Chapter 4

"Megan?" Chris said, trying to rise from his bed.

"Just stay there" Megan restrained him. "you need the rest. How are you feeling?"

"Still groggy" he admitted, then shuddered "and I keep thinking that he might come back."

"Julia says that you re safe."

"What did he do?" Chris asked, shaking "I have to know."

"He did not kill anyone. He hurt some people, but they will recover."

"Thank God" Chris said with relief, then added "But Angelique, he did kill her..."

Megan pulled Chris close "Chris, Angelique isn't dead. But I want everyone to believe she is. So don't mention Angelique again. That's an order."

"You give me orders?"

"Well, you work for me."

"You fired me."

"I fired Tom, not you. The moment I knew what happened I put you back in the payroll. I am paying for your stay here, and this will count as sick leave. Also, Joe arranged for someone to take care of your chickens."

"Why did you do that?: Chris was astonished.

"Because I should have known that something had happened to you. I don't like being played for a fool, by your brother, or anyone else."

"My brother." Chris said bitterly "You know why he wanted my body, what he wanted to do with it? We grew up together, people mistook us for each other all the time. We used to be so close. But somehow he grew up all twisted inside and..."

Megan nodded at that.

"Take it easy" she said "don't strain yourself. I understand that the method they used to get him out of you was rather rough."

"It was. But worth it. I will tell Barnabas that. He objected to it."

Megan shook her head. "You will not tell him anything."

"Why?"

"For the same reason I don't want known that Angelique is still alive."

"You in the middle of an operation?"

"Right. You know how easily he can screw up the works without meaning to."

"Right. What about Amy?"

"She's on the campaign trail working for John Anderson, so that problem is solved. Chris." she anticipated his objection. "We are in the middle of a very dangerous operation. Do you know how I always threaten Barnabas with serious bodily harm if he ever screws up an operation of mine?" Well, if he screws this one up, neither he or I will be alive for that threat to have any meaning. And the farthest Amy is from here, the safer she will be. If we make it, you will see Amy again. If not, it won't matter."

Doctor Vernon Taft paced uneasily. There was something wrong in what he was about to do. Something against all medical ethics.

"Are you sure we have to do it for the child's sake?" he asked Derek.

"Yes." Derek nodded unhappily. that much had Nicholas told him. But how much truth was in it? He shook his head, as if straining against a bridle. It was no use. Nicholas had him, and he had not choice but to bring Taft and Roger there, for whatever purposes Nicholas had chosen.

"Don't you stay down there." Nicholas said from the top of the stairs. "Come up here."

Taft sighed. What was it that they were supposed to do, anyway? He scratched his throat, wishing that the wounds that Derek had put there vanished and that he didn't have to do this.

"Don't I want it too, Doctor?" Pearce thought unhappily. "but I have as little choice as yourself."

Roger muttered something, showing his bandaged hands.

"Is Quentin away?" Nicholas asked.

"Yes. I made sure of that.". Roger said "he's with a girl, of course."

Derek realized that Roger was the only one who believed, but some logic of his, that what they were about was for Carolyn's benefit. Neither Nicholas nor Vicky pretended it anymore. As for him... he had to do what Nicholas wanted.

There should be a way to break free, to prevent this from happening. Whatever Carolyn had done, she didn't deserve this.

From downstairs they heard the front door being opened. Carolyn was home. Nicholas wished for a drink, but accepted the fact the would not have one until he was done with the bitch. Tomorrow he would drink as much as he wanted. He'd drink Carolyn's best liquor and she wouldn't be able to say anything about it.

Vicky received Carolyn.

"Doctor Taft is here." she said softly "he wants to see you."

"Taft?" Carolyn put her hands defensively over her abdomen. "is anything wrong?"

"He didn't say. Only that he wants to talk to you."

Carolyn raced upstairs, followed by Vicky.

"Here she comes" commented Nicholas "you know what comes next"

"Do we have to?"

"Don't you dare defy me."

Pearce moved his eyes away. He looked at Roger, at Taft. Then at Roger again. Did they have to be there? Wouldn't he and Nicholas be enough for the dirty work?

Nicholas licked his lips. After long months of humiliation, of putting up with her tempter tantrums, he was finally going to tell her what he thought of her. And she wouldn't be able to do a thing about it afterwards.

There wouldn't even be a Carolyn Collins anymore.

The door opened.

"Doctor Taft? Carolyn came in, out of breath "Why are you...?"

She couldn't finish. Roger and Derek caught one of her arms each and held her tightly while Vicky gagged her.

Carolyn twisted and kicked at them, but could not free herself.

Nicholas moved to her and put his hands to her waist. "Go ahead, Mrs. Collins. Shout at me. Fire me. Tell me that I am only a good-for-nothing, disgusting drunk. Tell me that I am a loser and that I can't get anything right."

He slid his hands under her clothes and began pulling her skirt down.

"Enough of that." Vicky grumbled "Just get her to lie down and leave her abdomen exposed."

"Carolyn" Roger said placatingly "it is for your own good. We have to do it to protect you."

Nicholas pulled her skirt down until her abdomen was bared "You never thought I'd have the nerve to do this." he said "you thought that because you had all that money you could treat me like dirt, and that I'd put up with it."

They forced her to lie down on top of then table, and each of her limbs was tied to it."

"Don't tie her too tightly" Vicky said.

"Why not?"

"The child does not want rope burns."

Once Carolyn was secured, Taft stepped in with his stethoscope. He bit his lips trying to resist his orders, but all he could do was check on the 'child' and report it.

"This is interesting" Nicholas yanked at Carolyn's hair "aren't you curious as to what it is that we are doing?"

"What's he doing?" Roger asked, alarmed.

"It is all right. Dr. Taft knows what he is doing " Derek tried to reassure Roger.

"But Nicholas..."

"Nicholas is drunk."

He shielded Carolyn from Roger's eyes with his body. What were they doing to Carolyn? What were they forcing him to go along with? Why did Nicholas have power over him?

"Something is wrong!" Roger protested.

Derek shook. How could he force Roger to go along with that? How, when he himself wanted out? He wished he could pick up Nicholas by the scruff of the neck and throw him out the window. Then release Carolyn and get the Hell out of this madhouse...

But he couldn't.

"Look into my eyes, Roger" he said, wearily. He couldn't help Carolyn, but he could make it less painful for Roger.

He forced Roger into a deep sleep. Whatever was now done to Carolyn, Roger would not be a party to it.

:"Why did you do that?" Nicholas asked angrily.

"I couldn't control him any longer" Derek said "this way, he won't make trouble for us."

"We don't need him." Vicky said "the four of us is enough."

Nicholas grumbled. He had wanted to have Carolyn watch how her beloved uncle conspired to destroy her.

But the cold stare Vicky gave him prevented him from saying more. Instead he took out his stone and placed it on top of Carolyn's exposed abdomen, over the spot that Taft said the child's head was.

They joined hands, the four of them, and Vicky began to chant.

"Tekeli-li Tekeli-li" Vicky sang

"Tekeli-li Teleli-li" Taft, Nicholas and Derek answered her.

"Ia Yaggoth Ia R'lyeh"

"Fthagn Yig"

"Tekeli-li Teleli-li"

"Phnglui mwglnaf Cthulhu R'lyeh fthagn"

Carolyn writhed. What were they doing? How did they dare to do this?

If she ever got loose, she'd make them pay.

But she could not free herself. Fear mounted as the stone that lay in her bare skin began to heat up.

The pain grew. She tried to move, to shake the stone off, She screamed, but only painful grunts came from her throat.

And the pain kept on climbing, in spite of all her twisting and fighting. She was on fire. There was a knife cutting through her right to her spine.,

The screams came, only to be stifled by the gag. There was nothing but her pain. Somewhere she heard Vicky's chant and saw the four faces looking down at her.

Then her eyes clouded and there was a writhing inside her.

For how long would the burning go on?

The hissing chant went on and on, and as it did, the pain grew worse and worse.

She could not stand it, not anymore. but she had to. And worse.

There were now five heads bending down over her. Vicky, Doctor Taft, Nicholas, Derek, and the other...

The other was not a human head.

The reptile advanced, opening its mouth, exposing the needle sharp teeth, the slim tongue, and the dark entrance of its throat.

She couldn't escape. She had to see it come closer, opening its mouth wider and wider until she would fall easily into the tunnel behind its mouth.

It was going to swallow her whole.

Barnabas's words came back to her. What had he said? That she may be attracting trouble to herself, worse than this place had already known?

Then her head was in the reptile's mouth and she couldn't' see anymore.

...Could not feel nor think anymore...

Vicky looked at Carolyn. In her eyes she saw none of the fear nor outrage that had been there a few moments ago. Those were cold, self-assured eyes that looked at her.

"We can release her now." she told Nicholas "the child is now in control of the body."