The cellphone remained silent for a couple of seconds. When his captain finally replied, her voice was curt. “Can’t be helped. If it looks like you’re running late, you’ll just have to search the place tomorrow. We can’t let Harrison know what we’re doing; at least not yet.”
“Roger that,” Mick said. “You’re the boss.”
“That’s right. I am. Now get moving.”
Taking a final look at the trailer, Mick turned the SUV around and headed to the main road, taking the turn to Seattle. He thought of the girl and smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile.
* * *
Tess didn’t get a chance to talk to Alec until lunch, and even then she couldn’t find a way to talk to him alone. He was sitting in the cafeteria with his usual gang of jock buddies. Steeling herself for the inevitable, she approached their table. When Scott elbowed Alec and pointed, he looked up.
As soon as their eyes locked, Alec smiled and stood. “Tess, I uh, I’ve been looking for you. I, uh…”
Scott and the others at the table laughed. Alec’s face turned pink. Tess felt her own face growing warm.
“He’s always had a way with words, Tessie,” laughed Scott. “I think that’s why he keeps me around to do his talking for him. I always did say I was the smart one out of the two of us.”
Tess ignored the snide comments from Scott and the others, determined to say what she’d come to say and get back to her own table. She looked at Alec. “I wanted to wish you luck at the game tonight.”
“You’ll be there, won’t you,” said Alec. “At the game, I mean.”
Shaking her head, Tess said, “No. I’ve got to work.”
“Maybe we can get together for a few minutes after school before I have to go to practice. I, uh, I wanted to talk to you.”
Again, Tess shook her head. “Sorry,” she said really meaning it. “I have a dentist appointment at one today. I’ll be heading home right afterwards. I won’t be coming back to school. Err, Dad and I are having dinner together before I go to work.”
Alec looked at the floor before looking back up at her. “I’ll see you at Big Jake’s then. Maybe we can talk there.”
Tess eyed him. “That’ll be a little awkward, won’t it? I thought you were taking Betty to the dance after the game.”
Alec’s face turned red. “Well, yeah, but—”
“Save it,” Tess said harsher than she intended. “I said what I wanted to say. I just wanted to, uh, wish you luck.”
Alec looked at her, the hint of a frown evident. The frown faded to be replaced by something else.
Is he hurt? Tess wondered. She stared into his soft brown eyes. Her ring grew warm. The warmth traveled up her arm and down to her stomach. She took a half-step forward as if in a trance. He took a half-step towards her as well.
“What about me?” laughed Scott. “Aren’t you going to wish me luck? Not that I need it.”
The trance was broken. Tess felt her face growing hot even as the warmth from her ring disappeared. She hastily took her eyes off Alec and looked over at the big halfback. A thought came to mind. “Yeah, you too, big guy.” She smiled mischievously. “Try and stay on your feet. I know how easy it is to take you down.”
The others at the table hooted. Scott turned red.
Tess figured most of them had been at Jake’s the night of Scott and her encounter. She looked back at Alec whose face was only slightly pink, and said, “Have fun at the dance with Betty.”
“Tess, I wish…I, uh…”
Tess didn’t wait for him to finish. She turned on her heels and left him standing at the table as she made the most of her tight-fitting jeans while walking away. She hoped he felt as miserable as she did.
No, she thought. I don’t hope that at all. She pictured him dancing with Betty. A sudden emptiness in her stomach made it hard to focus. I don’t want anyone to feel this miserable.
Chapter 20 – The Search
____________________
At one-thirty, Mick pulled the SUV into a small picnic area hidden in the trees a quarter-mile behind the trailer park. He considered calling his captain to get advice but immediately discarded the idea.
I’ve got time. The drunk doesn’t get off work for another hour and a half. The girl won’t be home until after that. I’ll be long gone before either of them make it back. And if I find the ring, I’ll be the one to give it to the colors, not Captain Cynthia Jager. Hell, I might be a major or colonel if I’m the first to get one of those elemental rings.
Exiting the vehicle, Mick wove his way between the trees until he was next to the girl’s trailer. The gravel drive held only the beat-up green pickup.
The big joke around town is that the dad isn’t allowed to drive the truck. He’s on the bike and the girl’s got the cycle. There’s no one home.
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Mick walked up to the door. Despite the sun being out, he felt a sudden chill in the air. Pulling a short length of metal with a hook at the end out of his pocket, he stuck it between the doorframe and the handle. The lock was stubborn, but after a couple of attempts, it gave way. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him. The air was cold; almost frigid.
“All right, I know you’re here,” Mick said. “Show yourself, or I swear I’ll torch the place.”
Movement drew his attention to the kitchen table. A disgusting looking spider shimmered and grew in size until a foot-high orange body of an imp took its place. The imp flapped its wings and hissed.
Mick reached for the gun in his shoulder holster but changed his mind at the last second and pulled a six-inch piece of leather filled with metal pellets out of his coat pocket instead. He’d made the sap himself. The metal pellets sewn into the end of the weapon gave a comforting weight to the sap.
“I’m not in the mood to play around,” Mick said. “We know the girl has the ring. Did she take it with her?”
The imp hissed again. “Don’t know for sure. Girl was wearing gloves when she left.”
Mick took his eyes off the miniature demon long enough to glance at his watch. Two o’clock, he thought. Time’s running out. Why isn’t anything ever easy?
Starting in the living room of the small trailer, Mick began pulling items out of drawers and off shelves, tossing them onto the floor in his search for any indications of hiding spots. He worked his way through the kitchen and two bedrooms, finding nothing. All the while, the imp followed him hissing and chittering advice. Finally, Mick gave up. He glanced at his watch.
“It’s two-thirty,” Mick said. “I’ve got to leave. The girl must have the ring with her. I should’ve come here while she was alone and beat it out of her then.”
“Ring?” laughed the imp. “Is that what you seek? Perhaps she put it in hiding spot under her bed.”
Mick glared at the orange demon. “Why you little— You let me tear this place apart and you didn’t say nothing?”
The imp hissed a laugh, then flew to the bed in the girl’s room and pointed underneath. “Loose board under here. I see girl put something in there before she left.”
Shoving the mattress to the side, Mick felt along the floor until his fingers detected an imperfection in the carpet. He grew excited. It’s been cut. There’s something underneath.
Pulling at the imperfection, a square-foot section of carpet came away along with a piece of the plywood underneath. Mick reached into the small cavity and pulled out a wad of money along with a set of keys. He felt around inside the hiding place but found nothing else.
Mick turned to the orange imp. “The ring’s not here. I thought you said she put something in here this morning.”
“Maybe put in more money,” hissed the imp laughing. “She wore gloves, so how I know?”
Mick was tempted to pull out his sap and beat the imp a few times, but the sight of the miniature demon’s razor-sharp teeth and claws made him keep the weapon in his pocket. He stuffed the money and keys in his pocket and made his way to the front door.
As Mick was preparing to grab the doorknob, the sound of wheels on gravel came from outside. An image of the girl shutting off her motorcycle and coasting up to the trailer popped into his mind. He took a step back from the door and pulled the sap out of his pocket.
He smiled. If she’s wearing the ring, I’ll take it from her. If she’s not, I’ll beat the location out of her.
The doorknob turned, and Mick raised his sap.
Come on in, girl, he thought with a grin of feral anticipation. You and I’ve got some business to take care of.
Chapter 21 – Practice
_______________________________
The stands around Covington High’s football field held a few students watching the sixty-plus players and coaches get in a final practice before the big game that night. Pre-game practice was comparatively light, but Alec still managed to acquire a large bruise on his leg. Scott sat next to him on the metal bench while the coach went over last-minute details with his assistants and team captains at the fifty-yard line.
Alec nodded his head in the direction of the coach’s huddle. “Shouldn’t you be up there?”
“Not this time,” said Scott removing his helmet and flashing a smile. “Coach says he doesn’t like my attitude. He made Jonathan team captain.” With a wink, he added, “At least for tonight.” Pointing at the huddle, he said, “I’ve never figured out how Coach thinks making us practice for an hour before our game is supposed to get us ready.” A mischievous smile spread across his face. “I told Coach if I was in charge, I’d give everyone a couple of hours off after passing around a few beers to improve morale.”
Shaking his head, Alec eyed his friend. “You’re never going to change are you, buddy? I suspect it’s a good thing for the team you’re not our coach. I’ve got a feeling your training methods might be a little nontraditional, shall we say?”
Instead of taking offense, Scott laughed. “No doubt. Still, that bruise on your right leg isn’t going to help your kicking any tonight. I saw you limping after that last punt.” He winked, then smiled. “For what it’s worth, I cleaned Watson’s clock on the next play. I think he’ll be a little more aware that when the coach says to go easy on the kicker, he means go easy.”
“Possibly,” Alec said rubbing the darkening bruise on the side of his calf. “In the meantime, I’ll put some ice on this until game time and hope for the best.”
Alec watched the impromptu meeting of coaches break up.
Apparently sensing their temporary reprieve was at an end, Scott leaned forward on the bench. “Are you seeing her after the game?”
Glancing at his friend, Alec asked, “Her who? Betty?”
Scott shook his head. “You know who, and it ain’t Betty. Are you seeing your biker-girl tonight?”
For some reason, at the mention of Tess, a warm feeling spread through Alec’s body. He was on the verge of telling Scott it was none of his business when he noticed the uncharacteristic seriousness of his best friend’s expression.
“No,” Alec said. “You heard what she said at lunch. She’s eating dinner with her dad after her appointment. Plus, she has to work tonight. Anyway, she won’t be at the after-game dance, that’s for certain. I suppose if we go to Jack’s afterwards, I might get a chance to speak to her for a bit…about our project, I mean.”
The grin on Scott’s face told Alec he wasn’t fooling anyone. “All right,” he admitted. “I want to see her about more than the project, but Betty’s my date tonight. What do you expect me to do? Dump Betty? She’s a nice girl. I wouldn’t do that to her. I doubt Tess would want me to either.”
“Hey,” said Scott. “All’s fair in love and war.”
“Nevertheless,” Alec said. “That’s not how I do things.”
With a shrug of his large shoulders, Scott said, “Okay then. You’ve got Tess’s number though, right? Why don’t you give her a call?”
Alec took a hard look at the big running back. “Yeah, I got her number when I sent her my address.” He locked eyes with his friend. “I’m curious why your sudden interest in my love life? You’re the one who made a pass at her the other night at Jack’s, or don’t you remember?”
Holding up his arm and pointing at the wrist, Scott laughed before growing serious again. “Yes, I do remember. That’s water under the bridge. Tessie and I squared that little misunderstanding up.” Eyeing Alec for a second, he said, “You’ve been a good friend over the years. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably… Well, I’d probably be getting in a lot more trouble than I do now.”
Slightly mystified by his friend’s admission, Alec remained silent. He really wasn’t sure what to say. Opening up isn’t one of Scott’s strong points, he thought. I don’t want to screw it up by saying something stupid.
“Anyway,” continued Scott. “Like I said, you’ve been a good friend. I’ve got a feeling that biker-girl of yours is just what the doctor ordered for you. I’d hate to see you blow a good thing.”
“Hey,” Alec said forgetting his self-admonition to remain quiet, “a week ago, Tess and I hadn’t said a dozen words to each other all year. I suspect if Mr. Jenkins hadn’t stuck us together on that project, she and I wouldn’t be talking now.”
Scott shrugged. “Maybe, but the two of you are talking now, so all I’m saying is don’t mess things up.”
Shaking his head, Alec looked at the grass growing beneath the bench. A small yellow flower had somehow managed to survive the fall weather. The color reminded him of the yellow he sometimes noticed in Tess’s eyes when she got irritated. The warm feeling spread through his body again.
Raising his head to look at his friend, Alec said, “Mess up what? She’s only interested in me as a partner for our science project.”
“Ha,” laughed Scott replacing the seriousness on his face with a wide grin. “I’ve always said you’re a little too naïve for your own good at times. I’ve seen Tess looking at you. Believe me, buddy, she’s interested in you as a lot more than a mere science partner. She may not know it yet, but take my word for it, she is.”
Alec was about to tell his friend what he could do with his observation when the coach ordered everybody inside for a final briefing. He rose and was soon surrounded by his teammates as they talked about the upcoming game and everything else under the sun. Alec barely heard a word.
Is Scott right? he wondered. Tess and I are so different. How could that ever work out? If it wasn’t for the rings we... Well, I don’t know. Does she really think of me as more than a project partner?
The memory of riding on the back of her motorcycle, holding on tight to her waist as she sped down the highway, came back to him. He wanted to hold her close again, even if only while riding. An emptiness churned in his stomach, and he suddenly felt very miserable. He tried to shove the feeling away. What’s wrong with me? I’ve got to get my mind on the game. But he knew he couldn’t. Only one thought kept swirling around in his mind.
Tess.
Chapter 22 – Missing
_____________________________________
At three-thirty, Tess got on her motorcycle in the library’s employee parking lot and started the engine. She hadn’t intended to stop at the library after she’d gotten out of the dentist office, but she’d needed to talk to someone about her dad, and Mrs. Walker was the kindest person she knew. She’d poured her heart out to the old librarian, talking about a lot more than just her dad. She even surprised herself by talking about her feelings for Alec. She still wasn’t sure how she felt, but Mrs. Walker had been a good listener. Tess knew she would have stayed even longer if she hadn’t needed to get home to see her dad.
Weaving her way onto the street, Tess headed home making sure she stayed at the speed limit. I don’
t need Deputy Stewart to pull me over again. Dad’s probably already home getting supper ready. He promised to tell me about Mom’s ring. I’m going to make sure he does. No excuses this time.
When she turned into the trailer park, the empty spot next to the trailer where her father’s truck should’ve been parked was the first indication something was wrong. The sight of her dad’s bicycle leaning unchained against the light pole was the second.
Oh, Dad, Tess thought as the pit in her stomach grew ever wider. Couldn’t you make it even a whole day without breaking your promise?
Opening the door to the trailer, she discovered things were worse than she’d expected. Items were strewn about the living room and kitchen as if someone had ransacked the rooms in search of something valuable. Panic filled Tess, and she made her way back to her bedroom. As she passed her father’s room, she noticed items from his dresser dumped onto the floor and his mattress was overturned.
Why would Dad search his own room? she wondered as she continued down the hall. She blew the thought off, having long ago given up trying to understand the logic of alcoholics.
Stepping into her room, Tess saw the contents of her closet and dresser scattered from one end of the small room to the other. Her mattress was thrown to the side as well. Tess’s eyes went directly to the spot under her bed where her secret hiding place was located. The loose floorboard was pried up, revealing an empty chamber beneath. Despite her eyes telling her the small cavity was empty, Tess knelt next to the opening and thrust her hand inside.
She groaned, then shouted at the walls, “Why, Dad? I was saving it for college. Why couldn’t you just take the truck keys and leave the rest alone?”
The reason was obvious, just like it was always obvious. The two thousand dollars in tips she’d squirreled away in her hiding spot had obviously proven too much of a temptation for her father.
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