The Graves of Plague Canyon (The Downwinders Book 3)

by Michael Richan

John punched the air with his fist in a sort of victory salute, and made a whoop. “Yes! I knew it!”

  “I know a place that can appraise it,” Deem said. “They might even want to buy it off you.”

  “Where?” John asked excitedly.

  “It’s a secret establishment up in Cedar City,” Deem said. “They’d never allow you in, but they’d let us in. I’ll get it appraised for you if you let us see your father.”

  “You get it appraised first, then you can see him,” John replied.

  Winn had reached into the box and was holding the rock between his fingers, examining it. “Yeah, might be worth a ton. It’s got a special aura around it.”

  “Really?” John asked.

  “It’ll take a week to get an appointment with the appraiser,” Deem said, “but we’re on a tighter timetable than that. We need to talk to your father by tomorrow, or it’ll be too late, and it won’t matter anymore. You get us in to see him tomorrow, and we’ll get this appraised by next week.”

  John seemed to be mulling the offer over. “How do I know you’ll keep your promise?”

  “You want some collateral?” Winn asked. “How about fifty bucks?”

  “Hell no,” John replied. “That thing might be worth thousands!”

  “Or it might be worth nothing,” Deem said. “We won’t know until the appraisal is done.”

  “Nah, fifty bucks ain’t gonna cut it,” John said. “I want something that’ll convince me you two are gonna follow through.”

  “Like what?” Deem asked.

  “Ten thousand,” John replied.

  Winn scoffed out loud and dropped the stone back into the box.

  “Neither of us has that kind of money!” Deem said. “Be reasonable!”

  “Give me something of value I can hold onto,” John said. “A car title, or some jewelry. Something important so I know you’ll come back.”

  “My title is in Moapa,” Winn said.

  Deem looked sick as she removed a necklace from around her neck. She carefully dropped it into one hand.

  “We bring back the stone with the appraisal, you give me this back,” Deem said, handing the necklace over to John. “My father gave it to me before he died, so it has huge sentimental value to me.” A small tear formed in her left eye, and Winn saw it streak down her cheek.

  John saw the tear too and took the necklace to look at it. The small diamond at the bottom caught the light in the room and triggered something bird-like in his brain. “Tell you what,” he said. “Take the rock out of the box, and we’ll put the necklace in its place. Then I’ll hide the box.”

  “You better hide it well,” Winn said, removing the stone and handing it to Deem. “If anyone finds it and hawks it before we come back, not only will we keep the rock, I’ll burn down your house.”

  “It’ll be here,” John said. “I promise!”

  He tucked the box back into the drawer, then they all left the bedroom.

  “What are ya’all doin’ back in there?” the woman shouted from the kitchen.

  “Shut up, Daneen!” John hollered back. He ushered them both to the front door.

  “Which facility is your father at?” Deem asked as she stepped out.

  “Tonaquint,” John replied.

  Winn stepped down to the porch, then turned back to John in the doorway. “Tonaquint? That’s a cemetery, not an assisted care facility.”

  “That’s where you’ll find him,” John said, smirking at them. “He’s been there ten years. My sister says you types can still talk to him. If you do, please tell him we’re still sorting through all his shit.”

  John shut the door.

  “Motherfucker!” Winn said. “He lied to us!”

  “Well, we’re even then, because we lied to him,” Deem said, turning to walk away from the house and back to Winn’s Jeep. Winn followed.

  “Yeah, that shit about the appraisal was a pretty good one,” Winn asked.

  “And the necklace,” Deem said. “I picked it up at JCPenney for fifteen dollars.”

  Winn stopped walking, dumbfounded. “Wow, you had me convinced your dad gave it to you. You could get a job acting, you know.”

  “If you think I’d give that scuzzball a necklace my dad gave to me, I’m insulted.” She climbed into Winn’s Jeep, and Winn ran around to the driver’s side to join her.

  Chapter Seven

  “It’s so flat and open here,” Deem said as they walked through the dark. “There’s nowhere to hide!”

  It was just after midnight, and Winn and Deem were hoofing it into the cemetery, Winn’s Jeep parked far from the entrance so as to not catch the interest of the local police. Deem had mapped out the location of the grave, and every few steps Winn would carefully turn on a flashlight so they could check the tombstones and see where they were at.

  Many of the grave markers were flush to the ground, and since Tonaquint was a relatively new cemetery, much of the landscaping hadn’t yet filled in. The trees were still small and sparse, and there were no bushes to speak of. An occasional tombstone seemed like the only cover they had — that, and the dark itself.

  Winn turned on the flashlight again to check where they were at, and Deem was shocked by the images of three children, frozen, one flying through the air above her. Their expressions were vacant and they looked eerie — their faces oddly shaped, their poses bizarre.

  “It’s just a statue,” Winn said.

  “Creepy fucking statue,” Deem replied.

  “Come on,” Winn said, clicking the flashlight off. They continued searching for a few more minutes until Deem came upon the correct grave. Winn relit the flashlight and held it low to the ground.

  “‘Aldus Free, Beloved Husband and Father,’” Deem read. “He died in 2004.”

  “I think our best option is to lie flat and minimize movement,” Winn said. “The main driveway in is blocked off, and I think that any cop car driving out there on the main road is unlikely to see us if we stay flat on the ground and don’t move.”

  They arranged themselves next to the grave. Deem felt the cold of the grass against her back; it felt good in the eighty degree evening.

  “You learned how to trance yet?” Winn asked.

  “You know I haven’t,” Deem said.

  “You really need to get that under your belt.”

  “My dad talked about it before he passed, but we never got around to it. I just always relied on his trances.”

  “Well, you know I don’t mind you relying on mine,” Winn replied, “but you’ve got to get it down, for those times when I’m not around. Want to try now?”

  “No. I’d rather learn it when we’re not hiding out in a cemetery.”

  “Alright,” Winn replied. “I’ll start.”

  They both dropped into the River and Winn began a trance, a state that would take him deeper than the River, a state where direct communication with the dead was easier. Deem watched for several minutes as Winn concentrated, and eventually she saw a kind of bubble form around him. His eyes opened and he extended his hand, making the bubble open temporarily. She took his hand, and entered the trance he’d constructed.

  Aldus? Winn called. Aldus Free?

  The ghost rose from the soft grass, his features slowly becoming visible. He looked very old, but his eyes were wide open, showing lots of white around the pupils, and his hair was hanging around the sides of his head, as though he hadn’t cut it in years.

  Once his entire personage had risen from the grave, he hung in the air above it, looking down at his two visitors.

  Go out right now and erect a sign somewhere, Aldus said. Leave a message for gifteds on it. You’ll have visitors from now ’til kingdom come.

  We almost didn’t see it, Winn said. The mark you put on the sign has become archaic. We were lucky to figure it out.

  Ah, that would explain the drop off, Aldus replied. That, and the obscure locations. I still have some signs out there that no one has ever come to see me about, can you imag
ine? So many places left undiscovered by most. I was a lucky chap, I’ll tell you that. I got to see a lot of them before I kicked. Left the same sign at all of them, a warning sign so the owners wouldn’t think to take it down. But the same message on the back of all of them.

  You’re not in Washington anymore, Deem said. And your son isn’t exactly helpful when it comes to telling people where you are now.

  That’s probably part of the drop off, too, Aldus mused. He’s quite useless you know, him and his sister. I thought she might have the gift, but it didn’t work out. She’s got maybe ten percent of what she should have. It’s the damn radiation. It fried my DNA, stole the gift from my kids. I lost half of my abilities when the tests began. Lots of us did. It ruined my career in the River, really. Nothing was the same after that. I never really discovered much after that damned fallout. But hey, before that, I was masterful.

  The sign I found was at Plague Canyon, Deem said. I’m hoping you know enough about it to help us out.

  Plague Canyon? Aldus asked. Never heard of it.

  It’s on Hinton’s land, Deem replied, southwest of Hurricane, just over the Utah/Arizona border. Near Joe Blake hill.

  You must mean Hinton’s canyon, Aldus replied. That’s what it was called when I mapped it. 1937, if I remember right. One of my earlier discoveries.

  He changed the name of it? Deem asked.

  Must have, Aldus replied. Oh, that’s right — I remember now. Owners changed the name in the forties, to scare people away. Rumors started to spread about the place, and old Hinton locked it down, didn’t want anyone going in. Renamed it Plague Canyon to make people think twice about setting foot in there. Now most people don’t even remember it.

  What can you tell us about the place? Deem asked.

  I remember it’s hard to get to. There are cliff dwellings, like Mesa Verde. High up steep cliffs, a difficult climb. But amazing once you get there. Simply stunning. Why they built their homes in such a difficult place is a mystery.

  We were hoping to find some callum, Deem said, and we’ve heard it’s there.

  Ah, callum, you’re not out for a nature hike, are you?

  Trying to help a sick friend, Deem replied.

  Well, that’s better than grave robbing, Aldus replied, though anyone would be ill advised to touch the graves there.

  There are graves? Winn asked. Zombighosts, then?

  Let’s backtrack for just a moment, Aldus said. One of the things that makes Hinton’s canyon so interesting is that the cliff dwellings built into the side of the canyon connected to a cave system. Rather unusual. Nothing as extensive as Lechuguilla, but big enough to extend the daily routines of the natives significantly deeper into the mountain. The callum is growing on massive gypsum chandeliers that descend from a ceiling in the third chamber from the entrance. The second chamber has an earthen floor, and is a necropolis. The natives used that chamber to bury their dead. There are hundreds of graves.

  Shit, Winn said under his breath. Zombighosts. We’ll never make it through.

  Hold on, young man, Aldus said. When I mapped out the place in the thirties, the ghosts there were fairly benign.

  But the radiation would have changed all that, Winn replied.

  Yes, and radiation did reach that canyon, most definitely, Aldus said. And the ghosts there were impacted by it. But I also heard that the callum has an effect on them. Winds from deep within the cave system blow small amounts of callum into the necropolis, and it’s had a calming effect on the ghosts. They’re quieter, slower to rise. I’ve heard they can even be talked to, if it’s done with a whisper. Loud sounds awaken them, and then they’re dangerous. You can make it through to the gypsum chandeliers if you’re very quiet and careful.

  Do you know how callum is collected? Deem asked. I’ve never worked with it before.

  The most common way is with a vacuum box, Aldus replied. You would attach one to the gypsum, and let it sit for an hour or two. When you remove it, it’ll be full of callum, if it’s a small box. If it’s a large one it might take more time, like half a day.

  Could we just leave the box at the entrance to the cave? Winn asked. If there are winds blowing the callum out, would the box collect it at the entrance?

  I expect so, but it would be pretty dispersed at that point. You’d probably have to leave it there for months for it to collect enough to matter.

  Any idea where we could get a vacuum box? Deem asked. I’ve never heard of it before.

  I used to have several, Aldus said. But I sold them all before I died. Didn’t see any sense in leaving them for John or Lydia.

  Your son asked us to have a stone appraised, Winn said. It was kept in a small wooden box. He thinks it’s valuable, wants to make some money off it.

  Typical, Aldus replied.

  Any idea what it does? Deem asked.

  Oh, I had several stones like that, Aldus replied. I picked them up in my wanderings. Most of them were explosives, but some were different, had different qualities, like translation, or reflection, or sleep aid.

  Sleep aid? Winn asked.

  Yes, Aldus said. Made it easier for you to fall asleep.

  This one looked shiny when you viewed it in the River, Deem said. Any idea about that one?

  Most of them turned shiny in the River, Aldus replied. Could be anything.

  Well then, how would you know how to use them? Winn asked.

  I had them sorted, Aldus answered. I thought I sold them all, too. John must have found a stray one I missed.

  I have it in my pocket, Deem said. Would it help if you could see it?

  It would have before the fallout, Aldus replied. Everything changed for me when the testing started. My powers would come and go. After several years of it, I lost my ability to figure out objects altogether. So no, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be any help in that regard. But I’d advise you to keep it rather than give it back to my son. Any money he makes from it will go into some stupid multi-level marketing investment, and I detest that stuff.

  Alright, Winn said, feeling his strength starting to ebb. Anything else we should know about Plague Canyon?

  Well, don’t go in at night, Aldus said. Aside from the ghosts in the necropolis, there’s ghosts in the dwellings themselves, and they’re active only at night. They’ve had less callum, so they’re more likely to be regular zombighosts.

  We have to go in at night, Deem said. People patrol the place during the day.

  You’ll have to figure something out, Aldus said. You’ll be torn to shreds if you go into those cave dwellings at night.

  Alright, Winn said. Anything else?

  The cave goes deeper, past the gypsum chandeliers, Aldus said. You’ll be tempted to explore while you’re waiting for the callum to collect. You can, but keep in mind it’s easy to get lost in there. Lots of twists and turns, and a couple of drop offs. There’s a passageway that has been covered over by rocks, and you’ll find all kinds of native totems and trinkets on it. Don’t touch it, and for god’s sake don’t remove any of the rocks.

  Why? Deem asked.

  The rocks and amulets are there for a reason, Aldus said sternly. Things have been trapped behind there. If you move the rocks, you could release them.

  Things? Winn asked.

  Yes, things, Aldus said. Evil things. Or so Shipewe told me.

  Who’s Shipewe? Winn asked.

  A leader of the Anasazi, buried at the necropolis, Aldus replied. When I talked to him years ago, in the thirties, he was easy to communicate with, but I wouldn’t go trying to rouse him now. These days you can’t make any noise in that chamber if you want to get out alive.

  Are there lots of cliff dwellings? Deem asked. Which one has the entrance to the cave?

  The one on the south side, two thirds of the way in. Have you studied maps?

  Yes, Deem answered.

  So then you know the canyon bends to the right, like an upside down ‘L’. Just after the bend, it’s on the south side, probably fifty feet up. It
’s one of the biggest dwellings, so you can’t miss it. The entrance is below a granary there.

  Could we get into the canyon from the top? Deem asked.

  Too steep, Aldus replied. You have to go in from the mouth.

  Guys, I’ve got to stop, Winn said. I’m about out.

  Thanks for your help, Aldus, Deem said.

  Good luck to both of you, Aldus replied. And don’t give that stone back to my son. He doesn’t deserve it, the…

  Aldus was cut off as Winn dropped the trance. His distinct image suddenly became fuzzy and distorted, drifting over the grave like a patch of fog. It hung around for a moment, then descended back into the earth. Once he was gone, they dropped from the River.

  Winn was taking deep breaths. “Sorry, that was as long as I could go,” he said.

  “We got what we needed,” Deem said, raising her head and searching the horizon for any sign of people. “Let’s get out of here without getting caught.”

  ▪ ▪ ▪

  “Where are we going to get a vacuum box?” Deem asked, Winn and Carma standing next to her in the drawing room.

  “Vacuum box, vacuum box,” Carma repeated, wracking her brain. “A vacuum box… did he say what it looked like?”

  “No,” Deem replied.

  “Winn? Do you know?” Carma asked.

  “Never heard of one before,” Winn answered.

  “Well, I know I’ve heard it somewhere, vacuum box, vacuum box…” she kept repeating, as though saying the words would trigger the memory she was trying to evoke.

  “I could try Steven and Roy,” Deem said.

  “Who are they again?” Carma asked.

  “Friends from Seattle,” Deem replied. “They managed to get me that tin square that cured corpse poison. They might have a vacuum box, or know how to get one.”

  “How would they start?” Winn said. “Last time we sent them a sketch from Awan; this time we don’t have any idea what it looks like.”

  “We should have asked Aldus for a description of it,” Deem said.

  “Wait!” Carma exclaimed. “A description! That’s it, that’s what I remember!” She bolted from the room.

  They found her in a study off the kitchen. Around the top of the room was a shelf, lined with books. Carma was standing on a wobbly chair, inspecting spines.