by Becki Willis
Still searching for answers, Kenzie took a long, hot shower. Her mind was a jumbled mess, trying to keep track of all the changes life was throwing at her.
She had spent the past eight years trying to put the past behind her. She wanted no mementos from that period of her life; what few items she kept were tucked securely away in a box. She wanted no memories of that time, either; those, too, were tucked away into a dark corner of her heart. She worked hard to get her career on track and her life stable. Dredging up painful memories of the past served no purpose, other than to make her even more determined to succeed in life, despite her rocky start.
Kenzie had given more thought to her past in the last six weeks than she had in the last six years. Except for the parts that included Makenna, none of those thoughts had been pleasant. She resented being forced to re-live that miserable time in her life, after trying to so hard to forget it.
And now this envelope with all its mysterious contents and this crazy letter to a child named Charlie… She wanted to ignore it, she wanted to forget she had even opened it. It was like the proverbial can of worms… now that she had opened it, she knew the past would come crawling out, one slimy piece at a time. Try as she might, her curious mind would not allow her to ignore it.
Closing her eyes as the water washed over her, Kenzie tried to make her mind go blank. Instead, the image of a woman and a child popped into her head. The scene played out in her mind like an old movie, grainy and dim.
The reflection in her mirror looked different today.
Short, clipped hair. Plain blue jeans, without sparkles or butterflies. A blue and orange striped t-shirt. Instead of her favorite pink sneakers, these were bright orange.
“We’re going to play a little game.” Her mother made the announcement as she tucked the t-shirt into the waistline of the little girl’s jeans. She called it a game, but her face was somber.
“I like games!” the child said.
“And I think you’ll be very good at this one. You know how you like to play in the mud and get dirty?”
The little girl nodded. “It’s fun, but you always say little girls ought not to be so dirty.”
“That’s why you’ll like this game. You like to climb on things and play outside, don’t you? And you like to play with cars and trains and dump trucks?”
The little girl nodded vigorously. “Boy toys are so much better than girl toys.”
“So for this new game, we’re going to pretend that you are a boy,” her mother said. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
If she still had curls, they would have bounced all around her face in delight. Instead, her newly shorn head felt light as air as it bobbed up and down enthusiastically. “Yes!”
“We’ll have to call you something different. Do you like the name Charlie?”
“Uh-huh!”
“Okay, good. Then Charlie it is. We’re going to try to see how many people we can fool, by pretending you’re a little boy. We’ll tell people you’re our son and we’ll only call you Charlie and we’ll buy you boy clothes and boy toys. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“Do I get to play in the dirt and climb trees and pick up rocks?”
“Most little boys do.”
“And I don’t have to wear a dress anymore with the pokey stuff on the edges?”
“No more lace dresses,” her mother promised.
“Can I have a dog?”
Her mother frowned. “I don’t think our new apartment allows dogs.”
“But I like this house!”
“We’re moving, Charlie. To a nice little apartment in a very big town.”
“You just called me Charlie,” the little girl giggled.
“The game has already started. That’s who you are now, and it’s important that you don’t forget. You are a little boy named Charlie now.”
When her mother had gone, the little girl looked into the mirror. She thought about the game she like to play, when she pretended to visit with the image on the other side of the glass. Did little boys play the same game?
Just in case, she put her hand up to the cool pane of glass and smiled at herself. “I have to go now. It’s been fun playing with you. And I promise, I’ll never forget you.”
Kenzie slung the water from her hair, flinging the scene from her mind with it. She was Charlie! How could she have forgotten?
Because some things were best not remembered, her mind whispered. She had been forced to play the role of a boy. What kind of parents asked that of their child?
The answer, of course, was obvious: criminals.
Realizing the letter was, indeed, meant for her, Kenzie wrapped the towel around her naked body, dried her hands off well, and padded out to read the letter one more time, hoping this time it would make more sense.
She read it twice more, dressed, and then read it again. It made no more sense now than it had the first time. As confused as ever, Kenzie knew this was getting her nowhere. She put everything back into the manila envelope and planned to zip it safely back inside the pouch where it had been. Out of sight and out of mind.
Her cell phone buzzed, alerting her to a text message. Dropping the envelope into her camera bag for the time being, Kenzie soon got distracted as she read her messages.
The first was from Makenna. Reading it made her chuckle.
Got a busy day ahead. Interviews and research for my first job assignment. Won’t be able to compulsively check that you’re okay, so do your part and stay safe! Talk to you tonight. Love you, Sis.
The next text was from Craven, and reading it brought a smile to her lips.
Hi, gorgeous. I just boarded the jet to return to D.C.. I miss you already. I hope you enjoyed yesterday as much as I did. Check with the front desk before you go. I left the keys to the Hummer, for you to use at your disposal. At the airport, put the keys under the seat and lock the door. Easy as that. Have a wonderful day and good luck with your photo shoot tonight. I’ll be thinking of you.
The third and final text touched her the most. It was short and to the point, just like the man who sent it. But at least she knew he cared.
Better today? I’m here if you need me.
Over brunch in the hotel dining room, Kenzie texted each person back. She wished Kenzie luck, thanked Craven for the Hummer, and to Travis, she wrote,
Better, thanks to you.
As an afterthought, remembering his provocative comment about making up, she grinned and added the flirty words,
When’s our next argument scheduled?
Before she was done with her second cup of coffee, she saw his reply.
Maybe sooner than you think.
She wrote back, “Can’t wait”, then tucked her phone in her bag and gulped down the remainder of her coffee. Flirting with Travis was a new and exhilarating experience.
Newly revived, she was suddenly eager to start her day.
Chapter Nine
Kenzie cleared her head and concentrated on her assignment as she made the fifteen minute drive to the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre Complex. Although touched by Craven’s thoughtfulness in leaving her the Hummer, her mind kept straying to a tall Texas Ranger. Bits and pieces of their late night conversation kept re-playing in her mind, even though she was trying to think about work.
A quick internet search told her that the Red Rocks Amphitheatre was a geological phenomenon – the only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world. A quick memory search told her that she had loved this place as a child, completely mesmerized with the rocky formations and their fossils fragments of dinosaurs and pre-historic sea serpents. She soon saw that the park and the amphitheater had changed over the years, but the rocks were the same. Kenzie felt the familiar tug of fascination as she stared at the jagged red sandstone ledges, some of which sloped as much as 90 degrees. She remembered climbing those same rocks as a child, adding it to her very short list of happy childhood recollections.
Kenzie spent the day explorin
g the beautiful 800-acre park and all it had to offer. She finally made her way to the Amphitheatre, amazed to find that it seated over 9,500 people, all of whom had an unobstructed view of the stage and enjoyed perfect acoustics. The view beyond the stage was just as amazing, with the city of Denver seen in the distance.
Kenzie did her interview with the band Sugar Rush and snapped numerous photos as they prepared to take the stage. Once the concert was underway and she had sufficient close-up shots, Kenzie made her way to the top of the stadium, hoping for some good long range shots that encompassed the crowd and the over-all grandeur of the outdoor venue.
It was while she was capturing the crowd that Kenzie got the uncanny feeling that she was being watched. She discreetly scanned the area around her, looking for anyone who was more interested in her than the performers on stage. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Kenzie shook off the feeling and moved a little into the shadows.
The sensation persisted. She told herself it was her imagination, which had been in over-drive since hearing of Foto’s death; finding the envelope had only increased her fanatic musings tenfold. Still, she knew she needed to be cautious. Pretending to take shots of the thousands of excited fans, Kenzie scanned the crowd and snapped a dozen photos of the people around her. Later, she might be able to pick a particular face out from the masses.
She clicked several pictures of the huge monoliths that bordered the amphitheater, intrigued by the play of nighttime shadows and light on the jagged cliffs. At three hundred feet high, they were each taller than Niagara Falls and were the secret to acoustic perfection. The one on her right resembled a ship, earning it the name of “Ship Rock”. On the opposite side was Creation Rock. The lights from the stage and the overhead moon gave their staggered layers deeper dimensions and dramatic shadows.
The realization of what she was looking at hit her with physical force. Her body swayed as her heart momentarily ceased to beat; her mother had been referring to these very rocks in her letter.
If I know you, you are probably studying the rocks you love so much. The red ones are your favorites. It seems since Creation, you have been fascinated with those rocks. You liked to stack them high, pretending they were a Ship. Do you remember the
time my key was missing and you had it hidden on your “ship”?
Of course! Red rocks… Creation… Ship… hidden key. The words swirled in her brain, making her light-headed. Her mother had hidden a key among the rocks. Kenzie did not need to see the letter again to remember the wording; she had read it enough times to know each line by heart.
… and there it was, ten stacks from the top, buried halfway.
Kenzie’s gaze swung to the huge monolith, trying to count ten slabs down. Would the layers even be the same after all these years, or would erosion have changed the bands of the rocky ledges? Time and the elements could have produced more distinctive lines now, creating additional ‘stacks’. There was also a good probability that some layers could have worn away to merge as one. How could she possibly determine the tenth stack? She knew the key was hidden somewhere half-way along the horizontal layers, but on which side of the monolith?
Overwhelmed, Kenzie stared at the massive structure and wondered how she could ever find a key amid the piles of rocks and stones and underbrush. Was it even still there?
… Luckily it was a duplicate, so if I hadn’t found it not all was lost.
The last words came to her like a soothing balm. Somewhat in code, her mother was letting her know there was another key somewhere. Somewhere like her sister’s baby blanket.
Kenzie tucked her camera away into its case. She quickly walked down the exit ramp, forgetting about the suspicions of being followed as she considered the possibilities of the letter. On the surface, it looked like an innocent enough letter from a mother to her child, but apparently, the entire thing was written in some sort of code. Many of the words had been randomly capitalized; what Kenzie had assumed was poor grammar had evidently been a subtle hint. She was anxious to pull the letter out and re-read it. The jumbled and rambling thoughts might make more sense now that she realized they were clues.
But clues to what, she had no idea.
As Kenzie left the backside of the stadium and stepped onto the narrow roadway running through the park, the sounds of the concert – and the lighting – blended into the shadows of the night. Although there were a few people milling about in the dim light, most of them heading to or from the parking lots, Kenzie realized she was no longer in the safety of a crowd. A shiver echoed down her spine, and the hairs along her neck stood at attention. Belatedly, she remembered someone had been watching her earlier. She instinctively knew they still were.
Berating herself for forgetting something so important, Kenzie glanced around in concern. Spotty patches of light fell onto the park road where she stood. There was just enough light to illuminate the immediate area around her, but not enough to make her feel safe, particularly with so few people in sight. A handful of teenagers stood around the edge of the roadway, laughing and poorly concealing the beer they were drinking. She caught a glimpse of a cowboy hat as a man disappeared up the ramp to the concert, making her long for Travis. She could use the reassurance of his presence right now, even if he did irritate her! Two women were walking to the parking lot, their backs to her. And was that a person, hovering in the shadows near the gate? She saw the faint glow of a cigarette from somewhere deeper in the shadows, reminding her someone could be watching from virtually anywhere.
There was a well-lit parking lot down the road to her left. Unfortunately, the Hummer was parked in another lot, down the hill and quite a ways from where she was now. Over half of the path there would fall in the shadows.
Across from the stadium were some of the infamous rocky monuments that made up the park. Hiking trails twisted around and through the red sandstone formations, leading back to the parking lot she needed, but much of the trail was hidden in dark shrubs and undergrowth.
Another glance back told her that the group of teenagers had wandered away, leaving her practically alone outside the stadium. At least the rocks, hidden in shadows as they were, would offer the best cover from anyone following her. Kenzie quickly crossed the road and lost herself in the dark recess of a rocky overhang.
From there, she surveyed her surroundings. She saw another glimpse of a cowboy hat and wondered if it belonged to the same man. Was he the one watching her? Shadows shifted to her left, and she made out the image of a man wearing dark clothing. Something about the overall shape seemed familiar, but nothing was distinguishable in the night. To her right, the glowing tip of the cigarette was moving closer, giving the illusion of floating in the shadows.
The sensation of someone watching her grew stronger. Telling herself not to panic, Kenzie tried a few deep breathing techniques to control her ragged breaths. The glowing cigarette came closer, until it suddenly fell to the ground, its light snuffed out. She stared at the last place she had seen the glow, knowing the person could now be even closer, moving toward her in total darkness.
When she heard the crunch of gravel beneath approaching feet, Kenzie knew it was time to move. She slipped along the wall of rock, making her way toward the bushes. Shrubs and small trees sporadically lined the trail along the huge rock’s perimeter and, in places, offered a tunnel effect. She eased toward one of those tunnels now, mindful of where she stepped. The last thing she needed to do was to turn her ankle, or to make enough noise to give her position away.
Kenzie reached the mouth of the hidden trail, but hesitated before going in. True, the path was hidden from view, but once inside, there might not be a quick exit. If the person followed her inside, she might be creating her own trap. She looked back over her shoulder, studying the shadows. She thought she could see the dark form of someone shuffling through the darkness on her right.
Remembering she had taken pictures of this spot earlier, intrigued by the rocky crevice that ran horizontally about six feet abov
e her head, Kenzie made an impromptu change in plans. She scrambled over the smaller boulders and brush that projected out from the taller rock. The night was dark and the light from the stadium was dim, but she could make out just enough of the shapes to know where the flatter rocks were. She slipped twice before she found a path up into the rocks. Securing her camera case cross-body, she would need both hands to pull herself onto the flat ledge that tucked into a deep crevice along the rocks.
She was struggling to hoist herself up when she heard a voice, low and insistent.
“Kenzie! Kenzie, wait. It’s me.”
“Travis?” she squeaked, whirling around to search for him in the darkness. Was that really him, or just her imagination playing tricks on her? Her knees sagged at the sight of a tall imposing figure, silhouetted by the dim glow of stadium lighting.
“Shh,” he cautioned as he came nearer. “Stay there,” he whispered. “I’ll come to you.”
Sensing she was still in danger, Kenzie did as told. With a few long strides, Travis silently joined her along the rock wall. The moment his hand reached out to touch her, Kenzie flung herself into his arms.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered, her face pressed against the comforting warmth of his chest.
“Looking for you.” He held her close for a moment, until the camera case hanging across her body bit into both their chests. Releasing her slightly, he whispered, “But I’m not the only one. We need to get out of sight until I know who it is.”
“I was headed for that ledge.” She tipped her head back to indicate the spot.
Without a word, he helped her turn around in the small space they occupied. He glanced over his shoulder before he bodily lifted her up and pushed her onto the ledge above her head. A warm hand on her derriere offered the final shove. As Kenzie scrambled forward, squeezing herself into the long low chasm between the rocks, she scolded her body for tingling beneath his touch. Now was not the time to be having sexual fantasies, even when he joined her on the rock and pressed his long, hard body against hers, practically lying on top of her in the narrow cavity.