Jimmy was lost in thought when he heard the sound of a vehicle coming up the road behind him. Jimmy made sure he was as far over to the side of the road as possible. The engine of the vehicle got louder and Jimmy waited for it to pass on his left, his eyes down, watching the tires of his bicycle. When the engines began revving, he became puzzled and turned to look behind him. His eyes went wide.
Devlin Little’s black pickup truck was bearing down on him.
Jimmy’s eyes went wide. The pickup truck had looked big when it was sitting in the parking lot of the library, and now it looked like a Sherman tank as it bore down on him. Jimmy began pedaling with all of his might, his breath wheezing in and out of his chest as his heart went into overdrive and his body suddenly surged with adrenaline. He had never felt such terror as he did at that moment. He could hear the roaring engine from the truck as it drove directly for him. Jimmy looked back and could just see Devlin Little’s face, a mask of rage and pure hatred with the merest hint of a smile, behind the wheel.
Jimmy got as far over to the right as he could. He looked to his right and saw that there was a steep hill that led down to the line of trees encroaching the road. It would be a hard fall. Jimmy could see roots and fallen branches and jutting rocks seemingly everywhere on the steep incline.
Jimmy cast a glance behind and saw that the truck was nearly upon him. He could see the shiny radiator grille so clearly, the blue sky and bright sun reflected in the polished metal. How much of a dent would he and his bike make on that piece of steel, he wondered. Would there even be a dent when Devlin hit him? Would the front of the truck be covered with blood and hair and other gory things that Jimmy dared not think about too carefully?
Jimmy rode back over to the other side of the road. The drop was a little less intense here. In fact, it was almost worn down, almost enough that Jimmy could probably ride on it. It was enough that he did not think about it any more than that. He turned the bike hard to his left and began bouncing down the slope that led into the forest beyond.
Behind him the truck roared past. Jimmy felt stones and bits of gravel slam into the back of his head and across his shoulders. He heard the squealing of brakes as Devlin brought the truck to an abrupt halt. He heard curses from the open window and then heard the door open.
Jimmy held on to the handlebars of his bike for dear life. The ground beneath was not studded with rocks and branches, but it was not even and it was not meant to be ridden upon. He felt as if he were about to go headfirst over the bike and into the trees. He prayed and held on, barely controlling the descent. The trees loomed up fast and he swerved around a huge tree trunk that he could have sworn wasn't there when he had decided upon this rather ridiculous course of action.
Jimmy heard Devlin hurling curses at him from the road behind. He could not make out any of the words. All he could hear was the crunching of his tires on the dirt and gravel and general wilderness around him and the sound of his own heartbeat. Both of them were deafening.
There was an explosion from behind him. Jimmy nearly fell off the bike, and the sound made him swerve. Suddenly the tree trunk he had been so worried about exploded into a thousand splinters and shards. Jimmy reached the edge of the tree line and the bright sunlight was gone. His heart was still racing. He hadn’t had a moment to process what had just happened. When he did, his blood felt like ice.
Devlin Little had just taken a shot at him.
Judging by the size of the explosion, Little had shot at him with a shotgun.
Yes, this man was unhinged and very, very serious.
Jimmy pedaled. The momentum from the ride down the hill sent him off like a bullet into the trees. His front tire hit a huge tree root and he nearly lost the bike again as the front end went up into the air. Jimmy had never popped a wheelie before, but he managed to hold on. He swerved, dodging around another tree, and then a branch hit him in the face.
The world suddenly upended. Jimmy saw the sky and the trees, and then everything was upside down. He fell hard on his back, all of the air in his lungs erupting from his mouth and he gasped for air, rolling around on his back like a turtle that had been turned on its side. He was terrified all over again, feeling as if a hand were squeezing his lungs. It went on for what felt like an eternity, looking up through the tree branches at the sky that had never felt so far away. Then Jimmy's lungs caught air and he inhaled in great, whooping gasps. Some part of his mind told him to be quiet, to keep it down since Devlin was right behind him and had a shotgun, but his lungs told him that he needed to shut up and inhale the cool, sweet air in great, shuddering gasps.
Jimmy got to his feet when his breathing returned to something resembling normal. The world swam in and out of focus. His head hurt again. He reached up and felt his head; his bandage was all askew. He looked down at himself and saw that his shirt and pants were torn and he was covered with leaves.
Jimmy heard a sound from behind and ducked behind the first tree trunk he could find. He squatted down, trying to push past the pain that seemed to be trying its best to envelop him completely. He peered around the trunk.
The first thing Jimmy noticed was how dark it was. He had managed to get farther into the trees than he had thought. There was sunlight, but it was strangely diffuse. He went by these trees every day of his life, but he’d never thought about just how thick and dense the forest was until the forest was all that was saving his life.
The second thing he saw was a shadow. The shadow was in the shape of a man, and it was coming from the direction of the road. It didn't take much for Jimmy to understand that this was Devlin. The man was moving slowly, trying hard not to step on any branches and give away his position. Given the pickup truck, Devlin’s general attitude, and the shotgun, Jimmy made an educated guess that the man was probably a hunter. He would be familiar with the woods and how to operate in them.
Jimmy looked to his left and saw his bicycle. It would be suicide to try and get back on that thing and try to ride out of here. At the same time, he had to get out and bring his bike back. If he didn't he would have a lot of explaining to do, and there just wasn't enough in his vocabulary to come close to making up a lie to his own mother about what had happened today. He would have to push the bike until he reached a road. Jimmy did not like the idea very much. The bike would slow him down. He decided it might be best to just crouch here and try to make himself as invisible as possible. Maybe Devlin Little would just walk past and give up.
Jimmy peered around the tree again. Devlin was moving directly towards the wrecked bike, stepping carefully so as not to cause much noise. Jimmy had to admit that the guy was good. He had not heard Devlin step on any twigs or make any noise. The thought of Devlin’s den being filled with animal heads and stuffed carcasses immediately filled Jimmy’s imagination, along with the image of his own head mounted on that same wall. Jimmy shuddered and exhaled carefully. Devlin was maybe ten feet away, moving away from where Jimmy had sought shelter.
Just how good was Devlin? Jimmy wondered as he bit his lower lip. Had Jimmy left tracks from the bike accident to where he was? He had images from a hundred movies and TV shows where some faithful Native American companion could track prey across rocks and over rivers and through insane terrain just by a slightly bent blade of grass.
Devlin bent and looked at the wreckage of Jimmy’s bike. He studied it for a time and then stood up. He looked around, and Jimmy ducked quickly behind the tree trunk when Devlin’s head turned toward him. He held his breath. There was a noise then, a strange snapping sound, much louder than Jimmy thought would have come from Devlin. Devlin had shown he could be a silent as a shadow.
Jimmy quickly peeked out from behind the tree. Devlin was facing the opposite direction from where Jimmy was hiding. The sound had come from there. Devlin was scanning ahead of him, his head turning from side to side as if scanning things intently. Then he crouched, the shotgun cradled in his arms.
“You can come out now,” Devlin said. “I heard you. I can
spend the rest of the afternoon trying to sneak up on you, or you can come out and we can take care of this. If you make me sneak around in these woods all afternoon, I am just going to get even more pissed off than I already am. You don’t want that, boy.”
There was another snapping sound, and then something that sounded like feet running through the leaves. Devlin jumped and stood up again. He listened a minute more as the sound faded off into the distance.
“Come back here, boy!” Devlin screamed. “Get back here. We have a score to settle!”
He ran off into the woods. Jimmy held his breath again and listened as the man’s screams and shouts and curses faded away. Soon he was left with just the sound of the breeze in the branches over his head and the sound of insects buzzing around him.
Go, a voice said in Jimmy’s head. That familiar static reverberated around his skull.
Sapphire? Jimmy asked.
Who else?
Was that you making the noises that drove him away?
Yes, was the reply. Don’t bother asking how, though, because I’m not entirely sure. Just move before he comes back.
Jimmy got to his feet and ran over to his bike. He grabbed the handlebars and lifted the bike upright. The front tire was bent slightly, but the bike was far from un-rideable and unfixable. Jimmy had spare rims back at home that would do in a pinch. He immediately began pushing his bicycle back the way he had come.
Was he one of the ones that hurt you? Jimmy asked into the static that still filled his brain.
I think so, Sapphire replied. It’s so hard to know. It’s like wearing a blindfold behind a veil while in thick fog sometimes, Jimmy. I don’t know why I think this, but I can’t help but feel that there’s something over here that doesn’t want me to know the answers to these questions.
Jimmy didn’t like the sound of that at all.
He moved slowly, trying to be a quiet as he could, but it wasn’t easy with the bicycle. Several times he thought he heard Devlin running up behind him and turned, expecting to see the barrel of a shotgun leveled at him, but each time the woods were empty.
He reached the top of the slope that had taken him off the road. Devlin’s truck was still there. Jimmy looked back and around. Devlin was nowhere to be found. He reached into his pocket and removed the small pocketknife he carried.
Jimmy walked over to the truck and stuck the knife as deeply into the left rear tire as he could. Then he walked around and did the same to the right rear tire. In both cases he twisted the blade around to make the hole as wide as possible. The tires hissed, and the back end of the truck sank. Jimmy then reached into the back of the truck. He found the spare tire and jammed the knife into that, also.
As Jimmy walked around to the driver’s side, he realized the truck was still running. The engine must have been very well maintained for it to rumble as quietly as it did. Jimmy opened the driver’s door and peered in. The keys dangled from the steering column. Jimmy reached in and turned off the truck and removed the keys. He then climbed out of the truck, looked around again, and hurled the keys as far as he could into the woods on the opposite side of the road.
Satisfied, Jimmy decided it was time to leave. The buzzing in his head continued, and Jimmy swore he could hear Sapphire’s wind chime laugh. He smiled as he got on his bike and began pedaling as fast as he could make his legs work. The bike was not quite as steady as it had been, but he had ridden on worse.
Jimmy rode the rest of the way home and tried to ignore the buzzing in his head. The static that indicated Sapphire was still with him continued, but they did not exchange any further telepathic messages. Jimmy's head—and at times his entire body—felt like it was on fire.
Someone had just tried to kill him.
That was a little hard for a teenager to get his brain around. Jimmy had spent his life being the kind of person you either liked or who blended so completely in the background that you didn't notice him at all. Now he was the guy who had shown up with a beautiful girl at a dance, had stabbed a football player, beaten up the captain of the team, and was now a target of the captain's father. Oh yeah, and he couldn't forget the fact that he was currently both embroiled in a murder mystery that was something like fifty years old and in love with a girl who was dead.
Some days it just did not pay to get out of bed. Today was one of those.
Jimmy rode the rest of the way certain that he was about to die at any moment. He expected to see Devlin's truck at any time. He even expected to see the man standing in his own driveway with his shotgun. It didn't matter what he did to try and convince himself that this was impossible, he could not shake it. Jimmy wondered if he had just added a gallon of gasoline to the fire with the damage he had done to Devlin's truck.
Jimmy pulled up into his driveway safe and sound. He pulled the bike into the garage. He was amazed when he looked at his watch and saw that it was just about lunchtime. He still had hours before George would be here with his homework. It would be still longer before his mother came home.
He froze at the thought. Oh no. What about his mother? He had been so wrapped up in his own problems, he hadn't thought about his own mother. What would Devlin or any of the others who were involved in Sapphire’s disappearance do to her? He had put her in terrible danger.
"Dammit," he cursed under his breath.
He dragged the bike into the garage and then searched for the rims that he knew he had. He had the front tire off in seconds, and had the tube and rubber placed on the new rim a few minutes after that. Jimmy had taken up bicycle maintenance years ago when he realized that his bike was his major form of transportation and his mother could not afford to constantly buy him a new bike every few years or get this one repaired. It was cheaper to find some used parts or discount parts, stock up, dig into his father's tools, and take care of the bike on his own.
He had the new tire on twenty minutes after he had pulled the bike into the garage. When it was done he removed the bandage from his head and wiped sweat from his forehead. The bandage was filthy now. His head hurt, but not from the wound or the damage he had caused with the head-butt. His head hurt from thinking too much.
"Sapphire?" He said the name out loud instead of just in his head.
The buzzing in his head returned and got louder.
I'm here, she replied inside his skull.
I think my mother could be in danger, he said. I don't know what to do. If I go to her work and try to tell her, I'll probably have to tell her all about what I've been up to. If I do that, she'll want to call the sheriff and get the police involved. Hell, she'll probably want to get us enrolled in the Federal Witness Protection program.
The what?
Never mind. The point that I'm making is I wouldn't be able to search on your behalf. I'd probably be whisked away somewhere. The people involved would probably scatter. No one would believe me.
Jimmy, relax, Sapphire said. I've helped you. I can help her.
Jimmy shook his head. How can you do that?
The buzzing in his head took on a new tone. After a moment, Jimmy realized that Sapphire was laughing. I can do a lot of things, Jimmy. I can do more now than I ever could before. Don't ask me how I know that, I just do.
Jimmy sighed. I still don't feel right about this, but I don't know what else to do. Maybe I'll call Tabitha.
Do what you feel you have to, Sapphire replied. I can keep watch while you decide.
Jimmy went inside and grabbed the phone. He punched in Tabitha's number. Tabitha answered after the second ring. Before she could even get the "hello" out of her mouth, Jimmy was filling in her in on what had happened so far that afternoon.
"Wow," Tabitha said. "I'd normally suggest that you call the police, but we have no idea who's behind this whole thing. You're right about your mom, though."
"I don't know what to do, Tabitha," Jimmy said. "If I tell her she'll either think I'm crazy, or she'll freak out and want to call the police. Either way, I get shipped off somewhere and the in
vestigation stops right where it is."
Tabitha paused for a moment. "Jimmy, I'm going to call Warren. I'm going to have him head over to your mom's work and talk to her. Maybe it's time to let her know what's going on."
Jimmy felt a shiver run up and down his spine. "I don't envy the heck that she's going to raise for Warren."
"Well, maybe I can convince her to come over here and we can all talk to her together. Just wait at home, though. I'm going to come get you myself. I don't want you riding that bike anymore today."
"Right."
"And we're going to have to do something about Devlin Little," Tabitha said. "He's going to be really ticked off after he finds out what you did to his truck."
Jimmy sighed again. "Yes, I know. Hurry over here. I don't feel safe here."
"I'll do my best," Tabitha said, and she hung up the phone.
Jimmy hung up slowly. The buzzing in his head was gone. He had never felt so completely alone. The sun was still out and the sky was blue and he stared off into the backyard again. He should have felt completely safe here, but he felt anything but. He felt exposed and vulnerable. He kept expecting to hear another truck barreling down the road, shouts, and then shotgun shots, or perhaps some kind of thrown firebomb.
George.
Oh no, he had forgotten about George - the other guy who was going around asking questions. George was already on Devlin's radar. That's the first thing he had heard Devlin talking about at the library. Now that Jimmy knew that Devlin was willing to murder someone to keep his secrets safe, who knew how many he might decide had to go?
George would be coming to the house to drop off Jimmy's homework when the school day was done. He would be expecting Jimmy to be here, but what if Devlin was waiting instead?
Jimmy grabbed the phone again. This time he dialed the high school. When the secretary answered, he told her who he was.
Sapphire: A Paranormal Romance Page 15
