Fire Defender

by Rodney Hartman

  You’re overreacting, girl. I can’t let talk by two old ladies rattle me so much. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life looking for boogeymen every time I go out. I like the sisters, but let’s face it—Mrs. Walker’s not exactly grounded in reality.

  Switching on the cycle’s lights, Tess pulled back onto the road heading home. The remainder of the ride was uneventful. Soon, she pulled onto the gravel road leading through the trailer park, shut off her engine from force of habit, and coasted the remainder of the way to avoid waking her dad. She parked next to a light post near their trailer, wrapped a security chain around the frame of her cycle, and attached it to the post. After snapping a high-security lock in place, she looked over at the truck.

  Tess remembered the day two months earlier when she’d taken the keys to her dad’s beat-up truck and hidden them in her room behind a loose board. She’d told him then in no uncertain terms that if she ever caught him driving drunk again, she’d leave and never come back. He’d been riding a bicycle ever since. She looked closer at the truck to make sure the chalk mark she’d put on the front tire was still in the same position. It was. The truck hadn’t been moved. Satisfied, she went inside to confront her dad.

  Once through the door, Tess glanced at the couch. She was surprised to see it was empty. Even more surprising was the lack of empty beer bottles on the floor. The kitchen table was clear of bottles as well. She remembered his promise to find a job.

  I wonder, Tess thought. It’s warm in here tonight. He must’ve gotten the heater fixed.

  Walking down the short hall, she cracked open the door to her dad’s room. He was sprawled out on the bed still wearing jeans and a t-shirt. A half-empty bottle of his favorite brand of whiskey was on the floor next to the bed. She closed the door.

  Well, what’d I expect? A miracle? Maybe he’ll be sober enough in the morning to talk about Mom before I head for class.

  Reaching into her book bag, Tess pulled out a can of professional-grade spider spray and opened the door to her bedroom. After flipping on the light, she raised her can of bug spray towards the ceiling ready to do battle. The spider web was empty. She laughed. Guess my little talk this morning scared it off, she thought.

  Pointing the nozzle of the can at the web, she gave it a generous squirt anyway before grabbing her things and heading for the bathroom. She glanced in the mirror and examined the red bump on her neck. At least the swelling is down. She thought of the spider. I’ll be lucky if I get any sleep tonight. Dad and I have got to get out of this trailer.

  After a quick shower, Tess brushed her teeth. Returning to her room, she shook out the bedding and checked under the bed before hitting the sack. Unlike the night before, her dreams were not comfortable. For most of the night, she was being chased by dark forms she couldn’t quite see but knew were close. For some reason, Alec was in her dreams running and hiding with her. Even in her dreams she wondered why.

  Chapter 17 – Imp’s Report

  ____________________

  The last of the lights in the library shut off as the back door slammed shut. Before long the sound of an engine starting broke the silence of the night. As soon as the noise from the engine faded in the distance, a thick book on the shelf nearest the receptionist desk shimmered, turned purple, and changed into the form of an imp. The imp flapped its wings and flew to the receptionist desk. Standing erect, it walked to the corkboard above the desk and removed a thumbtack. Sticking out its tongue, the imp licked the end of the tack, savoring the flavor of the small residue of blood still on the point.

  Boy taste good, thought the imp. I will have him before I return home. The lingering smell of the boy’s blood made saliva drip from the imp’s fangs.

  Pushing the thought aside, the imp shifted form into a small snake and slithered to the front door and out the mail slot. Once outside, it shifted back into its imp form and flew into the sky, heading in the direction of its brothers. He found them circling the trailer of the girl. Their leader was flying in a circle with them.

  The purple imp sent an image of what it had seen and heard at the library to its leader. The orange imp sent back an image of the girl lying in bed the night before, wearing the Fire Ring.

  “We have them,” said the orange imp. “Once our masters arrive, we can lead them to where they need to go.”

  “What of the humans?” asked the purple imp. “The woman was more cautious with her orders to me than you. My brothers and I must return and report what we have seen.”

  The orange imp hissed a laugh. “Report away. Our masters will deal with them soon enough. One day, we will feast on their blood. Until then, we must obey.”

  The purple imp licked its lips at the thought of the boy’s blood. “Yes, until then. But perhaps some before others.”

  The image of the girl sleeping in her bed popped into the minds of all the imps.

  “Yes,” said the orange imp. “We will taste the blood of some before others.”

  The purple imp and its four brothers dove for the black SUV parked below. The orange imp continued circling the trailer. It still had things to do.

  * * *

  Mick removed his goggles before looking at Cynthia in the passenger seat. “I’ll get a replacement pair of these tomorrow,” he said as he placed the night-vision device in the box behind his seat. “It shouldn’t go through batteries like that. Lucky you found an extra set in the glove compartment. I thought for sure when I had to turn on the headlights that we were blown.”

  Cynthia eyed the driver. “You’re new, so let me give you a piece of advice. The Council doesn’t go easy on employees who make mistakes. You’re very lucky following the girl wasn’t a priority mission.” She gestured at the empty cages in the back of the van. “You’re also lucky we had the imps in the air to keep track of the girl until you got your goggles working. I’d suggest making sure you double and triple check equipment from now on.”

  Mick noticed a puff of fog come out as she spoke. A soft thud sounded on the top of the SUV. Other thuds were followed by scratching sounds and high-pitched chittering. Jumping out of the vehicle, he ran to open the rear hatch. As soon as he did, five imps jumped off the roof and flew into their open cages. He slammed the cage doors shut, making sure his hand stayed well clear of the occupants.

  Leaning past him, Cynthia locked eyes with the purple imp. “What did you find out?”

  The imp hissed. “Old woman from farmhouse has Ring Defender. I see. Girl has Fire Ring. They are going to meet at the farmhouse on day you call Sunday. Old woman may leave after. Not sure.”

  “Did you see the girl’s ring?” Cynthia asked.

  “I see. Leader also see ring at trailer.”

  Cynthia glanced at Mick before looking back at the purple imp. “You saw your leader. When?”

  The imp hissed a laugh. “Just now. He stay at trailer. He say he has things to do.”

  The sudden reddening of his boss’s cheeks told Mick all he needed to know about how the captain was taking the news of the imp’s rebellion. He made a mental note never to work with the miniature demons again if given a choice.

  When Cynthia turned away to stare at the trailer park, Mick threw the blanket over the cages. The sound of chittering stopped. He looked at his boss wondering if his growing bank account was worth the risk of what he was doing.

  “What now? Should we go inside and confront the girl?” He patted the bulge on the left side of his jacket. “If she’s got a ring, I promise I can get it from her.”

  Cynthia continued to stare at the trailer for several seconds before shaking her head. “No. We need information first. She might not wear the ring all the time.” She gestured at the covered cages. “Plus, I don’t trust our friends here to tell us all they know. We’ll go back to the safe house now. You can return in the morning when no one’s around and search the trailer. She may keep the ring hidden somewhere inside while she’s at school. Remember, we need to be discreet. You are to leave the girl alone unless
I tell you otherwise.”

  Mick shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever you say, Boss.”

  “That’s right. Whatever I say. You’d best remember that.”

  Mick eyed the trailer before closing the rear hatch and taking his place in the driver’s seat.

  Sleep well tonight, girl, he thought touching the bulge on the left side of his coat. If I get you alone, your ring will be mine. You can bet on it.

  Chapter 18 – Getting Better

  ______________________

  A delicious odor in the air pulled Tess out of her dreams. Opening her eyes, she sniffed again. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that was bacon.

  When she exhaled, fog formed in the air. “It’s cold again? What’s going on with our heater?” Jumping out of bed, she wrapped the blanket around her as she walked down the hall and into the kitchen. A plate on the table held four slices of bacon along with a large helping of scrambled eggs.

  “I had a feeling the smell would get you out of bed,” said John Wilkerson pulling a container of orange juice out of the fridge. He held up an empty glass. “I assume OJ is okay for you.”

  More than a little confused, Tess sat at the table staring down at the plate before looking back. “Sure, orange juice is fine.” She waited while he filled her glass, watching him with a look of wonder. “Where’d we get orange juice? For that matter, where’d we get bacon and eggs?”

  Turning back to the counter, he flicked the lever on the toaster, picked out two golden pieces of bread, and set them on her plate. “Don’t forget the bread,” he said with a half-smile. His eyes twinkled enough to partially hide their redness.

  “All right, and the toast,” Tess said growing even more suspicious. “What gives?”

  He sat across from her at the table but hadn’t made a plate for himself. His thin shoulders shrugged through the plaid shirt he was wearing. Tess tried to remember the last time she’d seen him in a real shirt instead of a t-shirt.

  Looking down at the table, he scratched at a stained spot in the wood before raising his eyes to make contact with hers. “I got a job at Davis Hardware yesterday. It’s just stocking shelves, but Mr. Davis advanced me twenty dollars with my promise I’d be there first thing this morning.” He lowered his eyes to the table. “I-I’m not going to make any more promises to you, Tess. Lord knows I’ve broken enough already. But I’m going to try this time. I’m really going to try and stay away from the booze.”

  Tess wasn’t sure what to say, so continued staring at him.

  Pointing at her plate, he said, “Well, aren’t you at least going to try it?”

  Despite the questions running through her mind, Tess scooped a forkful of eggs into her mouth. She savored the taste before swallowing. “What about you,” she asked. “Aren’t you eating?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not hungry. It may take a while to get my appetite back; maybe tonight. Mr. Davis is only taking me on half time to start. I’ll only be working three days a week. Uh, will you be home for supper?”

  “I can be if you want,” Tess replied remaining cautious. He’d let her down too many times in the past to start trusting what he said at face value. “Big night at Jack’s, what with the game and the dance and all. I need to be at work by six.” She noticed a sad look come over his face. “Uh, I could come home to eat right after school. Will you be here?”

  He nodded. “I’ll be here. I promise.”

  He looks sincere enough, Tess thought, but words are cheap. Time will tell. Keeping her opinion to herself, she picked up a slice of bacon and took a bite. It was just how she liked it, crispy.

  “You remembered,” Tess said forgoing her caution to give an approving smile. It had been a long time since he’d cooked her bacon. Or anything else for that matter, she thought, once again keeping it to herself.

  “Look,” he said, “I’d love to chat, but I don’t want to be late on my first day of work. It’s a long ride to town on the bike.”

  Tess was half-tempted to go fetch the keys to the truck from their hiding place, but only half. He really had let her down too often in the past.

  “I can give you a lift on my motorcycle,” Tess said thinking of the five-mile bike ride to town.

  Shaking his head, he said, “No. The fresh air will do me good. It’ll give me time to think. Anyway, you’ve got a dentist appointment this afternoon, don’t you? It might be difficult to link up. Besides, there’s too many, uh…temptations near the hardware store for me to wait around for you.”

  Picturing the bar on the next block from the store, Tess nodded. “All right, Dad. I’ll see you tonight. But…”

  He looked at her.

  Tess forged ahead. “I want to talk about Mom and her ring for a second.”

  His eyes widened at the taboo topic. He looked away.

  Is he frightened? Tess wondered.

  “I, uh, don’t have time, Tess. I’ve got to get to work.” He stood up.

  Standing as well, Tess reached out and grabbed his shoulder. She felt more bone than meat. “No, Dad. I’ve got to know. Please.”

  He looked at her hand on his shoulder. When Tess pulled her hand away, he stared her in the eyes before turning to the door. Tess held her breath, expecting him to bolt. She noticed his shoulders relax as he turned back around.

  “Tess, I… It’s hard. Maybe tonight. I…uh.” He glanced at the wall clock before looking back at her. “Your mom didn’t want to fly to Dallas that night. She thought…”

  When Tess gave him a questioning look, he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure what she thought. I know she didn’t want us to go. I insisted. I had a big meeting the next morning, and I didn’t want to… Well, I convinced her to go.” He glanced into space for several heartbeats. “I thought it would be good for the three of us to get away. I’d been so busy getting my company going, I’d ignored… Well, I thought after the meeting we could all take in the sights.”

  Glancing at the clock again, her dad opened the door and looked out. He turned back to her, keeping the door open. “When I pulled you out of the flames unharmed, I knew what she’d done. I tried to get to her, but…” He dropped his head and stared at the floor.

  Tess crouched slightly so she could see his eyes. She saw tears building up that matched the wetness of her own eyes. “I know,” she said. “You don’t have to explain.”

  Closing his eyes, he stood unmoving for several seconds. Tess remained silent as well.

  When he opened his eyes, Tess said, “What can you tell me about Mom’s ring? It’s important that I know.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, he glanced at the clock again. “Not much. Even your mother didn’t know much. I’ll tell you all I know at supper. I’ve really got to go now.”

  Nodding her head, Tess followed him out the door. After he unchained his bike from the same pole where she’d secured her motorcycle, he turned to face her.

  “Your mother was close to your Great-Aunt Iva. Last I heard, she was in a nursing home in Fort Worth. She might be able to tell you something I don’t know. I may have the address somewhere; not sure though.”

  “What about—” Tess started.

  “Not now, Tess. Tonight.”

  “All right, Dad. We’ll do it your way. Tonight it is.” As he started to pedal away, Tess shouted, “I love you, Dad.”

  The thin man stopped, turning to face her. “I love you too, Tess. More than you’ll ever know.” He smiled. Then he was cycling down the gravel road, his wheels making scrunching noises in the rocks, heading for the highway.

  Tess watched him go until he was out of sight. It’s going to be all right, she thought. It’s got to be. I’ll make it be.

  Chapter 19 – Delay

  ____________________

  Mick straightened up in the seat of his SUV as the door to the trailer opened. From his position hidden on a pullout in the woods on a hill overlooking the trailer park, he focused his binoculars on the thin man in the doorway.

  The girl’s dad, h
e thought. The old drunk must be going to that job at the hardware store the other team told us about. He’s supposed to get off at three. Mick glanced at the clock in the dash of the SUV. It’s a quarter after seven now. Once the girl leaves, I’ll have plenty of time to search the place.

  Mick continued watching the scene below. The thin man stood in the doorway a moment before finally exiting. The girl followed him out. They spoke for a few seconds then the man unchained a bike from the light pole next to the trailer. Straddling the bike, the man made his way out to the main road. The girl watched the man until he was out of sight. Turning, she entered the trailer. Mick looked back at the road before training the binoculars on the trailer. He licked his lips half-tempted to go down and confront the girl alone. Cynthia Jager’s reminder the previous night to remain discreet came back to him. It’s not worth the risk. I don’t care how good the girl looks.

  At seven-thirty, the door to the trailer opened again. Mick watched the girl lock the door before getting on her motorcycle and heading out of the trailer park in the direction of town. He waited another fifteen minutes to make sure no one came back unexpectedly before starting the SUV. Just as he put the vehicle in gear, his cellphone rang.

  “Yeah, Boss. What’s up?”

  “Harrison wants you to go to Seattle and pick up a package at the freight office.”

  Rubbing his eyes with his left hand, Mick sighed before looking back at the trailer. “Fine. I’ll leave in an hour, as soon as I search the girl’s place. They just left. Give me a—”

  “Negative,” came Cynthia’s reply. “You need to leave now. The colonel doesn’t know about searching the trailer, and we don’t want him to find out. If her ring’s inside, we want to be the ones to give it to the colors when they arrive. You’ll have to search the trailer when you get back.”

  Mick made a quick estimate of the roundtrip to Seattle. “It’ll be close. The girl’s dad gets off at three today from the hardware store, according to MacDonald’s team. The girl gets out of school a little after that. I might not get back from Seattle in time to search before one of them makes it home.”