by John Mathews
“Ya, dad was being crazy. I almost cried because he yelled at me like that.”
“Exactly. I was almost completely undone. But I kept my cool and told Stephen not to worry and that everything is gonna be ok. That’s the kind of person that I am, Maria. I make people feel good when they need to. I gave your father comfort each and every time that he got down. And I got on to him hard for yelling at you.”
Maria looked confused. “But I don’t remember you even saying anything when that happened, Tammy. Dad went psycho and then I thought you just sat down for dinner. You ignored me even though I was upset.”
“Ah, but you don’t know what happened. See, I was also speaking with Stephen’s therapist privately. And he gave me strict methods on how to help Stephen so I had to listen. I was not allowed to speak up when Stephen was going into a rage. That would only add fuel to the fire. I had to let him calm down first and then have a quiet, patient talk with him alone. And that’s exactly what happened that night. After we finished dinner, you went upstairs to do your homework. Stephen and I went into our room and had a long talk about him managing his anger. And I told him that he loves you too much to scream at you like that. And he needs to behave more like the gentleman that he is. Right? Doesn’t that make sense?”
Maria sat still for a moment. Dad and Tammy went to therapy together, how could she speak to the doctor alone? And dad told me that we all had to work on Tammy’s mood swings and constant craving for attention. It was dad that didn’t want to talk to her when he was upset, not the other way around. And then there were her headaches which she didn’t want to take any medicine for. She nodded sheepishly.
“And what changed that next week, Maria? Stephen was a lot nicer, now wasn’t he? And he took you out for ice cream after school to make up for acting so bad, right? See because of me helping him, Stephen was starting to worry less and enjoy things more. This is what is called tough love. Not giving in to someone else’s problems when they are angry. And do you know why Stephen always worried so much, Maria? Do you know why he always was so stressed out and had so much anxiety?”
Dad got stressed out much more AFTER Tammy entered his life. He always had to keep his anger held inside so as not to argue with Tammy. And she was the one who had a bad temper. Maria shrugged. “No, why?”
“Because he was always scared of something. Before he met me, he never thought he could get a beautiful girl. He never had no confidence in himself. Your mother didn’t even want you or to stay with Stephen. She was nothing but a selfish bitch. He was scared of being alone in his life. And when he sold his first business he was scared of what he would do next. Also he didn’t trust nobody in business and thought they were all gonna steal from him. Remember all the times he told us about thieves in business?”
“Ya, I remember. But I thought dad worked with friends that he knew and trusted.”
“Well sure, sometimes he did. But even they could turn on him. When it comes to money, there ain’t nobody that you can trust no matter what, Maria.” Tammy smiled gently, patting Maria on the leg. “And everyone knew how rich Stephen was. They were envious and jealous of him. Everyone that knew Stephen wanted to live his lavish lifestyle. So after a time, they were trying to get his money too. And he was terrified that he could lose a lot of money in a short amount of time. Even though he had so damn much, the thought of losing any to someone else scared him shitless. So that is why he needed to start the therapy sessions. And I had to keep calm in every way to help Stephen be less angry. But the problem was that his fears were from when he was a kid. Stephen had been scared really bad as a little boy and never got over it.”
Maria looked up inquisitively. “When did he get scared? What happened?”
“I don’t know everything that happened. But when he was little, his father got real mad and shoved Stephen against the wall. He got hurt and broke his arm in two places. Do you remember that?”
“Yes, but dad said that he broke his arm in a water skiing accident.”
“Well sure that is what he done told you, Maria. He didn’t want you to know that your granddad had hurt him. But that is what happened. He told me all about it and swore me to secrecy. But I knew he needed help ‘cause ever since then he told me that he can’t get over simple fears. Things that he should not even worry that much about make him feel awful. Think about a time when another child at school made fun of you. How did that make you feel? Did you go tell one of your teachers right away? No, you would keep it to yourself so you don’t feel embarrassed. Well, what happened to Stephen was way more embarrassing than that. And you know how important his reputation is to him. So he never told anyone about what happened until he told me and Dr. Baker.”
Dad told me details about that accident and there is no way he would have lied to me. He was water skiing when the boat hit a patch of rocks in the lake. And grandpa was so nice all the time I can’t imagine him hitting anyone. “Wow, poor dad. I wish I knew about that. I really never knew that grandpa would hurt someone like that.”
Tammy grinned from ear to ear. “Well see, Maria, you never really know someone as good as you think you do. Almost all people have a dark side. And to be terrorized as a little kid is really difficult. That is what the doctor told me. I even had a terrible thing happen to me when I was younger that scared me a lot. Do you know what that was?
“No, what?”
“I know I done told you about this once before, Maria. I had a little brother born when I was twelve. He was unfortunate enough to be born with a genetic breathing problem. After just a day in the hospital he died. All of my other siblings are girls. That was my one chance to have a little brother and I lost it. I was so sad and down for a while because of that. But I was strong and overcame that fear and sadness. I became a better person as a result of that tragedy.”
Maria nodded.
“So Dr. Baker came up with an idea to fix your dad of all his problems. A way to make Stephen never get scared again easily and have no fears or anxiety about anything anymore. Do you want to know what the plan was?”
“Yes. What was it?”
“That is what this whole getaway trip right here is for. I wanted to bring Stephen to an isolated place, away from everyone and everything. A place to forget about all of his problems and fears. So I chose to bring him up here – with the advice from the good doctor of course. The anniversary weekend was perfect. His idea was that if we can help Stephen overcome fears being isolated in the winter time, without all of the things that he is used to, then he can overcome just about anything. See Maria, going from the luxury life that your father leads to this is a challenge for him. So we set this all up as a test at a time when there is a ton of snow and bad weather. Stephen has to survive for a few days out in the wild.”
“But where IS dad then? How come I can’t even see him? Why didn’t he say anything to me? He has never left me alone like this before.”
“He is outside, very safe and managing on his own. He is living off the land for a few days. That is why you saw the owl that had been killed. And the fox I told you about. He has to hunt for food. And his car was driven away so that he can’t go too far away to buy anything, which would be cheating. But he has warm clothes and made a place to sleep in the woods, under the trees. It’s just for a couple more days. It’s like camping which you and Stephen did once before, right?”
“Ya. He took me camping by a lake in Montana. But it was warm outside then.”
“Right, things were easier. But life is not always easy, Maria. Now he has to face some big challenges and try to overcome them. Then he will know that he can accomplish anything. That done makes perfect sense, now don’t it? And he likes camping anyways. I think Dr. Baker is a damn genius. So it is our job to not let Stephen back into the cabin until the days are up.”
“But then how come all this bad stuff is happening? Like no water or heat. And you hurting your leg. And what I saw in the cellar.”
“Well Maria, let me explain everyt
hing. I hurt my leg in an old animal trap that was covered up in the snow. That was probably there a long time and I just didn’t see it. The snow storm really knocked out the heat and water, but only for a few days. It is a good test of survival for us too. And what you saw in the cellar I set up in case Stephen finds a way inside. It’s all just one big test. If there was really any problem, your father would have had the police out here right away, and you know that. Heck, there is even a hotel down the road a few miles that he can stay at if he chickened out.”
“My dad is not a chicken. But I want to talk to him and know that he is ok. He never said anything to me about this.”
“Sweetie, that is because he didn’t know about it! See, it was all a surprise test for him. If he knew anything about this in advance then he woulda found a way to cheat and make things easier. Your father prefers the easiest ways to deal with challenges in life. In a couple days we will all be going home and having fun talking all about it. But meanwhile, we have to play along. He knows that you are safe here inside the cabin but he will worry about you. We have to act as if we’re scared and trapped here in the cabin so Stephen can come and save us. We have to try to find him if he is hiding outside near the cabin. More than anything, he will want to make sure that you are ok. He will want to save you from the cold and snow. He has tried to come inside a few times but was not successful. Here, I’ll show you.”
Tammy brought Maria into the half-bathroom. “See that small window? He tried to open it and see if he could fit inside. Well, he figured out that he couldn’t get in through there, and tore his shirt on the tree branch as you can see.”
Maria looked up and nodded.
“Ok then. So now you know what is going on. I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you earlier, but Dr. Baker didn’t want you go make a mistake and help Stephen. You can understand that, can’t you honey? So we need to work together on this. I’m gonna need you to help find Stephen out in the cold. I want you to do whatever I ask you to, Maria. Dr. Baker told me to use you in any way that I see fit to help Stephen. He needs to feel stronger in himself and there is no better way than to come save his favorite little girl. Now why don’t you take a little nap and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
Quietly, Maria went into her room and closed the door behind her.
TWELVE
The hunter laid the carcass of a sandy-brown colored fox out on the stump of a tree. The meat should still be fresh enough, he thought, since it had been preserved in the cold. He removed a rope that was tied around the throat of the fox, and then took a deep whiff of the animal’s body. Ya, that baby is good and ready for eatin.
He carefully skinned the fox with his knife, and then gutted it. Then he cut the meat off from the bones and sliced it into smaller pieces. He set the meat aside so that he could prepare the fire pit. As he turned around, he heard a sound and felt something moving near his feet. He stood still as two dangerous looking snakes slithered on the ground close to him. They looked hungry, and he had failed to notice the large, metal cage that had held them not far from his cooking area.
***
Tammy went into the master bedroom and closed the door. She sat on the bed as her mind raced, filled with intrigue from all that Darnell had told her. Then she took her cell phone, connected to the internet, and did a Google search on the “Arapaho Princess Treasure”. I’ll be damned – according to this, it’s real. It says here, ‘In the early 1800’s a group of Spaniards settled in the foothills of the Apishapa valley and found a very rich gold mine. When the Spaniards later got attacked by Utes, they buried eight burrow-loads of 50 lb. gold bars above the Purgatorie River five miles east of Las Animas. The gold bars were buried 300 ft. away from an arrangement of rocks, the largest of which was in the shape of a doll. The Spanish were killed before they could go back and get their gold. Many have searched since but the treasure has never been recovered’.
Then she did some more research on the hunting cabin in Fraser, CO and its long history. It was built around 1862 by a quarryman named Oliver who moved to the Colorado Territory in the wake of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. He gave up his search for gold after years of hard rock mining and used the cabin to live in and sell meats to locals. After several years of running the meat business, he hired a slave to work for him and live in the cabin. Two years later the slave went missing, and Oliver was arrested on multiple counts of murder. It was discovered that he had dug out tunnels beneath the cabin in which were found the remains of many victims.
Tammy quickly skimmed through the rest of the information. There ain’t nothing else here about him finding any treasure or bribing authorities, only that he was executed in front of a small gathering of people. But he was a quarryman, so he was trained to excavate mines for precious gems. That would explain his digging out some kind of basement. And if he did bring gold back from Las Animas, then that was never discovered either.
***
Maria stood inside her bedroom gazing out the window. I guess I’ll just have to do what Tammy tells me to. If dad is ok then Tammy will help me find him. But I know she was the one who tore his shirt in the bedroom. Why did she do that? Dad didn’t even wear that shirt out here. And the owl. Who killed it and why? And the story about grandpa hurting dad – she doesn’t want me to know something. Tammy isn’t even my real mom but sure wants to act like it. She opened the window, stuck her head out, and looked upwards. The owl was gone and the edge of the rooftop was covered in snow with icicles hanging down.
She closed the window, and went over and sat at the roll top desk. She admired the alternating dark and light colors of the grains in the wood and the golden patina. Wondering again about the small rectangular wood pieces with little knobs, she pulled on them, frustrated that nothing opened. Then Maria twisted one of the knobs, and it turned to the right. She twisted the other knobs and one more turned to the right as well, causing a center section of the back of the desk to slide open. She pulled the section out and it was another empty drawer. Maria stuck her hand inside the now empty space and felt around, pulling out only a bit of dust. But as she did, the wood at the bottom of the space jiggled a bit. She pulled up on the piece of wood that was underneath the drawer and it came off, revealing a secret compartment.
Inside the compartment there was a small violet-colored velvet pouch closed with a drawstring. Maria took the pouch out and squeezed it, feeling some small pieces inside. She opened the pouch and dumped the contents out on the surface of the antique desk. Her mouth hung open at the sight of around two dozen teeth that appeared to be from human skulls. Some of the teeth were in tact and others were broken into tiny pieces. She quickly put all of them back into the pouch and hid it inside the desk again. She was about to close the secret compartment when she noticed something that she hadn’t seen before: a small, antique brass key. It had a circular bow with a small piece of twine tied to it. Maria took the key and stuck it in her pocket. Then she put the center section back in place again.
***
Tammy took the flashlight from the bookshelf in the living room. Then she went into the walk-in closet, turned on a small overhead light, and opened the door to the wine cellar. She left the door open to have a little extra light and went down the stairs. She proceeded cautiously, remembering what Maria had told her about the stinging insects. Once at the bottom, she continued along the passageway into the main room using the flashlight to light her way.
Tammy was shocked to find that the cured meats that had been hanging from the ceiling were gone. There was only some rope left dangling, and an old hunting knife was on the floor. She picked up the knife to have a better look at it. It was an antique, with a long, thin steel blade, and a carved deer antler handle. She gasped when she realized where she had seen this knife before: it was the same one that the old hunter had out in the woods.
He must have come down here for the meats when I was in the den with Darnell. But why didn’t he knock on the door? I even offered to give him the fucking
meats if he was hungry. I can’t have him coming in and out of the cabin as he pleases.
She examined the partially-smoked cigar and recognized the fragrance when she smelled it but couldn’t put her finger on where she had smelled it before. Then she went over to the bale of hay and looked in front of it to see the scattered hay on the floor. She moved the hay and discovered where the pit had been there was now a piece of plywood. She tried to move the wood but it was secured to the floor.
Tammy turned to look at the barrels and saw the broken glass and lantern on the floor. Then she discovered the paper-like grey hibernation cells. She examined the surrounding area more closely with the flashlight but found no signs of the hornet queens.
One of her bed sheets was lying on top of one of the barrels. Tammy moved the sheet and found the words written with lipstick on top of the barrel. Son of a bitch, so Stephen WAS down here last night. He’s trying to make it look like I wrote that. But how does he know when to come in and out without me seeing him? And why cover up the pit – did he know Maria was coming down here?
Tammy went around the outside of the room, checking inside each of the small cubby holes until she found the metal vice again. Behind the vice she discovered a small roll of duct tape. Tammy grinned. Perfect. I have just the idea for this. I’ll just have to get Stephen’s attention with poor little Maria. It’s time that he plays by my rules. I can’t let him come in the cabin again tonight since there is no telling what he might do. She picked up the vice, and found that is was very heavy, and looked quite new. The base of the vice had two holes in it, with a screw in each one, ready to be mounted. She took the vice and duct tape, and headed out of the wine cellar, back up the stairs into the master bedroom.