Chapter 22 - THE BOY WITH THE SHOTGUN
His name was Tyler Beck.
Seventeen.
No criminal record.
His mother had cancer.
That last fact came out while he was pointing a shotgun at Mara in a courthouse hallway.
“My mom is dying,” he said. “They said you can stop death.”
Mara held both hands away from her body.
“I can’t.”
“You can turn people to stone.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“You can bring them back.”
“Sometimes.”
“Then freeze her until there’s a cure.”
Park stood behind a doorway with her weapon ready.
Noah could see her from the corner of his eye.
Mara saw her too.
She gave the smallest shake of her head.
Tyler’s hands trembled.
“I watched the video.”
“Videos lie,” Mara said.
“My mom doesn’t have time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I don’t know what else to say.”
Good answer, Noah thought.
Awkward. Honest.
Tyler started crying.
The gun lowered half an inch.
Then a deputy came around the far corner and shouted.
Tyler jerked.
The shotgun fired.
The blast hit the ceiling.
Mara’s scratched lens cracked.
Everyone froze.
One eye was exposed.
Tyler looked up.
Noah moved without thinking.
He stepped between them.
His back to Mara.
“Close your eyes!” he shouted.
“I did!”
Park tackled Tyler.
The gun slid across the floor.
Noah stayed still.
“Mara?”
“I’m closed.”
“You promise?”
“Yes.”
He turned slowly.
She stood with both eyes shut, broken glasses hanging from one ear.
Noah took off his jacket and tied it around her head like the world’s worst blindfold.
She laughed once.
“This is humiliating.”
“You look great.”
“I look kidnapped.”
“Fashion is subjective.”
Tyler sobbed on the floor while Park cuffed him.
“I’m sorry,” he kept saying.
Mara listened.
Then said, “What’s your mother’s name?”
Noah closed his eyes.
Of course she asked.
“Dana,” Tyler whispered.
Mara nodded behind the blindfold.
“I can’t promise anything. But I’ll talk to her doctors.”
Park stared at her.
“Mara.”
“I said talk.”
Noah knew what she was really doing.
She was trying to decide whether petrification could ever be used as medicine.
That was the doorway Adrian had wanted to own.
Now the whole world knew it existed.
At dawn, with no safe lenses left, they entered St. Orpheus Church.
Mara wore a welding mask.
Beneath the altar, they found a steel door.
Inside was Selene Vale’s reliquary.
And one final video addressed to Noah by name.
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