“What have I got myself involved in?” she smiled at him.
A little later, Lawrence met up with the hiking team. The only other person he knew well was Chuck Dollinger, and he found he was glad to have someone familiar along for the ride. Harry Sanders was not in his police uniform, and Lawrence realised that outside of the suit he wore to Church on Sunday’s, this was the only other outfit he’d ever seen the man wear.
“You all managed to keep quiet about what we’re doing here?” Sanders asked the assembled men. Each nodded or mumbled ‘yeah’.
“Do you not think it would be better to wait until morning and go up there at first light?” Lawrence asked. He felt a little scared looking up at the mountains but was glad to see the looks of agreement on the faces of the others. “It will be dark by the time we get there now.” Harry looked at him and then up to the mountains.
“I have plenty of flashlights for us,” he said, as though this was the deciding factor. “We need to push on. Time is not on our side; those men from State will be here tomorrow and they can’t get wind of what we’re doing.”
The men reluctantly piled into the front seats and bed of a pickup truck and set off on the old Mercy road.
Chapter 19
It was unusual, and that was why Anderson was still thinking about it a half hour later. Deputy Sanders had finished his extra shift at noon and was now gone home, but there was something about the way he left today. He’d been talking much more than usual, and he seemed distracted. Anderson had been distracted himself at the time and didn’t really notice until the office went quiet again and he was alone. Was there something up with Harry? Had the extra hours and the things he’d been forced to witness this week had a worse impact than the Deputy had shown? It wouldn’t be surprising; Anderson was shaken too, and he’d been in the war in Korea. Perhaps Anderson would check in with Harry at home when he was out in the cruiser later.
After catching up on a little paper work and making a note to himself to let local businesses, the Gossamer Springs plant in particular, know that he was going to give the nod for them to open again after speaking to the State scientists the next day, Anderson set out in the car. He was going to do a route of the town that took in all of the cloud landing zones and would include Shaker’s Bar and the Clear View Hotel to make sure no one else had been messing around near them. There was always the chance some bright spark would say to himself, ‘those dogs are fine, so I'll just test it for myself.’ No accounting for the stupidity of some people.
More people were out on the street than yesterday, but the edge could still be felt everywhere. Those who walked the streets did so with arms tucked in and their heads bobbed in jerking motions watching the sky all around them as they hurried about. People talked in small groups, always close to buildings, and there were those who took the car on even the shortest journeys to avoid being out in the open. Though it was terrible to see everyone so fearful and nervous, this was what Anderson wanted for the short term. The more scared the populace was, the less likely they were to be caught unawares by a solitary floating cloud that might be missed by most.
On Birch Street, Anderson saw Tammy Dern sitting out on her porch. He waved, but the look on her face brought back his concern about Harry earlier. Tammy looked confused as she limply waved back, and it was enough to make him stop the car and get out.
“Hey Tammy, everything alright?” he asked, taking a few steps onto the stone path that led between the two squares of grass that made up her lawn.
“Yeah, fine,” she said, “I wasn’t expecting to see you this afternoon.” Why would she think that?
“What do you mean?” Anderson asked. Something crawled up the back of his neck, something bad was happening and he could feel it. In reflex, he turned to be sure nothing was about to strike him from the air, and his hand rubbed the back of his neck where the hairs had stood up suddenly.
“I thought you’d be gone up on the hike to Mercy with the others,” Tammy said, and now it was she who looked scared.
“Who’s gone up to Mercy?” Anderson asked slowly, his ‘protect the people’ radar zipping around furiously. This was Allgood’s doing, flashed in his mind.
“I thought you did,” Tammy said, “Lawrence said he was meeting...” she broke off.
“Said what?” he pushed. Now Tammy’s face was turning red, the face of someone who had been backed into betraying a confidence.
“Actually, he said a few of them were meeting Deputy Sanders and going up there,” Tammy said, looking off worriedly towards the mountains. So that’s what was bugging Harry in the station earlier; he was keeping this a secret from Anderson. Now there was no doubt Allgood was behind this; Harry wouldn’t have the brains to think up something this stupid.
“Aw shit,” Anderson said, his mind racing already to how he was going to fix this. He turned and went back to the car and leaning in the window took up the radio and called Sanders a few times. Tammy had come down onto the lawn and was looking at him. No answer came from Sanders. “He can’t be so stupid as to go up there without a radio,” Anderson mumbled to himself,
“What?” Tammy asked, and he looked at her again.
“Oh, nothing,” he said. “I’m going to have to go up there after them,” he added. “How long are they gone?”
“Not all that long, an hour and a half maybe?” Anderson pursed his lips as he calculated. It would be another half hour before he could set out after them and then giving the car hell on the way up and moving as fast as he could on foot he might catch them as darkness rolled in. By then it might be too late, though.
“Thanks,” he said, getting back in the car. Tammy came forward and put a hand on the car.
“I want to go up with you,” she said, her face and voice determined.
“I can’t let you do that,” Anderson said, admiring her grit. “You’ve seen those small clouds still floating around up there, and I can’t put anyone else in danger.”
“There must be something I can do,” she pleaded. He could see how much this meant to her and he relented; help was always welcome in the end.
“Can you come to the station and man the radio while I get Deputy Garrick to come on duty?” Anderson asked her.
“Yeah, I can do that,” Tammy replied. “Just let me get my coat.” She turned and ran to the house, disappeared inside a minute and then came running back out, pulling the door closed behind her. Anderson saw this and thought about telling her to go back and lock it in light of the recent thefts that had been reported, but he knew those had been just a case of opportunity while everyone else was at the town meeting. He had an idea who the thief was, but he hadn’t gotten around to talking to him yet. Hadn’t even seen him since the clouds for that matter.
Back at the station, Anderson showed her the radio and a brief lesson on using it - it was pretty simple, and she got it quickly - while he called Alan Garrick in on yet another overtime shift.
“Goddamn asshole!” was Garrick’s summation of Harry Sanders when he knew why he had to come into work on his day off. Anderson agreed but couldn’t say that out loud.
“Sorry,” was all he did answer and then hung up.
He gathered up some things he might need, wishing he had one of those firemen masks but not thinking he had the time to go get one from Joe, as Tammy watched anxiously.
“I’ll radio as soon as I have them,” Anderson said to her. “It’s going to be a few hours though.” He added this to be sure she understood it was going to be a long afternoon and evening for her.
“Why did I let him go?” Tammy said.
“I’m sure they all think they are doing their best for the good of the town,” Anderson said, “Allgood is an expert at making people think like that.” Tammy nodded.
“Lawrence does think he might be saving the town, though I know he wasn’t delighted to be going up there.” She looked close to tears as she spoke. Anderson put a hand on her shoulder.
“Lawrence is a good man
,” he said. “If I had to guess, I’d say he went up there so someone else wouldn’t have to.” Now the tears did begin to fall, and Tammy put a hand on Anderson’s.
“He is a good man,” she said. Trying to force a smile.
“Don’t worry,” Anderson said, squeezing her shoulder before easing his hand away. “He’ll be down in a few hours right as rain.”
Chapter 20
Charles Landy was sitting at the reception desk at the Clear View Hotel when he heard the car tires on the driveway and then the engine cutting out. He looked at his watch and saw it was close to nine o’clock. The dark had fallen, the remaining guests were all in their rooms or the bar, and it was late for someone to be coming here looking for booking. Stepping out from behind the desk to see outside better, Landy saw a dishevelled-looking man get out of a beat-up old truck and make his way to the hotel. Whoever he was, this man had trouble written all over him. Landy felt his body tense, and he got back behind the desk and made sure the baseball bat he kept there was handy. He’d never had call to use it since coming to Gossamer Falls, but he always liked to know it was there - just in case.
The door opened and the man stopped a moment, looking around, and then walked over to the desk. He looked Landy in the eye and then glanced down at the registry book,
“I'm looking for a room for a couple of nights,” he said, his voice gravelly, which was in fitting with his unshaven face and unwashed clothes.
“Cash upfront is how we work here,” Landy said, trying to sound breezy, “That alright for you?” The man nodded and started rummaging in his pockets.
“How much?” he asked.
“Two nights?” Landy asked, and the man nodded, “Ten Dollars even,” Landy told him. Two crumpled fives plodded down on the registry book. Landy looked at them and then up at the man. Was he drunk?
“I can’t take your booking until I make you aware of something that happened here a couple of nights ago,” Landy said.
“The clouds?” the man asked. “Those people dying?”
“You already know?” Landy said, surprised, “And you still came here?”
“Weird shit happens all over the country all the time,” the man said. “Usually it happens once and no one ever hears about it again.”
“The clouds?” Landy wasn’t sure if this was something known in other places before.
“Not the clouds, but weird things,” the man said in an exasperated tone, “I’m sure this will be the same though,” he finished. Landy turned the book for the man to sign.
“I hope you’re right,” he said, watching the signature. “Room seven on the first floor, has a lake view,” he said, handing over the key. “If you need anything, I’ll be around and in the morning I have a girl who works here too.”
“You got a bar here?” the man asked.
“Just through there,” Landy pointed. “Can I get you something?”
“You the barman too?” the man grinned, seeming amused by this.
“Pretty much a one-man band off-season,” Landy replied.
“I see a few cars outside,” the man said. Landy looked down at the registry - Edwards Dobbins was his name - why didn’t he believe that? “Do you have a few guests here at the moment?”
“There are five rooms occupied right now, including yours,” Landy answered. The bad feeling about this fella hadn’t lifted, and he wished he’d just go to his room and leave him alone for the night. Edwards Dobbins seemed to think about this a moment and then said,
“I’ll take a beer if you have one,” before walking through the door Landy had pointed out as the bar.
Not wanting to talk to him anymore, Landy popped a draft beer in front of the man and added a bourbon chaser on the house and made excuses to leave, saying he would check back in a while to see if anyone wanted anything else. The couple who’d been in the bar also must have gotten some sense of ‘offness’ about the new guest, and they left only moments after Edward sat up at the bar.
Landy went up the attic as he couldn’t think of anything else to busy himself with that wasn’t at the front desk. At least up here, he knew the new guest wouldn’t be able to find him. There was an old glass double door, narrow enough that only one man could get in or out that led to a square viewing platform only Landy, his wife, and Emily had ever had the pleasure of standing on.
The night was clear, the air cooling, and the moon a few nights shy of full shone over the still waters of the lake. The sound of the lapping water and the breeze in the trees was heaven to Landy. He closed his eyes and took in the sensation, but almost at once it soured. His eyes shot open, and he found he was scared a cloud might come out of nowhere and hit him, ending it all in a spasm of horrible agony. Landy sighed, took one last look over the lake and mountains, and stepped back inside. At that moment, he wondered if he would ever be comfortable in Gossamer ever again.
After giving it about twenty minutes, Landy went back down to the bar and was glad to find it deserted. The two glasses used by Edwards Dobbins sat on the counter where he’d been sitting, both drained. Hopefully that would be enough to put him asleep up there in room seven until morning.
Landy did a circuit of the ground floor, locked up the front door and got a few things ready for the following morning. The idea of calling the Sheriff’s office about Dobbins came to him frequently, but what would he say? ‘Sheriff, I got a bad feeling about a guest. I don’t mind taking his money, but you should keep an eye out for him.’ He shook the idea away. This man hadn’t done a thing. Sure, he was a little worse for wear, but he wasn’t the first man to stay in a hotel looking that way.
At eleven o’clock, Charles Landy went to his own room for the night. He lay in bed listening to the settling of the hotel. The noise had never worried him before, but since the clouds, he found each evening the creaks and groans took on an altogether more sinister aspect. Each one was something bad happening, or about to happen. The addition of the drifter - for want of a better word - was only adding to the sense of unease.
“The man didn’t have any luggage,” Landy said to the dark of his room. Had he not noticed that at the time? Dobbins could have gone out to his car to get his bags when he finished his drinks in the bar - this would be the logical explanation - but Landy felt this had not happened. He fell asleep that night telling himself,
“You should have turned him away.”
Chapter 21
The hike had been nerve-racking enough when it was still light out, but when the sun went down it became terrifying. Each of the men had small cotton ball webs of cloud on their outer layers (each was wearing at least three layers) and could only thank God it didn’t cut through as it hardened.
The five men wore scarves wrapped around their heads like Bedouin, and the yellow flashlight beams zig-zagged around in all directions at every sound and each time someone thought they saw a mini-cloud. Lawrence was worried the batteries would run out, but each of them had the sense to bring at least two flashlights each. He had a third one in his own backpack with his food. It had only been dark for an hour and already it was the longest night of his life.
The men had exchanged jokes and stories on the earlier part of the hike, but since sunset words were becoming rarer by the minute. Only Harry hadn’t joined in the camaraderie and messing around at the start. It was like he was on some mission from God and nothing was going to stop him finding the source of the clouds tonight and destroying it. The more Lawrence thought about this the more uncertain he became of what they were doing. They had no idea what was causing this, and with that came the fact they didn’t know how to stop it from happening again.
The most firmly believed of all the rumours going around was that this was the result of some mutated plant trying to reproduce through the wind. If that was the case, it mightn’t be too much trouble killing a plant, but if that wasn’t the case...
“How much farther, you think?” Chuck Dollinger asked to no one in particular. Though he spent most of his working day o
n his feet, as a janitor at the Gossamer Spring factory, Chuck wasn’t as fit as you might expect. His movements at work were slow and steady, and he did as much as possible to stop the work becoming like exercise. If he broke a sweat there, something was wrong.
“Mercy is still another two miles,” Harry said, “But we don’t know the stuff is coming from there at all. We might find we have to go even further once we are up there.” This idea led to a collective groan, but Harry ignored it. He was going to be Sheriff soon and then he would give all these assholes something to whine about.
“Can we take a break then?” Dollinger asked, “Five minutes?” He sounded out of breath. Harry stopped and looked around at the men and nodded.
“Alright,” he said, “Five minutes and then we’re back on our way.” He walked off a few steps then and looked out over the moonlit mountainside. They were inside the area of the mountain forest that had burned to the ground and it was strange indeed. The husks of the buried trees lay on top of one another like skeletal log yards. The effect was barren open areas surrounded by piles of ashen wood higher than the tallest of the men. It made for hard going as there were no tracks for them to follow. Using an old map, Harry had been doing his best to plot a route right along where the old road had gone, but there was no trace of the road now and it was hard to tell if they were still on track. ‘So long as we are still going uphill, we’re doing fine’ he told himself.
The rest of the men were leaning over with hands on their knees to catch their breath or else stretching out their backs. Chuck Dollinger wanted to lie down and sleep for a while, but he knew that wasn’t on the cards. A sit-down wouldn’t hurt though.
“I wouldn’t do that if I was you,” Lawrence said, seeing him starting to hunker down, “It will be hard to get back up.”
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