Scarlet Dream by James Axler

Author:James Axler [Axler, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Speculative Fiction Suspense
ISBN: 9780373638703
Publisher: Gold Eagle
Published: 2011-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

DOWNSTAIRS, Brigid was just making her way to the foot of the staircase beneath the orange glow of the chandelier.

“I’m right here, Kane,” she responded automatically over the Commtact. “Be with you in a minute.”

“Any sign of Grant?” Kane asked, his voice piping straight into her ear as if he stood right next to her.

“Nothing yet,” Brigid replied as she took the first stair. As she did so, she heard a noise coming from the corridor and she halted, the metal pole in her hand resting against the next riser like a walking cane. She dipped her head, peering back down the corridor that led into the depths of the house. It was hard to see, the corridor was lost to shadow after just a dozen paces. But as she looked, she heard the noise again, a thumping as if of a heavy tread.

“Wait, I’m going to check something out,” Brigid whispered into the hidden Commtact pickup.

“Negative, Baptiste.” Kane’s voice rasped over the Commtact. “We need to stick together.”

Brigid took a step back, peeking over her shoulder to make sure no one was sneaking up on her. “Pipe down, Kane,” she instructed in a harsh whisper. “I’ll be one minute and I’ll be sure to take care, I promise.”

Kane grunted an acknowledgment but Brigid chose to ignore it, tuning out the Commtact receiver.

Cautiously, the titian-haired warrior made her way into the corridor that ran along the staircase. Pictures lined the walls here, and Brigid’s eyes flicked to them for just a moment. She was wary now, conscious that this house had many subtle traps that could snag the mind with the most casual of efforts. The pictures, she saw, were masked by velvet curtains, like tiny theatrical stages, as if each one contained a whole story just waiting to spring to life.

Brigid heard the noise again, more clearly this time—footsteps coming from the shadowy end of the corridor. She waited in place against the side of the stairs beside a door handle, silently peering into the darkness as the footsteps became slowly louder. Then she spied the figure in the shadows, recognized it as the wide form of housemistress Ellie.

“That you, brave soldier?” Ellie called as she strode toward Brigid.

Brigid saw that the woman was squinting, and she recalled how she had struggled to make out the moving figures beyond the house when her team had arrived. She was short-sighted, and that might just be the only thing that Brigid had on her side at that moment. It seemed that this woman could somehow hypnotize with a look. It wouldn’t do to be caught by her, not without some kind of plan in place. Brigid was armed, but that was no use—for one thing, she did not have a blood-thirsty temperament, and killing this woman in cold blood did not appeal to her, despite the mind-trickery on display in this house. For another, Brigid realized that killing someone with the power to instantly make one see whatever they wanted would be about as easy as catching dreams in a paper cup.

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