Darkness Unknown

by Alexis Morgan

  She opened it, her hands fumbling a bit. Something in his expression warned her that whatever the envelope contained was important. She drew out a single piece of paper, a photocopied picture of a man. One look at the face and she didn’t need to ask who it was. The blue eyes and black hair and something about that stubborn-looking chin looked awfully familiar.

  “This is Chase’s father, isn’t it?” She studied Harvey Fletcher’s face in the yellow glow of the security lights over the barn door.

  “Yes. Jake looked it up for me, but I didn’t want to give it to Chase without letting you decide if he was ready. Neither of us will say anything until you give it to him.”

  “This will mean a great deal to Chase. It’s been hard on him never to know even his father’s name.” She traced Harvey’s jaw with her finger. “He was handsome. I can see why Mom was attracted to him.”

  “By all reports, he was well respected, too. There might be a chance I can track down someone who actually knew Harvey. Chase might like to talk to somebody with firsthand knowledge.”

  “I’ll leave that up to my brother, but this was awfully nice of you and Jake to do.” She put the picture back in the envelope. “I think I’ll give this to him later. He’s had enough excitement for one day.”

  “And how about you, Gwen? Got time for a little more excitement?” Jarvis sidled in close. “The picture wasn’t the only reason I wanted a little private time with you.”

  The other reason was there in the dark gleam in his eyes and the way his smile had suddenly turned predatory. Before she could respond, he kissed her hard and fast. He tasted of pepperoni and hot male, suddenly her favorite flavor for kisses.

  The squeak of the screen door registered dimly in the back of her mind. Pinned against the door of the car, she pushed at Jarvis’s chest. Reluctantly, he pulled back. At least this time their hands hadn’t gone exploring. Much.

  Jake hovered near the porch, not wanting to interrupt them.

  “I know you’re there, Jake.” Jarvis didn’t even glance toward the house. “And yes, I know we need to be going.”

  He dropped his voice. “I forgot to mark my place when I was counting those freckles. I’m going to have to start all over. I like to be accurate…and thorough.”

  Heat flashed through her, shorting out her ability to think or even walk. The no-good rascal knew exactly what he’d done, too. He wrapped his arm around her and walked her to the door.

  “I’ve told Chase that I’m busy tomorrow, but I’ll be back on Saturday. I’ll work with him in the afternoon, but I’d like to take you out for dinner after that. Just the two of us.”

  What could she say to that? “I’ll look forward to it. And thank you and Jake for today. It was great.”

  “You’re welcome.” He brushed the pad of his thumb over her lips. “And thank you, too.”

  Then he walked off.

  Jarvis paused to wipe the sweat off his forehead. It was only a little before ten o’clock in the morning, but the day was well on its way to being a scorcher. So far they’d had no luck finding his sword. As he stuffed his handkerchief in his hip pocket, he spotted something that made his blood run cold. “Son of a bitch! Will you look at that!”

  Jarvis knelt down to study the tracks along the riverbank. Jake joined him, squatting down at his side. One glance at the ground and his friend let out a low whistle.

  “These look old enough to be from that night.” He traced the outline of a couple with his fingers.

  Jarvis shook his head as he studied the surrounding terrain. “There’s no way to know if they all came through here at once or over several days. Either way, there’s been a damned parade of Others walking along this stretch of the river.”

  That was a scary thought. If the Others had found a new way to escape their home, how the hell could the Paladins protect the barrier and prowl the countryside at the same time?

  Jake stood up, his hand sliding inside his jacket to grip his gun. “You’d think if they’d been using this route for a while, there’d be something in the news about unexplained violent deaths.”

  “Yeah, you’d think.” Jarvis looked around, trying to gauge how far he was from where Gwen’s dogs had found him. Not nearly far enough for his comfort. He didn’t like knowing how close a bunch of crazies had come to her small farm.

  “Let’s see how far we can trace these.” He drew his automatic and attached its silencer. The woods were quiet except for the usual background noises. Cicadas droned away as a few birds flitted in the tree branches overhead. If someone else was moving around in the woods, their ability to move silently beat anything he’d ever encountered.

  About a quarter of a mile downriver the ground grew rockier, making it harder to follow the tracks, until they disappeared altogether. Where were the bastards heading?

  He told Jake, “I’m going to cross over to see if I can pick up anything. Why don’t you climb higher up and see if they left the river?”

  Jake snapped the strap over his gun to keep it from falling out while he was climbing. “Other than tracks, should I be watching for anything else?”

  “Maybe broken saplings. I remember sliding down toward the river, chasing the Other I’d been tracking. But I have no idea where all of his buddies came from, so watch your back.”

  Jake sighed. “If you manage to get me killed again this soon, Doc is not going to be happy.” He started working his way uphill, cutting across the slope at an angle.

  “Meet you back here in twenty.” Jarvis checked his watch. “That’s about ten-thirty.”

  “Will do.” Jake was already sweating with the strain.

  Hopping from rock to rock, Jarvis succeeded in crossing the narrow bend in the river without getting his shoes wet. He backtracked upstream, looking for any evidence that the Others had changed directions. No such luck.

  He returned, walking about ten feet up from the riverbank, sweeping his gaze from left to right. His efforts paid off about fifty yards farther downstream. The grass was trampled, and there were splashes of dried blood on the grass. He could collect samples, but there was no need, since a lot of it was probably his. There were a couple of clear imprints of his own tracks.

  The only question was how he had started off here, fighting against impossible odds, only to be found half dead in the river downstream. Why hadn’t the Others finished the job? He circled the area, studying the ground for some hint of what had happened.

  There. He bent down to brush a few leaves out of his way.

  “I’ll be damned.”

  “Probably.” Jake came splashing back across the river. “What’d you find?”

  “I’ve been wondering why I survived the other night, when it was obvious that I shouldn’t have.” He pointed to the ground. “Paw prints. I guess I owe Chase’s furry friends some sirloin. Gotta wonder if the Others have ever seen anything like Dozer and Larry before.”

  Jake laughed. “I doubt it. A couple of good-sized dogs in full temper could put the fear of God in anyone.”

  “At least until they figured out that those two would be more likely to lick somebody to death.” Jarvis stood up, brushing his hands on his pants. “If my sword is anywhere to be found, it should be near here.”

  The two of them fanned out, walking in ever widening circles. Though he wanted to find his lost weapon, the real mission was to find out where the Others had gone to ground. Even if the dogs had driven them off, the pale-eyed crazies had had enough presence of mind to stick to the rockiest ground. It was as if they’d disappeared into thin air.

  At least they hadn’t gone on a bloody rampage, killing everyone who’d cross their path. If they had, the story would have been splashed across all the regional newspapers and networks.

  “Hey, Jarvis! Come here!”

  Jake stood at the edge of the river, staring down at the water. When Jarvis reached his side, Jake pointed at something shiny glinting in the deep side of the river.

  “Crap, that water has to be at
least eight or nine feet deep.” Jarvis glanced at Jake. “I don’t suppose you…”

  “You suppose right. Ain’t no way I’m going diving for your sword. I have no desire to ride all the way back to headquarters in wet jeans. The good news is that there’s no one here but you and me. If you want to go skinny-dipping, I won’t tell.”

  The sparkle in his eyes told the real truth. Ten minutes after they got back, it would be all over headquarters. Jarvis would be lucky if Jake didn’t use his phone to take pictures of Jarvis’s bare ass to post online for their friends’ enjoyment. He’d have done the same to Jake—what’s the use of having close friends if you couldn’t heap abuse on their heads once in a while?

  “Fine. But remember, my friend, payback can be a bitch.” He peeled off his shirt and then his jeans. His socks and shoes joined the pile on the ground. At least the day was hot enough to keep anything important from shriveling.

  The river, however, was another matter. He braced himself for the jolt and waded in. Going slow would only prolong the misery, so as soon as the rocky riverbed dropped off sharply, he pushed off and swam the short distance to the other side.

  The cool water actually felt good. He stroked the length of the deep pool several times before stopping to tread water.

  “You should try it, Jake. It feels great.”

  “Maybe next time.” Jake sat on a boulder, his gun out and his eyes scanning the area for intruders.

  Time to get down to business. Jarvis took a deep breath, then dove straight down to where his sword rested on the bottom.

  He missed it the first time, but managed to latch on to the pommel on his second dive. It was firmly stuck. He swam back up to take another breath. After half a dozen hard yanks and some mental cursing, he finally freed the sword from where the current had wedged it under a log. He broke for the surface, dragging the heavy weapon behind him, and swam to where he could stand up.

  “Here, take this damn thing before I drop it again.” When Jake didn’t immediately relieve him of the sword, his first reaction was irritation. Then he saw the worry in his friend’s expression.

  “What’s wrong?” He waded out of the water, and looked across the river to see what had Jake’s attention.

  They weren’t alone. Luckily, the new arrival was of the four-legged variety. Unfortunately, there was no way to know if Larry was prowling the woods by himself, or if one of his owners was close behind.

  Jarvis dropped the sword and jumped behind the cover of some brush to yank on his clothes. The last thing he wanted to do was try to explain what he was doing here in the woods, since he’d told both Moselys that he wouldn’t be in the area until tomorrow.

  Jeans were a bitch to pull on over damp skin, but he managed it without damaging anything important. After yanking them on, he worked on his shoes and socks. There. He was decently dressed, although only Larry had put in an appearance so far.

  Jake joined him at the river’s edge. “Could be he’s out by himself.”

  “Maybe, but the way my luck runs in these woods, I wouldn’t count on it.” He studied the hillside, looking for any sign of movement, but didn’t spot any. “At least we’ve got the sword. Time to get out of here.”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  Larry trailed along with them from the other side of the river, pausing every so often to whine and wag his tail.

  “Go home, Larry!” It felt just plain stupid to be pleading with a dog, especially one as intellectually challenged as Larry appeared to be. “Chase and Gwen will have my hide if you get lost following me.”

  Larry’s tail speeded up as he gave Jarvis his best doggy smile. Jake’s laughter didn’t improve Jarvis’s mood.

  “You think it so damn funny, you get rid of him.” He marched off upriver.

  He hadn’t gone more than a handful of steps when Larry’s whine changed to a low growl. Jarvis whipped around. “What’s up?”

  “Larry’s sensing something.” Jake had already drawn his weapon, staring deeper into the woods on their side of the river. “Whatever it is, the dog’s not happy about it being there.”

  A chill rode up his spine. Jarvis switched the sword to his left hand and drew his gun.

  “Larry, stay!” He wasn’t sure the dog would obey the command, but he didn’t want to endanger Chase’s pet.

  “Let’s go, Jake.”

  The two of them moved slowly, scanning the limited distance they could see clearly. He heard a splash and a few seconds later, Larry caught up with them, water dripping from his coat. For once the dog was all business, his nose to the ground as he ran a zigzag pattern a few steps ahead of the two men.

  Jake leaned in closer to whisper, “I’m going to skin that dog if all we end up with is a bad case of chiggers.”

  Jarvis laughed softly. “Or if he corners a skunk for us.”

  “Thanks for that happy thought.”

  With the noonday sun directly overhead, the woods were sweltering. There wasn’t a breath of air moving to ease the heat and humidity.

  Larry disappeared over the rise ahead. Cursing, Jarvis kicked into high gear, not wanting the dumb dog to barge into something that would get it killed.

  He and Jake reached the top at the same time. Larry was waiting for them, his tail wagging as if to thank them for joining in the chase.

  “Damn you, dog, if I had the energy, I’d kick your butt all the way back to the farm.” Jarvis leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

  “Do you think it was nothing, or was he really on the trail of something that shouldn’t have been here?” Jake looked at the rocky cliff that rose above them on two sides. “Nothing short of a goat could climb those walls that fast.”

  Jarvis did a slow three-sixty with no idea of what he was looking for. “I’d feel a damn sight better if it had been a raccoon. At least then we wouldn’t wonder what we missed.”

  But they had to leave. Both were scheduled to be on duty in two hours.

  “Come on, dog, let’s head back.”

  Gwen pushed her favorite alpaca out of the way so she could go out the pasture gate. “Go on, girl. I’ve got work to do.”

  It was usually Chase’s work, but she’d traded chores with him so that he’d have time to practice his moves before his early-morning football workout. Since she’d agreed to have dinner with Jarvis that evening, the switch in their normal routine worked out for both of them.

  She’d gotten an early start on shoveling out the alpacas’ pen, wanting to have that done long before Jarvis was due to show up. She didn’t want to be wearing her pasture boots when he arrived.

  Too late. He was already there, leaning against the fender of his car. As usual, Dozer was hanging with him, getting his ears scratched. Larry was rolling in the dirt, stirring up a cloud of dust a short distance away from the car.

  “Hi.”

  The sun’s warmth had nothing on the heat in Jarvis’s smile. “Hi, yourself. I like the boots. Is that the latest style for the fashion-conscious alpaca herder?”

  Gwen turned around slowly, letting him look his fill. “Yes, they go especially well with cutoff jeans and old T-shirts. It’s not a look that everyone can pull off, but I’m workin’ it.”

  “Believe me, I’d like you in nothing better.”

  She laughed, no longer feeling embarrassed by her attire. “Come on inside. Chase should come rolling in in half an hour or so.”

  He straightened up. “That long, huh?”

  Why the sudden change in his expression? “Yeah, he usually gets home around noon. Why?”

  “Because that means we’re alone for the next half hour. I’d hate to waste the opportunity.”

  Jarvis sauntered toward her, leaving little doubt what he had in mind. She backed away.

  “You do not want to get close to me until after I’ve cleaned up. I’ve been doing chores all morning.”

  “I could scrub your back for you.”

  Oh Lord. The thought of sharing their big old claw-foot tub with Jarv
is melted her right there. The sensible part of her pointed out that sometimes football practice ended early. But the wild part was already racing ahead to start the water running.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Which they both knew wasn’t exactly a definite “no.”

  “I could get an early start on my freckle hunt.” He reached out to brush his knuckle down the side of her face.

  “Jarvis, I…”

  The rattles and squeaks of their old truck interrupted her, and though she should be relieved, she was disappointed. Jarvis gave her a crooked smile before turning away to greet her brother.

  Chase pulled up next to the barn and shut the engine off, which rumbled on for a few seconds before finally clunking to a stop. He climbed out and headed straight for Jarvis.

  “Sorry if I’m late. The coach wanted to talk to me.”

  Gwen’s stomach lurched. “What happened?”

  Her brother grinned. “Nothing. He wanted to thank me for a good practice. He said the last couple of days, he could see an improvement in my attitude.”

  Jarvis slapped Chase on the shoulder. “Nice job, Chase!”

  Her brother basked in the warmth of his approval. “I’m still on probation, but I promised myself I’d really try not to piss him off so much.”

  “That truck sounds pretty ragged. How long since you’ve had it tuned up?” Jarvis asked.

  Gwen answered, “I honestly can’t remember, which probably means it’s long overdue.”

  “Chase, why don’t we get our practice out of the way, and then take a look under the hood? Judging by the sound, I’d guess it wouldn’t take much more than points and plugs to get it running better. Want to work on it together?”

  “Heck, yeah!”

  She protested. “Jarvis, you don’t have to spend your day off working on our old truck.”

  “It’s not work. I find tearing engines apart relaxing.”

  She wasn’t going to win this particular battle. “If you’re sure, but I’m willing to pay for any parts you need.”

  He gave her another one of those looks. “I’m sure we can work out a payment plan we’ll both be satisfied with.”