake warned as Brian and Kenneth moved behind him, their eyes glowing as they began to change. They surged forward, claws extended.
But they might as well have been mice fighting an elephant. With a swift motion, Jake grasped their heads—one in each hand—and brought them together with a sickening thud. He flung them aside like ragdolls.
"Now I believe it''s time for you to get what you deserve," Jake said, turning back to Amanda.
"Take a good look," he urged, the scars reappeared across his face. "I was loyal to you for decades and you turned on me the first chance you got to increase your power." Jake''s eyes searched hers for any sign of remorse.
"Go to hell," Amanda spat, glaring up at him.
"Been there, didn''t like the view," Jake retorted lifting his hand. the wind inside the small home began to pick up, and the broken pieces of the skylight lifted, suspended in mid-air around him. Snow began to fall as clouds gathered above them.
"I should have made sure you stayed dead," Amanda managed to choke out, watching the display of power.
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda," Jake said with a click of his tongue. And then, with a flick of his wrists, he sent the glass shards hurtling towards her. Amanda''s scream was lost in the roar of the wind, her body collapsing to the ground filled with shards of glass.
"I thought that would be harder," Jake sighed, stepping over her lifeless form. His eyes gleamed with triumph, a predator savouring the kill.
Brian''s hand trembled as he summoned the dark energy, shadows folding in on themselves as he gathered the energy. Kenneth, with gritted teeth, flexed his fingers and the thin tendrils of vine whips came to life, thrashing with a mind of their own. They moved forward, ready to fight Jake.
"Let''s end this," Kenneth growled, his vines wrapping tightly around his wrists.
"I''ve got your back," Brian replied, his voice barely above a whisper as the dark pulse grew in intensity.
But Jake was on them in a heartbeat, Brian didn''t even have time to release his pulse. With a cruel ease, he caught each by the throat, his fingers tightening in an unbreakable grip. There was a sickening sound of bone snapping, and then the pair went limp. Kenneth and Brian''s bodies slumped to the floor, their lifeless gazes staring into nothingness.
"Now where did Danny go?" Jake asked, his attention turning to Ahmed. "Care to help a guy out?"
---
Outside the storm howled, Rob had managed to slip out of the interrogation claiming he needed to use the bathroom. He squinted through the blizzard, hands tight on the steering wheel. His breath fogged up the windshield, adding to the already near-zero visibility.
"Come on," he muttered, urging the vehicle forward. The snow was relentless, but he knew Lindsey and the others didn''t have much time left.
---
Back at Deb''s apartment, Spencer leaned against the wall, arms folded, his expression a mix of frustration and incredulity. "Does anyone want to explain to me why Jessica has a weapon cache?" he said, nodding toward the pile of guns.
"She has a permit for all of those," Deb retorted, her voice steady despite the rising tension. "She just blows off steam at the shooting range. That''s not illegal,"
"There are over twenty guns in this apartment," Spencer scoffed. "Not to mention what appears to me to be explosives,"
"Well, these seem like questions you should be asking her, not us. How should we know?" Zack crossed his arms.
Deb''s fingers closed around the cool metal of a smoke grenade. "Well actually, these aren''t real bombs, they are just some fancy replicas," she remarked matter-of-factly, pulling the ring with a decisive click.
there was a moment of silence as she let it slip from her fingers and land on the floor, thick smoke began to spew from the small device. Coughing and cursing, Spencer fumbled blindly as Deb, Zack, and John made their escape, pushing past the other agents.
"The fire escape" Deb commanded, as the fire alarm began to blare in the apartment. They navigated through the haze and out the window to the fire escape.
---
Rob''s focus was shattered by a sudden thud against the windshield. A tree branch had taken flight in the storm, striking the glass with enough force to send cracks spidering across it. He slammed the break, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Damn it!" he shouted. But roads were coated in black ice, the car continued to voom forward. A massive tree loomed directly in his path. There was nothing he could do, the ice guided him to the target faster than he could react.
Metal met wood as the front of the car gave way. The impact caused the car to crumple. Rob''s head snapped forward, landing on the airbag as it deflated. Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead, as his vision blurred. He slipped into unconsciousness, and slumped over the remains of the steering wheel.