While panting heavily in the cramped confines of the elevator, Ethel and Jake were afforded a few moments to calm their nerves. Completely unaware that Danny had found the hospital generator, Kenzie hesitated but knowing he was watching her closely she pulled the lever plunging the hospital into darkness. With that decisive flick, the elevator stuttered and then, with an uneasy jolt, abruptly stopped.
"You''ve been great, you can go now," Danny waved Kenzie away. "If you happen to bump into Zack, let him know just how kind I can be,"
---
Back in the garage, Rob realized the space had become quiet, too quiet, he couldn''t hear Ashley''s ragged breathing anymore. His hands moved pressing down against her ribcage, he didn''t care if he cracked them, he knew they would heal. When her chest finally rose, he fell back against the wall of the ambulance, finally able to breathe himself.
---
In the elevator, Ethel forced the doors apart to reveal their predicament: a concrete wall greeted them, they were stuck between floors. She eyed the hatch ceiling, but Jake caught her glance with a warning shake of his head.
"You can''t be serious," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "We have no idea what''s waiting for us out there, do you think it is a coincidence that they shut the elevators off after we escaped?"
Ethel huffed as she pulled out her phone, firing off a message to Zack—'' Generator. Now.''—before slipping the device back into her pocket. She could feel Jake''s eyes on her, he was plotting something.
---
Meanwhile, Zack, carrying an injured Kyle, darted into the laundry room, wedging a wop in the door to buy them some time. He looked around the room and found the chute for bedding, without a second thought he tossed Kyle down it, before he climbed in himself. The fall was quick, and Zack landed in the bedding at the bottom, he also landed on Kyle.
"Get off me," Kyle wheezed, pushing Zack aside. "Next time you want to throw me down something, a little warning would be nice."
"Didn''t have time for a warning," Zack replied, eyes already scanning for the room they were in for an exit.
The harsh buzz of his phone jerked Zack''s attention away from the door. Ethel''s text was short, two words, but it got the message across. Zack''s thumbs flew over the screen, his reply a terse promise, "Don''t move. On our way." He tucked his phone away and hoisted Kyle''s arm back over his shoulder.
"Zack," Kyle said, breathless, "You don''t think they got themselves stuck in an elevator?"
Zack guided him toward the doors, "I think so, I''m getting you to that ambulance and them going back for them" They pushed through the doors and into the garage.
In the ambulance, Rob watched Ashley''s chest rise and fall with a fragile rhythm. "Hang in there," he whispered, looking out the front window. "Zack''s coming. He''ll fix this mess."
His gaze drifted to the reflective surface of a medical instrument, catching his own eyes, haunted by doubt. Once, he''d been the one with the plans that turned the tables, this year he was always one step behind. "I can''t find you like that, Lindsey," he murmured to himself as he thought about what being behind meant.
Then he caught something moving in the reflections, he froze and listened carefully. Footsteps approached and the reflection came into focus. Brian, he raced passed the vehicle on a mission. Rob followed the sound until it faded and then-
"Rob!" Zack appeared by the ambulance, Kyle sagging against him. "I need you to get Ashley and Kyle out of here,"
"Keys," Rob gasped, looking at Zack. "Amanda has them, and Brian—"
"Ok, stay quiet, I''ll get the keys," Zack ordered before disappearing once more in the direction of the hospital.
---
The ER reception was empty. Jessica''s fingers curled around her pistol, the metallic click of a chambered round echoing off the wall. John stood beside her, eyes closed, his face set in concentration.
"We have a problem," John muttered, his voice low. "Zack is here but so is Greed and his covenant,"
"Well then, why don''t we lend your friends a hand," Jessica suggested, looking over at John and Deb.
---
Back in the garage, Rob sat with Kyle, neither one saying a word to the other. Then, a crashing noise filled the space, followed by the sounds of yelling. There was a struggle and a loud thud. Zack reappeared, staggering backward, caught in the iron grip of Brian.
Kenneth walked up to him, "We don''t want to hurt you, Zack,"
"You might want to give Brian that message," Zack choked out, as Brian tightened his grip.
No one saw Kenzie coming, she charged toward Brian, defibrillator paddles gripped and ready for use.
"Clear!" Her voice rang out, and she pressed the paddles against Brian''s back.
Brian released Zack and fell to the floor as he convulsed. Kenneth turned on Kenzie but Zack had already recovered, he sent Kenneth flying into a support beam with his telekinesis.
"Time to run!" Kenzie barked, linking her arm with Zack''s and dragging him along.
---
The elevator was silent, the darkness hid Jake and Ethel. Jake leaned against the wall, a casual pose as he watched Ethel pace.
"Ethel," he began, pushing off the wall, "I''m not the bad guy here. Not evil. I''m just doing what I have to."
"You had to kill all those people, Jake," Ethel replied without turning to him, her gaze fixed on the useless buttons. "You are just like every other sin out there."
"You of all people know that''s not—"
"Stop." Her hand raised, silencing him. "You took Lindsey, you poisoned Ashley. You are delusional"
Below them, in the morgue, Amanda''s voice was sharp. "You made a mistake letting that woman go. Your soft spot for Zack is going to get you killed,"
"Soft spots?" Danny chuckled sarcastically. "He''s an investment. Kenzie is my deposit, so when things truly get dark, he''ll come to me."
"Well, we better get a new Supreme and fast," Amanda spat, slamming her fist through the wall. "You made me kill Jake and soon he''ll be powerful enough to wipe us all out,"
"Remember why you did it, Amanda. For Duncan. For us."
---
Ethel checked her phone again, but there was still no message from Zack. She could feel Jake''s eyes burning into her back, but she had no desire to talk to him.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Ethel," Jake tried again, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "Amanda left me for dead, I was her first vessel and she killed me. I was near death when Lust called out to me, offering a chance to live."
"I know how it works. You''re not the first to claim to be a victim." Ethel didn''t need to look at him to know that he was trying to look sad. "You were a victim until you killed an innocent person,"
"So how am I different from you, Ethel? When you killed Rowan, you took an innocent life. According to you reasons for it don''t matter."
"He was in pain and dying," she countered, feeling the weight of her actions, the lives lost. "Don''t you dare say his name,"
"These addicts were suffering too," Jake continued, "They were ruining their lives and hurting others with their lies. I only took those who were heading for self-destruction."
"Enough!" Ethel snapped. "You target people in recovery, you held out their greatest temptation in front of their faces and then punished them after practically forcing it on them,"
"Ethel—" Jake reached out, but she stepped away, repulsed by the thought of his touch.
"Save it, Jake. I don''t want to hear anything else from you, you are a monster,"
"Well, you seem to have me all figured out," Jake muttered, his voice echoing in the stillness of the stalled elevator. "You don''t know me at all, Ethel. People like Danny, they think they can do what they want without consequences." He paced restlessly, the dim light from the emergency panel casting long shadows across his face. "And people like you act like somehow you better for letting them because at least you didn''t kill anyone,"
Ethel crossed her arms and finally turned to meet Jake''s gaze. "You know we are going to stop Greed and we are going to do it without killing anyone," Her eyes bore into him, so he could see all her rage.
Jake halted, trying not to laugh. "You really believe you can beat Danny without killing? Need I remind you, he has wiped out dozens of covenants including yours,"
"And we''ve taken on three sins and are still standing," she retorted sharply. She could see the lines of anger etch deeper into his features, as he tried to bring her to his side.
"Don''t you find that odd? Sins are supposed to avoid each other, yet they seem to keep crossing paths here, almost like we are drawn to this place."
"What are you talking about?" she asked, skepticism lacing her tone. "Are you suggesting there is a reason for this uptick in violence?"
"Ah so now you want me to keep talking," he whispered, a smile spreading across his face.
---
Meanwhile, Kenzie and Zack rounded a corner of the hospital hallway. They nearly collided with Jessica, Deb, and John, who were huddled in an intense discussion.
"What are all doing here?" Kenzie asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"We came to check on Ashley," John explained.
"She''s fine, she''s in an ambulance with Rob and Kyle," Zack replied, glancing over at Deb. "The problem is Amanda has the keys and Ethel is stuck in an elevator with Jake."
"Right, so we need to come up with a plan to get those keys," Deb interjected. "and get the elevators up and running so Ethel and our murderous professor can get out too."
"Wait, Lust is one of your professors? Which one?" Jessica glanced between them, clearly trying to piece together the puzzle.
"Brown hair, decent looks—kind of hot, in a brooding way," John supplied, earning a raised eyebrow from Deb.
"I have an idea! John, you could use your illusions," Deb suggested, her mind already racing ahead. "Pose as Jake, to distract Greed''s covenant."
A flicker of uncertainty passed over John''s face before he nodded. "It could work."
"You just need to hold it long enough for us to get Ethel and Jake out of the elevator," Zack reassured him, "But we will need something with Jake''s aura to make it feel real,"
"We could have him release his aura," Jessica muttered, trying to think. "But then every supernatural being in this hospital will know exactly where they are."
In the elevator, Ethel heard the buzz of her phone in her pocket. She read the message and knew what she had to do, handing the phone to Jake. Jake scanned the message, he shook his head before slipping off his shoes, and Ethel slammed her palms against the hatch causing it to open. The clanging reverberated through the shaft, Drawing Zack and his group to it.
"This it is, no doubt the Supremes heard it," Zack said, "John, you lead them away while we figure out how to get them out,"
"And don''t worry, I''ll be ready to help if anything goes wrong," Deb whispered, as she headed down the hall and disappeared around the corner.
"Ok, let''s do this," John bounced from foot to foot, his eyes shifted silver as his face shifted to Jake''s. Zack used his telekinesis to reach the shoes and pull them up, he could feel the faint traces of Jake''s aura on them, he hoped it would be enough.
Below, Brian and Kenneth''s heads snapped toward the sound. They exchanged glances—this was their chance. They bolted toward it until they sensed a faint aura, it was Jake''s and it was moving quickly in the opposite direction.
John''s phone lay abandoned, propped against a wall, streaming live video to Deb. She watched, carefully hidden from view, as Brian crawled out of the shadows in front of the phone. She didn''t see Amanda or Kenneth so it was time for plan B.
She twisted the keys, and Kenzie''s car engine roared to life, the sound bouncing off the parking garage walls. Deb slammed her foot on the gas, tires screeching as she raced around the space, at least she knew they were out of the garage.
Meanwhile, John burst through the ER exit, his chest heaving with exertion as the cold air hit him. The snow whipped around him, so he didn''t see Amanda descend from above, She lept from her perch toward the young man. She landed with a feline ease, blocking his escape path.
"Nice try," she taunted, she squinted at John. "You''re not the real Jake are you?"
Jessica emerged from her cover, her arm swinging in a fluid arc. The machete flew, spinning end over end towards Amanda, who snatched it from the air with a smirk. But the triumph was short-lived as Jessica drew her pistol.
"I believe you have our keys," Jessica explained before opening fire, bullets zipping through Amanda.
With a hiss, Amanda retreated up the side of the hospital, Jessica never stopped firing until she had run out of bullets.
---
In the generator room, Kenzie''s hand hovered over the power switch. She glanced skyward, whispered a silent prayer, and flipped it. Electricity surged back to life, and light returned to the building.
In the elevator, Ethel jabbed the button for the first floor as power returned. Looking up she caught Jake''s reflection in the metal, he was no longer human, his eyes red, wings emerging from his back. His scars were visible from Amanda''s brutal attack on him and a smile stretched across his face.
"Don''t do this," she murmured, knowing what was about to happen.
---
Back in the garage where Rob and Kyle worked frantically to secure Ashley in Kenzie''s car. As they buckled her in, Rob kept looking back, expecting Brian to appear. He thanked God that Kenzie always seemed to be at the hospital, and then it hit him, why Greed took Kenzie, why Jake didn''t just escape.
"Stay with her," Rob ordered Kyle, already moving. "I''m going back."
"Rob—" Kyle protested, but Rob was already gone, hoping he wasn''t too late.
Back inside, Zack''s heart sank as he found Ethel sprawled on the elevator floor, claw marks across her back. Jake was nowhere to be seen, he had escaped from them yet again.
"Damn it, Jake," Zack spat, kneeling beside Ethel. His hands shook as he checked for a pulse, relieved to find it steady. "We will find you again,"
He lifted Ethel in his arms, her head lolling against his chest. "Hang on, Ethel. We''re not out of this yet."
John joined Deb at the car, he slid into the passenger seat next to her and checked the rearview camera, displaying a grainy image of the hospital garage behind them. Kyle''s voice came from the back seat, "We have to go before they find us and kill us,"
"Without Zack? Not a chance," John gritted out, eyes locked on the camera feed.
The sound of gunshots cracked through the air, echoing off the concrete walls. Brian and Kenneth appeared on the screen, they moved quickly toward the car. Dodging gunfire, their eyes locked on the Chevy.
"Damn it," Deb cursed under her breath. She slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, the car lurching backwards with a screech of tires. The two figures on the camera darted away, scattering as it barreled toward them. In one fluid motion, Deb shifted gears, and the vehicle leapt forward, escaping into the storm-lashed night.
---
Meanwhile, Zack raced toward the generator room, hoping to get Kenzie and get out of there. The door burst open before him, revealing a space where Kenzie should have been and instead, Danny stood, as if he had been waiting for him.
"I''m afraid you''re too late" Danny did his best to sound sympathetic. "Lust got what he came for, or should I say who he came for. Your friend is long gone, if you had just handed him over none of this would have happened."
"Is she still alive?" Zack asked, looking Danny right in the eye.
"Of course she is, this last ritual needs all three pieces for it to work. You and I want the same thing, to stop lust from killing anyone else," Danny explained, clearly calculating the risk and reward. "Help me catch Lust, and I''ll aid you in retrieving your little nurse and the cop."
Zack considered Danny''s words, they had lost every battle against Lust so far, and Lust only needed one more person. His friends'' lives were at stake.
"Zack, don''t listen to him!" Rob''s voice came from behind him, as the door swung open, breathless from his sprint up the stairs.
"Rob, he got Kenzie..." Zack''s voice trailed off, the weight of his helplessness reflected in his haunted eyes.
"Then we save them together! Like we always do, you don''t need his help," Rob pleaded, stepping closer, his hand reaching out to his friend.
But Zack turned back to Danny, stepping away from Rob. With a heavy heart and a silent promise to find Lindsey, he looked back at Rob one last time. "I''m sorry, but I promise I''ll find them."
"Smart choice," Danny murmured with a satisfied smile. Placing an arm around Zack and leading him away. Rob couldn''t do anything but watch the scene unfold.
---
In the darkness of a cave, lit only by flickering torches casting ominous shadows on ancient Wiccan symbols, Kenzie and Lindsey struggled against their bonds on the stone altar. Jake watched them struggle with an amused look. "Don''t worry you won''t be uncomfortable for much longer, I''m expecting company," He laughed as he left there to wonder if Zack would find them in time.