The Harbinger

by Wendy Wang

  Charlie paused for a moment, then said, “How dangerous?”

  “Let’s put it this way. The original crew sent in to take care of the problem died,” Ben said matter-of-factly. “I understand if you’re not interested, since you’ve got a kid and all.”

  “What about you? Are you going alone?” Charlie said, not hiding the alarm in her voice.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Any chance that boyfriend of yours would be interested? I could pay him."

  "Tom? He's not really my boyfriend."

  Ben rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If you think he'd be interested I'd love to have him."

  "Why? Tom doesn’t have any magic other than his glamour," Charlie said.

  "He's a reaper, right?"

  "Yes he is. But …"

  "Trust me, he has plenty of magic. It's just not the same as ours," Ben said.

  Charlie felt her brow furrow. What was that supposed to mean? Tom had specifically told her he didn’t have any magic. Had he lied to her? She would have to ask him about it when she saw him tomorrow.

  "So what is it that makes this job so dangerous?"

  "A hedge witch in a little town in Georgia evidently summoned a demon. The situation seems to have gotten out of control because there’s been several deaths," he said.

  "You're going demon hunting?" Charlie asked. "Isn't that a little out of your purview?"

  “Normally it would be.” Ben tipped his head to the side in agreement and pursed his lips.

  "Does Jen know?"

  "She knows I have a job and that’s all. I don't want her to worry."

  "I don’t think it would make Jen very happy if I went with her ...” It was on the tip of her tongue to say boyfriend but she stopped herself. Charlie finished her sentence with, “You. Plus, I’ve never done any sort of hunting like that."

  "Right," Ben said nodding. He sighed and rose abruptly from his chair. “Right. You haven’t. Thanks, anyway.” He turned and headed for the door.

  "Don't go away mad," Charlie hopped to her feet, noting how easily she could move now. "If you need help I want you to call me. How about that?"

  Ben stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "Right, thanks. Take care Charlie. It’s been nice knowing you."

  "Ben," she called after him but he was already out the door and on her front stoop. "Ben," she called again following him. “Wait.”

  He stopped and turned. “What?”

  "Thank you for healing my foot. I really appreciate it."

  "Sure. Anytime," he said. A minute later he was in his restored Toyota FJ50. Charlie watched until his taillights disappeared on the long driveway leading from her uncle’s property. She couldn’t shake the feeling she might not ever see him again.

  Chapter 8

  The bell jingled overhead as Charlie walked into the Kitchen Witch Café. The breakfast crowd was at its peak and almost every table was taken as well as most of the seats at the lunch counter. Charlie quickly scanned the diners looking for her cousin Jen. She found her milling around the tables with a coffee carafe in one hand. Jen stopped and spoke to a family of four and topped off the coffee mugs of the man and his wife. They looked like tourists. Jen’s specialty. She could charm just about anyone into coming back for lunch or dinner or breakfast. Part of it was her manner. The other part was her scrumptious food. Jen looked up, saw Charlie and waved. Charlie waved back and approached her cousin, noting the purple circles beneath her blue eyes. She had not slept from the looks of it.

  "Hey," Jen said, her voice full of mild surprise. "I didn't expect to see you today. I figured you'd be laid up with your foot."

  "Yeah, funny thing about that," Charlie started. How was she going to tell Jen? She took a deep breath. "I had a visitor last night."

  "Who? Did Evangeline come see you?" Jen asked.

  "No. Ben did," Charlie said.

  The expression on Jen's face deflated at the mere mention of his name. "Oh."

  "He stopped by I guess after he left your house. Said he needed to talk to me about something. And he just happened to …" Charlie looked around. She took a step closer to Jen. "He healed me."

  "I figured," Jen said gesturing to Charlie's foot and leg.

  "It was really amazing actually. I'd never experienced anything like it."

  "I'm not surprised, I guess," Jen said. She glanced sideways at the people around them and seemed to choose her words carefully. "He’s an amazing practitioner."

  Charlie nodded her head in agreement. “He's taught me a lot in a very short time." Jen didn’t respond so she pressed on. "I didn't really come here to talk about him though. I came to meet Lisa for breakfast."

  "She's over in the back corner," Jen said. Charlie glanced toward the booths lining the walls of the café. Lisa sat sipping her coffee in the last booth watching the couple at a nearby table. She wore her long strawberry blonde hair in a French braid. The frown that Charlie had seen on her face yesterday was gone. Maybe she and Jason had made up.

  "So do you want your usual order for breakfast?" Jen asked.

  "Yes, please," Charlie grinned.

  “You are nothing if not predictable Charlie Payne,” Jen said. A sly grin tugged at her lips. She pulled an order pad from the front pocket of her apron and scribbled down Charlie's order of banana pecan pancakes and iced tea.

  Charlie headed over to Lisa's table.

  "Good morning," Charlie said sliding into the booth seat across from Lisa.

  Lisa looked up and smiled. "Morning yourself. Wow, I can’t believe you’re up and walking after yesterday.

  “I know, it’s crazy,” Charlie said.

  “So tell me. How is this possible? You know I hate it when y’all vague text me.”

  “It was Ben,” Charlie said. She leaned in close and told Lisa about Ben’s visit, including what he’d said about Tom. When Charlie was done, Lisa leaned against the cushioned booth back. Charlie could see her cousin working over the details in her mind.

  “So what do you think he meant about Tom?” Lisa finally said.

  "I have no idea, but you can bet I’m gonna find out.” Charlie folded her hands together and put her elbows on the table.

  "I have no doubt,” Lisa said, her eyes glittering. “So did it hurt?”

  "No, not really. There was a little discomfort from the stone he used, but other than that it was the most bizarre and amazing thing I think I've ever experienced," Charlie said.

  Lisa took a sip from her coffee. "So you and Tom have a picnic today?"

  "Yep," Charlie said. "We’re going over to the Palmetto Beach Park. Which reminds me, I need to put in an order for two box lunches. What about you?" Charlie asked. "What's your plan for today?"

  "I've got an appointment later at Daphne's to get my hair trimmed. Then after that I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm not usually very idle." Her long sigh indicated a level of boredom Charlie rarely saw in Lisa.

  Charlie's phone began to ring and her purse vibrated. She unzipped it quickly and dug out her phone. She pressed the green icon and answered it.

  "Hey, Jason," Charlie said, her gaze meeting Lisa's. "It's kinda early, isn't it?"

  "Did I wake you?" he asked.

  "No.” She lowered her voice. “I have a dead chicken that continues to think she’s alive and needs to be fed at first light. So I’ve been up awhile."

  Jason chuckled. “I don't know if I should laugh or be scared."

  “It is kind of funny," Charlie said. "What can I do for you?"

  "How’s your foot today?" he asked.

  "Strangely enough, my foot is all better. It’s not even tender anymore," Charlie said.

  "How’s that possible?" Jason said. “It was a gaping bloody mess yesterday.”

  "I'll tell you when I see you next. How about that?" she said.

  "Great. Hopefully you can tell me this afternoon," Jason said. "You up for a little field trip?"

  Dread coiled around Charlie's heart and gave it a squeeze and her heel twitched. "I don't know. Where's
the field trip to?"

  "I wanted to take you out to the place where we found the latest body. See what kind of impressions you get."

  "Is Cameron gonna be there?" Charlie asked.

  "Yes he is. Is that a problem?"

  "No. Not as long as he minds his business," Charlie said.

  "I will keep him in line. How about that?" Jason said. "Will you help me?"

  "On one condition."

  "What?" he said warily.

  "I want Lisa to come. Is that okay?"

  "Lisa? My Lisa?" he said, not even hiding the happy lilt in his voice.

  "I did not realize that she belonged to you," Charlie teased. "Last time I checked Lisa didn't like to be thought of as a possession."

  "You know what I mean," he said, instantly grumpy.

  "Yes I do," Charlie said. "So can she come or not?"

  "I don't see why not as long as she follows the rules," Jason said.

  "Can you follow the rules?" Charlie asked.

  Lisa tipped her head to one side and pursed her lips. "You know I can."

  "Great. She's coming, too, then."

  "What time can you be out here?"

  “I'm busy until one-ish today. I'm having lunch with Tom. I don't know what Lisa’s schedule is like." Lisa gave her a death glare. "Oh it looks like Lisa's schedule just opened up. So any time after one will be fine."

  "Great, I'll send you directions."

  "Wonderful. I'll see you around two?"

  "Two is perfect,” he said. "See you then."

  Charlie pressed the red icon on her phone and disconnected the call.

  Lisa folded her arms across her chest and shook her head.

  "What are you playing at Charlie Payne?" Lisa asked.

  "I'm not playing. I want you there for a reason. I'll explain everything over pancakes," she said as a waitress with blue hair approached carrying their plates.

  Charlie insisted on driving to the site to meet Jason and Cameron. She expected Lisa to put up more of a fight but once her cousin got a look at the map Charlie had printed she didn't complain. Lisa didn't like to drag her BMW through the country roads, especially not into the woods. Charlie just hoped the dirt road that Jason described wouldn't be too muddy.

  "So how come Jason doesn't want you to go see the body?" Lisa asked.

  Charlie drove along Highway 17 out toward Ravenel. "I asked him that when we started with the second victim instead of the latest. He said partly because she was in such bad shape. I think he was worried that it would gross me out too much."

  "So what’s the likelihood you’ll even see her?” Lisa asked.

  "Spirits don't always follow their bodies around. If it’s as bad as he said, it may be too traumatic for her to think about staying with it. Denial is a strong emotion, especially for the dead," Charlie said. “I'm almost hoping that she's hanging around where her body was dumped."

  "Almost, huh?”

  Charlie shrugged. “Just ‘cause I can see a ghost, doesn’t always mean I want to see a ghost.”

  “Yeah, I get that. Although, it would definitely be helpful if she’s there," Lisa said. She shifted her gaze to the map. “You’re gonna turn left onto 162 up ahead."

  Charlie got into the left-hand lane as she approached the turnoff. She stopped at the stop sign and waited for the oncoming traffic heading north on 17 to thin enough for her to make the turn. "I didn’t think traffic out here would be this bad at this time of day."

  "It's always busy on this highway these days," Lisa said.

  She made the turn and headed down the two-lane road. The trees came almost up to the asphalt and in some places large oaks had hazard signs warning people of their presence, explaining that they had been there first. It was the road that had encroached. The trees on either side stretched overhead forming a shady canopy. Sunlight filtered through, splashing the dusky gray asphalt with dappled light that chased back the shadows. Charlie stuck close to the faded yellow centerline until Lisa directed her to turn right onto a dirt road.

  Charlie took it slow, sand and gravel grinding beneath the wheels of her Honda. She held her breath as they approached a large puddle, testing its depth and the grip of her tires.

  "There's another dirt road not too far from here.” Lisa pointed up ahead, reading from the printed email Jason had sent with directions. “He says to look for the yellow mailbox."

  “Uh huh, I see it up ahead,” Charlie said. She turned right and inched forward on the compacted sandy road. Finally in the distance she saw Jason's black Dodge Charger. He got out of his car and waved them down as soon as they were within sight. Charlie pulled onto the narrow shoulder behind him.

  Jason approached Charlie's car and she rolled down the window. He leaned down. "Hey," he said giving them both a smile. "I hope you're wearing walking shoes."

  "How far is it?" she asked.

  "About a quarter-mile through the woods," he said sounding apologetic.

  "Great," Charlie muttered. She reached across to her glove compartment and opened it, pulling a dark green can with an orange top from inside.

  "What's that for?" Jason said. "I haven't been swarmed by any mosquitoes out here."

  "Mosquitoes. Ticks. No-see-ums. They may not love you, but they love me," Charlie said. She got out of her car and went to her trunk. Lisa followed her and Charlie turned her key in the lock. The trunk popped up and they both put their purses inside. Charlie shoved her keys in her pocket. "It's supposed to be a bad tick year. You'd be smart to let me spray you down, too."

  "Yes, mom," Jason said in a sarcastic tone.

  A fine mist began around Charlie’s feet and spread up her legs as she saturated her jeans and tennis shoes with the deep woods bug spray, then squeezed her eyes shut and lightly sprayed her hair. Lisa did the same and then handed the can to Jason.

  He rolled his eyes. "No thanks."

  "Suit yourself," Lisa said and tossed the can into the trunk before closing it.

  Lisa and Charlie followed Jason to a path in the woods. Pine straw crunched beneath her tennis shoes and the trees rustled and crackled with a strong breeze.

  Charlie's skin began to thrum as they drew closer to the clearing. Jason and Lisa chatted and were friendlier with each other today than they had been yesterday. The drone of their voices buzzed in her ears like an indolent bee drunk on nectar. Her heart beat hard in her throat with each step. She could feel his energy pulsing. Was this what it was like for a deer wandering into a wolf's territory. Knowing the boundaries were there because they had been marked. Knowing at any moment the predator could strike. This place. This girl. It all belonged to him now. Would he defend it? She wouldn't know until she tried to cross his boundary. Until she became the deer.

  "Charlie?" Lisa asked. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," Charlie said but the words were rote. Lisa gave her a pointed look. Jason may not have been one to pay attention, but Lisa was a different story altogether. Charlie sighed. "I can feel him. Okay? Is that what you want to hear?"

  "Not really," Lisa said wryly. "But I'd rather you be truthful with me."

  "What do you mean you can feel him?" Jason said. He scanned the surrounding woods.

  "He's not here. That's not what I meant," Charlie chuckled. "I feel his energy. It's residual."

  "What does that mean?" Jason asked, curiosity filling his voice.

  "Sometimes people leave a signature. I'm sensitive to that energy. And his is strong," Charlie said.

  "Oh," Jason said, leaving it at that.

  "I don't feel it exactly the same way Charlie does, but I can feel darkness here,” Lisa said. “Blood was spilled."

  "Great," Jason said. "That just opens up a whole different set of questions."

  "What do you mean?" Lisa asked.

  "There wasn't much blood here when we found her. He didn’t kill her here. He …"

  "Posed her." Charlie finished his sentence. "Right?"

  "Yeah," Jason said. Deep worry lines formed on his forehead. Wo
rry lines she knew too well. Charlie tried to give him a reassuring smile but her lips wouldn’t cooperate and it turned into a grimace. He’d told her almost nothing about how the victims had been found. But the closer they came to the location, the clearer it became to her.

  “I see him.” She turned her gaze to the road behind them, and the whole scene unfolded before her. The sun had sunk below the tree line when he brought her to this place. The light dimmed and Charlie could hear crickets and cicadas. In her mind's eye, he drove a little further up the road. He didn't bother pulling over. His red brake lights glowed and he came to a stop in the center of the road and put the car in park. As he hopped out Charlie focused on his face. Maybe she could work with a sketch artist. At least that would be something. But he kept his head down and the murky light made it almost impossible to make out his features. She watched as he made his way to the back of the car. Charlie approached him carefully watching as he opened the trunk, taking note of the model of car he drove and the color. A powerful sense of remorse flowed from him. Inside the trunk was a young woman with red hair that had been braided and coiled on top of her head. Her eyes were closed but Charlie knew instinctively that the young woman wasn't sleeping. She was dead. He placed his hand against her cheek gently cupping it.

  "I'm so sorry," he mumbled. Then he lifted her up and carried her away. Charlie followed him but he disappeared when he came to the clearing. She stopped in her tracks. Her vision cleared and the sun shined as brightly as it should for 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Charlie blinked away tears and took a breath. She was halfway up the path to the clearing. She glanced around and Jason and Lisa caught up with her.

  "What did you see?" Jason asked.

  "He drives a Grand Torino," Charlie said. "Or at least he did when he brought her here. It looked sort of dark yellow or maybe goldish brown. I can't be sure exactly because he brought her after sundown."

  “That’s great, Charlie,” Jason said pulling a small notebook from the breast pocket of his polo shirt. “Did you notice anything else? You know, like a license plate?”

  Charlie rolled her eyes. “Now, you know it doesn’t work like that,” Charlie chided. “I see what she shows me.”