She felt a bump against her calf. She let out a startled cry and jumped away, wild-eyed, expecting to see a demon ready to grab her. Instead, Thunder arched against her, weaving his way between her legs.
"You scared me, cat. Are you hungry?" She walked to the pantry, trying not to trip over the cat.
"All right, all right," she mumbled, opening the pantry door. She grabbed the cat food and went to the laundry room. She poured the kibble in his continuous feeder sitting on top of the dryer. Thunder jumped up and nudged her with his nose while the food filled the bowl. Smiling, she ran her hand over his soft fur as he attacked his food.
Olivia left Thunder purring over his food. She ran up the stairs two at a time to grab her gear from her room. Stepping inside, she grabbed her backpack. Her pack bounced when she tossed it on the bed. She opened it, checking the contents: flashlight, notebook, pen, water and a scarf. Satisfied she had what she needed, she zipped it closed.
After grabbing her hiking boots from her closet, she sat in her desk's chair. She shoved her feet into the boots, lacing them up tight. A flash of white caught her eye on her desk. She plucked the feather out of the cluttered mason jar and ran her thumb and forefinger over the smooth sides. It was the most beautiful feather she'd ever seen. Over a foot long, it was strong yet supple, tickling her finger as she moved across the edges. The white iridescent color had a glowing effect. She twirled it between her fingers, remembering when she had opened her eyes that fateful Christmas morning and gasped. A chubby hand reached over and plucked it up, glistening against her tan pillowcase. The wispy ends fluttered with the overhead fan's gentle rotation. It still lay on her bed when she'd returned to her room, devastated by her dad's abandonment. Putting the feather under her pillow, she had cried herself asleep. She tossed it back in the jar along with the painful memory.
Backpack over her shoulder, she raced downstairs. She grabbed the silver thermos of coffee and headed out the door before she lost her nerve.
"Hey."
She shrieked, jumped back and swung the thermos before she recognized his voice. He ducked with a raised hand, avoiding the silver blur.
"Wow. Is that how you greet everyone who comes to your door?" Zach smiled under the porch light. "You have a mean hay-maker."
"You scared me." She hoped he missed the flush of her cheeks. "I wasn't expecting you."
"I should have texted. I thought I'd come and get you so you didn't have to walk alone." His hands slid into his front pockets.
In the dark... nice thinking.
"I've been on edge all day. Almost kicked my cat tonight when he bumped my leg." Nervous laughter escaped her as she turned and locked the front door, hearing the bolt click into place. They stepped out into the dark night and headed for his house.
"So, what's in your weapon?" Zach nodded at the thermos.
"Coffee. Might be chilly on the mountain, so I thought we’d enjoy something hot."
"Good idea. You could always use that thermos as a weapon if we meet up with any demons." His try at humor fell flat with Olivia.
"If any show up, this thermos won't help." Her stomach rolled as she imaged facing a demon with only a thermos. Zach's full-sized navy-blue Chevy truck was just ahead, parked on the curb. The truck wasn't a new model, but it shined under the street light.
"Nice truck." Olivia tapped the back bumper.
"Thanks." He sounded a little embarrassed. "It was my dad's until he handed me the keys this summer. Anyway, Sergio asked if we could pick him up at his house."
He led her to the passenger side, opening the door for her. She jumped in, acting like it happened all the time. She settled into the seat as she busied herself by checking out the gray interior. Not a speck of dust lay on the dash, and a pleasant pine scent filled the cab.
She watched Zach walk around the hood to his door. Dressed in black, he walked with a confidence she didn't see in many guys her age. Her heart fluttered, her sweaty hands folded in her lap as he jumped into his seat. His presence filled the cab along with the smell of Irish Spring and leather. She leaned against her door, overwhelmed by him. Zach turned to her, his eyes bright in the darkness.
"I promise I don't bite." Keys jingling in his hand, he started the truck.
"Well, that's a relief, because I have enough to worry about."
He grinned, exposing his white teeth. "How do we get to Sergio's?"
"Turn right at the end of our street." She averted her eyes and stared through the windshield.
Classic rock pumped through the speakers. Olivia gave clipped directions while she pushed away a vision of Zach's white teeth nipping at her neck.
Olivia pointed out Sergio's house as they approached it. He pulled up in front of the ranch-style home and parked his truck.
"There he is," Olivia said.
Sergio's dark form emerged from the porch and ran down the path. He reached the back door of the truck as a car rumbled down the street. Sergio stopped, shook his head, and shoved his hands into his jean pockets. The car pulled up in front of Zach's truck, blinding them with its headlights. The muscle car's engine cut off, returning quiet to the street. A figure got out from the driver's side. He closed the car door and approached the truck.
Standing between the headlights was Manny, Sergio's older brother. He had the same coloring and features as his younger brother, but there was a hardness to him that made most wary. His frame was wiry and his bearing alert. The girls loved him, though. He had the bad-boy down to a T. Sergio met his brother near the truck's hood. As they talked, Manny kept glancing between the truck and Sergio.
"Who is that? He doesn't look happy about something." Zach's hands squeezed the steering wheel.
"That's Manny, Sergio's older brother. He's nice to me, but I don't know him that well." She shrugged. "He doesn't live at home. But Sergio idolizes him."
As if on cue, Manny came over to Olivia's window. He motioned for her to roll down the window. She pushed down the window button and faced him with a smile. Manny's musky aftershave drifted inside, but his handsome face didn't return her smile. He was all business.
"Hi, Manny." She tried to sound cheerful, but he stayed stone-faced. Sergio was mouthing something behind Manny's back, but she couldn't make it out.
"How are you?" She got no reply as his eyes locked onto Zach.
"This is Zach," she offered, pointing to him. "He moved onto my street this summer."
Zach reached across and offered his hand. Manny looked at the hand and then back to Zach. While keeping his hand and eye contact steady, Zach's smile slipped. Manny finally reached in and gave his hand a firm shake.
"Hello, Olivia... Zach." He nodded in Zach's direction. "What's this I hear you about guys going to Red Rock?" Manny hung his arms over the window, sticking his head inside the cab. His sharp eyes scanned both their features and the truck's interior.
"We have a science project due when we get back from break." Olivia shrugged. Sergio's eyes were big, and he was nodding up and down. "We need to observe the stars away from the city lights, so we figured Red Rock is the best place to check it out."
Manny stepped away and opened the back-passenger door. He rummaged under the back seat and pulled back the pockets behind the front seats. The cabin light illuminated a tattoo on his forearm of a tiger holding a knife between its teeth, peeking out from his pushed-up sleeve. The tiger shifted along his lean muscles, appearing to prowl down his arm.
Zach turned around and flung his arm on the seat rest. "There's no beer, if that's what you're looking for." Zach clenched his jaw as Manny returned his stare.
Manny grabbed the thermos, removed the lid and took a whiff. "I don't know you, gringo, so I'll look all I want." He screwed back on the cap. "I watch out for my familia." His voice was low and threatening. Satisfied, he backed out, not breaking eye contact with Zach.
"Don't you forget that." Manny pointed at Zach. A low groan escaped from Sergio, but he stood up straight when Manny turned to him.
; "Not too late. Makes Mama worry." Manny gave Sergio a brotherly punch in the arm as he walked by, sending Sergio back a step.
"Fine," Sergio said. He jumped in the back, threw his backpack across the bench seat, and slammed the door shut. The sound resounded in the quiet neighborhood, causing the dog next door to bark. Manny swaggered over to his car and opened his passenger door. Out stepped a dark-haired beauty. Manny smiled at her and then glanced at the truck. Olivia thought she saw a curtain move as they walked arm-in-arm to the front door. Zach scoffed and started the truck.
"Wow," Zach said. "That was over-the-top."
"I know. I'm so over him treating me like I'm still ten." Sergio punched the back of the front seat. "But he won't listen to me. Instead, he talks about protecting familia, and I'll understand when I'm older. I'm seventeen! Then he warns me to keep out of trouble... going to college. Blah blah blah! I'm sick of it!"
"I guess that's what big brothers do," Olivia said. "He means well and loves you or he wouldn't be so protective."
Sergio rolled his eyes at her and stared out the window.
"Turns out he's been going through my stuff. He found my ripped shirt and laid into me about fighting. Now he's on high alert." Sergio's bitter snort echoed off his window.
Olivia turned and squeezed Sergio's knee, hoping to reassure him. He responded with a weak smile. Zach pulled away from the curb, another old metal song filled the silence.
A curtain from Sergio's house peeked open, a hidden set of eyes following them until the truck turned the corner.
Chapter Seven
Olivia
No one spoke during the drive, letting the rock music fill the void. The run-in with Manny didn't help the tension emanating from Zach and Sergio, crashing on Olivia like a wave pounding the shore. She was thankful for their solitude. Olivia didn't want to speculate on different scenarios. She needed to calm her racing mind and frayed nerves and ready herself for any possibility the night might bring.
The edges of the suburban neighborhood, along with the lights of Las Vegas, faded behind them, turning the landscape dark outside her window. The night sky was clear of clouds. Bright stars twinkled, inviting her to search for their prize: Orion.
Olivia stole a glance at Zach. One hand gripped the steering wheel while the other tapped his thigh along with the music. But his lips were set in a firm line as he gazed out the windshield.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Zach startled her. He gave her a quick reassuring smile, one of those that said trust me, I've got this. She looked away where the scant scenery was safer than looking at Zach.
"Um... just thinking about how we'll find Orion." She closed her eyes and gave herself a mental shake. "I mean, where are we going? No. Like... in the park, do you have a place in mind?" Sergio snickered from the back seat.
Zach will think I'm an idiot!
"It's called Calico Hills. It's not too far inside the gate on the scenic loop. There's an area of huge flat boulders where we can lie down and gaze up at the stars. I have flashlights if you need one. The walk is a piece of cake."
"I've been hiking there with friends. That's a good choice." Olivia nodded.
"Thanks, Boy Scout, but I brought a flashlight." Sergio tried to sound flippant, but Olivia caught the snide undertone he intended.
"Actually, I'm an Eagle Scout. If you want to be a jerk, you might as well have it right." Zach stared at Sergio in the rearview mirror.
"Whatever... Boy Scout." Sergio returned his gaze.
Olivia sighed and let it be. The gate was close. They could soon hike and work off their tension.
Zach turned right and stopped to pay the fee at the entry gate. They drove on the thirteen-mile one-way scenic drive that meandered through a section of Red Rock park. It disappointed Olivia she couldn't see the various layers of the red and tan sandstone hills. It amazed her how Las Vegas was a desert now, but millions of years ago this was all under the ocean. The sand dunes hardened over time, with iron oxide leaching into the sandstone, creating the stunning red rock structures. She made a promise to herself to come back during the day and soak up its splendor.
The truck wound its way along the narrow road. Zach pulled into a deserted parking lot and parked. Olivia unzipped her pack and grabbed the flashlight. Deciding she wanted her other hand free, she pulled out the scarf and notebook to make room for the thermos. She grabbed the pack and jumped out of the truck.
"The Vegas valley looks awesome from up here." Sergio pointed to a cut-out between the dark hills. Bright lights from the houses shone as if they reflected the stars on the valley floor.
"That's a cool view. Come on, it's this way." Zach turned, getting back to business.
A simple split-rail fence bordered the trail's entrance. Darkness loomed before them until the hilltops bordered the night sky. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Olivia made out the jutting hills and the gigantic boulders lying at the bottom. They turned on the flashlights, and Olivia lost the hills in the bright beam.
They walked single-file with Zach taking the lead, then Olivia with Sergio behind her. Three flashlight beams bounced across the asphalt as they headed for the trail. Despite the chill in the air, dampness spread under Olivia's arms.
"The walk isn't too far. Just stay behind me." Zach’s flashlight showed where the dirt trail started. He walked with caution along the path. The crunch of gravel under Olivia's shoes broke the quiet night. Her flashlight beam caught small bare bushes and tumbleweeds dotting the trail’s edges as it sloped down before them. On the left, rocky terrain replaced the parking lot. On the right, a steep decline loomed like a gigantic dark abyss. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch. Olivia skirted the left side, not wanting to tumble over the dark, ominous edge.
"Here we go. Watch your step." Zach flashed his light in a wide arc in front of him. The path had stopped, and a large rock plateau took its place. "We can lie down here. It's a perfect view of the stars."
They stepped onto the plateau and found a level place in the middle to sit. The ominous darkness outside the beams pressed upon her, leaving her exposed to whatever moved beyond her vision. She swung her light, hoping that no eyes reflected back at her. Nothing peered back, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. Resigned, she sat on the dusty boulder.
"Anybody want some coffee?"
"No thanks. Maybe back at the truck." Zach shrugged off his pack. Sergio shook his head while he scanned the light's edge.
She lay against her backpack. The boys picked a place on either side of her.
"Turn off your lights." Zach's voice bounced off the red dirt hills surrounding them. Her heart skipped a beat when he cut out his light. She bit her lip as her thumb pressed the rubber button. She held her breath, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Olivia exhaled as the blanket of stars exploded above her.
"Very cool," Sergio said.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Zach whispered in her ear.
"Magnificent." A million stars lay on top of her, enveloping her in a twinkling cocoon. Her tension melted away, in awe of the magnitude and artistry of the universe before her. What would it be like to float among the stars, weightless in thought minuscule in its expanse?
Sergio sent out a low whistle. "God does great work."
"His universe humbles me every time I stare at the stars. I could stare at them all night. Have you found Orion yet?" Zach nudged her with his elbow.
She scanned the stars, then jabbed her finger toward the night sky. There was no mistaking the seven stars of the hunter outshining the other stars.
"It looks just like our marks, but mine doesn't feel different. Any change for you guys?" Olivia asked. She'd been hyper-aware of the mark all day, but it never tingled.
"Nope."
"Me neither."
Olivia sighed, dug out her phone, and took a picture of Orion in the night sky.
"This is a bust." Sergio jumped up. "Total waste of my time. I told you we should forget about the whole thing." He dusted himself off, pounding on his
jeans.
"It wasn't a bust, Sergio." Olivia scrambled to her feet, grabbing her pack. "At least we're sure it's the shape of our marks and nothing happened when we looked at it at night. Gives us something to work with now."
"Whatever. None of it helps us. Let's go back." Sergio flipped on his light. "All this was for nothing and made matters worse for me. I now have Manny breathing down my neck." His light crisscrossed along the plateau onto the path, his frustrated stomps echoing up the hill.
Olivia looked at Zach. "Don't worry about what he said. I'm glad we came."
"Me too. We'd better go." He grabbed her hand, hurrying to catch up to Sergio.
They were near the top of the path when a low rumbling cut the quiet night. It rumbled louder the closer it got, and soon there was no mistaking the sound. Motorcycles were turning into the lot.
"Cut your lights!" Zach hissed. Blood pounded in Olivia's ears as they were plunged into darkness. Their gasoline exhaust mixed with the dry air. The engines stopped, but the male voices and raucous laughter were more ominous.
"Ouch!" Sergio stood in the hooded darkness, but Olivia could make out his hand clutching his shirt where the mark lay. The stinging sensation erupted on her mark. She pressed her hand against it, willing it to stop as her heartbeat thrashed beneath it.
A cold dread washed over Olivia. The last time this pain had happened, a demon tried to take her away. It was happening again, except now they were in the middle of nowhere with bikers standing between them and their escape.
Mark of Orion Page 7