before it could happen, Corey turned and marched back into the house.
“Okay, I was worried for a minute. The altar I had planned at home had a way to suspend you over the flame, so I wasn’t sure how to make this happen. But just like with the matches, the Lord has provided. Don’t worry, Malcolm, he has provided everything we need for your purification. You will be set free from this unnatural desire”.
He picked up a tool bag that was sitting by the door. Wow, okay, he came prepared. He pulled a large pair of kitchen shears out of the bag. “I’m going to cut the ties on your legs, and then we’ll get you out to the altar. You’ve been sitting there awhile, so you may be a bit unsteady on your feet. That’s okay, I’ve got you.”
He sounded so concerned about my safety as he walked me to my death. Breathe in. Breathe out. It was okay. Roman was here, and he would take care of me. Corey snipped the ties that had held my legs in place, and I carefully stood. I made a point to appear even more unsteady on my feet, buying a little more time.
“I found some landscape timber. I’m going to secure you to it and then lay you over the altar. I thought about shooting you first because I know the fire is going to hurt, but I can’t present a damaged sacrifice. That will have to be your penance. But if you don’t fight it, you shouldn’t be in pain long. Just try to relax and force the demon out, Malcolm. Once you’ve done that, I’m sure God will take mercy on you and make your death fast.”
Chapter 34
Roman
“Why didn’t you take the shot?” I growled into my headset.
“You said not to kill him,” Rand insisted. “I was lining up the shot.”
“Well, now he’s back inside with Trey.”
I watched as Corey Ackerman moved around inside. I was tempted to just go after him, but I wasn’t sure what he would do if he saw me. From the second we’d made the first pass by on the boat and I saw Trey sitting in the sunroom with Corey in there pacing, I’d felt helpless. I didn’t know where Gavin, the other guard, was, but I hoped he was okay. It had taken everything in me not to rush straight in and take on Corey, but with the binoculars, we’d been able to see he had a gun with him and the fear he would shoot Trey before I could stop him kept me in place. There hadn’t been any way to see what he was doing, but when he went out the front door, we’d taken a chance and pulled ashore.
Now here we sat, watching as he built a fire. The words of the letters were running through my mind.
Burned by fire
Purified by flame
Sins turned to ashes
Consumed by fire
We had to do something, and we had to do it fast. A couple of squirts of that lighter fluid and a push into the fire—it would only take a split second, and we could be too late. I could hear Trey in my head. Breathe in, Breathe out. I took a couple of deep breaths, but it didn’t help. I watched as Trey stood, stumbling a little as Corey pulled him towards the door. It looked like his hands were bound, but other than that, he looked okay. He kept glancing over towards us, and as reassuring as I found the fact that he knew we were there, I didn’t want him to give us away.
“Are you ready, Rand?” I asked.
“Absolutely, just waiting for your boy to be out of the line of sight.”
“Do not shoot him,” I growled.
“Didn’t plan to.”
Corey led him over to a piece of landscape timber and bent to lift it up. I was hoping that would give Rand a shot, but he was positioning the timber behind Trey, so it didn’t. Corey reached for Trey’s arms, and using a pair of scissors, cut whatever bound him. Everything at that point happened at once. Corey tried to pull Trey’s arms behind him. Trey stiffened, stood up straight, looked right in our direction, and mouthed what looked like the word now. Then he dropped to the ground. With him out of the way, Rand let off a shot. Corey screamed and dropped to the ground. Trey got back up, and he hurried to pick up Corey’s gun. He stood