Ralph groaned and started to pull himself up out of the mud. North gave him a swift chop that sent him onto his back. This time Ralph did not move.

North crouched beside him and quickly went through the downed man’s pockets. He confiscated Ralph’s wallet and keys, rose and crossed to Joe, where he repeated the pat-down and retrieved another wallet and more keys.

Joe groaned. North straightened. “Let’s go.”

“Are we just going to leave them here?” Sierra asked.

“Were you thinking of hauling them inside and making them a cup of hot cocoa?”

“Ah, no,” Sierra said. “No, I wasn’t thinking that.”

“Don’t worry, they’re not going to drown. We need to get on the road.”

“Shouldn’t we call the local police?”

“We don’t have time. It would take too long to explain this situation to a local cop.”

“You’re still planning to hit Riverview?”

“Yes.”

“What do you expect to find there?”

North held up the key ring that he had taken from Ralph. “I would really like to get a look at Loring’s lab. I want to know what instruments and drugs he was using in his experiments.”

They reached the SUV. North climbed in behind the wheel. Sierra opened the passenger-side door and jumped up onto the seat.

“If you’re going in, I’m going with you,” she said.

North cranked up the engine. “Bad idea.”

“Maybe, but there is no other idea handy. We’re in this together. We’re a team now.”

North concentrated on navigating the driveway. When they reached the main road he evidently came to a decision.

“Yes,” he said. “A team.”

CHAPTER 22

Riverview Psychiatric Hospital appeared even more ominous and disquieting at night than it did by day. Dim lights illuminated some of the rooms, but most of the windows were dark. There were a couple of streetlamps at the front gate, one over the main entrance door and one at the loading dock behind the mansion. The parking lot in front was empty.

North led the way through the woods to the rear of the mansion, aware of Sierra following close behind. He knew they were both still wired from the violent confrontation at Loring’s house, and there was a risk that Ralph and Joe might figure out they were headed to Riverview. A couple of sensible criminals would cut their losses and run.

But it was clear that Ralph and Joe were Puppets. They had bought whatever wild promises Loring had made to them. The lure of serious paranormal power was enough to cause even smart bad guys to make poor choices, and there was no indication that Ralph and Joe had ever been particularly intelligent to start with.

The worst of the storm had passed but the ground was soggy and, in places, treacherous. A couple of vehicles were parked outside the rear gate.

“The night staff,” North said. “With luck, just the other two orderlies. According to the people we talked to in town, there are only four and they all sleep here. Victor said Marge told him the lab was on the top floor at the end of the hall. The night she escaped she went down what she called the other stairs, the ones the clones used—not the main staircase.”