by GA Hauser
"Aren't you taking them to the cabin?" JP asked.
"I will when I get back." Roman opened the door and Harley tried to follow.
"Not this time, dog." Charlie gently urged him back and closed the door.
Roman said, "Let me get the truck keys and my phone."
"Okay." Butch shrugged, putting his cowboy hat on his head. Then Roman heard him ask Charlie, "Where are we going?"
Roman jogged to his cabin and entered, finding the keys, his phone, and…his gun and badge. He took the book with him, and returned to the pickup truck, seeing Charlie already in the front passenger's seat and Butch in the back.
Roman climbed into the driver's side and started up the engine, putting the book on the bench seat beside him. "Butch, where's Sheriff Kenmore's office?"
"In town. I doubt he's there."
"Does anyone man the place when he's gone?" Roman drove down the gravel lane, passed the white lighted evergreen trees.
"Roman, it's Christmas day."
"Butch," Roman handed him his smart phone. "Find a number for a contact so I can get into the office."
Charlie glanced over at him. "What's so urgent?"
"That book."
Charlie picked it up and opened it to the page indicated. "Where did it come from?"
"Ophelia."
Butch choked and Charlie gave Roman a look of disbelief.
"What do you need Dale's office for?" Butch asked.
"I need his computer, his scanner…" Roman paused when he left the ranch driveway and came to the street. "Right or left?"
"Left." Butch spoke on the phone, "Dale? Sorry to bother you, it's Butch…Merry Christmas to you too…no, nuthin's wrong."
Roman gazed at the dirty plowed snow on the roadside, the sunshine melting the frost on the roadway, but not the deep crusty piles.
The sun was gleaming on the landscape, so Roman put his sunglasses on.
"Okay, Dale. I do appreciate that. Thank-ya, kindly." Butch handed Roman the phone. "He said to stop by his place to get his key."
"Is he on the way?"
"He lives only a few blocks from the station."
"Good." Roman bit his lip in anxiety.
Charlie placed his hand on Roman's thigh. "You think she's givin' you some answers?"
"Yes. I do." Roman focused on the road and said, "Butch, tell me how to get there."
"Jus' keep goin'. I'll let ya know when to turn."
Charlie kept watching him, and Roman could feel his apprehension and worry.
Luckily Sheriff Kenmore was not in a social mood, having his grandchildren visiting and appearing weary. He handed Butch the keys and said, "Just drop it through the mail slot when yer done if we're not home. There'll be a few people in there workin'," Dale said, "but not many. Just a few covering for the holiday. Butch, you remember where my office is?"
"I do, Dale."
Roman asked, "What's your computer password?"
Dale leaned towards Roman to say it in his ear, "My granddaughter's name, Charlotte. Ya tell anyone and I'll hunt you down, Agent Burk."
Roman replied, "Got my word."
"Thanks, Dale." Butch handed the keys to Roman the two of them returned to the truck, where Charlie was waiting, to head down Highway 40 to the county building.
Ten minutes later, Roman parked in the lot and the three men walked in the chilly air to the main entrance. It was a large white building, divided into three departments; communication, corrections and patrol. 'Wasatch County Sheriff's Department' was written in big letters over the double doors, which had crests of the police badges on the glass.
While Charlie held the book, Roman opened the door with the key. Butch led the way through the halls, by a dispatch center where two women were working, and towards offices, dark for the holiday.
Butch pointed to one. "That's Dale's office, Roman."
Roman looked around the area to see what computer technology he had available.
An officer who was on duty noticed them and approached. "Can I help you?"
Roman flashed his ATF badge. "Agent Burk. Sheriff Kenmore is allowing me to use his office for a few hours."
"Oh, okay. Hi, Butch. Haven't seen you for a while."
"I moved to Nevada…"
"Oh," the cop laughed. "That could be why. Well, Merry Christmas."
"Wait," Roman called to him. "Do you have a hand held scanner?"
"We may. Check that room there." The young officer pointed to a door and walked off. He stopped and turned around. "Butch, you seeing Vernon while you're here in town?"
Butch approached the young officer. "Yeah, Dan. Why?"
"We made two arrests last night. You know the animal sacrifices going on near his ranch?"
Roman and Charlie stepped closer to hear.
"Yeah, I do. Who did you guys get?" Butch asked.
"Two young punks. Fuckers were caught doing the same thing down the way from Vernon's place. They were high on crank and said the devil commanded them. Some shit like that. We got 'em locked up."
"Can you send those reports to me?" Roman handed the officer his business card.
"Sure thing." The young cop nodded and walked away.
"Well, I'll be." Butch shook his head.
"So, it had nothing to do with the cult in the woods?" Charlie asked.
"My guess is no, but when I see the reports, I'll know more."
Roman entered the room the officer had indicated.
~
Charlie could not stop the sense of anxiety inside him. He was holding a book…not just any book. A book given to Roman by a red witch.
Did I just say that to myself? Charlie felt that ever since he had met Roman two years ago, he was living a life of surrealism. Although a span of time had gone by where things seemed normal, Charlie knew he was not normal. But he pretended he was. What else could he do?
The events that occurred two years back, and now for the last few days, washed over him, confused him, and terrified him.
Roman and Butch searched the storeroom as Charlie stood outside Dale's office, the book in his hand. He looked at the cover again. Yup. Two men suckling on a she-wolf. Damn.
Mythology and his own life were beginning to overlap in a strange layer. Charlie didn't believe in religion. He believed in the connection of the natural elements to the world, the chain of ecology and how insignificant man was in the cosmos. But now? Was he supposed to adopt paganism? Pluralism? An imperialistic cult? Had he been converted into some kind of robotic follower of a dead civilization?
Having found something, Roman, seemed excited, and used a key to open Dale's office door. He set an item down on the desk, turned on a light, and sat in the chair.
Charlie watched him boot up the computer, typing in the sheriff's password. An ATF agent can do anything he wants. My oh my. Access to the county police computer.
Butch stood silently, watching, as if fascinated.
Roman plugged the scanner into the port on the computer and said, "Open the book to the page marked, Charlie."
Setting the book down, being delicate with its brittle pages, Charlie did, removing the red ribbon with the inverted pentagram.
Roman placed the scanner on it, and slowly rolled it over the pages. The image showed up on the computer screen.
Charlie could see Roman's focus and his drive to get the words translated. And of course, Roman did.
Tapping keys, opening windows of programs Charlie had never even imagined existed, Agent Burk was now in professional research mode, and decoding Latin was a cakewalk for the brilliant law enforcer.
As the words began to show up on the screen, in English, Butch and Charlie moved to stand behind Roman to read it.
'…and so the war of entities was inevitable. The five centuries of control over Gaul's people marked the beginning of Montague's revenge…'
Charlie pointed to the name on the computer. "Please tell me that does not say Montague."
"Oh my Lord." Butch leaned on Roman to
keep reading the text and so did Charlie.
'…Montague, a devout follower of Lupercalia vowed to seek revenge even as he was crucified in the streets of Roma…'
Charlie pointed to the word on the computer screen. "Lupercalia?"
Roman said, "Well, canis lupus is a gray wolf." Roman opened another search box and typed it in. "Yes. Wolf worship."
Butch backed up and Charlie grabbed his shoulder. "You okay?"
"Don't know." Butch leaned against a shelf behind him.
"Roman…" Charlie said, "This thing. It's not after Roman the man. It's after revenge on Rome…"
Roman took something out of his pocket and Charlie leaned closer to inspect it. "What the hell is that?"
"I don't know."
Charlie reached for it and Roman gave it to him while Butch turned pale.
"It's really old. Where did you find it?" Charlie inspected it front and back.
"Ophelia—"
"Gave it to you," Charlie completed the sentence in disbelief. "Why am I concerned about yer sanity?"
Roman met his gaze. "You?" He gave him a look of exasperation. "Can you tell what the hell is on it?"
Charlie held it under a desk lamp. "A guy's profile…" he turned it over. "…and horses."
"Lemme see." Butch reached for it.
"Ya gonna pass out?" Charlie asked before he gave it to him.
"No."
Roman returned to the translation and kept reading.
Butch inspected the medallion. "It says Caesar under the horses."
"You sure?" Charlie tried to get another look at it.
"I think so. I can make out the C-A-E-S."
Roman tapped more keys on the computer, bringing up photographs of old Roman coins. All three of them scanned the images.
"There." Butch pointed. "That one. I think."
Charlie tried to see the similarities but the medallion was not a cast coin, only an image resembling one, and certainly not as small as the coin images on the computer screen.
"That's Augustus," Roman said, reading the description, "and I think it's a Roman quadriga on the back."
"A chariot?" Butch handed him the medallion.
"Pretty much." Roman sat back in the seat. "Man, I need time to digest this."
Charlie leaned on the desk. "Yer tellin' me, the red witch is givin' you this shit?"
"Yes." Roman met his gaze. "I need answers."
"She needs to answer why she's makin' these kids kill animals." Butch crossed his arms over his chest.
"She isn't. I asked her that. And you heard that cop. It's just kids hopped up on drugs. That's not coming from Ophelia."
Charlie laughed in sarcasm but the look on Roman's face shut him up. "You asked her that? Fer real or were you dreamin'?"
"Well, for real?" Roman shrugged. "This morning. In the mirror in the bathroom. She showed up and we talked."
Butch laughed then shut up. "Oh. Yer serious."
"If she watches me in there, I ain't gonna be happy." Charlie looked back at the computer screen.
Roman hit print, and the printer behind Butch began to churn out the pages. "It's too much to take in. I have to read through this back at the cabin."
"I agree." Charlie looked out into the hall. Christmas decorations were up, but the building felt nearly deserted. "But if I had to just throw a wild guess out there…and I'm being imaginative because I know how crazy this sounds."
"I'm listening," Roman said.
"Montague, worshiper of the wolf, somehow became an Alpha…a god from Roman times. Then after his murder by the Romans…" Charlie looked at the book. "He had it in his head to avenge the cult. Maybe in the beginnin' he attacked the red witch, thinkin' she was his enemy." Charlie read more of the translation as it appeared on the computer screen. "And, I think somehow you got mixed up in that revenge scheme, 'cus of yer name."
"As insane as that sounds. I think you're right. But was Ophelia trying to stop Montague, help him, or help me? And did her plan go wrong and she put a stop to him when he tried to kill us?"
"No clue. I don't know, Roman, if we'll ever find out." Charlie touched Roman's shoulder.
Roman began closing down the programs on the computer. Before he did, he opened his email box.
Charlie was stunned at the number of messages waiting for his contact. "Are you kiddin' me?"
"It's what happens when I take time off. Why do you think I only wanted a couple of days at Vernon's place before all this insanity began?"
Butch gathered the paperwork and used the shelf's flat surface to straighten out the small pile.
Charlie watched Roman answer two emails, one from Nick, his supervisor, and one from Phil. He answered the same thing to both. 'I'm fine. Will be back at work Monday.'
Then the computer screen went black. Roman swiveled in the chair and looked at Butch. "You got it?"
"I do." Butch held the papers.
Roman pocketed the medallion and held the book. Charlie left the office, walking back to the main entrance, wondering if this whole curse was misguided, and Roman was not the intended victim.
And…
It had not been the red witch at all. Not her 'coven'? Was she trying to protect Roman all along?
Charlie simply could not speculate.
Maybe once Roman changed, and all hell broke loose, no one knew who was an ally or who was a mortal enemy. All Charlie knew was things were back to normal. Or as normal as they could be, for now.
Chapter 19
Roman parked in the driveway of the Norman ranch. He and the other two men climbed out of the pickup truck. It was only one p.m., so Roman headed to the cabin to try and make a decision on why or what all of the wolf-crow-shifting had to do with him. Charlie was hit by the 'curse' when Roman bit him, so he was an unintended victim.
But, was it a coincidence his name was associated with a myth or an old feud between ancient warriors?
He entered the small cabin Charlie and he shared with Butch, and after taking off his jacket, gun, and boots, dropped down on the sofa to look over the evidence, which included the police reports on the two arrests for the killing of the animals.
"Want coffee?" Charlie asked.
"Beer." Roman set the book on his lap.
"Butch?"
"Same. Thanks, Charlie." Butch sat on the couch beside Roman and leaned on his shoulder. "You will figure it out. Yer so dang smart."
"I need my mega-computers in Reno." Roman flipped the pages gently of the old book, unable to read any of the Latin other than what they had translated, which was only a few pages.
"Did she really give you them things?"
"The medallion dropped into the sink from…" Roman pointed to the ceiling. "And you saw where the book came from."
"Santa Claus?" Butch teased.
"Maybe." Roman glanced at him. "I used to believe everything I was told as a kid was fiction. I don't know reality from fantasy any longer."
Butch's smile dropped. "And I still don't know how I was transported from standing beside the dead deer to a cabin. Where the hell was that place? And how did Charlie find me?"
"I think Ophelia led him to you." Roman removed the amulet from his pocket to inspect. "I thought she was all bad. I may have read that group wrong." He placed the amulet on his lap on top of the book. "When I needed help, she showed me where my gun was. She changed me from a crow to a man when Montague's pack materialized. And I think being a crow was all done by Ophelia. It was her intervention that gave me both."
"Did you say his 'pack'?"
"Yes." Roman turned to face Butch as Charlie brought over two bottles of beer. "And the oddest part. They looked like they were from an ancient legion of warriors."
Butch nodded, twisting off the bottle cap. "The sword get-up. Yeah, I guess so. I would think that too."
After Charlie lit a fire in the hearth to take the chill out of the air, he sat down on the chair beside the couch. "So, Ophelia is not doin' the killin'. Some kids on dope are."
"Yes, that's what I think. She said she respects all of the earth's creatures and I believe her." Roman handed Charlie the reports on the arrests.
"Then why did it take so long to find the real animal killers?" Butch asked.
"I don't know. Maybe it's just bad luck." Roman touched the faded book cover. "Maybe it was simply the timing and the place. But in reality, I have a hunch it had nothing to do with her."
"Huh." Charlie ran his hand over his hair as he read the police reports. "That is a mighty big maybe. And what about the goat over at our place?"
Roman sipped the cold beer and slouched low in the cushions. After he swallowed, he replied, "Maybe, Charlie, there are no answers."
Butch groaned in exaggeration.
Charlie said, "Well, if Agent Burk can't figure it out, no one can." He set the paperwork on the coffee table.
Roman met his eyes and Charlie smiled at him.
~
Butch yawned and relaxed, knowing he had to get motivated to socialize and eat a ridiculously large meal that Connie and her daughters had cooked for Christmas. He finished his beer, setting the bottle on the coffee table and leaned his head on Roman's shoulder.
"You look about to take a nap," Charlie said.
Butch felt Roman shift, as if he were trying to look at him. "That fire's real cozy." Butch got lost in the flames.
"Why don't you lie down?" Roman asked him. "We have time for you to take a power nap."
"I want a power fuck."
Roman chuckled, tipping the beer to his lips.
Charlie smiled at Butch. "A fucking trio."
"Ya want me out, Charlie?" Butch asked. "I can stay here at the ranch." Butch could tell Roman and Charlie were staring at each other, as if deciding.
"Naw. I want you to come home." Charlie propped his feet on the coffee table. "Unless Connie's home cookin' is callin' yer name."
Roman put his arm around Butch's shoulders, cuddling him.
"Mmm. Roman Burk, you are irresistible to man or beast." Butch used his cheek to caress Roman's chest through his black shirt.
