Twenty-seven
Richard Welk arrived at his apartment at ten in the
evening. He had rented the efficiency to be close to the corporate
offices during the weekdays. Weekends he spent at Sarah Trevor’s estate
forty miles outside Boston.
The computer was aglow in the dark room.
EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY.
The message scrolled endlessly. Richard tossed his
topcoat onto a chair and slipped behind the machine. He had connected
once directly to Billy’s computer and since that time suspected that his
own had been hijacked. How else to explain its suddenly autonomous
behavior?
IS THIS YOU, BILLY, he typed, OR YOUR COMPUTER
FEEDING ME SOME MORE CANNED BALONEY? YOU HAD ME GOING FOR A DAY OR TWO.
Billy responded several minutes later. THINGS ARE
GETTING OUT OF HAND.
A PHONE WOULD COME IN HANDY ABOUT NOW, Richard typed.
THERE IS NO PHONE.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
TREVOR INDUSTRIES HAS ITS OWN SECURITY FORCES. WE
NEED HELP. CORIN THINKS WE CAN HANDLE THE DARKERS AND SHERIFF KRUEGER AND
THE NEW PEOPLE IN TOWN, BUT I THINK WE’RE IN TROUBLE.
Richard took a moment to run through his options. If
he made the wrong decision, he’d either panic Sarah or get Billie hurt.
WE’RE DUE FOR THAT THIRTY DAY RENEGOTIATION. SARAH AND I CAN FLY IN
TONIGHT.
TOO DANGEROUS. KEEP MY MOTHER AWAY. MEN HAVE BEEN
KILLED.
Richard snatched his hand from the keyboard as if
risking singed fingers.
BURGLARS WITH GUNS. ONE WAS A DARKER.
Richard made a mental list of the questions he needed
to ask. HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES YET?
I’VE SENT THE BODIES TO THEM. I’VE HEARD FROM
NOBODY.
It hardly mattered. Sarah had told him that the
Darkers ruled Silver Ridge like gangsters. If local law enforcement bent
to the will of the Darkers in local matters, it would be quicker and safer
to send in a few corporate security people. Billy seemed upset, or he
would have guessed for himself that they’d be acting under Sarah’s orders,
not his.
I’LL SEND HELP.
Billy hesitated before responding. NOAH’S DEAD. ABE
WILL TRY TO KILL US.
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HOLD OUT?
INDEFINITELY. ABE DARKER IS IN DANGER IF HE TRIES TO
REACH ME. IF THEY TRY TO ARREST ME, SHERIFF KRUEGER AND HIS MEN ARE IN
DANGER. EVIE’S SLEEPING. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO HER. CORIN HAS
TAKEN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING.
I’LL GET HELP TO YOU RIGHT AWAY, Richard typed and
then wondered if Sarah’s men would be safe approaching the mansion. Billy
seemed to have overlooked that as well.
SOMETHING’S HAPPENING AT THE FOOT OF THE HILL.
CORIN’S TAKING OVER. . .
The screen froze. A
moment later, the communications software disconnected. He snatched his cell phone from his jacket pocket and
speed dialed Sarah’s number. If Billy was in trouble, he dared not leave
the boy’s mother in the dark for an instant.
