The other man said nothing. He merely nodded again.
Adam shook his head and rubbed his jaw. This just kept getting more twisted and screwed up the more he learned about it.
“Is that all?” he asked.
“Not quite.”
“So what else is there?”
“Only this,” the man turned in the seat to face him. “I’m not going to apologize for us trying to kill you. When your man showed up plastering those photos all over town, our choice came down to killing the boy or killing you. It wasn’t personal, but we chose you. I don’t expect you to understand, and I don’t rightly care whether you do or not. That’s just the way these things work. But you survived, and I can live with that too.
On the other hand, I am sorry as hell about your family. We were all sick about what happened to them. We don’t know how they got back there, but as far as we were concerned it still made it our fault. We did the best we could with Tucker. We put him with a good family who had the patience to nurse him back out of his shell and also had the ability to teach him how to use his gift right. In hindsight, I suppose it was purely luck he didn’t do the same thing with all those yearlings in the cemetery that your brother did with the Young Mother. But the point is he is getting better and he’s going to be okay.”
“He is?”
“He’s over there in the cemetery right now with his…with the family who took him in. Now with him starting to master his ability, he’s not afraid of the place anymore. But we still don’t let him go alone.”
“Can I see him?”
“Yep. You’re gonna get to see him, but one last thing…”
“What’s that?”
“Like I said, he’s getting better. But he’s got a little way to go. He still don’t talk much. He was so shook up by what happened that he tried to wall out the world. He wouldn’t talk, play, or even acknowledge other people. He just curled in a ball, and occasionally screamed in his sleep. But being a spirit sleeper meant he couldn’t wall out other spirit gifted and spirit singers. So we found a way to reach him anyway. Over time he learned how it worked, and he learned how the small spiders could be controlled. He began to communicate again, but only through spirit talk. Even now it takes a major effort to get more than a sentence or two out of him using his mouth.
But he’s bright, and he’s curious. And there’s nothing like having a couple of boys his own age living with him to draw him out more. You might say they’ve been his guide through our world. And his confidence has been coming along in leaps and bounds. After being allowed to talk with some of our companions, he’s determined to be one of the rare spirit sleepers to get a companion of his own. His spirit strength is unusual for a sleeper, so it’s possible.”
“I see,” Adam answered with mild confusion.
Why would the man be telling him all this?
Adam got the feeling Samuel Hitch was not much of a talker and had used up most of his word allotment for one day. He was the polar opposite of Antonio, having nothing of the other man’s expressiveness, expansiveness, or flair for the theatrical. This man was much more “simple” than that, but every bit as intimidating in his own quiet way.
“Well then,” Adam leaned back in the seat and gazed up at the roof, “at least now I know what really happened. If that’s what you brought me here to tell me, then I thank you.”
“Nope,” Hitch answered as he opened his truck door. “She’s the one who wanted to talk to you, but I thought you ought to know what happened. When you decide what you want, I want it to be an informed choice.”
Adam jerked his attention back to his surroundings to see the older man getting out of the truck. He focused forward and spied a distant figure approaching down the middle of the dirt road. It was a woman, and she was alone.
“Olivia?” he blurted and opened his own door.
He stepped out and hustled around to the front of the truck. Then he came to an astonished stop as he got a better look at this new visitor.
This wasn’t Olivia.
This was the woman from his dream that he now realized he had mistaken for her.
And the resemblance was strong—very strong—but it was partially due to her face sharing the same bone structure, the same long ebony hair, and the same bearing. But this woman had eyes so dark they appeared black, and she possessed none of Olivia’s polish and controlled poise. She seemed rougher, and contained an edge of wildness in her presence. The fact she wore moccasins and a doeskin dress that left her heavily tattooed arms fully visible only enhanced the impression.
She was obviously Karankawa, but wore the leather dress and moccasins of the Wacos.
Those words echoed back to him from Olivia’s story, and his heart caught in his throat at the implication. Could it be? Was that particular legend true?
What in the hell was walking up the road toward him?
“Yes, Adam Sellars,” spoke the approaching woman, “I am the one spoken of in that tale. I see the Dog People haven’t lost everything, after all. But today it is you I have business with.”
Him? She had business with him?
And she was reading him right through his psi blocker!
The woman stopped about fifteen feet away and appeared to be waiting. Absolutely nothing about her gave any impression of unreality. She looked and seemed as solid as anybody else, right down to the loose strands hanging free of her roughly kempt hair.
But Adam had no illusions about what he dealt with here. He had already seen the reality of the rogue. And judging from Olivia’s estimates, this one must fill the leafy tunnel of road in front of him. He could only take comfort in the knowledge he was being spared this particular reality.
And what business did she have with him?
A thunderous bang resounded beside him, almost causing him to jump out of his skin. He twisted to see Chief Hitch had fetched something from the back and now heaved it up onto the hood of the truck. He flinched at the sight of the grisly mass, even as its identity became clear. Somebody had already removed the fangs from the rogue, and had tied them together with a rope.
Adam looked with astonishment from the gore dripping fangs to the Chieftain.
“Go on,” Chief Hitch nodded at the ghastly pile. “Take them to her. They’re yours.”
“Mine?”
“You killed it. It’s your trophy. But you need to carry them over there and present them to her when you ask for what you want. Understand?”
Adam frowned at the man in confusion. His trophy? The only reason he had even been in the fight was to save Olivia. And then he had spent the rest of the nightmare simply trying to stay alive. Sure, he had shot at the rogue, but that was just because he knew not fighting wasn’t an option and their best chance had been for him to back up Maggie. And besides, he hadn’t been the one to deliver the killing blow.
“B-But Billy…he…”
“You know him by name?” the Chief asked mildly. “How’s that?”
Adam groaned internally, realizing he might be getting the boy who saved his ass in trouble. He didn’t know if it was too late, but he tried to salvage the situation.
“Well…uh…he told me while we hid in the bathroom. But still…”
“He said the rogue was dying when he rammed it. He only kept it from running off or doing more damage before then. The kill is yours.”
“But Maggie…”
“Is dead. The kill is yours.”
And that was apparently that.
Adam couldn’t believe it. But the grisly trophy lay right before his eyes. Five people had died in an effort to bring the monster down…five people who all had a lot better claim to the title “hunter” than him. Yet now, here he stood with the spoils of that battle before him. And as he stared at the awful thing, he realized why Tucker was here.
He had won.
And the rules in this world could be very simple. Fair had nothing to do with it. The fangs were his, and it was time to claim his prize.
“Pick them up and take them over to her,” Hitch instructed. “Then hold them up and tell her what you want.”
Adam looked at the man, then past him where a small group of people had appeared at the cemetery gate. A man, a woman, and three kids. They looked like any family one might expect to find out on a small modern farm…if you didn’t count the black and gold blotches on two of their shoulders. It only took a second for his vision to zero in on Tucker.
He locked eyes with the boy, grasped the rope, and swung the fangs over his shoulder. Then he turned to face the wild-looking woman once more…and nearly had a heart attack.
The illusion was gone.
At least she hadn’t been standing in real life where her avatar had. Because if that had been the case, she would have been all around them.
The Matriarch was a true behemoth.
Forty feet my ass!
In truth, the woman had been standing at the nearest point of one of her forelegs. And although that point was about fifteen feet away, it still felt claustrophobically close. It was a further twenty feet to the massive fangs and eight huge eyes staring back at him.
“Face to face?” Adam fought to keep his voice even.
“Face to face.”
Of course. This is to see if I really am worthy of this trophy. This is how she separates the winners from the posers. And I’ve got a bad feeling I know what happens to cowards.
Adam readjusted the weight of the fangs on his shoulder, and reminded himself that distance really didn’t matter anyway. She could as easily catch and kill him if he were fifty feet away as five. Even if he couldn’t quell the terror this leviathan inspired, at least he could reconcile himself to the reality of the situation and act accordingly.
With this in mind, he squared his jaw and walked forward. He kept a firm pace as he passed between the great forelegs, and didn’t stop until he stood before the eight staring eyes themselves. He now looked death square in the face, and he wondered how many men had gone to the next world with that face as their last vision on earth.
“Eight hundred and ninety-three, Adam Sellars. That is how many men and women have fallen under my fangs over the past one thousand, three hundred, and eighty-one years. I have devoured the minds and bodies of men from the Karankawa, the Tonkawa, the Caddo, the Waco, the Apache, and from many tribes long gone before the white men ever set foot in these lands. I have also consumed several hunters, trappers, and colonists of your own people as well. All of them died in great fear, and now all their memories reside within me.
Now, show me why you should not be my eight hundred and ninety-fourth.”
Up until that point, Adam would have never believed it possible to be so terrified and still remain conscious. All he could do was hold the fangs up before the creature’s face, and pray it was the correct response.
The eight, hard black eyes seemed to stare at the grisly trophy and him all at the same time. The monster regarded him in a silence seeming to stretch forever.
Then suddenly he was standing in front of the wild-looking woman again.
“Yes. This was the correct response. You have brought me the fangs of my enemy. I am pleased.”
Adam decided right then he was going to have to invent a whole new word for the level of relief flooding through him. But it would have to wait till later. This wasn’t over.
“And now what?” he asked. He had a pretty good idea, but at this point he wanted to be sure.
“And now you speak what you desire of me.”
Adam nodded and looked back over where Tucker stood with the others. The boy returned his gaze without expression. Apparently he had picked up a bit of the stoicism that seemed to be a trait through the majority of these people.
“My word is law. The child is within my power to return. Is this what you want?”
Adam stared at Tucker. He had grown a good inch since disappearing nine months ago. His face was leaner, as if it had lost all its baby fat, and the man wondered if this were due to simple growth, mental trauma, or the result of a whole different lifestyle.
He also noted the furtive hand the woman laid on the boy’s shoulder. He could tell it was possessive, but that meant nothing to him. He knew she would obey her Matriarch and hand the boy over without complaint. The fact it was also meant to lend comfort and support meant more…and the sense the boy needed it hurt him to the bone.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Tucker was supposed to want to be rescued.
There was also the matter of a woman who had nearly died in the effort that dropped this opportunity in his lap. And what about the men she led who had died in the same effort? They had been fighting for something completely different than him. They had thrown themselves against something both alien and powerful in the hopes that they would be the last ones who died in a centuries old war.
How the hell could he justify what he wanted in the face of that?
Yet he knew Olivia would understand. She had known this was what he had wanted since they had met. He had no doubt she would support whatever he did here. Hell, she would go even further and defend his choice to others. She would be the one who found exactly the right words to justify him. That was just who she was.
But that begged the question…who was he?
Adam looked at the group a few seconds longer before turning back to face the Matriarch.
“No,” he sighed, “it’s not about what I want. I would like to ask for something else.”
###
She didn’t wake up until after sunset.
Adam put down the transceiver he had been examining at the small sound from Olivia. He looked over to see her watching him from her bed.
“Sorry about that,” she whispered. “I put it in your cane before you and Antonio left for Hallisboro.”
“Hey, there.” He leaned over and brushed a stray hair out of her face. Her skin still felt hot and damp from the effects of Grandma Lilah’s ministrations. “How are you feeling?”
“Like somebody shot me with a hunting rifle, and my new husband just discovered I had bugged his walking cane.”
“What a coincidence, somebody did shoot you with a hunting rifle. And since you used that bug to call Billy back and save my ass, your new husband will happily let bygones be bygones.”
“You sure?”
“Yep. Although I fear young Billy now thinks I’m the most thoroughly whipped male in the universe.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he laughed. “I don’t think he ever considered me much of a masculine role model to begin with. Trust me, when it comes to certain issues, he and your uncle could start a club.”
“My uncle…” she sighed and closed her eyes.
“He’s down in the parking lot meeting this super-secret ambulance van you guys apparently own. They’ll be up for you shortly. Trust me when I say, you aren’t Grandma Lilah’s favorite person at the moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean after her claiming you were a simple case for her to deal with, you damn near died on her and made her look bad. It turns out she couldn’t use her syringe juice she normally uses because it has veneno in it. Fortunately, the stuff mainly boosts what she does, so she can still heal some without it. But you had also almost bled out, and everybody around you that had your O positive blood also had veneno swimming in their bloodstream. They said Grandma Lilah was pretty much keeping you alive by sheer will power by the time they got one of their few non-talents to the scene so they could give you a transfusion.
And just so you know, you’re still running low so you can probably expect another needle as soon as we get you in the van.”
Olivia nodded, took a deep breath, then looked up at him again.
“The rogue?”
“It’s dead.”
“And Miss Weston?”
“She’s dead too.”
To Adam’s surprise, she actually looked pained to hear that.
“Adam,” she groaned, “just t
ell me… Who made it? Who’s left?”
“Just you and me. Well, Billy too.”
Once again she closed her eyes, and this time she looked sick.
“So I led a whole squad of men to their deaths.”
“You didn’t have a choice!” Adam took her hand. “It turned out you were right. Maggie was capable of killing the rogue by herself. She almost had it. It was only due to….bad luck…she didn’t kill it anyway.”
He and Antonio had already agreed to whitewash Aurelio’s actions in that firefight. Antonio had explained it was better to deal with a Cesar grieving over a fallen hero than one trying to justify an opportunistic coward.
“And you had no way to know she had somebody helping her. Who the hell could have predicted that? That woman definitely wasn’t Spider Tribe…they had no idea who she was. Your uncle understands, and he also knows the short time period you had to plan and react in. Actually, I think he’s sorta proud of you…when he’s not busy being scared to death about you nearly dying.”
“I see. But what about..?”
“No, seriously…I think Antonio has grounded you for life.”
“Adam, he does that all the time. What about the fangs? So you’re saying Billy got the fangs?”
“Huh? Oh! No. Billy wanted nothing to do with it. He took Maggie’s death pretty hard, and his story is he just happened to be driving in the fog this morning when he heard gunfire at the Morlin farmhouse. He said he recognized the sound of Maggie’s gun among them and went to investigate. He says he saw the van rammed into the house, ran inside, and found you in the front hall. Then he hopped in the van and drove around the house. He saw I was killing the spider, but that it was about to get away while I changed clips, so he rammed it with the van and pinned it.
“So then,” she came more alert and looked around the room. “Are you saying you got the fangs?”
Knowing what she was looking for gave him a bit of a twinge inside. He supposed he couldn’t blame her.
“Yeah.”
“But…” She frowned, then gave him a helpless look. He knew what she wanted to ask too.
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