Murder by Misadventure

by B. T. Lord

  Of course she could always call Jace and have him meet her somewhere, but at that moment, it was late and she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. Especially Jace. There was a gnawing, deep inside, that perhaps Doc was right. Perhaps her life was going down the toilet because of her indecision regarding Jace.

  Aw, crap. She didn’t want to deal with that right now. Nor was she ready to deal with the knowing look that was sure to come into Paul Langevin’s eye if she were to go over there.

  The pain in her head and shoulder grew until she wanted to scream. In an act of desperation, she was about to turn the Explorer around, and head over to Paul’s when she suddenly remembered the tea in Emmy’s desk. It had worked before; there was no reason it wouldn’t work again. She quickly drove into town, let herself into HQ, grabbed the tea from Emmy’s desk drawer and made herself a steaming thermos of tea. She then got back into her Explorer and headed out of town.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  With nowhere else to go, and loath to return to Doc’s house, Cammie had no choice but to head towards her cabin. At least there she’d have some peace and quiet. She’d start a fire in the stove, sit with her feet up and finish the tea that would hopefully ease the head and shoulder ache. Tomorrow morning, she’d be strong enough to withstand whatever look Paul gave her. He’d made her shoulder feel better before, he could certainly do it again.

  An unbidden thought filtered through her brain as she drove down the dark, snowy road. This was the first time she’d be spending the night in the cabin since her break-up with Jace. Visiting the place to retrieve her old address book was different from actually staying there. What would it be like sleeping in the bed they’d shared? Reaching for him and finding no one there? Waking up alone?

  Get hold of yourself. Jeez, this isn’t the first time a relationship has ended. You’ll survive. You always did and you always will.

  But even as she thought those words, she knew in her heart this one was different. This had truly been a relationship, not a tenuous friendship with benefits. And unlike all the men she’d ever involved herself with, she’d been in love with Jace.

  And he with her.

  “Enough!” she yelled aloud as she punched the steering wheel. Thinking about it only caused pain. And she was in enough physical pain without adding emotional pain to the mix. If she were smart, she’d take some of her inheritance money and spend a few months in the Caribbean. At least that would make Doc happy, and she could wipe Jace from her mind and her heart once and for all.

  For now though, she had no choice but to face the demons that hid under her bed. Infused with an anger-driven determination to stop being such a baby, she turned down a shortcut that promised to cut ten minutes from her drive and get her back to her cabin sooner.

  Paul sat in his well-worn lounge chair, his feet up, his eyes closed, listening to the soft cadences of classical music wafting from his radio. They were playing his favorite piece, Beethoven’s Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major, and he felt himself being transported away from his cabin in Maine, and into that other world of lush waterfalls and airlessness that signaled his entry into the realm of shamans and spirit guides. It was relaxing, both physically and mentally, and he always enjoyed retreating there after a day of healings to replenish his soul.

  Just as he breathed in deeply of the tranquil, perfumed air, he was suddenly jarred by an unexpected vision intruding sharply into his serenity. He couldn’t turn away. He had to witness the vision to its conclusion. When it was done, he ran his hand through his hair and let out a deep breath.

  He’d long ago learned to trust the visions that came to him unexpectedly; this one was no different. Without a second thought, he reached for his cellphone and began to dial.

  Cammie drove slowly through the night, sipping her tea and listening to the radio. The tea was working its magic; the pain in her shoulder and head had simmered to a dull ache. Feeling better, and with the night sky alight with a million twinkling stars, she felt the tension of the last few hours drain out of her.

  She loved nights like this -- just her, her vehicle, the lush forest under a blanket of snow and good tunes on the radio. Singing aloud to a Beach Boys tune that spoke of warm beaches in direct contrast to the frigid temperatures surrounding her, she continued down Notch Road.

  Notch Road had been built on one of the old logging trails that zigzagged through the dense woods. Because it was narrow and pockmarked with frost heaves, it was not used very much by the locals. However, the solitude of the road, and the fact that it got her to her cabin quicker, beckoned Cammie this evening.

  Although the speed limit was 30, Cammie automatically slowed down to about 20. In some areas, the woods came up close to the road. Covered as they were with several feet of snow, it wasn’t unusual for moose, deer and other animals to venture out of the forest to forage for whatever food they could find. Just a few weeks before, a local had hit a moose, totaling his pick-up and landing him in a hospital with multiple lacerations and head trauma. The last thing Cammie needed was to wreck both her Explorer and herself.

  She kept alert, ready to stop if she saw anything out of the ordinary. Driving as slowly as she was, she could stop and prevent injury to both herself and the animal.

  Humming along to “California Girls”, she suddenly saw a quick movement to her left. She automatically slowed down even further. It was too dark to see what had caught her attention, but she was taking no chances. Now crawling along Notch Road, she abruptly slammed on her brakes when she saw a dark shadow dash out in front of her. The Explorer skidded a few feet before coming to an abrupt stop.

  “Lovely,” Cammie murmured as she grabbed her flashlight from the glove compartment and clambered out of the vehicle, praying she hadn’t hit an animal.

  The halo of the flashlight beam flashed under the Explorer as she bent over to see if something was trapped under her wheels. Seeing nothing, it was then that she realized she hadn’t heard a thud or anything hit her vehicle. Yet she knew something had sprung up in front of the Explorer.

  She shook her head, wondering just what it was that she’d seen.

  “Maybe I’m just tired and I thought I saw something,” she said aloud to herself. Shrugging her shoulders, she started back to the driver’s door when a screech abruptly split the night.

  “What the heck?” she gasped as she spun about and peered into the black woods that surrounded her.

  Growing up in Twin Ponds, she’d heard every kind of animal sound there was. But this was new. It was raw and unworldly and it seemed to have come from all directions. A trickle of fear wiggled down her back. The fear intensified when she realized that with only the headlights and her feeble flashlight offering any kind of illumination, she was totally alone out here.

  And very vulnerable.

  Quickly deciding she’d be safer in the Explorer, she hurried towards the door. Turning the corner of the vehicle, she saw a quick movement out of the corner of her eye. Without thinking, she took out her pistol and looked about her.

  The night was still. There was no wind. Just a silence that seemed to go on forever.

  She turned in a complete circle, peering all about her. There was nothing. Just the snow. And the forest. And her Explorer.

  Shaking her head in embarrassment at being so easily spooked, she started towards the driver door when her step slowed.

  Was it her imagination or were the trees closer to the road? Had they somehow moved? As she’d noted earlier, there was no wind. No breeze. Yet their bare limbs were moving, back and forth. Back and forth. Beckoning her. Pointing at her. Urging her to approach them. She heard a sound in her ears, a low hissing that sent her heart pounding so hard it threatened to rip through her chest.

  Come closer, Camilla. Come closer. Let us see you.

  Let us touch you.

  They seemed to bend low over the Explorer. Over her. Willing her to move towards them. Just close enough to snatch her up and --

  She’d had enough. With
panic bubbling up and threatening to overwhelm her, Cammie hurried to the driver’s door. She was about to climb inside when the night was shattered by another ungodly screech – this one so terrifyingly close, it left her shaking.

  “Who’s there?” she called out in a tremulous voice. “Is anybody hurt?”

  The silence that met her was unnerving. She looked about her, her instincts telling her something was out there, but she couldn’t see what it was.

  And she didn’t want to know.

  Determined to get the hell out of there, she was halfway inside the Explorer when something pushed against her so hard, it knocked her against the passenger seat. Shocked at the suddenness of the attack, Cammie turned in time to see a shadow disappear around the back of her vehicle. Before she could fully gather herself, she heard a sound that caused her heart to stop.

  This is impossible. It can’t be happening.

  But it was. She knew that sound. She’d heard it countless times in the horror movies she loved to watch.

  The sound of claws racking against the back of her Explorer.

  Cammie felt her knees grow weak. Her peripheral vision seemed to expand and contract. Her heart was hammering so loud, she couldn’t hear anything else. Anything that might tell her she was about to be attacked again. Yet something was behind her Explorer. Did she have the courage to find out what it was? Should she just drive away? But what if whatever was back there held onto her vehicle? She’d heard claws. They must be huge to have made the sound she heard.

  Did she really want to bring whatever it was home with her?

  With that sobering idea staring her in the face, and fighting to steady the revolver she kept gripped in her shaking hands, Cammie made the reluctant decision to check out the back of her vehicle. With limbs quaking, she slowly got out of the Explorer, and forced herself to approach the rear bumper. In one swift movement, she jumped out and pointed her gun at the trunk door.

  There was nothing there.

  Shit. This is crazy. I know what I heard.

  She scanned the area. It was empty. She stood in the cold, feverishly trying to figure out what had just happened. Was she so fatigued she was starting to imagine things? Had she simply tripped and thought something had pushed her?

  Jeez, maybe I am pushing myself too much, she thought to herself as she started back towards the driver’s door. Maybe I should take it easy and not try to do so much. Maybe I should consider taking that vacation to someplace warmer. Just for a little while –

  Passing by the rear lights, she glanced down. A small moan escaped her throat.

  No, no, no.

  Illuminated in red were claw marks deeply imbedded in the Explorer’s dark blue paint.

  Keening in horror, Cammie scrambled to the driver’s door and practically launched herself inside. The only thought in her head was to escape. To get as far away from whatever was out there as quickly as possible.

  She leaned sideways to slam the door when, through the addled panic in her brain, she realized she wasn’t alone.

  A prickling along her scalp told her that whatever had been outside was now inside. Next to her. In the passenger seat. A breathing, shallow and erratic filled her ears. It smelled putrid and metallic.

  It smelled of death.

  Dear God, don’t make me look.

  Cammie willed herself to move. To jump out of the Explorer. To save herself from the horror of what was happening. But her limbs were leaden with terror. She couldn’t budge.

  Cammie’s eyelids fluttered as she fought against falling to pieces. She had to keep calm if she had any chance of surviving whatever this was. The first thing she had to do was assess just what she was up against. She still had her gun in her hand. If nothing else, it could buy her some time if whatever was next to her tried to attack.

  Taking a deep breath, Cammie slowly turned her head towards her passenger. She saw nothing. The seat was empty. She stared at the vacant space and erupted in hysterical laughter at her own foolish imagination. My God, she really had pushed herself too far. Doc was right! She’d drive right back to his house and apologize and life would return to normal. She’d make sure she never overdid it again. Rick could handle –

  The laugh died on her lips as she saw a movement. Then another. A shadow slowly detached itself from the dimness near the dashboard and leaned towards her.

  It was the stuff of nightmares. A sight that her mind could not grasp. Could not make sense of. It wasn’t a he or a she who sat next to her. It was an ‘it’. A shadow that looked back at her with red piercing eyes and a mouth full of jagged teeth. She stared at it, uncomprehending. She was frozen. Could barely breathe. It was as though her brain shut down, leaving only the instinct to survive. When it raised its arms towards her, she saw claws that dwarfed those of a bear.

  Its movement jarred Cammie into action. Screaming, she leapt out of the Explorer and barreled down the road.

  They’re not real. They’re just legends!

  Yet as she struggled not to slip on the snow covered road in a desperate attempt to escape, her mind screamed at her that yes, they were real. They actually did exist. To her horror, she saw, out of her peripheral vision, more shadows leaping out from the surrounding trees and hurtling themselves at her. They gathered behind her, their decaying breath on the back of her neck, their claws picking away at the back of her parka.

  Her horror deepened when, despite her efforts, she lost her footing on the ice and fell flat on her face. Desperately scrambling to her feet, she suddenly vomited.

  Weakened and trapped, Cammie closed her eyes as she felt the creatures surround her. There was no longer any hope.

  The Giwakwas existed. And they were going to kill her.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Cammie felt their hands on her. Clawing at her, calling out her name. She screamed and screamed until her throat was raw. She couldn’t escape. She was going to die.

  “Cammie, it’s alright. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

  Through the fog in her brain, Cammie knew that voice. It promised sanctuary. She struggled towards it, whipping herself away from those horrid creatures that wanted to destroy her and capture her soul forever.

  “Honey, wake up. You’re safe, I promise.”

  Someone was shaking her. They had their arms on her. She struggled towards the surface, away from the darkness that held her and wouldn’t let go. If she could make it to the light, to that voice –

  With a gasp, Cammie abruptly opened her eyes. She didn’t know where she was. All she knew was that she was still in their grasp. She had to free herself in order to live. Please God, she wanted so much to live.

  “Cam, you’ve had some sort of nightmare.”

  Cammie felt hands envelope her face. Just as she was ready to scream again, Jace’s face appeared above hers.

  Oh no! They’ve got him too!

  Cammie scrambled to her feet, only to fall down. Once again, she felt arms enveloping her. Looking about her wildly, she saw Jace’s concerned face next to hers. She saw that it was his arms enveloping her. Behind Jace stood Doc and Rick, looking down at her with a mixture of concern and confusion. It took a few moments to register that she was not on Notch Road anymore, but in her room at Doc’s house. Yet the memory was still sharp, still too real. She remembered the clawing at her, the pain as her skin was shredded. She tore at her sleeves, willing herself to see the damage those things had inflicted on her. To her shock, her arms were fine. There were no marks, no blood, no scratches. Nothing.

  How was that possible?

  “Wha—what happened?” she whispered, shocked to discover how raw her throat felt. She could barely swallow past the pain.

  “Jace found you out on Notch Road and called it in,” Rick spoke up. “You were lying on the ground in front of your Explorer. It looked like you’d passed out. We brought you here to Doc’s house where you’ve been screaming and crying for the last few hours in some kind of delirious nightmare.”

  “Do
you remember what happened?” Doc asked.

  The images came back. The horrific mouth of teeth coming at her. The claws shredding her arms. It couldn’t have been a nightmare. It had to be real.

  She clambered to her feet and although the room spun, she forced herself to keep going.

  “Cammie, wait!” Jace cried out as he tried to grab her. She slipped out of his grasp and hurried down the stairs. Bursting out of the front door, she ignored the biting cold as she ran towards her Explorer, closely followed by Rick, Doc and Jace. She ran around the back of the vehicle and stopped short when she looked at the bumper.

  They’re gone! The claw marks I saw are gone!

  It was too much to try and comprehend. Weakness hit her, and she found herself sliding down onto the snow. Jace caught her and lifted her up in his arms.

  “Get her back inside quick,” Doc ordered. “The last thing we need is for her to catch pneumonia.”

  A few minutes later, Cammie found herself back in her bed.

  “Just what the hell was that all about?” Doc barked angrily as he felt her forehead with his hand.

  She couldn’t tell him. She couldn’t tell any of them. So she shook her head. “I – I thought I hit an animal,” she murmured. “I went out to look and I must have fainted or something.”

  Doc folded his arms tightly across his chest. “I told you, you were overdoing it.”

  “Now is not the time, Doc” Jace remarked in a tone that brooked no argument. Doc raised his eyebrow, but kept silent.

  “Thank God Jace was going down that road when he did, else you could have died of exposure,” Rick replied with a shudder.

  Through the muddle in her brain, Rick’s words caught her attention.

  “How did you know I was on Notch Road?” she asked Jace.