Heart of Ice (Deadman Series Book 6)

by Linell Jeppsen

  Chance nodded. “Yeah, that would be good. Pa gets pretty hopped up sometimes.”

  Hannah grinned. “Yes, I know. Um…do you want me to tell him and Annie what you saw last night or do you want to do it?”

  Chance looked like he was ready to fall asleep but his eyes opened wide at her query. “No, Hannah. Don’t tell him anything right now, please? He will want to pick it apart or even go after them himself!” He sighed. “Just tell him I’m worn out, which is the truth, and I’ll see him and Annie later.”

  Hannah leaned down and kissed the cheek that wasn’t covered with bandages. “You sleep now, honey,” she whispered. “We’ll talk this whole thing through again when you’re feeling better.” She smiled down at him, adding, “I love you, husband.”

  She saw that he had already fallen asleep and blinked back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She had no doubt that Chance believed he’d been attacked by monsters the previous evening, but what was she supposed to think? Hannah did not believe in spooks or evil spirits—never had. There was enough trouble in the world without adding old wives’ tales and monsters to the list.

  She secretly thought that maybe Chance had been attacked by a frenzied bear; that when he fell off his horse, he was knocked unconscious and dreamed the monsters into existence. Stranger things had happened…

  Stepping out into the hall, she saw Matthew and Annie huddled by the door and ready to go in. She said, “He’s sleeping now, sir. I think he really needs to rest, although he said he looks forward to seeing you when he wakes up.”

  Matthew stepped inside anyway but Annie paused and took Hannah’s hand. “Is he all right, dear? Really?”

  “Yes,” Hannah replied. “He’ll be fine, physically, once he gets some rest and recovers his strength. He is very upset though by what happened. Hopefully that too will pass once he feels better.”

  Annie’s gaze grew sharp as she took in Hannah’s words but she nodded and sat down in a chair next to Jacob.

  Matthew stood by the side of Chance’s bed and stared down at his son’s face. There was a new bandage on his cheek and large purple circles under his eyes. Other than that, he looked to be in one piece. He let out a long, shuddering breath as his shoulders slumped with relief.

  “He’s okay… it’s going to be all right,” he murmured softly.

  “Yes, dearest. He’s going to be fine.” Annie was standing by his side and she took his hand in hers. “Let’s go out now, maybe grab a bite to eat, and let him rest. Okay?”

  Matthew nodded silently and followed his wife out of the room.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Truth

  Chance sat back in his chair and stared at the expressions on his loved ones’ faces. They were now home after Chance, his wife, and his parents had boarded the train and traveled from North Idaho back to Granville.

  Before they had left the day before, Chance had taken Jacob aside and said, “I want you and the rest of the family to come to the ranch… please?”

  Jacob looked appalled. “But what about the strike? You know we just found a huge load of silver in the mine shaft.”

  Chance had nodded. “Yes, I know that, sir, but there is danger there. Don’t you see? Those things I saw were only about six miles away from your house!”

  Jacob had been told what Chance thought he saw the night he was attacked. Yet, for his part, he believed that his son-in-law had been knocked silly and had manufactured demons in his head. They might have seemed as real as could be to Chance, but Jacob knew there were no such things as monsters… unless you counted human beings and their monstrous deeds into the equation.

  Jacob had said he would think about it but Chance knew the old man was just paying lip service; that he had no intention of leaving his home or newfound wealth in gold and silver ore.

  Now, watching the expressions on his family’s faces, his heart sank. Annie was not looking at him at all but had chosen to write in her ever-present notebook rather than meet his eye; Matthew appeared worried; and Hannah was busy destroying yet another innocent hankie. His sister Abby was studying his face as though he had just sprouted a second nose.

  His brother Samuel, however, was grinning. “Got your bell rang pretty good, little brother. Right?” he smirked.

  Chance sat up with an offended frown and snapped, “I’m going to ring your bell if you laugh at me and what I’m telling you.”

  Matthew murmured, “Sam, take it easy, alright?”

  Sam looked ashamed of himself. He loved his little brother and knew that Chance was not prone to telling tall tales. Still, he thought, two huge and skinny monsters that wanted to eat him but took off in fright instead?

  “Sorry, Chance. Didn’t mean it,” he mumbled in apology.

  Chance sat back with a wince of pain. His shoulder was knitting itself back together just fine but it was still sore. And it didn’t help that the same shoulder had almost been broken in two just a couple of months earlier when he got into the ring with a dirty boxer.

  Abby, who loved her youngest brother dearly, said, “Chance, honey, our minds come up with all sorts of crazy things when he get knocked unconscious. You know that, right?”

  Chance closed his eyes and tried to keep his temper in check. “Abby, believe me, I was wide awake when it happened. After they took off, I passed out but I know what I saw was real.”

  His bright green eyes were blazing and his unbandaged cheek had blushed red in frustration. Abby held up her hands in surrender and glanced sideways at her father for guidance.

  Matthew didn’t quite know what to think but he had faith in his son. So if Chance said he’d seen two supernatural creatures on his way to his in-law’s home, his father was bound—through love and trust—to believe him. Still, it was a hard pill to swallow. He was thinking about calling a halt to the “family meeting” when Hannah cleared her throat.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking about something I heard the other day…”

  “What did you hear, honey?” Chance was happy to divert his family’s hot gaze in another direction.

  “Well, although I sometimes think Prudence Williams tells outlandish stories to make herself seem important, she told me a bunch of people have turned up missing in the valley the last couple of months.”

  The young woman took a deep breath, adding, “Like I said, Prudie has this tendency to stretch the truth a lot but her father backed her up this time. Seems there is an Army lookout between my folk’s house and the town of Wallace. Three young Army privates were stationed there and now they’re all gone. Thing is, they were all good soldiers and looking forward to their new commissions. They didn’t seem like the sort of men who would desert their post.”

  “Also,” she continued, “one old man named Trevor McKensey never came home from his hay field last week. His sons—who went out to search for him—came up missing as well.” She sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know if I’m just adding fuel to the fire but Prudie, and her pa, assured me that the man who went missing was a devout Christian, a loving husband, and a devoted father. In other words, not the kind of man to just up and leave.”

  Chance was staring at her with his mouth open, and Matthew seemed to have gone on high alert. “Where does this Prudie live, Hannah?” Matthew asked.

  “In Wallace, sir. Do you want me to call her up and see if you can meet with her and her father?” Hannah looked as if she wished she had never brought up the subject.

  “Can you do that? Do you know her telephone number?” Annie asked. Her news-hound instincts had just been jolted awake and she was staring at Hannah, too.

  “Well,” Hannah answered, “I don’t know her specific telephone number but her father is the pastor for the Presbyterian Church. Surely we could get a hold of Rev. Williams and arrange a meeting?”

  Matthew stood up. “Would you please do that, dear? I don’t like to hear about folks coming up missing. I think things like that normally spell trouble.”

  Hannah got up and went i
nto the hallway to place the call, and Abby and her brother Sam took their leave after hugs and affectionate cuffs to show Chance their love.

  Chance, meanwhile, looked exhausted. He hadn’t slept well the night before and that lack was catching up to him now. Noticing the young man’s hollow-eyed stare, Matthew said, “Chance, why don’t you go upstairs and catch a few winks?”

  Chance glanced up and nodded. “Yes, I think I need a little more sleep to function properly.” He stood up and paused.

  “Pa? If you do find out something and decide to take action, please let me come along and help, okay? Don’t go out there by yourself.” He looked almost ill with worry and he stared into his father’s eyes for reassurance.

  Matthew nodded. “I won’t, son. Not without you, I promise.”

  Satisfied, Chance turned and made his way slowly up the stairs to the bedrooms. His shoulders were hunched and his head bowed like a man twice his age. As Matthew watched his son’s slow progress, he remembered a quote he had read recently.

  He had never been a big reader of books and novels. For one thing, he rarely found time for such idle activity and, for another, he had found more than enough drama in his own life to seek out more for entertainment’s sake.

  However, after meeting Annie Thurston and hearing her gush about some of her favorite writers, he had started reading a page or two in the evenings, both for amusement and as a means to relax. Recently, he had started to read the work of an author by the name of Conan Doyle from Scotland. Specifically, a number of books the man had written about a private investigator named Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, the intrepid Dr. Watson.

  Thinking about the preposterous tale Chance had shared with his family this morning, and knowing just how practical and “down to earth” his son normally was, made Matthew recall one of his favorite quotes:

  “When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains—however improbable—must be the truth.”

  Although it was easy to dismiss his son’s story as pure fancy, Matthew knew Chance; he knew that his boy was practically incapable of such a tall tale as being attacked by supernatural monsters. He also knew just how embarrassed Chance was at sharing his experience with the family but, being inherently honest, was compelled to report what had happened.

  Well, Matthew thought, whatever happened to my son must be investigated. Whether it be monsters, or men, no one is allowed to hurt and torment innocent travelers… not in my neck of the woods anyway.

  With that thought in mind, Matthew went to find Hannah to see if she had been able to secure an interview with the Presbyterian pastor and his daughter.

  *

  About an hour later, Chance sat up in bed with a gasp. He had been sleeping heavily but a nightmare had come to visit his healing slumber. Somehow his subconscious mind had resurrected something he had temporarily forgotten.

  He remembered the monster’s horrible red gaze with vivid clarity, but now he also recalled how the one beast’s eyes had turned green as it whispered, “SIIIIRRRR!”

  It had pointed at Chance’s belly in awe and barely suppressed excitement but, at that time, he had been too terrified to understand what the beast was trying to convey. Now though, in the cold light of day, Chance understood.

  The monster was not pointing at his belly but at his new belt buckle and the word it had uttered…Chance spoke the word out loud, “Silver.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Decision

  The next day, after promising Chance they would go no further than downtown Wallace, Matthew and Hannah left on the train to meet with Prudence and her father, Pastor Williams.

  They made it to town by 10:00 a.m. and walked down Main Street toward a pretty whitewashed church building. A middle-aged man was outside kneeling over a row of rose bushes with a set of wicked-looking shears in one hand and a burlap bag in the other.

  With his shirtsleeves rolled past his elbows and blood from the rose’s thorns staining his hands and forearms red, he looked more like a lumberjack than a man of God. Watching them approach, he wiped his brow and asked, “You the investigator?”

  Matthew took off his hat and answered, “Yes, sir. My name is Matthew Wilcox and this is my daughter-in-law, Hannah.”

  “Good morning, Pastor. Is Prudie in?” Hannah asked with a sunny smile.

  “Good morning, dear,” he replied with a hard stare. “So my nitwit daughter has been filling your head with tall tales, has she?”

  Hannah’s smile died at the stormy look on the minister’s face.

  “Sir, Prudie told me that both of you have heard about a rash of disappearances in this area. My father-in-law is here to investigate, that’s all. I do hope, though, that I haven’t gotten Prudie in any trouble.”

  The man’s face fell and some of the anger seemed to drain from his voice.

  “Hannah, Prudie’s big mouth is the cause of my discontent not your phone call. I will be happy to share any information I have with you and Mr. Wilcox but Prudie won’t be sitting with us today. She is in her room, reflecting upon the sinfulness of loose tongues.”

  Glancing at the taller man, Reverend Williams stuck out a hand and said, “Please excuse my ill temper, sir. I am Timothy Williams. My Prudence is a good girl but not a comely one like your Hannah. She seems to think she can talk herself into friendship and society but doesn’t understand that her own loose lips make her into an utter fool more often than not. Rest assured, this argument between us has occurred more than once.”

  Gesturing toward the front door of the small church, he added, “Please, come inside. Before she was sent to her room, Prudie made her special apple cake for you. We’ll sit down and talk in my office.”

  Hannah felt terrible. It was true that Prudie talked too much and too often, and that she was no beauty as she looked far more like her burly father than the petite, dark-haired woman in the picture on the wall in the Williams’ sitting room. Still, she was as smart as a whip and truly a sweet girl.

  Privately wondering if Matthew’s wife Annie might have room in her news office for a bright young woman who loved to tell stories, Hannah sat down next to her father-in-law and listened to the two men talk. At one point, the pastor stood up and brought his guests a cup of coffee and a slice of his daughter’s cake.

  Matthew’s eyes lit up after he took a bite, “My compliments to the cook. I have never tasted anything quite like this,” he exclaimed.

  Williams smiled with pride. “After my dear Dolores died, Prudie took over her mother’s duties including baking for the congregation, playing the piano, and leading the choir.” He looked down for a moment and continued, “Believe me when I say, I love my girl and am proud of her, too. She just needs to keep her tongue in her mouth.”

  Setting his plate down, he added, “As I was saying, those six men are the only ones I know of that have gone missing but there has been a lot of talk lately.”

  “What kind of talk, Pastor?” Matthew asked.

  Timothy shook his head. “Well…the disappearances, of course, and some folks are saying they’ve seen bright red eyes hovering up in tree branches. Now that sounds crazy to me and I think stories like that should be discounted. Those are the tales my daughter likes to spread around but that kind of talk just leads to public panic.”

  He frowned for a moment and continued. “One thing I do believe is people - all sorts of folks from around this valley - have been hearing an ungodly howling at sunset and later in the dark of night.”

  Hannah and Matthew glanced at one another in alarm. Chance had spoken of the creature’s red eyes and unearthly screams unlike anything he had ever heard or dreamt of. Could these be the same sounds and creatures he had made contact with?

  Pastor Williams saw his guests’ reaction and asked, “Mr. Wilcox, has someone you know heard these howls as well?”

  Matthew nodded. “Yes, sir. My son ran afoul of something a couple of nights ago on his way to the Lindsay’s home. He said the screech almost shattered h
is eardrums.”

  Williams looked at both of them before asking Matthew, “Is your boy okay?”

  “Yes, he’ll be fine,” Matthew replied.

  Turning to Hannah, the pastor asked, “Where is your family now?”

  Hannah stared down at her hands and answered, “They are at the house, working the claim.”

  The pastor nodded. “Well, I think they should leave there for now, don’t you? If nothing else, it sounds like a very dangerous animal is on the prowl up there.”

  “I agree, sir,” she said then asked Matthew, “Couldn’t we go there next? I know Chance told my pa to leave but he said no. Maybe, if we tell him and the family to leave, they will. Pa listens to you.”

  Matthew already knew he was going to make the trek east to the Lindsay’s home but he needed to do it without Hannah. She wasn’t going to like it and neither was Chance but, at this point, Jacob was putting his whole family at risk. Knowing that this was a discussion for later, he shook his head slightly and murmured, “We’ll talk about it a little later, okay?”

  Hannah studied her father-in-law’s face and knew she wasn’t going to agree with what Matthew had to say. But she also realized that what he wanted would happen whether she liked it or not. Knowing that obedience was her only choice, she sat back with a sigh.

  “Can you tell me where the closest military office is located?” Matthew asked the pastor.

  Williams nodded. “Sure…it’s about five blocks down Main Street, just this side of the railroad depot.”

  “Good. We’ll go there next and see what the commander has to say about his missing soldiers.” Standing up, Matthew stuck out his hand. “I want to thank you for your time, sir.”

  Williams smiled and shook Matthew’s hand, “It was my pleasure. Also, hearing that your son experienced something similar makes me feel some regret at being so harsh with my daughter.”