American Bruja: The Los Angeles Cauldron

Chapter 15. Aislinn McBride

Saturday, August 6, 2011, 10:30 p.m. Los Angeles

Rose revs the rental car to zoom through the open gates of Peppergate Ranch.

My heart's pounding as I look out the front passenger window. Can't see squat in the dark. My intertwined fingers twist and drip with sweat. "I hope we're not too late."

The car zips up the curving driveway. Flashing red lights spatter the pavement as we round the last corner. Rose screeches to a stop next to an empty ambulance parked in front of the portico.

My stomach churns as I unlatch the car door. No, not Amber!

We leap from the vehicle and take the stairs two at a time. My hand flies to the knobs on the double front doors. With a twist and a push, one door swings inward.

Me and Rose exchange a quick glance before rushing into the courtyard.

Kibbles's furious barking draws my attention, but there's no sign of him or anyone else on the lawn or by the pool.

Rose darts under the gables and opens the nearest door. "Christopher! Amber!"

I take her cue and run about 35 feet to throw open a door to her left. Finding an empty kitchen, I move counter-clockwise and pass Rose. She's poking her head into what looks like the living room. I peer through the sliding glass door of the den but see only Rose, who's entered the house.  I race past a hall door to the western-most room and throw open the door, but nothing's stirring in the dark. As I turn to exit, Rose collides with me in the doorway.

She grabs my elbow as I point across the courtyard to the two guest rooms, which we bypassed when we entered the courtyard. Rose shakes her head as unfamiliar male voices reach my ears.

"He's in full cardiac arrest."

We dash out of the room and head west, where we find two EMTs lifting a prone man up the stairs next to the pool. A sobbing woman follows. Her features are obscuredin the gloom, but she's got silvery hair pulled back in a bun

Me and Rose scoot under the eaves to give the emergency medics room to pass between us and the pool. The man lying on the stretcher has his mouth and nose covered with an oxygen mask. His long grey hair tells me he's elderly. The woman runs alongside as the EMTs rush the old man across the courtyard.

As the courtyard doors slam behind the woman following the medics, I'm shoved into Rose by a furry missile. Kibbles jumps to place his paws against my chest and deliver a welcome kiss. He drops to the ground as Christopher's voice cuts through the ambulance's departing siren. "Amber, wait!"

We pop out from under the eaves and follow Kibbles down the stairway.  As we reach the bottom, faraway shouts and cries reach our ears.

My head swims and my vision blurs. I know that cry. "Conlan!"

Rose's arm wraps around my back. "Impossible."

I throw her off to dash across 250 feet of open space until I'm stopped by a fence. Can't see shit through the inky darkness of the oak forest. From the depths of my subconscious, a memory flickers. There's open space in front of the dining room.

Rose rushes to join me at the fence. Grabbing her hand, I pull my sister as I run alongside the house's northern end. We pass under two bedrooms, the den, and the living room. When we reach the house's horseshoe's curve, the darkened expanse of the reservoir appears. From a distant hilltop, I spot a flashlight's beam.

With a nod to my sister, I climb the chain link. I drop to the reservoir side and the fence rattles and shakes as Rose follows. A whine from Kibbles tells me he's unable to jump the six-foot fence.