Talisman

by S.E. Akers

  I scurried through the crowd of couples as fast as my stilettos would carry me and almost knocked down Elisa Riverside when I dashed up the steps.

  “Is something wrong, Shyla?” she called out. I ignored her. I had no time to waste. I needed out of here. I needed some fresh air. But most of all, like any scared little girl, I needed my daddy!

  After pushing through a curtain of dangling crepe streamers, I finally reached the brightly lit hallway. The building’s exit was just a few feet away. I hurried over to the brown and gold metal doors, but before I could even lay my hands on them, they swung open. Two of my classmates, Corey Toliver and Jessica Fields, were coming into the building and shaking a mess of something white from their heads — and I knew it wasn’t dandruff.

  Stunned and slack-jawed, I stood rooted to my spot as I watched them walk past me.

  “Hey, Shiloh. Look outside! It’s beautiful!” Jessica exclaimed, pointing back towards the door.

  Quickly, I grabbed the pair of metal doors before they could fully close and gave them a firm push. I panned the grounds as I stood in the doorway, mystified by the winter wonderland that lay before my eyes. Everything was glistening in a thick blanket of white snow.

  “You’d better get your coat before you go out there,” Corey advised.

  There looked to be a good five inches on the ground already. “Corey, when did it start snowing?” I asked eagerly. Maybe it had been snowing earlier?

  “That’s the crazy thing about it. We’ve been outside in my car—” Corey stopped when Jessica smacked his shoulder and shot him a dirty glare. “Anyway,” he added, “It only started snowing about ten minutes ago, but there’s almost a half a foot out there. It came down hard and really fast.” Jessica was tugging on his jacket and motioning him towards the gymnasium doors. “Be careful, Shiloh. The ground’s already a sheet of ice,” he warned as they headed into the gym.

  I continued to stare at the lights over the parking lot, simply watching the thick flakes of falling snow. It was a heavy, wet snow — sure to make the roads a nightmare to drive on. I was still rattled from my vision, so I hadn’t paid too much attention to the temperature. But once I’d officially stepped outside, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was wicked cold!

  The Weather Channel sure missed this one… I cautiously ventured down the steps, my feet slipping and sliding underneath me. If I didn’t twist and sprain my ankle, it would be nothing less than a miracle. I really didn’t have a plan as to where I was going, but I felt like I was almost being led by something, possibly my own amazement. I thought I’d seen it snowing earlier, and now it was.

  I eventually found myself standing alone in the middle of the serene, snow-covered upper parking lot. Cars were well on their way to being buried by the blizzard with each second that passed. Mike’s red Camaro wasn’t far from where I stood. Then all of a sudden, I spotted the silhouette of a man stepping out of the shadows from a distance. Apparently I wasn’t alone, and he appeared to be heading this way. As soon as he passed under a utility light, I was able to make out the stranger, though he was no stranger. It was Mr. Estell.

  Oh, shhhit… Please let this be a vision!

  I kept a watchful eye on the eerie drifter as he drew closer. Walking backward in stilettos wasn’t the easiest of maneuvers, so I yanked them off in a hurry, just in case I needed to make a speedy getaway. If I didn’t feel cold enough before, I sure did then. My feet were freezzzing! The more I felt the sting of the ice-cold snow on my bare feet, the more certain I was that I would end up with a horrible case of frostbite.

  Seeing how Mr. Estell was at Ms. Sutherland’s house today around the time of the “snake-sighting” and a member of a snake-handling church from Jolo, I didn’t need to put two and two together. I figured I’d better heighten my guard. When he noticed that I’d taken off my shoes, his stride towards me quickened.

  Crap!

  I decided to run back to the gym, though no sooner than I’d turned around, someone abruptly grabbed me. Startled, I shot out an impulsive scream and jerked my head up to find my fake-date standing two inches from my face.

  “Shi, what’s wrong? What are you doin’ out here? Why did you scream?” Mike grilled as he tugged me close to his chest.

  Truthfully, I could think of a million other places I would rather be, but considering I felt like a popsicle and just had the crap scared out of me, I didn’t even think about pulling away — but his questions were starting to get on my nerves.

  Mike continued his interrogation. “Did Ty do something to you in there? And why the hell are you . . . barefoot?”

  I twisted around in Mike’s arms to locate Mr. Estell, but he was gone. I immediately broke free from his grip and started scanning the parking lot for any signs of him. Nothing… He was nowhere to be found. I looked down at my cold, naked feet and realized how stupid I must look. As I struggled to slip on my shoes, from out of nowhere a very pissed-off Tyler Smith came charging down the slippery steps, grabbed hold of Mike, and then slammed him against the rock retaining wall.

  “Ty, what are you DOING?” I yelled, wide-eyed, and now scrambling to tie the ribbon bows around my ankles.

  Ty snatched Mike and drove a hard punch straight into his gut, followed by an uppercut to his jaw, sending the crown atop his head airborne.

  “Payback,” Ty assured as he rushed over to me. “He started it. I was about to run after you, and the next thing I knew, his fist was planted on the left side of my face.”

  I turned towards Mike, who was just getting up off the ground. “Why in the hell did you do THAT?” I demanded.

  Mike rubbed his jaw. “Because you ran off like that. I figured he did something to you?”

  With that accusation officially fired, Tyler charged towards Mike again. I swiftly grabbed Ty’s arm, in hopes of holding him back.

  “I didn’t do anything!” Ty insisted. “At least, I don’t think I did?” Ty tried to calm down as best he could with all that adrenaline pumping and then turned to me. “Shi, did I? Did I do something to make you run off?”

  His blue eyes looked just as hurt as they did confused. “No, you didn’t,” I impressed upon him and then shot Mike a fiery and firm glare. “He didn’t, okay. Ty didn’t do anything!”

  Ty pulled me off to the side straightaway. “Then tell me why you ran off like that? Just when we were about to kiss,” he added in more of a hush and looking noticeably more clueless. “What happened?”

  I longed to tell him the truth, but what was the truth? I was having a fabulous time dancing with him, having him hold me in his virile arms. That was true… I leaned in to kiss someone, but that someone wasn’t him because I was rapt in some kind of crazy vision. That was also true… After weighing the stickiness of a one-hundred percent truthful confession, I opted to take the less messy, easy-out.

  “Ty, it’s me,” I insisted. “I’m really not feeling well tonight.” What a total cop-out, I thought as I continued to orchestrate my words carefully. “I think I just need to go home.”

  Still a little groggy from his pummeling, Mike shook his head and sighed. “I told you this would happen. You drank the whole flask,” my fake-date declared (without thinking).

  Ty ran over to Mike, grabbed him by his jacket, and threw him back against the retaining wall — pumped and ready for Round Two.

  “What FLASK?” Ty demanded to Mike, who looked guilty as hell. “You tried to get Shiloh DRUNK?” With that said, Ty started pounding on Mike again.

  “STOP IT!” I yelled, scowling at both of them.

  They weren’t listening, so I scooped up a huge chunk of snow and crafted a hard snowball. I drew back my arm, not caring which one of the Neanderthals I hit. The icy-wet ball of packed snow landed perfectly in-between both their faces. Ty finally let go of Mike, who’d actually made a much better showing during their second go-around.

  “Are y’all FINISHED?” I snapped. The
synchronized manner in which they gruffly pushed away from each other left my head shaking and my eyes locked in a throbbing strain. Apparently neither of them wanted the other to score that coveted “last hit”.

  While Mike felt out the damage to his face with a couple of wincing rubs, Ty removed his tuxedo jacket and draped it around my shoulders. “Here, Shiloh. You’re shivering,” he insisted and then pulled me off to the side. “I can take you home.”

  I smiled at Ty coyly as he started to rub his hands vigorously up and down my arms. “That would be ni—”

  “Impossible is what that would be,” Mike interrupted and pointed over to Ty’s black Chevelle, which happened to be presently penned in by several vehicles. He sneered at Ty. “Unless you want to go inside and ask every person blocking you to come out here in the snow and move their cars. Yeah, I’m sure they’ll run right out.”

  We both realized what Mike had said was true. Not only would it take forever to locate all the cars’ owners, but surely none of them would be too thrilled at the idea of leaving their good time for a stroll out into a snow-covered parking lot, just to let someone out.

  “Anyway, she’s my date, Ty.” Then the Homecoming King picked up his crown from off the ground and flung it like a Frisbee over to Ty. “Yours is still inside.” Mike latched on to my hand and tugged me his way. “I’ll take Shiloh home,” he assured with a smug grin.

  “I’ll at least see her to your car,” Ty grumbled, his scowl raging, and then pulled me closer to him and well out of my fake-date’s grasp.

  Though the tension between Ty and Mike remained on a steady course as we made our way over to the snow-covered Camaro, the tightness in my chest was beginning to mellow out. I was finally getting out of here and would be able to confide in Daddy at long last. I could tell him about all the crazy things that had been happening lately, and he would help me figure them all out. Then again, the fact that I was starting to warm up in the comfort of Ty’s strong arms as we walked to the car didn’t hurt matters a bit.

  “Hang on a second,” Mike spoke up. He popped his trunk and pulled out a snowbrush. “I can’t believe I need this thing already,” he muttered and then started at the back of the car, sweeping off the rear window.

  Ty and I strolled over to the passenger-side of the Camaro. “Shi, will you call me later?” he asked softly. “So I’ll know you got HOME OKAY.” The sentiments behind his words were as steely as the gaze he’d just craned past my head and directed towards Mike.

  Mike shot Ty his own frosty glare and then started brushing off the snow more aggressively.

  Ty turned to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “You know, um . . . because of the roads,” he rephrased.

  I wasn’t buying his reason one bit, but I didn’t care about his motive. I was too elated by his request.

  “I will,” I replied, “but he’s dropping me off at the mine. Daddy’s working late, so he’ll take me on home.”

  A smile glided across Ty’s face, signaling he seemed much more at ease.

  Mike finished clearing off the windshield with one heck of a tetchy swipe and then strutted around to our side of the car. “She’ll be just fine,” he advised Ty, his tone sounding as arrogant as it did sly. The cocky ass even threw in a taunting wink as he walked past.

  I patted Ty’s chest to curtail his escalating rage. “I’ll call you later,” I whispered.

  “That’s kind of crazy,” Mike blurted, eyeing the passenger-side door. “The snow didn’t stick over here.” He took hold of the handle and opened the shiny red door. “Come on, Shi. We can go now.”

  The leather seat was glistening with droplets of water. Why is the seat wet? I hunched down to slide into the car but paused when I thought I’d heard a faint noise.

  I looked back at them. “Did y’all hear that?” I asked, only to find myself on the receiving end of two shaking heads.

  Weird, I thought as I proceeded to lean inside.

  My eyes abruptly flew open not a second later and then I defensively hurled myself back towards the ground. Wriggling around in the floorboard was another humongous rattlesnake! I let out a loud gasp as soon as my butt landed in the snow.

  “What’s wrong?!?” Ty yelled when he noticed me pointing towards the car. His eyes almost exploded as the monstrous reptile emerged from the Camaro and slithered onto the ground.

  Mike was the next one to officially freak. “SON-OF-A-BITCH!” he screamed.

  The serpent was heading straight for me. I started pushing myself back, plowing my arms and rear through the snow as fast as I could. My body was trembling from the icy snow stabbing my skin, but mostly from the terrifying creature that had its sights set on me.

  Ty attempted to lunge at the snake. It paused only to tease him with a superficial, yet intimidating strike. That bought me a few seconds to get to my feet. The scaly rattler stopped toying with Ty and then swiftly turned its attention back to its intended victim — me. I kept my eyes focused on the vile creature as it began to close in on me. I could tell I was running out of room as I headed backward—towards the high retaining wall that hugged the school’s hillside—and unfortunately, there was no way to climb it. Finding myself all out of options, I stood there cornered like a mouse while the rhythm of the snake’s rattler echoed in my ears. Mike and Ty were yelling back and forth at each other, trying to coordinate their search to find something to kill it with — though I rather doubted if either of them had any handy-dandy garden tools stowed in the trunks of their muscle cars.

  The serpent started to rear back and took an attack stance. Too bad there wasn’t a little old blind lady around to save me this time. My ankle twisted around in my shoes as I postured myself for an expected assault. I looked down at my stiletto heels and realized one of the ribbon straps had come untied. Quickly, I yanked off the loose shoe and prepared to swing it with all of my might.

  I kept trying to convince myself, This thing’s no different than any other critter you’ve snatched before. Ty was running towards me when the vicious creature came thrusting my way. With a firm mental prayer fired, I whirled my arm around to counter its attack and instinctively turned my head in a flinch, hoping at the very least that I would dodge its fangs. An eerie void scored the air in an instant. The harrowing, rhythmic rattles that had flooded my ears and baited my nerves merely seconds ago had been replaced with the sound of random taps and thumps. I forced open my eyes and then inescapably followed the track of my arm, trailing it all the way to the shoe clenched in my hand. The heel of my beautiful stiletto had struck my attacker, piercing the rattlesnake’s head right between its eyes, and it was now staked to the stone wall. Its scaly body twitched erratically as all signs of life drained from its muscles. After a couple of deep breaths, I slowly let go of the shoe.

  Ty rushed to my side. “Shi, are you okay?” he panted, bouncing the swell of his stare between me and the scaly corpse that now donned my high-heel through the center of its ghastly head. He swiftly gave my listless frame a much-needed tight squeeze.

  The gesture was comforting. Hell, I needed to feel something. The shock of what had just happened, as well as the accuracy of my aim, was downright mindboggling.

  The snake appeared from behind a red door… Just like the vision I had earlier, I reflected quietly as Ty held me in his arms.

  Mike hurried over. “What in the hell was that?!?”

  “Apparently a snake — dumb ass,” Ty growled. “What I want to know is what it was doing in YOUR CAR?”

  “Those sons’ of bitches from Princeton! I bet they came down here and did it!” Mike charged, cussing and fists shaking. “I wouldn’t put it past them! They were really pissed about the game . . . Not to mention the ass kicking Marcus and I gave a couple of their players. I’d bet anything they were behind this shit!”

  I stood there quietly as Mike continued to curse and rant his speculations.

  “You’re keeping some prett
y strange company,” Ty whispered. “This is twice today, isn’t it?”

  Despite how surprised I was by his on-the-money guess, my eyes remained inescapably glued the snake. “How did you know?” I asked, only tilting my head in his direction.

  “I stopped by Bea’s house on my way back from Pineville. Mr. Mayfield showed me the snake. He had it packed up in a box to take home with him. Bea told me it had tried to attack you. What a coincidence. Two rattlesnakes, roughly the same freakish size, going after the same person . . . on the same day?”

  Telepathy wasn’t needed; I’d picked up on Ty’s disbelief just from his tone.

  “Yeah . . . Imagine that,” I replied laxly, hoping to play it off.

  “You don’t seem too shaken for someone who almost had their neck ripped into by another twelve-foot rattler?” Ty charged, his suspicions mounting.

  “Shock, I guess?” I muttered, trying to sound more convincing. Though I knew it wasn’t going to work after noticing the thick coat of doubt glazing his eyes. Clearly, we were both on the same page. That snake was not intended for Mike Riverside.

  Ty pried the snake from the rock wall and pulled my stiletto heel from its head. “The only thing shocking was your aim,” he assessed and then tossed the gruesome reptile on the ground.

  While the gravity of his remark whirled in my head, I stood quietly fixated on the scaly corpse sinking into a fluffy patch of snow. Truer words had never been spoken.

  Ty rinsed the remnants of bloody snake brains off my shoe with some snow and then wiped the tapering, blade-like heel clean using one of the legs of his pants. He gently guided my foot into my shoe and fastened the two ribbons around my ankle.

  A subtle smile emerged. I would feel just like Cinderella…if it weren’t for the fact that she didn’t have a daggone serpent flying out of her pumpkin coach.

  “Wait here,” Ty insisted as he rose from the ground. “Give me your keys,” he demanded to Mike.

  “I told you. I’m taking Shi home,” Mike snapped. “You’re not driving her in my car!”

  Ty snatched Mike’s keys out of his hand and gave him a firm shove. “I’m going to check it for any other surprises . . . or do you want to?”

  Mike’s face paled on the spot. My fake-date didn’t put up any more of a fuss, not with the possibility that more of those things could be hiding inside his car now rooted in his head.

  “YOU DO THAT!” Mike barked and jerked into a shiver as he backed away from his car. “Check it over good . . . and in all the compartments inside, too!”

  Ty opened the trunk and searched it thoroughly. Then he leaned inside the car and checked in every nook and cranny of its interior. He even popped the hood for a quick once-over and looked under the car, just to be on the safe-side. Once Ty had given us the all-clear sign, my fake-date-turned-coward ran over and snatched back his keys.

  Mike stood by the passenger-side door glaring at Ty. “Come on, Shi. Let’s go,” he insisted.

  “Go ahead and get in, Mike. I need a second,” I told him as I approached the car.

  Mike shrugged his shoulders and walked around to the driver’s-side door. I looked up at Ty. His cheeks were rosy from the whip of the cold air and his dreamy blue eyes were glistening. He shifted around nervously in the snow for a moment, like he wanted to say or do something.

  “Oh, before I forget,” Ty began as he pointed to his tuxedo jacket I was still wearing, “Your purse is inside my coat. You ran off without it.”

  Sure enough, I felt around in one of its inside pockets and there was the beaded black clutch, safely tucked away. I pulled it out and smiled.

  “Thanks, Ty,” I said softly.

  “Well, I didn’t want you to think that you’d lost it,” he replied.

  “I’m not thanking you for that.”

  “For what then?” Ty asked as he edged closer.

  “For trying to save me. You distracted it. I saw you trying to stop it . . . so, thank you.”

  Ty smiled and gave my hand a lingering squeeze. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  The tenderness of his touch ignited every one of my cells. I stood there wishing we were back on the dance floor. It would have been my very first kiss, though I still didn’t quite know whom I would have been kissing. I could feel myself starting to blush, but hopefully the cold air stinging my own cheeks camouflaged any visible traces of emotion.

  Now feeling the heat of Mike’s stare on us, I yielded an awkward smile and then climbed into the car. I gazed back at Ty in the side-mirror as we cautiously crept out of the parking lot. He had walked back over to the snake and picked it up to examine it closer. Not a few seconds later, Ty shook his head and casually pitched it off to the side. Unfortunately for Kara Leighton, who’d just walked up beside him, it ended up landing on her, draped perfectly around her neck. Ty looked mortified. I cringed and turned my head just as soon as her high-pitched scream rent the air. Needless to say, the cheerleader’s banshee-like lungs were still going strong even when we’d reached the bottom of the hill.

  The drive could have been much quieter, in my opinion. Mike kept asking me, “If I liked the song that was playing?”… “Was I hungry?”… And my personal favorite was, “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?” I didn’t know what his deal was this evening, but I’d had enough. At that moment, the only question I would have answered yes to was, “Do you want me to shut the hell up?”

  I was restless enough knowing we still had quite a few slow, snowy miles to go before reaching the mine, but then Mike had me wanting to kick the floorboard when he unexpectedly pulled into the parking lot of the Kwik-Serve. It seemed my peace and quiet was going to take a little longer than what I’d previously thought.

  Mike nodded to the convenience store. “Do you need anything?” he asked.

  Just to get back on the road, I groaned silently. “Not a thing,” I insisted, forcing a smile and welcoming the breather my wait in the car would grant me.

  Mike returned my smile. “I’ll be back in a second,” he assured and then hopped out, leaving the car running.

  Was it wrong of me to be fantasizing about sliding over into the driver’s seat and leaving him here so I could get to Daddy sooner? Probably… Good thing the mounting snow was keeping my conscience just as white.

  My gaze may have been absentmindedly trailing my fake-date through the span of windows running the length of the lit and lonely roadside store, but my head was heedfully trying to process everything that had happened this evening.

  Tonight was my first school dance, my first almost-kiss, and my first step towards receiving a one-way ticket for a first-class seat on a crazy train that would carry me straight to the Nut-House. I was beginning to rule out schizophrenia because some of the visions had actually come true. As I watched the snow swirling in the night sky, I knew there was one thing that didn’t sound crazy — both of those rattlesnakes weren’t just a freak coincidence and that somehow Mr. Estell was responsible. Though after considering the series of events fate had thrown in my path, I had to shove the whys surrounding that theory straight to the backburner. I only had one real concern at the moment: what the hell was going to happen next?

  I gave my shoulders a brisk couple of rubs. And WHEN?

  Mike jumped back in the car a few seconds later with a small brown bag crumpled in his hand.

  “What’s in the bag?” I questioned innocently, only to watch him pitch the thing behind his seat like a bomb on its last fateful tick.

  “Nothing,” Mike muttered, appearing downright cagey as he peeled out of the slick parking lot, slipping and sliding in the snow. I shook my head at the reckless, juvenile maneuver. I got a funny feeling that he was trying to distract me from any more questions. Then I started mentally retracing his steps through the store. And I was pretty sure he’d paused for a touch longer than just a moment in the section where their shelves were stocked with a limited amount of more personal item
s.

  I turned towards the windshield, my bottom lip plunging just shy of smacking my lap. I sure hope that dumb ass didn’t waste his money on condoms, I grumbled to myself. I need “peace”, not “a piece”!

  Our side of Highway 52 was completely covered with snow. The only tracks that had been forged were in the oncoming lane, traveling from the direction of the mine. Though the pristine snow-covered road was pretty to look at, it would have been a lot easier to follow behind an already plowed line of someone else’s tires. Mike even had enough sense to proceed with caution, slowing his speed down to about 5 mph.

  We were about two miles from the mine when Mike finally broke the awkward silence booming inside the car. “It’s going to feel pretty strange, what with my family not owning the mine anymore,” he remarked.

  “Well, I guess you’ll just be known as some rich guy’s son, rather than some rich guy’s son whose father is their dad’s boss,” I quipped. “Don’t worry, Mike. I’m sure your popularity among Welch’s female population will remain intact.”

  Mike smirked. “Funny.” Then he shifted in his seat and sat up a bit straighter. “I was being serious.” The cocky jock stared out the windshield at the icy, snow-covered road ahead, seeming almost melancholy. “I didn’t want him to sell it,” he added in a low, somber tone.

  I found that puzzling. Surely, he didn’t want to stay in Welch for the rest of his life, destined to run a coal mine. If anyone had the means and resources to get the heck out of Welch it was Mike Riverside.

  Why on earth wouldn’t he want his dad to get rid of it and be richer for it?

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” Mike replied, shaking his head. “This deal came from out of nowhere, and there’s just something about Lazarus Xcavare that I don’t like. He’s been staying in our guesthouse for the past few days. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something, I don’t know—”

  “Strange, about him?” I interrupted.

  Mike pointed his finger and nodded. “Bingo,” he replied, confirming that I wasn’t the sole opinion of dissent in town.

  Mike continued driving along our snowy path. He was looking ahead like he should of course, but I could tell his mind was on something other than keeping his car from spinning off the road. Something had him deeply engrossed in his thoughts, and I had a hunch it had everything to do with Lazarus Xcavare. So naturally I felt a little prying was in order.

  “I don’t get his interest in Welch. The mine yes, but this whole adopt-a-town-thing is pretty hard to swallow,” I remarked, praying he took the bait.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “He’s totally different . . . behind closed doors.” Mike’s admission had no sooner crossed his lips when he abruptly cut himself off. If my curiosity wasn’t piqued before, it sure as heck was now.

  I slid around in my seat. “What do you mean, ‘behind closed doors’?” I probed.

  Mike leaned on the brake a bit and pretended to be more focused on the curve ahead in an apparent attempt to brush me off. “Nothing, Shiloh. Just forget what I said.”

  Little did my fake-date know that he’d just told probably the most stubborn girl in the entire county to “forget about it”.

  I chuckled. “The cat’s almost free now. I’ll drag it the rest of the way out, if I have to,” I challenged with a stubborn grin.

  Mike noted the same look of determination burning in my eyes that I had when we were little, right before I’d given him a beating over trying to steal my lunch. He shifted in his seat, his face now looking painfully guarded. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone, Shiloh. Really promise — Okay? Not Chloe . . . Or Ty . . . or your friend, Katie . . . I mean NOBODY!”

  “I promise,” I replied in my sincerest of voices. “After all, you can tell your drinking buddy anything.” I figured putting him at ease with a little humor couldn’t hurt.

  Mike hesitated for a moment and then breathed out a compliant sigh. “There are some cameras hidden in the guesthouse,” he revealed. “My mom had a secret security system put in a few years ago when our housekeeper, Flora was staying out there. She spared no expense. It’s actually pretty high-tech. The wireless cameras are motion activated, and their hybrid batteries last for thirty years. She thought Dad was screwing around on her and wanted proof. He doesn’t even know about them. The monitors are stashed behind a panel in the back of my closet. She had it installed one week when he was in Canada on a hunting trip, and she gave Flora and her sister an all expenses paid trip to Myrtle Beach . . . He wasn’t cheating on her, by the way.”

  Mike seemed more at ease. Apparently he’d been dying to tell someone, anyone about his exploration into voyeurism.

  “So you’ve been spying on Lazarus Xcavare?” I grilled. I couldn’t blame him. I would have done it in a heartbeat.

  “Yeah,” Mike answered without even a hint of shame. “You can never get a read on him. He’s really weird . . . and extremely volatile.”

  Mike had a glazed look in his eyes as he spoke about Lazarus’s demeanor. I’d already had the pleasure of venturing through the lying bastard’s mind, so I knew exactly what he was talking about — which made me all the more intent on uncovering even more.

  “What do you mean?” I inquired.

  “He may talk a good game to my dad and the town, but when he’s around most of his guys in private, he’s totally trashing Welch and all its people. But he’s so set on purchasing the mine and even the property around it. His guys are constantly coming in with samples of dirt for him to check. He keeps telling them, ‘IT’S HERE’ and demanding they keep searching. Every guy who brings him a sample he doesn’t like gets the shit kicked out of them.” Mike looked over at me and shook his head. “Hell, he almost choked a guy to death the other night.”

  I figured I should reciprocate with a little information since Mike was being so forthcoming.

  “I ran into that Professor Grey out on Shiloh Ridge the other day. He was collecting samples.” I knew Lazarus wanted the surrounding areas checked for additional reserves, but something about the professor’s presence there was still bugging me. And I didn’t get the feeling that it had a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g to do with finding more dirty hunks of carbon, especially now. “Mike, what does he think is here?”

  “I don’t know. The only thing around here is coal . . . and more coal. He’s buying a coal mine. What does he expect?” Mike shrugged. “He called someone this afternoon and ordered them to wrap up whatever they were doing. He needed them in the, and I quote, ‘bowels of West Virginia’, as soon as possible. Then he made everyone leave the room and started chanting.” A dry laugh boomed from his mouth. “I would’ve never figured him for a man of religion — of any kind.”

  Chanting, I pondered, my eyes wide. “You mean like a Buddhist?” I posed.

  Mike shook his head doubtfully. “I don’t think so. But was speaking in some kind of foreign language . . . and he’s got this chest he keeps a silver cross in. He chants to it and then waves it over the samples of dirt, like some crazy religious ritual. He even talks to the thing or he’s talking to himself. Who knows with that guy? What’s really freaky is when he rolls his eyes back into his head and douses himself with salt.”

  Salt, I thought to myself curiously. What’s the deal with salt lately? The coincidence was vexing.

  “What kind of salt?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, Shi?” Mike shook his head. “Does it matter?”

  I sighed and thought, Well, yeah… It kind of does from what I’ve been told.

  I noticed we’d finally reached the fork on Highway 52. The tracks in the oncoming lane had originated from the mine. They crossed over our path and trailed down into the parking lot.

  I hope Daddy hasn’t left yet… Mike will have a heck of a time getting this car of his up the mountain.

  Mike hugged the freshly plowed tracks leading down to the parking lot. We both spotted D
addy’s navy blue Ford pick-up truck sitting alone in the lot. It appeared that he was the only one here, though there were a few tracks around his vehicle. His truck was in the same spot, so he hadn’t left to go anywhere.

  “I thought Daddy was the only one who was supposed to be working tonight. Did your father have to come by for something?” I asked.

  “No. As soon as he heard Mom was going to be at the dance helping out, he set up a poker game with some of his buddies over in Beckley. I didn’t think anyone was supposed to be here this late other than Caiden. Maybe your mom stopped by?”

  I grunted and laughed. “Not a chance. She does a happy-dance every time he goes into work.”

  “Why don’t you just ask your dad when you see him, Sherlock,” Mike joked, rolling his eyes as he pointed over to the security entrance.

  The frigid air hit me as soon as I got out of the car. I pulled Ty’s tuxedo jacket tighter around my shivering body as I trudged through the snow. I loved the outfit Daddy had surprised me with, but right now I just wished there was a little more of it.

  The snow had finally stopped, but the air was still whipping around us. We reached the security entrance, only to find it locked. I’d forgotten I would need to ring him to come and let me in.

  I turned to my fake-date. “No key?” I hinted.

  Mike stepped back and gave me a doubtful look. “No, not on me.”

  “Let me call him.” I reached into the black-beaded clutch, which Katie had packed, and whipped out my cell phone. Crap! I’d completely forgotten to plug it in when I got home this afternoon. It was so run down it wouldn’t even turn on to illuminate a “Low Battery” message. I shoved it back inside and aimed a hopeful gaze at Mike. “You have yours, don’t you?”

  He nodded his head and smiled. “It’s in the car. I’ll get it.”

  While Mike strode over to his car to retrieve his cell, I paced along the front security gate. The scene was so still and eerily quiet. The soft crunching sounds my feet were making as they trudged through the pillowy snow sounded like thunder. I stared at the building where Daddy would be working. There wasn’t the first light shining from any of the windows.

  How odd… Where could he be? His truck is still here.

  Suddenly a chill ran down my spine. I couldn’t tell if it was from the cold air whirling around my body or the peculiarity of Daddy’s elusive whereabouts. I hurried over to Mike, who was still rummaging through his car.

  “I don’t think he’s in there,” I remarked.

  “Not in the main office?” Mike posed and glanced back at the security gate.

  “No. I’m going to check his truck.”

  I ran over to Daddy’s old truck and peered through the windows. Strangely, his keys were dangling in the ignition. I pulled on the chrome handle and it popped right open. Then I climbed inside and threw my clutch onto the passenger-seat. My eyes scanned all around its interior.

  He wouldn’t have left his keys in the ignition like this…or even his truck unlocked. I was completely baffled.

  “I’ve got my phone,” Mike yelled out. “What’s his number?”

  After I’d called out Daddy’s digits, I sat there struggling with an uncontrollable amount of restlessness while I clutched the steering wheel and stared out the window. It didn’t make sense. I thought I’d heard a slight “bump” and turned towards the bed of the truck. There was nothing back there but one of Daddy’s weathered tarps and some old wood boards sticking out from underneath it. A horrible ache rose from the pit of my stomach as I directed my stare out the windshield, pondering the bizarre situation.

  Where could he be?

  Chapter 11