by Alexie Aaron
“It’s more than a hamburger, it’s a dream,” Mike said, setting the offering down in front of the hungry tech. “I’ve had two of them, and I don’t regret the calories. We found a local dive that should be given five Michelin stars.”
“Might be an investment opportunity for your mom,” Ted suggested. He bit into the burger and purred. “The team is almost through,” Ted said between mouthfuls. “Mia needs to talk to Audrey. Hey, Audrey, didn’t see you there. God this is good. More please.”
Audrey passed another burger to Mike who fed the man. “What does she need to see me about?”
Ted managed to enlighten both of them about their findings in the woods, eat the burger and maintain an eye on Camera Three which had his fiancée displayed hanging off the roof.
“I’ll get right on it,” Audrey said and went to gather her materials. She set herself up in a chair outside of the truck. Darkness was closing in quick, so she pulled out a book light from her briefcase and clipped it to the clipboard she had the printouts on. She was so focused on her project that she didn’t know the rest of the team had come back until an icy cold soft drink was placed in her hand.
“Thank you,” she said automatically and got back to her work.
Mia, the deliverer of the beverage, sat down, eating quietly. She waved the others away to the other side of the truck. “Either sit quietly or go other there,” she hissed.
Mike, watching from the truck, admired how Mia, the smallest of the group, had managed to control the rest of them. It reminded him of a kitten swiping respect out of a group of large dogs. No one was offended.
Audrey looked up blurry-eyed, taking time to focus before speaking. “This is some story.”
“Mind if I get the rest of the group together so you don’t have to repeat yourself? A story would go right nicely with the grub you brought.”
“Sure, Mia, get them,” Audrey said.
Mike proceeded to invade the space around her. He pulled over a heater and arranged the chairs around it. He placed a digital tape recorder beside her. “For Burt and Cid,” he explained.
“First you tell me to go, now you want me back. Make up your mind, woman,” Patrick’s voice announced the arrival of the others.
It took a moment for the men to get comfortable. Mia fussed a little over Mason who was enjoying the attention. He was hard to look at with second-day bruising covering most of his face. The swelling had gone down on his eye and lip, but in this light with his busted eye vessels, he looked demonic. Audrey shook it off. “What Homely brought was excerpts from the diary of a local historian of the time named Arthur Windsor.” She took a deep breath. “According to him, these men of the 58th Infantry were charged with prisoner transport. One of their own, a first lieutenant named Trevor Deville had been accused of the robbing, torture and murder of a family he came across on a plantation near New Orleans. He was deserting at the time. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang. He was being brought up to Springfield when they disappeared. Captain William Shelby was in charge; Sergeant Thomas Vane, Privates Andrew Morgan, Ernest and Edwin Plow were in the missing party along with Deville.”
“How did Windsor come to know of this?” Doc asked.
“He housed them at his farm, something he had done periodically during the war. He, having no son and too old to fight, wanted to do his part.” Audrey ran her hand along the paper and cleared her voice. “He wrote, ‘I never did see such an evil man before. Deville was without regret. He smiled and made ungentlemanly remarks towards my wife and daughters.’ Windsor also housed the search party that came from the fort when they didn’t arrive. He has those names recorded too.”
“We found his rifle buried, stock to bayonet, straight up on the west side of the property. It had a mess kit over the top of the blade. Both items have Deville’s name scratched into them,” Mia said. “The rifle shows an amazing lack of corrosion. I’m betting it was stored in a museum or attic before finding its way here.”
“The bayonet was affixed to the rifle?” Homely asked.
“Yes. Ted thinks whoever placed the Springfield rifle in that position used the metal mess kit to keep the blade from slicing through the earth, uncovering it, or injuring some unlucky person traipsing through the woods,” Mia told them.
“I could ask around in the morning and see if any Civil War artifacts were reported missing in the area,” Doc offered. “Something that valuable must have been missed.”
“Do you think, Miss Mia, that it was part of a ritual?” Patrick asked.
“I’m leaning in that direction. Cid’s bringing us a lead box. If it was used, isolating it in the box may help us to determine what kind of magic, if any, was used,” she explained. “I’d like to know more before opening that trunk.”
“I’ve got an interview with the widow scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. I wanted to get some shuteye before the interview first,” Mike explained. “Audrey, would you be available to join me?”
“It would be my pleasure.” Audrey flipped through her notes. “I’m hoping Alan will come through with permission from the School Board for us to be here in the morning. I’ll be on the lookout for it and send it to the PEEPs email as soon as he sends it to me.”
“Permission would be nice,” Patrick murmured. “Speaking of permission, I’d like to take the kid home for some decent rest. If you will excuse us.”
“Thanks for your help, both of you,” Mike said and extended a hand to one brother after the other.
“We, I think I can speak for Mason, we’d like to come back and see what’s what. Maybe help if we can, only if you want us.”
“I don’t see why not. Just don’t mention it to anyone. The less that know about this, the better,” Mike cautioned him.
“You don’t have to mention that twice.” Patrick winked at his brother. “We’ll be mum.”
“Time for me to head back too,” Homely said. “This old man needs a bed. I’ll be back in the morning. Call if you run into trouble,” he requested. “Doc, your wife’s going to send out the troops unless you make an appearance.”
Doc got up and nodded to the group. “I’ll make those calls. Can I offer any of you the guestroom?”
“Thank you just the same, but we have a few motel rooms set up. As soon as Cid and Burt return, we’ll be heading over there,” Mike informed him.
~
Ira heard the laughter of men as he entered the little theater his school had used for lectures and band concerts. A tall, gallant looking man stood upon the stage and recited a poem. “There is nothing so better to try, then my uncle’s homemade rye. Drink it quick and it will make you sick. Sip it slow, and you’ll feel fine, head to toe.”
He was applauded by a trio of scruffy young men, two of whom looked remarkably similar. Brothers perhaps?
He didn’t see Private Morgan in the room so he took a chance and advanced on the group.
“Excuse me, sirs, may I have a word?” Ira requested.
Two of the trio moved quickly and tried to grab hold of Ira. He smiled when their hands went right through him.
Captain Shelby took in his attire and motioned for his men to stand down. “Forgive us, we are travelers from another time, our manners are a little rusty,” he explained.
“What I have to say must be said quickly,” Ira insisted. “Forgive me, but I must inform you that Andrew Morgan is a traitor. He is Trevor Deville’s half-brother and is right now conspiring to take over a living man’s body.”
“Son, these are strong charges. Do you have proof?” Shelby asked.
“I just have what I overheard when I was hiding from them. Andrew befriended me and tricked me into thinking he was bringing me to you, Captain. Instead he presented me to Deville as a hostage.”
Shelby looked at his sergeant and said, “Your suspicions were evidently correct, Vane. I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“Andrew had everyone fooled. Him volunteering for prisoner escort service was out of character. Andrew never v
olunteered for anything.”
“Son, do you have a name, you care to share?” Shelby asked.
“Oh, sorry, I’m Ira Levisohn, Inky to my friends.”
“Ah, Inky, do you perhaps know why we are here in the first place?”
“I’m sorry, sirs, I only vaguely know why I’m here. I was run into the floor by Coach King. I’ve been there for some time. I just escaped not too long ago. I don’t know if I’m dead like you or alive. All I know is that something evil has me trapped inside the building. I heard Deville - who is inside of Coach King, by the way. Anyway, he said something about protections being placed in the building. Four of them,” Ira added as he recalled.
“Black magic,” one of the lookalike privates said to the other.
“It may explain why you are stuck, but why are we here?” Shelby pondered. “We came in contact with the people out there. A young woman dressed like a boy promised to get us home…”
“Mia,” Ira said.
“Yes, I believe it was Mia. She has a friend, dead friend,” he quickly qualified, “named Stephen Murphy. He’s a farmer that carries a mean axe. They promised to send us home as soon as they figure out how we got here in the first place. Do you know her?”
“No, I just overheard her mentioned by a few of the men who were trapped in here.”
“Did they get out?” Sergeant Vane asked. “Our mission was to cause a ruckus until they got out.”
“They are out. They left a message. They know I’m here and will come back for me,” Ira said meekly.
“Inky, that is good news.” Captain Shelby clasped his hands together. “Now what do we do about Morgan?”
“He’s dead so we can’t kill him,” Sergeant Vane pointed out.
“True, we will ponder that later.”
“Are you leaving?” Ira asked.
“How can we leave when you can’t leave this place? What kind of men would we be if we abandoned you to Deville and Morgan? We, son, are soldiers of the 58th, and we will protect you to the best of our abilities.”
Ira took in the sincerity of his words and thanked them. He was introduced to Ernest and Edwin Plow; they were brothers from Batesville, Illinois. Sergeant Vane was from a farm along the Mississippi, New St. Louie. Shelby hailed from St. Charles.
“Inky, we need some information if we are going to be able to be prepared. When we left this earth, gas lights had just made it to Springfield. There is a different type of illumination here. We have many questions.”
Ira nodded and started to answer the questions as they were asked. He used language more familiar to the soldiers, and when they didn’t understand, he did his best to explain. Soon they began to comprehend, and as they did, more questions arose.
Chapter Twenty-two
Mia woke in Ted’s arms. She opened her eyes and took in the motel room. They had been exhausted when they arrived and fell into bed fully clothed. Mia gently moved out of Ted’s sleeping embrace. She didn’t want to wake him and needed a shower badly. Living rough, using the arborvitaes for a restroom had left her feeling a long way from fresh. The shower was hot, and it soothed her aching muscles. She thought about all they had accomplished and how much they had yet to do.
“Oh, Ira, how are you surviving?” she said aloud.
“I hope for his sake he’s not in the shower with you,” Ted said from beyond the cheap white shower curtain.
Mia giggled. “Nope, just me. Come on in, the water’s fine.”
Ted opened the curtain and surveyed his fiancée before stepping in the combination bathtub shower with her. His tall height put his head above the spray. “I feel like Gulliver,” he complained.
“Sit down, I’ll wash your hair.” Mia exchanged places with Ted, and he sat in the tub. She stood behind him and worked the cheap hotel shampoo into his thick auburn hair. She liked how his hair curled when it was wet. She had tried to convince him to grow it longer and let the curls bounce like cupid. Her poorly chosen words sabotaged the idea. Ted preferred to jam a hat over his head and plaster down the curls.
She directed the spray onto his head and rinsed away the suds. Ted, enjoying the experience, pulled her on top of him. “Care to play rub-a-dub-dub?”
Mia looked around stating, “You’re minus two men.”
“Oh, you’d like that huh?” he teased, lathering her skin. Touching her excited him. But he maintained his cool until he had made Mia into a large soap bubble. She turned around and arched her back, letting the water wash down her front. She shook her Nordic blonde tresses free of water before she maneuvered over him.
“Rub-a-dub-dub, Mia’s in the tub. Ted’s going to get a good…”
Ted kissed her hard, silencing her crude action word. They let the water run, enjoying the heat and enjoying each other.
~
Mike watched Audrey as she talked on the phone with Alan. She talked professionally, but he couldn’t help but notice her absently curl her hair around her finger as she exchanged information.
“Good, I’ll let them know. Thank you, Alan. Sure, sure, next week would be better. Call me.” She put her cell down and took a drink of coffee before speaking to Mike, “The School Board’s representative gave permission and backdated it to include the weekend. Alan also had them sign a waiver so that any damage caused in the line of this investigation would not be PEEPs’ fault. Plus, if we keep it silent, we will have their cooperation and all their records open for us to use.” She smacked her knee. “I love it when I get a win.”
“We all love wins,” Mike said simply. “So are you and Alan dating?”
“No, and you’re being a Nosy Parker.”
“I’ll tell you about my love life…” he offered.
She glared at him and said, “You tell everyone about your conquests. Love has nothing to do with it.”
“True.” Mike looked at his watch. “I expected the love birds a half hour ago.”
“They were just getting dressed when you called,” Audrey reminded him. “Give them a break; they’ve been through a lot these last few days.”
“Ted more than Mia,” he said offhandedly.
“Come on, you can’t be serious. Dave said Mia was in constant motion while you guys were trapped in there. She even tried to OOB in as a cockroach, hoping to get by that entity.”
Mike started laughing. “I wish I could have seen that. Okay, so it was hard on both of them, but we need to get back before Burt blows his top.”
“I seem to remember that you put yourself in charge of this investigation,” Audrey started. “You’re in charge, your timetable.”
Mike’s face lit up. “Yes, you’re right.” He picked up his phone and called Ted.
They heard the theme to Fancy Pants sounding through the diner as Ted and Mia approached the table. Ted looked at his phone and said, “Just some asshole,” and put it on ignore. “Sorry we’re late.”
Mia slid in the booth next to Audrey, leaving the boys to sit together. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” the three of them said in unison.
Mia’s face was animated, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
“Audrey got our permission,” Mike reported.
“Alan’s secretary is sending a copy to PEEPs email. Which reminds me, I purchased some printer paper. I noticed we were low.”
Mia smiled. She noticed the we and hoped that Burt and Mike would make Audrey an offer to come on as a fulltime researcher. Ted and she had already offered to cut their take of the PEEPs money in order to facilitate the proposal. Ted had received a couple of impressive offers for his communication earpiece from two phone makers. They were presently bidding against each other. Either way, Ted would be flush with enough cash to make his take from PEEPs seem ridiculous. Stocks were up, and Mia’s nest egg was producing a small amount of income that would keep her afloat without touching the principal. She hoped to rent her home to Burt when she and Ted got married. This would add to their coffers and make them very comfortable
.
The waitress arrived, and Mia placed her order. When she had finished, Ted wondered if she was eating for two.
~
Burt and Cid took turns at the command console. Cid was tired and sore. He alone had lugged his lead box in and out of the van. The thin walls of lead were massively heavy. What started off as a whim, turned into a weighty conversation piece that only a comic book geek like him could appreciate. Right now, resting inside was the Springfield rifle and the mess kit. The three hours of sleep had taken its toll. He was crabby. Burt insisted he get some shuteye. Cid pulled Ted’s blankey out of hiding and curled up on the lounge chair in the back of the truck.
Burt had more sleep than expected. He stayed at the motel and slept until Cid drove back from Cold Creek with the van. The front entrance of the school building looked like it had when they found it, with the exception of a camera that Ted had mounted in the covered awning leading to the front door. A patrol car would assume it was the school’s security system, at least that was what was hoped.
The PEEPs got mail icon popped up. Ted’s little ghost coming out of a mailbox was a light blue. The longer it took to respond to the alert, the ghost would change color from blue to purple and then to red. If it got to red, then an audio alarm would sound. No one wanted that. It was loud and obnoxious, questioning one’s IQ and parentage.
Burt opened the mail and was pleased to see the signed permission letter attached to a brief note of explanation from Alan. He loaded the printer with some document length paper he found in the box labeled with a “Get out of Jail Free” card from Monopoly.
A whine of a meter went off. Camera Two’s video feed had a rectangle showing. Burt reached over and roused Cid saying, “We have movement by the east door.”
Cid shook off the sleep and slid into Burt’s spot. Burt took off running to see if he could determine what or who had exited the building.
“Burt!” Cid’s voice blurted in his ear. “Something is in here with me… west door…”
