Keeper of the Books (Keeper of the Books, Book 1)

by Jason D. Morrow

  “You’re right, Devlin,” Cara said, looking at him. “My mind is a wondrous thing.”

  Devlin’s eyebrows furrowed when the others looked at him. He shook his head quickly, but said nothing. His gaze was fixed on the woman before him, her dark stare sending chills up and down his spine.

  She took a step toward him, but stopped. “Your fears of failure are misplaced. You think you are the least of the Rangers, yet the greatest you may become. Choose wisely what you do with the power given to you.”

  Devlin felt speechless. The greatest of Rangers? Was this woman mad?

  “I am a reader of minds and futures,” Cara said. “I can sense everything you’re feeling and thinking. I know your intentions.” She looked at Gibbons. “I know that you are simply trying to do your duty to your country and to your president, despite your doubts that he is the man who should truly be in office. Your loyalty will reap few rewards.”

  Gibbons shifted in his stance. “Now, wait just a minute,” he started, but Cara held a hand in the air, silencing the lead Ranger.

  She looked at Sheriff Strand next. “And you’re so afraid of repercussions you’d do anything to keep your job. Your biggest fear is that you will become a prisoner among those you have put away.”

  Strand swallowed.

  “This is not what you should be fearing,” Cara said.

  “If you please, ma’am, what should I be fearing?”

  Cara shook her head and said again, “The future is hazy. Images surface, but it’s like a puzzle. I can see parts of it, but how it all fits together remains to be seen.”

  She then turned to Levi who stood off from the group a few steps. He didn’t seem to want to look at Cara, but her stare was unavoidable.

  “You are the man from another world,” she said. “You’ve traversed time and space to go after the man who killed your family.”

  The others looked at Levi, but the man kept his eyes on Cara.

  “I warn you to turn back,” she said. “Find your way back home and forget Nathaniel Cole ever existed.”

  “I can’t do that,” Levi said, his voice thick. Devlin wasn’t sure, but it looked like the man’s eyes were wet with tears.

  “I know you can’t,” Cara said. “You would rather die than give up your path to vengeance.”

  “I would.”

  “I can see your thoughts, but I can see nothing of your world,” she said. “Your thoughts tell me that you know deep within you that Nathaniel never intended to kill your wife and children.”

  “But he killed them all the same,” Levi said.

  “And your brother is to blame as much as Nathaniel.”

  “But my brother…”

  “Is dead,” Cara interjected. “I know. But if you go after Nathaniel Cole, you will not find the peace you seek. Even if you kill him.”

  “Will I kill him?” Levi asked.

  Cara shook her head. “The future is hazy. Always has been. Always will be. I think sometimes it’s because the future is never certain.”

  “Enough with your craziness,” Gibbons scolded. “Where were the four headed?”

  “I’m telling you, don’t chase after them. It is better that you go back and declare the mission a failure.”

  “That’s not an option,” Gibbons said through his teeth.

  “Then I can tell you only what I know, and it is what you already know,” she said. “They are headed for the border of Tel Haven Forest.”

  Gibbons sighed deeply through his nose. He stared at Cara almost like he was thinking about shooting her but had decided against it. He turned his head to the rest of them and said it was time to ride, ignoring Cara’s words of warning.

  Each of them walked out the door and onto the yard in a reserved, solemn silence. If the others felt anything like Devlin felt, then Cara’s words weighed heavily on their minds as they tried to decipher the meaning. Perhaps the others, like Devlin, were trying to determine whether the woman was insane or if her observations were simply the result of expert insight gathered from clues she had picked up. The uniforms they wore, the information from the other group about who was after them, the questions they asked: all of this could have played into Cara’s observations like an expert poker player trying to determine who had the upper hand. But deep within, Devlin knew the truth. He knew Cara was as she claimed. There was no denying how accurate her senses had been about the thoughts lingering in their minds. How much had she gathered for herself that she didn’t display for all else to see?

  The strangest of her observations had been of Levi. A man from another world? That would explain why Devlin had never heard of this Texas place that he was from.

  As they mounted their horses to continue the trail, Devlin noticed the absence of the cat that had been on the fence before. He didn’t like how the feline had looked at him. He tended to avoid bright animals these days.

  The trackers didn’t say a word as they continued on their trail after Marum and her companions. There was no question that they would travel onward despite Cara’s warning to them to turn back. But if the others had visited her before moving on, then she could have been lying to the Rangers and company. Her warning might have been orchestrated to give the others more time.

  This seemed to be Gibbons’ thoughts as well because he charged forward at a great speed. He seemed to know where he was going without looking down at the tracks every couple of minutes. It was as though the man were trying to escape Cara’s property as quickly as possible, that fleeing from her would ease the tension she’d caused.

  Meeting with Cara had not been for the best. All of them were traveling with troubled and confused minds. But they knew they had to toss their thoughts aside if they were to catch up with Marum and the others. There was a determination among them that hadn’t been there before. He saw it in the face of Strand and Gibbons. He saw it even more in the face of Levi, the man who had been given the most dire warning. But it seemed the warning only fed his need to get to Nathaniel Cole. The driving passion within him threatened to be his undoing. It seemed that he didn’t care about the outcome. Levi would find no rest until Nathaniel Cole was dead or until Nathaniel Cole killed him.

  The men kicked and shouted, and their horses sprinted forward. They would overtake the fugitives before nightfall.

  Nate

  Autumn, 903 A.O.M.

  It didn’t matter how late they traveled into the night or how early they left in the morning, to Nate it never felt like they were moving fast enough. The wagon proved to be perfect for carrying the things they needed and making them comfortable as they went, but speed was of the essence and they were going at a snail’s pace. Nate wasn’t the only one to notice this. Marum would often travel ahead of them to get a better lay of the land, though she always came back with the same report: more road ahead. Even Alban, the one who held the reins, knew they were going too slowly. He tried to keep his horse moving at a quicker pace, but the old mare had lived a life of pulling a cart at one speed and one speed only. It might give a jerk forward in an attempt to speed up, but it could never maintain a faster pace.

  Nate felt a nervousness creep into him that he rarely experienced. Perhaps it was that they were so close to the southern border of Tel Haven Forest and so close to being free of their pursuers, yet the looming threat of them hung over the party heavily. Whenever these moments of anxiety pronounced themselves throughout Nate’s mind and body, his natural tendency would be to reach for the flask in the breast pocket of his coat. But his hand did not reach for it as they rode along. If they were to meet conflict on the road, he would need every ounce of wit and focus he could produce.

  With his own rifle holstered and strapped to his back, his right hand rested on the butt of his pistol as if the enemy could pop out at any second. He looked down at his feet and then at the rifle he’d stolen from the Ranger, Devlin. Since Nate hadn’t gotten the chance to test the rifle’s accuracy or kick, he left it on the floor of the wagon as a backup in case he ne
eded a quick reload, or if someone else needed a weapon.

  It wasn’t the idea of conflict so much that bothered Nate. It was the simple fact that he wasn’t sure what he would do if he came face-to-face with Levi again. There had been several instances in the last ten years where the two had squared off, yet both of them were still alive. The only reason Nate was still alive was by sheer luck and a whole lot of caution, though once or twice he could have killed Levi. Sometimes he thought he should have. Other times he was glad he hadn’t.

  Nate looked behind him every couple of minutes even though Rachel had eyes set behind them, watching the road crawl away from her. This time their eyes met and she smiled at him warmly. It was a strange thing to have told someone the truth about what he’d done. He’d never really discussed it with anybody but his father and brother at points in the last ten years. Even those moments were few. But the conversation had changed Rachel’s view of Nate. She no longer looked at him with an expression of disdain. It was quite odd, really. If he didn’t know any better, he might have mistaken her looks toward him as admiration. Maybe she was just surprised that he wasn’t worse than he was given the circumstances. Of course, he didn’t go on to tell her that his life of crime that followed the death of Abigail had turned dark. Nate was a thief and a killer. Hard part about it was, he didn’t hate it.

  Where he was from, it had been no secret about what had happened to Levi’s family, though there had been plenty of speculation. To some, it showed the coldness of Nathaniel Cole—that he was a man not to be messed with. Others surmised that the act had been an accident, just as it was. But it was no accident that Nate had gone to Scruff’s house with murder in his heart. And if he had been in the same spot again, he couldn’t say he wouldn’t have gone and killed the man again. Scruff had killed Abigail. He’d killed Nate’s mother. He’d destroyed a family. Nate had repaid in full.

  When he thought about it that way, the guilt seemed to dissipate. But his mind would always go back to the wife and children of Levi Thompson and the pit in his stomach would grow larger and larger. The ghosts of their memory would haunt Nathaniel until the day he died. Which might even be today.

  “The clouds seem awfully gray,” Alban said, looking up through the branches toward the sky. “Wouldn’t mind to get a little rain. Might slow them down.”

  “Are we even sure they are after us?” Rachel said. “Cara freely admits that the future she sees isn’t always correct.” It was a hopeful sentiment, one that all of them would be happy with if it were true. But the fact remained, there was no way to know.

  “You know,” Nate said, looking at Marum who now rode next to Alban on Devlin’s horse. “It might not be such a bad idea if Marum and I got out of here.”

  Alban’s eyes darkened as his eyebrows lowered and shadowed them. “What do you mean?”

  “She and I can ride off into the woods and head for the border,” Nate said. “We can meet on the other side. If Levi and whoever he’s with overtakes us, and she and I are here, there will be a firefight. But if they catch up to you and Rachel and we ain’t anywhere to be found, they won’t hurt you. You can feed them some story about visiting family in the south.”

  It was clear Alban didn’t like the idea, but the simple fact remained: they were moving too slowly. He looked toward Marum. “What do you think about it?”

  “It all depends on the skills of the trackers pursuing us,” Marum answered. “If they are good, then they already know that this horse was traveling along beside you. If they are really good, they will notice when the horse went off course. It’s not a foolproof plan.”

  “Neither is trying to fight them off from the wagon,” Nate said.

  “I agree with Nathaniel,” Rachel said.

  He looked at her sharply and her face was serious.

  “If they’ve been following after us all this time,” she continued, “then we’re looking at meeting them before noon. Splitting off at least gives us a chance. Staying together puts us in a fight.”

  Nate looked back at Alban who made no effort to disguise his displeasure with the suggestion. But finally, he nodded and agreed. “Can’t say I like splitting up, but we aren’t that far from the border. I’d hate to be in a scuffle so close to the edge.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Marum said.

  Alban pulled up on the reins and they slowed to a stop. He sighed and stared straight ahead, looking almost defeated.

  “We can cut through the woods and be at the border quickly enough,” Marum said. “We will wait for the two of you there.”

  Alban nodded, not saying anything as Nate got out of the cart. He walked around to the back to lend a hand to Rachel. She took his hand and dropped to the ground, stumbling just so that Nate had to catch her. She pulled away from him quickly, her cheeks turning red. Nate then offered a hand to help her into the front of the wagon, but she ignored it and pulled herself up without him. Nate took no offense and smiled at her as he walked to the other side to meet Marum.

  “If you think this is a bad idea,” Nate said looking at Alban, “please express it.”

  “No,” Alban said as he bit his lower lip. “This is the best plan. As much as I don’t like it, you’re right.” He shrugged. “If they don’t catch up to us, no harm done. If they do, there’s a better chance of avoiding a fight.”

  Nate turned and Marum helped him up onto the horse. He didn’t much like sharing a saddle, nor being the one behind, but he swallowed his pride, telling himself they were almost finished with all this. He’d spent the last decade on the run and this was just another smart escape.

  He reached for the edge of his hat and tipped it toward Rachel and Alban. “We’ll see you soon,” he said.

  Alban nodded at them and Rachel forced a smile. Nate could tell they were nervous. That, or he was projecting his own feelings onto them. He hoped this would be the last time he had to be on the run. For some reason, he knew it wouldn’t be.

  Levi

  Autumn, 903 A.O.M.

  Nathaniel Cole was running scared. Levi didn’t know how he knew it, somehow he could feel it, smell it even. Devlin had confirmed what Levi already knew: that they were hot on Nate’s trail. The exact time was unknown—an hour, two hours, maybe just a few minutes until they caught up. According to Ranger Gibbons, they were so close to the edge of Tel Haven Forest that if they didn’t catch them soon they’d be lost. Levi sure wasn’t going to let that happen.

  Their horses showed no sign of wearing out as they trotted along. Sometimes, when the road was flat and clear, the four of them would be in an all out sprint. When the road curved or seemed uneven, they slowed to a steady trot. Regardless, there was no way the wagon they pursued was traveling at such a speed.

  All of this was confirmed when they eventually saw a wagon a few hundred yards in front of them. Sheriff Strand had been the first to spot it, and the moment he called it out, the riders drew their pistols and charged ahead.

  But as they moved in closer, it was apparent that there were only two figures on the wagon and there was no horse riding alongside it. Strand yelled this out to the group in observation, but no one cared to acknowledge him. All they cared about was getting to that wagon.

  In less than a minute, they reached it. The four of them surrounded the cart, making the old man’s horse halt in the middle of the road. Gibbons and Levi stopped their horses in front of the wagon while Strand and Devlin parked on either side.

  The first thing Levi noticed was that the man and woman in the cart didn’t have any sort of surprise etched on their faces. If they were normal travelers there might have been some expression of bewilderment, or even anger. But these two stared at the four as if unsurprised by their coming.

  “Alban Lang,” Gibbons said loudly. He sat straight on his horse, giving himself a commanding height over the two in the wagon. “A little far from home, aren’t you?”

  “A little far from your cushy office, aren’t you, Ranger Gibbons?”

  Gibbons
’ eyes narrowed at the man. “Where’s the gray elf?”

  “What in the world are you blabbing about?” Alban demanded.

  “Why are you so far from home?” Gibbons nearly shouted.

  “The business my daughter and I have is none of yours,” Alban said. “I am free to travel these lands as I please. Or has our president taken away those freedoms as well?”

  “I know they came to your house, Alban. I know they’ve been traveling with you the last couple of days. I had a visit with your friend, Cara. She told us everything.”

  Levi watched Alban closely and saw the man swallow when Gibbons said the words. This man was as guilty as sin, but they didn’t have time to draw out the conversation. They needed answers and quick.

  “Look here!” Devlin shouted. He leaned in toward the wagon on Rachel’s side and reached for something near her feet. He pulled out a rifle and held it up in the air. “This is mine! Marum and Nathaniel took it from me the other day.” He rubbed at the barrel as if to check it for any nicks or scratches.

  Gibbons and Levi then turned back to Alban who looked down at his own feet. “What an interesting development,” Gibbons said.

  “You won’t ever catch ’em,” Alban said. “We split off a day ago. Thought it was best.”

  “That ain’t true neither,” Devlin said. He pulled his horse to the front of the wagon next to Gibbons. “I tried to say something earlier, but we was moving too fast. There were tracks that moved off the road less than a mile back. We’re hot on their trail. They split off just a few minutes ago. Somebody can catch ’em.”

  Gibbons looked down for a moment and rubbed at his thick mustache. Finally, he nodded. “All right, Devlin you follow the trail you saw. Levi, Strand, and I will take the road. The border is close, but I doubt they’re planning to go too far without their friends here.”