by Mac Flynn
I sighed and shrugged. "All right, but you'd better remember that I'm not as bullet-proof as a werewolf." I ducked down, paused, and peeked over the roof again. "How bullet-proof are you exactly?"
"I can heal very quickly, but I would rather not experience the pain," Adam told me.
I unlocked the car and we slipped into our seats. "Amen to that, but I suppose we shouldn't worry too much until we actually find them."
"A very true observation," he agreed as we sped on our way.
The light from the sun was weak when we arrived at the small general store a few miles short of the end of the road. Agnes stood on the porch sweeping crystals and dust from the wood boards. She leaned on her broom and gave us a cheerful smile. "Well, well, aren't you two up early. What can I do for you?"
We met her on the porch. "We were curious to know if you knew an address where the Owens brothers resided," Adam explained.
Agnes snorted. "Nope, but why were you wanting to know that? They're not exactly your type of company to be visiting."
"We thought perhaps they visited Chris last night, and we were wanting to return the favor," Adam told her.
Agnes shrugged and shook her head. "Sorry I can't help you more, but all I know is they were seen going off one of the side roads on the highway toward Lost Valley with some feller nobody knows. I'd say search that place for 'em but it's a mess in there, what with all those old logging and hunting roads. You'd have better luck finding a needle in a haystack in that thick mess of trees."
"Lost Valley is the one over our hill, isn't it?" Adam asked her.
Agnes nodded. "Yep, but it's a hell of a hike down into that mess because there's no trails."
"And no one recognized the gentleman they were with?" he wondered.
"Not a soul and I haven't seen him myself, but I guess he's got some real shifty eyes on him. Probably getting those boys into trouble they never even thought of, if they ever thought anything in their lives," she quipped.
"We'll be sure to watch our steps if we venture over there," Adam promised.
"Oh, and I forgot to tell you two something. Somebody was asking around about the folks who live up in the mountains. A scruffy-looking man about fifty. He said he was looking for a friend of his," Agnes added.
I noticed Adam stiffened and he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Did you learn who the friend was?" Adam inquired.
Agnes shook his head. "No. I started ringing off names and he just nodded at all of them until I couldn't remember anymore. Was a very queer sort of guy, too. Sort of mumbled so I couldn't understand him, but Dad said he caught the guy in the back talking to himself and he spoke just fine."
Adam pursed his lips. "I see. Do you know which way he went?"
She nodded down the road toward Wolf Mountain. "That way."
"And how long ago was this?"
Agnes scrunched up her face. "Oh, a couple of hours after you left yesterday. He came sauntering up behind the store dressed in rags and mumbling to himself, and after his questions he wandered off. Kind of acted like he didn't have a home in the world to care about leaving or going to."
Adam bowed his head. "Thanks for the information. We'll be sure to keep our eyes out for him."
"Don't take what I'm saying the wrong way, Adam. This fellow didn't seem the type to be one to cause trouble. You know, kind of addle-brained, but harmless."
Adam smiled. "We'll be sure to get him safely to the highway if we see him. See you later, Agnes."
"Bye, Adam, and you two don't have too much fun until I see some rings on those fingers," she teased.
Chapter 7
We puttered and bumped our way up the road. By now the worst of the frost was gone, but the air still held a chill in it. My eyes flickered to Adam who sat quietly beside me. "So what do we do now?"
"We will do nothing. I will follow the water line from the dam to the brothers and see what I might find out," Adam told me.
I frowned and narrowed my eyes. "So you're ditching me right when I've got a big column scoop for a story in my front yard?" I questioned him.
"This is more than a matter of publishing content. Clemens' warning shouldn't be disregarded as nothing. These men are dangerous, and therefore the trip into Lost Valley is too dangerous for you," he scolded me.
A sly smile slipped onto my face. "There's just one thing you forgot."
Adam turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "What might that be?"
"You forgot about your werewolf self."
He scoffed. "I would be hard-pressed to forget about that part of me."
"Well, what would the werewolf part of you say if I told it that you were leaving me all by my lonesome with a couple of crazy, gun-toting hillbillies slinking around my cabin?" I asked him.
Adam opened his mouth, froze, and then shut his teeth with a definitive clack. He stared straight ahead and a deep frown slipped onto his lips. "That is rather unfair of you to remind me."
"All's fair in love and werewolves, so do I get to come along or might I turn into a damsel in distress while you're away?" I teased.
Adam sighed and gave a nod. "Very well, but I must warn you the trail may not be easy to travel. Agnes' warning about Lost Valley was as true as Clemens' warning about the brothers. The valley is uninhabited but for the forest beasts and there will be no food but what we bring in and the few berries we might find," he warned me.
I cast a side-glance at him. "How city-girl do you think I am?"
"Enough to concern me," he quipped.
"Well, put your mind at ease because Agnes packed me enough food to last all winter, and I've got a nice coat, some boots I've been meaning to try out-"
"You might regret wearing new boots," he warned me.
"They've got to be broken in some time, so I may as well tame them with some hard hiking," I commented.
"It would be easier if I carried you," Adam offered.
I shook my head. "Oh no, you're not bumping me along those trails. Riding in your arms may be the warmest spot, but it isn't always the smoothest trip and I'd rather keep my teeth than have them jarred loose along those bumpy trails."
"Very well. We will start the hike when we return home," he told me.
I blinked at him. "So soon?"
"The sooner we start the sooner we will find the Owens brothers and learn their intentions for your water," he pointed out.
I sighed. "All right, but it seems like we're running off to all sorts of places and I don't get time to enjoy my home-away-from-home," I grumbled. My phrase clicked a memory and I furrowed my brow. "Speaking of homes up here, who do you think that guy was who was asking around? The one Agnes told us about."
Adam shook his head. "I can't begin to imagine. Perhaps he was an old acquaintance of one of our neighbors and wished to garner some sympathy from them."
"Or he's a really crazy old beggar who's probably going to get his toes frosted off," I suggested.
"Perhaps, but we will keep our eyes open for him as promised," Adam reminded me.
A flash of movement ahead caught my eyes, and I noticed a beat-up old pickup barrel down the road toward us. There was something oddly familiar about the scratched paint, cracked windshield, and the two men seated in the cab.
"Oh shit, the brothers!" I shouted.
The truck was indeed that owned by the Owens boys, and inside I could see their toothy grinning faces leering at me. The road was barely wide enough for two people to pass if both parties behaved, otherwise one of the vehicles would careen into the foot-deep ditch on either side of the road. The Owens brothers decided not to behave. The driver brother steered their truck halfway onto my side of the road. In a game of chicken my little vehicle wasn't going to win, so I cranked the wheel to the right. Their truck sideswiped my car and metal grated against metal. I held the course as sparks flew past my window. Another impressive dent was added to the driver's side of the truck, and my car received a long gash on my car door.
Adam grabbed the wheel and turn
ed us farther away from the truck. We dove headlights-first into the ditch and came to a sudden, whip-lashing stop against the far side of the hole. Our would-be assassins flew down the road and disappeared around a corner. There was silence for a moment and all I heard was the beating of my heart and the rustling of Adam as he shifted in his seat.
"Are you okay?" Adam spoke up.
"I-I'm fine, j-just a little s-shaken," I replied.
Adam unbuckled his seat belt and scooted over to me. He shut off the engine, pulled my hands off the wheel, and checked my eyes. "You're in shock. Stay there and I'll get you out."
"No problem," I agreed. I'd never been in shock before. It was like feeling nothing at all. No pain, no fear, just a tension I couldn't shake.
Adam managed to open his door and he sprinted around the rear to my side. He opened my door and unbuckled me. "Let's see if you can walk," he suggested.
He helped me out and I leaned on him more than I cared to admit. My eyes swept over the damage and I tried not to whimper. My right-side headlight was busted and the fender was cracked in a half dozen places. The grill was askew and busted on right right side, and the hood didn't lay flat over the front anymore. It stuck up a few inches from either of the fenders.
"Do you think it can run?" I asked Adam.
"I'm more worried about you right now," he replied. He led me to the other side of the road and set me on a large rock. His eyes scrutinized my body. Any other time and I would have been flattered and embarrassed, but right then I was still numb. "Are you sure you're alright? No pain inside?"
"No pain anywhere," I told him.
Adam pursed his lips and reached out with his hands. He wrapped his fingers around my arms and legs, and felt me up as thorough as any male TSA agent frisking a supermodel. I couldn't even manage a giggle. I was too tired and too numb. "You feel nothing?" he asked me again.
I moved my neck and winced when a muscle twanged. "A little," I admitted.
He stood and sighed. "You've had a bad case of shock, but it will fade in a few minutes. Stay here while I see to the car."
I wrapped myself tight in my coat and watched Adam inspect the car. He walked around the front right side several times, and then he looked up and down the road. Satisfied nobody was coming, he placed his hands on the right fender and pushed. The car inched backward up the small embankment of the ditch and onto the road. It still amazed me how much strength those hands held when only a few moments ago he'd gently massaged my muscles and bones to see if anything was broken.
Adam slipped behind the driver's wheel and started the engine. The car roared to life, and there wasn't even a puff of smoke from the engine. Adam stepped out and returned to me. I managed a shaky smile. "And here I was thinking I'd need a different car for these roads," I quipped.
He returned my smile and helped me up. "It seems to be a survivor. I'm sure we can get it repaired soon enough. I know a mechanic in town who can repair anything."
I snorted as he led me toward the car. "You know everybody. Well, everybody who's worth knowing," I pointed out.
We bypassed the driver's side and he helped me into the passenger seat. "It pays to have friends," he replied.
I leaned over the dash and inspected the damage. "It'll help the mechanic's pay because it looks like he's got his work cut out for him."
Adam slipped behind the wheel and steered the car away from the ditch and up the hill. "It will take time, but he won't need to spare any expenses."
I frowned. "Agnes already cleaned me out of my last paycheck," I reminded him.
"But my mechanic friend won't clean you out of yours. I will pay for the repairs," he offered.
I shook my head. "I couldn't do that. My car would never forgive me."
"I insist. If I hadn't destroyed the dam then none of this would have ever happened," he pointed out.
"Those Owens boys are the only ones to blame. If they hadn't built the dam then none of this would have ever happened," I corrected him. Another twang in the back of my neck made me wince and I rubbed the sore spot.
Adam noticed. "Something wrong?" he asked me.
"I think hitting that ditch gave me whiplash. I'll feel better when I can get a nice, warm shower," I replied. We reached my home a few minutes later and Adam helped me out of the car. I waved away his assistance when he tried to help me to the front door of my cabin. "I'm not an invalid." I took a few shaky steps to show him I'd relearned to walk.
"But you still are my responsibility, and I-" He paused and lifted his nose to the air.
I frowned and mimicked him. A horrid stench slipped into my nostrils and I gagged. "Skunk," I muttered.
"No, merely a facade," Adam replied. He looked to my cabin. Nothing appeared disturbed, but Adam strode over and pushed on the door.
It swung open and revealed a wreck of an interior. The furniture was overturned, the pots and dishes lay scattered on the floor, and my food was torn from its boxes and spread over the counters. I stumbled past him and inside with my mouth agape. Everything was destroyed. Even the toilet paper in the bathroom was torn to shreds.
"What the hell?" I whispered.
Adam came up behind me and set a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. This must have been where the Owens brothers came from as we met them down the road," he guessed.
I clenched my hands at my sides and ground my teeth together. "Well, if they think they can get me scared then they're dead wrong," I growled. I whipped my head to Adam. "I want to personally return the favor for that knife, my car, and this mess."
"I would rather you remain here and rest-"
"Oh no, you're not getting rid of me that easily. It's revenge before renovation, or bust. You take me or I'll follow that trail myself, and if I get eaten by our friendly neighborhood bear then I really will blame you for something," I threatened him.
Adam frowned, but nodded. "I will escort you on your mission for revenge, but don't let anger cloud your judgment."
I snorted and stepped into the kitchen to grab what food I could scavenge. "Don't worry about me. I'll be cool-headed-" I reached up and grabbed a bag of flour, but my slight touch tipped it over. The few remaining contents spilled onto me, changing my face from an angry red to a ghostly white. I shuddered and wiped some of the flour away. "Like I said, I'll be ready to kill them when I see them."
"I will find us both enough food," he offered. He half-turned, but paused and glanced back at me as I wiped the whiteness from my skin. "Are you sure you want to come?" I whipped my head up to him and glared at him. I knew he received the message when he held up his hands and backed up. "Very well, I only wished to be sure. I will return in a short while."
Chapter 8
Adam scrammed and I got to fixing the place up as well as my shaky hands could manage. The whole place was a disaster. The kitchen table was broken, there were knife stabs in the couch, and I found they hadn't spared my bedroom. My clothes were flung everywhere, and I swear some of my panties were missing. I didn't want to ponder what two lonely backwoodsmen had in mind for a couple of pairs of used woman's underwear.
Adam returned with two backpacks filled with food. I was partly cleaned of the flour and had found my hiking boots and some extra clothes in case I went for another unexpected dip in water. One of the few food items I could contribute was the nutri-gross bars, of which I stuffed a dozen into both our backpacks. If I was going to suffer through them then I wanted company, or at least someone to help me get through the whole lot Agnes had me buy. The spare clothes also went into my bag.
Adam looked over my clothes. "Are you sure you will be warm enough?" he asked me.
I gestured down at myself. My attire consisted of two sweaters and a thick pair of snow pants over jeans. "You don't think this will keep me from freezing?"
"The nights are very cold up here," he reminded me.
"Well, if I need another sweater I've got two in my bag," I told him. I hefted the straps over my shoulders and winced at the weight. "All right, let
's get hiking."
Adam slung his over his shoulder like it weighed nothing and led the way outside and back up the creek path. The water still flowed which was a boon to my wildlife but a curse on me. The cool water chilled the air and occasionally splashed on the trail. My feet slipped and slid along the path, and I was glad when, after an hour, we reached the top of the path. The dam was still destroyed, but the broken logs were moved from out front and a stack of freshly chopped logs lay on the other side of the dam near the ATV trail.
"It seems our neighbors have been busy," Adam commented.
"Yeah, fixing this dam, wrecking my house, and trying to kill me, and all in one day. Gotta admire their multi-tasking skills," I quipped.
Adam nodded at the narrow vehicle trail near the large pipe. "We will follow that as far as it leads. It would be easier for both of us if I carried you."
"How far?"
"The entire distance, however long that may be."
"Um, no. I want to test out these new boots a little longer." They were killing my feet by now, but I wasn't going to tell him that.
"It may be several miles."
"I'll manage."
"I would rather-"
"Adam?"
"Yes?"
"Lead on or I'll do the leading, and you don't want me to do the leading."
A sly smile slipped onto his lips. "Very well, but first we need to find a place to cross the creek."
I frowned. "Why do I not like that look on your face?"
"Let me show you." Adam led me upstream twenty yards and gestured to the creek.
I followed his arm and noticed a row of wet stones partially submerged beneath the water. They were spaced two feet apart from each other, and there was a gap of four feet from the last one to the other side of the creek. I nodded at the rocks. "That's how we're going to get across?"
"These rocks are the nearest crossing. There may be a log a few miles further upstream, but we can't be sure and I would rather not waste the daylight hours," Adam told me.