by B R Snow
“Can I get you folks something to drink?” Jessie said. “Rooster, I know you won’t say no to a glass of shine.” Then she focused on Chef Claire. “How about you?”
“I’d love to try it,” Chef Claire said.
“Suzy?”
“I’ll stick with coffee if you have it,” I said.
Jessie headed into the kitchen and soon returned with our drinks. She gestured at the sitting area, and all six of us sat down.
“I take it that Gabby had her litter,” Jessie said.
“She did,” I said, smiling at the memory of the night they’d been born. “Six gorgeous puppies.”
“I guess it’ll be awhile before we’re able to pick them up, right?” Jessie said, taking a sip of shine.
“Yes,” I said. “But I need to tell you that they’re not purebred Otterhound.”
Jessie stared at me, confused by the news.
“They’re not?” she said. “Then what the heck are they?”
“We’re pretty sure the father was a Rottweiler,” I said.
“Rottweiler?” Jessie said with a frown. “Where the heck did she come in contact with a Rottweiler?”
“You don’t know?” I said.
“No,” she said, taking another sip. “Cooter, have you seen any stray dogs around the past few months?”
“No, Mama.”
“Me either,” Very said, shaking her head.
“They’re beautiful puppies,” I said.
“But not rare or valuable, right?” Jessie said.
“No, from a monetary standpoint, I’m afraid not,” I said.
“A Rottweiler?” Jessie said. “That’s odd. I don’t know what we’d do with six puppies. Especially since we’ll probably be right in the middle of moving to Florida.”
“We’ll take care of the puppies,” I said. “Don’t worry about that. What about Gabby?”
“I’m taking Gabby,” Cooter said. “She loves it out here, and I can use the company.”
“Perfect,” I said, nodding.
“And I wouldn’t mind taking a couple of the puppies,” Cooter said. “We got tons of room.”
“Are you sure you want to do that, Cooter?” Jessie said.
“Yes, Mama,” Cooter said. “Gabby can use some company too.”
“Okay,” Jessie said, smiling at her son. “C’mon, Very. Our guests look hungry. Give me a hand in the kitchen.”
“Is there any way you can get into town at some point so you can pick out which puppies you’d like?” I said.
“I’ll figure out a way,” Cooter said.
“Good,” I said. “It looks like your mom and Very are excited about moving.”
“They are,” Cooter said, nodding.
“How about you?” I said. “Are you going to be okay living out here all by yourself?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m looking forward to finally getting some peace and quiet.”
I glanced at Rooster and Chef Claire who looked back at me and shrugged. I guess what some people consider peace and quiet is relative. Then my neurons flared briefly.
“Have you met Herman Billows?” I said.
“Sure,” Cooter said, nodding. “He’s been out here a couple of times since Papa died. And I met him the first time he was here.”
“The first time?” I said. “When was that?”
“It was a couple of weeks ago. He just showed up one day and tried to talk Papa into signing over lease rights to some gas that’s sitting on our property.” Cooter gave us a wide grin. “You should have seen the way Papa ran him off as soon as he figured out why he was here.”
“I’m sure that was a sight,” Rooster said with a grin.
“Yeah, the guy hightailed it out of here when Papa started toward the gun rack and told him he could shoot the…rear end out of a raccoon from a thousand yards.”
“Did you get a chance to talk to Mr. Billows?” I said.
“Yeah, I had to keep him company for quite a while until Papa finished up what he was doing in the barn,” Cooter said. “I had to do it since Mama and Very weren’t here.”
“They weren’t?” I said, frowning.
“No, they were in town picking up some stuff,” Cooter said. “I think Mama needed sugar for a fresh batch of shine.”
“What did you talk about?” I said.
“Rocks, mostly,” Cooter said, shrugging. “When he got here, I was polishing some rocks on the porch.”
“I see,” I said, glancing at Rooster. “Interesting.”
“Yeah, Mr. Billows really likes rocks. He asked me to show him my collection, so I did. I even gave him one as a present. And he was so impressed with them, he asked me if I’d show him where I got them from.”
“You didn’t just find them on the ground?” I said, my neurons flaring.
“Don’t have to,” Cooter said. “We’ve got a whole cave of them.”
“A cave?” I said.
“Yeah, in the woods behind the house,” Cooter said. “It’s a beautiful cave. Actually, it’s a whole bunch of them.”
“I’d love to see it,” I said.
“Me too,” Rooster said.
“Then come on,” Cooter said, giving us a big grin as he stood up. “I’ll go grab some flashlights and a couple of lanterns and meet you on the porch.”
He grabbed his coat and headed out the back door. We watched him go then Rooster and I looked at each other.
“A cave. You think Billows recognized what was in there?” Rooster said.
“I’m counting on it,” I said, then glanced at Chef Claire who had her legs tucked underneath her on the couch as she sipped her moonshine. “You want to come along?”
“After half a glass of this stuff, the last thing I need to be doing is crawling around a cave,” she said. “I think I’ll just sit right here. And maybe have another one.”
“Be careful with that stuff,” Rooster said. “It sneaks up on you in a hurry.”
Chapter 23
Cooter led us through a thick stretch of woods that had Rooster and I regularly stepping around or under low hanging pine boughs heavy with snow. About a quarter mile from the house, I got a stitch in my side but said nothing as Cooter led us past a series of boulders that were partially buried in the snow. Thankfully, he stopped moments later and pointed at a large rock formation that rose about fifty feet above the ground.
“The entrance is right over here,” Cooter said, carefully making his way through the snow.
“You could have fooled me,” I said, looking around the immediate area.
“Take your time,” Cooter called out over his shoulder. “And watch where you’re walking. There’s a couple of spots where the snow has covered up some holes in the ground.”
I nodded as I took another step and my leg disappeared from sight as I sunk into the snow up to my waist.
“Smooth,” Rooster said, chuckling as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out.
“How do they live out here?” I said, brushing myself off.
“I imagine you get used to it. The early settlers certainly figured out a way to deal with it.”
“Good for the early settlers.”
“Over here,” Cooter said, waving at us.
We made our way through a four-foot drift, and I frowned at a small opening in the rock formation.
“That’s the entrance?” I said.
“Yeah, it’s pretty small and easy to miss,” Cooter said, dropping to his knees to brush the snow away from the opening. “But don’t worry, it opens up once you get inside.”
“Don’t worry, it opens up once we get inside,” Rooster said, glancing at me.
“Yeah, I heard him,” I said, making a face at him.
“You’re not claustrophobic, are you?” Rooster said, dropping to his knees.
“Only when I’m in confined spaces,” I said, staring at the narrow opening.
“Funny,” Rooster said, crawling through the opening. “Keep that sense of humor handy. I have a feel
ing we might need it.”
“I really wasn’t going for funny, Rooster,” I said, crawling through the snow until I reached the entrance.
I spent the next several moments on my hands and knees in complete darkness dealing with the onset of a panic attack, then a beam of light hit me in the eyes. I waved it away, then shielded my eyes.
“Just a couple more feet,” Cooter said, moving the beam to my right. “There you go. You can stand up now.”
I climbed to my feet and followed the beam of light as Cooter shined it around the confined space. My breathing was shallow, and I grabbed Rooster’s hand hard.
“Ow,” he said. “I’m gonna need that, Suzy.”
“Just as soon as I’m done with it,” I said, squeezing hard as I started to hyperventilate. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Hang in there,” Rooster said. “Say, Cooter, would you mind lighting those kerosene lamps?”
“Sure, Rooster.”
Moments later, the area just inside the entrance was bathed in dim light. I looked around the space that was circular and about twenty feet wide. The ceiling was about ten feet high, and I heard the sound of trickling water.
“Cooter, are you sure there’s enough air in here?” I said, fighting the urge to turn and run.
“I’ve got plenty,” he said, setting one of the lanterns on a nearby rock. “Are you running out?”
“Of the cave?” I said. “The thought has crossed my mind.”
“No, I meant running out of air,” Cooter said.
“Oh, that. No, not yet. I was just checking,” I said, taking a deep breath and filling my lungs with stale air. “What’s that smell?” I said to Rooster.
“Guano.”
“Bats?” I said, squeezing his hand again.
“Technically, it’s bat crap,” he said, glancing up at the ceiling.
“There are bats in here?”
“I’d be very surprised if there weren’t,” he said, pointing at something dark hanging from the ceiling.
“Perfect,” I said, glancing back at the entrance. “Okay, nice cave. Thanks for showing it to us, Cooter.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Cooter said, motioning for us to follow him. “Come on.”
“I don’t like this, Rooster.”
“Hey, you’re the one who raised their hand.”
“Yeah, I really need to start working on that.”
We followed Cooter for about fifty feet down an incline, then he came to a stop. He handed us flashlights, and I immediately switched mine on. I scanned the section of the cave we were now in and noticed that it was definitely starting to open up.
“Okay, before we go any further, I need to tell you a couple of things you’ll want to remember,” Cooter said.
“You got anything to write with?” I said to Rooster.
“Shhh,” he said, laughing. “Just pay attention.”
“The cave floor gets slippery in spots,” Cooter said. “And you never know when it’s going to happen so watch where you’re going.”
“Okay, got it. Baby steps it is,” I said, committing the safety tip to memory.
“And you might hear the sound of animals from time to time,” Cooter said.
“Animals? What kind of animals?” I said, frowning.
“Only animals that can fit through the entrance,” Cooter said.
“Well, that makes me feel so much better,” I said, agitated. “We just fit through the entrance, Cooter.”
“Don’t worry, they’re more scared of you than you are of them,” he said.
“Not to belabor the point, Cooter, but that sounds a lot like the last words of someone who was just eaten by a bear.”
Cooter laughed.
“Belabor. You’re funny.”
“Why does everyone think I’m going for funny?” I said, surveying the immediate area with my flashlight.
“I’m sure there aren’t any bears in here,” Cooter said. “But you might see the occasional fox or coyote. And I have crossed paths with a skunk before. That was a bad day.”
“Okay, point two,” I said, shaking my head at Rooster. “Be on the lookout for wild animals. Is there anything else?”
“Just one more,” Cooter said. “And this is the really important one.”
“Are you listening?” Rooster whispered. “This is the really important one.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m rapt.”
“We’re gonna go about a hundred feet forward,” Cooter said, pointing his flashlight. “And then we’re going to come to a bigger cave.”
“Got it,” I said, listening closely. “A hundred feet ahead. Big cave.”
“And we’ll walk across it and then the path is going to form a Y,” Cooter said. “The one on the right will lead us into another section of caves that goes a really long way. You can spend hours exploring and not see the same thing twice.”
“Where does the one on the left go?” I said, frowning.
“Down.”
“Down?”
“Yeah. It goes straight down.”
“How far down?” I said.
“Probably seven or eight Mississippi,” Cooter said, shrugging. “But I’m a fast counter.”
I thought back to my problem of going out the wrong kitchen door at the restaurant and was positive I wouldn’t be making the same mistake here.
“I’ve dropped rocks down there and counted,” Cooter said. “And they always land with a splash.”
“Must be an underground spring,” Rooster said. “Has anybody ever gone down there?”
“Not that I know of,” Cooter said, shaking his head.
“That would be something to see,” Rooster said. “We could probably set up a system of ropes and pulleys and climb down.”
“Are you out of your freaking mind?” I said, staring at him.
“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Rooster said, laughing.
“I’m standing in the middle of a cave that’s infested with wild animals in the dead of winter. What more do you want?”
“Well, look who’s here.”
All three of us turned around when we heard the voice and saw Herman Billows standing about ten feet behind us.
“What the heck are you doing here?” Rooster said.
“Just protecting my interests,” he said, turning off the flashlight he was holding. “I stopped by to have another chat with the widow Friendly and saw you folks heading this way.”
“This is unbelievably weird,” I said to Rooster.
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro,” he said, staring at Billows.
“Who said that?”
“Hunter S. Thompson,” Rooster said.
“That’s right,” I said. “Interesting guy.”
“Yeah, he probably would have enjoyed this particular moment of weird.”
“So, you just want to purchase the property so you can leave it untouched, huh?” Billows said, rocking back and forth on his feet.
“Yeah, that’s the plan,” I said.
“Nice try, Suzy,” Billows said. “Do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck?”
“Rhetorical, right?” I said to Rooster.
“Nothing gets past you.”
“When my bosses sent me up here, I said sure. How hard can it be to negotiate with some bumpkins about lease rights that could make them rich?” Billows said. “It’s tough enough handling Jethro here and the rest of the Clampetts. But little did I know I’d be dealing with you two and that overbearing enchantress you call your mother.”
“Hey, knock it off,” I snapped. “I’m the only one who can talk about my mother like that.”
“Overbearing enchantress isn’t bad,” Rooster said, laughing. “You gotta give him that.”
“Yeah, I need to remember that one.”
“My name is Cooter, not Jethro.”
“Unbelievable,” Billows said, shaking his head. Then he nodded at my head and laughed. “Nice hat.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Cooter said, frowning.
“Now that is what I call a rhetorical question,” Billow said, still laughing.
“Why are you making fun of Suzy’s hat?” Cooter said. “Stop it.”
“Okay, Jethro, whatever you say.”
“Why are you here?” I said.
“I’m here making an offer to buy the property,” Billows said. “If you think I’m going to let you slink in here and buy it out from under us, you’re out of your mind.”
“Slink?” I said to Rooster. “Did we slink in today?”
“No, it was more of a trudge.”
“Yeah, that’s the word for it,” I said, then focused on Billows. “So, now you want to buy the property instead of just leasing the rights?”
“As soon as I got a look at this place and had the rock Jethro gave me analyzed, things changed,” Billows said, staring around the cave.
“And you’re willing to outbid us?” Rooster said.
“Up to a point,” Billows said. “But we’re certainly willing to keep upping our offer to where it’s going to hurt you to write that check. And we’re prepared to pay until it stops making financial sense to go any further. It’s your lucky day, Jethro. You’re going to be a rich man.”
“I’m confused,” Cooter said. “What’s he talking about, Suzy?”
“He’s talking about something called Wollastonite,” I said, glaring at Billows.
“Woola what?”
“It’s a mineral that’s found in some of the rocks in this cave,” I said.
“You’ve done your homework. Well done. So, you have been trying to scam us out of the deal,” Billows said, nodding. “I knew it.”
“Suzy?” Cooter said, giving me a wide-eyed stare.
“Cooter, Mr. Billows’ company would like to buy your land so they can have what’s in here.”
“And do what with it?” Cooter said, frowning.
“This guy is too much,” Billows said, laughing and shaking his head. “We’re going to mine it, Jethro.”
“You want to start digging in the ground?” Cooter said. “In here?”
“Well, we’re sure not going to be spelunking,” Billows said, exasperated. “We’ll start digging in here and see where it leads. If this cave system is as big as you say it is, who knows how much we’ll find.”