Darker than Dark (Haunted Series)

by Alexie Aaron

  Mia was amazed by her lack of emotion. She didn’t feel outrage. She felt betrayal, but not from Whit. He looked awful. She took his hand and started, “Whit, we aren’t married. We aren’t engaged. Hell, we have only been together for a few months. I can’t be mad if we never discussed being exclusive can I?” She looked at him a while before continuing. “Did you do this to get back at me for something?”

  He shrugged his shoulders then shook his head.

  “Thank you for telling me. I wouldn’t have wanted to find out any other way. I’m sorry that this has happened though. Makes me think we should cool it for a while. Get our heads straight.”

  Whit was amazed at her calmness. “Why are you being so reasonable?”

  “Do you want me to get mad? I blew a chunk out of my brain yesterday. Life is too damn short to waste it on anger. Hey, we gave it a shot. It was fun, and let’s not let this or that destroy that chemistry we’ve always had.”

  Whit started to cry and sunk to his knees. “I’m sorry, forgive me.”

  Mia held him and kissed the top of his head. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she insisted. “I’d like my key back if it’s alright with you.”

  Whit got up and dug in his pocket and extracted the key off his ring. “As a law enforcement professional I advise you to change your security code.”

  Mia brushed a tear away and said, “Thank you, copper, I will.”

  He turned and walked away. She gave him time to reach the cruiser and leave before she shut the garage door.

  Ted was waiting for her at the horse van. He opened the door and gave her a moment to herself before getting in. He didn’t ask what had happened. He didn’t need to. He saw the anguish on Whit’s face as he walked back from the garage.

  “Are you okay?”

  “No. Beth slept with Whit. Or he with her, fuck, you know what I mean. Anyway, I asked for my key back. I’m upset because when he told me, I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t relieved. I didn’t feel anything. It’s as if there is a sponge left in my head, and it’s soaking up all my emotions when it comes to Whit. If I were looking for a conspiracy, I would be looking at Angelo and… shit.”

  “You’re still upset,” Ted pointed out.

  “She fucking used Whit to get at me. What did I ever do to her? She used him. He was drunk and he didn’t have to go with her, but dollars to donuts she wasn’t innocent in this. That’s what I’m feeling right now. I’ve had enough! I’ve dealt with her attacks on me for months now. Thinking, ‘Poor Beth, she had a tangle with an evil entity, and it fucked up her brain.’ She’s made me think poorly of myself from moving on after Burt and I split to Whit. I was feeling like a skank. I pushed it down for the sake of all of us working together. I went out of my way to be understanding. Fuck me and give me a rose, the gloves are off now.”

  Ted looked at her. “You’re beautiful when you’re angry. You want to have some revenge sex in the hay back there?”

  Mia looked over at him and started to laugh.

  “I guess that’s a no. Better get you to Wheybridge and get your truck out of hock.”

  “Yes, I need to focus on the job at hand. Get my truck, talk to Murphy, dump that bad wood. K, change of plans. Dump that bad wood at the farm then talk to Murphy.”

  “You know I can’t let you drive.”

  “You read the discharge paper.”

  “Yep, not for twenty-four hours, Cooper Pooper.”

  “That’s low.”

  “What reading your personal papers?”

  “No, Cooper Pooper, come on. Do I call you Martin Fartin?”

  “You just did.”

  “Well, then we’re even.”

  “You’re a delight, still not too late for the revenge sex.”

  “Rain check?”

  “Done and done,” Ted said and changed the subject. “Cid’s getting out this afternoon. I have a surprise for him. Look in the bag by your seat. He asked me to bring him some clothes so…”

  Mia opened the bag and drew out a Star Trek red uniform shirt. “Oh you are so funny. He’s either going to laugh or…”

  “Probably punch me in the nose,” Ted reasoned.

  “This is yours, isn’t it?”

  “It’s my pajama top.”

  “You wear Star Trek pajamas?”

  “Yes. Don’t you?”

  Mia started laughing. “You want to tell me any other deep dark secrets I should know about your nighttime habits?”

  “Since you asked. I have batman sheets on my bed at home. Special made as I have to have a long mattress as I am, well, long.”

  “Hey just as long as everything in relation to you is also long,” Mia teased.

  “Are you flirting with me, Tits Magee?”

  Mia’s face was animated and filled with joy. “We could pull over and… Alas, there’s the police station. Rain check?”

  He pointed a finger at her and said, “You did that on purpose. Come on, let’s get your truck, call Gerald to pick up this horseless carriage and get on the road.”

  ~

  “You want to talk about it? Tom asked as they pulled up and parked in the lot behind the Sheriff’s Station.

  “She was so bloody nice about it. There she was looking more beautiful than I ever have seen her, listening to me and forgiving me. She did ask for her key back though.”

  “I guess that’s a negative,” Tom said. “But you did the right thing. In time if you still want to, you’ve paved the way in getting her back.”

  “Don’t know,” Whit said.

  “Don’t know if you want her or don’t know if you’ll get her back?” Tom asked.

  “Seems like we’re better when we’re not together. Does that make any sense?”

  Tom nodded. “Less fighting, more flirting, no pressures.”

  “She wants us to remain friends.”

  “Oh, we’ve both heard that one before.”

  “Now, in Mia’s case, it may actually not be a lame kiss-off line.”

  “Does this mean I can make a play for her?”

  “I’ll break both your legs and send your mother a key to your porn stash,” Whit warned.

  “Ouch, I hear ya loud and clear.”

  Whit got out and looked at the two green, forest preserve trucks in the lot. “Wonder what’s up with Ranger Rick and Yogi?” he asked Tom.

  “You know that woods we found Cid in?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well, seems to be a rash of tree mutilation going on there. Some clowns have been stripping ovals out of the hearts of the poplars and pines.”

  “Tree mutilations,” Whit said shaking his head. “That reminds me of cow mutilations which brings me to your uncle…”

  “Sometimes I hate the way your mind works,” Tom complained.

  Whit laughed and patted him on the back. “I wonder if he’s been in that forest lately. We found his buds not too far from there,” he reminded him.

  “I’ll ask him. He’s getting out of the hospital today. There are a lot of things I’m going to ask him about.”

  ~

  Mia and Ted made quick work of emptying the truck. Ted stopped inside to see if Mike or Burt needed anything before heading first to April’s farm and Murphy and then to the hospital to pick up Cid.

  “A few road flares. Seems to me we used up our supply at the asylum,” Burt said, looking at the equipment list on the iPad. “How’s Mia doing?”

  “Oh, a bit shaky.”

  “Should she be out and about?”

  “I’m watching her. I don’t like the idea of her stewing alone at home.”

  Mike walked in the room and asked, “Stewing about what?”

  Ted almost told him. He waved it off. “Another time, I got to get going.”

  “You making any headway with Mia?”

  “Slow and steady wins the game,” Ted quoted before leaving the two of them.

  He passed Beth on the way out without saying a word.

  Mia smiled as he got in the truck. “
Now Murphy?” she asked.

  “Murphy, Cid and then we need to pick up some road flares. We’re going to have a bonfire tonight. We should ask Murphy if he wants to join us.”

  “I think he’d appreciate the invite,” Mia said. “Speaking of Murphy, you want to explain the attic vision?”

  “I was surprised as you that I could see the axe whacker without the aid of a camera. I think he did it. I wasn’t looking for him so it’s all on him. I wonder what it means?”

  “That’s between you and him. He showed himself to Whit when we were teenagers. Caused Whit to pee his pants…” Mia’s voice trailed off. She looked out the window and kept to herself.

  “It gets easier,” Ted comforted, “with time.”

  She put her head on the window glass and felt the coldness of the air outside. It distracted her from delving into why she couldn’t experience an emotion with her memory, not even humor.

  “This is where I saw Murphy last,” Mia said.

  Ted slowed the truck. The roads hadn’t been plowed yet so he didn’t pull over.

  Mia got out and climbed in the truck bed and shouted, “Murphy! Stephen Murphy!”

  Ted slid open the back window and suggested, “Try Beetlejuice three times.”

  Mia burst out laughing. She wagged a finger at Ted.

  He turned around and saw something up the road.

  “Mia, take a gander, would that be our wandering son?”

  Mia looked over the roof of the truck and watched Murphy stroll down the road towards them. “That’s him. He’s too far from his axe head. He’s got to walk like the rest of us.” She got down from the truck and walked towards the farmer.

  He tipped his hat to her.

  “Want a ride? Maybe go home a bit and power up?” she suggested.

  He sighed and nodded.

  “I thought you might be tired of playing cowboys and Indians,” she said as she opened the door.

  He, being a gentleman, waved her in first.

  “Nice to see you, Murphy,” Ted said, reaching over and holding his fist out for a bump.

  Murphy smiled and bumped his fist. He didn’t make contact, but he was tired after all. Murphy got in, and in deference to him, Mia scooted up next to Ted. Ted reached around and put his arm behind both of them.

  Ted watched as Mia and Murphy conversed. She in words, he in mime. They discussed the Iroquois and the Illini. Murphy described the painting of the masks he had seen them carve out of the trees. Mia told Murphy about her incident. He let her know that he didn’t trust Angelo, indicated that she should stay away from him. They had reached April’s drive, and Murphy put out his hand to stop Ted.

  He got out and thanked them for the ride and disappeared.

  “I guess he declined our invitation,” Ted said dryly.

  “I guess so. Next on our list is to spring Cid from the hospital,” Mia said as they drove off. Ted noticed that Mia didn’t scoot over to her side of the car. It made him smile. At the intersection with the state road, he dropped his arm down and gave her a quick hug.

  “Took you long enough,” Mia said.

  “Don’t be dissing my moves, girl,” Ted scolded. He signaled and pulled out into traffic. “Now, no funny stuff. I don’t want to drive us into a ditch,” he warned her.

  Tempted by his warning, Mia put her hand on Ted’s thigh. He signaled and pulled off the road into a closed, roadside produce stand lot. He parked the truck behind the stand. He turned off the engine.

  Mia’s eyes opened wide, but yet she didn’t move away from him. Ted turned her face with his hands. He leaned down and kissed her softly as if to ask permission. When her lips yielded, he kissed her again. This time he took her in his arms and pulled her into him. He kissed her again until she moaned with desire. “Mia, I’m not to be trifled with,” he said. “When you figure out you’re in love me, we’ll go further.”

  Mia wanted more but understood the fragility of her friend. “I understand, Teddy Bear,” she said softly and leaned against him.

  Ted started the truck and resumed their trip to the hospital.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Archie waited patiently in his room. He was dressed and the paperwork had been completed, but they would not release him until his nephew was there to take him home. He had heard of the colossal mess Macy and Harbaugh made of the interrogation. Rumor had it that the person they had kidnapped was in this very hospital. He tried to find his room and embarrassed himself by playing bad cop with a coma patient before the nurses shooed him out of the room.

  Macy and Harbaugh were being detained on another floor until they were deemed fit for incarceration. Macy’s brother-in-law was putting pressure on the Sheriff’s Department, and there was hope the Kansas kid would drop the charges. Mia Cooper decided not to press charges after finding her truck in one piece. She was in with the aliens, Archie was sure of it. A person only had to look at her unnatural blonde hair and wide-set eyes to see her resemblance to many of the accounts sketched by the Japanese illustrators in his favorite UFO magazine.

  As if he summoned her with his thoughts, he saw her pass his room. He leaned on his hospital-issued cane, hobbled to the doorway and saw her disappear into a room several doors down from the nurses’ station. He waited until the floor nurse went to answer a call button before he left his room. He moved stealthily down the hall, ever vigilant of being found out. His blood pressure was tipping the danger point by the time he reached the room. He glanced in and was disappointed by the curtain that was drawn.

  He steeled his spine and took a deep breath before he charged into the room waving his cane. Archie ripped the curtain away screaming, “Now I have you!” He took one look at the surprised Captain Kirk, goggled giant and the blonde alien, clutched his chest and passed out.

  Ted handed Cid back his glasses and hit the call button.

  “Yes?”

  “We have a man on the floor.”

  “Does he have a cane?”

  “Tell her he’s Archie Braverman,” Mia instructed.

  The nurse heard her. “On our way.”

  Mia who was on the floor with Archie checking for a pulse moved away when the floor nurse came in with two orderlies. “It’s Mister Braverman, again. I don’t know why the man’s not in the psych ward.”

  The orderlies lifted Archie and put him in the wheelchair that had arrived to take Cid downstairs. His head lolled forward as they moved him out of the room.

  “I’ll get another one and be right back,” the transport volunteer told Cid.

  “That’s Tom’s uncle huh?” Ted observed.

  “On his father’s side. Fortunately for Tom, he takes after his mother’s side of the family,” Mia commented.

  Cid put on his jacket, not that he was presently cold but to cover up the red pajama top with the Starfleet insignia on it. “Braverman, isn’t he one of the deputies that found me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Small world. I used to think our town was small until I came here.”

  “How so?” Ted asked.

  “I get lost in the woods and who finds me but Mia’s boyfriend, Whit…”

  “Ex-boyfriend,” Mia corrected.

  “Really?” Cid gave Ted a knowing look. “Where was I? Oh yeah, your ex finds me and Tom’s - my other savior - uncle screams at me and passes out on my hospital room floor. Like I said, what a small world Illinois is.”

  “Wait until he hears our Illini and Iroquois theory. It’s going to blow his mind,” Mia said smiling.

  “Or that it was you and not a hallucination that was talking to him in the forest,” Ted added.

  Cid looked from Ted to Mia and back again. He was totally confused about what they were babbling about, but he was happy because he could see something they couldn’t see. Their chemistry.

  Mia stepped out of the room for a moment to make a phone call. She spied Tom at the end of the hall. He was shaking his head as he received the news about his uncle’s actions. He looked over and cau
ght her looking at him and motioned for her to come over.

  “Sorry about Archie, Tom,” Mia said glancing in his room. She took in the restraints and the sedative that was being pumped into his IV.

  “Well, we all knew it was a matter of time. Not if but when.” He put a hand on her arm and drew her away to an alcove at the end of the hall. “I’m sorry about what happened with you and Whit. I want you to know that I’m sorry.”

  “That’s two apologies, care to elaborate?”

  “I’m the one that saw Beth leave his place. I don’t think he even remembered she was there. I made him tell you. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  “Gee, Tom, did you insist he sleep with her?”

  “No.”

  “Then stop being sorry. I’m okay. I’ll probably clock the bitch when I see her, but in regards to Whit, I’m not suffering.”

  “What about us?”

  “Wha… what?”

  “Can we still be friends?”

  “This isn’t high school, Tom. It’s the real world. Of course we can be friends. No one is asking you to take sides. There is no argument, just sadness. That’s all,” Mia said softly.

  “Phew!”

  “I got to go. I have to pick up some road flares before nightfall.”

  “Do I want to know about these flares?”

  “As a law enforcement professional?”

  He nodded.

  “No.” Mia smiled and looked into his worried face. “Hypothetically, I may need them in my emergency kit.”

  He lifted an eyebrow in good natured skepticism. “You seem to have a lot of emergencies lately.”

  “It’s the crowd I hang with, dangerous group.”

  “Take care of yourself.”

  Mia clasped his hand briefly. “I will do my best,” she said and walked back down the hall to Cid’s room.

  He watched as she stopped and looked back at him. She gave a shy wave goodbye and entered the room.

  “What in the name of all that’s holy is going on now?” Archie bellowed from his room.

  Tom groaned and went in to calm him until the sedative started working. An idea hit him. He was sure that Archie would be very talkative once the Demerol hit his bloodstream. Tom pulled out his notebook and jotted down a few questions. He smiled and entered the room. “Uncle Archie, do you have a moment?”