Paradox Valley

by Gerri Hill

  “So you think they hit the…the spaceship, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And we’re hoping it’s not like…radioactive and stuff…right?”

  Corey grinned. “Oh, yeah…hoping like hell.” She gave the horse a kick. “Let’s push on.”

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Dana felt a sense of relief when they finally reached the small county road. As Cat Creek left the canyon and entered the valley—Lion Valley—scrub brush disappeared, replaced by trees and grass. Even though she didn’t make it home much anymore, this, at least, was familiar to her. They left the creek and followed the road, heading toward the tiny dirt lane that would take them to her parents’ farm.

  “We’re close, right?”

  “Yes,” she said. “A few more miles.” She motioned to the dog in Corey’s lap. “How’s he doing?”

  “He appears to be comfortable,” Corey said. “One of us might as well be.”

  Dana smiled, knowing Corey was teasing. She had been the one to insist that Lucky ride. It had been a long day, and Lucky’s pace had slowed considerably. Getting him onto her lap was no easy task, but he seemed happy with the change.

  “Have I mentioned lately how hungry I am?”

  Corey laughed. “This makes eight times, I believe. Maybe your mother will have something. I’m a little hungry myself.”

  Dana’s smile faded. “I hope she’s okay. It seems like I’ve been gone for a month.”

  “I know.”

  Dana turned to her. “When this is over with, am I going to see you again?”

  Corey shrugged. “Seattle is a long way from here. Besides, you know, you have a marriage proposal to deal with.”

  Dana rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me. Of course, I’m sure she thinks I’m not answering my phone on purpose. Maybe she’s gotten the message.”

  Corey watched her, and Dana finally turned from her stare, wondering what thoughts were going through her mind.

  “If you aren’t in love with her and have no intention of marrying her, why didn’t you just tell her that when she asked? Why run?”

  Dana bit her lower lip. Yeah…why had she run? She glanced over at Corey and gave an almost apologetic shrug.

  “I panicked,” she said. “I think—in the back of my mind—I was afraid I’d say yes.”

  Corey raised an eyebrow questioningly.

  Dana wondered if now was the right time to be having this conversation. No, of course it wasn’t. She continued on, nonetheless.

  “Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve had this…this vision of who my mate would be. I didn’t know I was gay when I was that age, obviously, but I was aware that my image of this person was genderless.” She glanced at Corey again, smiling. “When I got older, this vision that I had in my head…in my heart…was no longer genderless. She became my Dream Girl.” She laughed. “Silly, I know.”

  Corey smiled too but said nothing.

  “Every year that passed…every year I got older, I began to fear that I’d never find her.”

  “So you were ready to give up?”

  “No. At least I don’t think so. But how long is long enough?” she asked. “How long should I search for this person before I accept that I might never find her?”

  “So you were afraid you’d settle for Kendra?” Corey guessed.

  Dana remembered the very brief conversation she’d had with Kendra. “I was so shocked when she asked me; I was actually speechless for several seconds. And when I did speak, I blurted out exactly what I was thinking, ‘Are you out of your mind?’” she recalled with a laugh. But her smile vanished. “I think she was so sure I’d say yes that it was her turn to be speechless.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Anyway, it was an awful ending to the date and that night, as I lay in bed—alone—I was having a hard time picturing my Dream Girl and I feared I was losing her.” Dana looked over at Corey, who was watching her. “And I was afraid I’d say yes. So I ran.”

  Corey’s stare never wavered. “And now?” she asked quietly.

  Dana held her gaze. “And now I don’t want to settle. I want…I want my Dream Girl.”

  Corey nodded. “Then I hope you find her.”

  “I hope she lets me find her,” Dana countered, her eyes never leaving Corey’s.

  * * *

  “Here’s the lane to the house,” Dana said. “Hard to believe that it was only what? Nine? Ten days ago that I left here.”

  “Yeah. A hell of a lot has happened,” Corey said. She looked over at Dana. “And we need to be careful.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No offense to your parents, because I don’t know them, but after this much time, they might be Richard Filmore crazy,” she said.

  Dana laughed. “My father is nothing like Richard Filmore. He won’t be guarding the house with a rifle.”

  Dana sounded confident, but Corey wasn’t so sure. It had been nearly two weeks without power, without communication. That kind of stress sometimes made people do crazy things. Of course, being out here alone, without the influence of a paranoid storekeeper like Richard Filmore, might mean they were still operating like there’s nothing out of the ordinary going on. If you ignored the explosion of the missile strike, that is.

  “What? Are you worried he’s going to shoot us?” Dana asked.

  “It’s crossed my mind,” she said truthfully.

  “Corey, I promise, they’re normal people. But if you’re worried, let me ride up first,” Dana said.

  “I think Lucky’s going to beat you to it,” she said, motioning to the dog that was trotting up to the house ahead of them. Since his ride on the horse earlier, he seemed to have replenished his energy level. Unfortunately, there was no creek for him to play in here.

  Dana pulled her horse to a stop where the lane ended and the yard began. The house was a smaller ranch-style with a long porch on the front that wrapped around to the back. A porch swing hung on one side and, while inviting, she wondered how often it got used.

  “Mom?” Dana called as she slipped off her horse. “Dad?”

  Corey got down too, and she held the reins loosely in her hand as she looked around.

  “Mom?” Dana called again as she hurried up to the porch.

  The front door was open, leaving only the screen door as a barrier. Dana opened it, then paused to look back at her. Corey noticed the worried look in her eyes.

  “Maybe they’re out back,” she suggested.

  Instead of going inside, Dana let the screen door close again and she walked back over to her.

  “I’m scared. What if—”

  “Let’s go around back,” she said.

  They led the horses behind them and went around the side of the house to the back. As at many of the farms they’d been to, the barn wasn’t far from the house. The back porch was larger than the front and looked like it had been added on to over the years, making a deck out in the yard. She saw an old cast-iron smoker and a gas grill next to it. They both looked well-used.

  “Mom?” Dana called.

  Corey saw movement to the side of the barn and tensed as chickens ran around the corner. Lucky’s ears perked up, and Corey put a hand out, touching his head. He barked once when a woman came into view. She looked startled, then a smile lit her face.

  “Mom!” Dana ran toward her and Corey relaxed again.

  “Dana! Oh, my. I’m so glad to see you,” she said as they embraced.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Of course. I told you we’d be fine. Took longer for the power to come back on than we’d thought, but we made out just fine.”

  Corey’s eyebrows shot up. “The power’s back on?” She looked at her watch, shocked to see it working again. Had the missile strike done that?

  “Yes. Came back on about an hour ago, maybe two.” She and Dana walked closer and Corey noticed the suspicious look in her eyes. “Who are you? And where’s Butch?”

  “Mom…this is Corey. Butch is…he’s fine.” Dan
a looked around. “Where’s Dad?”

  “He just got back. He’s inside,” she said, motioning to the house.

  Dana and Corey exchanged a quick glance. “Back from where?” Dana asked.

  “He went over to Joe and Fredda’s yesterday.” Dana’s mother clasped her hands together, wringing them. “And I’m worried sick,” she said.

  “Who is Joe and Fredda?” Corey asked.

  “Butch’s parents,” Dana explained. “My dad and Joe are brothers. Mom and Fredda are sisters.” Dana stilled her mother’s hands. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

  “I know something’s happened. I can feel it. And your father won’t say. He came back and has hardly said a word to me. I don’t know if Fredda and Joe are okay. He didn’t say a word about George and Tina. You know they were still staying with them.”

  “How…how long has he been back?” Dana asked.

  “Just a little while before you got here. I came out to see if I could find some eggs. I thought I’d bake up something special since the power’s back on.”

  Dana ran her fingers through her hair nervously. “I…I went to the door. I called out,” she said. “No one answered. Is he…is he all right? Does he seem like himself?”

  Dana’s mother shook her head. “He won’t talk to me. And I know he got into something. He’s got bloodstains on his shirt and he acts like he doesn’t even know where it came from. That’s why I know something’s wrong. Something must have happened to Joe and Fredda. And Irene and Paul…we haven’t seen them in two days. I’ve been a nervous wreck. Something—”

  “I’ll go take a look,” Corey offered.

  Dana grabbed her arm. “Take Lucky.”

  She met Dana’s worried eyes. “You and your mother stay here.”

  Dana stared at her. “I should…I should go with you.”

  “Stay here,” she said firmly, then glanced at her mother. “Stay with your mom.”

  “Wait,” Dana’s mother said. “Why do you have a gun?” She had a puzzled look on her face as she looked between them. “What’s going on, Dana?”

  “I can’t explain now. We need to check on Dad first.”

  Corey hesitated, looking back at Dana, meeting her gaze once again. Sadness filled her eyes, and she knew Dana was fighting back tears. But Dana squared her shoulders and nodded.

  “Be careful,” Dana whispered.

  “What’s going on?” her mother demanded.

  “Let’s go back to the barn, Mom.”

  “No! I want to know what’s going on.”

  “Mrs. Ingram…please, stay here,” she said.

  Her mother stared at Dana. “Dana? What’s going on? Who is she?”

  “Mom…please,” Dana begged. “Just trust me.”

  Corey took a deep breath, then headed to the back porch, Lucky right at her heels. God, she didn’t want to do this. But it was all too familiar. Just like Hal. Just like the soldier in Jean’s barn.

  She went up on the porch. There were two doors and she chose the one closest to her, pulling open the screen door. It was quiet and dark inside. She paused, then walked in, beckoning for Lucky to follow. The dog seemed to understand, and he padded in front of her, his ears alert as he looked around the kitchen. She reached out, flipping on the light switch and the overhead bulb came on, chasing the shadows away. The kitchen was neat and tidy, although pots were out on the stove, ready to be used for dinner. A sound out in the hallway pulled her gaze from the stove.

  She tilted her head, listening. She slowly moved her hand to her holster and unclipped the leather strap, taking out her weapon. Lucky growled low in his throat, and she felt her adrenaline kick in, felt her senses come alive as she crept quietly to the door.

  She swallowed nervously as she took another step, then paused as Lucky brushed by her, his growl louder now. He went out into the hallway, his growl turning into a sharp bark.

  “Mr. Ingram?” she called. “You there?”

  Lucky’s barking turned vicious, a sound Corey recognized, and she tightened her grip on her gun. She went out into the hallway, finding Lucky, the hair on his back standing at attention. It was a short hallway and it opened up into the living room. The shadows were heavy inside, despite the glow from a lamp on an end table.

  “Mr. Ingram?” she called again.

  Lucky’s incessant barking took on a frantic sound, and as Corey rounded the corner into the living room…she gasped, her heart nearly stopping dead in its tracks.

  “Jesus Christ,” she murmured.

  * * *

  Something was wrong. She could feel it.

  “Dana, why in the world would that woman let that dog into my house? You know how I feel about that.”

  Dana held her hand up. “Mom…stop.”

  She stared at the house, trying to decide what to do. Lucky’s bark—it was different. It sounded panicked.

  “I will not stop. You’re acting very strange.” Her mother started walking toward the house. “If you won’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll find out for myself. What is she? Law enforcement or something?”

  Dana grabbed her mother’s arm and pulled her to a stop. “Yes. Something like that,” she said. She went to her horse and opened her bag, taking out the gun Corey had given her.

  “What in the world?” her mother asked, her voice high-pitched with shock. “You hate guns.”

  Dana ignored her as she ran toward the house. “Stay here!”

  “The hell I will!”

  Dana knew Corey had gone into the kitchen, but Lucky’s barks were farther back in the house. She went to the living room door instead, pausing to catch her breath before opening it…pausing to try to calm her nerves somewhat. She felt her mother come up behind her, and she turned to her, meeting her gaze.

  “Something is wrong,” she whispered.

  “Your father—”

  “No. I don’t think Dad’s here.”

  “Of course he is. I told you—”

  “Please trust me. I’m begging you…please, just trust me.”

  Her mother stared at her for the longest time, then finally nodded. Dana blindly reached for her mother’s hand and squeezed her fingers briefly before opening the door.

  The barking was louder now, and she walked inside, her gun held out in front of her. The stench hit her immediately and she only barely resisted covering her nose and mouth.

  “What on God’s green earth is that smell?” her mother whispered.

  Dana felt her heart pounding in her chest, and she was aware of the gun trembling in her hand. There were four of them, all standing along the back wall, watching Corey and Lucky.

  Her father. A soldier. An older man she’d never seen before. And Richard Filmore.

  They turned when she walked fully into the room, all now staring right at her as if they’d forgotten Corey and Lucky were even there.

  “Get the hell out of here!” Corey yelled.

  Everyone seemed to move at once and she fired her weapon at the same time Corey did. Unfortunately, they’d both taken aim at Richard Filmore, their shots sending him tumbling back against the wall.

  Her mother screamed loudly behind her, and Dana turned, shooting the soldier as he reached for her mother. She swung back around, but Corey’s shot had taken out the other man, sending him sprawling to the floor. She stared in shock as her father grabbed both Corey and Lucky at the same time, flinging them into the hallway wall so violently that the pictures hanging there fell from their hooks.

  Everything slowed to a crawl, and she was amazed at the clarity. A picture of her and Butch was the last to fall, and she watched as it hit the floor, the glass shattering upon impact. Corey and Lucky lay in a heap and seconds passed as slowly as minutes. Her mother’s screams faded to the background as her father turned to her, his angry eyes boring into hers.

  She held her gun up, pointing it at him, her hands shaking so badly she couldn’t take a shot. He took a step toward her, his mouth quivering, as if trying to smile. It came out as
a snarl instead.

  As he took another step toward her, she fired, missing badly. Her mother’s screams started again, and she felt her mother try to pull her back and she shook her off. Taking a deep breath, she grasped the gun with both hands, pulling the trigger three times in quick succession, all three hitting her father in the chest. He fell to his knees, then back…finally stilling.

  “Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” her mother shrieked as she flew to her father, cradling his head as her tears fell. She looked at Dana accusingly. “What have you done?”

  Dana bolted into action, running past her mother to Corey. She rolled her over, seeing blood seeping from her mouth.

  “Corey,” she whispered.

  She was relieved to hear Corey moan, and she wiped at the blood, seeing a cut on her lip. She touched her face gently, then turned to glance at her mother. Her wails filled the house and Dana went to her, trying to pull her up.

  “Get away from him,” she said.

  Her mother slapped at her hands, her eyes wild. “You shot him!” she screamed.

  “Get away from him!” Dana said forcefully, pulling her mother with her.

  “You killed him!”

  Dana grabbed her mother’s shoulders and shook her. “That’s not him!” she yelled.

  Her mother slammed her hands into Dana’s chest, hitting her hard as she screamed, tears running down her face. Dana tried to still her hands but failed as her mother’s palm caught her across the cheek.

  “Goddamn it!” she yelled, pushing her mother back forcefully against the wall. “It’s not him!” She pointed at the man lying on the floor, the man who looked like her father. “It’s not him,” she said again, softer now. “Look,” she pointed. “There’s no blood.”

  As they both looked at him, his arm began to twitch. Dana stared in amazement as he sat up, lifting his head to look at them. His eyes were black and lifeless and this time when her mother screamed, it wasn’t with grief and sorrow. No, this time it was with fear.

  Dana lifted her arm, about to shoot him again when another shot rang out, the bullet ripping through his head. She turned away from the body, gathering her mother in her arms, trying to calm her as she shielded her from the sight of her husband lying on their living room floor.