by D McEntire
Jed walked into the large pole barn he used to house supplies for the animals. He yanked open the door on one of the three freezers lining the back wall. Viewing what little was inside, he grit his teeth.
“Damn! I haven’t had donations of meat for the past two weeks.” His fresh meat supply was getting alarmingly low. In a desperate attempt to remedy the situation, at least for a short time, he had picked up the phone and called both Animal Control and the local police station. He asked them to notify him of any deer carcasses, which had not been out too long after being struck by vehicles. Jed grimaced at the thought. Though he could really use them, retrieval was a lot of work, not to mention nauseating.
Scowling, Jed stomped toward the house. He needed a beer. Justice would have to wait.
Once in his living room, he plopped into the chair at his desk and began searching the Internet for a solution to his food problem. An idea struck him. Donations, and lack thereof, to Wildlife Refuge—the makeshift organization he used as a front for obtaining the licenses to own exotic animals such as Justice—was definitely a problem. What he needed was something new and exciting to add to his menagerie, he told himself while rubbing a hand over his unshaven jaw. Something that would entice the community into paying more attention to Wildlife Refuge.
Disgusted the animal search wasn’t going very well, Jed blew out a long, exasperated breath. Most of the exotic animals he found online for sale or trade were either similar to what he already had, or cost more than he could afford. But, if he didn’t do something soon, he was going to be in a world of hurt. He might even have to find a real job. The thought made him groan, and he grabbed another beer to get the taste out of his mouth.
It was a few hours later when he returned to the barn. Justice pawed at his cage as Jed hefted a frozen turkey in his arm and unlocked the door. Giving the big cat a nudge with his thigh to move the animal away from the door, he continued to ponder his dilemma.
Although the current meat situation was dire, his popularity had greatly improved since teaming up with another local wildlife lover, Dana Viers. Before, it seemed only a handful of people knew about the organization.
“Hey, Jed.”
The sound of Dana’s voice made him jump. “Hey, Dana. Ready for the open house today?”
“Yep. Listen, I put in another ad in the local newspaper for donations of meat. You should be seeing something soon. Folks around here like to help out when they can.”
Jed nodded in agreement. “That they do.”
As Dana headed for the barn, Jed chuckled, telling himself having Dana around was definitely a plus. She was doing a good job marketing his wildlife rehabilitation organization, and the fact she worked for free was an added benefit.
The afternoon arrived and it was time for the open house Dana had posted in the local paper inviting the community to tour the rehabilitation center. Jed donned his cowboy hat and made his way to Justice’s cage to wow the crowd with his Bengal tiger. He smiled to himself as he entered. The people had no idea the tiger was nothing more than a big pussy cat.
People came and left all afternoon, asking questions about the animals and what was needed at the center. Jed’s mood improved immensely when he picked up the donation jar and found it packed full of coins and bills.
As the last person drove off the property, Jed smiled to himself. He had a phone call to make. One he had been thinking about all day.
Dana walked the grounds, picking up trash left behind by the visitors. As she passed several cages in the rehabilitation area, she noticed most were uninjured and seemed perfectly healthy.
A small raccoon chattered and stuck its paw through the bars, reaching for anything it could grab.
“Hey there. What’s wrong with you? You seem pretty healthy to me,” she said soothingly, crouching in front of the cage. The small, black paw patted her hand, and she laughed.
As Dana stood, a strange feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Why were most of these animals here? Something didn’t seem right.
Dana shrugged off her thoughts, telling herself it was her ignorance of wildlife health putting questions in her head. There was probably an illness or injury they were suffering from for them to be at the center.
Deciding to get some answers, Dana turned away from the raccoon and began searching for Jed. When she got within a few feet of the barn, she heard him talking on the phone.
“Hey, man. How’s it going? I was just getting ready to head out to scrounge up some animals for the next gig. Yeah. They just left. Had a pretty good-sized group out this weekend. Made a lot of dough.”
Jed let out a sly laugh.
“So you got a female ocelot for me? Yeah, I’m gonna breed ’em. Could get a lot of money out of ’em as long as I can keep them away from the game warden. No way I’m gonna lose my license and give all this up. I’m making some good money.” Jed laughed again.
“Really? You talkin’ about the golf ball lookin’ house? Hell. I didn’t know old Ben Marson had faintin’ goats. I don’t think anyone else around here has those. He’s got a pair of young males, huh? Well…I’ll be. Maybe I could use ’em around here. They’d be great to take out on the road. I could let the dog scare ’em a few times, and they’ll fall down, then I’d tell why. When people get tired of ’em, I could always feed ’em to Justice.”
Jed’s last statement and sardonic laugh made Dana cringe. The man had no scruples when it came to animals, her mind screamed. He was a fake, a phony. The animals were only a means of getting money and a little bit of fame in these parts. The thought set her teeth on edge.
Dana turned and made a beeline for her truck, wanting to get home and tell her husband Keith what she had heard. Her time working for Jed Parker had come to an end. No way would she help him hurt these animals. She mentally kicked herself for overlooking the fact the exotic ones should not be here in the first place. If Jed did indeed care about the welfare of wildlife, he would not have participated in buying them. By doing so, he was just as guilty as the ones who had taken them out of their natural habitats and sold them as pets or to side shows to make money.
When Dana parked the truck by the garage, she saw Keith relaxing on their deck, smoking a cigarette.
“What’s wrong? You tore up the driveway like you were running a race.”
Dana sank onto one of the plastic chairs beside her husband, told him about Jed’s telephone conversation she’d overheard and watched his face tighten.
“I told you I didn’t trust him. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want you working over there.”
A million thoughts raced through her head and she let out a sigh. Without realizing what she was doing, she began chewing on her nails, thinking about the two fainting goats Jed was planning to use for show and tell and then for Justice’s supper.
Out of the corner of her eye, Dana saw her husband staring at her and knew she wouldn’t have to beg for his help. He loved her dearly. Of that she had no doubt. He also shared her love of animals.
“Tell you what,” he said, “I’ll call Ben Marson and make sure he doesn’t let them go, and we’ll stop by after supper to pick them up.”
Dana smiled and waited until Keith put out his cigarette to give him a tight hug. She would sleep a little easier knowing she had saved at least a couple of animals from Jed’s greedy hands.
Suma stared impatiently at the red traffic light in front of her, her thumbs drumming on the steering wheel. Her truck coughed and sputtered. “Shit!”
She looked at her gas gauge. The truck was running on fumes, and she mentally kicked herself for not stopping when she arrived in Louisville. When the light turned green, she flipped her turn signal and took a left turn, following the sign pointing to Charlestown.
Checking her watch, Suma figured she was well ahead of the boat slated for the park. She was already in Charlestown, and the park was only two more miles down the road. She worried her lower lip as she realized she had no idea how many vampires would be
on the boat or how many may already be at the park.
With a yawn, Suma told herself she needed a jolt of energy if she was going to take on the creatures tonight. As she filled the gas tank, she scanned the street, then smiled when she caught sight of a coffee shop.
Stepping through the door, Suma’s taste buds snapped to attention as she inhaled the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed java.
“What can I get ya?” A woman behind the counter with a cheery smile on her face looked at her expectantly.
Suma eyed the menu on the wall, her head spinning at the choices. “I’ll have a large cup of whatever mild blend you have,” she said quickly, knowing she didn’t have time to linger.
The coffee was hot and tasted so good Suma almost moaned. She slid a straw through the opening in the cup’s lid so she could drink and drive without wearing it.
Turning abruptly, she almost bumped into a woman.
“I’m so sorry,” Suma said, embarrassment flushing her cheeks.
“No, no. That’s okay,” the woman said, chuckling.
After a few moments of laughter, Suma excused herself and headed for the door. Just as she reached for the handle, a man started to enter the coffee shop, but upon seeing her approach, he stepped back and held open the door.
Suma’s eyes bulged. She stopped dead in her tracks, finding herself having to clamp her jaws shut to keep her tongue from rolling out of her mouth and ending at his feet like some cartoon character.
He is gorgeous, her mind screamed. The words tall, dark and handsome didn’t do him justice, although he was definitely all three and then some.
She didn’t notice she had stopped moving and was standing in the doorway looking her fill. His honey colored eyes—his gaze seemingly catching every slight detail like a hawk—captivated her, and she lost all thought except of the man who stood before her.
When he cleared his throat, she blinked, then blinked again. The side of his mouth curved upwards. Heat flooded her cheeks. “Th-thank you,” she muttered with a smile, though she felt like hiding under a rock.
“You’re welcome,” he replied softly looking amused much to her dismay.
As she stepped around him, she caught his scent, and her knees felt weak. Suddenly, she tripped over her own feet and his strong hand caught her arm, preventing her from falling on her face.
Okay, now she was really embarrassed. This guy most likely had thought her a loon before, but now he probably thought her an utter klutz as well. Can this get any worse?
“Careful there.”
His voice was like velvet, but she couldn’t look at him. In fact, she couldn’t talk for fear she would say something stupid.
He released her arm, and she practically ran to her truck, wanting to get away as fast as possible so she could bang her head against the steering wheel.
Turning the key in the ignition, desperately praying the truck started and didn’t make any horrible noises as it did so, she glanced at the door to the coffee shop to find the man still standing there, watching.
Suma pulled out of the parking spot and took a deep breath. She had never seen anyone so beautiful, and the fact he was also Native American made her want to turn the truck around. But, she couldn’t. She had to get to the park and take care of those things before they went on a killing spree.
Placing her coffee cup between her legs since she didn’t have a cup holder in the old truck, she touched the spot on her arm where the man’s hand had been, still feeling his warmth.
Suma took another deep breath. She had to focus on the task at hand. Besides, there wasn’t room in her predestined life for a relationship, she argued with herself. And, as fine as he was, he was most likely taken.
Rayne pulled into the parking lot of the local coffee shop and climbed out of his Jeep. When he reached the door, he noticed a lady coming toward him to exit the establishment, so he did the mannerly thing and held the door open for her.
Rayne’s breath caught in his throat when he saw her face. Her body wasn’t bad either, he thought to himself as he slowly exhaled. She had stopped in the doorway and stared at him with the most stunning green eyes he had ever seen. Her tanned skin, long black hair and other features screamed Native American, but the thought most prevalent in his mind was exotic goddess.
The door he held open was the only thing keeping a tight rein on his control. The urge to get closer—touch her, smell her, feel her—whispered incessantly in his ears. He had to swallow several times to keep down the growl he felt just under the surface.
She hadn’t moved for several minutes, seemingly frozen in place. Rayne was amused because he was having the same reaction to her. Finally, as she began to stop traffic flow with people standing behind her in a line ready to leave the coffee shop, he knew he had to do something to break the spell.
Rayne cleared his throat, then watched as she slowly came to her senses and blinked several times. The widening of her eyes at the sudden realization of what she was doing amused him even more. When she smiled shyly, his heart did a summersault.
Embarrassment must have gotten the best of her because she stumbled as soon as she took a step forward to make her way through the doorway. Without a second thought, his hand shot out and grabbed her arm to steady her, which seemed to raise her embarrassment level up several notches.
As she walked away, an image of the woman at the park in Louisville flashed in his mind. They were one in the same. Mentally piecing together her face and the full frontal view with the one of her backside had Rayne smiling at the picture.
“Can I help you?” a voice called from inside the store, and Rayne realized he was standing there keeping the door open and causing stares, but he didn’t care. He continued watching the woman, not taking his eyes off her. For some reason, he couldn’t.
“Excuse me,” a woman said behind him, and he turned. He had been blocking the exit and a customer was trying to leave the building. She looked at him with a knowing smile, before she glanced at the old truck with a camper installed on the bed leaving the parking lot.
Now it was Rayne’s turn to be embarrassed at being caught ogling. “Oh, pardon me,” he muttered as he moved to the side so the woman could leave, ignoring her soft laughter as she passed.
Rayne did a mental head slap, telling himself he had better get his head on straight, his heart back into his chest and his loins, which had caught every bit of the scene, under control.
As he took another glance at the woman who had captivated him, another truck barreled in, cutting her off. The glare the man gave her set Rayne’s teeth on edge. He wanted to wait until the man parked, yank him out of his truck and give him a few driving lessons—mainly by driving his fist into the man’s face a few times for starters. But, he couldn’t. Rayne reminded himself he needed to keep a low profile. He may not be at his home Cell, but he was still a Watcher. One with a job to do, as soon as he got his coffee.
Strolling up to the counter and trying to look as though he hadn’t been acting like a love-struck fool moments ago, he ordered a large cup of their darkest blend.
Chapter Three
Dana hopped into her truck, amused at seeing the man was still eyeballing the woman who had bumped into her inside the coffee shop. She shook her head, thinking the two had had a major ooh la la moment over one another. Love. Dana mentally sighed. She was a sap for romance.
The sound of squealing tires had her head snapping in the direction of the noise. An old truck had turned into the parking lot, barely missing the woman’s front bumper as she was getting ready to pull out onto the street.
It was Jed.
Dana watched as he stared at the woman, then hit the gas and practically skidded to a stop in a parking space next to the coffee shop. She knew Jed was headed for the Smoke Shop and decided she’d better leave before he saw her. She didn’t want a confrontation, and from the way he was behaving, he seemed to be in an especially foul mood.
“Mom, we’re going to be late.”
; Matt, Dana’s son who was sitting in the passenger seat, whined and cut into her thoughts. She placed her coffee in the console and started the truck, then left the parking lot to drive him to his friend’s house.
Dana drove along Highway 62. When she passed the entrance to the Charlestown State Park, an eerie feeling washed over her like a wave. The feeling was so strong it caused her heart rate to increase. Something was in the park. Something evil. She could feel it deep within her soul.
Taking few deep breaths, Dana shrugged it off as best she could. She had always had a sixth sense about things, especially if something bad was about to happen. Dana told herself to ignore the strange vibes she was getting from the park and keep driving. Matt was expected at his friend’s house to spend the next couple of nights.
After dropping off her son, Dana rode toward Charlestown, slowing when she reached the entrance of the park. The sense of evil that had gripped her earlier was not what was drawing her attention now. It was something else. This time she could not ignore the feeling of being drawn to the park. “Okay, Dana, may as well check it out so it will leave you alone.”
The park was quiet since the sun had gone down and the families and joggers had left. Dana drove her truck to the back section of the park, noticing the odd sensation becoming stronger the further she went. When she rounded a corner, heading toward the last parking lot, she caught sight of a woman walking into the woods. Dana recognized her as the same woman from the coffee shop. The old truck with the attached camper sat in the parking lot. Now Dana was certain it was the same woman.
“Where is she going?” Dana muttered to herself, glancing at the posted sign which read “DNR Employees Only”.
As the woman disappeared into the trees, Dana parked the truck and shut off the engine. She sat a moment, judging her feelings about the place and about the stupidity of sitting alone in a secluded part of the park at night. What the hell am I doing here?
