AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Turn it over," Sheila said.
Finn flipped the frame, revealing a handwritten note on the back: 'Our last happy moment. Helen's Hideaway, Bear Creek Trail.'
"Bear Creek Trail," Sheila repeated, her pulse quickening. "That's up in the mountains, isn't it? There are a bunch of old cabins up there."
Finn was already pulling out his phone, searching for more information. "Yeah, it's about a fifteen-minute drive from here—ten if we're quick. Pretty isolated, especially this time of year."
Sheila's eyes lit up with determination. "That's got to be it. It's the perfect place for his 'cleansing ritual' or whatever he calls it."
As Finn called for backup, Sheila's gaze was drawn back to the photo. The smiling couple looked so normal, so happy. How had Dr. Reeves gone from that man to the monster they were now chasing?
She shook her head, pushing the thought aside. It didn't matter now. What mattered was stopping him before he could claim another victim.
"Backup's on the way," Finn said, pocketing his phone. "They'll meet us there."
Sheila nodded, already heading for the door. "Let's go. We can't wait for them to arrive."
As they rushed to their car, the sun had fully set, plunging Coldwater into darkness. Sheila couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. Somewhere out there, in a cabin in the woods, an innocent woman's life hung in the balance.
And Dr. Calvin Reeves, the man they now knew as the Coldwater Confessor, was preparing for his final act of 'salvation.'
CHAPTER THIRTY
Megan's heart pounded in her chest as she watched Dr. Reeves raise the candlestick, its polished surface gleaming in the dim light. This couldn't be happening.
How had she gone from attending a community seminar to being tied up in a cabin, about to be murdered by a man she'd thought was there to help people?
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But it never came.
"Open your eyes, Megan," Dr. Reeves said softly. "I want you to understand why this is necessary."
Trembling, Megan forced her eyes open. Dr. Reeves stood before her, candlestick still raised, a look of eerie calm on his face.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
Dr. Reeves smiled. It was a cold, unsettling expression. "Because you're lost, Megan. Like so many others. But through your sacrifice, you'll help bring about a new age of enlightenment."
Megan sensed he had more to say, so she waited, giving him plenty of space to speak.
"Do you know how many people live their lives in darkness, never realizing their true potential?" he asked. "I'm offering them a chance at redemption."
Megan's mind raced, searching for a way out. She needed to keep him talking, to buy herself more time. "But...but killing people? How does that help anyone?"
Dr. Reeves chuckled. "Oh, Megan. Death is just a transition. These souls, your soul, will serve a higher purpose."
"Higher purpose? What do you mean? Please help me understand."
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. His smile fell away, and he narrowed his eyes. "You're stalling for time," he said. "What, you think someone's going to save you? You think help is on the way?"
She said nothing.
"Oh, Megan," he said. "I offered to help you, to show you the way, and you turned me down. You really think you're going to get a second chance?"
He raised the candlestick once more. This was it. Megan closed her eyes again, silently praying for a miracle.
Suddenly, a beam of light cut across the windows—headlights? Was someone here?
"It seems we may have company," Dr. Reeves muttered, lowering the candlestick. "How inconsiderate of them to interrupt our sacred moment."
