Crystal Beach (Crow Hill Book 1)

by Tom Larcombe

  “Well, tell me when you last saw her and what she was doing so I can give that information to the police,” Michael said.

  Five minutes later he was back in the Jeep and heading for the local sheriff's office. The parking lot was almost empty. There was a single patrol car parked there along with several of the deputies' private vehicles, the rest of the lot was bare. He hopped out of the car and went into the office. The sheriff was there, sitting near a radio. His hair was iron gray and his paunch sagged over his belt slightly. He was massaging his temples as though he had a headache.

  “Sheriff, we've got a problem,” Michael said.

  “Son, I wish I only had one problem. I've got calls backed up from before the phones went out, I've got a deputy sheriff called in with a gunshot wound to the leg, and I've had people on foot in here all day, making even more reports. We can't even keep up, never mind catch up.”

  “There's a little girl that's gone missing.”

  Michael proceeded to give him all the pertinent information.

  “Well, I can take a report at least. I don't know when I'll have anyone freed up to help though.”

  Michael's mind was racing. A deputy out with a gunshot wound in the leg. He tried to superimpose Deputy Jacobs' build over the larger man he'd seen, and shot, in his garden. It was a close match.

  “Was it deputy Jacobs with the gunshot wound?” Michael asked.

  The sheriff narrowed his eyes.

  “Yes, it was. How'd you know that, Michael?”

  Michael shook his head.

  “How'd you know my name? I didn't tell you what it was.”

  “You've lived here thirty years son, and you don't look much older than when you moved here. It'd be kind of hard to mistake you for somebody else.”

  “Wait, you remember me from thirty years back? Never mind, we can get into that later. Deputy Jacobs responded to a report about a break-in I made recently. He saw that I had a lot of things ripe in my garden and commented on it. Later that night, I had people trying to steal from my garden. They shot at me so I returned fire. I hit one of them in the leg. You do the math.”

  The sheriff was rifling through a pile of papers.

  “Here's your report. I didn't assign anyone to it yet though. So he shouldn't have been there.”

  “Well, I told him that I didn't see the actual break-in, but that a young girl I was watching did. The same girl that's missing now.”

  The sheriff let out a massive sigh.

  “I don't suppose that you can do anything about finding her? With that stuff you can do?”

  “I need to find out what it is you were told, and by who. Yes, I might be able to track her that way. I wasn't thinking it was anything more than her getting lost until you told me you had a deputy with a gunshot leg.”

  I didn't want to track her with magic, in public, because that's why the damn Board stuck me here. But if it's a matter of more trouble with the Board, or making sure Liz is okay, I know which option I'll choose.

  “Son, if I go out on this report now, or send a deputy right away, then everything will need to be documented. I think that would preclude you from being able to do your best to find her. However, what if I have someone there in twenty or thirty minutes? Ten minutes for you to get back, and the rest for you to do what you can. That work for you?”

  Michael nodded.

  “Then get going boy. What're you waiting for?” the sheriff said.

  Michael sprinted back out of the office and raced his jeep back to Anne's house.

  * * *

  Anne was still out in the field, wandering around calling Liz. Michael motioned Jeff over to him.

  “Jeff, we may have bigger problems than we thought. Does Liz have a hairbrush or comb or something she uses all the time? If I can get one of her hairs, I might be able to track her.”

  “Sure, I'll go get it.”

  He was back a minute later with a small hairbrush. Michael took it and removed several hairs from it.

  “She's the only one that uses this?”

  Jeff nodded.

  Michael took one of the charged crystals from his pocket and tied a hair around it. He focused on the crystal and overlaid the spell already on it, one to keep the charge from draining away, with a Finding spell. He connected the hair to the Finding spell so that one end of the crystal would glow when it was pointed towards the person the hair had come from.

  When he finished he had a small headache and was breathing hard. Jeff looked at him with a worried expression on his face.

  “I shouldn't have done it that fast, but time's important,” Michael said.

  He held the crystal out away from his body and began to rotate. When he was facing north, one end began to glow.

  “She's that way. I don't know how far yet, but we'll find out,” Michael said. “Go tell your mom to send the police to the north when they show up. There's only one main road that way. If we have to get off of it I'll drop you at the turn so you can wave them down and keep them going in the right direction.”

  Jeff ran out to his mother. Michael could hear her asking questions that Jeff couldn't answer. Finally Jeff practically yelled.

  “Just do it. She obviously isn't near here or you would've found her already.”

  Then he came running back.

  Michael was waiting in the Jeep and when he saw Jeff returning he started the engine. Jeff slid in and Michael handed him the crystal.

  “If the light goes out, turn it to the left or right and tell me which way gets it glowing again,” he said.

  He slammed the Jeep into gear and hit the gas.

  Jeff's house was already in the northern half of Crystal Beach and there was only one road that left town leading north. If you kept on it for about twenty miles, you'd come to Las Animas. Michael headed for the road, driving as quickly as he could while keeping the Jeep on all four wheels. About two miles out of town, Jeff called out.

  “Off to the left. Right now it's diagonal left so look for a left-hand turn coming up.”

  Michael didn't have to, Jeff was staring at the crystal while Michael was watching ahead of them. Coming up on the left was the old slaughterhouse, abandoned when a more modern one opened up a couple of counties to the north.

  He slowed down and pulled into the parking lot.

  “That's it, straight ahead of us,” Jeff said.

  Michael stopped the jeep well back from the building.

  “Jeff, go out to the road and flag down the cops if you see them, okay?”

  Jeff looked up and saw where they were. He gulped and nodded.

  “What are you gonna do?” he asked.

  Michael reached into the back seat and grabbed his rifle. His other hand went to his mother's ring, grasping it for a moment.

  “I'm going to go make sure that Liz is safe, and that she stays that way,” he said.

  * * *

  Michael quietly made his way to the front of the slaughterhouse. He listened but didn't hear anything. He checked the crystal and found that Liz was still in front of him.

  The only ways in are a loading dock around back and the front door. If they aren't here out front then they must be back there. I better go around to the loading dock. If I try to work my way through the building I'm bound to make more noise.

  He walked through the gravel parking lot as quietly as he could. When he reached the back corner he heard a little girl crying and male voices raised in anger. He couldn't make out the words yet, but as long as they were shouting at each other he decided he didn't have to be as quiet as he was. He sprinted around the corner and towards the loading dock.

  When he got there he saw a beat-up primer gray sedan parked against the wall of the building on the other side of the dock. The roll up door was open about a foot so he glanced inside.

  The first thing he saw were the stacks and stacks of cans and dry goods, lined up on old wire metal racks. Liz was slumped on the floor, her wrists handcuffed together around the base of one of the rack
s.

  Deputy Jacobs and a second man were yelling at each other in the middle of the large room. The unidentified man was pacing back and forth while the deputy sat in a chair, his left leg held straight out.

  “I told you, we're not gonna kill her," the pacing man said. "You said we'd just steal enough food to last us for a while. You didn't say anything about murder. The worst they had on us before was breaking and entering. Now it's up to kidnapping, and you want to make it murder?”

  “She saw us. She can't testify or anything, but if she told the sheriff what she saw and managed to identify either of us, he'd believe her. At least enough to investigate. We've got to get rid of her. No-one's going to care, she's just the daughter of some white trash lady.”

  By intent or chance the second man's pacing kept him between Deputy Jacobs and Liz

  “I'll care. I said no.”

  “Since when are you calling the shots here?” Deputy Jacobs growled. “We have to get rid of her. Now get out of the way, or else.”

  Liz's crying intensified and Michael watched as she shifted position. From where he was he could see a bright flash of color immediately next to her wrists. The color was obscured by a flash of glitter just before her arms sagged.

  I think something just opened the cuffs for her. Now I just need to get her out. There's open space behind the deputy so even if I shoot that way she wouldn't be in any danger from ricochets. Now, how do I make sure he moves to where he can't see her?

  Michael bent over and picked up a handful of gravel. He set it down gently on the lip of the loading dock and repeated the process several times. He separated a small section of his awareness and used it to create a binding between the first pile of gravel and the round chambered in his rifle. He repeated the process several times, binding each handful of gravel to the next round down in his magazine. When he was done, his first four shots would each have a handful of gravel hurtling towards whatever point the bullet was aimed at.

  Hopefully they'll think that means there's more than just me out here and run for cover.

  The argument was intensifying and now the second man had his hand on his pistol as he paced.

  “Last chance Darren, get out of my way or I'll shoot you first,” Deputy Jacobs said.

  He held a pistol in his hand, currently aimed at the ceiling.

  Michael raised his rifle and aimed at Deputy Jacobs.

  Damn it, I can't just shoot him in cold blood.

  He shifted his aim so that the bullet would go into the building behind the deputy. Deputy Jacobs racked the slide on his pistol, chambering a round. He began to level his pistol at Darren, who was still standing in front of Liz. Michael pulled the trigger before the deputy got his pistol targeted.

  The shot echoed loudly inside the slaughterhouse. The impact of the gravel came slightly after that of the bullet and added to the confusion. Darren dove for the floor and Deputy Jacobs slid off the chair before stumbling around the corner.

  When the echoes died Michael called out.

  “Darren, get her out of there before he kills her.”

  Darren looked around for the source of the yell. When he saw Michael leaning in the door with his rifle, he gave a thumbs up and scrambled towards Liz. Michael kept his eye on the corner Deputy Jacobs had gone around.

  Darren grabbed Liz and started heading for Michael. Deputy Jacobs' pistol appeared around the corner slowly. Michael waited until he could see the hand on the pistol and then fired another round, aimed at the hand on the gun. The bullet missed, but the follow up gravel pelted the visible fingers. They spasmed and the pistol fell to the floor.

  Darren shoved Liz through the small opening of the door. When he tried to follow himself he found out that the opening wasn't large enough.

  “Go, get her out of here. I'm coming,” Darren said.

  He heaved on a rope at the side of the door and it began to open, slowly.

  “Liz, run around front and get in my Jeep. Call Jeff and tell him to get in also. I'll be there in a moment,” Michael said.

  Michael waited, sure that the deputy would try to recover his gun. The door groaned and slowly creaked upwards. Sure enough, a hand snaked around the corner. He aimed and fired again. This time the bullet struck the gun, driving it back across the floor, farther into the building. The follow up gravel hit the hand again and Michael heard cursing from around the corner.

  Darren dropped to the floor and rolled under the door.

  “Cops are on their way. You want to get out of this I suggest you drive straight to the sheriff's office and confess what was going on. I heard you defending Liz so I'll speak up for you if you want,” Michael said.

  “Can't, Jacobs has the car keys,” Darren panted.

  Michael sighed and shook his head.

  “Go around front, wait next to the Jeep. I'll make sure the good deputy keeps his head down before I follow.”

  Michael was watching the shadow moving through the open area towards where he'd last seen the pistol. He aimed for the center of the shadow and fired again. He heard a grunt and the shadow sprawled onto the floor, out of sight.

  He slung his rifle over his back and sprinted around the building. He was of two minds about what had just occurred. He knew he might have killed the man and he wasn't sure if he'd prefer that he had or hadn't. It was a side of himself he'd never encountered, not even when he was at his most furious with the Board. It left him confused, but that didn't affect his running. He passed Darren before the man made it to the Jeep.

  Jeff was just climbing in so Michael picked him up and tossed him in the back with Liz.

  “Get in,” he yelled at Darren.

  Michael slid into the jeep and started the engine. He hit the gas and sent gravel spurting up from under his wheels as he slewed the Jeep to turn around. Liz was in the back, crying softly. Michael heard Jeff trying to comfort her.

  “I'm pretty sure I hit him with that last shot, but I don't know how bad,” Michael said.

  “Where? He's wearing armor under his shirt so if it was a torso shot you probably just pissed him off,” Darren said.

  “I aimed for center mass. So, he'll probably be along shortly. If we see the cops I'll get them to stop and tell them.”

  Before they reached the town line, Michael heard sirens. When he saw the sheriff's car on the road he started flashing his lights and pulled over to the side.

  The sheriff's car pulled in next to him and the sheriff himself rolled down the window.

  “Looks like you got her?” he asked.

  “Yes, Deputy Jacobs was about to shoot her because she could identify him and Darren here. Darren was keeping her alive, staying between the deputy and Liz. There was some shooting and I think I hit him, but Darren says Jacobs had body armor under his shirt, so he'll be along soon.”

  “Bit of a falling out between them then?” the sheriff asked.

  Michael nodded.

  “He'll be coming soon, so where should we go?” Michael asked.

  “I think Darren should come with me. You take Liz home and stay with her, alright?”

  “I'll get her mom and take them all up to my place, top of the hill should give us a longer line of sight. Let us know if he's coming.”

  “I'll have someone up there soon. Sit tight, keep the doors locked, don't go outside. Got it?”

  Michael nodded and hopped back into the Jeep. He headed for Jeff's house.

  Anne was still outside, aimlessly walking the field and calling for Liz. Michael didn't even get out of the Jeep.

  “Anne,” he bellowed.

  She turned to look and he pointed to the back seat where Liz was looking out through the window. Anne came running across the field.

  “Get in,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Someone's trying to kill Liz because she saw him breaking into a house.”

  “What?”

  “It's a long story. Get in the Jeep. I'll take you to my place and we'll lock ourselves in. Sheriff's out lo
oking for Deputy Jacobs right now.”

  Anne hesitantly slid into the passenger side. On the way to his house, Michael outlined the situation to her.

  “The deputy was robbing houses?” she asked.

  “Yeah, and evidently he thinks he can still get away with it if he gets rid of the only witness.”

  Anne turned to look at Liz who was still crying, but doing so silently now.

  * * *

  Michael pulled into the garage and got everyone out of the Jeep and into the house. He locked the garage door and then made sure all the other doors into the house were locked as well. Then he went upstairs into his bedroom. He opened his gun safe and replaced the Mini-14 in it. He removed one of the Garands, fumbled with loading the clip, and then locked the safe again.

  When he went back downstairs, Anne, Liz, and Jeff were in the living room.

  “Jeff, keep an eye out on the road coming up the hill. You're looking for a primer gray sedan. If you see it, tell me.”

  Jeff was eyeing the Garand.

  “What's that?”

  “He's wearing body armor. If he shows up here I want something that has a chance of penetrating it. This fires a larger, heavier round. My other rifle wouldn't do much if it hit the armor, this one might.”

  Jeff nodded and went over to the window to keep watch.

  “Liz, you're safe now,” Michael said. “I'm here, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. The sheriff is sending some men also.”

  “But... but that was one of the sheriff's men, wasn't it?” she asked.

  “It was, but I'm sure the sheriff will send someone he trusts. Even if he doesn't, I'm here and I won't let him do anything to you.”

  “Neither would Gerry. She opened the handcuffs for me,” Liz said.

  She pulled open the front of her shirt and a butterfly the size of a softball came flying out.

  “No need for the disguise, honored Fae,” Michael said. “If you are what I think you are, you're free to show your true form here.”

  The butterfly shimmered and was replaced by a tiny, winged humanoid. She was perfectly proportioned, for a six inch tall person. Her black and white gown glimmered in the light.