He slowed the truck further and let it coast to a stop. In the distance, a lone plume of smoke rose into the sky and he could barely make it out with the polarized shades on; it wasn’t visible at all to his naked eye.
He glanced at the atlas and shook his head when he realized no roads were recorded being in that area. He continued along the small highway, his eyes studying the narrow plume of smoke.
His hand instinctively reached for the faded photograph beside him. He lifted it to his eyes and stared at her face, as though his memory needed a boost to recall every line, curve and angle of her face.
He knew that the odds were stacked against him, but, what else was he going to do with his life?
He eased the big Ram off the paved road and made his away across the rocky terrain. He watched as the plume slowly grew larger, and what he had thought were boulders turned out to be a small caravan of travel trailers.
As he slowly approached the camp, two men carrying long guns stepped out from the middle of the trailers and made their presence known. Hatcher was used to such displays and no longer took it as a threat. It was merely a warning to others that the inhabitants would not allow any fuckery to take place there.
He slowed the big truck even more and pulled as close to the camp as he could. He put the truck into park and opened the door, leaving his rifle across the seat of the truck. He reached inside and pulled the photo out before turning and approaching the older gentleman standing closest to him.
“Apologies for dropping by unannounced.” Hatcher gave the man a gentle smile. “I realize this must seem…well, plum stupid, but…” He held the photograph out. “Any chance you might have run across this lady right here?”
The man squinted at him, unsure what to make of the fellow, but he leaned closer and peered at the photo. His face changed slightly and he seemed to lower his guard. He looked up at Hatcher then back at the photograph.
Hatcher felt hope rise in his chest for the first time since this whole shitstorm started, and had to force himself to calm down as the old man rubbed at his chin. He watched as the old fella held a finger up then turned and motioned to the other man holding a rifle.
Hatcher held his hand out, turning the old photograph so that both men could study it. The second man stared at the woman for a moment then raised his brows. Slowly he nodded. “Yeah. Actually, I have.”
Hatcher felt his heart skip a beat. “Really? Where?”
The second man slowly shook his head then turned and walked back towards the campers.
“Uh, where’s he going?” Hatcher asked.
The first man spat something brown on the ground. “Probably to get his missus.”
A moment later, the second man reappeared, a woman in tow. She wiped her hands anxiously on her apron as she strode past him and right up to Hatcher. “You have a picture?”
He held it out to her, and the woman’s hands began to shake as she stared at the image. Her head bobbed up and down. “That’s her. That’s our Shelly.”
Hatcher felt goosebumps break out on his arms as he leaned closer. “Your Shelly?” He stepped closer. “You’re her kin?”
The woman nodded. “She’s our niece.” She turned and gave him a peculiar look. “How’d you get her picture? Last I heard, she was up at Yellowstone.”
Hatcher’s heart sank and he sighed heavily. “I used to work with her, ma’am.” He pulled the photo back and held it loosely. “She got infected early on.” He had recited this story so many times that it was as if his mouth went into autopilot. “I went back to look for her once the cure was out, but couldn’t find her. I knew she was from Texas, but I didn’t know where. After I got my other family settled, I came to look for her.”
The old woman nodded, a slow smile forming. “And you think that once she got the cure, she mighta come home?”
Hatcher nodded, his hopes dashed. “After seeing his reaction, I thought maybe you’d seen her.”
“Not around here, sonny.” She gave him a sad smile. “If Shelly went home, you’ll need to head to Commerce.” She turned to the old man. “Bill, go see if you can find that card that Letricia sent us. It has their address.”
The old man turned and sauntered off and the woman narrowed her gaze at Hatcher. “How long you say you’ve been looking?”
Hatcher snorted a laugh. “What month is this?”
“Quite a spell, then?”
Hatcher nodded and stiffened as the old man approached, a small envelope in hand. He handed it to the old woman and she deftly removed the small pink card inside. “Birthday invite.” She handed the envelope to Hatcher. “That’s her folks’ address. If Shelly went home…that’s where you’ll find her.”
Hatcher felt a lump form in his throat and he nodded quickly. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, young man. You find that girl, you tell her that her aunt Kate still loves her.”
“I will.” Hatcher held the envelope up and gave her a beaming smile. He trotted back to the truck and started the engine. As he pulled away from the camp he felt the sudden urge to either scream or cry out.
He knew the odds were still against him, but at least now he had a place to point his compass.
“I’m coming for ya, Shelly. Just hold on…”
From the desk of Heath Stallcup
A personal note-
Thank you so much for investing your time in reading my story. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment and leave a review. I realize that it may be an inconvenience, but reviews mean the world to authors…
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About the Author
Heath Stallcup was born in Salinas, California and relocated to Tupelo, Oklahoma in his tween years. He joined the US Navy and was stationed in Charleston, SC and Bangor, WA shortly after junior college. After his second tour he attended East Central University where he obtained BS degrees in Biology and Chemistry. He then served ten years with the State of Oklahoma as a Compliance and Enforcement Officer while moonlighting nights and weekends with his local Sheriff's Office. He still lives in the small township of Tupelo, Oklahoma with his wife. He steals time to write between household duties, going to ballgames, being a grandfather and the pet of numerous animals that have taken over his home. Visit him at heathstallcup.com or Facebook.com for news of his upcoming releases.
Also by Heath Stallcup
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Mankind always suspected that he wasn’t alone at the top of the food chain. Since time immemorial, he has had an innate fear of the dark, a fear of the unfamiliar, a fear that something evil lurked just outside his field of vision. Once the sun set and the moon lit the sky, an unfamiliar snap of a twig or rustling of a bush could make the deadliest of men’s blood run cold. Something was out there.
Humanity had spent its time enjoying a peace that can only be had through blissful ignorance. For centuries, stories of things that go bump in the night had been told. When creatures of the night proved to be real, the best of America’s military came together to form an elite band of rapid response teams. Their mission: to keep the civilian populace safe from those threats and hide all evidence of their existence.
Caldera
For years, the biggest threat Yellowstone was thought to offer was in the form of its semi-dormant super volcano. Little did anyone realize the threat was real and slowly working its way to the surface, but not in the form of magma. Lying deep within the bowels of the earth itself, an ancient virus waited.
Recently credited with wiping out the Neanderthals, the virus is released within the park and quickly spreads. Can mankind prevent a second mass extinction? Can humanity survive the raging cannibals that erupt from within?
How does a sheriff’s department from a small North Texas community stop a brutal murderer who is already dead and buried?
When grave robbers disturb the tomb of Sheriff James ‘Two Guns’ Tolbert searching for Old West relics, a vengeful spirit is unleashed, hell bent for blood. Over a hundred years in the making, a vengeful spirit hunts for its killers. If those responsible couldn't be made to pay, then their progeny would.
Even when aided by a Texas Ranger and UCLA Paranormal Investigators, can modern-day law enforcement stop a spirit destined to fulfill an oath made in death? An oath fueled by passion from a love cut down before its time?
Forneus Corson
Nothing comes easy and nothing is ever truly free. When Steve Wilson stumbles upon the best-kept secret of history’s most successful writers, he can’t help but take advantage of it. Little did he know it would come back to haunt him in ways he’d never have dreamt… even in his worst nightmares.
With his life turned upside down, his name discredited, his friends persecuted, the authorities chasing him for something he didn’t do, Steve finds himself on the run with nothing but his wits and his best friend by his side. When a man finds himself hitting rock bottom, he thinks there’s little else he can do but go up… unless he’s facing an evil willing to dig the hole deeper. An evil in the business of pitting men against odds so great, they risk losing their very souls in the attempt to escape…
Flags of the Forgotten
What do you do when you’ve devoted your life to working for the government, then that very same government turns on you?
You take the fight to them.
It’s just another day at the office for Bobby Bridger and his cohorts when they are used as scapegoats. Follow along as this rag-tag group of operators attempt to stay one step ahead of their pursuers.
From the heart of Texas to Pakistan to the very bowels of the CIA, these boys know how to play hard, fast and dirty.
Hunter Trilogy
Born of Viking stock, careered into the Swedish Navy, Sven Ericsson finds himself in the fabled New World. Away from the restraints of society, the young Northman is dragged into long nights of debauchery; nights that lead him into the waiting arms of a dark beauty who will change his very nature forever.
Fighting his new unnatural status, Sven steers clear of humanity, skulking along the fringe of society, and filling his inhuman need with the blood of the outcasts or the easily forgotten. A shadow among the shadows...until extraordinary events, centuries later, force him to emerge from the dark. A mishap of his own making pits Sven Ericsson into a moral quandary that will remind him what it means to be a warrior.
He is a killer. A fighter. And a Hunter of his own kind.
Sinful
Charlie Johnson is your average American teenager. He’s a good student, he’s a good son, his girlfriend is the love of his life. He’s a nice kid. Charlie also murders people for their sins. A serious car accident leaves Charlie comatose and when he comes to, he suffers from visions of unspeakable horror that keep him awake at night. He soon discovers that when he touches people, he can sense their evil and see their greatest sins. Some crimes are too terrible to describe. Some crimes are too terrible to go unanswered. Some crimes can be averted…but only if you’re willing to step into that world.
For a refreshing change of pace, check out this exciting Young Adult Zombie thriller from JJ Beal.
Lions & Tigers & Zombies, Oh My!
The cold war has heated up again. This time the battle will be fought in every street of America.
Trapped in a major city, hours from their small town country home, a team of young girls find themselves cut off from everyone they know and left to fend for themselves as the world spins out of control.
With nothing but their wits, their softball equipment and their friendship to hold them together, they face incredible odds as they fight their way across the state. Physical, emotional and psychological challenges meet them at every turn as they struggle to find the family they can’t be sure survived. How much more can they endure before reaching the breaking point?
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www.devildogpress.com
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