by Greg Howard
Rafe deftly guided the Harley down Harmony Hills Drive. Cooper sat behind him, straddling the rumbling machine, plastered against Rafe’s warm body, his hands resting on the guy’s meaty upper thighs. He fit nicely between Cooper’s legs and smelled of leather and finely aged scotch. Any other time, Cooper would’ve been turned on. He would’ve taken Rafe’s initial flirtations and handed a few of his own right back. Rafe was his type—a pretty face, nice ass, and all man. He was perfect for a great romp between the sheets if that’s all one was looking for. Cooper bet the body beneath that leather had pleasured many men and women alike. But like all the other men Cooper had been with over the years, Rafe was not Randy. Not even close. He wished like hell Randy wasn’t even around. His presence only made Cooper more acutely aware of what he would never have.
Rafe turned left onto Treble Trail and stopped the Harley a couple doors down from Lot #14. Killing the motor, he hopped off. Odessa pulled up next to them and did the same. She removed her helmet and her long sable locks fell obediently into place over her shoulders. She didn’t even have to shake it out. Rafe released his wavy mane from under his own helmet and leered at Odessa with an ear-to-ear smile. The guy didn’t even try to hide his lustful desires. Odessa didn’t give Rafe a second look, which he was probably used to if she had a thing for this Manheeg person as Lex had hinted earlier.
She sashayed over to Cooper, her rounded hips punctuating every step. “This shouldn’t take long. Stay here with the bikes.”
“Don’t think so.” Cooper removed his helmet, and a cold blast of wind walloped his bare cheeks. He balled his hands into fists and blew warm breath on them. Odessa cocked her head and raised an eyebrow at him. She was obviously not used to being defied.
Cooper slung his leg over the bike and sat the helmet on the seat. He stood and returned her penetrating gaze. “Don’t even try that intimidation crap. And sorry, but your ass doesn’t have the same effect on me as it does on him.” He nodded over his shoulder at Rafe who snickered like a twelve-year-old boy.
Cooper pointed a finger in the direction of Tony’s trailer and edged forward. “That guy in there was my best friend from the time I could talk until I graduated high school. We learned how to hunt, fish, ski, and masturbate together. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but whatever it is, it’s not his fault. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like an animal or a criminal.”
Odessa shrugged and pushed passed him. “Suit yourself, rookie.”
She plowed a path through the sand toward the trailer. He didn’t quite trust her. She definitely had her own agenda.
Tony’s trailer had no skirting, deck, or awning, just five wooden steps right up to the door. A few dark windows dotted the façade, and the vinyl siding wore a thin coat of orange cancer dust, courtesy of the Georgetown Steel Mill. Cooper eyed the residue and shook his head. He never understood why people stayed in this deathtrap of a town where cases of cancer outnumbered Palmetto trees. It had claimed both his parents and his grandfather, and now had its clutches around Lillie Mae’s neck as well.
Rafe marched up the steps and stopped at the top of the landing. He held his hands up in front of him and the door exploded inward with a thunderous blast of aluminum and metal.
“Holy hell,” Cooper mumbled with an honest dose of wonder and respect.
“Jesus, Rafe.” Odessa mounted the steps and crossed the threshold. “Ever consider knocking first?”
Rafe shrugged. “Not as much fun.”
Cooper took the steps two at a time and followed Rafe inside, sidestepping the downed door. A ratty sofa, a camouflage-patterned recliner, and a sixty-inch wide-screen television anchored the room. A messy combination of cardboard and spray paint blacked out the windows.
Heavy footsteps from the back of the trailer drew their attention. Tony barreled down the lone hallway into the kitchen, wearing only a pair of white briefs, his morning wood, and a sizable Confederate battle flag tattooed across his otherwise smooth chest.
“What the fuck?” His darting glare landed on Rafe and Odessa first, then Cooper standing behind them. He turned and bolted back toward the hallway.
“Tony. Wait!” Cooper started to go after him.
Rafe blocked him with an outstretched hand. “She’s got this.”
Odessa held her arm straight out in front of her, pointing her long index finger at the center of Tony’s back. He screamed and froze. His whole body shook like he had been electrocuted and slid backward toward them. He dug the tips of his toes into the linoleum, grabbing at chairs, counters, and walls. None of it helped. Odessa guided his body over to the couch while he screeched like an angry cat. Kicking the door out of her way, she finally released her captive with the flick of her finger. Tony hit the cushions and bounced only once before Rafe was on him, all of his weight behind the knee he drove into Tony’s stomach. Tony buckled over, gasping for air.
Cooper stepped forward and tugged on Rafe’s shoulder. “You don’t have to hurt him. He hasn’t done anything. He’s just scared.”
Rafe pinned Tony’s wrists to the top of the sofa. Small red holes dotted the inside of his arms. They were too big to be needle marks. Alexander’s handiwork, Cooper supposed.
Rafe reached down between Tony’s legs, grabbed his fading hard-on, and squeezed. “Well, hell, Sweet Pea. What’s the matter? Not feeling sexy anymore? And here I thought you were happy to see me.”
“Quiet, Rafe,” Odessa commanded, slinking over to the sofa.
Cooper felt sorry for the guy. “And let go of his dick.”
The sound of Cooper’s voice drew Tony’s attention and the fear in his eyes turned to rage. He hissed at Cooper, exposing a normal set of ill-managed, yellowing teeth, which he bared as if they were something much more threatening. If Cooper had come here alone, it would not have been pretty. He stepped back. Maybe Odessa and Rafe were better equipped to deal with this than he was.
Odessa gave Cooper a satisfied I told you so look. “He’s mimicking Anakim behavior, but he’s relatively harmless.” She leaned over Tony, one slender hand on the back of the ratty couch, the other wrapped around his throat. “Now listen up, day soldier.” Her tone was calm, yet thoroughly menacing. “We’re going to have a little chat, and you are going to answer all of my questions until I am completely satisfied.” She glanced down at his shrinking crotch and smirked. “And it takes a lot to satisfy me. You cooperate, and Rafe here might not be inclined to rip your spine out with his bare hands.”
Tony’s eyes grew wide, rage returning to fear.
Rafe grinned and winked at him, like this was all just fun and games. Cooper knew that it wasn’t. The crazed twinkle in Rafe’s eye told him Rafe could and would do it without a second thought.
Odessa cocked her head. “What are your orders?”
Tony sealed his lips into a pale, thin line. Odessa gave her command with a simple nod. Rafe looked into Tony’s eyes. Something happened behind them that could not have felt good. Tony’s eyeballs bulged out like they were trying to escape their sockets, and he gave a blood-curdling scream. Rafe clamped his open palm down over Tony’s mouth. The agonizing, muted screams sent a chill down Cooper’s spine.
After thirty seconds of Rafe’s eye-fuck thing, Cooper couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped in and pushed hard on the Divinum’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Rafe! Let him talk!”
The instant Rafe looked up at Cooper, the screaming stopped, and Tony gasped for air under the firm cover of Rafe’s hand.
Cooper kneeled down beside Rafe. “What the hell did you do to him?” The possible answers terrified him.
Rafe shrugged. “Just made him feel like his brain was on fire is all. I went easy on him.”
Cooper shook his head and nudged Rafe aside. “Let me try.” He kneeled in front of Tony and looked him in the eye. “Tony, look at me. It’s me, Cooper Causey. You’ve known me your whole life. You have to tell them what they want to know, okay? Do that, and they’ll leave you alone. They won’t hurt
you anymore. I promise.”
Rafe removed his hand, and Tony clamped his mouth shut. Rafe raised a threatening eyebrow at him, which seemed to give him the needed motivation.
Through shallow breaths, Tony looked down at Cooper. “He told me to watch you during the day and warn him if freaks like these two come around. That was the day I saw you at the Ice House. Somehow he knew you were coming to town. I didn’t know what he meant until you showed up.”
Odessa rested her foot on the edge of the sofa and leaned forward. “What have you told Montgomery about Cooper?”
Tony looked over at Rafe. “Just what he does during the day—where he goes, who he talks to. That’s all. I swear.”
Cooper tapped Tony’s knee once to get his attention. “Did you tell him anything about Randy?”
Tony stared at him, his top lip twitching. “Just that he’s been to Phipps House a couple of times since you got back. That he’s a cop and we all used to be friends when we were kids.” Tony scowled. “And that you was always sweet on him.”
Cooper stood up. “Dammit!” Heat flooded his face. “You put a target on his back, you dumb son of a bitch.”
Rafe curled his fingers around a clump of Tony’s coarse hair and yanked his head to the side. “Where is the changeling nest, Jethro?”
Tony winced and shrugged his shoulders. “How the hell should I know? He doesn’t tell me nothing. Just calls me out to Warfield every night for my report and then makes me drink from him. That guy scares the shit out of me. I can feel him in my head all the time, like he’s watching me from inside. He’ll know I talked to you. You fuckers are gonna get me killed.”
Cooper’s patience was gone. “We are going to get you killed? Jesus Christ, Tony.” He punched the back of the sofa. “You’re the one that’s going to get us all killed!”
Odessa nudged Cooper aside and pressed her index finger into Tony’s chest, right in the center of the Confederate flag tattoo. “The tunnels under the kitchen house at Warfield. Where do they lead?”
Tony chuckled and glared at Odessa. “Are you deaf or just stupid? I said he doesn’t tell me nothing, you dumb black bitch.”
Rafe punched Tony in the stomach so hard that he doubled over onto his side, gasping for air.
Odessa kneeled in front of Tony’s crumpled body and playfully outlined the tattoo with the tip of her fingernail. “Rafe, take Cooper and wait for me outside.”
Without hesitation or question, Rafe hopped up and nudged Cooper toward the door.
Cooper considered resisting but knew it would be futile and allowed himself to be guided down the steps. “What’s she going to do to him?”
Rafe snickered and sauntered toward the bikes. “She’s going to take a peek around inside his head. Find out what he’s not telling us. Trust me, you don’t want to see it. It’s not a pretty sight, especially when she’s pissed off.”
Cooper caught up to him. “Jesus. Is she going to hurt him?”
A piercing shriek echoed from inside the trailer.
Rafe laughed and looked over at him. “Well, it doesn’t sound like they’re swapping recipes, does it?” He leaned against the seat of his Harley, crossed his legs at the ankles, and grinned. “I don’t think she liked his tattoo very much.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bitter cold wind sliced its way under the face shield of Cooper’s helmet as they traveled down Montford Road away from Harmony Hills. Odessa had emerged from Tony’s trailer after a five-minute scream and profanity littered interrogation, looking all too pleased with herself. She hadn’t shared any of the information she’d gleaned from Tony’s head. Cooper noted she didn’t like secrets being kept from her, but she had no problem keeping her own.
Rafe seemed happy enough to follow Odessa’s blind leadership, and she wouldn’t allow Cooper to go back inside to check on Tony. More disturbing was her reasoning.
He likely won’t remember you now, anyway, she’d said. Cooper shuddered to imagine what that meant.
His muscles stiffened at the sight of the road sign barreling up on the right. Without thinking, he gripped Rafe’s hips a little tighter, likely sending mixed signals to his cocky Divinum escort. He always looked the other way so he didn’t see the sign, and the turnoff would be so easy to pass. That’s what he’d done every time he’d traveled that road in the last ten years. Not this time, though. Not after everything that had happened in the last two days. As Eunice had instructed, if he had any chance of getting control of his powers, he had to get beyond the mental block that made them go haywire. He had to face the past.
Cooper tapped Rafe on the shoulder and pointed to the road marker ahead. Rafe glanced back and hesitated only for a second before nodding. Cooper looked behind and saw that Odessa had followed them on their detour, no doubt filling her helmet with a myriad colorful curses. A few more taps, points, and turns, and Rafe guided the bike into a parking place at the side entrance of the Waccamaw Rehabilitation Center and Nursing Home.
Odessa pulled up beside them, killed her engine, and yanked off her helmet. “What the hell is this?”
“This is something I have to do.” Cooper dismounted and tossed his helmet to Rafe who caught it with one hand. “I won’t be long. Just wait here.”
Before she had a chance to protest, Cooper sprinted across the parking lot. The moment he passed through the door, a nose-hair curling odor of piss, shit, and ammonia assaulted his senses. A hefty, middle-aged white woman wearing blue scrubs sat behind a reception desk in front of him. Her head was buried behind a computer screen, and she tapped away on the keyboard, not noticing him or the smell.
When Cooper cleared his throat a second time, she finally looked up at him with a disapproving scowl. “Can I help you?”
He looked down and fidgeted with a fat pink pen tied to a clipboard resting on the desk. “I’m visiting a friend.”
The nurse shoved a pencil into her wiry nest of brown hair and scratched. “Sign in, please. Name of the patient?”
His breath caught in his throat. He had to say it out loud. “Stone. Trevor Stone.” He exhaled. There. It was out, and it hadn’t killed him. He scribbled his name on the clipboard, feeling mildly emboldened. The nurse couldn’t have been less interested in his emotional breakthrough. She held a sheet of paper fortified inside a clear plastic page protector, and she ran a cherry-red one-inch fingernail down columns of names, numbers, and germs, all while smacking the hell out of some Juicy Fruit.
“Room 110,” she finally announced, dropping the paper on the desk and returning her attention to the computer screen. “Go to the end of the hall. Turn left. First room on your right.”
Cooper forced a smile and set off down the hall to face his sins.
Pushing through the heavy oversized door of Trevor’s room, he wasn’t prepared for what he found. Lying on a bed in the center of the sterile white room was a pale shadow of his first boyfriend, the once-strapping star quarterback who had been at the top of the recruiting short list for every collegiate football program in the Southeast. Now, Trevor stared up at the ceiling. Vacant eyes. Sealed lips. A tube emerged from under the sheet. Cooper stood motionless just inside the door, staring at his handiwork. He wanted to curl up and die.
A rail-thin nurse in her sixties wearing a crooked blonde wig bent over, tucking the sheets under the foot of the mattress. Leathery skin hung from her face like used-up chewing gum. Pursed ruby-red lips formed a permanent cigarette-holding pucker in her mouth.
She looked up at him and smiled. “Hey there, hun. You a friend of Trevor?” Her voice was smoky and too loud for the small room.
“Yes.” The lie sizzled on his tongue. No friend could have done this. He half expected Trevor to look over at him and call him out for the fraud he was. He should just turn around and slip quietly out the door. The nurse seemed to detect his hesitation and cocked her head at him.
“Well, come on over,” she said. “He won’t bite. Couldn’t if he wanted to.” She giggled a little, which se
emed inappropriate in the weighted atmosphere of the room.
Cooper took small calculated steps toward the bed, as if he was walking through a field of land mines. In theory, he was. It took him less time to cross the minefield than he’d hoped, and he found himself at the side of the bed, staring down at his judge, jury, and executioner.
Trevor’s trademark thick blond hair had been buzzed away. His face was pale and gaunt. Dead eyes clung to stained and speckled drop-ceiling panels.
“Can he hear us?” Cooper used a library-grade whisper and hoped the nurse took his cue.
She adjusted knobs on the monitors beside the bed. “Oh, sure he can.”
Still too loud.
“Go ahead and talk away. If you don’t mind one-sided conversations.” She let out another unfortunate cackle as she moved a chair to the side of the bed for him. There was no need. He wouldn’t be there long enough to sit.
“He hasn’t talked in ten years. But there’s always hope.” She gathered up a tray full of pill cups. “I run out of things to say pretty fast. Find myself asking questions I know he won’t answer or telling him all my problems. He’s a good listener. Makes me feel a little crazy sometimes, though. Enjoy your visit.” She turned and disappeared into the hallway without another word. Thank God. The door closed behind her in ominous slow motion.
Cooper stared over his shoulder at the door. He could still bail. He had no right to be there, anyway. How selfish could he get? And just what did he expect? Some kind of absolution? Permission to fully awaken the part of him that put Trevor there in the first place? He looked back down at Trevor’s face. Dark brown irises stared back at him, haunting, cold, and empty.