An Unexpected Adventure

by Kandi J Wyatt

  Maybe, but a few hours later I’d proved myself correct, with exactly zero sightings of Professor Winston Patterson Raleigh. I ended up at the beach, watching the waves wash along the shore. As the afternoon wore on, I headed to the market. Maybe I could hear something there. It was the place where everyone came to catch up and pass the time with idle chatter and gossip

  I ordered the famous hot dog complete with pickles and homemade mustard. While Stacey was fixing it up for me, I grabbed some salt and vinegar potato chips and a lemon lime soda to go with it. After thanking Stacey, I sat down to eat and listen.

  As was customary, Stacey and the others had their hands full keeping up with the lunch rush. The conversation of customers filled the air, along with orders being called. I sat enjoying it all and greeting friends as they came by. I was sipping the last of my soda when I overheard a conversation at a table nearby where two ranchers were talking.

  “What do you make of Robert’s idea of what’s getting the lambs upriver?” Tony Watson, who had one of the largest sheep ranches in the area, asked his friend. I recognized Tom Longton, another sheep rancher upriver from Chace’s place.

  Tom snorted in response. “Of all Robert’s crazy ideas, that one takes the cake.”

  “But he claims he saw it and got a photo.”

  “A photo of a dragon? If you believe that, Tony, you’ll believe anything!” Tom wiped his mouth with a napkin and started gathering the garbage from his meal.

  “I know, it sounds outrageous, but if dragons did exist, it’d make the most sense to those killings.” Tony took a drink of his soda.

  Tom sat back in his chair. “I don’t know.” He shook his head, greeted someone as they walked by, and then stared into space. “I saw a kill. The grass was gone around the lamb and nothing was left but bones. The ground looked burnt. Cougars don’t leave a kill; they drag it off somewhere. Coyotes’ll leave some of the lamb, but they kill at the throat and bite the hind legs.”

  Tony nodded. “I still think it’s crazy, but I’m about ready to listen to far-fetched ideas. I’ve lost too many lambs and ewes up that way.”

  Tom gathered his trash together. “Me, too. I need to go make sure everything’s fine at my place. It was good to see you, Tony.”

  “You too, Tom.” Tony downed the last of his soda and rose.

  I sat stunned. I’d known Tony and Tom all my life. They were sane men, simple, honest ranchers. If they were seriously thinking a dragon was responsible for the livestock kills, then we were in trouble.

  ***

  I didn’t want to go home right away. Instead, I hopped on my bike and headed to the crab shack. I hoped to find Will and convince him to agree to a sit down with everyone. I was in luck. Will was eating lunch when I arrived. I explained about the conversation I’d overheard.

  “We have to do something,” I said.

  He nodded his blond head. “The question is: what?”

  “Can you meet with the gang? Maybe I can get Karis to take us up to Chace’s to talk it out.”

  “I get off work at five.”

  “Okay, meet at my place if we don’t pick you up.”

  My next stop was Cherise’s. She was duly impressed by what I’d learned and agreed to come over just before five o’clock. Now, I had to convince my sister to take us up to see Chace.

  ***

  “You want to go upriver when?” Mom exclaimed. “Harley, you’ve been up there all summer. I’ve hardly seen you.”

  “But, Mom, everyone can get off at that time. If we went up now, Will couldn’t go.”

  I hadn’t expected Mom to be the one to complain; Karis had readily agreed to the plan.

  Mom sighed. “And what about family time?”

  “We can come here for dinner if you want. I could invite Chace and Will to spend the night.”

  I got a sidelong glare.

  “Honest, Mom.” Karis pulled her hair into a ponytail. “I don’t mind. I can bring them back for a late dinner. The guests would be all on their own by then anyway.”

  “Oh, all right. I’ll expect you here by six-thirty, then. Cherise can stay for dinner and head home around nine.”

  “Thanks, Mom; you’re the best!”

  Mom grinned wearily. “I love you, too.”

  ***

  By five-thirty, we were all seated around the barn floor with Steria off to one side. She’d grown since I’d last seen her, and was now taller than any of us. She had to duck to go through the door that led to the room with the refrigerator, and her ribs brushed the frame.

  After I’d told everyone about my dream, what I’d found out about the professor, and the conversation I’d overheard, there was a heavy pause. Then I asked, “What are we going to do?”

  “Steria just needs to stay closer to home.” Chace pushed up his glasses.

  “That’s not going to solve things. She needs to range that far to stay fed.” Karis shook her head.

  I looked around at our group of friends. Just a few months ago we were just three guys who liked to hang out together. Now we were all buddies, the girls included. It’d all happened because of a dragon.

  Cherise leaned forward, her dark eyes intent. “I think the key was in Harley’s dream.” We all looked at her as if she was crazy. “The professor told Harley what to do. Like I said before, Steria needs a place away from people where she can be herself. We need to find a spot where she can relax and live on her own.”

  “I’ve already asked Mr. Behr to look. He hasn’t come up with any suggestions yet.”

  “Even if he did, where would it be?” I could hear the bitterness in Chace’s voice. He’d been the one to protect and care for Steria from the beginning. He had the most at stake if we shipped her off somewhere.

  No one had an answer to his question. Since we’d told Mom we’d be home for dinner, we headed out, somber and discouraged. What to do when there was nothing that could be done? We all knew we couldn’t hide her forever. Either we would find an answer or she’d be taken from us, one way or another. As I walked out to the car, Steria came alongside me.

  Why must I not eat the lambs? she asked with a bowed head.

  I stared at her. How to explain that?

  “Steria,” Will said, “the animals around here belong to people. They raise them for food and money. When you eat them, you’re stealing.”

  And stealing is wrong?

  I nodded. “It’s taking what isn’t yours. It’d be like the professor taking you from us.”

  He cannot do that. Smoke drifted from her nostrils.

  I wanted to believe her, but couldn’t.

  “Stay here, Steria,” Chace said. “And stay out of trouble.”

  She bowed her head, the pitiful motion reminding me of a puppy tucking its tail between its legs. I couldn’t stand it, so I turned and left.

  ***

  Dinner was fun. We all chatted with Mom and Dad, then Dad took his camera and did a silly photo shoot afterward. We made funny faces and took some group shots, and even Karis and Cherise joined in on the fun.

  As soon as Cherise and Will left, I pulled out my phone and dialed. Standing on the front porch, I watched the sun set, the first stars already poking their heads out on the opposite horizon.

  “Hi, Mr. Behr. Have you had any luck in finding a place for Steria?” I explained about what had happened that afternoon.

  “Let me check back with my friend. I don’t know what I’ll find, but Cherise is right. We have to do something. If we don’t, I have no choice but to hand her over to Professor Raleigh. I don’t like the thought any more than you do, but I can’t let her ruin the livestock up the river. Those men deserve to have their livelihood just as much as Steria deserves a safe place to live.”

  I had to agree. The facts were unavoidable. If it was a coyote or a cougar attacking the sheep, we’d all say to get the beast. Just because we knew the creature who was killing the livestock didn’t mean we had the right to let her continue to do so.

  I h
ung up with a feeling of defeat, not knowing whether things could be resolved. What would happen if we couldn’t find somewhere for Steria to go? Images of a hunting party going after our dragon chased me all the way to sleep that night, leaving me heartsick and afraid.

  Chapter 19: An Explanation of Sorts

  The next day, I was happily playing on the PS3 upstairs when Mom called.

  “Harley.” Something in her voice told me this wasn’t good. “Please come down. Someone’s here to see you.”

  I walked down the stairs slowly, afraid of who or what I’d find. Mom stood ashen-faced by the front door.

  “Come on in here, Harley,” she said in the same tone that she would use when she’d received a bad report card.

  I followed her into the guest parlor and then froze in my tracks. Professor Raleigh stood in the sunlight streaming through the large bay windows. His suit jacket and tie stood out like the first rhododendron flowers in spring.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Meagher. If you will excuse us.”

  Mom looked between the two of us. “And why can’t I stay?”

  He shook his head. “I am truly sorry, ma’am, but as I explained earlier, this is a matter of national security. I do not have the clearance to involve you. Unfortunately, your son and his friends stumbled upon the situation, and now I need to investigate what they know. If you would be so kind as to give us some privacy, I would greatly appreciate it. I really would.”

  Mom nodded and closed the French doors behind her, but I could tell she didn’t like it one bit. In the seven years we’d lived here, I’d never seen those doors closed. Even seeing Mom standing on the other side of them and knowing she wouldn’t leave didn’t help me any. My stomach tightened into a knot as the professor reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it with a fluid, practiced motion, revealing a badge with the seal of the NSA.

  “Go ahead and have a seat if you want, Harley,” he instructed.

  I nodded my head and took a wingback chair near the window. Mom and Dad’s training made me indicate a seat for him. He sat on the edge of it. I didn’t notice any evil grin or anything causing me to want to shrink away from him. Instead, he seemed honestly concerned for me.

  “Harley, do you know why I am here?” He waited for my reply. When I didn’t answer, he continued. “I really blame myself for this whole mess.”

  I glanced up at him in amazement. He gave a small, rueful smile and nodded.

  “If I hadn’t gotten sloppy and asked you and your friend to help look for the thundereggs, the scenario would be totally different, and we wouldn’t have a national security risk in this little town.” He paused and looked down at his hands. A car passed by on the highway. “Let me back up and give you some history, or, better stated, background information. You see, our world exists in its own time and place, but it isn’t the only world in existence. There are other parallel universes. One of which holds all the creatures of fantasy, myth, and legend. These creatures live their lives completely unaware of our existence, and for the most part, we live believing they are just characters in story books. However, every so often, a hole develops that enables a mythical creature to travel to our world. No one really knows why; it just happens. I do not know if it goes both ways—so far, we haven’t heard of anyone going to their realm. A special division of the NSA was created to respond to such challenges, a division of which I am part. It is a secret section that is never supposed to be talked about or known. You and your friends have changed that.”

  He looked directly into my eyes as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. I didn’t know if I should be honored or afraid for what we’d done. He took a deep breath and continued.

  “My supervisors believe you have shown yourselves worthy of keeping secrets, and that I can explain all of this to you. Back in April, when I first came to Myrtle Beach, our monitors had discovered another flicker in the space-time continuum, leading us to believe that a mythical creature would again enter our world. I came looking for that being. As I soon discovered, it was easier to find on the monitor than in real life. I believe you and your friends stumbled upon it and, for some unknown reason, decided to keep and protect this dangerous creature. You are harboring it up Myrtle River where it is attacking livestock and making a mess of its habitat. My supervisors and I are giving you an opportunity to make things right. We have a safe place where we protect all of these mythical beings. No one needs to know they exist, and they are no longer a threat to society. I am asking you to help me transport your creature to its new home.”

  He sat back and waited for my reply. I stared at him. Just yesterday, I was wondering where we could put Steria so she could be safe and would keep her home safe. I had no idea the professor would be the one to bring the answer. Despite his calm and quiet demeanor, I was still nervous. Again, the scenes of all the science fiction movies I’d seen filtered through my head. Too many times the government characters were the enemies.

  “I wish I could help you, Professor.”

  “But?”

  I shrugged.

  “Harley, we already know the dragon is on Mr. Martin’s ranch. I do not know if he is involved in the whole thing or not, but in any case you will not be able to keep it hidden for much longer. Word is spreading that the lamb kills are not the usual native predators. Someone just may learn the truth. When they do, there will be chaos.”

  I looked him straight in his brown eyes. “You can’t be the one to tell them, or they will know all about your secret division. I think you’re bluffing. You want me to tell you all I know and give you what you want, but I have no reason to trust you. You just want to get your hands on the dragon and do experiments on it.”

  He stared me down, but I didn’t flinch. I would protect Steria. If Mr. Behr said to turn her over to the professor, then I would, but not until then.

  The tall grass in the vacant lot next door waved in the breeze, catching my eye. I looked out at the beautiful day and wondered why I hadn’t decided to ride my bike around town. I had a fleeting thought that maybe I could’ve avoided this encounter, but of course, I realized Professor Raleigh would’ve been waiting for me when I arrived home.

  “Harley, if you change your mind, here is my card. Talk it over with your friends. Maybe one of them will be willing to talk to me.”

  He handed me his card. I took it, but wished I could lose it. He stood, which in rules of hospitality freed me to move as well, but I stayed in my seat looking at his card.

  Professor Winston Patterson Raleigh, Ph.D. Biology

  National Security Agency

  Washington, DC

  202-352-5595

  I looked up when I heard the French doors open.

  “Remember, Harley, you can call me at any time, day or night. If you wait too long, though, I won’t be able to help. Others will step in...” he looked regretful, “and take care of the problem.”

  Mom opened the front door for him, and he walked out. I sat frozen in place. What should I do? What could I do? I stood up and did the one thing I could think of at that moment: I walked up to Karis’s room and knocked.

  The expression on her face when she opened the door said I’d disturbed her, but it quickly changed as she saw my face.

  “What’s up, Harley? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Can I come in? I don’t want Mom and Dad to hear.”

  ***

  Karis sat on her bed, her legs curled up to her chin, absently fiddling with a hair tie around her wrist. Her blonde hair flowed freely around her face and hung down around her shoulders. She flicked it off to the side.

  “You mean he really is with the NSA, and he wants Steria?”

  I nodded as I sat on the floor. Needing something for my hands to do, I picked at her throw rug, creating a pile of lint and dirt.

  “What should we do?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “That’s why I came and talked with you. I don’t know. When he was sitting there talking to me, a
part of me wanted to do exactly as he said and turn her over, but the other part still said to protect her. I don’t know how honest he’s being about wanting to keep her from harm. He wants to protect the community, but I don’t know about protecting her.”

  Karis nodded. “Let’s let the others know, and then decide what we’re going to do. We can also give Mr. Behr some time to figure things out.”

  ***

  We didn’t get a chance to get together with the rest of the gang until the next evening. Will had worked at the crab shack all day, and Cherise had gone into town with her folks. When we finally gathered in the barn, I looked around, studying my friends. I wondered what’d happen if Professor Raleigh did talk with them. Would they give Steria up? Would Will give in for the money again? I couldn’t say what they’d do.

  “What’s so important?” Chace leaned back against the wall.

  I told them. When I was done, they wanted to see proof, so I handed the business card around. After everyone looked it over, Will spoke up.

  “Harley, I know I got us into this mess. I really am sorry. I didn’t think through everything. I just was tired of hearing Mom and Dad gripe about finances. No matter what the professor promises me, I won’t betray Steria or you guys. Besides, I know she won’t hurt us.”

  “Thanks, Will.” I met his gaze. “I really don’t blame you. I guess if Mom and Dad always fought over money, I’d have done the same thing.”

  His sincere blue eyes met mine. They spoke volumes, and I could almost see a weight lifted off his shoulders.

  “That still doesn’t answer the question of ‘what do we do’,” Cherise said. “If we keep her here, she’ll keep killing livestock—probably more and more as she grows—and someone else will come after her. I heard in the market the other day that the ranchers are ready to call in the county trapper. Even if he can’t catch her, he’ll probably see her.”

  “She’d be a pretty big trophy to hang on someone’s wall,” Chace admitted.

  “Let’s give Mr. Behr a few more days to come up with an answer. In the meantime, we can all start looking at maps and see if there’s anywhere we can send her.” I suggested. “There’s the Coast Range or the Cascades. A lot of that area is uninhabited. We might be able to have her fly there.”