“Just tell me … did she cry when you turned her down?”
Jack’s chuckle was warm and throaty. “No, she got angry and threatened that if I told anyone she would make me pay.”
“Were you worried she’d make good on the threat? Her father is one of the company bigwigs, after all.”
“I don’t let bullies worry me,” Jack replied. “It’s not my way.”
“No, I guess not.” I pursed my lips. “I need you to tell me everything that happened from the beginning to the end. Also, if you want to reenact it – do voices and stuff – I’m all for it.”
“I’m not doing that. It would take forever.”
I settled back against my pack, truly comfortable for the first time in a long while. “We have all night.”
“No.”
“I’ll have another drink of whiskey if you do. That should be enough to knock me out so you can have quiet before bed.”
Jack tilted his head to the side, considering. “Fine. I’ll tell the story, but I’m not reenacting it.”
“Fair enough. Now … what was she wearing?”
“How should I know? It was a year ago. I can’t remember that.”
“You’re a terrible storyteller.”
“Yeah, I’m going to need another shot.”
21
Twenty-One
“They’ve been gone a long time.”
An hour later and Jack and I were still talking. We’d finished half his flask. I wasn’t drunk as much as warm and comfortable. He related a few of his “drunk” stories from his military days, making me roar with laughter because he was a much better storyteller than I ever gave him credit for, and I lost track of time. Then I realized we’d been alone for a long time.
“They have been gone a long time,” Jack agreed, grabbing a flashlight. “I guess we should look around.”
“We can always look for the Chupacabra while we’re doing it,” I suggested. “That way it wouldn’t be a completely wasted effort when we find them sitting in a corner staring at fireflies.”
“Good idea.” Jack stood, dusting off the seat of his jeans before extending a hand to help me to my feet. He met my gaze in the firelight and I thought for a moment he would kiss me. It was one of those fleeting ideas – one I’d had at least three times now – that caused my heart to seize. The moment was thick with tension and unexpressed chemistry, and I realized that I wanted him to kiss me. Then he ruined the moment. “Stay close to me and don’t wander off. If you get lost, I’ll have you sent back to the hotel.”
I sighed. “I have no intention of wandering off.”
“Because you’re worried about your safety and want to do the smart thing?”
That was an interesting question. “Because I don’t want to get bitten by the Chupacabra and have to go through rabies shots. I hear they hurt.”
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Jack made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat as he surveyed the town. “Where do you want to start?”
“Let’s check the saloon.”
Jack furrowed his brow. “We’re camped in front of the saloon. We would’ve seen them if they went in there.”
“Yes, but we’re looking for the Chupacabra, too,” I reminded him. “If I were the Chupacabra – surely a cagey and smart animal – I’d hide in the nearest building to avoid detection.”
“Uh-huh. And how did the Chupacabra get into the saloon without us noticing?”
“I’m sure there are holes in the walls, maybe even hidden corridors.”
“Good point.” Jack handed me a flashlight before gesturing toward the saloon. “Let’s do it.”
“Great.” I couldn’t help being excited. “Do you really think we’ll see the Chupacabra?”
“Not even a little.”
“You have no sense of adventure, Jack.”
“I’m in the middle of a supposed ghost town with you looking for a mythical creature that’s apparently part dog and part lizard. What’s more adventurous than that?”
He had a point.
Hooper’s Mill was eerily silent as we made our way to the saloon. I’d been comfortable when we sat next to the fire and talked, the interaction seemingly effortless. My nerves returned now as I flicked on my flashlight and walked into the saloon.
It was still, nothing out of place from what I remembered during my last visit, but the atmosphere was somehow ominous.
“What do you think it was like back then?” I asked, a desperate need to fill the silence overcoming me as I flicked my beam to the mirror and almost jolted at my own reflection.
“What? Hooper’s Mill or the saloon?”
I shrugged. “Either, I guess.”
“I think the saloon was a place where people came to kick back after a hard day’s work,” Jack replied. “I think there was a lot of drinking, jokes about women and the female anatomy, and potentially a lot of theft because people can’t seem to stop themselves when they covet wealth.”
That was an interesting way to look at it. “You don’t want to be rich?”
Jack shrugged, noncommittal. “I want to be comfortable. I don’t think I need to be rich to be comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, being poor isn’t fun. I don’t want to struggle and worry. I don’t think I need to be rich, though.”
“Good answer.”
Jack smirked as he shifted his beam to the hallway, where I had felt eyes watching me the previous day. I held my breath for a second, convinced I’d see something evil springing to life, but the area looked empty.
“What about you?” Jack asked. “Do you want to be rich?”
“Money doesn’t mean a lot to me,” I replied. “As long as I have enough for a new pair of Converse every year and my basic needs are met, I’m good. I’ve learned to live lean.”
When Jack didn’t immediately respond, I turned and found him staring. “What?”
“I don’t want to ask questions you’re uncomfortable with … .”
“But?”
“But you were obviously devastated by your parents’ deaths,” Jack said. “I know it changed your life in obvious ways, but I have to wonder if you’re living the life you dreamed about before they died. I mean … is this what you always wanted?”
That was a profound question given where we were standing and what we were doing. “Are you asking me what I want to be when I grow up?” I laced the question with teasing, but I was on edge.
“No. You’re grown up. I know I give you flak about being young, but you’re an adult. You do a few kooky things, but that’s hardly the end of the world. I’m asking you what the girl who had two living parents wanted. What did that Charlie Rhodes want?”
I swallowed hard as I fought back tears. No one had ever asked me that. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“Maybe it’s not true,” I hedged. “But that seems like a different person.”
“I know you probably won’t believe it, but I get that. I was a different person when I joined the Marines. I had an ideal in mind. I thought I was going to save the world, and had an even bigger ego then than I do now … if you can believe that.”
I forced a smile. “I don’t believe that’s possible.”
Jack returned the grin. “It boggles the mind, doesn’t it? Anyway, I know about becoming a different person. It happened to me at a young age, too. So, what did that girl want?”
“To go to prom with some boy with stupid hair. Justin Fitzgerald. That was his name. When he asked me I thought nothing would ever get better. Then my parents died three days before the prom and he asked someone else before even talking to me and finding out what I wanted.
“Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t going to prom no matter what after the accident,” I continued. “I couldn’t even fathom the idea. The fact that he just walked away and had another date within a few hours – and that’s what everyone wanted to talk to me about – taught me a very valuable lesson.”
“And what’s
that?”
“That I should only rely on myself.”
“That’s not true,” Jack argued. “I would never say that distancing yourself from idiots who didn’t understand what you were going through is a bad idea, but there are people out there worth knowing. Some of them are even worth relying on.”
“Yeah, but if I rely on them and then they die … .”
“You’ll be alone again,” Jack finished. “That’s how it was for you, wasn’t it? You were alone.”
“I did it all on my own,” I confirmed, turning so I didn’t have to see the sympathy in Jack’s eyes. It somehow made things worse. “I had no aunts and uncles … or grandparents … or even family friends. It was just me.”
“And that’s too much for any eighteen-year-old kid to deal with on her own,” Jack said. “I’m sorry for all of it. You have no idea. But you still haven’t answered the question. What did you want to be before it happened? How did you see your life going?”
I shrugged. “I guess I wanted to be a writer, although I was planning on taking an array of classes when I got to college. Instead I had to take a semester off, adjust my college plans because I couldn’t afford my original choice, and go from there. I couldn’t play around, so I thought long and hard during the six months I was trying to hold on to my parents’ house … and failed.”
“And you decided to go into this field?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “May I ask why?”
“I’ve always had an interest in the paranormal.” I did my best to sound truthful. That wasn’t exactly a lie, after all. I was interested. I simply kept the reason why I was interested to myself. “I did a little research and found people were actually making a living at this. It meant a nomadic life, but I didn’t have a home anymore so it didn’t really matter, and I focused on this one goal.”
“And you made it to the top,” Jack noted. “The Legacy Foundation is the place everyone in this field wants to work.”
“I know. I’m lucky.”
“You’re not lucky. You worked hard. You’re dedicated. You’ve earned this.”
“I’m also annoying, right?” I was desperate to turn the conversation to something lighter.
“You have your moments when I want to throttle you,” Jack acknowledged. “You deserve to be here, though. You need to stop questioning that and go with your gut.”
“That’s not what you said a few hours ago.”
“I was wrong,” Jack said. “But I wasn’t wrong about coming out here. I don’t want you getting a big head because you think I’m conceding that point. I’m not. I was wrong about trying to get you on my side before you even saw the video. That wasn’t fair to you.”
“But the video is amazing.”
“To you. I don’t see the same thing you see … and that’s okay. I still shouldn’t have tried to bully you into seeing things my way.”
I felt a bit goofy given his heavy comments, so I shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“I’m still sorry.” Jack took a step closer so we were practically on top of each other, his eyes seeking as he studied my face. “You know, this is one of those jobs where you could carry a notebook and plot the great American novel on the side while you’re working. You could even write some paranormal thrillers, and I bet they would sell well. You don’t have to give up on the old dream.”
My ears buzzed thanks to Jack’s proximity. I heard him loud and clear, though. “Thank you.”
“It’s okay.” Jack awkwardly patted the top of my head. “This will get easier. It’ll feel right at some point.”
“What will?” I thought he was referring to us, and that caused my heart to jolt. “What’s going to feel right?”
“Working with the group. Giving your opinion without backing down. It’ll come normally eventually.”
“Oh, that.”
Jack chuckled. “What did you think I was referring to?”
I felt caught. “It really doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me.”
There’s no way I was going to tell him. Thankfully I didn’t have to think of a way to divert his attention, because Laura picked that moment to scream at the top of her lungs.
“Jack!”
“What the … ?”
Jack and I raced to the front of the saloon, spilling onto the street together. Laura, her face a mask of fury, actually made a lewd gesture when she saw us.
“What were you two doing?” Laura’s tone was accusatory.
“We were looking for the Chupacabra,” I replied. “Why are you screaming?”
“Yes, Laura, why are you screaming?” Jack pressed. “Do you think that’s wise in the middle of nowhere?”
Laura looked ashamed. “I didn’t mean to scream. When I couldn’t find you guys at the fire I thought something must have happened.”
“Like what?”
“Like … .”
“Like maybe the beast got you, too,” Zach answered, moving up behind Laura in a protective stance. “Once we realized Chris was gone and came looking for you to be sure he hadn’t simply rejoined you … and then we found you gone … we thought it might be like a bad horror movie.”
“We were actually considering trying to run, but we don’t have keys to the rental,” Laura added. “I had visions of Jason Voorhees running through my head.”
“There’s no lake,” I said automatically. “Jason wouldn’t hang out here, because there’s no lake.”
“Yes, that’s what we should be worried about,” Laura said dryly. “My horror movie knowledge isn’t up to snuff. Someone flog me now.”
“We can do that later if you want,” Zach flirted.
“Shut up,” Jack snapped, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Where is Chris?”
“Why do you think we were looking for you?” Laura shot back. “It’s certainly not because we wanted to watch you fawn all over Charlie.”
Fawn all over Charlie? Was she kidding? She sounded jealous, which was ridiculous. “Chris was with you,” I reminded her. “How did you lose him?”
“How do you think?” Laura was on the defensive and there was no way she would back down now. “We got distracted, and Chris ran off because it’s what he does. We didn’t even realize he was gone at first.”
“Then, when we came up for air, we thought he probably went back to you guys,” Zach added. “We didn’t get really worried until we saw the fire was abandoned.”
“It wasn’t abandoned,” Jack said. “We decided to look around to see if we could find anything. We assumed Chris was with you. I still don’t understand how you lost him.”
I tugged on Jack’s arm to get his attention. “They went off in a corner and got hot and heavy. They didn’t notice when Chris took off.”
“Thank you, Charlie.” Jack’s tongue practically dripped with sarcasm. “I never would’ve figured that out on my own.”
“You asked.”
“Yes, but … you know what? Never mind.” Jack shook himself to regain control. “We need to break apart and find Chris. Where were you guys when you last saw him?”
Laura pointed toward the hotel. “We were out back over there.”
Jack was grim. “Then that’s where we’ll start.”
“Great.” Laura made a face as she fell into step beside him. “This is so not how I envisioned this night going.”
Jack wasn’t in the mood for her games. “You’d better hope we find him, Laura.”
“Or what?”
“Or you won’t like what happens.”
Laura was incensed. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise.”
“I’m sure we’ll find him,” Zach offered, matching my pace. “He couldn’t have gone far. He’s probably just watching things with that equipment he’s carrying around.”
“That’s a distinct possibility,” Jack said. “Hopefully we’ll find him quickly.”
WE DIDN’T FIND him quickly.
In fact, we didn’t find him at all.
By two i
n the morning Jack was ready to give up the search. Chris had seemingly disappeared into the night, leaving no trace behind, and Jack’s shoulders were heavy with the burden he carried.
“We need to call the authorities.” Jack drank half a bottle of water before continuing. “We need to get dogs out here and more bodies to conduct a more thorough search.”
I felt helpless … and somehow to blame. “I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do this, Charlie.”
“I should’ve listened to you. It was a bad idea. That’s what you said. You practically begged me to agree with you, but I didn’t. This is on me.”
Jack grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look at him. “It’s not on you. It’s on me. I’m head of security. I should’ve done better by him. Right now we need help.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. “So what do we do?”
“I’ll call Bernard and get him to enlist the authorities,” Jack replied. “They should be out here shortly after dawn.”
“Dawn? That’s hours away.”
“That’s the best I can do, Charlie.”
I knew it was true, but it didn’t sit well. “I really am sorry.”
“Let it go.” Jack released my shoulders. “This is on me.”
He said the words, but I didn’t believe them. I should’ve known better. It was far too late to fix it now.
22
Twenty-Two
Jack forced me to remain close once the call was made. I didn’t try to wander away. He kept one eye on my every movement, so it wasn’t an option anyway. I had no interest in heightening his anxiety, so I didn’t put up a fight when he dragged me with him from one end of the town to the other.
Once we saw the police cruisers pulling into town, Jack left me in front of the saloon with a whispered admonishment to stay put before heading in their direction.
“He’s wound a little tight this morning, huh?” Laura slipped into the spot Jack vacated and sat next to me, resting her back against the saloon wall as she watched him work. “He’s going to have a complete and total freakout if we can’t find Chris.”
The Chupacabra Catastrophe Page 19