KnockOut

pressed in from both sides, a vivid green canopy so close the van scraped against the tree branches. The road wound upward, meandering from right to left and back again, always climbing.
    He braked when they came to an old weathered black iron gate across the road, two large wooden poles holding it in place. Trees were thick on each side, so there was no going around the gate. Where were they?
    “Get out, woman, and open the gate.”
    Joanna pulled her hand from Ethan’s, climbed out of the van. She walked to the gate and opened it.
    Blessed called out of the open window of the backseat, “Stay there until we’re through, then close it again.”
    Ethan drove through and watched her close the gate in the rearview mirror.
    Why have a gate if it wasn’t even locked? If it wasn’t meant to keep anyone out, why then—there had to be a camera in the trees, or an alarm. Each time the gate opened, whoever was at the other end of this road knew someone was coming.
    The road continued to snake upward, then simply stopped in front of a thick stand of pines. They were in low foothills, covered with trees.
    “Get out of the car, Sheriff.”
    Ethan stepped out of the van into air that was still and calm, the bright light of day starting to fade. It was still hot. Had to be near six o’clock.
    Joanna turned to see Blessed wake Autumn.
    The little girl looked dazed. Joanna whirled on him. “Did you drug her, you monster?”
    “Only some sleeping pills I got from the Quik Mart while the sheriff pumped gas. She’s fine. Be quiet. If either of you try to tell her how we got here, I’ll drop you where you stand. Now shut up. The two of you walk on ahead. I’m keeping Autumn with me.”
    Autumn said, “No, I want to go with my mother.”
    “No, you will stay with me. Do you understand?”
    Autumn thought about this, then slowly nodded.
    “Sheriff, walk straight ahead and don’t do anything stupid.”
    Blessed took Autumn’s hand.
    They made their way along a winding narrow path through the trees, and suddenly stepped into a large flat expanse, not natural but cleared.
    “Here,” Blessed said, his voice satisfied. “We’re finally here, Autumn. This place is more special than you can imagine. This is where you belong.”
    Ethan and Joanna stared at a large, ancient three-story barn, the gray paint peeling, rotted boards hanging by nails. It looked as if it had been abandoned for at least a half century.
    Ethan said, “I’d say the tobacco farm is a cover, right, Blessed? Maybe your cult was there once but not now. This lovely old barn must be cult central.”

56
    “YES, THIS IS TWILIGHT ,” Blessed said, a kind of possessive reverence in his voice. “Enjoy your blasphemy, Sheriff. Hey, what are you doing? Why are you looking back toward the woods? Maybe you’re hoping someone followed us?”
    Ethan said, “I just thought I heard something, that’s all. An animal, maybe. I can’t imagine anyone could know where we are.”
    Blessed listened a moment before he shook his head. “No, no one knows. Now, you think you’re going to escape, but you’re not. Fact is, if either of you ends up going anywhere, you won’t even know it.” He laughed, sounding pleased with himself. “Remember when you stopped for gas, Sheriff? I left you pumping? Just after we left the McDonald’s, I knew I’d seen a car that stayed with us too long. I’ll tell you, Sheriff, I couldn’t believe it, but there was the same car sitting off to the side in the station, next to the tire gauge and water hose, with three yahoos in suits inside, trying to act all nonchalant. I simply walked back to their car, had a guy roll down the window, and I stymied him. The other guys went for their guns, but it didn’t matter. I stymied them too. Didn’t matter they were wearing real dark sunglasses.” He laughed. “I guess they were told to try to follow us, right? Well, they didn’t. I do wonder what happened to the Three Stooges. Maybe the gas-station cashier got suspicious when they never moved out and called the cops? You wanna tell me how these guys found us?”
    “I have no clue.”
    Blessed turned to Joanna. “Well, do you know?”
    Joanna said, her voice steady, “No, but evidently the FBI knows about this cult, Blessed, knows where it’s located. So if I were you, I’d be worried. They’ll be coming, Blessed, they’ll be coming.”
    She was holding it together, Ethan thought. Her hair straggled around her face, freckles