They wouldn't...

"What're they doing?" Laura whispered.

"I'm not sure."

One of the kids... the white monster... suddenly leaped up and made a break for it.

"Get him!"

"Stop him!"

Two of the robed figures gave chase.

"Go, kid!" Shannon whispered.

"What?"

"Kid's making a getaway. Two assholes chasing him and... Oh, shit."

"What?"

"Kid's running straight toward us."

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.

Don't do this to us, kid! Shannon shouted in her mind. Turn! Dodge 'em! Run somewhere else!

He didn't. He sprinted over much the same route Shannon and Laura had used, leading the two robed adults closer and closer to them.

One of the pursuers was gaining on him fast. A man. Very large and strong-looking. His hood had fallen away and his robe was open, his bare legs reaching out with long strides.

Kid doesn't stand a chance.

If this guy nails him quick enough, Shannon thought, may be we won't get seen.

They're so close already.

The lead pursuer leaped and tackled him. The kid grunted as he slammed against the ground.

Fifteen feet away?

If we lie very still and don't make a sound...

Now that the kid was down, the second pursuer stopped running. This one was tall and thin. The hood had fallen away. By what Shannon could see of the face, she appeared to be a woman. Her high, narrow head seemed entirely hairless Is she looking at us?

Shannon doubted it. Though the woman's eyes were shadowed pits, she held her head at an angle that suggested she was watching the struggle between her accomplice and the kid.

The kid wouldn't give up. Facedown under the man who'd tackled him, he thrashed and squirmed and kicked.

Then the man bent an arm up behind his back.

The kid gasped, "Yeeeah!" and stopped moving.

"Cocksucker," the man said. "I oughta rip yer arm off."

He shoved it higher. The kid squealed.

The woman stopped beside them. Looking down, she said, "We told you what would happen if you tried to run away. We warned you, didn't we." It didn't sound much like a question. "So what did you do? You tried to run away. Royce, get him on his feet."

Royce climbed off the kid and hauled him off the ground.

"What's your name?" the woman asked.

"Betsy."

"Betsy?" The woman chuckled. "Had me fooled."

With Royce holding the girl from behind, the woman reached out with both hands and pulled off Besty's mask. The mask, completely covering the girl's head, came off with a rubbery, peeling sound. Her short, dark hair was matted down.

"What're you supposed to be?" the woman asked.

"A monster."

She laughed. "We're the monsters around here, honey."

That got a chuckle from the man.

Then the woman swung the leather mask, slapping Betsy across the face with it. The girl flinched and gasped.

All three - Royce, Betsy and the woman - were standing with their sides toward Shannon and Laura. The girl seemed to have the full attention of the two adults.

With a little luck, Shannon thought, they'll never look over here and see us.

But she flinched, herself, when the woman again whapped Betsy across the face with the mask. This time, Betsy began to sob.

"What'd I say would happen if you tried to run away?"

"Said... you'd kill us."

"Didn't you believe me?"

"Yes."

"Did you think I was joking?"

"No."

"Did you want to get killed?"

This time, her voice climbed high as she said, "No."

"Then why did you run?"

Betsy sniffed a couple of times. "I... I didn't think you'd catch me."

"You didn't think. That was your problem."

The girl didn't answer. She stood there, held by Royce, her head tilted back, apparently staring into the woman's eyes.

"Now," the woman said, "I'm afraid I'll have to kill you, just to teach you a lesson, but also as an example to the others. When they see what I do to you, well... I don't think any of them will try to run away."

"Don't. Please?"

The woman turned her head away. "See? They're all watching."

Royce and Betsy looked, too.

The woman called out, "Watch this, children!" Facing Betsy, she reached inside her robe and pulled out a dagger.

"You better not," Betsy said, her voice quivering. " 'Cause of you'll go to Hell if you do."

Royce chuckled softly.

"Isn't that cute?" the woman said.

"Leave her alone," Shannon said.

The three heads jerked sideways. Though their eyes were hidden in shadow, Shannon fell them searching the ground for her, finding her, locking on to her and Laura.

"Sorry, Laura," she whispered.

"It's okay. I wanted to. I was just too scared."

"Who's there?" the woman asked.

"Mulder and Scully. You're under arrest."

"A comedian," Royce said.

"Hang on to the kid," the woman said. Walking slowly toward them, she reached into a pocket of her robe and took something out.

A flashlight.

Its beam leaped through the darkness, lit the grass in front of Shannon, then swept over her. She squinted when the glare hit her eyes.

"I don't think these two'll be giving us much trouble," the woman called.

The brightness slid away from Shannon's eyes and she was able to see the woman walking toward her.

"Well, well, well," the woman said. "All trussed up and nowhere to go."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.

Hunter and Charles waited at the foot of the stairs for Tony to come down.

Hunter was sitting upright on the third stair from the bottom, close to the banister where he'd scooted to let Tony climb by. Charles stood on the foyer floor, facing the stairway, the sword resting against his shoulder.

"What's taking him so long?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know." Charles didn't seem worried.

"He said he'd be down in a minute."

"Guess it's taking him a little longer."

"A lot longer. What'd he go up for?"

"None of your business."

"Do you know?" Hunter asked. He'd watched Tony whispering close to Charles's bandaged ear just before hurrying upstairs, so he figured that Charles must know something.

"I'm not supposed to tell."

"What, did he have to take a dump or something?"

Charles swung up a foot and kicked Hunter in the shin. Not hard. More of a warning than a punishment.

It hurt, though. Hunter said, "Hey."

"Don't be a wiseass."

"Aren't you worried about him?"