The Undead Uproar

by Amanda M. Lee

  Jack balked. “No way. You guys find trouble whenever you go out together.”

  “We didn’t find trouble when we went to the voodoo store,” I argued.

  “You didn’t come back with any actionable information either.”

  “That’s because we were fishing blind. We know better what we’re looking for now.”

  “I don’t know.” Jack looked pained with the suggestion. “How near are the hoodoo shops? I don’t want you wandering all over town without me ... and not because I’m sexist. I really am worried that you’ve become something of a target for law enforcement and whoever is behind this. I’m not sure why, but it’s becoming glaringly obvious that you’ve piqued someone’s interest.”

  He wasn’t wrong and I had no inclination to be a hero. “I’m sure we can find a place that’s close. You can’t protect me from everything, though, Jack. I’m still a person. I’m still a part of this team, and that means I need to carry my own weight.”

  “I know.” He was morose. “Fine. You and Millie can track down a hoodoo loa. I want you to call me if something gets out of hand. I want your word on it.”

  I jutted out my hand for him to shake. “Deal.”

  He took it and shook his head. “Sometimes I think you’ll be the death of me.”

  “What a way to go, huh?” I winked at him because I wanted to extend the moment of jocularity.

  “Yeah. What a way to go.”

  MILLIE WASN’T NEARLY AS EXCITED about visiting what the map termed a “hoodoo museum” as I was. Once I found reference to it online, I couldn’t seem to look away. Something inside told me that’s where we should start looking, so that’s where we ended up.

  “How is this a museum?” she complained as she looked at the ramshackle building. “This looks like a slum more than anything else.”

  I glanced around, worried someone had overheard her. We looked to be alone. “Just ... let me do the talking.” I reached for the front door. “I’ve got everything under control.”

  “Oh, so you’re basically saying that Jack transferred his whopping ego to you during sex. That’s a happy side effect. Oh, wait. It isn’t.”

  “Just ... don’t be you,” I suggested as I slipped through the door. Inside, it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. A woman sat behind a rectangular table in the foyer. She had a catalog open and a disinterested look on her face.

  “It’s ten dollars each for admittance,” the woman muttered. “Leave your offerings in the basket.”

  I did as instructed, dropping a twenty in the basket and motioning for Millie to follow. She was busy giving the lazy woman a dark glare, but followed all the same.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she hissed as we walked into the first room. It was basically empty except for various masks mounted on the walls. “Is this like ... tiki masks? If they have fruity drinks with umbrellas here I’ll take back everything I said to you.”

  I ignored her and moved to the nearest mask. It was long, African in nature, and I found it absolutely fascinating. “This is authentic. It’s very cool.”

  “Everything here is authentic,” a voice drawled from behind us, causing me to turn swiftly. The woman was tall — like, almost six feet tall — and statuesque in a way that models managed and I knew I could never pull off. Her bare shoulders were sculpted from hours of working out and a glittery turban covered her hair. Snakes protruded from one side, clearly part of a costume of sorts. The only thing I could hope was that the costume was the only thing that was fake.

  “I didn’t realize you were there.” I smiled brightly at her, hoping she was the friendly sort. “This is a neat place you’ve got.”

  “Yes, I love it,” Millie frowned. “Any building that makes me worry the ceiling might collapse is a great place to visit ... and an even greater place to disappear from.”

  The woman arched a perfectly-tended eyebrow. “The building is safe. I can promise you that.” Her eyes never left mine. “You’re a visitor to our city.”

  “I am.” I extended my hand in her direction. “Charlie Rhodes.”

  “Interesting.” She eyed my hand for a long beat and then took it, sucking in a breath when we made contact. “I am Tamara Abelard. You may call me Tam.”

  It was a friendly enough greeting, but I sensed trepidation behind her words. “We’re here for information,” I started.

  “I know why you’re here.” She gripped my hand harder, refusing to release it. “You’re looking for information on the dead who walk.”

  “We are.” I knit my eyebrows, confused. “How did you know that?”

  “How do you know things?”

  I squirmed as she tightened her grip on my hand before I finally managed to wrench it free. “I read about them, learn about them. I listen when others are talking.”

  “You listen and learn,” Tam agreed. “You learn in other ways, too. You’re marked.”

  That was the first time I’d ever heard that term applied to me. “W-what do you mean?”

  Millie, always looking for trouble, suddenly opted to serve as backup. She stepped forward and took the spot immediately to my right. It was a warning of sorts, and Tam had no trouble recognizing the potential threat.

  “I’m not here to hurt you.” Tam held up her hands. “You need not fear me. I, however, can’t help but fear you.”

  “Why would you fear me?” I was clearly out of my element. I should’ve seen this coming, but it was too late to rectify. I had to persevere. “I haven’t done anything. I don’t plan to do anything.”

  “It’s okay, Charlie.” Millie rested her hand on my shoulder. “She’s trying to agitate you. I’ve seen how people like her operate.”

  “People like me?” Tam was calm when she turned to Millie. “Please enlighten me about people like me.”

  “You’re trying to frighten her,” Millie replied without hesitation. “You’re trying to upset her to the point she cowers and begs for a solution to some problem you tell her she has. Let me guess, she has an affliction, right? This mark you mentioned is going to be the end of her. We don’t need to listen to this. We should go, Charlie.”

  I remained rooted. “What kind of mark?”

  Tam’s expression was almost pitying as her eyes locked with mine. “You’re not of one world. You’re of many worlds.”

  “I don’t know what that means.” I licked my lips. “I don’t even know where I was born. I only know I was abandoned.”

  “Abandoned? I don’t think that’s the right word. You were ... sacrificed. Not in the way you think.” Tam was intense as she stared me down. “People still look for you. They haven’t given up. There is hope that you’re alive and thriving. There is also fear that you’re dead ... or somehow something worse.”

  “What’s worse than death?” Millie challenged. “I’ll bet you’ll tell her for a fee, right?”

  Tam ignored Millie and remained zeroed in on me. “There are several hearts out there that ache for you. There is desire for you … and not everyone who searches has your best interests at heart. There is fear that something happened. There is also fear that somehow you were discovered and are completely lost to those who left you.”

  She was talking in circles and I found it frustrating. “I don’t understand. Are you talking about my parents? Are they still out there?”

  “She’s messing with you, Charlie,” Millie hissed. “She’s trying to upset you, girl. If she can knock you off balance you’ll be more susceptible to what she has to say.”

  “I am not trying to upset her,” Tam countered. “I am trying to understand.” She lifted her fingers and brushed them against my cheek. There was nothing threatening about the movement, but I cringed all the same. “Your time is still coming. It’s not too far now in your future. You’re going to be okay. No matter the fear that threatens to swallow you alive, you’ll be fine. You have a new family to help ... and an old family to discover. It’s ... muddied.”

  “Of c
ourse it’s muddied.” Millie was frustrated. “We need to leave this place, Charlie,” she insisted. “We can’t stay here. We never should’ve come. You especially shouldn’t have come here.”

  Tam slowly tracked her eyes to Millie, understanding sparking in the dark depths of her eyes. “You want to protect her. That’s noble. You think of her as the daughter you never had and want to make sure no harm befalls her. That is ... sweet. You can’t protect her from everything, though.”

  “I can sure as heck protect her from you.” Millie grabbed my hand and gave it a vicious tug. “We can’t stay here, Charlie. It’s not good for you. You can’t see it, but I can. We have to get out of here.”

  I wasn’t ready to leave. “What about the zombies?” I queried. “Do you know about the dead rising? What about the bodies disappearing from the cemeteries? Have you heard rumors? Do you think one of your people could be behind it?”

  “My people?” Tam seemed amused at the question. “Whoever is doing this is not one of my people.” She followed as Millie relentlessly tugged me through the building toward the front door. “There are different types of magical folk, Charlie Rhodes. You of all people should know that. Not everyone is the same.

  “You’re different. I’m different. Your friend here is definitely different,” she continued. “What is happening out there has little to do with what happens here.” She tapped the spot above her heart. “I don’t know what’s waiting for you out there, but you must be vigilant. It won’t be long until the answers are right in front of you. Even then you will have to make a choice. There will be several options. Only one of them will be the right one.”

  “Well, great,” Millie groused as she tugged open the door. “That’s not too much pressure to place on the girl or anything. You’re a real peach. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  Tam graced us with an odd, almost serene smile. “You’ll make the right choice because it’s inherent in you. That’s good. Things come easy for you in some ways, but don’t rest on your laurels.”

  “I don’t even know what laurels are,” I admitted. “I couldn’t rest on them if I wanted to.”

  “Be careful,” Tam called out as I turned. “Watch the shadows.”

  It was those words that were echoing in my head when I hit the front stoop. There, standing at the bottom of the steps, was the hoodie-clad man. His eyes widened as he realized I recognized him, and he broke into a run before I could form a single word. This time I was having none of it. I refused to lose him again.

  “Wait!” I tore off, giving chase.

  I left Millie behind. She sounded frightened when she called out to me. “Don’t run after him, Charlie! What do you think you’re doing? Oh, geez! Jack is going to kill me.”

  Twenty

  I wasn’t familiar with the streets, but that didn’t stop me from giving chase. Unfortunately for me, Mr. Hoodie knew exactly where he was going and managed to lose me after four turns. I was out of breath and annoyed when I slowed my pace.

  I was also turned around.

  I tried to backtrack, but it took me longer than it should have. When I found my way back to the hoodoo museum, Millie was gone. Tam, however, was standing on the stoop.

  “Did you know I would come back?” I asked as I pressed my hand into my side to ward off a stitch. “Geez. I need to start working out.”

  She looked amused. “I knew you would come back.”

  “Do you know who that guy was? He’s been following me.”

  “I didn’t see his face. I’m sorry.”

  “Well, great.” I dragged a hand through my tangled hair. “I guess I should head back to the hotel. That’s where Millie went, right?”

  “She was upset. She thinks of you as her child.”

  “That’s kind of funny because I always wanted my parents to come back to life so there was someone out there – anyone really – who felt that way about me.” The statement sounded more bitter than I’d intended, but I didn’t feel bad about it. “Do you know why I can do the things I can do?”

  “No, but I am curious about what you can do. Come in for some tea. We’ll talk.”

  Under different circumstances I would’ve agreed. I didn’t get a dangerous vibe from her no matter what Millie happened to believe. Things would be worse if I did that, though.

  “I can’t.” I was rueful. “Millie will get the others in our group riled up. They’ll come looking ... and one of them will kick down your door to find me. You don’t want that.”

  “Yes. Jack.”

  I was taken aback. “How do you know his name?”

  “It whispers throughout your mind.”

  “How really?”

  This time her smile was amused. “Your friend said she was going to get Jack and acted as if that would be bad.”

  “Ah, well ... .” I exhaled heavily as my heartbeat returned to normal. “Are you sure you don’t know anything about the zombies? I know that might not be the correct word to use, but it’s the one I’m going with.”

  “I don’t see why you can’t use that word,” Tam replied. “It’s as apt as anything else. People are talking about the dead rising and the significance of it. They’re missing the point. It’s not that the dead are rising that should concern us. That has happened hundreds of times throughout history. People simply choose not to believe it.”

  “What should we be worried about?” I asked. “If it’s not the dead rising, then what?”

  “It’s what they’re wanted for. I don’t think there’s a good answer, especially now. You need to be careful.”

  “I’m always careful.”

  “No. You’re brave ... and smart ... and loyal. You’re outspoken and demanding when it comes to those around you doing the right thing. But you’re not always careful. Before, you didn’t need to be. You only had yourself to worry about. Now, you have a tribe.”

  “You mean Millie and Jack.”

  “And a few others. Even the one you think of as an enemy may be more important to your future than you realize.”

  “Laura?” The mere notion was hilarious ... and troubling. “I don’t think so.”

  “Don’t rule her out just yet. She might still have something to offer your tale. As for now, you should head back. I can feel the fear in your wake.”

  Jack. She was talking about Jack. The idea of him being afraid upset me on a level I wasn’t aware I even had. “I might be back.”

  “I’ll be here. I always am.”

  “Great. I have questions.”

  “Eventually you will get your answers.”

  JACK AND CHRIS WERE READYING to leave the hotel when I walked into the lobby. The look of relief on Jack’s face was heart-warming. It was quickly replaced with rage.

  “What were you thinking?” He strode toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders. I thought he was going to start shaking me, but he pulled me in for a hug instead. “I was afraid something happened to you.”

  “That wasn’t smart, Charlie,” Chris chided, adopting a more pragmatic tone. “Why would you chase someone on the street like that? You could’ve been hurt.”

  “That’s the third time I’ve seen him today,” I replied. “The first was at the cemetery. The second was at the library. There was no way I was going to let him get away a third time.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were being followed?” Jack’s eyes flared with accusation. “Didn’t you trust me?”

  Oh, geez. This was the last thing I needed. “Of course I trust you. It’s just ... the first time I saw him I thought he might be a zombie. No, don’t give me that look.”

  Jack turned away and planted his hands on his hips as he stared out the window.

  “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you,” I supplied. “I thought you would think I was crazy and I hate it when you give me that look.”

  “What look?”

  “You know the look. It’s on your face right now, but you usually add a bit of a lip curl. You remind me of an angry Elv
is when you unleash it.”

  Despite the serious conversation, he managed to choke out half a laugh. “You’re definitely going to be the death of me.”

  “I didn’t know if I really saw him or not,” I admitted. “I thought my mind could be playing tricks on me. He looked young. There was every chance he was playing a trick on me because he was bored. Laura didn’t act like she saw him, so I second-guessed myself.”

  “Fair enough.” Jack lifted his hands in surrender. “Why didn’t you tell me about seeing him in the library?”

  “He disappeared really fast. He was there one second and gone the next. I didn’t want you to think I was crazy or anything.”

  “Well, good job on that.” His eyes flashed with annoyance. “Why would I think a woman taking off after a strange man in a city she doesn’t know is crazy?”

  “I just reacted.” My temper started to ignite. “I’m not sure why I have to explain myself. I’m an adult. I wanted to know why he was following me.”

  “And did he tell you?”

  “I lost him. He’s obviously familiar with the city. But I know he was real. The hoodoo chick saw him, too. She was waiting when I returned. It was almost as if she was expecting me. She told me Millie went back to the hotel and planned to collect you. I hurried here as fast as I could. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

  Jack shook his head. “I wonder how my death will come,” he murmured. “Do you think it will be a heart attack? I’m leaning toward an aneurysm.”

  “Stop it.” I decided to halt this freakout before he got up a full head of steam. “I’m fine. The guy managed to escape. As for Tam, she didn’t tell us anything useful. She only said we should be trying to figure out who was behind this rather than how or why.”

  “I agree with that,” Jack said. “That doesn’t mean I’m not agitated.”

  “Yeah, well ... I’m fine. You can’t be angry at me for following my instincts. I can’t always think before I react.”

  “And that’s why you’re going to kill me.”