A Treat for Halloween Tricksters Read online

  Conversation stopped mid-sentence when Kim and Sid spotted her. She looked back and forth between them. “Is there a problem?” she asked, her ER chief tone unintentionally creeping into her voice.

  Kim stepped close and wrapped her arm around Jess’s waist. “Nope. We were just discussing my role in the haunted house.”

  Sid’s gaze darted toward Jess, then she grinned and winked at Kim. “It’s going to be great.”

  She knows what Kim’s costume is. Jess threw Sid a disgruntled look. “Well, don’t let me interrupt your private strategy session. I’ll go check on the kids.” She turned to walk away, then stopped herself. She had been quick to call Darrin on his behavior. Who’s being childish now?

  The look Kim shot her way made her flinch. Good going. Now she’s pissed! Jess stuffed her hands into her jean pockets. This is supposed to be fun.

  Jess caught sight of Darrin, T, and Cecilia watching them from across the room. You can’t keep telling these kids to deal with things like an adult if you don’t. Turning to Sid, she offered a smile. “On second thought, Sid, would you walk me through all the different rooms, please? That way I can familiarize myself with everything for tomorrow.”

  Sid glanced at Kim, then back to Jess. “Evelyn’s in the gym. She can show you around,” she said, all enthusiasm gone from her voice. “I’ll just go check on the kids.”

  Jess placed a gentle hand on Sid’s arm before she could walk away. Sid’s eyes went wide.

  It was the first time she had ever touched her.

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d go over everything with me. You have more experience with kids than I do. I’d like your input on the best way to handle the groups as I walk them through.”

  “Sure, Jess. I’d be happy to do that.” A smile blossomed on Sid’s face. “Wait ‘til you see. The gym’s not very big, but Evelyn and her crew really outdid themselves this year.”

  “Lead the way,” Jess said. She felt the tension in her shoulders ease when Kim rested a hand on her back.

  * * *

  Jess checked her reflection in the mirror. Although she loved Halloween, this was the first time she had needed to come up with a costume since college. How does Sam stand wearing this all day? She settled the wide leather utility belt more firmly around her hips. And she took off the holster and half of the equipment. Jess grinned. At least she let me keep the handcuffs. She straightened the novelty silver star pinned to her chest.

  The bathroom door burst open. A pale-faced vampire, bleeding from the stake sticking out of her chest, stumbled into the room. A giggling zombie with a gaping face wound followed close on her heels.

  Widening her eyes, Jess made a show of backing away from the two girls. It took her a second to recognize them under all the makeup. She tugged at the holders on her utility belt as if searching for something. “Where’s my vampire and zombie repellant when I need it?”

  Cecilia and Grace fell against each other, laughing.

  Jess stepped closer to get a good look at the makeup job. “You guys look great.”

  “You look really awesome too, Dr. Jess,” Grace said. At thirteen, she was the younger of the two.

  Cecilia frowned. She gingerly touched Jess’s shirtsleeve. “This looks like a real police uniform.”

  Of course. I should’ve thought of that. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. A couple of the kids at the foster home had prior run-ins with the police. Cecilia was one of them. “You’re right. It is. Remember my sister, Sam? It belongs to her.”

  Her eyes lit up at the mention of Sam, and Cecilia grinned. “She rode the Viper with me. Three times!”

  Jess remembered the stomach-turning roller coaster well. She and Kim had recruited Sam to help chaperone the older kids on an outing to Magic Mountain.

  Cecilia’s expression sobered. “I forgot she was a cop.” She bit her lip and shuffled her feet. Finally, she smiled tentatively and met Jess’s gaze. “But I really like her anyway.”

  Jess smiled. “I do too,” she said, hoping to ease the awkward moment. She glanced at her watch. “It’s almost time for the haunted house to open.” She grabbed her hat off the counter. “I’ll meet you girls in the gym.” Jess turned to leave, then stopped.

  Maybe I can get one of them to tell me. “Have either of you seen Dr. Kim?” she asked, trying to keep her tone casual. She had been looking for Kim since she’d arrived, but everyone she asked had claimed not to have seen her. She didn’t believe any of them.

  Cecelia and Grace exchanged a conspiratorial glance. “Ah...nope. We haven’t seen her.” Cecelia nudged Grace. “Have we, Grace?” Grace shook her head and giggled.

  What is that woman up to? Kim had taken the day off and insisted on meeting her at the community center. She must be in the haunted house somewhere. Jess mentally rubbed her hands together and grinned. I can’t wait to see her.

  * * *

  Jess entered the gym, and the door swung shut behind her. It was as if she had stepped into another world. Wow! Evelyn was right. The graveyard that had looked pathetically fake last night, looked creepy and all too real tonight. The tombstones stood as silent sentinels in front of the house. Fog swirled around the base of the headstones and into the walkway leading to the house. Dim lighting and ominous music added to the overall sinister effect.

  An uncomfortable feeling of being watched made Jess twitchy. Her gaze darted around, trying to penetrate the shadows.

  A long undulating scream sounded from somewhere inside the house.

  Jess jumped, her heart pounding. She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed at herself. You’re as bad as the kids.

  The front door of the house slowly creaked open. Darrin came bounding out and raced up to Jess.

  Although Jess knew the blood wasn’t real, she wrinkled her nose at the sight of Kim’s lab coat liberally smeared with gore. The scrubs underneath had gotten the same treatment. Bushy red hair stood up like spikes around Darrin’s surgeon’s cap, adding to his crazed look.

  “Is it time?” He was practically vibrating with excitement.

  Someone knocked on the gym door.

  “Here they are now,” Jess said. “Remember, this group will be the youngest kids.” After an incident the previous year, no children under eight were allowed to tour the haunted house. Jess wagged her finger at Darrin. “No getting carried away. Stick to the script.”

  Darrin grinned. “No problem. I promise.” He disappeared into the darkness.

  Jess tugged her cap down until it shaded her eyes. She pushed open the gym door. A small group of boys stood with Sid.

  “Come in. Come in.” Jess intentionally loomed over the children. “We’ve been waiting for you,” she said in a menacing tone.

  The youngsters looked wary as they filed in past Jess.

  Jess’s arm shot out and stopped Sid from entering with them. “Not you.” She swept her gaze over the children. “We just need the young ones.”

  Two of the boys laughed. The others looked back at Sid nervously.

  Sid counted the children. “There are six of them.” She gave Jess a hard look. “I expect to get six back.”

  “Of course. Of course.” Jess slammed the door shut in Sid’s face. The resulting boom reverberated through the room. “Much better.” She stood silent for a moment, letting them take in the atmosphere.

  The two bolder boys pointed and elbowed each other.

  You’re brave now. But we’ll see how long that lasts. “Doctor, our guests are here,” Jess called out.

  An eerie laugh sounded from the darkness, followed by a scream that abruptly stopped. One of the boys looked ready to bolt.

  Darrin appeared out of the darkness, wiping his hands on his lab coat. He strode up to the boys and looked them over. “Nice, very nice,” he muttered. “Just what we need.”

  Grinning to herself, Jess watched as the boys moved closer to one another, forming a loose huddle. As a group, they edged away from Darrin.

  “Are you ready, Doctor?”
Jess asked.

  Darrin jerked his gaze away from the boys. “Very ready. These bodies—”

  “Doctor,” Jess said sharply. “Guests. They are our guests.”

  “Right. Yes. Guests. Of course.” He nodded rapidly and grinned. “Just the guests we need.”

  “If you will all follow the doctor.” Jess motioned toward the house. As they reached the beginning of the path to the house she yelled, “Wait!”

  All the boys jumped.

  “Make sure you stay on the path. And be cautious of the mist.” She glanced nervously into the graveyard and dropped her voice to almost a whisper. “You never know what’s lurking about.”

  Darrin strode onto the path. The boys followed tentatively in his wake, their heads sweeping back and forth like lighthouse beacons as they kept a wary eye on each side of the graveyard.

  They gathered outside the front door. Darrin reached for the door handle, but the door swung open on its own, the hinges letting out a screeching protest. He stepped aside to allow the boys to enter ahead of him.

  “Hurry it up. I haven’t got all night.” He stopped one of the boys as he went past him. “By the way, would you happen to know what blood type you are?”

  “Doctor,” Jess said in a warning tone. “We have plenty of time for that later. Our tour, if you please.”

  Darrin scowled. “Fine. Fine.” He motioned the boy inside.

  There was a small, dark entryway just inside the front door. A doorway covered with cobwebs awaited them on the opposite side.

  Jess pushed the front door shut with her foot, plunging them into pitch blackness.

  One of the boys yelped.

  A pain-filled scream emanated from somewhere inside the house.

  She could hear the boys muttering to one another. Groping blindly for the switch, Jess’s hand brushed against it. She counted to ten, then activated the runner light strips on the floor. She struggled not to laugh at the audible sigh that rose from the group.

  “The doctor’s gone,” one of the braver boys said.

  As if on cue, Darrin’s head popped through the cobweb-covered doorway. “Ready?”

  The boys jumped. All but one of them backed away from Darrin.

  Oh, a tough guy, huh?

  “Now remember, whatever happens, don’t run,” Jess said as she herded them toward the doorway.

  Several of the boys hung back. Her tough guy gave them a sneering look. “I’ll go first.”

  Darrin stepped back and the cobwebs closed over the doorway. Mr. Tough Guy shoved the cobwebs aside and followed him.

  Jess followed the last boy into the room. She scanned the area and tried to spot Kim. Cobweb-draped pottery, skeletons, spiders, and Egyptian artifacts littered the room. I know you have to be in one of these rooms. Ghostly globes of light hung with no apparent support throughout the room. A partially open sarcophagus, propped upright, dominated the center of the room.

  The group stopped several feet away from the sarcophagus. A few of the boys laughed and tried to push a buddy toward the waiting sarcophagus. But no one was willing to approach too close.

  Darrin shoved his hand into the sarcophagus. “See, it’s empty. No worries.”

  A collective groan of disappointment went up from the boys. They bravely moved toward Darrin.

  A huge spider with glowing yellow eyes dropped from the ceiling directly into the path of the oncoming boys. Its hairy legs brushed against some of them.

  Frightened yells pierced the air.

  The group stampeded toward Jess. She spread her arms to keep them from running past her. “Just a little spider, nothing to worry about.” She struggled to stay in character and not laugh. Even her tough guy was not looking so confident anymore. “Doctor, I’ve told you about letting your pets roam loose.”

  Darrin grumbled. “Go home,” he said to the spider.

  The spider jerked, making the boys jump, then it disappeared back into the darkness over their heads.

  “Come on,” Darrin called. He waved them over to where he stood next to the empty sarcophagus.

  The boys approached cautiously, glancing frequently above their heads. Recovered from the fright, they gathered around the sarcophagus, laughing and pointing out all the different things in the room.

  Jess moved out of the way.

  Lumbering footsteps sounded from behind the group.

  The boys spun around.

  The mummy was almost on top of them. It moaned as it reached for the nearest boy.

  Darrin held aside a curtain. “This way. Quick.”

  The boys darted for the exit, the mummy close on their heels.

  Jess gave T a wink as she passed him before rejoining the group. Not wanting to give them too much time to recover, Jess urged the boys through the alcove between rooms and into the next scene.

  This room was darker than the previous one. A single light shone over the remains of a dining table. The marker lights along the floor provided the only other illumination. The room was a shambles, with papers, garbage, and broken furniture strewn everywhere.

  Bodies were draped across the furniture, each with a ghastly, disfiguring injury. Silence hung like a palpable presence in the room.

  Several of the boys faltered.

  Jess urged them forward toward the middle of the room. She grimaced when she caught sight of the contents of the plates on the table. Ugh. Like it didn’t look bad enough last night. It looked as if fresh blood had been added to the already gruesome scene. Severed hands with chunks missing, as well as other body parts, rested on the plates.

  A low moan that quickly grew in volume came from the darkness.

  Suddenly all the inert bodies stirred. Grunts, groans, and moans filled the room.

  “Zombies!” one of the boys said, a panicked edge to his voice.

  As if that had been the cue, the zombies rose to their feet. They approached with stiff-legged gaits, their arms outstretched.

  The boys needed no urging; they scampered out of the room.

  Jess did a quick check of the zombies to see if Kim was among them. She was nowhere in sight. Only one room left. She’s got to be in there.

  The last room was the smallest and darkest of all. A single candle rested on a small table at the head of a large casket. The closed coffin took up most of the room. Sinister music that made the hair stand up on the back of one’s neck added to the overall effect. The only way through the room was a narrow aisle that passed right next to the coffin.

  Jess scanned the room, trying to detect any movement among the dark shadows. Where the heck is Kim?

  The boys jostled each other, laughing and egging each other on. But no one wanted to go first.

  Darrin sauntered up to the casket and touched it, then continued on past. “Nothing to it.”

  Several of the boys glared at Darrin. No one moved.

  Forget it, Darrin. You’re not going to sucker them twice.

  Jess moved to stand next to the boy she had nicknamed Tough Guy. She leaned down to be close to his level. “Why don’t you show them how it’s done?”

  He glanced over at the coffin, then back at Jess. She winked at him, and he grinned. “I’ll go first.” His head held high, he strode toward the casket. Stopping next to it, he touched it as Darrin had, then walked past. “Nothing to it,” he said from his spot beside Darrin.

  Two more boys made it past the casket without incident. With the success of their mates, the final three boys grew brave. They marched forward in single file.

  As the first boy reached the foot of the casket, a loud creak echoed through the room.

  The lid slowly began to open.

  The boys froze in place.

  A vampire, bloody stake in its chest, sat up in the casket. It hissed and started to climb out.

  “Hurry,” Jess said. “Get out while you can.”

  The three boys bolted for safety.

  Jess grinned and waved at Cecelia before going to join the boys and Darrin.

  “E
veryone okay?’ Jess asked.

  Brave once again, the boys proclaimed that they had not been the least bit scared.

  “Okay, Doctor, if you will lead us out.” Jess tried not to let her disappointment show. I wonder what happened to Kim. Did I miss her somehow?

  Darrin led them down a dimly lit corridor toward the graveyard at the front of the house.

  The boys followed him cautiously, their eyes darting around as if they were trying to anticipate any more surprises.

  Oh, no. You weren’t scared a bit. Jess laughed to herself.

  Darrin reached the exit door at the end of the corridor and held it open for the boys.

  A prickling awareness made the hair on the back of Jess’s neck stand up. Her steps faltered.

  Something brushed against Jess’s back, making her start. She whipped her head around to peer over her shoulder. An empty hallway met her questing gaze. She rubbed the back of her neck. You’re getting as jumpy as the kids.

  The boys filed out into the graveyard.

  As Jess reached Darrin, his gaze locked on something over her shoulder, and his eyes went wide. This time Jess was sure she felt something brush her ass. What the...? She spun around and let out an involuntary yelp.

  Dracula stood directly behind her. He spread his cape and hissed in her face.

  Jess stumbled back a step, her heart pounding. Her cap tumbled from her head. Kim? She stared hard, trying to see past the slicked-back black hair, deathly pale face, and blood-red lips. Ah. Jess smiled. She would know those blue eyes anywhere.

  “Scream,” Kim whispered. “Then turn around.”

  Jess let out a blood-curdling yell, then turned as if to run.

  Kim wrapped her arms around Jess from behind and spread her cape over the two of them.

  Pandemonium erupted among the boys. They yelled and pointed.

  Kim hissed and bent over Jess’s neck as if to bite her.

  “Go!” Jess yelled. “Save yourselves.”

  Darrin grinned and pushed the door shut. “Hurry! We have to get out of here,” he said, his voice filled with fear. “I don’t know how long she can hold him off.”