Chapter 53

“NOOOOO!!!” There was a desperate pained scream from upstairs somewhere. Horis knew that she was gone. A huge crash was heard from the other side of the fireplace and Marco left the room to investigate, keeping low as he went. A few moments later he came in half carrying Horis. His arm was clearly broken. Marco grabbed the kitchen towels that were hanging on the front of the stove handle and then opened a drawer and pulled out two long handled wooden spoons. “This is going to hurt old friend.” Horis did not seem to hear him. His eyes were locked on the body of his mate laying on the floor. Lyle had taken off his sweatshirt and covered her face with it. As Marco moved back toward Horis there was another crash. The door to the microwave smashed as another bullet came through and hit it just over Marco’s head. The sound and explosion of glass seemed to bring Horis to his senses and he reached into his pocket. He pulled out the same remote that Amaris had seen him use before for the photo studio door.  He punched in a code. There was a groaning and a whirring sound and large metal shutters came down over door and window. They were suddenly plunged into darkness. Horis pushed another button and emergency lighting came on. Marco grabbed his arm and finished splinting it and then made a sling out of the larger of the two towels.

When Marco was done, Horis leaned over uncovered Angel’s face and touched her cheek tenderly. He wiped his tears from his eyes and then pulled himself to his feet with his good arm by using the counter. “Follow me all of you now we don’t have much time. These will not keep them out forever they are just made to slow them down and give us time. “. Horis walked out of the room unsteadily but quickly. The group followed him out of the room in twos with the girls going first after Horis and the two men at the rear. Horis led them back to his photo studio. He wasted no time and walked across the room and yanked the drape down that was hanging as the backdrop and revealed a door. Horis turned to Marco who was the last person to walk in the room. “Close the door behind you. Now push the blue button on the top right of the door frame. “. As soon as Marco complied, a heavy steel door slid out of a pocket in the door frame and locked in place. Amaris had been paying attention to the scene behind her and when she turned back around Horis was gone and the door that he had uncovered was standing wide open. Amaris watched Anna walked forward  and follow Horris in.  Amaris walked forward next, her heart still pounding from adrenaline, and taking out her phone, used the flash light and walked in. “Horis?” Anna called out. Amaris followed Anna along the hallway staying close. It was damp and humid but warm from the greenhouse next to it. A light flared at the other end of the hall startling the girls. Horis stuck his head from around a corner. “Come on, this way. “ Horis gestured for them to follow. By this time the two men had also moved in through the doorway with them. Lyle had pulled out his cell phone too and turned the flash light on, while Marco shut and locked that door too. Amaris could hear the whir of the motor moving the steel door in place. 

Anna followed the corridor to where they had last seen Horis.  She found a stair heading down.  The air in the passage was getting warmer the lower down they went. The girls  started down the stairs and found themselves in another hallway. This one ran the full length of the house, under both greenhouses, and out to the outer buildings. “ We built these for access to the geothermals and the radiant heat lines as well as the greenhouse watering systems.” Horis rambled like a tour guide. He seemed to just be functioning on autopilot.  He did not appear to even realize that he was talking while he walked.  Horis did not stop walking and did not wait for everyone to finish descending the stairs.  He continued on down the hallway and was now way ahead.  A loud boom echoed through the hallway and rumbled through the stone.  It shook everything and made a little dust fall from the ceiling of the hallway.  “ Sounds like they blasted their way in. “ Marco says. Everyone looked around expecting to see people running in at any second.  No one  came.  They followed the hallway for what seemed like the length of several football fields. At last they caught up to Horis.  He had finally noticed that the group was not keeping up with him and waited silently for them at another door. Horis pulled the door open. The girls were both jumpy as they were still running on adrenaline. As it opened inward Amaris could see that there were heavy ivy vines growing over the doorway. Horis unlatched a lock of some sort in the vines and opened a wrought iron door. It took a little force on his part as some of the vines had grown completely over the doorway and were only allowing it to open so far. Finally, it gave way with a pop and rustling of leaves.  He stepped out into the forest at the side of the property. Anna followed Horis and then Amaris.  Lyle and Marco came out and looked like this was nothing new to them.  Amaris noticed as she walked by the door that someone had intricately woven the vines in the iron work of the gate. Walking out they could see that the door was on the back side of a berm and they were completely out of the sight of the house.

Horis grabbed Marco’s arm as he came out of the doorway. He pulled him over to the side. “Over in the forest that way” and he pointed out into the woods “until you hit the stream, follow it south for two miles.  You will come to a park.  I have a camper parked there. Take it and go. “. Horis pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and a Manila envelope. “This is everything you need. I still had Lyle's photos from last time he was here.  Good luck my friend.” Marco shook hands with the once jolly man. Everyone moved toward Horis to say their thank yous and farewells.  Horis waved them out toward the forest.  "Horis, where are you going to go?  Come with us.  At least for a little way and then come back after they have left."  Lyle said.  He was the last to shake his hand goodbye.  Horis started shaking his head in response when a crack rang out through the air. The sound of distant shouting could be heard. Horis looked like he was shoved forward. Marco spun around and dived down on top of him. Lyle pushed the two girls down and fell on top of them. Marco stayed low but rolled Horis over to see how badly he was hurt. Horis let out a groan of pain as he was rolled over. His face was pale and he had a small line of bloody spittle running down the side of his mouth. “Go. They know where you are now. They will be heading this way. Leave me here. I go to meet my sweet Angel.” Horis reached out and grasped Marco’s wrist. Lyle was already pushing forward and placed a hand on Horis’ shoulder and then moved past him keeping low. Lyle peaked his head above the berm between two bushes to get a look. He jumped back down turning around quickly with his back against the berm. “We need to go NOW!!”