“Was it a warning?” Mike leaned forward. “Do you think he was warning you about something here?”
The light on Madison’s cell phone switched on, as if someone had pressed the button on the face.
“Is it something here at the site?” Madison looked around the room, hoping she would see him again. “Is there someone else here I need to be afraid of?”
The light switched on again.
It faded to black, then flicked on again.
And again.
Chapter Nineteen
Madison stretched her legs out in front of her, tilting her head back so the sun shone fully on her face. Mike was lying on his back with his head on her lap, eating an apple. The site was quiet. Brad was off doing whatever it was that Brad did during the day, and Cianna was still off the dig. Despite what had happened—and despite whatever Ben had been warning her about—she felt more relaxed than she had in well over a week.
“I took it upon myself to research what happened to you.” Liam picked green peppers off his hoagie and disposed of them in a plastic baggie. “Since you two were too busy, you know, fucking or whatever it is you do in the hotel room.”
Mike took another bite of apple. “We took a shower and went to bed. She was tired.”
Madison thought for a moment. “Well, technically…”
“Anyway, Liam.”
“Anyway, so, I did some pretty in-depth research online this morning, probably a good ten minutes or so, and I think you had an out of body experience. The cool kids call it an OBE. I mean, in lieu of actual clinical exam findings or CT scans. I think that would be more definitive, but based on what I saw, it was definitely an OBE.”
“I didn’t die, Liam.” Madison ran her fingertips over Mike’s spikey hair. “I thought you had to be dead to have an out of body experience.”
“No, apparently you can have a psychic out of body experience anytime. Most people have them in the deeper stages of unconsciousness, like REM sleep, but there’s a select few who can have them willy nilly.” Liam set his sandwich aside. “I knew a girl in college who could orgasm just by squeezing her legs together. I’m assuming it’s the same as this.”
“Probably not.” Mike took another bite of his apple.
“I can see an out of body experience, maybe, if I was wandering around Cemetery Hill as it is today, but I wasn’t.” Madison shook her head. “I saw the last things Ben saw in life. If it was an out of body experience, it was one taking place in the past.”
“I’m not sure there’re specific hard and fast rules when it comes to psychic experiences.” Liam picked up his sandwich again and took a bite. “The website said OBEs are more vivid than dreams. You experience sights, sounds, and smells. You move freely, smoothly; you live the moment. It’s not like dreaming where you aren’t in control.”
Madison considered it. She remembered the feeling of Ben’s hand on her cheek and the sulfur smell of artillery or musket fire. It felt real, but often her dreams felt real. How could she tell the difference? “Everything was clear. I could see him, every detail of his face and what he was wearing. He didn’t fit what I pictured the classic Civil War soldier to look like: dark blue trousers, jacket, hat. He had on light blue trousers and just a stained shirt. He said it was because it was hot in July.”
“It makes sense to me.” Mike rolled slightly to his side and set the apple core in the plastic bag the hoagies came in, then rolled back flat. “I’ve always speculated soldiers took off their gear and left them behind lines. I can’t imagine the artillerymen loading and firing artillery in wool jackets. I’m sure they stripped it all off.”
“I’m not convinced my subconscious works that way.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Did he say anything else to you?” Liam set his sandwich down again, wiping a paper napkin across his face. “Other than the generalities of what happened during the battle?”
“He…um…” Madison looked into Mike’s eyes. She wasn’t sure he was going to like this. “He said his soul was bound to mine.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Liam huffed. “Mike? Thoughts?”
“I have no idea. I understand why he picked her, though.”
“Okay, fine, if you two are happy just letting bygones be bygones fine.” Liam ground the toe of his tennis shoe into the dirt. “I still think it was an out of body experience.”
“Personally, I feel better knowing who she was and how she died.” Madison looked over her shoulder, toward the test pit turned grave. “Even if no one else would believe me.”
“I believe you.” Mike slid his hand up and caught her hand in his, lacing his fingers around hers. “I might not understand what happened last night, but I saw what it did to you. His story sounds plausible. We just can’t prove it.”
“I’m going to run through the 11th Corps roll sheets and see if I can narrow down documented casualty lists from the Gettysburg campaign. Ben is a common name. So, you know, next time he’s around to chat, see if he’ll tell you his last name.” Liam stuffed the remainder of his sandwich into a plastic bag and knotted the top. “That would make it that much easier and I’m going to tell you right now, if his last name is Smith or Jones I’m going home. I can only do so much for you.”
Madison didn’t know what to say. “Thanks, Liam. That means a lot to me.”
“We’re a team aren’t we?” Liam pursed his lips together. “Wasn’t it Benjamin Franklin who said, ‘We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately?’”
“Only when they signed the Declaration of Independence.”
“Well, put your words into actions, bitches. Here comes Brad.” His expression softened and he smiled broadly. “Hey, buddy.”
“Hey, crew.” Brad smiled at them and tossed Madison a magazine. “Check out what came to park headquarters today.”
She looked at the cover. Newsweek. “This isn’t what I was expecting.”
“Turn to page nineteen.”
Madison flipped to the correct page number. The article was small, only a quarter of the page, but there was her name in bold.
First recorded remains of a female Civil War soldier found? Maybe, but Gettysburg National Military Park isn’t confirming either way. So far, the only official reports from the National Park Service indicate human remains were discovered by twenty-one year old archeologist Madison Monroe, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The remains are confirmed as female, but without concrete evidence to support she was a soldier, she will remain yet another nameless tragedy associated with the three day, bloody battle in July 1863. One name we’ll take away from this discovery though, is Miss Monroe, a vibrant, fresh face to a somewhat dull and dusty profession. Humble, sweet, and personable, Miss Monroe is just the kind of woman you want on your dig team. We want to be archeologists too.
“Yikes.” Madison handed the magazine to Mike. “Do you guys think I’m sweet? Because, you know, I think I always come across as bitter and sarcastic.”
“This is phenomenal, Madison.” Brad smiled broadly at her. “Look at you! The new face of archeology. I’m proud of you, really. This is the kind of discovery we need to get our field on the map. Before you know it, you’re going to be running digs and giving presentations. My uncle is going to be very, very impressed with your work.”
Madison stared at him. He seemed genuine. Happy. This was not the same man that had snapped at her the previous day in front of Mike and Jack. This man seemed thrilled for her success. He seemed happy to see her. “Thanks, Brad.”
“No, really, I called him this morning to fill him in. He already knew. I guess it’s all over the news in Pittsburgh. He said you’re the best thing to come out of the Steel City since Sarris chocolate.”
“Meriwether Lewis and William Clark started their famed Corps of Discovery expedition in Pittsburgh.” Madison glanced between Mike and Liam. “It’s a very, very fantastic city. We have a lot going for us.”
“Other than Lewis and Clark and chocolate?” Liam rais
ed his eyebrow quizzically. “Bitch, please.”
“No, no, really. There’s a lot there.” Madison sighed. “I will campaign for the glory of Pittsburgh, even if the rest of the world fails to see its grandeur.”
“The Steel City and the home of the world famous Madison Monroe.” Mike squeezed her thigh. “If people didn’t care before, they will now.”
“Please, I’ve got better things to do.”
“No, you don’t.” Brad leaned over and patted her shoulder. “Madison, you are headed straight to the top. My uncle said he’s convinced you’ll get waved into graduate school, no questions asked. Shit, they’ll probably want you to start teaching graduate level classes.”
Madison blushed. “That’s okay. I’m happy just getting my degree and doing some digging. Pittsburgh is already on the map, firmly to the right of Harrisburg, and we’re good with that. We’ve got Super Bowl Rings and Stanley Cups and…and a functioning baseball team. They don’t need me to be the face of the Steel City. Really.”
“Well, my dear, I don’t think you have much of a choice.” Brad smiled at her, an act that made her more uncomfortable than if he’d physically touched her. “You’re our It Girl.”
“Did the park service decide what they’re doing with the remains yet?” She tried to change the subject. “I’m hoping they don’t just want to throw her in storage like some kind of specimen.”
“They’re still debating. Frye wants her buried in the National Cemetery, but there’s a lot of red tape to get through before they’ll approve that request.” Brad sat next to Liam. “He’s filed the paperwork for it, though. I submitted a letter as well.”
“She deserves to be in the National Cemetery.” Madison nodded her head slowly. “I’d rather see that than leaving her here.”
“The other option is on the other side of the fence, in Evergreen Cemetery.” Brad shrugged his shoulders. “I think putting her back in the ground here is last on their list.”
“Good.” Madison stiffened, trying to keep herself from outwardly shivering. “I don’t want her to stay here. It seems too, I don’t know, anonymous.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. The whole world knows about her now. They’re going to make sure she’s given the burial she deserves. We may not be able to prove she was a soldier, but we have enough evidence to at least assume she was important to this battle. Her story won’t end at this farm.” Brad hesitated. “That being said, I have some bad news for you guys.”
“They cut funding?” Liam broke in. “We have to shut down now?”
“No, I actually wish it was that easy.” Brad took a deep breath. “Jan Williams was in a car accident last night. They found her car in a ditch outside of Chambersburg. She was pronounced dead at the scene.”
“Oh my god.” Madison gasped. “That’s horrible.”
Mike sat up, pushing his sunglasses up onto his head. “What was she doing out near Chambersburg? I thought she and Scott were headed back to Washington yesterday morning.”
“The police don’t know. From what I heard at park headquarters today, they’re looking into it. She left about the same time we did yesterday, Mike, and told them she was going to visit a friend here in town before heading home. Her car was en route to Hanover, so it’s anyone’s guess at this point.” Brad shook his head. “I’ll be honest, guys, they’re looking into toxicology results at this point. It wasn’t a bad accident, all things considered. One thing is for sure, she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.”
Madison shuddered. How awful.
“Anyway, the park wants to have a brief memorial service tomorrow morning. Nothing elaborate, just something small to highlight the work she’d been doing in the past week.” Brad pushed his hair back. “God, this is such a punch in the face. I mean, who doesn’t wear their seatbelt? She did so much work on the remains and one stupid mistake ends it all.”
“Jesus.” Mike settled back down in Madison’s lap, pressing her palm against his chest. “It’s a shame she drove out that direction at all.”
“I knew a guy back in college that took a turn too sharp and rolled his pickup.” Brad outwardly shuddered. “He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and slid out the open window. The truck rolled on him and killed him instantly. The cops said if he’d been wearing his seatbelt, he would have walked away from the accident without so much as a scratch. Life is precious, guys. Let’s remember that.”
Madison closed her eyes. She’d gone from the top of her world to the proverbial pits of despair. Jan was a nice lady with a fantastic career. What a waste.
Chapter Twenty
“Something’s bothering you.”
Madison tilted her head up and looked at Mike. His cheeks were still flushed from mind-blowing sex, followed by a relaxed but somewhat too hot shower. He wasn’t looking at her, but was staring up at the ceiling. She rested her hand on his chest. “What makes you think that?”
“I can tell. I know you, Maddy.”
She sighed, snuggling against him. “Maybe. I don’t know. I guess it’s just everything. The dig, Ben, now Jan and the car accident. I mean, seriously, at this point all I want to do is hole up in here with you and not have to face what tomorrow brings.”
“Meaning…”
She closed her eyes. “I don’t want the dig to end, because that means I have to go home to Pittsburgh. What I want is to stay here with you.”
He sighed, rolling to his side to face her. Cupping the side of her face in his hand, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “It’s been in the back of my mind this week, too. The more we get done on the site, the sooner we’re finished. Then the reports get turned in to make everything nice and tidy and official. That’s the last thing I want. Maddy, I’m not going to lose you. We’ll figure something out.”
“God damned graduate school.”
Mike chuckled. “Don’t think about it. Look, we still have a test pit to finish up, two if you count the fact we’ve only done about half near the bank barn. As far as I’m concerned, the amount of time we have left at the Spangler Farm is indefinite. But, I’m not thinking about that. I’m thinking about now. You, here, with me. That’s all that matters.”
“When this whole convoluted mess started, I was sure my citation ruined me finally achieving my goals.” She nuzzled her face against his. “What it gave me, though, was more than I could have dreamed.”
He pulled her to him and held her tightly, tangling his fingers in her hair. “I love you, Maddy baby, so much more than I think you know. Just because the dig ends, doesn’t mean we end. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”
“I love you, soldier boy.” She nuzzled her face against his. Finally! She felt like she’d been waiting eons for him to say it. “I’d gladly give up my degree and graduate school to have you.”
“No, no, you’re going to finish up your degree. You said it yourself, you’ve paid for it so you might as well finish it up.” He pulled back and studied her. “You’re going to have a great career in archeology, Maddy. I’m just excited to be with you, watching it unfold.”
“Or I’ll just be awkward and trip over things.”
“That too.” He kissed her. “Stop worrying. Focus on now: you’re naked, we’re together. Nothing else matters.”
“Well, other than Ben’s warning.”
“You still have no idea what kind of context that was in.”
“A warning is a warning, no matter what context.”
“I know, baby. All I’m saying is, it could be completely unrelated to the dig, right? I’m going to keep you safe. Drew has his eye on the site and, height requirements aside, Liam’s a scrappy kid. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Something happened to Jan. Now she’s dead.”
Mike exhaled deeply, cradling her in his arms. “I know, but that was an accident. They don’t know what happened. Alcohol, drugs, falling asleep behind the wheel, over compensating poor driving skills, texting; we won’t know until the investigation is done. Whatev
er it was, I won’t let it happen to you.”
“I feel helpless, that’s all. I thought I’d help Ben by finding the remains, but he was still here.” Madison buried her face against his chest. “Even though he’s told me about her, I just get this feeling he’s still with me. I can feel him.”
“I’d rather you feel me.”
“Strangely, he’s shared his opinion on a lot of things, but never on you.” Madison thought for a moment. “He did tell me he thought you’d be the one who would understand.”
“Understand what?”
“I don’t know. There’s a lot he says that I don’t fully comprehend.” Her mind drifted back to her experience with him. My soul is bound to yours. What did that mean? How did it even happen? “I just want him to find peace. He tried so hard to save her, both in life and now in death. I don’t understand why he isn’t able to cross over, or whatever it is spirits do. What’s keeping him here?”
“He seems pretty devoted to you.”
“Maybe.”
“You sell yourself short too often. Like with this dig, you deserve all the credit for discovering the remains, yet, you keep insisting Liam and I had just as much to do with it. We didn’t. As I recall, Liam tried to talk you out of it.”
“I’m not in this for fortune and glory or whatever it is people think I should be trying to get.” Madison traced her fingertips over the tattoo on his chest. “I just really love the field of archeology. I like knowing that, even after we’re gone, we leave a tangible trace of our existence behind.”
“God, I love you.”
She blushed. “Talk about selling yourself short. You could have had anyone, but you wanted me. Some college kid from the slums of Western Pennsylvania.”
“I’ve never met anyone like you, Maddy.”
“Is that good or bad?”
With Me Now Page 25
