Chapter 18: Endgame
Detective Alan Emerson sat in the ambulance as his arm was taped up. He groaned, looking over at Dr. Varava who was weaving through the spectators who were watching the reporters and camera crews. Alan rolled his sleeve down and waved him over. He started rubbing the bandage on his neck. He wondered if she was back in the woods, using them as cover again. He shook his head in disappointment, knowing he could've had her in custody if he'd been watching the road.
"Detective, I heard you made contact with her," Dr. Varava said, "You're very lucky." "Thank you," Alan said, "But it's my fault she got away." "Nonsense detective," Varava said, patting his back, "We still have a chance. It's not over yet. What are your plans?" "I've sent my partner Wilson into the woods with a chopper," Alan said, "That's about it." "Detective, what if she found her old family?" Varava asked him. "No, she couldn't," Alan said. He suddenly remembered McNally. "He hasn't called in for a while," he said, motioning the doctor to follow him.
"McNally, you there?" Alan said into Wilson's SUV radio, "This is Emerson, over." He waited for a while, hearing a weird static. "Emerson calling McNally, over," Alan said. "He's dead detective," Varava said behind him, "She's already there." "Emerson calling McNally over, damn it!" Alan yelled, throwing the radio, "Get in, Doc. We've got to get down there." "Yes we do," Dr. Varava said as he hopped in beside him and they pulled out, "Leena Klammer has to be stopped here and now." Alan hit the glove compartment and pulled a silver 45 Automatic pistol out and gave it to him. "This is it," he told the doctor, "This is the real thing." "Don't worry, I've been here before," Varava told him, taking it.
"Detective," Varava said, "What if she wants to finish this? Go back to where it all started?" "What are you getting at?" Alan asked, "Go back where?" "Keep up with me detective," Varava said, "What if she wants to go home? Back to the old Coleman residence." Alan stared bewildered at him. "She always goes back to where it all started," Varava said. Alan nodded his head and did a u turn.
Kate sat with her son Daniel as they were both taped back to back in old kitchen chairs. They both had tape over their mouths as they looked around for Max and Esther. Esther had brought them to their old residence, the house that they had all stayed when Esther was first adopted. The place was now even more cruel and intimidating than it was that night before. The nightmares had all came back now. It was that night once more where Esther shed her disguise and tried to kill all of them. They'd survived that night, but this one looked worse. Kate knew this was it.
Max sat in the washroom watching Esther running the tap with warm water. She looked over at Max and smiled at her. "Good, I can finally leave this Esther thing alone for now," Esther said, her voice changing a bit, "Hey Max, watch this." Max stared horrified as Esther tied her hair back and held 2 hand fulls of water up to her face and her make up started to 'Melt' off, revealing her pale, grayish and wrinkled skin. She pulled her fake white teeth out, revealing her gray and rotting ones. She then undid her dress, and took off her coat, wearing a black button up shirt and blue jeans underneath. She then put on Kate's black over coat and turned around so Max could see her. Esther was no more. Here stood the creature that tried to kill Max a month ago after she killed her daddy.
Max screamed and tried to run but the monster caught and held her from behind, kissing her head. "Max, my name is Leena," she said into Max's hearing aid with a deeper raspy voice, "Leena Klammer. But you can call me mommy. And don't worry; I'm going to take good care of you. I love you Max." She kissed the child's quivering head again and hugged her tightly. Max turned her head and looked up at her, signing something. "Of course they have to die, Max," Leena said, her eyes wide and animal like, "If you want to come with me, they have to." Max signed something else. "Let them go and take you?" Leena said, "That's very sweet of you. But these what two did to me was unforgivable and they have to die Max." Max shook her head, pleading with Leena.
"I'm sorry you have to see this," she said, pushing Max over. Max sounded surprised and moaned, shaking her head. Leena came into the kitchen, looking at Kate and Daniel. "This is where it ends," she said to them, pouring gasoline all over the floor around them and the surrounding area. Daniel and Kate gag screamed, seeing Leena doing so. She smiled at them both and held up a Zippo lighter. "Goodbye Kate and Daniel," Leena chuckled, "Say hi to Johnny for me." She dropped the lighter and picked Max up. Behind Max sat 3 kegs of propane gas. Max started whimpering as Leena held her, carrying her away from the inferno and hushing her gently.
"Esther!" yelled Kate, her gag peeling off from her face sweat, "You don't have to do this! Please! Killing us won't make it right!" "For you maybe," Leena said stopping in her tracks, "But me and Max here will have a new life together." "You'll never get away with this!" Kate yelled, "You'll burn for this!" Leena started walking away smiling as Kate began yelling incoherent things. Max sobbed and reached for Kate who stopped thrashing about and shared her look with her. "Max," Kate breathed, "Max! Hang in there! We're coming! Daniel! Daniel c'mon, hang in there my son! We've got to get free!" Daniel looked back at her and shook his head. "We're both gonna die here," he told her. She stopped and stared at him. Kate started fighting her restraints and began screaming in utter defeat.
Leena loaded Max into her booster seat in the SUV and fastened the childproof lock. Max moaned to her as Leena ignored her, putting Max's bags in the back in the. She looked up at her, buttoning up the black coat. She smiled and messed up Max's hair and shut the back door. Max stared in the windows as she watched Daniel and Kate fighting their restraints. Leena hopped in the driver side and started up the van. She smiled and pulled the SUV out of the driveway and drove off. She popped on the radio, hearing Vertical Horizon's "The Best I've Ever Had."
As the SUV sped off from the other side of the house, Alan and Dr. Varava pulled up in their SUV. Alan saw the fire inside the house and got out running with the doctor, calling Kate's name. Just then, a huge explosion erupted from the interior of the house, knocking them both over onto the front lawn. It roared with a reddish orange fury, engulfing the whole façade. Black smoked rose up from the explosion and filled the starry sky.
Dr. Varava had covered Alan, who looked up at the blaze and sobbed. Varava seen this and put his arm around his shoulders. They had arrived too late. Kate and Daniel were gone. And Esther beat them, taking Max with her to God knows where. Alan kept telling himself it should've been him in there, not the Coleman's. Kate was a good person, and she'd lost so much. Maybe she'd be able to find some peace from her loss. But it just wasn't fair to her. She didn't deserve this.
He stood with Dr. Varava as the house continued to burn down. Alan grabbed his cell phone and wiped his eyes off. As the receptionist picked up, he took a deep breath and called it in.