For the first time since we’d entered the room, Gibson looked slightly nervous. “No, you were on Hemlock Cove land ... and it was clearly marked off limits.”
“Actually, it wasn’t,” Landon countered. “I told you to put tape up from every angle, but you insisted no one could enter from the west, so you didn’t bother. That area wasn’t marked.”
Gibson worked his jaw. “I ... .”
“He’s right,” Thistle said after a beat. “We didn’t see any tape or warnings.”
“They’re on the road,” Ryan offered. “We saw them when we came to town. We tried to walk around the property, but couldn’t find a place to enter that wasn’t taped off. That’s the only reason we went with you. There were no warnings from the direction we approached.”
“That’s because Agent Gibson didn’t believe anyone could approach from the west,” Landon explained. “He was certain that it wasn’t possible ... so essentially he fell down on the job.”
Gibson was livid as he slowly pushed himself to a standing position. “Agent Michaels, I think we should take this conversation into the hallway.”
Landon didn’t so much as shift in his chair. “I’m good here.”
“We need to talk.” Gibson was persistent. “I think you’ll agree that it’s better for you if we talk outside.”
Even though he was stubborn by nature, I felt Landon’s determination waning. He cast me a sidelong look, as if asking what I thought.
“You should probably go with him,” I said finally. “He might really have something important to say.” And he might offer Landon a deal that would save his job, I silently added.
Landon heaved out a sigh. “Fine.” He didn’t look happy when he stood. “Let’s take this into the hallway.” He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Don’t say anything while I’m gone. If someone tries to get you to admit something, don’t. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I nodded and watched as Landon and Gibson filed out of the room. The second the door was shut, Aunt Tillie made a derogatory noise in the back of her throat.
“Good grief,” she complained, waving her hand in front of her face. “Did anyone else think they were going to whip them out and start measuring?”
I glared at her, frustration bubbling up. “Landon could be in real trouble here. I think you should cut him some slack.”
“Don’t worry about Landon.” Aunt Tillie flicked her eyes to the agent standing in the corner of the room. He was young and looked unsure of himself. “He’ll be fine. For that matter, don’t worry about us. I have everything under control.”
That was a frightening thought. “You have everything under control?” The challenge came out shriller than I wanted. “How do you figure that? We’re in FBI custody.”
“Technically we’re not,” Thistle countered. “Sure, they insisted we leave the woods and ride with them into town — which I think we probably could’ve avoided if we had put up a fight — but they haven’t read us our rights. I don’t think we’re in custody.”
Hmm. That was an interesting notion. I hadn’t really considered it. I was generally cool under pressure — er, well, at least compared to my relatives — but I was a ball of nerves waiting for Landon to return. “What do you think they’re going to do to us?”
“They’re probably going to hand us over to the aliens,” Morgan replied calmly. “That’s how things like this usually work.”
My forehead wrinkled as I pondered the statement. “Excuse me? I’m not sure I understand.”
“This always happens,” Ryan volunteered. “Aliens land, the government covers it up, then those who fight the government disappear. Why? We’re pretty sure the government comes to an agreement with the aliens and allows them to eat certain people. We’ll probably be the first on the menu.”
That was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard ... and I spent years sharing a roof with Aunt Tillie, the Queen of Ridiculous Thinking. “I don’t think they’re going to allow aliens to eat us,” I said. “Don’t worry about that.”
“Oh, I’m not worried.” Morgan was blasé. “I smoked pot before we hit the woods. I should be fine for another hour or so. Then I’ll begin to worry.”
“You smoked pot, huh?” I didn’t want to laugh. It wasn’t a funny situation. “Well, at least you’ve got that going for you.”
“Where did you find the pot?” Aunt Tillie challenged. “Did you bring it with you or swipe from fields locally?”
Morgan didn’t seem to understand the question. “What?”
“Ignore him.” Jace rested his hands on the table and leaned forward, staring directly into my eyes. “I won’t allow the aliens to eat you. I’ll sacrifice myself to make sure it doesn’t happen. I won’t abandon you like your boyfriend.”
“Landon didn’t abandon me,” I argued. “He’s in the hallway.”
“So you think.” Jace wasn’t about to be deterred. “You think he’s out there, but he’s really being removed from the situation because the government believes he’s a threat. Right now he’s probably serving as the first meal for our alien friends.” He turned solemn. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Oh, geez. I couldn’t wait to get away from these geeks. “Something tells me he’ll be okay.”
“I’m still sorry for your loss.” Jace appeared sincere. “Once you’re done mourning, we can revisit the spark ... that is if I haven’t sacrificed myself to save you. It’s okay to cry.”
I rubbed my forehead as I snagged Thistle’s gaze. “We should’ve headed home after the ridiculous scene at Hank’s house,” I groused. “I could be sitting in a warm bathtub right now.”
“Yes, well, live and learn.” Thistle focused on the light above the table. It was harsh and washed out everyone’s features. “I think I’m going to give up trying to get Marcus to accept the statue.”
“What statue?” She was going off on a tangent and I was having trouble keeping up.
“The naked one I told you about.”
“Oh, right. The witch.” I pursed my lips. “I forgot about that thanks to everything that happened. I still want to see it.”
“Marcus put a blanket over it and hid it in the stable. He’s embarrassed.”
“Or he’s simply afraid of being arrested for public indecency,” I countered. “Think about it from his point of view. He’s trying to entice families with children to come to the stables. They won’t if you put a naked woman in front of the barn.”
“I wanted to put it in our house.”
“Maybe he’s afraid that he’ll become attracted to her instead of you,” Clove suggested. “I wouldn’t want any art featuring a naked woman in my house. It’s too much pressure to make sure you always look your best.”
“Right.” I snickered. “You look a little pale, Clove. Are you feeling okay? I’m sure Landon will find a way to get us out of this. Don’t worry.”
“My stomach is upset,” Clove admitted. “I feel as if I’m going to throw up. I could really use some Pepto-Bismol. Do you think they have any?”
“Chief Terry keeps some in his desk,” I replied. “I’ve caught him drinking it during stressful cases. I think he has acid reflux.”
“I can fix that.” Aunt Tillie was seemingly unbothered as she studied her fingernails. “I can make a potion for him that fixes that.”
“You make potions?” Ryan focused on my great-aunt. “Are you one of the witches this place brags about?”
Aunt Tillie answered without hesitation. “I am.”
“You know witches aren’t real, right?”
Thistle rolled her eyes and snorted. “Dude, you’re here looking for aliens. You probably shouldn’t crap all over witch lore — which is based in fact — when you’re convinced we’re about to be fed to aliens. It makes you seem like an idiot.”
Ryan refused to back down. “Pretending that we’re the only creatures in the universe — a universe that is expanding at a fantastic rate — is folly. Witches, on the other hand, are
folk stories thought up by bored men as a way to get rid of women. I would think you’d be against something like that.”
“While it’s true that men throughout the ages have accused women of witchcraft as a way to rid themselves of wives they no longer wanted, that doesn’t mean witchcraft isn’t real,” Clove argued, pressing her hand to her stomach. She really did look as if she was struggling. “I can guarantee you’ve seen more witches than aliens.”
Ryan remained unconvinced. “Whatever.”
I leaned close so I could feel Clove’s forehead. She was sweating, but didn’t appear to have a fever. “Are you okay?”
“I really feel sick,” Clove admitted. “I think it’s the stress.”
“Well, you can’t stay here if you’re going to be sick.” I got to my feet and turned toward the door, watching the agent left behind to stand guard out of the corner of my eye. “I’ll get the Pepto from Chief Terry’s desk.”
The agent stirred when he realized I was about to leave the room. “You can’t go out there, ma’am.”
“Oh, I’m going out there.” I refused to kowtow to these jerks for one second longer. “My cousin is sick and you have nothing you can use to hold us. I’m done here.”
“Ma’am!”
I was already through the door ... and I ran directly into Landon as he calmly talked to Gibson and Chief Terry in the hallway. Instead of fear and worry reflected on his face, he was laughing.
“What are you doing?” Landon scrambled to keep me upright and make sure I didn’t fall over when I did a huge double take. “Why aren’t you waiting for me inside?”
My temper flared, even though I knew it wasn’t a good idea. “Maybe I was worried you were being eaten by aliens. Have you ever considered that?”
“Why would aliens be eating me?”
I shrugged. “It’s just something I heard.”
“Let me guess, spark boy said it was a thing?” Landon dragged a restless hand through his hair. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not being eaten by aliens. In fact, I think Agent Gibson and I have come to a meeting of the minds.”
“Great.” I couldn’t muster much enthusiasm. “Clove is sick. Do you still have that Pepto in your desk, Chief Terry?”
Mirth fled his features as Chief Terry straightened. “She’s sick? Are you sure she’s not faking?”
“No, she’s sick. She doesn’t do well under stress.”
“I’ll grab the Pepto.” Chief Terry planted his hand on my shoulder when I moved to return to the conference room. “Are you okay, sweetheart? You seem out of sorts.”
“I’m tired.” That was the truth. “I’m tired and I don’t want to be locked in a conference room all night. I was worried you were getting in trouble, Landon. I guess that’s not the case. I’ll be sure to check my worry at the door next time. Oh, look, here’s a door now.”
Landon snagged my hand before I could storm into the conference room, pulling me against his chest and wrapping his arms around me so I couldn’t escape. “Calm down. Why are you suddenly so upset?”
“Clove is sick.”
“Well, I doubt she’s dying. Why are you really upset?”
“Because ... I thought you were getting in trouble. But you seem as if you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” Landon looked at Agent Gibson before continuing. “I have good news. Agent Gibson has something he wants to show us ... and by us, I mean you and me. That’s all I could negotiate. Everyone else needs to promise they won’t break the law again and then go home.”
That sounded hinky. “Technically we didn’t break the law,” I pointed out. “You said it yourself, there were no signs warning us away. We were well within our rights.”
“Which is why no charges will be filed,” Landon said. “All things considered, I think we’re all getting off lucky.”
I wasn’t convinced. “And what does Agent Gibson want to show us?”
“He won’t say, but he promises it will clear up a few things.”
I was all for that, still ... . “We need to take Aunt Tillie with us,” I argued. “We can’t cut her out of this. The others can go — and someone needs to take care of Clove — but Aunt Tillie needs to be with us.”
“Are you just saying that because you don’t trust her to behave herself if you’re not around to watch her every move?”
That was a fair question. “Yes.”
“Then Aunt Tillie can come.” Landon held up a hand to quiet Agent Gibson before he could argue. “Trust me. It’s not worth fighting with her. She’ll make you cry before it’s all said and done. We’ll be better off bringing her along.”
“Fine.” Gibson didn’t look happy. “I’m not sure this is a good idea, but I’ll agree to it just to put this behind us.”
“Fair enough.” Landon nodded as he stroked his hands over my back. “The sooner we get this handled, the better off everybody will be.”
“That’s the only reason I suggested this in the first place.”
Alien Inspiration
I want to be that Sigourney Weaver character Ripley when I grow up. She kicks alien butt. If that doesn’t work, I want to be Cinderella. All she has to do is find a man and then everything ends up perfect. She gets a good world with zero work. Who doesn’t want that? Yeah, I take it back. I want to be a princess and not an alien fighter. Forget what I said.
Clove talks future choices
Twenty
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the inn.
Clove was happy to be cut out of our excursion. Thistle was hard to read, but didn’t put up a fight. Whatever Gibson was about to show us, she knew we would relate in great detail … once he left town.
Chief Terry drove, insisting that he needed his own vehicle, and Landon sat in the front with him. That left me to sit in the back with Aunt Tillie. She wasn’t particularly perturbed about the new development.
“I bet he’s going to show us an alien.” Aunt Tillie rubbed her hands together as she peered out the window. “I can’t wait. I’m going to name him Spock and we’re going to have grand adventures.”
I had my doubts. “He’s not going to show us an alien.”
“Definitely not,” Landon agreed, his eyes focused out the windshield. “I think he’s going to show us something else.”
“What?” I whispered.
“Whatever crashed in that field.”
Hmm. I hadn’t even considered that. It made sense, though. “Do you think he’ll talk to me on the record when he’s done?”
Landon shrugged. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
That’s what I was afraid of.
IT TURNED OUT LANDON was right. Gibson, who was in the vehicle ahead of us, pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned lumberyard. It was located between Hemlock Cove and a neighboring town, and I never once thought to check there for anything, let alone the big truck parked in the lot.
“Do you think it’s in the back?” I asked Landon as he helped me out of the truck. The day was starting to catch up with me and I felt weary.
“I think it is.” Landon pressed a quick kiss to my forehead. “We need to keep watch over Aunt Tillie. Gibson will lose his cool pretty quickly if she runs her usual shtick on him.”
“I think he kind of deserves to put up with her.”
“And I think I want to escape this with nothing but a reprimand on my record.”
I gripped his hand before he could walk ahead of me. “How much trouble are you in?” I naturally assumed when I saw them talking in the hallway that everything was okay. Apparently, that wasn’t true. “Maybe I could talk to Gibson and tell him it was my fault.”
Landon chuckled as he shook his head. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big deal. Even if it is, I don’t want you worrying about it. I made a choice to go into the woods with you tonight. I don’t regret that choice.”
“But ... it’s not fair to you.”
“Life isn’t fair, Bay. I’m fine with how t
hings turned out. It could’ve been much worse. I don’t want you worrying about this, okay? You’ll make yourself sick like Clove, and that’s the last thing I want.”
“Yeah, that was weird, huh?” I straightened my shoulders. “She’s always been bad under pressure — she once threw up on Chief Terry’s shoes when he caught us drinking by the lake when we were teenagers — but she seems even shakier than normal tonight.”
“She’ll be okay.” Landon gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “A good night’s sleep will make everything better.”
“I hope so.”
I moved with Landon to stand at the back of the truck, my eyes tracking to my left when Aunt Tillie appeared at my elbow. She seemed excited — unusually so — and she practically vibrated with energy as she watched one of the agents move to the back of the truck.
“Here it is. We’re finally going to see an alien. Did I tell you I’m going to name it Spock?”
“It’s not an alien,” Landon snapped, his world-famous cool slipping. “Why do you think it’s an alien?”
“Because that’s the only thing that makes sense.”
As if on cue, Agent Gibson appeared out of the darkness. He’d clearly heard Aunt Tillie’s statement and he almost looked amused as he made a clucking sound with his tongue. “I think you’re about to be extremely disappointed.”
“I don’t think so.” Aunt Tillie inclined her chin toward the door. “Show me.”
“Fine. You asked for it.” Gibson gestured for his man to open the back of the truck. It took a moment, and the metal sound was jarring when the door rolled up. Three agents fixed flashlight beams on the opening, and I had to squint to make out what we were looking at.
“What is that?”
“It’s a flying saucer,” Aunt Tillie announced as she stepped forward. “Has anyone checked the cockpit? The alien is probably in the cockpit.”
Close Encounters of the Witchy Kind (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy Book 6) Page 19