Sheep's Clothing

by Gary Lewis

  A blinding light exploded through the earth. David hit his brakes and slammed the car into a downhill slide. They drifted around a curve while Sarah held on tight, struggling to see what was ahead. As the road came further into view, something dark stretched across. They grinded to a stop in front of a giant downed oak. It laid, smoking across the muddy route back home, blocking any hope of escape.

  Sarah watched him ball a fist above the steering wheel. She quickly grasped his forearm and squeezed it tight. "It's okay,” she said. “You did great."

  Chapter 6

  #Tony#

  Oldies and country music sounded from the lobby of the Sunset Diner from decades old speakers that played with a scratchy bass while Tony scraped the hot grills in the back.

  "Can't they play anything different?" Carl, the part time kitchen prep, said as he wiped down the stainless-steel assembly table.

  "Whatever appeals to the regulars," Tony said, shrugging with a carefree smile.

  "Think they own the place." Carl slid a small garbage can below the table to swipe in a pile of lettuce shreds.

  "Makes no difference to me.” Tony looked over at him. “You should try finding the good in everything."

  He folded a grill towel, pouring water on it before slapping it onto the grill with a sharp sizzle that issued a plume of steam through the kitchen. Tony raked it back and forth, polishing it to a gray shine before setting everything aside to stare into the glossy surface. After rubbing the sore spot on the side of his jaw, he shook his head and turned his attention to the freezer's large metal door.

  "I'm gonna grab some stock right quick."

  The tone of a dozen conversations resounded through the lobby as the next song changed the mood beyond the counter, but the cheer was short lived as a blaring sound came over the station. "We interrupt this program to bring an emergency weather warning. A large storm system is moving toward Pine County. Take shelter immediately. Large hail, damaging winds, and frequent lightning are..." As the warning continued repeating itself in the now speechless lobby, Tony walked toward the glass double-doors of the entrance. Newspapers and litter tumbled down the street as a trash can blew over into a spin that spewed its contents to the winds. He looked up beyond the buildings across Central Avenue. Bluff Mountain was completely engulfed by dark clouds, strobing with bright flashes from within.

  "Good thing y'all ain't hanging out up there today," a voice said from the back corner section of the dining area. It was Willy Perkins. He sat, wriggling his fingers through his long graying beard in the far corner of the lobby among a rowdy bunch, the Big Buck Hunting Club.

  "Place is cursed," Willy’s brother, Roy spoke out from the cluster of crouched locals outfitted in camouflage coveralls.

  Greg Mathers, the city bank manager, raised his voice above theirs. "The animal attacks, the cattle deaths and now this."

  Old man Sam strolled across the lobby to Tony. "The Big Bucks," Sam said. "When they're not doing more harm than good, rescuing the community, they're stirring a ruckus."

  Burly voices from the corner of the lobby grew louder while the doors continued opening and closing with drenched shoes clambering to escape the storm. "Get the boys together and we'll hunt that thing down, come Saturday," one said. "Hell yeah," another shouted. "Won't know what hit 'im."

  A boom shook the floor. The restaurant lights began to flicker as Sam turned off the radio warning and started unplugging equipment. "Come lend a hand, Tony. Nobody said it was break time yet."

  "Relax,” Tony said. “I'm coming."

  The entrance doors continued swinging open by the howling gusts and the occasional person running inside for shelter. The ferocity outside took on warzone proportion. Bright flashes of lightning preceded ground shaking booms as if the city was being bombed. Then the rain began in bands that swept across the roadway and slapped against the glass windows and doors.

  Another group ran through the swinging doors to escape the turmoil.

  "Tony! Man, it's crazy out there," said Terry, a former sophomore football player that Tony used to practice with. Tony handed him a couple dry bar towels and Terry polished his eyeglasses then set them on a nearby table before patting his soaked face and drying his dripping, curly, black hair.

  "I haven't seen you much since you found religion,” Tony said. “You thinking about giving up the field?"

  "It's definitely keeping me busy," Terry began. "We were in the search party in the woods about a quarter mile away when we heard the thunder and thought we better call it a day. Had no idea it was time to build an ark and head for safety," Terry said with a laugh. Tony's eyes wandered to the chaos, still blowing a horizontal gray mist across the glass doors and windows while Terry continued. "I just thank God that we got here just when we did."

  "Search party?" Tony asked. The realization that he completely missed something big going on in town was becoming a familiar feeling to him now.

  "Well, yeah," Terry said. He set the now wet rag on the table and picked up his glasses before sliding them onto his chubby, pale face. “You know my dad is pastor up at Willow Baptist and we organized most of it after the way the police are handling things." Terry paused as he looked back at the shuttering double-doors before turning his head back to Tony and speaking quietly. "Or should I say aren't handling them." Streams of water still trickled from his hair and dripped onto the stone tile floor.

  "Hold up." Tony spread his hands to his sides. "Search party for what?"

  "You haven't heard yet?"

  "Is it bad?" Tony asked, afraid that he probably shouldn't. "Is it David? Is he alright?" Tony tried to push the impending suspense into his large belly, but he wasn't able to tank it as usual.

  "Your step-brother?" Terry asked. "I'm not sure." His heavy concern opened wide in his large, round eyes.

  "Last time I saw him was up there." Tony turned to nod toward the mass of dark storm clouds that engulfed Bluff Mountain. "I haven't heard from him since."

  "I see," Terry said. "No, Randy Williams' mom reported him missing this morning. There's been an alert about it, but the police are being real hush about everything, just like the lumber yard."

  "Randy, from track?" Tony asked.

  "That's him. Went jogging through the middle of town this morning. No sign of him since."

  "What's going on at the lumber yard?" Tony asked.

  "All we know for sure is that the place was covered with cops, paramedics and firemen last night, but none of them are saying a word."

  As Tony opened his mouth to ask more, Terry interrupted him. "Don't Tell anyone I told you, but you know old man Jerry that does security rounds up there?"

  "Not really,” Tony said. “I think he comes in sometimes, but he never really says much."

  "You didn't hear it from me," Terry said. "But word is he had a lot to say about last night." Terry rose his hands into scary, descriptive shapes. "A monster, gruesome deaths, mutilated bodies." Terry leaned in to whisper as his eyes darted around the room. "I'm telling you; I think the devil came to Pine Bluff."

  "You know something?" Tony said. "I think you might be right." He strolled across the lobby to the maintenance closet to grab the store's tattered, yellow rain jacket. "Hey, Sam. I gotta go. Family emergency."

  "Alright…" Sam paused for a moment. "You're not going out there are ya, son?" The old man’s weathered hand raised toward the dark plume that surrounded Bluff Mountain.

  "Gotta do what I gotta do," Tony said.

  "Well, if you're headed where I think, you better take this," Sam said, dangling his keys in the air before tossing them to Tony.

  "I'll take real good care of her,” he said, attempting to quell any worries that Sam might have. “Promise."

  "Nonsense, boy. You run that thing the way it's meant to be and do what you got to do." Sam looked across the lobby before turning back to face Tony. "Any damage can be worked off."

  "Thanks. You're the best," Tony said as he turned toward Terry. "Come on. Let's go." Te
rry waved over his little brother Blane. The three of them paused at the door, staring into the onslaught of rain that crashed against the lobby windows. "Let's do this," Tony shouted. They dashed beyond the double-doors through the waterfall that gushed from the edge of the roof.

  By the time they climbed into Sam's shiny, black, four-wheel drive pickup, the wind, thunder and lightning had mostly subsided. But the rain still pummeled the windshield as a constant bucket pouring from the sky.

  "Where we heading?" Blane asked his older brother, Terry.

  "The cliffs," Tony said to which they stared in disbelief.

  "You're not serious, are you?" Blane asked. "Terry, tell me he's joking."

  "Look, y'all,” Tony said. “There's just something I gotta check for myself. I'm sorry I can't say more right now."

  "No need to explain,” Terry said. “I’m here to help."

  Blane let out a reluctant sigh. “Count me in too, I guess.”

  "Thanks, guys. I mean it," Tony said, giving the heavy diesel engine a turn with a rumble that rivaled the thunder which had recently shook the town.

  #Janice#

  Outside Janice's bedroom window, bands of rain swept across the pond on the other side of the road. It brushed across the surface with the same force as the winds of change that had broken through her once stable soul. A small, crinkled, cut out newspaper clipping flipped between her cold fingers. "Pine Bluff Man Killed in Boat Accident," the headline read above a black and white photo of her dad. As she listened to the trickling sound running down her window, Janice pressed her watery eyes closed and tightly squeezed the paper in her hand.

  Janice flipped the light switch in vain as she stared at her phone. "Still no service," she said, tossing it onto the bed. It was already beginning to get dark and she wondered who that darkness might claim this time.

  As painful thoughts continued bombarding her mind, headlights flew up the road and quickly pulled into her driveway. The form of a large pickup truck became visible and she ran over to the stairs, tumbling her feet all the way down to the door. The sound of a heavy metal door slammed from outside as she opened the door to see Vance approaching the steps.

  "What do you want, Vance?" Half a dozen versions of his apology played through her thoughts.

  "Have you heard anything from Tony, David or..." Vance opened out his hands. "Hell, anybody?"

  "What kind of trouble are you starting now?" she asked.

  "Yeah," he said with an arrogant tone. "I know about David."

  "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Vance. I told you I need some space."

  "Not even why I’m here,” he said as he waved his heavily muscled arm aside. “Do what you want. See if I care."

  "Of course you don't," she shouted out the half open door. "If it's not about you, why would you?"

  "Look. I’m just trying to find out where Tony is at," Vance said. "See, my friend Jake told me Tony took off in the storm with Terry and his brother in the direction of the cliffs. You and Sarah were on the way, so I'm checking if they dropped by."

  "Everyone knows how bad that road gets when it rains," Janice said. "And with that thing out there, why would they go to the cliffs?"

  Vance shook his head and looked away before returning his eyes to her. "That's probably why."

  "How long ago?” Janice asked. “Did you try Sarah's?"

  "Yeah,” he said. “Her car is there but nobody answered the door and all the lights are out."

  "Well, power is still out here,” Janice said, reminding herself that she was still mad at him. “Maybe she just slept through it."

  "I don't think so. You saw David's group message last night, right?" Vance asked. "Suppose they tried to go play detective and got stuck up there."

  "I don’t know," Janice said. "I haven't heard a word from anyone today."

  "Then I guess we're going to head up there and see."

  "Jake is with you?" she asked.

  "Yeah. We'll be fine," he said, beginning to turn back toward his truck. "But if your friend gets my best quarterback killed, he might not be."

  As he left, the sound of his pickup faded down her small road. Janice strolled slowly across the dark kitchen toward the windowed backdoor to stare into the darkness outside. Beyond the open fields, the occasional flicker of lightning casted across the black outline of Bluff Mountain.

  #Vance#

  The rain subsided to a steady drizzle as Vance drove down the flooded streets, navigating the aftermath of the storm through town.

  "Check out that moon," Jake said, leaning down to look up through the windshield. Vance watched the clouds passing to reveal the bright orange circle in the sky.

  "That what they call a blood moon?" Vance asked.

  "Nah,” Jake said. “I think that's just when it's completely full."

  "Place is fucked," Vance said, swerving to narrowly dodge a tattered trampoline that laid bent across the fast lane. Tree limbs and garbage littered the shiny streets, no longer lit by anything aside from his headlights and that of the reddening moon that shown high above.

  As they approached the dirt road that led up Bluff Mountain, Vance hit the high beams and slowed down.

  "Over there, man." Jake pointed at large tire tracks in the mud and Vance carefully followed. He noticed every place they had spun out or slid just a short time ago. It wasn't long before Vance's headlights caught a red reflection just ahead. They were the taillights of a black pickup truck that sat in the darkness. As they approached closer, several downed trees came into view.

  "That's definitely old man Sam's pickup," Jake said.

  The darkness of the wet forest enshrouded them as Vance pulled up beside the truck and turned off his lights. When he killed the engine to listen, the tapping sounds of water dripping from the trees was constant from every direction. "Might be hard to hear anyone approach out here," Vance said. Their boots splashed into the thick puddles that surrounded his truck when they hopped out into the soggy surroundings.

  "Heads up." Vance threw a heavy flashlight to Jake and pulled a crowbar from the truck bed. "We'll follow their trail," he said as they walked alongside the multiple shoe prints that smooshed their way up into the dark hills that surrounded them. It would be a long walk to the top and Vance had no idea how far things might go.

  After a half hour of hiking through the rocky mud, Vance and Jake stopped. "See that?” Vance extended his arm to aim the crowbar toward the shoe prints. "This is where they split." He aimed the crowbar down the steep hill to his right. "My guess, Blane and Terry went down into the woods on the right and Tony kept on up the road."

  "Why the hell would they do that?" Jake asked.

  "There's a trail up at the cliffs that curves around through these woods," Vance said before pausing to contemplate as he slowly rested the crowbar over his shoulder.

  "Yeah. I know it," Jake said.

  "What you might not know," Vance said, using the crowbar to point up the road. "It can also be used as a shortcut back to the bottom if you're on foot. The trail runs close to the road." Vance attempted to explain while Jake shined the flashlight through the eerie opening in the bushes leading down into the forest. Treetops and leaves blocked visibility any more than a few yards.

  "Sure looks steep," Jake said with a shaky uncertainty that rattled its way into the jittery beam of light.

  "I'm not real familiar with it all myself, but David and Tony know it." He paused for a moment to look up at the tree limbs above. "They used to take that way to the fire tower."

  "Fire tower?" Jake asked.

  "It's nothing," Vance said, lowering his stare back into the dark cluster of shrubbery below. "If my hunch is right and Tony came to look for David, it makes sense they would check the trail too." Vance propped the crowbar back onto his broad shoulder.

  "Maybe the brothers decided to head back," Jake said.

  "Okay. Here's the deal," Vance said, lowering the metal bar with a swing in the direction of the steep drop int
o the woods. "I'm going to check the forest for the trail. You wait five minutes. I'll come back up if I don't find it. If I don't return, head up the road and find Tony. I'll find the brothers."

  "Alright. Here, take this." Jake handed the flashlight back to Vance. "You'll need it more than me."

  ###

  The clouds passed across the sky as it cleared to reveal the stars, where the moon still hung with an ominous, orange glow.

  "At least I can see the road," Jake said, continuing his trek up the forested mountain path, shouting periodically for Tony. But as he walked further, he lost sight of Tony's tracks. He now missed the bright flashlight that he once held as he continued up through the dim gravel chasm that sliced its way through the pitch-black walls of wooded unknown, stretching from both sides to swallow his path.

  Every crack that sounded from the forest snapped Jake's attention from the road as the forest noises got louder, closing in around him with the shadows. The air grew heavy as he walked faster, trying to focus only on his destination. But he hadn't seen a single print in a while and the rocky soup that his shoes pattered through continued to remind him how far from safety he had traveled. "Tony!" Jake shouted erratically as his pace picked up to a jog.

  A distant roar echoed through the woods. Jake turned to look down the steep drop-off into the dense woods below. "I know we don't have lions out here now," Jake said. The sound continued blasting through the lower areas of the forest with a ferocity that sucked the strength from his feet. A shaky fear spread up his legs into his groin and stomach. He jumped as a steady howl rung out across the wilderness. Jake turned to run further up the road. At least he was now certain where it came from and that it was some distance away. Jake was determined to keep it that way; no longer shouting, only running and huffing his way up the hill.