“Give him some time,” Winn replied. “We thought he was the enemy for so long, it’ll take a while for that to shift.”
Winn watched as Deem and Warren emerged, a large Big Gulp in Deem’s hand and a smile on her face. They were holding hands.
“They hold hands a lot,” David said.
“Yeah,” Winn replied. “That’s OK, too.”
▪ ▪ ▪
It was much later in the day when they finally arrived back at the motel, and a few cars had begun to dot the parking lot.
“This looks a little weird, all of us standing like this,” David said as the four of them stood on the sidewalk next to the back of the motel, circling the mechanism. Winn held it in his hands, and Deem had her hand raised above the round metal ball on the top of the device, ready to lower onto it. “Let’s do it quick and get it over with before someone notices.”
“Warren, be ready to grab her if anything happens,” Winn said.
Deem looked up at Winn. “I’m gonna collapse?” she asked.
“You might feel like throwing up when you come back,” Winn replied. “Then you’ll be starving.”
“How long does it take?” she asked.
“It only lasts a few seconds,” Winn replied, “then you’ll be pulled back. It’s very strange. Some things are the same, but other things are completely different, so don’t freak out.”
“As long as the room is there,” Deem replied.
“This thing recognizes it,” Winn said, looking down at the collection of slowly spinning gears. The display had settled on a series of symbols and numbers. “It’s set on a differential. It’s ready.”
Deem looked around at the three men. “Here goes!” she said, and lowered her hand to the metal knob.
▪ ▪ ▪
Deem?
Someone was calling her name. It was very faint and seemed like miles away. She stopped and turned.
There was the room, tacked onto the end of the motel like it had always been in that exact spot for decades. She turned again, expecting to see the menagerie of the other night, figures moving in and out of the rooms, butchering the sleeping occupants. No one was there; all the cars were gone.
She paused for a moment to watch Highway 93, the main drag through town on which the motel was situated. It looked abandoned, with large potholes and weeds growing through cracks in the pavement.
She walked to the room, grabbing the door’s handle. Small nail holes in the door marked the spot where a number had once been placed. It looked long gone, and she couldn’t detect what the number had been from the small punctures.
She pushed the door open, and the voice came again.
Deem?
Lorenzo? she called back, but no reply came.
No, not Lorenzo, she thought, walking into the room. Lorenzo’s not here this time. He’s not in this…what did Winn call it? A differential?
She looked around the room; it seemed exactly as she’d witnessed it the other night. It was still freshly made and ready for use.
Something important is here, she thought, remembering Lorenzo’s words. She stepped around the bed, examining details, looking for anything unusual.
No bags, she thought, turning to look at the television and the dresser. No one’s here.
She walked to the bathroom. It was small and old, with a round toilet and a ceramic sink attached to the wall, held up by two thin chrome legs. Beyond was the shower, the curtain pulled back. A faint dingy ring rested in the bottom of the tub. To her right was a small window with a twist handle, only big enough to let in air.
She walked back into the main room. The air conditioner was running, pumping cool air. She sat on the corner of the bed, the mattress squeaking a complaint.
Then she saw it — the only unusual thing in the room, the one thing that seemed even remotely out of place. A thin white strip, a fraction of an inch of color, contrasted against the dark frame of the television and the dresser upon which it sat.
She stood and pushed the TV back an inch, exposing the rest of the paper. It was a receipt. She examined it.
It was a credit card receipt from a convenience store, dated several years ago. The black ink had begun to fade, but enough of it remained that she could read the name on the credit card.
Robert Hinton.
Dad, she thought. He was here!
Deem? she heard again. It sounded as if it was coming through a long, metallic tube.
Dad? she called. Dad? Are you here?
Silence.
She turned in the room. She wished Lorenzo was there, someone she could talk to. Here, in this strange, altered place, she felt isolated.
Deem?
Is that his voice? she wondered. Lorenzo’s? Or my father’s?
She stood and walked again, checking every detail of the room. She turned on the TV; it slowly flickered to life, showing static. She tried every light switch, pulled open every drawer.
There was a book of scripture in the nightstand. She lifted it out to examine it; a sword was embossed on the cover. She opened it to the title page. The Book of Lehi, she read. It was half the size of a Book of Mormon. She flipped through the pages, not recognizing the sections, and dropped it back into the nightstand’s drawer.
Didn’t Winn say it would only last a few seconds? she wondered, walking back into the bathroom. She felt around the mirror above the sink, then turned on the faucets. Dirty water sputtered out of the spigots and began to fill the basin.
She turned to the window, grabbing the metal handle, giving it a twist, expecting to push it open.
Instead, the room dissolved around her. She was inside a tunnel, the window now embedded in a rock wall. She released the handle, examining her surroundings. It was dark, but there was light behind her, filtering into the cave.
She turned to the light and began to make her way out of the tunnel, emerging into a large, open area. It looked like nighttime, with stars overhead and a faint moon in the distance, partially obscured with clouds.
In front of her was a path, leading through water. Large plants grew out of the liquid, and she could see little lights through them. Something was at the end of the trail, obscured by the plants.
She walked forward, following the route in front of her, feeling as though it had been carved through a Louisiana swamp. As she rounded a turn, a small cabin came into view. Lamps hung from a railing on the porch, where a rocking chair was slowly creaking back and forth.
In the chair was a man. She recognized him instantly.
Dad! she cried, rushing forward. As she approached, he rose from the chair and opened his arms.
My little girl! he said, wrapping her the moment she arrived and holding her tightly. You made it.
Chapter Seventeen
Deem sat in the wooden chair, looking around the cabin’s interior. It looked like something out of a movie.
Where are we? she asked.
Where I’ve been stuck for years, her father replied.
I was stuck somewhere too, for a while, she replied, not quite knowing how to continue the conversation. It was an awful place, though. This is kinda charming.
Yeah, I decided if I’m going to be here for a while, why not make it interesting, her father replied. I always wondered what living on the bayou would be like. No mosquitos or alligators in this one. I think next will be a Parisian apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
Did you make all this? Deem asked. You can change it when you want?
Well, it’s the weirdest thing, he replied. It was just a cave when I first found it. I remember one night I had a very intense dream about a family trip we made to the redwoods when you were little. When I woke up, the place was full of trees; huge trunks, one with a hole cut through it, like the one you can drive through in California. I discovered that if I concentrate really hard for a long time, the entire place shifts to what I’m thinking. I’ve changed the place a hundreds time at least. But I kind of like this little cabin. Had it for a while now. Seems cozy. Wha
t do you think?
It’s charming, Deem replied, smiling. But the motel? Caliente?
Ah, her father replied. He sat opposite her, resting on another wooden chair, and began to rock back and forth. The motel. Spent a long time in that room. It has the strangest smells.
Why? Deem asked. I thought you died. Are you dead?
No, he replied. I’m not dead. They’ve been trying to kill me for years now, but they can’t. I’m a tougher nut than they know how to crack.
But the cancer? Deem asked. That was real. I saw what it did to you.
That was poison, her father replied. You saw the effects of it. When I became weak enough, they moved me to the motel room. I was supposed to die there, but it didn’t work out that way.
I’m so glad you’re alive, Dad, Deem said, then paused. This is so strange…I was at your funeral! Who did we bury if it wasn’t you?
Was it open casket? her father asked.
No, Deem said, remembering the viewing at the Relief Society room at her chapel. Many people had come and gone, paying respects, but the casket had remained closed.
The last time I saw you, he said, was in the hospital, remember?
How can I forget? Deem replied, feeling tears come to her eyes. I thought it might be the last time we talked.
I don’t know who or what was in the casket at the funeral, Deem. Where’d you bury it?
Tonaquint, she said.
Tonaquint? he replied. But I have those plots in LaVerkin that I bought years ago.
Mom refused to bury you in LaVerkin.
Oh, he replied, pausing. Doesn’t matter anyway, I guess. It wasn’t me anyhow. How is she, your mother?
She’s living in Arizona with Virginia. I don’t see her much.
And you? How are you doing?
Deem smiled up at him. Better, seeing you.
I mean in your life. You going to college?
No, she replied, knowing he’d disapprove. To her relief he didn’t pursue it.
You still at the house? he asked.
No, I’m living in Leeds. I met some people.
Lyman?
She wasn’t sure if she should reply, so she hesitated.
I can tell from your face it’s Lyman. He’s dangerous, you know.
He killed Dayton, Deem replied. Killed all of Dayton’s group. Well, didn’t kill them outright. They’re all neutered though. Lost their gift. And they’re going to die off, one by one.
He’s a smart man, her father replied. How’d you wind up with him?
Contacts, Deem said. Friend of a friend. They’ve taken me in and helped me. I owe them. Taken in my friends, too. We’re like a little family.
If you had told me that before I wound up here, he said, I’d have put my foot down and insisted you disconnect from them. But I’ve had plenty of time to think while I’ve been here, and Dayton turned out to be a very, very bad man. So, if Lyman has dealt with that, I guess that’s OK.
The enemy of your enemy is your friend? she asked.
Kinda like that.
Lyman’s got a case to make, she replied. He was wronged.
A long time ago, her father said. He’s in the middle of a two-hundred year war. You need to remember that. You’re not the first soldier he’s involved over the years. Don’t think you’re not expendable to him. He’ll sacrifice you and your friends to achieve his ends.
Dayton targeted me after you left, Deem said. Lyman helped with that. Protected me.
What did Dayton do?
Deem took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened since his departure — the skinrunners, hunting for his journals, Claude Peterson, David’s parents, Blackham Mansion. She left out a little here and there, particularly regarding Winn and Warren. Her father listened quietly.
Once she was finished, he nodded for a few moments before speaking. OK, he said. I understand.
She looked at him, remembering how wonderful it had felt as a girl growing up when she’d been able to tell him about things that had been bothering her, and he would respond the same way. Always patient, always listening. Always understanding.
I’ve missed you so much, she said, feeling her voice break.
I’ve missed you too, he replied. I was always hoping you’d find me. I thought there was a slim chance, but I knew if anyone could find me, it would be you.
She raised a hand to her face to wipe away the tears. How do we get you out of here? she asked.
You don’t, he replied. I can’t go anywhere.
But I got here, she said. I can go back.
Maybe you can, he replied. You’re not really here physically, like me. Your body is somewhere else, isn’t it?
Winn said I’d get pulled back after a few seconds, she replied, suddenly worried, thinking about the hand of her physical body, resting on the metal ball of the device. Am I stuck here?
I hope not, her father said. I love seeing you, but I wouldn’t want this for you.
I’m going to try something, she said. I want to see if I can leave and come back. In case it doesn’t work, can I have another hug?
He stood. Of course you can. He opened his arms, and she walked into them, letting him wrap her up and hold her while she decided what she’d do. I’ll be right back, I promise, she said.
What are you going to try? he asked.
I’m going to backtrack and see if I can get out, and then come back in.
Good luck, he replied, giving her a squeeze and then releasing her.
Can you come with me? she asked.
Happy to try, he replied. But I don’t think I’ll be leaving with you. Once I came here, I’ve never been able to get that window handle to work. It was a one-way affair.
They walked together through the swamp, following the path back to the short rock tunnel. Once inside, Deem reached for the handle.
Let’s both try it at the same time, she said.
She felt her father’s hand envelop hers, and they twisted the window handle together.
▪ ▪ ▪
Deem was in the motel bathroom. She turned, hoping to see her father.
He wasn’t there.
Disappointed, she walked out of the room and around the corner of the motel. Standing on the sidewalk in a circle around the mechanism were the four of them. She had her hand on the metal ball on top of the device. They all seemed frozen in time.
She allowed herself back into her physical body, and felt the metal of the ball in her palm. She lifted it up, and Winn pulled the mechanism back.
“Did you see it?” Winn asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “How long was I gone?”
Winn took a step back. “You going to throw up?”
Deem stopped, examining how she felt. It was a little odd; she had the feeling of being distant, like she wasn’t in full control of her faculties, but other than that she felt fine. “No. I don’t feel sick.”
“Huh,” Winn said, puzzled. “Hungry?”
“No,” Deem said, extending her hand. “Hand it back, please. I need to try something real quick.”
Winn didn’t raise the mechanism. “You can’t do it again right away.”
“Why not? I feel fine.”
“Because…I couldn’t?” Winn replied, searching for a reason.
“Let me!” she said. “I’m fine, really. There’s something important there. Just let me go back for a second.”
Winn raised the device once again and before he’d positioned it centrally between them, Deem reached forward and grabbed the ball. She turned, feeling herself detaching from her body, leaving it with the guys and the device, and returning to the motel room.
She walked to the bathroom and placed her hand on the metal handle of the window. Please, she thought to herself. Let this work!
She turned the handle, and once again the room dissolved. She found herself in the tunnel. Her father wasn’t there.
Leaving the tunnel, she followed the path to the wooden cabin. She was relieved to see her father
on the porch, rocking.
There you are! he said. You figured it out, I gather.
I thought you’d still be in the tunnel, waiting for me, she replied.
I waited several hours, he replied. Then I decided to come back. You’ve been gone a while.
Hours? she repeated. It was only a couple of minutes, at most!
Might have been a couple of hours, might have been more. It’s hard to judge time here; I’ve only got moonlight. Anyway, I waited in the tunnel for a while, then I came back. I knew you’d find me.
There’s a huge time difference, Dad. I swear it was only one or two minutes for me.
Hmm, he replied. Interesting. Does that mean I’m getting older faster than you?
You look like you looked before the cancer, Deem said, joining him on the porch. You look good.
Thanks, he said. How’d it go?
I was able to get out just fine, she replied. Obviously it didn’t work for you.
Nope, he said. Never does. I’ve tried that handle a thousand times.
I went back to my friends. I used the mechanism that Winn found, and came back.
Ah, the mechanism, he said, drifting away in thought.
Does that mean I can come visit you whenever I want? she asked.
Her father pondered the idea. I guess so, he said. As long as it doesn’t hurt you in some way, or make you a target. You’ll keep an eye on that, I hope.
I will, she said. I want to be able to come visit you a lot.
He smiled. I wish your mother could be here.
She never got it, Deem said. The gift.
No, she didn’t, he replied. She sure didn’t. But I loved her just the same.
They sat for a moment on the porch. Deem had a million questions, but she decided she had time to ask them later. For now she just wanted to sit with her father and enjoy being in his company.
It had been a long time.
Post Script
Winn pulled his Jeep into the long driveway that led to Maynard’s house. He hadn’t heard from Maynard since he referred him to Steven and Roy many months ago. He knew Maynard had travelled up to Seattle to help them, but he’d been so busy with Carma and David the past little while, he hadn’t had a chance to check in with the man and see how things had gone.
The Massacre Mechanism (The Downwinders Book 5) Page 18
