“You know,” Maria answered, “I’m beginning to wonder. One thing I’m sure of, though.”
“What’s that?” Beth rummaged in her purse for her car keys.
“We’re not waiting two days to go the Superstitions. We’re going tomorrow with a GPS. I’ll ask the ranger there to help us with the location.”
“Now that,” said Beth with a white-toothed grin, “is the Maria I know and love.”
Maria and Beth would have escaped Brian’s house the next morning undetected if the hinge to the bathroom door hadn’t incessantly squeaked and if Amy hadn’t been sleeping on the couch in one of the four living rooms—the one that bordered the door to the five-car garage.
“Where are you guys headed so early?” she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. A thin microfiber blanket was crumpled at her side. She hadn’t bothered changing out of her clothes from the day before.
Maria considered lying and then decided not to bother. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was the Keepers who were insane. “Going to the Superstitions,” she answered. “Are you feeling okay?”
Amy looked down at her crumpled clothing. “Oh yeah, I’m fine. I was up late waiting for Brian. I guess I fell asleep without meaning to.”
“Brian’s been working late?” Was there any way for Maria to have asked that and not sound like she knew something she shouldn’t?
Apparently not.
Amy looked at her suspiciously … or was it slightly annoyed? “Yeah, as a matter of a fact he has.” She stood up and smoothed her shirt.
It was time for Maria to make a quick exit. “I’m sorry we woke you. We were trying to be quiet. Are you okay if we grab some water from the pantry?”
“Sure.” Amy followed Maria and Beth into the kitchen and into the pantry that was the size of a small racquetball court. In the far end of the pantry were water bottles on the highest shelf. Maria made her way to them.
“Oh no,” said Amy. “Not those. That’s Brian special water.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know,” said Maria.
“Of course you wouldn’t.” Amy let out an exasperated sigh. “I mean who orders their bottled water from the Ukraine?”
“Not me,” laughed Beth. “I drink mine from the tap.”
“Brian loves all that fancy sort of stuff. He loves wine testing, exotic chocolate, and super expensive olive oil. Lately he’s been into ostentatious water.” A forced laugh.
The irony of Amy’s misery was not lost on Maria—a marriage counselor caught in a miserable marriage. How had the woman not seen the signs?
A sick feeling inched its way into her gut. She was the world’s hugest hypocrite. Talk about her own irony—police chief dating a man accused of murder. Who was she to judge?
Maria grabbed a couple of no-nonsense bottled waters and waved to Amy on her way out the door. “See you later.” She had a date with the Superstitions.
Ranger Ferlund acted nicely enough. Initially, he didn’t want to give Maria and Beth the coordinates, grumbling how the Superstitions weren’t a three-ring circus. But they didn’t give up, and he finally got out his GPS and plugged it into the computer. Maria plugged hers in and the two shared info.
While the data transferred, the ranger grumbled, “You’re not going to find anything the authorities didn’t. Besides that, a news crew is in the area today making a video segment about the Superstitions.” He sighed. “It’s going to put our PR efforts back ten years. Just when everyone starts to think this is a nice place to come, some filmmakers mess it all up again.”
“Thanks, Ranger Ferlund.” Maria unplugged her GPS. “And thanks for the heads up about the film crew. We’ll do our best to avoid them.” To Beth she muttered, “The last thing I want to do is end up on television.”
Maria and Beth checked their gear one more time, made sure they had enough water—a gallon each—and started climbing. It didn’t take long to settle into a good pace. Beth was more in shape than Maria thought she’d be. The two talked steadily for a couple of hours as they followed one of the more remote trails. The cooler morning hours felt great. Come lunch they’d be roasting and would have to take a break in the shade during the heat of the day.
The GPS steered them off trail, and the terrain became more difficult. Soon their chatting stopped. The sun beat down on them. After another hour or so, Maria recognized something was wrong. Her “being followed” nerve in her neck was sending out radar signals again. Okay, so it wasn’t really a radar—but it was the same sensation she’d gotten in Walmart when Professor Lankin was following them. It was rarely wrong.
Maria racked her brain. The only people who knew they were here were Amy and Ranger Ferlund. Neither would have any reason to follow them. Perhaps it was time for her to upgrade her internal alarm system. Or maybe her sensor was on over alert because she’d seen a few ghosts when she’d woken that morning. That always unsettled her day.
“Do you feel that?” asked Beth in between taking a swig of water, her breathing heavy.
“Feel what?”
“Like we’re being followed.”
“You feel it too?” Maria whispered.
“Yeah. So what do we do about?” Beth asked in a more hushed tone.
“We speed up, get in a secluded area, and hide. When the intruder passes us, we come up from behind.”
“Intruder, huh? Sometimes you sound so CIA. But, okay, I’m game.” The two women climbed the next hill at twice their normal speed, scratching their hands and legs on the sharp lava rock. Once on the plateau, they hid behind an overgrown saguaro and a clump of large boulders.
A few minutes of waiting paid off. A man in a baseball cap, Docker shorts, and a button-up shirt crested the hill.
He was alone …
And familiar.
“Stay here,” hissed Maria to Beth. “This guy is a total creep. I’ll take care of him.” Standing up to reveal herself, she yelled, “Tom, what are you doing here?”
Tom took a look at her, pulled his hat off, and whistled. “You look great in those shorts, Maria. Rod’s a fool not to put a ring on that finger.”
The guy had issues. Serious issues. “Rod’s in jail. Funny thing, but they haven’t let him out for ring shopping.” Maria rolled her eyes. Beth snickered behind the rocks where she had stayed hidden, following Maria’s orders. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
Unfazed, Tom said, “Running into you is making this day into a good one—as if I wasn’t hot enough all ready.”
“Ew.” Maria glared at him. “Stop it. You didn’t run into me. You’ve been following me. I want to know why.” She took a step toward Tom.
Tom feigned innocence. “Following isn’t the right word. More like keeping my eye out for you. I didn’t want anything to happen to you or your friend. I kept my distance because . . well … I didn’t want my pheromones to overtake you. They’re powerful stuff. Few women could resist their scent out here in the wilderness.”
Maria stopped in her tracks. What planet was this guy from? “That would not have been a problem,” she said in the most distasteful voice she could muster.
“Oh come on. Don’t be grumpy.” Tom laughed. “I’m having fun. You know, I’d love to see you find your inner salsa, Maria. Rod’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t really have what it takes to satisfy a woman like you.”
“You’re sick.” To Maria, Tom’s joking had crossed the line. He wasn’t flirting. He was harassing her. If he didn’t knock it off, he’d find out what kind of a woman she really was—one with a rather short fuse.
“You and me together in the Superstitions. Ten minutes and we’d be making a heat wave that not even Arizona had ever experienced before.”
Maria had had enough. She reached behind and slipped her hand under her shirt and into the hollow of her back where she skillfully slipped her handgun from its holster. She swung it out in front of her, aimed squarely at Tom. He couldn’t see from this distance that her safety was still on.
“Whoa.” Tom automatically lifted his arms up even though Maria hadn’t told him to do so. Apparently he knew the routine.
“You need to learn some manners,” Maria said. “And fast. I want to know why you are following me, and I want to know now!”
“But. . .”
“No buts.” Maria glared at him. “I won’t kill you, but I have no qualms shooting you in the leg—and I’ll make it a place where you’ll be laid up for months. On your back. In traction. Trust me, women don’t find that attractive.”
“Relax.” Tom wiped the sweat that dripped down his forehead into his eyes. “I was trying to keep things friendly between us.”
“What are you doing here?” Maria growled. “Last chance.”
“Okay. It’s not a big secret.” Tom took a swig of water from the water bottle he held. “But why doesn’t your friend come out of her hiding place too before I begin? She can’t be comfortable crouched down like that.”
“No.” Maria scowled. “Beth stay there.”
“Don’t think so. I’m cramped.” A second later Beth was at Maria’s side, her eyes wide as she looked at Maria’s gun pointed straight at Tom.
“Okay, Tom. What’s your story?” Maria held out her hand to stop Beth from getting any closer to the creep.
“I was hired to follow you. That’s it. I’m here to make money. Lame, but true.” Tom cocked an eyebrow at them, evidently his own version of “the smolder.”
It didn’t work.
“Who hired you?” Maria was not messing around. If she couldn’t get a straight answer from this guy, she’d shoot him and figure out a self-defense story later. “And don’t say you don’t know, because I won’t believe you, and it may make me mad enough that I have to kick your sorry—”
“Maria,” Beth interrupted her mid-rant. “Why don’t we let him answer before you give us all the gory details of what you’re going to do to him?”
“Thank you, Maria’s level-headed friend whose name I believe is Beth.” Tom said. “If I did my homework right, you’re married, correct?”
“Yes.” Beth answered icily. “And happily.”
“Excellent.” Tom winked at her.
Maria’s trigger finger itched. “Tom, who hired you?” The anger in her voice was as obvious as the sun’s unrelenting heat they all felt. This was his last chance to give a straight answer.
Tom bent down to tighten his shoelace, setting his water bottle on the dirt. “Melissa hired me. And, if you must know, I’m a professional private detective, well-respected in this area for getting results fast and on-time, all with affordable rates. But I charge Melissa more than my other clients; she can afford it.”
“That’s quite the elevator pitch you’ve got going,” said Maria, eyeing Tom carefully. “Why would Melissa want me followed? I’m the outsider here.”
“Aren’t we all?” Tom picked his water bottle back up and stood. “Melissa thinks everything’s been a bit too coincidental since you showed up. She has her theories. Anyhow, keeping tabs on people is what she does. And I help her. So, do you want to tell me what you two are doing in the middle of—oops.” He accidentally dropped his water bottle. He bent down to get it when an arrow flew through the air close to where he’d been standing.
“What was that?” Beth shrieked.
Still crouched in the dirt, Tom swore.
“Behind the rock,” Maria ordered Beth. “Now!” She shoved her friend to their former hiding place and flipped her gun’s safety off.
“T-that was a f-freaking arrow.” Tom was frozen in place. “S-someone tried to shoot me with an … an a-arrow. W-what kind of place is this?”
“Move!” Maria hissed.
Tom seemed to wake up from his shock. He dropped the rest of the way to the ground and began to crawl. Maria strained to see exactly what had almost impaled him. Even though it was too far away to tell the specifics, it was a modern arrow, probably made from carbon fiber or aluminum.
The aim had been off, and Maria didn’t know if that had been intentional or lack of skill. White-faced, Tom continued to crawl forward. His arms shook.
“You okay?” Maria leaned toward him, grabbed the back of his collar, and pulled him to the rocks where Beth was hidden. “Take deep breaths and stay put.”
Within seconds, Maria had a pair of binoculars out of her backpack. She dropped to the ground and army-crawled forward, spitting out a small bug that flew into her mouth. Scooting sideways, she found cover by several close-knit cacti.
“Do you see—” Tom began.
Maria shot him back a look that said “talk one more time I’m going to shoot you instead.” Peering through the binoculars, Maria strained to see movement, particularly of the human kind. Everything looked as inhospitable and dead as it had moments before the arrow. What was going on?
She leaned a little more into the view of the attacker and a second arrow flew through the air, missing her by a foot. Whoever it was had taken her bait. She’d seen arm movement. She fired her gun at the spot. The noise of the discharge hung in the air like a bolt of thunder, echoing and bouncing off canyon walls.
Another movement. Maria fired another shot. Another arrow.
This was getting nowhere. It was like shooting at a ghost.
The two exchanged a few more arrows and bullets, and then nothing. Silence.
Maria waited. Was this a trap?
Even so, she couldn’t do this all afternoon. She would eventually run out of bullets. They needed to get out of there—in the opposite direction of the arrows. And they needed to do it fast, before the wanna-be Robin Hood did some serious damage.
Maria crawled back to Tom and Beth. The pokey vegetation itched her arms and bits of dust flew up her nose, giving her the sensation that she was in a dust storm in the Middle East. When she reached Tom and Beth, she mouth-whispered, “We need to go that way.” Pointing in the opposite direction from the source of the arrows she continued, “We’ll keep to areas where the person shooting at us can’t get ahead. For this first part we’d better go fast.”
Maria popped up first, trying to draw the first arrow. None came. She waved at Tom and Beth and they followed her lead. The terrain was horrible for running. Maria was forced to look down, instead of ahead, in an effort to dodge loose rocks. They last thing she needed was a twisted ankle.
Shrubbery clawed at her legs, itching and burning her skin. It was drawing close to noon, and the sun’s heat was relentless. Sweat poured down her face. A drink sounded awfully good about now. She could hear her water bottle sloshing back and forth. But she kept running for another twenty minutes, making sure they’d put some distance between them and shooter.
Stopping at last, her breath coming in short, strained gasps, she reached for her cell phone in the side pocket of her pack. Even though there was reception in some parts of the mountains that were closer to civilization, here they were in a dead zone. She hadn’t thought there’d be reception, but it never hurt to check. The next thing was to see how far off the path they were. Maria wasn’t even sure which direction they’d gone. None of the mountains looked familiar. She’d only been here once before, and the GPS had taken her into completely different territory trying to avoid the film crew.
As Tom and Beth caught up, Maria reached into her backpack’s side pocket once more to retrieve the GPS. It would let her know what direction they were headed. Her hands were sweaty from running in the extreme heat. As she removed the device from her pack, it slipped from her grasp, falling directly onto the ragged side of a lava rock.
Light headed, Maria leaned down to pick it up and saw the screen had cracked from the fall. She took the phone in her hand and pressed the button that should wake it up. Nothing lit.
“What’s wrong with this thing?” She slapped it a few times.
Nothing. The screen stayed blank.
“Guys . . .” said Maria slowly to Tom and Beth. “This isn’t so good. I think I broke my GPS.”
Beth grimaced. “And I l
eft my backpack at the place where the archer was having target practice. I took it off to hide and then when everything happened I forgot to pick it back up.”
“Where’s your water?” asked Maria, already knowing the answer.
“Inside the pack.” Beth hung her head.
“I’ve still got mine and Tom’s got his. We’ll be fine.”
“Uh,” began Tom, sheepishly. “I’m out. I only brought one water bottle that I dropped. Once the arrows started flying I never picked it back up. I wasn’t exactly prepared to go hiking today. I didn’t know when I started following you where you were headed.”
“So my water is all we’ve got?”
Beth and Tom nodded.
“Great.” Maria slid her backpack off and set it on the ground. “Well, let’s see how much we have.”
Everyone took a big swig of water after having run for what seemed like forever. Maria determined they had about three cups left for each of them. She could drink her three cups in a second—the run had taken a lot out of her. But rationing was going to be the only way to stay alive out here.
“The heat is brutal right now.” Beth said.
“I know,” agreed Maria. “Should we take a break or keep moving?”
“Do we know where we’re moving to?” Tom asked.
“No, but we can figure that out. I need to know how you two are feeling?”
“Let’s keep going,” said Beth. “We should get back and report what happened to the authorities as soon as we can.”
The original goal of examining the crime scene was gone. Now the point of this trip was simply to get out of the Sonora Desert without shriveling up like a raisin. “Okay. Let’s see which direction we need to head. The ranger station is west.”
After poking a stick in the ground and watching its shadow move for about fifteen minutes, Maria knew the general direction they needed to go to get back. They’d been out for at least five hours, and one of that was spent running. At this rate, they wouldn’t get back until evening—and that was only if they didn’t have to cross or climb difficult terrain, not to mention bumping into someone else trying to impale their hearts with a sharp flying stick.
Paranormal Mystery Boxset Books 1-3: Legends of Treasure Page 36
