Darkness Unknown

by Alexis Morgan

  Jarvis nodded. “Good. Keep the safety on. I don’t plan on you needing it at all, but I don’t want you unarmed, either. It would be better if you went back to your sister, but I figure that’s not going to happen.”

  “No way.” These were his woods. If they were no longer safe for him and his sister, he wanted to know why.

  Then Jarvis picked up his sword. “Chase, you hang back, no matter what happens. Got that?”

  Jarvis’s voice of authority made him want to salute. “Yes sir.”

  “Okay, let’s get this show on the road.” Glancing at the dogs, Jarvis said, “Come on, boys. Show me where they are.”

  For once, Larry showed good sense and let the more experienced Dozer lead the way at a slow lope, splashing across the river and then uphill. When they neared the top Dozer stopped and waited until his people caught up with him. Smart dog. When Larry started to pass him, Dozer shouldered him aside.

  Jarvis reached the dogs first because he’d gone straight for them while Jake had angled off to the right. Following his lead, Chase moved to the left, but stuck closer to Jarvis, figuring caution was the name of the game. Especially when his hands were shaking and the lump of what felt like fear almost choked his throat closed.

  When they were all the same distance from the crest of the ridge, Jarvis made a forward motion with his hand. Chase did as he’d been ordered and waited a count of three before following his companions over the top.

  Memories of playing soldiers with his friends in these same woods flashed through his mind, but this was no game. He’d never seen anyone look as deadly as Jarvis and Jake. In an odd sort of way, following the two of them into the face of danger felt right.

  They continued down the other side about twenty feet before Jarvis stopped. The dogs ranged out ahead, nose to the ground and sniffing like crazy. Jarvis knelt down to study the ground while Jake did the same thing farther on. Chase did the same thing, even though he didn’t know what he was looking for.

  A broken twig on a nearby bush caught his attention. He duck-walked closer, studying the ground. Anything could have accounted for the damage: a raccoon, a coyote, a deer. He moved the branch out of the way to study the ground, hoping for some kind of paw print.

  What he saw made his pulse race again. It was a footprint. Judging from the condition of the leaves on the twig, someone had passed through here recently. If it had been hours before, the leaves would have wilted; days before and they would be dry and crumbly.

  He gave a soft whistle, catching Jarvis’s attention. He in turn signaled Jake, who moved closer to stand watch while Jarvis joined Chase on the ground.

  “Tell me what you see.”

  Pointing at the broken twig, he pushed it aside to show Jarvis the clear print. “Someone passed through here recently enough that the break in the stem is still wet and the leaves aren’t wilted.”

  Jarvis nodded. “Go on.”

  “The heel print ends here, the toe there. I wear a thirteen, and this is smaller, maybe an eleven. Still plenty big enough for an adult man.”

  “Male. We call them males.” Jarvis unfolded to his full height. “What you see here, what we tell you here, stays between us. You can’t tell your sister or your friends. If you can’t handle that, go home and stay there. Argue the point, and Jake will personally haul you back. You might be close to our size, but don’t doubt his ability to take you out.”

  Curiosity won out over temper. “I won’t tell.”

  Jarvis stared into his eyes for an eternity before nodding. “See if you can tell which way he went, and if there’s more than one male.”

  Chase moved off, keeping his eyes to the ground, trusting Jarvis and Jake to stand guard. “Here’s another print.”

  He measured the print against his own foot. “Probably the same male who made the first one.”

  Following the same direction, he went on for a few yards before turning back to the last print. Using it as a focal point, he walked ever-widening arcs, looking for another trace that someone—or something—had passed that way. His mind whirled with questions. Why males and not men? Why swords? Although both Jake and Jarvis had guns, it was clear that the blades were their primary weapons.

  “I’m not finding anything. The ground gets rockier from here on out.”

  Jarvis muttered a string of obscenities. When Chase looked up, the dogs were sitting at the base of a limestone cliff and staring up toward the top. He walked over beside them and studied the rocky surface. The tops of a few stones were damp, as if they’d recently been disturbed. Again, an animal might have knocked them loose, but he didn’t think so.

  “If he went up there, he did it without any climbing equipment or the rocks would show fresh cuts.” He felt Jake come up beside him. “Unless this male could fly?”

  “No, he can’t fly.”

  Jake scanned the cliff that towered thirty to forty feet above them. “Someone who knows what he’s doing might be able to scale that without a bunch of equipment, but I think he probably had help.”

  Jarvis had been studying the ground past where they stood. “He either went up or he flew.”

  Chase snickered at the disgust in Jarvis’s voice. “Jake just told me he couldn’t fly.”

  “Yeah, we’re done here.”

  Chase nodded and whistled the dogs back.

  “Let’s head for the farm. Gwen’s bound to be frantic by now.” Jarvis turned back to face him. “Chase, when we get there, we’re going to need to get our story straight. It has to be something that makes sense but won’t keep your sister up nights worrying.”

  “Okay.” He gave it some thought. “How about a sick coyote? They’re normally skittish around humans, but one that’s sick or hurt might threaten the dogs.”

  “What would you do if you saw one?”

  “Go after him with the dogs and our twenty-two.”

  “You wouldn’t call in the authorities?”

  “Not unless we thought it was rabid. If it’s just been injured, we’d put it down. Doesn’t happen often, but it wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “Jake? Any thoughts?”

  Jake shrugged. “I’m a city boy. Chase knows the area. Sounds reasonable to me. What would you do with the carcass?”

  Chase didn’t hesitate. “After we check in with Gwen, I’ll come back with a shovel to bury it. I’ll have to cover the spot with rocks to keep other animals from digging it up.”

  Jarvis patted him on the shoulder. “Good plan. Do you want the privilege of shooting our coyote? That knothole in that second tree to the left looks pretty vicious to me.”

  Just that quickly, the mood turned from deadly intent to black humor. Chase clicked off the safety and took aim with the compact automatic that Jarvis had given him. With a firm squeeze of the trigger, he hit the knot dead-on.

  “Nice shot, but it might be playing possum. Maybe another shot to make sure.” Jake held out his bigger gun.

  Chase traded with him, making sure to engage the safety on his first. Holding Jake’s gun in two hands, he finished the tree off, hitting it only about two inches from his first shot.

  Afterward he put his hand over his heart. “A moment of silence, please, for the deceased.”

  Jake tried to cuff him as Chase danced back out of reach. Then he held his hand out for the gun. “Come on, brat, fork it over. We need to get back.”

  Chase reluctantly handed it over. It was a sweet little weapon.

  On the way, Jarvis asked, “You sure Gwen won’t want to see the body?”

  “No, she has a soft heart for furry things. She’d pull the trigger herself if an animal is suffering, but she’ll be relieved we took care of it.”

  Jarvis checked his watch. “Shit! Jake, we need to haul ass. We’re going to be late.”

  The three of them picked up the pace, the dogs having already headed for home.

  “I know you’ve got questions, Chase, but now isn’t the time. How much longer until your birthday?

  �
��About three weeks.”

  “After that, I have some people I’d like you to meet. Until then, we continue as we have. Fair enough?”

  “It will have to be.”

  He tried not be disappointed, but it was hard. He’d really liked feeling like part of the team.

  As if reading his mind, Jarvis gave him a commiserating look. “Give it time, Chase. It will be worth the wait.”

  He mulled that over as they walked back to the house. His gut told him that Jarvis was being honest with him. They clearly had answers for Chase. He just wondered what the questions were.

  Chapter 13

  As in most small towns, high school football was a community event, so the bleachers were crowded with friends and family. The team was gathered around the coach, getting last-minute instructions. Even without being able to see Chase’s number, she could pick him out of the crowd of red-and-gold jerseys. Only one or two other boys even came close to his size.

  It was hard to think of him as on the verge of manhood, but he was. Soon he’d be eighteen, legally an adult and able to make his own decisions. She’d been only two years older when she’d taken on the responsibility of raising him. They’d both come a long way.

  The game was but minutes away, and still no sign of Jarvis. Reminding herself that she was here to support Chase, she forced herself to stop watching the parking lot for his car. He’d said he come if he could. She shivered, hoping he and his buddy Jake were safe.

  The team captains walked out to the center of the field with the refs for the coin toss. The visitors’ side cheered when their side got first choice. The home team defense put on their helmets and ran out onto the field as everyone held their breath for the kickoff. The teams lined up and as the ball flew through the air, the game was on.

  On the second play, Chase knocked down the pass and one of his teammates snagged it for an interception. She and everyone else around her leapt to their feet, cheering at the top of their lungs.

  When she sat back down, a familiar voice said, “Glad I didn’t miss that.”

  Her heart skipped a beat as she beamed at Jarvis. “Me, too.”

  “Sorry I’m late. Things took longer than I expected.” He had his eyes on the field, but his arm snaked around her shoulders to pull her close.

  She had to ask. “Is Jake okay, too?”

  “He’s fine.”

  When the play ended, Jarvis turned to face her, his dark eyes serious. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but I wish you wouldn’t. You know better than most how resilient the two of us are.”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t mean you don’t hurt.”

  He turned away, a strange expression on his face, making her wonder what he was thinking as he watched the game. The offense was moving steadily down the field. Chase was walking up and down the sideline, his helmet in his hand. When he looked up toward the stands, Jarvis waved.

  Her brother’s immediate response was to grin and wave back, but then he frowned. Clearly he was not happy about something, but then his team scored, and he got caught up in the celebration on the sidelines.

  When the crowd quieted down, she said, “I wonder what’s up with him.”

  “I suspect he’s happy I came to the game, but he’s not sure he likes me being with you.” He gave her a small squeeze.

  So Chase hadn’t liked seeing Jarvis’s arm around her. Well, that was too bad. She liked keeping Jarvis as close to her as possible.

  “He needs to get over that.”

  “He might have a problem with anyone you bring home, at least until he decides the guy’s not going to hurt you. Considering what happened to his father, Chase probably figures I’m a bad risk.” He softened the comment with a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  The regret she heard in his words hurt. She didn’t know which one she wanted to throttle more: her brother for trying to interfere, or the good man sitting next to her who thought so little of himself.

  She caught his chin with her hand, forcing him to look at her. “He’s wrong. And so are you, Jarvis Donahue. You’ve been up-front with me about what you can offer me and what you can’t. A lesser man would have lied just so he could get in my…” Then she remembered where they were. “Good graces. Get in my good graces.”

  The devilish twinkle was back in Jarvis’s eyes. “I can’t remember when I enjoyed being in someone’s good graces quite so much.”

  “Behave!” she hissed.

  The trouble with being a fair-skinned redhead was that she blushed so easily. It didn’t help that he took one look at her face and laughed before planting a quick kiss on her mouth.

  “Watch the game!”

  “Yes, ma’am. Anything to stay in your, uh, good graces.”

  His eyes made a quick trip up and down her body, telling her exactly which graces he had in mind.

  Turning her attention to the football field, she watched her brother’s team fight the good fight and walk away with the victory.

  As Gwen waited to congratulate her brother, Jarvis tried to think of the last time he’d had so much fun. He still chuckled every time he thought about Gwen and her good graces. They’d have only the few minutes’ drive back to the farm alone, which was disappointing, but he needed to tread carefully around Chase.

  If the boy had problems with Jarvis’s arm being around Gwen, he’d take it very badly to find Jarvis at the breakfast table tomorrow morning. Nothing was ever simple.

  “After you talk to Chase, want to go somewhere for a while? Maybe get a bite to eat?” Anything to keep her to himself for as long as possible.

  “I’ve got sandwich makings at home, if that’s okay.”

  “That would be good, too.” If that was the only way he could extend their time together, he’d settle for sharing her with Chase.

  Several of the football players came filing out of the locker room, and Gwen waved to get her brother’s attention. He made his way through the throng with a trash bag in his hand.

  Jarvis moved up beside them. “Great game, Chase. That was a heck of a play when you batted that pass down to your teammate. I bet your coach was happy.”

  Chase ducked his head, looking embarrassed at all the attention. “Yeah, he may have mentioned it a time or two.”

  Gwen gave her brother a quick hug. “Well, we’re proud of you, too.”

  Jordan yelled from across the hall, “Hey, Chase? The dance is starting.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be right there.” He handed the bag to Gwen. “Here’s my uniform. Thanks for taking it home for me.”

  “You’re welcome. The dance ends at midnight, so you’ll be home by one?”

  “I told Jordan I’d give him a ride, so that sounds about right. I’ll call if it’s going to be later.”

  “Okay. Have fun and we’ll see you when you get home.”

  Chase’s good mood dimmed. He looked over Gwen’s head to stare down Jarvis. “You’ll still be there?”

  “That depends on your sister, and whether or not I get called in.” In other words, Chase had no say in the matter.

  Gwen put her hand on Chase’s chest, forcing him to pay attention to her. “We’ll probably watch a movie and make popcorn. I’ve got one of my mushy chick flicks already picked out. You go have fun with your friends.”

  Chase snickered and met Jarvis’s gaze. “Enjoy your movie. But keep a box of tissues handy; she likes real tearjerkers.” Then he was gone.

  As they walked out of the school, Jarvis asked, “You were kidding about the movie, weren’t you?”

  Gwen grinned. “We might get around to it—but I thought you might enjoy getting into my good graces first.”

  Watching her laugh as she skipped ahead of him, Jarvis was pretty sure his tongue was hanging out. He tried not to trip over it as he followed her to the car.

  With Chase’s eighteenth birthday almost upon them, their time together was running out, making Jarvis a desperate man. He and Gwen had seen each other a handful of times over the past two weeks, but never alo
ne. As in getting naked, hot and sweaty, mind-blowing sex alone. The situation was killing him. The stolen kisses and full-body-press hugs were great, but all they did was throw gas on the fire.

  But today he had a plan. He pasted an innocent look on his face as he pulled into the driveway in the middle of the afternoon, not wanting to scare Gwen with the intensity of his need. Nor did he want to set off all those protective urges Chase was prone to.

  He’d decided that a picnic along a private stretch of a river was just the ticket. A blanket, a bottle of wine, and skinny-dipping all added up to a perfect afternoon. He hoped Gwen would think so, too.

  Gwen stepped out on the porch, looking pleased but surprised to see him. Good. She came straight into his arms.

  “I wasn’t expecting you. What’s up?”

  He decided not to point out the obvious if she hadn’t noticed it for herself. “Grab your swimsuit. I got the afternoon off and don’t want to waste a minute of it.”

  Bless her, she didn’t hesitate or stop to ask questions. “I’ll leave Chase a note.”

  Score!

  So far, so good.

  The screen door slammed open, and Gwen came out carrying a beach bag and wearing a smile. Another quick kiss, and they were off and running.

  Twenty minutes later, he turned off the state highway. The road ahead was unmarked and not on any maps. “My friend owns this place and said we could use it this afternoon. I wanted you to myself, and this is as private as he can make it.”

  Actually, the Regents used it for training new recruits, both Paladins and guards, but there weren’t any classes going on today. After another half mile, the road came to an abrupt halt right at the edge of the water. From there, a narrow foot bridge would take them to the trail on the other side.

  “We’re here. I’ll grab the picnic basket out of the back.”

  She took his hand as they crossed the river into the woods. “This is lovely, Jarvis.”

  After a short walk they reached their destination, a wide spot where the river pooled deep enough for swimming. He spread the blanket out on the grassy bank and set the basket down.