Page 133 of Girl Betrayed

Dana gasped. “Mere?”

“I’m sorry, Dana. It’s true. You need to listen to them and come with us, please! It’s not safe! Claire’s been behind this the whole time!”

Tears welled in Dana’s eyes. “You’re lying!”

Meredith shook her head, eyes pleading. “I wish I were.”

“We don’t have time for this!” Hartwell yelled. “We’re leaving, now, even if that means I have to haul you both out of here in cuffs.”

Dana watched him start toward them, but a flash of silver caught her eye. By the time she realized what it was, it was too late. The axe swung in a vicious arc, landing a sickening blow to Hartwell’s back. He went down, but rolled, drawing his weapon. Dana and Jake did the same, but the axe moved faster, already arcing for Hartwell’s chest.

A spray of bloody foam spurted into the air like pink mist dancing in the beam of the headlights. The axe remained lodged in the sucking chest wound, as Hartwell lay still on the ground. If he wasn’t dead already, he would be shortly from the whistling gurgle that indicated blood rushing into his punctured lung.

Dana was frozen, Jake just as still by her side as they watched the hooded figure standing over Hartwell tilt back their head to bask in the moonlight. Dana knew what she was seeing but everyfiber of her being fought to deny the truth. Even when the hood fell back, even when the wind blew the dark black hair away from the face in front of her to reveal cat eye glasses and that familiar smile.

“No,” Dana whispered. She said it again and again because this wasn’t Claire in front of her. This was someone else—somethingelse—wearing her skin, using her voice. It had to be. Claire would never do this.

Jake’s voice pulled Dana from her shock. “Claire, put your hands up!”

But she did no such thing. She knelt next to Hartwell’s body, giggling when she came up with his gun aimed directly at them.

Meredith screamed and Lennox began shouting orders along with Jake. Too many voices filled the air, demanding Claire’s surrender. Jake’s gun was trained on her, but Dana began to lower hers.

“Dana …” Jake warned, his voice drawn across gravel. “Don’t.”

But she’d already made up her mind. If she could get through to Claire, she could end this without further bloodshed, and Dana had to be the one to do it.

Slowly, she set her gun on the porch rail and put her hands up, cautiously walking down the stairs. “Claire, I know this isn’t your fault. I know you would never do this if you didn’t have to. This wasn’t of your own free will. We can figure it out. Just talk to me. You know I’ll understand.”

Jake’s heartwas pounding so wildly he couldn’t make out what Dana was saying, only that she was in his way now, blocking his shot as she moved closer and closer to Claire. Glancing aroundhim he evaluated his surroundings, searching for anything to help him end this. That’s when he noticed Lennox, standing uselessly by Meredith’s side, weaponless.

Rage flooded his veins when he realized why. The rookie cop had handed over his service weapon after the shooting.He shouldn’t even be here!Hartwell should’ve known better than to bring someone who couldn’t back him up. But a glance in the fallen cop’s direction showed he’d paid the ultimate price for his poor decision.

Jake refused to let his and Dana’s fate be the same.

Think, Jake! Think!

But he was out of time. He saw it all happen in his mind moments before it played out in real time, powerless to stop it. While trying to talk Claire down, Dana had gotten too close. Claire seized her chance, lunging forward with Hartwell’s weapon. Dana tried to duck but Claire was fast. Fueled by the adrenalin from her kill she whipped Hartwell’s Glock 19 into the side of Dana’s head. In her stunned state, Dana was easily overpowered.

Now Claire held all the cards, and she knew it.

Grinning maniacally, Claire’s eyes darted wildly from side to side, and she pressed the gun to Dana’s head. Jake froze, helplessly watching as Dana’s tear-filled eyes begged him with silent desperation not to shoot.

“Claire!” Jake yelled into the night. “Don’t do this.”

“It’s already done,” she sang, her voice strange and ethereal. “Seven must sleep for all to rise.” She repeated the phrase over and over, breaking Jake’s heart with each word. The Claire he knew was gone, replaced by some sort of psychotic fiend that couldn’t be reasoned with. The girl he knew was lost. And if Jake didn’t do something soon, he’d lose Dana, too.

Dana was still conscious, but even in the moonlight, Jake could see the blood slicking her hair. A splotch smeared acrossher cheek as Claire stroked the barrel of the gun from Dana’s temple to her chin, whispering something he couldn’t make out in another language.

“Vita est morte est vita.”

Dana shook her head. “Claire, please listen to me. This isn’t you. I know you didn’t do this on purpose. Let me help you.”

Claire laughed. “I don’t need your help. I did what had to be done. Seven must sleep for all to rise.”

She moved toward the police car, dragging Dana with her. Jake’s gun traced their movement, his finger never leaving the trigger as he struggled for breath. He couldn’t think straight. Not with Claire in his sights. It was Claire, but it wasn’t. He knew that, but the internal struggle fought against every instinct telling him to take the shot.

It was Dana who stopped him. “Don’t,” she mouthed. “Don’t.”

---