The trees became thicker and the brush more dense. Maria was forced to slow her pace and scramble on all fours up several hills. Once on level ground, she continued east, following the coordinates her GPS gave her. She was beginning to worry the device wasn’t working when she rounded a bend and the opening to Devil’s Coup suddenly appeared. The entrance was impressive—at least ten feet high. Plenty of space for someone to walk into standing fully upright. Maria retrieved her flashlight and flipped it on in preparation for treasure spelunking.
An unearthly wail sounded off to her side. She turned and saw the same Shoshone ghost who had accompanied her on the trail with Clyde. The woman now kneeled on the ground with her arms raised above her head. A howl of lament escaped her lips, and she brought her hands down to the dirt, letting them touch the ground, and then she raised them high into the air again. It appeared to be some form of worship or grieving.
A moment later the figure of the woman slumped to the ground, prostrate and silent. Maria hurried to her and fell on her knees, panting. Time was precious. She needed to extract the information from the woman but somehow do it … gently. That would be a challenge for Maria.
Trading her flashlight for her cell phone, Maria swiped at the screen and a picture of Steve Veil illuminated.
“Hello, my name is Maria.”
The woman made no indication she heard her or understood.
“My name is Maria. Can you hear me?” Maria studied the side of the woman’s face, noting her natural beauty.
The woman began to wail again, the pitiful sounds seemed to penetrate the earth below the ghost.
“Please, I need your help.” Maria’s voice raised. She had to be calm and encouraging, but she also had to hurry. She needed some bargaining power quickly to find out from Clyde where Justin was being hid.
Several more piercing cries escaped the woman’s lips and then she sat up. Her obsidian-colored eyes encapsulating Maria. “Pehnaho.”
Oddly enough, Maria understood. The woman had greeted her politely. Things were looking up.
Maria pushed her phone toward the woman and pointed at the photograph of Stephen Veil displaying on the screen. “Have you seen this man?”
The woman reached out and poked at the electronic device several times. She then bent down and studied the photograph for what seemed like forever. At last, lifting herself back up, she said, “Haa.”
Yes.
Relief flooded Maria’s body. There was hope.
“Where did you see him? In there?” Maria used her index finger to point toward the opening of the Devil’s Coup cave.
The Shoshone woman frowned. “Kai.”
“No?” Maria questioned the woman, worried they had miscommunicated. “Where did you see the man?” Large drops of sweat dripped from Maria’s forehead. It wasn’t just the heat of the day or the fact that she had been running. Every second that passed was a threat to Justin’s life.
The Shoshone woman turned and motioned for Maria to walk around to an outcropping of rocks at the side of the Devil’s Coup cave. Maria followed the directions. Thirty feet to the east of the original opening was another crevice in the mountain wall. This one was much smaller, only a few feet tall and covered with shrubs. She would not have noticed it if the Shoshone woman had not pointed it out to her. Maria was about to drop onto her belly to scoot inside when the booming roar of a creature she’d never heard before sounded not far behind her.
Maria spun around. In front of her was an animal that was a cross between what Maria imagined Big Foot to look like and a mythical Greek monster. The beast was on all fours, neck thrust back with bellows exploding from it. When it realized it had Maria’s attention, it reared on its hind legs, proudly displaying its height, which was no less than fifteen feet tall. Its front legs were covered in matted fur that glistened with moisture.
Was it blood? Maria’s heart sunk. Had the monster already found Clyde?
The beast’s shoulders were muscled and bulky and furry, like that of a grizzly bear. However, its waist and fur thinned in the middle, revealing a smooth leathery skin rippled with abdominal muscles. Yellowed fangs hung over the creature’s bottom lip several inches. Drool dripped onto the ground. Its eyes were a ruby red that seemed to glow even in the daylight.
Oddest of all, however, was the fact that Maria could see through the monster. On the inside of its ghastly outer shell was a much smaller silhouette that resembled something much more common. It was the shape of a … child?
When the inner silhouette waved its arms, the beastly outer figure waved its arms as well. When the inner silhouette jumped and roared, so did the creature. It was if Maria were watching a real-life production of the book, Where the Wild Things Are.
The Jarbidge monster howled and bared its teeth. Going on instinct, Maria put her hands on her hips and said, “Stop!” The word echoed off the mountain walls, back and forth. The silhouette figure inside the monster stopped moving and the monster went limp.
“Come here.” Maria held her breath to see what the monster would do.
Obediently, both the inner and the outer figure sauntered toward Maria. As the dual creature got closer, the grisly outer manifestation began to fade away and the darkened inside figure lightened. Now Maria could clearly see the facial features of a Shoshone child—a young girl around the same age as Justin.
The girl had a deep gash in one arm and a missing chunk of flesh in her neck. Both injuries were centuries old. The ghost child, like the shadow man, was haunting the wilderness for a purpose. She had business left undone.
The child looked at Maria with a questioning plea. “Bii.”
Mother.
Maria pointed to herself and shook her head vehemently. “No, I’m not your mother.”
The child looked at her with an expression that said, “Obviously.”
Maria reddened. She was still trying to figure out this ghost communication stuff.
The child repeated herself. “Bii.”
Now Maria understood. The little girl was looking for her mother. But Maria didn’t have time to help. She was already trying to reunite Justin and Beth. She had to find the Veil treasure and get back to Clyde.
Maria began to back away, apologetically raising her shoulders and looking sorrowful, but something inside her made her stop.
There was a stronger force than her at work. Even if Maria was in a hurry, it was no longer her choice. She stepped closer to the child and reached out for her hand. “I will help you find your mother.”
When their fingers touched it was just like it had been with the shadow man. Maria’s mind exploded with color. The Jarbidge wilderness was vibrant with green spring growth. A young child and her mother gathered berries into a hand-woven basket. The mother was radiant—a younger version of the Shoshone ghost Maria had spoken to just minutes before.
There was a rustle in the bush behind the pair and the girl’s mother indicated for the young girl to continue collecting berries while she investigated. Time sped forward. Now the young girl wandered aimlessly in the evening dusk. Basket in hand. No mother at her side.
She was lost. Alone. Afraid.
A growl stopped the child cold. Yellow beady eyes were only yards away. Death sprung at her. Sharp claws sunk into her arm as the beast’s jaws closed around her neck.
The child screamed her last word spoken alive. “Bii!”
Maria knew what she had to do.
The Shoshone woman had returned to her grieving posture several yards away, kneeling on the ground with hands high in the air. Her wails soft and tragic.
Keeping the girl’s hand in her own, Maria led the child to the Shoshone woman. Neither could see the other. Once they were within touching distance, Maria stooped down.
“Here is your daughter.”
The Shoshone woman looked at her, eyes quizzical and concerned. Maria held out her hand for the woman to give it to her, which she did. Gently, Maria put the child’s hand into the mother’s and clasped the
ir fingers together.
The patch of earth the three of them occupied began to rumble. Heat spread from their fingertips into Maria’s being. Vibrations filled her body until she could no longer keep a hold of the woman and had to let go.
A forgotten smile reawakened on the girl’s face. Her eyes shone.
Relief. Joy. Peace.
Oh, how Maria wanted all of those same things for Justin.
The Shoshone woman burst into tears and enveloped the young girl in her arms. Maria stepped back. The reunion was complete. But Maria’s mission for being in Jarbidge was not. Panic about Justin’s situation filled Maria’s chest again once again. She had to hurry.
Clyde. She had to make him tell her where the boy was.
Maria jumped up, but before she was able to take a step forward, a gun blast ricocheted through the air.
Maria turned to see a man—just as built and just as hairy as Clyde but dressed in different clothing pointing a gun at her.
“Dillan, don’t let her out of your scope.” A deep voice came from behind Maria. She spun around to see Clyde not far from her. His face was livid with anger. “Put your hands up and don’t move.”
“Where’d you come from?” asked Maria.
“Do you really think I’d take you out in the wilderness without a backup? Meet my brother, Dillan. He was following us the whole time.” Clyde smirked at Maria. “And ever since your little stunt—when you tied me up—we’ve been following you. You’re one strange lady. Do you know you talk to yourself … a lot?”
Both Clyde and Dillan gave hearty laughs.
Clyde continued, “Yeah, totally loco if you ask me. But we did notice how interested you are in the small cave opening over there.” He pointed to the spot the Shoshone woman had shown her. “As soon as we take care of you we’re going to check it out.”
Perfect. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated—as if Maria’s chances at success hadn’t already been slim. Now there were two men the size of small Jarbidge monsters for her to contend with.
Clyde closed the gap between him and Maria in seconds. He reached behind her, pulled up the back of her shirt, and took Maria’s gun from her holster. “This is mine now.”
Maria’s fingers fumbled for a second before finding what she needed. She pulled hard on the Mace can attached to her backpack and it came free in her hand. A stream of liquid shot from the small nozzle with more force than even Maria expected. Clyde’s open eyes were doused in the stinging wetness. His hands flew to his face. The gun slipped from his grip and went flying twenty feet into the air, landing in a clump of thick bushes.
“What’s going on?” yelled Dillan.
Clyde dropped to his knees screaming, scratching at his face and using every profane word invented. “Shoot her. Just do it now and shoot her!”
Maria waited for the searing pain, but none came. She glanced backward to see why Dillan hadn’t followed his brother’s command. Dillan was stumbling backward, face frantic, eyes focused on a part-furry, part-leathery red-eyed Jarbidge monster. His gun hung down at his side.
Maria noticed the beast was smaller than it had been before, and it was not as corporeal. The Shoshone girl’s days of haunting the mountain were almost over. Regardless, she was keeping Dillan busy for the moment. Maria needed to act quickly.
Clyde wiped frantically at his face as he stumbled to the bushes where Maria’s Glock had landed. Maria rushed toward him, slipping her knife out of its sheath and concealing it in her palm.
“Clyde, tell me where Justin is. Now!”
“Never! We saw you point to where the treasure is hidden in the side cave. We don’t need you anymore.”
Maria seethed. “Clyde, tell me where Justin is or you’re going to die. And so will your brother. I’ll make personally sure of that.”
“The only person who is going to die is you.” Clyde turned from the bush where the gun had fallen landed and stared at Maria. Sweat dripped from his brow.
Maria stood still, letting him come. The metal blade felt cool in her hand. It was all about placement. Clyde was a big, muscular man. A stab wound would only slow him down, not kill him. But Maria also had the element of surprise.
When Clyde was nearly to her, Maria pushed forward with all her leg strength, her arms swinging upward and outward, the knife tip pointed forward. Clyde saw the weapon too late. His trajectory was already set in place by the laws of physics.
Maria plunged the blade just below his ribcage, her strength and skill combined to embed it deep into his flesh.
He roared in pain and fell back, knife protruding. This was Maria’s moment to attack. Advantage never lasted long in a fight—and the knife was now Clyde’s property.
Maria spun around and laid a roundhouse kick to Clyde’s swollen face. He gasped, and tried to regain his breath. Even with Clyde injured, a hand-to-hand fight with him would not end well for Maria. What she really needed was her gun, hidden in the snarled mess of bushes. She shoved past him and dove into the thorny jumble. Her hands reached frantically about, seeking the familiar feel of metal.
But to no avail.
Moments later, she was violently yanked backward. Clyde had a hold of her shirt. Several front buttons popped off as Maria fell onto her back, landing on a cluster of rocks. Shooting pain radiated down her leg.
“Ahhhh!” The noise escaped her mouth without her permission.
Clyde gurgled, the knife under his chest moving as he did. “Do you have any idea … how much of our lives … we’ve wasted looking for treasure?” He was quickly losing his breath. Maria had placed the knife well.
“I have no idea,” Maria said. “And I really don’t care.” She pushed off the ground and shot forward, planting her palm directly over the hilt of the knife and pushing it even further into the man’s chest.
Clyde screamed and fell to his knees, pulling Maria down with him. She yanked up on the knife, successfully causing more blood to ooze from the opening. She didn’t see his raised fist coming toward the side of her head, but she felt the impact. It knocked her over onto the rocky ground. Her head connected with something sharp. Wetness dripped from her temple.
Maria’s sight blurred a moment but came back into focus only to see something that took her breath away.
Dillan stood twenty feet away. The Jarbidge monster was gone and his rifle was once again poised on his shoulder.
Maria was a sitting duck. Her gun was lost. Her can of Mace used up. And her knife was buried deep in Clyde’s chest. But something in the distance distracted Maria from thinking of her impending death. A dozen yards behind Dillan, like a desert mirage, a group of people approached. The leader, an attractive broad-shouldered man with a prominent Roman nose, was running straight toward Dillan.
Rod?
Next to him was a wiry and lean black-haired man—older but with a timeless face that gave no hint as to his real age.
Jim?
The two men were accompanied by a handful of others who looked suspiciously like members and friends of the Kanab Search and Rescue team.
Was this what happened to people right before they died? Did they see random people from their past? Is this what the member of her black ops team had experienced in Tehran? Maria was certain her time had finally come.
Then a yell filled the air.
A rifle blasted.
Someone screamed.
Maria was pretty sure that someone was her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
There’s no such thing as a casual visit to Jarbidge, Nevada. You have to want to go there, as it requires driving some 50 miles of washboard dirt roads and hairpin turns. The most remote town in Nevada, it lies on the floor of a canyon carved into aspen-rich mountains.
“The Shovel Rebellion” by Florence Williams, Mother Jones, January/February 2001.
Death was a strange place. It was very noisy with lots of voices.
To be honest, she’d expected better. Maybe a bright light? Some harp music? At least a bit
of peace and quiet.
Maria’s eyelids fluttered open to find the eyes of a very human-looking angel looking at her. He had a five o’clock shadow on his face.
“Rod?” Her voice was barely audible.
“Jim, she’s conscious.” Rod looked anxiously around him while cradling Maria’s head in his lap. “Do you think we can move her?”
Jim appeared at Rod’s side. “She’s bled so much. I’ve got it somewhat under control, but moving her will open it all up again. I’m not sure she can take the pain.”
“Maria has the highest pain threshold of anyone I know. But the bleeding—is it really too bad to move her? What can we do?”
“Rod?” Maria said it again. She wanted him to look at her. To tell her she was alive. That Justin had been found and everything was okay.
Rod turned back to her, fear embedded deep into his eyes. “Shhhh, don’t move. I’m right here. You’re safe now.”
“Justin?” Maria whispered his name like a prayer.
Rod shook his head. “We don’t know where Justin is.”
“Clyde or Dillan? Didn’t they tell you where Justin was?”
A cloud shrouded Rod’s face. “Both men died before we could get them out of the canyon. Clyde died from a knife wound, and Jim shot Dillan trying to stop him from shooting you.”
The universe might as well have crashed down on top of Maria. Everything a waste. Both men. Dead.
Neither had revealed where Justin was hidden.
And now they were gone.
Was it Maria’s fault?
Of course.
Guilt crashed over her as fresh and gut-wrenching as the day she was rescued from the Tehran prison two years ago.
She had failed Justin just like she had failed her fallen comrades.
Hope didn’t exist in her reality.
Maria’s eyelids closed. If only she could die. She wouldn’t have to face Beth, her best friend, and tell her what had happened. How she had failed them.
Riddles that Kill: a gripping paranormal mystery Page 20
