Page 55 of Silent Ritual

Finn ended his call and moved closer. His brow furrowed as he took in the disturbing pattern. "The bastard's been turning it into some sick game," he murmured, his voice filled with disgust.

They turned as they heard a shuffle from upstairs, followed by a low, muffled sound. Their eyes met for a moment before Sheila motioned for silence, her other hand reaching for her gun.

They moved stealthily, making their way to the staircase. As they climbed the wooden steps, the house creaked and groaned beneath their weight. They paused at the landing before Sheila took the lead, Finn right behind her.

They approached a closed door at the end of the corridor. Sheila slowly pushed it open and peered inside. The room was sparsely furnished with a solitary desk, a chair, and numerous bookshelves lining the walls—each packed with astrological texts.

There was no one inside.

Sheila’s gaze turned to an open door leading to what appeared to be a bathroom. The light was on; she could see faint shadows playing on the tiles and hear running water.

She motioned for Finn to follow her as she moved noiselessly across the room. Reaching the bathroom door, she pushed it open slowly, her gun held at the ready. The room inside was empty, save for the tub overflowing with water and creating a puddle that seeped into the hallway carpet.

"He's gone," she muttered under her breath. Finn pushed past her into the room. He turned off the faucet and looked around, his eyes falling on an open window at the far side of the room—their suspect's most likely route of escape.

"This just got a hell of a lot more complicated," he said, meeting Sheila's gaze.

***

Back in Solberg’s study, Sheila moved toward the desk, shuffling through papers scattered about. She picked up a notebook filled with scribbled notes and diagrams that corresponded to astrological constellations. A small piece of folded paper fell out from between its pages.

Unfolding it, she found words scrawled in a rushed handwriting: "Alignment is near. Gemini must be cleansed." The phrase made her skin prickle with dread.

She looked up at Finn and passed him the note. "He's not finished yet. He’s going to kill again, if he hasn’t already.”

“The problem is,” Finn said, “we have no idea who it could be. If we’re right and he’s targeting people who mock his beliefs, that could include anybody. Astrology isn’t exactly a mainstream science.”

“Then maybe it’s about the location,” Sheila said. “He’s left all the bodies in the salt flats except for Fiona Blake, and he probably only left her in the campground because we were policing the salt flats. Then, with Natasha, we let our guard down and he got through, but he’s not going to catch us by surprise like that again.”

“So if he does have another victim, where will he take her?”

Sheila shook her head and glanced around the study. There had to be some indication here as to his plans for the next kill. The room was filled with notes, maps, and books - each one a dark testament to Solberg's obsession. She took a step back, taking in the eerie sight before her. It was a jigsaw puzzle of madness; all the pieces were there, but they just needed to be put together.

"Think...think..." she muttered under her breath, her eyes scanning the room, looking for something—anything—that might hint at where Solberg would strike next. Her gaze landed on the Zodiac map again; her eyes narrowed as she took a closer look.

The locations were marked meticulously, corresponding to each sign of the Zodiac and then to every victim. If Solberg was indeed following this pattern, his next kill would correspond with Gemini—the Twins. Her heart pounded in her chest as she traced the constellation on the map, her mind racing. If they were right about Solberg following the Zodiac signs for his kills, then Gemini would be the next victim... and according to the map, there was only one place calculated under this sign: The abandoned Farling Mine on the outskirts of the Mirage Salt Flats.

“Don’t worry,” Finn said, following her gaze. “We’ve got that whole area covered, so if Solberg goes there, he’ll just be walking into a trap.”

Then Sheila’s gaze caught on an old brochure explaining some of the attractions in the area. Curious, she picked it up and leafed through it until she found the Farling Mine. According to the brochure, there were a number of abandoned tunnels in the flats.

Her heart seemed to stop. “No, he won’t walk into the trap,” she said, swallowing hard. “He’ll walk right under it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Sheila pushed the accelerator to the floor as they sped down the highway, racing toward the salt flats.

“The tunnels,” Finn was saying into his phone as he warned the patrols stationed at the salt flats. “There are abandoned tunnels around the Farling Mine, and our suspect could be using one to slip right past you. Get a team underground, ASAP!"

Finn ended the call, his fingers drumming anxiously against the armrest. "They're mobilizing now," he said, looking over at Sheila. "You sure this is where he's headed?"

"It's the only place that makes sense," she replied, weaving through traffic. "If he's following the Zodiac signs as we believe, then Gemini corresponds to that location."

The sky was packed with thousands of stars as they arrived at the salt flats, painting the landscape a ghostly gray. As they parked, Sheila spotted a group of officers waiting for them. A tall man with a caterpillar mustache broke away from the group and hurried toward them.

"Detective Stone, Mercer," he said gruffly. "We've been combing the area since your call. No sign of Solberg."

Sheila nodded tersely. "What about the tunnels?"

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