by James Hunt
“Thank you,” Amy said.
“Ma’am.” Martinez tipped his cap and then rejoined his partner.
Amy and Terry walked away, both speechless, until they reached the hotel lobby. Amy couldn’t take the silence any longer.
“Well?” Amy asked. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Terry pocketed his hands. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“I told you I saw someone down there, and then the police found remains.”
Terry didn’t look at her. “So, you heard a dead man talk?”
“Terry,” Amy stepped into his line of sight. “What more is it going to take for you to believe me?”
The elevator doors pinged open, and Terry stepped inside. “I’ll see you upstairs.”
The doors closed, leaving Amy alone in the lobby. She couldn’t believe it. Even after she had shown him proof, he wouldn’t admit that she was right.
But she found what little comfort she could in the knowledge that there was something down there. The police may not have found exactly what she’d seen, or heard, but it was a start. And she wasn’t going to stop until she knew the truth.
34
Most of the lights at Earth Core Mining headquarters had gone out, save for a few offices on the bottom floor and one corner office on the top floor. Mulaney sat at his desk, reviewing the latest submission of contracts from potential investors.
The stacks had grown so high that he could barely see over the top of them from his chair. He didn’t spend much time on them, skipping past the legal jargon that his lawyers would take care of and cutting right to the chase of the bottom line.
The numbers reflected in his eyes, transforming his pupils into dollar signs. He had started going through the proposals three hours ago, and the smile hadn’t left his face since he started, each bid growing higher and higher and higher…
A customary knock at the door preceded Bishop’s entrance, the knock soft for a man who stood six-and-a-half feet tall and weighed two-fifty. He was clean cut, an ex-military type, and now a gun for hire. Mulaney had found him a few years back working odd jobs for a security contractor who let him go after being too physical with a would-be attacker.
Bishop put the man in a hospital after trying to get an autograph from a well-known female celebrity. But while Bishop’s former employer saw a man with too much aggression, Mulaney saw a man who was willing to go the distance. He had hired Bishop immediately.
“I just got a call from our detail at the mine,” Bishop said. “Police found human remains. Fresh.”
“Fuck.” Mulaney tossed the proposal in his hand onto the desk but remained seated. “The security guards?”
“Hard to imagine it would be anyone else.” Bishop looked out of place in his fine tailored suit, muscles bulging from the fit.
“Get on the phone with whoever’s handling the medical examination at the hospital where they’re taking the remains. I want the names before the police have them. This can’t slow us down, so you talk to whoever you need to keep this buried until we break ground.” Mulaney drained the rest of the scotch and stood, adjusting the white dress shirt tucked into his slacks. “I’ll have our PR team draft a statement.” Mulaney walked toward the bar, but when Bishop didn’t leave, he paused. “Is there something else?”
“The remains were found by Amy Holloway,” Bishop said.
“The contractor’s wife?” He raised his eyes, surprised. He picked up the decanter and removed the stopper. “What did she tell the police?”
“She said she heard a voice, and saw a man,” Bishop said. “But he was alive.”
Mulaney chuckled, pouring the scotch into the glass and draining it. “Sounds like she’s still crazy.”
“Anything else, sir?” Bishop lingered at the door like a dog waiting to be released outside.
“No,” Mulaney answered, waving his hand dismissively. “Get it done.”
“Understood.” Bishop left, closing the door behind him.
One ring was all it took before Mulaney’s PR specialist answered. “We have a problem. They found human remains in the mine.” He shook his head. “No, it hasn’t been confirmed that it was our guys. I want a draft ready to go in thirty minutes.” He hung up, then walked over to the liquor cart and poured himself another drink.
They had searched the desert for the pair of missing security guards for two days. Officially, he had paperwork stating it was job abandonment.
But if the remains came back and confirmed that it was the pair of security guards that worked for his company, then it could open up a shitstorm that they wouldn’t be able to contain.
Mulaney sipped the scotch, tapping a finger against the glass, thinking about those protestors, one bitch in particular who had been a thorn in his side. She had gone to great lengths to try and discredit the EPA agent who Mulaney had paid off to lie about his findings, but she’d been unable to persuade anyone of power to join her cause.
He briefly entertained the idea that it might have been her who killed the guards, but jumping from activist to murderer was a leap for anyone to take.
Mulaney returned to his chair, still sipping and thinking. It was strange that Terry’s wife had found the remains. And while he hoped to use that to his advantage, he knew that the Indian bitch would try the same thing.
But there was another possibility that maybe the Indian bitch had already spoken to Terry’s wife. And maybe they bonded in the way that commiserating women did. And just maybe, she was able to convince Terry’s wife to come on her side of the picket line.
Now, that would be problematic. But Mulaney wouldn’t jump to conclusions until tomorrow. Right now, it was all about containment. He’d speak with Terry about it, and after that conversation, he would determine if the Holloways would be a problem that he would handle himself, or if he would have to pass it off to Bishop. Either way, it would be solved.
35
Dinner was a quiet affair. The Holloways’ table was probably the only one in Ghost Town’s cafeteria that was silent. The laughter from other families invaded their stoic meal like a slap in the face. The only one that attempted any sort of conversation was Maisie.
“Mom, do you think we can go for another horseback ride tomorrow?” Maisie asked.
Amy smiled. “We’ll see.” But she knew that Terry wouldn’t let her and the girls out of his sight, let alone go for a horseback ride.
The waitress returned with the check, and as Terry reached for his wallet, his phone buzzed.
“Maybe you can come too, Dad,” Maisie said. “You’ll have so much fun. There are so many cute horses, and, oh! Maybe we can see the sunset—”
“Probably not, sweetie,” Terry replied, staring at his phone, then glancing quickly around the restaurant.
“Everything all right?” Amy asked, noticing her husband’s behavior.
Terry placed his card on the table and then quickly pocketed his phone. “Yeah, um, I’m fine.” He pushed away from the table and stood. “I just need to step out for a minute. Work.”
Amy watched him weave through the tables and then head outside into the street and out of view.
“Mom?” Liz asked.
“Hmm?”
“Are we going to be heading back soon?” Liz kept the screen of her phone pressed against her chest. She had been on it all dinner, but Amy hadn’t wanted to make the mood even worse by making a fuss about her daughter’s mobile addiction.
“Yeah,” Amy answered. “As soon as we pay the check.” She smiled, but then glanced toward the door where Terry had left.
The waitress came back for the card and then returned it before Terry came back and Amy signed the receipt. Still no Terry.
The way he had gotten up so hastily was worrisome, and it didn’t fit with work. Something else was bothering him. “Stay here for a second, girls, I’m going to check on your father.” She stood and headed toward the door, stepping out onto the dimly lit street.
Amy glanced
left and right, but she found no sign of her husband. She crossed her arms, the desert chilly at night, and walked toward where they had parked. A few cars passed by, but when the noise of their engines faded, she heard heated whispers coming from an alleyway up ahead.
Amy slowed and slid up against the side of the building, inching toward the alley’s entrance. She paused at the building’s end and slowly craned her neck around the side, peering down the alleyway.
Terry had his back turned, blocking whoever he was speaking with. Their voices were low, but they were speaking fast, and judging from the sporadic hand gestures, whatever they were speaking about, they didn’t agree upon.
“Terry?” Amy asked, stepping into the alley.
He spun around, and Amy caught a glimpse of the person he was arguing with. It was a woman.
“Amy, I—”
“Is everything okay?” Amy headed into the alley, but the woman turned and walked away in the opposite direction. Amy stared at the back of the woman’s head as Terry intercepted her. “Who was that?”
“No one.” Terry grabbed her arm and pulled her from the alley, but she twisted away.
“What is going on, Terry?” Amy glanced back down the alley, but the woman was gone.
“I’m asking you to just drop it, okay?” Terry asked, and then headed back toward the restaurant.
But the secrecy, the sight of the woman, the fact that they hadn’t touched one another over three months pushed Amy past the point of complacency. “No!”
Terry stopped. He turned.
Amy couldn’t hide her trembling, but she didn’t try to. “I have spent the past three months trying to right a wrong, and I have been open and honest about everything that’s been running through my mind. Now it’s your turn, Terry.” She drew in a breath, walked to her husband, and squared her shoulders as she looked in his eyes. “Who was that woman?”
The longer the silence lingered between them, the harder it was for Amy to keep her composure. But when he finally spoke, the words broke her.
“We should go back to the hotel,” Terry said, and walked away.
Just before her legs gave out, Amy managed to lean against the building for support. It was like her innards had been carved out and splashed on the street, leaving her hollow.
When the girls came out, Amy tried to put herself together quickly.
Terry didn’t make any attempt at reconciliation on their walk back to the hotel. And he said nothing to her when they arrived back at the room, making a beeline for the bathroom, where he remained until Liz pestered him about needing to use it.
“All right, girls,” Amy said. “Lights out. Time for bed.” She tucked Maisie in but didn’t press her luck with Liz, settling for a simple goodnight.
Terry was in the bed, back turned to her, and Amy slid under the covers. She wished they had their own room. She wished that they could talk. Instead Amy lost herself in her mind, turning over every possibility of who that woman was and why she had felt like she had seen her before. Eventually her thoughts overwhelmed her, and she drifted into a restless sleep.
36
Liz checked the time on her phone, hoping that it wouldn’t take everyone much longer to fall asleep. She didn’t want to be late meeting Max. The pair had texted all during dinner, and they were to meet at midnight behind the cafeteria.
Her mother tossed and turned for a while, but eventually settled. She knew her father was asleep when he started snoring, and Maisie had passed out the moment the lights turned off.
Liz got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, giving her an excuse to double check that everyone was asleep. She then changed, checked her makeup, and texted Max that she was on her way.
Every step Liz took made the old floorboards of the room groan, and Liz winced each time. But she managed to grab the keycard from her mother’s purse and slipped out of the room without waking anyone up, her father’s snoring masking the noise from the floorboards.
Liz used the stairs instead of the elevator, not wanting to cause any additional noise, and was met with cool, dry air when she stepped out of the stairwell and into the alley between buildings.
The alley was narrow, and the noise of the air-conditioning units drowned out the sound of her footsteps as she rounded the corner on the backside of the building where she found Max.
“Hey,” Liz said, having to shout above the hum of the fans.
Max pushed himself off the back wall, already changed from his work clothes, wearing a tight-fitting shirt that clung to his physique.
“Hey,” Max said, stepping so close they were nearly touching. “You ready?”
“What are we doing?” Liz asked, giggling.
“C’mon.” Max grabbed her hand and whisked her down the backside of the buildings.
Liz smiled and laughed as she was pulled along for the ride. She hadn’t laughed all summer, at least not like this. Chase was the farthest thing from her mind.
The pair made sure the coast was clear before they sprinted from the last building in town and toward the mine. Police tape had been stretched over the entrance, but Liz was surprised when they passed it, instead heading around to the backside of the mine.
“Where are we going?”
Max smiled as he spun around. “I want to show you something.”
The excitement accelerated Amy’s heart rate, and she was breathless by the time they made it to the mine’s back entrance, stepping through a hole in a fence, and then weaving around old and rusted equipment.
“Through here,” Max said, leading Liz through a narrow gap between fresh plywood that they both had to squeeze past.
In the mine, Max brought his phone out, guiding them with its light. “There. See it?” He pointed to a section of the wall, which glimmered.
“Wow.” The word escaped Liz’s lips in a breathless whisper, and she touched the gold that was wedged in the rock. “It’s so beautiful.”
“I guess the place is still full of it,” Max said, glancing around. “Ghost Town is shutting down next month and a company is opening it back up. I’m hoping I can get a job when it does.”
Liz removed her hand and then turned to Max, grabbing hold of the muscles along his arms. “I’d give you a job.” She smiled and pressed against him when something sharp poked against her leg. “Ow.” She pulled back, staring down at his pants, eyebrow arched. “What is that?”
Max laughed nervously and then removed a small hammer and chisel. “I was going to carve some out for you.” He gestured to the gold. “You know, to remember me by.”
Liz tilted her head to the side. “That’s so sweet, but,” she glanced behind her, “are you allowed?”
“No,” Max said. “But I don’t mind breaking the rules for someone as beautiful as you.”
Hammer collided with chisel and small flecks of rock fell to the ground, but Liz kept her attention on the flexed muscles of Max’s arm.
Max picked up the tiny pieces of gold and placed them into a small glass vial, sealing them with a cork. He placed it in Liz’s palm and then closed her hand around it, then enclosed her hand in his. “Now you’ll never forget me.”
Liz pocketed the vial. Butterflies swirled in the pit of her stomach, a hot desire growing within her, and she pressed her lips against his, hard. She raked her fingers through his hair and down his back. She kissed him hungrily, her body awakening from a long slumber. She hadn’t gone all the way with anyone yet, but she’d done some stuff. And she was prepared to do more tonight.
A crash echoed within the depths of the mine, pulling them apart.
Frightened and breathless, Liz turned toward the darkness while Max kissed her neck. “What was that?”
“It was nothing,” he answered, working his way down her neck, but a second, larger crash finally caught his attention. “Shit.” He reached for the phone he’d dropped and then flashed it toward the depths. “It’s probably my friends. I told them I was meeting with you tonight.” He walked past her a few steps.
“Hey, assholes, get lost, will you? Go perv out somewhere else.”
Liz stepped backward, unsettled by the fact that they were being watched.
“Hey!” Max raised his voice and took another step. “I’m not playing around, guys! Get lost!”
Another crash. Closer. Liz shuddered, and she took a step back. “Max, c’mon, let’s just go.”
Max turned, flashing the light in her face. “Don’t worry, I’ll get them to leave.” He turned again, but this time instead of darkness, there was a man standing over him, his face disfigured and decayed, the horrific sight causing Max to drop the phone.
Liz covered her mouth and Max screamed, his bloodcurdling cries only overpowered by a terrible rumbling. She turned, running toward the exit, screaming herself. She tripped twice, skidding over rocks, cutting her knees and tearing her clothes. But she never stopped moving, not even after she squeezed her way out of the plywood and sprinted the length of the mine, back toward the town.
Exhausted, her knees aching, Liz collapsed in the middle of the street, sobbing hysterically. She didn’t know what she’d seen, what had just happened, but when she opened her mouth to ask for help from the attendant that had sprinted out of the hotel lobby, all that came out was a bloodcurdling scream.
37
Amy tossed and turned in her sleep, her wish for a dreamless slumber ruined by the repeated dream. She stumbled through darkness, shivering with cold, lost. She wandered around, speechless and blind, every attempt to speak thwarted by some constriction on her throat.
But there was something different about this dream. The darkness had taken the shape of the mine, and the voice whispered the same words she heard earlier in the day.
Blood for gold.
Amy shuddered. The voice was close, but she still couldn’t see inside the mine.
Your blood.
Amy worked her lips, trying to communicate, but there was nothing.
A hand clamped over her shoulder, and Amy spun around, facing the mangled death in front of her, that gold tooth standing out in the darkness like a lighthouse on the coast.