"They think the Indian did it, don't they?"

"He's a suspect. They're not sure though."

"It was the rock. The rock killed her."

"It may be more than the rock, Todd. I think there's a group of bad men running around in the woods."

"Maybe there is, Dad. But it's the rock that tells them what to do."

"How do you know that, Todd?"

"Because it tried to tell me what to do. Only I wouldn't listen. I fought back."

"Todd, could you find that rock again in the woods? If, say, the sheriff and I went with you?"

Todd thought for a moment. "It depends."

"What does it depend on?"

"It depends on if it wants me to find it or not. You can only find it if it lets you."

-5-.

Seti wore a loose shirt that only half-covered the nasty growth that was throbbing and bubbling on the back of his neck. He felt like Quasimodo as he drove through the small town. The place was Hicksville, he thought, with its tiny one-room library, a miniature post office, and a small greasy spoon restaurant lining what they thought of as "main street." What a joke, he thought. The new plaza up the road was larger than this downtown. At least it had a convenience store and a dry cleaners.

He drove through main street and out onto Route 102, which would lead him to Route 6 and into Providence, less than 20 miles away. He had to recruit a twelfth follower, now that Tony was gone. But the voice in his minda"which now came from the growth on his neck, it seemed, had warned him not to take anyone from the town. Another disappearance would be noticed, and it wasn't quite strong enough yet to have too many questions asked. Later, it wouldn't be a problema"Seti was given a quick preview of what was going to happen to this town, and the sight wasn't very prettya"but for now they needed to be discreet. There would be lots of fun later, but not until the time was right.

The thing had also told him to begin looking for another pregnant woman. It had chastised him severely for killing Rhonda's unborn child. She herself had almost bled to death, and probably would have died if Monique hadn't been able to stop the hemorrhaging. The monster had tortured him for hours after he'd done that, making the growth on his neck burn as if it had been set on fire with gasoline. The next time he disobeyed, it would be worse, it had warned him.

He followed Route 6 until it turned into Hartford Avenue, certainly not the best part of town. This was what he was looking for. Anyone missing from here would probably not even be missed. He passed the section 8 housing projects, which looked like they had seen better years when Federal Funding had been available, and then passed an intersection where several hookers stood half-naked and revealing their wares. A man would have to be quite desperate to stop, he thought, and continued past, despite their best efforts to flag him down. Perhaps if he needed a woman, he thought. But he needed a sixth man to replace Tony. The numbers had to be correct. He didn't exactly know why, but he wasn't about to disobey the thing again.

He went through a section of town with a few boarded up stores and a closed down textile mill, and then he saw what he was looking for. Standing beside the on ramp to Interstate 195 stood a homeless man with a signa""will work for food."

Oh, I'll feed you all right, Seti thought, slowing down. You'll eat better than you've ever eaten in your life. I just hope you like your meat rare.

The man was dirty, hadn't shaven in weeks, and smelled like a sewer, but he would do. Seti would clean him up and he would serve his purpose. Then, when he was no longer needed, he'd be gotten rid of.

Seti rolled down his window.

"Hop in," he said. "And I'll get you a hot meal."

"Are you a religious nut?" the guy asked. "If you're gonna preach to me I'd rather stay hungry."

Seti laughed. "I promise I won't preach to you. Hop in. I'm going to take you somewhere where you'll be happya"and welcomed."

The man appeared skeptical until Seti held out a bottle of wine. Then he grinned and crawled into the car.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

-1-.

The Sunday sermon was about evil and the reality of Satan, and Pastor Mark was in rare form. In true Baptist style his sermon was long and emotional. After the recent events in his new home, Erik found himself really listening to what the pastor had to say, and agreeing with him. Just a month ago he would have listened politely and thought that demons and devils were really just fairy tales to keep people in line. Either that or convenient villains to blame for all of the bad things that happen in the world. But now he was beginning to think that demons really were reala"or at least evil people who worshipped them were.

He still had not fully digested everything that Dovecrest had told him. The Indian claimed to be hundreds of years old. He had trouble believing thata"yet he had seen the picture of Dovecrest in the old newspaper looking the same age as he was now.

The part about the Satanic cult was the most believable. But he still wasn't fully convinced that the demons really existed. Perhaps if he could see the altar stone for himself. But, as the pastor had said, the existence of the stone itself didn't matter. A Satanic cult didn't need such a stone to justify its existence.

After the service, Erik saw Sheriff Collins in the fellowship hall drinking coffee. He excused himself from Vickie and Todd and walked over to the sheriff.

"Do you have any news?" he asked.

Collins nodded. "We traced the dead man to California. He was a drifter and has a criminal record. He disappeared about a year ago."

"So he might be part of a cult?"

"Anything's possible."

"Sheriff, would you talk to Steve Harvey at the radio station? He was telling me about this Satanist he had on his show. This guy was in Rhode Island a week or so ago and might still be here. He's from California, too."

"I know the one you're talking about. The F.B.I. was following them for awhile, but lost the trail."

"Do they know everyone in the group?"

"I don't think so," Collins said. "But I'll run this victim past them and see if he shows up as part of it."

Erik nodded. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I. I really don't think your Indian friend had anything to do with the death of the girl. But he knows something. I wish he'd come in so I could get to the bottom of this."

"He claims there's a cult out there in the woods and that he killed one of them," Erik said. "And I believe him. He'd have no reason to kill the girl."

"Well the State Police think he did it. But I think there's more to the story. I sure wish I could talk to him myself."

"I don't know if he'll contact me or not," Erik said. "But if he does, I'll pass on what you've said."

"I'd appreciate it."

-2-.

The new man, Bob, accepted Seti's leadership without question. He was a Vietnam vet who'd become addicted to drugs and alcohol, and had developed a hatred for just about everything. Following the dark side was almost second nature to him.

Seti had fed him, cleaned him up, and introduced him to the group. Crissy had taken him in and given him sex. By morning, he would follow Seti and the group anywhere and do anything.

Looking as inconspicuous as possible, Seti stopped in the Dairy Mart for cigarettes and snack food, mostly Twinkies and hot dogs. An older man worked the counter. Seti sized him up and realized that he wouldn't be much value, either as a victim or as a follower. Just another forgettable member of the human herd.

But then, just as he was leaving, he saw her. She had gorgeous red haira"not the carrot red kind, which he loathed, but the flaming red of an autumn sunset, and emerald green eyes that were just to die for. He felt his loins twitch as she entered the convenience store, and he tried hard not to stare. What was even better, she was pregnant and it looked like her due date was very soon.

He felt the growth on his neck burn him, and he winced in pain, trying to hide the contortions that the thing induced in his face.

"This one," the monster said. "She'll do just nicely. Her child can replace the one you killed."

Yes, Seti thought. It would be two for the price of one. He licked his lips at the thought of the fun he could have with her.

He took his shopping bags and walked slowly to his car, hoping she would leave soon so he could follow her and see where she lived. He slid into the driver's seat and lit a cigarette while he waited. He turned on the engine and played with the radio to make himself look inconspicuous. Moments later, his efforts were rewarded and she left the store.

She was wearing an attractive blue maternity dress and he guessed that she had just come from church. How quaint. He watched as she climbed into the passenger's seat of a white SUV. A man was driving and a boy sat in the back seat. The boy gave him a piercing look as the SUV backed up and then drove off onto Farmington Road.

Again he felt the monster speaking to him, yet not really speaking. The boy was the one that got away, it explained. How perfect it would be to take his mother, and then later, to take him.

Seti thought it would be fun to take the whole family, then the demon reminded him that it was planning on taking the whole town. Seti was anxious to move this to the next level and get rid of the thing growing from his body, but the monster seemed more patient now that it had a foothold on the physical world. Still, Seti felt that he needed another victim soon, just to take out his own frustrations.

He followed the SUV at a respectable distance and noted when it turned left into the driveway of one of the raised ranch houses that had just been built. Yes, how perfect, he thought. Their back yard borders the woods. This one would be easy pickings.

"But not until the time is right," the voice said sternly, punctuated with another red-hot pain that almost made Seti lose control of his car.

"Not when I'm driving!" he screamed. "You'll kill us both."

"No," the voice said. "I'll only kill you. I can't be killed, remember."

And Seti wondered, for the first time, if the thing would destroy him once it was finished with him, or if he really would earn great rewards.

-3-.

After dinner, Erik mowed the lawn and then sat out on the patio to relax and think. He was just starting to doze off when Vickie came out.

"There's someone on the phone for you, Hon."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know."

Erik figured it was a telemarketer and was about to have at them for bothering him on Sunday. But it was Johnny Dovecrest.

"Mr. Hunter, can you meet me at my cabin in twenty minutes?" Dovecrest said.

"Yeah. Sure. Where are you now?"

"Never mind. Just meet me there. I have to show you some things."

"Ok," he said, and the line went dead.

Vickie gave him a puzzled look.

"That was Dovecrest," he said. "He wants me to meet him."

"You don't think he killed that girl, do you?" Vickie asked.

"No. I'm sure he didn't. Maybe he wants to explain, or to turn himself in. I'd better meet him."

"Should I call Sheriff Collins?"

"No. He trusts me. I can't betray that."

Vickie nodded. "You be careful."

"I will," he said, and kissed her.

Dovecrest's cabin was empty when he reached it, but the door was still open so he let himself in. He sat down in Dovecrest's rocking chair and waited. Although the cabin had electricity, new appliances, and cable TV, the place still made him feel as if he were living in the past. It smelled old. Not unpleasant. It was the kind of smell and experience he'd had when visiting historical houses, like the House of the Seven Gables in Salem. It was almost comforting in a way to know that this structure had stood here for so long.

He wondered whether Dovecrest would even show up, and then he heard a creak on the wooden step outside the back door. Dovecrest snuck in, holding a finger to his lips to keep Erik from talking. Then he motioned for Erik to follow.

"Hold on to my back," Dovecrest whispered, "and just follow."

Erik grabbed into a fold of Dovecrest's cotton shirt, and allowed himself to be led into the woods. Amazingly, the Indian didn't use a flashlight, but walked effortlessly through the deep, dense woods as if he were strolling through his living room.

They walked for what seemed fifty yards or so, though Erik had no real way of knowing, and then stopped. Dovecrest turned his head all around and seemed to sniff the air. He held up a finger to gauge the wind, then peered upward, even though nothing was visible though the canopy of trees.

"Do you want to see the altar stone for yourself?" he asked.

Erik swallowed hard. He'd thought he did. But now he wasn't so sure.

"Yes," he said, finally.

"Then I will help you find it. You will need to know how to find it if I'm not here. So pay attention."

"Ok."

"Good. First, you must understand that the stone not only exists here, but it also exists beyond."

"Beyond?"

"Yes. Beyond. Beyond what, I'm not sure. But while it is of this earth, it is also not of this earth. It leads to a different place. A different time, maybe, or a place where there is no time. In your religion it might be the Hell that you speak of. I do not know for sure."

"I'm not sure I understand, but...."

"I am not sure I understand either. I am only telling you what I have learned and believe to be true. The thing that we are fighting comes from that other world. The closest word for it in your language would be a demon, but I'm not sure even that exactly fits."

Dovecrest paused and sniffed the air again.

"In ancient times we stopped the demon by sending it back to where it came from and sealing it off. We did this by purging the host of the evil through fire. It was successful in keeping it away for over 300 years. But now it is back again, and this time it will be more difficult.