The Devil's Due Read online

  THE DEVIL’S DUE

  By T. J. Vargo

  Copyright 2011 T.J. Vargo

  Smashwords Edition

  Discover other titles by T.J. Vargo at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tjvargo or http://www.tjvargo.com

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic format without permission. Please support the author and do not participate in the piracy of copyrighted materials.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Prologue

  Twenty -One Years Ago

  This wasn't good. Carmen clapped a hand over the squalling mouth of the baby she held. Its scream steamed her palm and she looked around nervously. Why was the baby crying now when it was so important to be quiet? Maybe it was the heat. Thick and humid. Carmen licked her upper lip, tasting the sweat. It was sour, making her mouth bitter with the taste of fear. She looked at the baby girl struggling for breath to let out another scream. Poor thing was probably crying because she didn't know why she was pulled from her crib in the middle of the night. Scared of what was happening to her. She kissed the baby's forehead. Just like I'm scared of what's going to happen to me, she thought, then whispered, "Shhh, quiet little one."

  She muffled another cry from the baby and looked around, squinting to see better in the dark. At least she was in the shadows, that was good. Dropping to a crouch, she rested her back against a tall brick wall bordering the old flagstone courtyard. The whole courtyard was encircled by the wall, except for a staircase that ran up and away to the huge pasture bordering this place, this awful place. Tilting her head back, she looked up over the edge of the wall and wished the light of day were coming down. Night and its darkness didn't feel good - they liked the dark. They were at home in the dark. But, at least it gave her the cover she needed to try to take the babies. She clenched her eyes shut, wishing she were already up the staircase leading out of this courtyard. Up the stairs and out into the forest beyond the pasture. If she got that far, she knew she'd be home free.

  She took a big breath. Held it. Exhaled through her mouth. It was time. She stood up and gazed across the courtyard - a splashing fountain with shadows of Japanese Koi finning under the lily pads, wrought-iron benches placed strategically to enjoy the views of the many exotic plant and flower beds - this place had the feel and look of a city park, meant for long meditations and quiet rest. She brushed a lock of long black hair from her face. Things weren't always the way they appeared. She tilted her head back and looked into the sky, hoping for protection from above and said, "Time to go little one. Let's get your brother."

  She ran into the light of the courtyard, her tan legs scissoring in a sprint. In her dark nylon running shorts and white cotton muscle shirt, she had a flash of memory. An image of herself as the young co-ed she had once been, taking in a late night run. But it was different now, yes sir it was, she thought. Now her heart pounded with more than just exertion after each push of her long, muscled legs. And she saw through different eyes now, eyes that darted and searched the darkness with animal intensity as she leapt to the brick staircase. They couldn't catch her. He couldn't catch her. Her mind raced. The days of being a young co-ed with nothing to worry about but her next date were a million years ago, never to return.

  Up the stone staircase, taking the steps two at a time, she paid for each set of steps with a bright stab of pain between her legs, still swollen and tender from childbirth. She bit her lip and kept going. Nothing but black night ahead as she reached the top of the stairs and stopped, letting her eyes adjust to the dark. The pain between her legs throbbed, bringing her eyes to a squint as she breathed through clenched teeth.

  Finally her vision sharpened. She could see the wooden platform that was built at the top of these stairs. Kind of like a little stage. That was it. A stage with entertainment that Edgar Allen Poe would've been proud of. Walking toward it, she reached one hand out, getting a grip on a corner support, then bent down and ducked under the platform.

  The night air was even hotter under the platform. Dust choking her. The heat pressing in on her. She coughed as she tried to catch her breath. Breathing was tough under here. She swallowed hard, cleared her throat, spat on the ground, and then started walking bent over, trying to avoid hitting her head on the support timbers that held the platform up. The baby girl she held against her chest put a terrific strain on her lower back, hunched over as she was, but she kept going, ignoring the aching muscles. The baby began to wail again, kicking in her arms. Dropping her gaze to the baby for a moment she felt a sudden jolt. White stars swam in her eyes and she rubbed a hand over the spot where her head knocked into a support timber. Damn it, no time to cry, she thought, biting her lip. Look. Just keep looking for the other one. Get the boy and get out of here.

  Scanning the ground, Carmen felt the first electric shocks of panic. Where was her baby boy? The baby girl she held screamed, jangling her nerves even further. They'd be out here any second, the doctor and the rest of them (maybe even the father, God forbid), scouring the grounds looking for her and the babies. What they'd do if they caught her... she didn't even want to think of it. Her throat tightened. Had to hurry. Looking around frantically her heart began to gallop. Eyes stinging with sweat, she wiped them with the back of her hand. That only made it worse, rubbing dirt in with the sweat.

  Blinking back the stinging in her eyes, she scanned the ground in front of her again. He was here. Had to be. It couldn't have been more than five minutes ago that she had put him here. Where was he? Her mind began to betray the control and calm she always held so strongly, rushing sly whispers through her head. They knew you planned this all along. They've taken the boy and are right now waiting for you to come out. They have your boy on the platform where you can watch what they do to him. And then, when they're done with him, they'll have time for YOU.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed the thoughts from her mind. Heart beating like a flushed bird, she struggled to quiet her breathing, listening intently. Something rustled behind her. Turning quickly, careful to keep her head low, she looked down. A football-sized bundle squirmed there with two huge white eyes glowing in the darkness. Relief washed over her.

  "Come here. It's okay," she said, scooping him up and snuggling him in against her chest next to his sister.

  She held the two babies. Her babies, no one else's. Hers from now on.

  "Carmen!"


  That was his voice. The father. She spun her head around, looking from under the platform back toward the castle, that improbable structure that should have seemed so out of place but somehow fit right in overlooking the small town of Clear Creek. The shakes ran up through her hands and arms, reaching her neck until her whole head shook. He was coming. She bent low, scurrying under the length of the platform, away from the castle. At one point, somewhere under the middle of the platform, she felt her feet kind of stick. She slowed for a moment. It smelled coppery - sickly sweet. She stepped back, looked up and could barely make out the dark stain that had seeped through from the platform above. It occurred to her what had caused the stain. Above, on the platform, that was where she pushed the twins out into the world. She hurried around the spot, careful not to step in it.

  Exiting out from under the platform she began running through the pasture toward the dense woods. Her feet flew over the grass, making swishing sounds, every stride hurtling her and her babies farther away. The hot night suddenly felt cool, rushing by on her face as she ran. They would be free - the twins and her. No one could catch them. She turned to look back as she ran. It was a dark night, but the light of the castle outlined the figure that climbed onto the platform far behind her.

  "CARMEN!"

  The black silhouette of a man in a hat. A flat, wide brimmed hat from another time when his followers were hunted and burned alive.

  "CARMEN!"

  She looked away from him, straining to see the edge of the forest that grew around the pasture, pushing herself to run faster, to get to it and get lost in it before he caught her on open ground. A spot tightened on her back, right below her neck and between her shoulder blades. He had seen her. She knew it. She could feel it. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she imagined him behind her, running after her with his impossibly long legs, gaining ground with every ragged breath she took.

  She pulled both babies up on her chest as she ran, bringing them closer. With arms and shoulders aching, her chest about to burst, she narrowed her eyes and pushed herself to run even faster. He wouldn't take them. She wouldn't let him. Her determination brought a strange feeling of peace tingling over her. Even the babies must have felt it, she thought, legs pumping over the soft grass. They had both been screaming from the jostling of the run. Now they were silent. Warm against her. Warmth spread all through her, radiating out from... where was it coming from? She looked down at the babies. From them. It was coming from one of them. In the crook of her right arm, it was that one. The little baby girl, her eyes wide, a little dimple between her brows.

  Carmen ran on, her teeth clenched in a smile even as her lungs burned for oxygen. That little look from her baby girl, like she was concentrating on something really important, that would bring a smile to anyone's face. But Carmen couldn't hold the smile. It took too much strength, what with her heart punching in her chest. She opened her mouth, huffing and struggling to get her wind. This wasn't a time to quit. She drove herself into a sprint and her legs reacted like tireless, strong pistons, never faltering. That warmth coming from her little girl somehow seemed to help matters. It made her ignore the pain and concentrate. Just put one foot in front of the other. Again. Again. Again. Faster. Faster. Faster.

  Her running became fluid. All weight drained away. There was nothing but the warmth coming from her baby girl and the will to escape propelling her forward. Her baby girl's warmth infused her. Made her light as a feather, floating over the grass with each step, the strength of a bull quivering through her legs. The forest was rearing up out of the horizon in front of her with each swishing sound of her bare feet through the grass. Only a matter of time before she was in that forest - then let them try to find her, she thought. But the thought of him running after her was overwhelming. She had to look back. Just once.

  One quick look back. It was him, not far behind, the black shadow of his hat bouncing in the night sky toward her. Then the ground dropped from under her feet. She lurched as one foot then the other dumped into a depression in the ground. Her balance was lost. She snapped her head around and muscled her legs in front of her, one after the other, trying to catch up with her own momentum. Her mind spun. If she fell, he would have her and the babies. And he would do things. Terrible things.

  Everything slowed down for Carmen. Each labored movement of her legs, trying to keep up with her hurtling body, too little too late as she tipped forward to the point of no return. Her stomach became lead. Fall she would. And he was right behind damn it!

  She tightened her grip on the babies as she fell. The trees loomed up out of the night sky, giants of safety that could only watch, too far away to help her. She couldn't escape. He had her.

  A grunt punched out of her lungs as she turned her shoulder, letting it take the brunt of her fall. The speed of her running combined with the extra weight of the two babies in her arms threw her down with devastating force. A searing pain ripped through her shoulder. She held in a scream, a flash of agony shooting through her brain, and began to tumble. Rolled head over heel, balling up to protect the babies. The world became a frenzy of spinning pain. Then it stopped. Her head ringing. Shoulder screaming. She opened her eyes, expecting to see him standing over her, reaching down to wrap his cold fingers around each of the babies, then finally around her neck.

  The sound of his heavy footsteps vibrated the ground beneath her. She balled up into the fetal position, holding her babies tight. Their warm, sour milk breath puffed against her neck. Please don't see me. Please don't see me. His hat outlined black against the sky. Coming closer. Slowing to a walk. Moving straight for her. In the dark she couldn't tell where he was looking. He was nothing but a black outline of a man. Huge. Towering as he came within a few strides. And stopped.

  Her lungs ached, demanding air. She bit her lower lip, trying to hush the sound of her breathing. Blood roared in her ears. The tickle of babies' breath on her neck. Don't make a sound little ones. He took another step forward, moving like a shadow, his head turning and searching for her. The only thing that kept her steady was the warmth of her baby girl. That warmth had the power of two strong hands, holding her steady, letting her know she was safe. His voice rose up in a deep wash of sound that vibrated through her.

  "You're close Carmen. I know it. Bring her to me child, just the girl, and I'll let you and the boy go."

  She stiffened, feeling his voice reach into her. Grab her. Hold her. How did he do that? So soothing. She wanted to shake her head to get his voice out of there. But she couldn't. Couldn't move at all. He'd see. But that voice. It curled up in her, all warm and cozy. A nice, soft cuddly thing that loved her like nothing ever had before. Even better than the warmth coming from her baby girl. She looked up to him, seeing the soft glow of the moon and stars frame him as he looked one way, then another, then finally turned away, looking back in the direction he'd just come from.

  "You can come back too," he yelled. "You can come back Carmen. I want you to. You just have to give the girl back to us. Then you can give yourself back to me."

  The pain in her shoulder was fading away. Just the sound of his voice did that. Like a lover comforting her. Rocking her in the bosom of a great warm love. Her heartbeat slowed. Her eyelids lowered. Her face softened in a smile. It could be like it was when she first was brought here to Clear Creek. Just him. And her. All she had to do was get up and walk over to him. Something warm and wet touched her hand, but she brushed it aside. He was what was important. His presence made her ache deep inside. She licked her lips, wanting to get up and go back to him. Let things be the way they once were. Nothing could compare to that. She began to raise her head just as the warm wet touch on her hand closed over a finger and began sucking powerfully, as only the mouth of a baby could do. Her eyes opened wide.

  "I'm not angry now Carmen, but I can be if you don't come to me. Tell me where you are. We'll carry the little ones back together and then you can come to my bed. We'll spend the night together, just
you and me."

  She looked down, still groggy with the power of his voice, and watched the little baby boy sucking her finger. Her breasts leaked warm milk. And his voice left her, like a veil being lifted. The boy sucked harder on her finger. She lowered her head back to the grass. So close. He almost had her.

  "CARMEN!"

  His scream rang in her head. She could see his hands clenched in fists as he turned and walked away, disappearing to search through the shadows of the night.

  Sitting up, careful to keep quiet, she took a breast from under her shirt and fed the boy. Damn her shoulder hurt. Getting to her feet, she took one look in the direction he had gone and began walking with a limp, the trees of the forest gathering around her. The boy suckled. The girl's head lay on Carmen's aching shoulder. And Carmen thought. These babies were different. They were the first of their kind. She shook her head. It didn't matter. They were hers now, her twins, forever hers. She kissed their soft, defenseless heads. The two of them snuggled against one another and she touched them, running her fingertips over their faces. It would never stop now. They would never stop searching for them. He would never stop searching for them. It was time to hide. Put the babies somewhere safe even if that meant giving them up. She kissed them both and forced herself into a jog, ignoring the stones and sticks on the forest floor that cut into her bare feet. Her lips moved in time with each pained step, singing a song she hadn't remembered since her childhood.

  "You've got the whole... world... in your hands...

  You've got the whole... world... in your hands...

  You've got the whole... world... in your hands...

  A noise behind her squeezed her heart into a triphammer rhythm. It could have been anything. An animal. Maybe a branch falling from a tree. More likely her mind strung too tight. She picked up her pace, dodging trees in the dark, her song becoming a whisper in her head.