He stopped talking and shook his head.
“Like what?”
“Like I was being crushed to death, but very, very slowly. Excruciatingly slowly,” Glen finished.
Soren nodded.
“Makes sense,” Soren said. “The people of Hilltop survived because it had only been a couple days. But decades? My guess is anyone still in those caverns is a corpse now. Let’s get moving. I’m more worried about getting there before one of those eggs hatches.”
“Why didn’t they hatch already?” Lochlan asked. “Hasn’t she been gone a long time?”
Soren shrugged.
“Hell if I know,” he said. “Maybe they needed access to air or she needed to do something else. But she wouldn’t have been coming back for them unless the eggs were still viable. She said...”
He drifted off. He didn’t want to tell the leprechauns about “Rippon,” whoever that was. He’d never heard the name, but he was evidently the mastermind behind all this. He’d wanted the gorgon eggs. All the better reason for them to be destroyed.
“She said what?” Lochlan asked.
“She made it clear she was here for the eggs,” Soren said.
Something in Lochlan’s expression made it obvious he knew there was more to the story.
“So let’s destroy them already,” Lochlan said. “I want to get home.”
It took a few hours to make good on their plan. They were saved from returning through the tunnel system by Keevan’s teleportation ability, which allowed them to use the main shaft and then teleport through the cave-in that the grenade had caused earlier. Keevan took them one by one through the rocks to the other side.
Teleporting was a strange sensation. After he reappeared, Soren felt a moment of dizziness as if he’d been spinning in circles for several seconds. But the world righted itself a second later. Glen clearly felt the same. Soren saw him holding his hand to his head when he teleported in with Keevan.
They found Jay sitting down near where he’d been standing earlier, apparently waiting for them. He looked relieved when he saw them and gave Glen a long hug. Soren was pleased to find that Jay had several explosive devices with him, which he’d been unable to place before he was turned to stone. It was more than enough to take out the whole cavern.
Soren looked once more inside the cavern. As he suspected, the statues were gone. There was nothing but small piles of dust on the floor where they had been. He thought of Glen’s description of being slowly crushed and wondered how long that process took before the victim died. A week? A year? How long had those people suffered? He shook his head; there was nothing he could do for them now.
He focused instead on the eggs, which were still pulsating with an eerie green light. Soren hated looking at them. He kept waiting for one of the things to hatch, maybe even as they were about to blow it up.
But they remained still as the five of them completed their work. Keevan teleported into the chamber, set the explosives, and then jumped out again. When he was finished, the five of them walked up the main shaft and Keevan teleported each one of them out again.
They retreated to the opening of the mine while Keevan returned a final time to have a last look around to make sure everything was properly set. He was gone so long that Soren worried the eggs had hatched, but eventually he reappeared nearby with a distinct pop.
A moment later, Soren listened with satisfaction as a resounding boom echoed deep inside the mountain and the rest of the mine collapsed. He didn’t know if there were other gorgons loose in the world, but at least they’d dealt with these.
Emily’s eggs wouldn’t pose a threat again.
Chapter Twenty Two
Glen and Soren finally pulled back into Leesburg a day later.
They’d spent the previous afternoon attempting to reassure the anxious people of Hilltop. The residents appeared more stunned than anything else, wanting to know what the gorgon was, where it had come from, and most importantly, whether it was dead.
Surprisingly, Glen saw that Soren turned out to be an effective source of reassurance for people. Some recognized him from the church and immediately turned to Soren for help. Glen had assumed Soren would be surly or dismissive of their questions, but instead he handled it well, patiently explaining what had happened and answering the same inquiries over and over.
It wasn’t until they were in the car headed home that Glen asked why.
“Because I know what they’re going through,” Soren replied. “I remember what it’s like when the world suddenly changes direction on you. You go through life thinking the world works a certain way, and then one day you find out that’s a lie. It’s shattering and hard to accept.”
Glen just nodded wearily. He remembered his own experience. It had altered him on some fundamental level.
“Aren’t the people in town going to talk about this?” he asked.
“To outsiders?” Soren responded. “I doubt it. You’d be surprised what people will stay quiet about. They know people won’t believe them, and they don’t have proof anything supernatural happened.”
“But people died,” Glen said. “The professor, for one.”
“Jay was the one who came up with the official explanation for that,” Soren said. “He said he was ‘bitten by a copperhead.’ It was close to the truth, and the doctor trapped in the church was willing to back him up. There’s nobody to dispute it. It will blow over.”
“But those people won’t ever be the same,” Glen said.
“No,” Soren said quietly. “No, they won’t.”
Soren said little more on the drive back and Glen didn’t press him. When they pulled into the parking lot near the Leesburg Science Society, they were both so exhausted they could barely move.
They’d been gone for more than a day, but to Glen it felt like years. All he wanted to do was to check in with Terry, get Soren to his car and then sleep for the next week.
But when he opened the door, the sight that greeted him wasn’t what he was expecting. The office had been stripped bare. He wondered if it had been robbed, but he saw several boxes neatly packed and Terry calmly sorting through books on a shelf near the back wall.
“Ah, you’re back,” Terry said. “I trust it went well?”
Glen looked at him in confusion.
“What’s going on? Are we leaving?” he asked.
“We are not doing anything,” the older man replied.
Soren stepped into the room, looking around the room. He sat down on the floor by the far wall.
“I’m going to miss this place,” Soren said.
“No, you’re not,” Terry said.
“Well, somebody’s feeling argumentative,” Soren replied with a laugh. “Look, we’re worn out and I still need Glen to drive me to my car in D.C. We just stopped by to fill you in. I thought you’d be anxious to hear, to be honest.”
“Glen gave me the most important detail when he called from the road,” Terry said. “The gorgon is dead. Congratulations. I’m sure it was quite a battle.”
“That’s it?” Soren asked. “Congratulations? You don’t want to know the specifics?”
“Do I need to?” Terry said. “What else should I know?”
“For one, your nephew was amazing,” Soren said. “He sacrificed himself to give me the time I needed to kill the gorgon. Overall, I found him to be brave, smart and capable. Every bit worthy of you.”
Glen looked at Soren in shock. He knew their dynamic had changed; he could sense that Soren at least respected him. But he was a hard man to read. Until right then, he hadn’t been sure Soren actually liked him.
“Thanks,” Glen said.
Terry nodded in Soren’s direction.
“Your tone indicates surprise,” he said. “But I only work with the best. I’m pleased, however, that you’ve come to see Glen as an asset, particularly since you two are going to be working together so closely.”
Soren arched an eyebrow at him.
“What are you ta
lking about?”
“I’m retiring,” Terry said.
“What?” Glen asked, his mouth hanging open. “You can’t be serious.”
“Perfectly, I’m afraid,” Terry said.
Glen didn’t know what to do. He had a very specific arrangement with Terry and right now it seemed to be going out the window. But he also didn’t want to risk saying too much in front of Soren. He just stared at the man, trying to wrap his head around what was going on.
“That’s what the boxes are about,” Soren said. “You’re giving the business to Glen?”
“No, I’m giving it to you,” Terry replied.
“What?” Soren and Glen said together.
“I’m old, Soren,” Terry said. “I have no wish to spend my remaining years chasing spirits.”
Glen opened his mouth to respond and then quickly shut it again, eying Soren. He wished the old man had prepared him for whatever was taking place now. Giving the business to Soren? What the hell was that about?
“What, you’re going to go to Florida and play shuffleboard?” Soren asked. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Mostly, I’d like to read,” Terry said. “And not be bothered by you every few weeks when you have a new case to work on.”
“And what do you mean, I’m taking over the business?” Soren asked.
Terry gestured to the office around them.
“Everything you see here is yours,” Terry said. “I’ll give you my contacts and my regular clients as well. You are welcome to change the name, but you would remain the focal point for paranormal investigation, at least in this area.”
Glen looked around the room and then back to Terry. He kept waiting for Terry to say this was a joke, but he knew from experience that the man did not make many jokes.
“I can’t afford this place,” Soren replied. “I can barely afford my apartment.”
“I didn’t say you would buy it from me, I said I would give it to you,” Terry said. “In my many years, I have known dozens of what are now called ‘paranormal investigators,’ and many were good, but none approached your ability. You are the best, hands down. It would be an honor to have you work here.”
It was hard to tell because of the glasses, but Glen thought Soren looked stunned.
“Terry... I’m not sure what to say,” Soren said.
“Then don’t say anything,” Terry said. “Just take the space and make it your own. I see great things ahead for you.”
Soren looked at Glen.
“Did you know about this?” he asked.
Glen shook his head. He still couldn’t believe this was happening. Terry seldom let him know his plans ahead of time but he usually gave him a little warning about something this drastic. Glen had no idea what his role was in all of this. Some part of him hoped that maybe he was free. Perhaps his deal with Terry was over and he could walk out the door and enjoy the rest of his life. But deep inside he knew that couldn’t be true. Terry had other plans; he always did. And Glen waited to see what they were. “There is one condition,” Terry said.
Soren looked at him quizzically.
“You take on Glen as your assistant,” Terry said. “I promised his mother I would let him enter the family business and he’s only been working here a short while. He has great potential.”
Soren looked over at Glen and then back to Terry.
“Look, he did great work in Hilltop,” Soren said. “But I work alone. For one, I’m not good with other people. For another, I nearly got him killed. Surely you don’t want your nephew to end up dead.”
“Yeah, and who said I wanted to be his partner?” Glen asked. “Don’t I get a say in all this?”
“I didn’t say ‘partner,’” Terry replied, giving him a frosty look. “I said ‘assistant.’ You would be working for him.”
“Wait a second...” Glen started.
But Terry cut him off.
“We can discuss it later,” Terry said, in a tone of voice that brooked no argument. “What’s important is that Soren understands you are part of the package, so to speak. He gets my office, my resources and you.”
Glen understood the point. He was to shut up and wait for Terry to explain himself later. He wanted to yell at the old man, but knew better than to try. Instead he just sat there, bewildered.
Soren, meanwhile, looked like he was going to argue.
“It’s non-negotiable, I’m afraid,” Terry said. “If you won’t take Glen, you can’t have the office. Don’t turn it down, Soren. I know you’ve admired this office for some time. Just think of the good you can do here. You will be far more effective in this place than lurking in your apartment.”
Glen thought Soren still wanted to say no, but he didn’t. Instead, he looked over at Glen.
“I’m in if you are,” Soren said.
Glen understood what Soren was offering him—a chance to back out. Terry hadn’t done so. Terry was trading Glen like a piece of property. And he appreciated Soren’s gesture. Two days ago, Glen would have refused out of hand. He hadn’t liked Soren when he first met him.
But now he’d seen the guy in action. And he had to admit he’d grown on him. He also knew backing out wasn’t really an option. So Glen nodded.
“I’m in, boss,” he said.
He meant it ironically, but somehow it came out as sincere.
“Excellent,” Terry said, clapping his hands together. “I’m pleased that’s arranged. Soren, I’ve taken the liberty of calling a cab to take you to D.C. to retrieve your car. Glen and I have some family matters we need to discuss. Please come by tomorrow and I’ll have the papers ready for you to sign. The office will be yours within a week.”
“You’re really moving that fast?” Soren asked.
“I’ll be around, just in case,” Terry said. “But I’ve always believed that once you make a decision, it’s best to see it through quickly and decisively.”
Soren stood up and crossed the room. He held out a hand to Terry.
“I’ll hate to see you go,” he said. “You’re a good man.”
Terry grasped Soren’s hand and shook it.
“So are you, Soren Chase,” Terry replied.
“One last thing,” Soren said. “Did you find out anything more about who the leprechauns are working for? I think I might have stopped them from coming after Alex, but I’d like to know more about who they worked for.”
Terry shook his head.
“I apologize,” he said. “I’ve called every contact I have, but I’ve learned very little.”
He nodded to a single folder lying on top of a box.
“Everything I found is in that file, but I’m afraid it’s a bit thin,” Terry said. “I will continue to keep my ear to the ground, however. I promised you more information and I keep my promises.”
Soren leaned over and picked up the file.
“Thanks for trying,” he said. Soren nodded once more in Glen’s direction and then was out the door. Glen couldn’t believe what had transpired in just a few minutes. Terry walked over to the window by the door and watched Soren walk away. Glen waited until Terry gave him a small nod.
“What the hell are you up to?” Glen said. “Working for him was never part of our deal.”
“I thought you liked him better now,” Terry said.
“I do, but he’s still crazy,” Glen said. “Have you ever seen him in action? There’s not a lot of planning; he just wings it and hopes for the best. When he didn’t have a gun, he charged the gorgon head-on.”
“And yet somehow he survives where others fail,” Terry replied. “We need him, Glen.”
“Why?”
“Because my enemy has returned,” Terry replied. “It is making plans, and soon—very soon, I think—it is likely to target our friend Soren Chase. Losing Soren would have grave consequences we cannot afford.”
Glen unconsciously tugged at his ear, uncomfortable with the conversation.
“You talk about him like he’s the second coming,”
Glen said.
Terry didn’t respond directly but pulled some more books off the shelf and placed them into a box.
“Tell me, did you notice anything odd while working with him?” Terry asked.
Glen considered the question. The whole situation was odd. Since when did you see leprechauns and gorgons fighting? Or an army of snakes working together and people turned to stone? There had been so much going on that Soren looked almost normal in comparison. Almost.
“The gorgon...” Glen said.
“Yes?” Terry asked, looking up and meeting Glen’s eyes.
“The gorgon was mad at Soren,” Glen said. “She kept asking him why he didn’t turn to stone when she looked at him. In the final battle, Soren told me she was looking right at him. Yet he didn’t change.”
Terry held Glen’s gaze.
“And does Soren know why he didn’t turn?”
Glen shook his head.
“He said it was the sunglasses,” Glen replied. “But that can’t be right, can it? I mean, if it were that easy, half the town wouldn’t have been turned to stone.”
“You are correct,” Terry said. “The sunglasses were not the reason.”
“So what was?” Glen asked.
But Terry didn’t respond. He just returned to packing boxes.
Glen waited a moment to see if he would say something more, but when he didn’t, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a faded photograph. He looked at it again. It was the photo of the Carnival of Stone that he’d found in the professor’s tent.
He walked over and held it out to Terry.
“One last thing,” Glen said. “You said a landslide killed Cleary and trapped the gorgon. I think I might know who caused it.”
Terry took the photograph, which showed a number of people crowded around Joseph Cleary, all looking at the camera. Glen pointed at a face near the top. Like the others, the man was dressed in 1930s clothing. But when Glen had looked carefully at the photo, he’d also noticed a distinctive bow tie. The face was hard to make out, but Glen knew who it was instantly.
Carnival of Stone: A Novella (The Soren Chase Series) Page 16
