Wickerman Cove

Part 44: Epilogue

It turned out that Mak had the bomb on a failsafe, and turning it off was pretty simple.

With Gabriel, the Guide, and Mansfield dead, the atmosphere finally started to feel like summer, and the Singer withdrew its huge bulk back into the sea. Another plus was that they got Hitch to pick up the phone, made a report, and he took care of the whole 'bunch-of-corpses' situation, resulting in the newspapers being full of a story that local cultists had died in a shootout with the local sheriff. Mansfield was implicated in the murder of a local eccentric – archaeologist Professor Emil Lenkersheimer – and her relationship with David Gabriel got to be TV news for a day.

They didn't see Mak again. By the time they got to where the Jetstream had been, there was no sign of him.

"Shit," Steph said. "I wanted to thank him. I guess that's the life of a supernatural special forces guy. Hitch up your mobile home and off to the next job."

What are you going to do? Penny asked.

Steph shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "It depends on what Hitch pays me, and what the Marines decide about my medical leave. I was thinking to ask if you could take me part of the way to wherever you're going and then I'll work it out from there."

A strange, modulated bark echoed through the forest. Renard came trotting out of the bushes. Penny stooped to gather him up in her arms. He was way too big to do that with, really, but she managed it.

Steph indulged herself enough to give him a little love too.

"It's weird," she said, stroking Renard's polished skull, "but I'm going to miss you guys."

Trauma bonding, Penny signed, one handed.

"Screw you," Steph said, and punched her in the arm. "No, this has been good. I guess I'm gonna have to go live with my mom and dad now, like I'm back in high school."

Would it help if you kept the hearse? Penny asked.

Steph thought about herself driving around St. Petersburg, Florida in a gothic hearse. "Aren't you going to need it?"

I'll come for it when I have to. I've got another way of getting where I'm going, Penny signed.

"What does that mean?"

Penny made a beckoning gesture and strode into the woods. Steph followed, suddenly very aware that she needed a shower.

"I feel so gross," she said, peering through the dark. "I hope we're not going to meet anyone, because I'd rather die than be seen by another human being right now. Even if they're not, if you know what I mean."

Penny's shoulders shook with amusement. She held a stand of bushes aside for Steph to pass.

A perfect flight of stairs stood in the middle of a clearing. They were wooden, carpeted, and looked as if they'd been freshly built, like someone had decided to build a house one perfect section at a time, and this was all they'd had time for today. It didn't even have any damp from the recent rain.

"What the...?" Steph asked, walking around them a little.

I haven't been home for a long time, Penny signed. So, I thought I'm going to spend a few weeks with my family. I'm in London for Autumn and Winter, though. You could visit for Christmas?

"Umm," Steph said, still not entirely sure how Penny was going to use the stairs. "I'll have to scare up flights, I guess."

Penny shook her head. Just find the stairs in the woods. They'll always lead you to me.