Finding Valor

by Charlotte Abel

  “Yeah, right.” Josh could tell from Kassie’s voice that she was lying.

  “So when are you coming to see us?”

  “Sometime this afternoon?”

  “I’m bored. Come now.”

  “It’ll take me a couple of hours to get up and around. Channie and I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  “Are you kidding me? I didn’t get any sleep last night. And you didn’t push a kid out of your hoo-haw. You don’t know the meaning of the word tired.”

  “I’ll get there when I get there. And if you’re bored, call Hunter. I’m sure he’d love to hear all about your hoo-haw.”

  ‘Call Ended’ flashed on Josh’s screen. He pulled up the picture of the baby, as well as Kassie’s text message, and forwarded them to Hunter.

  His phone rang immediately.

  “Hey, Hunter, what’s up?” Josh was already regretting his rash decision to play matchmaker.

  “Did she really name the baby after me?”

  “She’s denying it, but that’s what it looks like.”

  “I’m coming home.”

  “Hang on a second.” Josh hurried into the bathroom, closed and locked the door, then turned on the faucet. He suspected that Channie knew Hunter was looking for Prudence, but it wasn’t something they discussed. “What about your mission?”

  “The trail’s colder than a pump handle in January. We’re no closer to finding Prudence and Wisdom than we were when we started.”

  Josh shoved his hand into his hair. “You can’t give up!”

  “I’m not giving up. I’m just taking a break.”

  Josh could order him to keep searching until he found the evil bitch, but Hunter hadn’t complained or asked for a single day off since he began the search back in March. “You can take a week off, but I want you back on her trail in seven days. I don’t care how cold it is.”

  “Thanks, buddy. I really appreciate it.”

  “I’ll call Zen and ask him to come pick you up in the chopper.”

  “Um…if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather just take a plane. I’m in Oregon so it’ll be faster and I have enough money to buy my own ticket.”

  Josh suspected Hunter would’ve insisted on flying commercial even if it weren’t faster. He wasn’t a fan of helicopters. “Suit yourself. Give me a call if you need a ride from the airport.”

  “Will do. Oh, and don’t tell Kassie I’m coming. I wanna surprise her.”

  ~***~

  Josh picked Hunter up at Denver International Airport a little after two o’clock in the afternoon. The sense of déjà vu was so strong it almost felt like a flashback. Hunter looked like a drug lord in his skintight silk shirt, black jeans and silver tipped crocodile boots.

  Hunter grinned when he spotted Josh and waved. He ran up to him and wrapped him up in a bear hug. “Man, it’s good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you, too.” Josh hugged him back, but when it lasted too long to be considered manly, he thumped Hunter on the back and pulled away. “Where did you get the new clothes? And, more importantly, why?”

  “I earned a bit of a reputation dancing in Vegas so it ain’t hard to get a gig as a guest star at the best ladies’ clubs in the big cities.”

  “You’re supposed to be looking for Prudence. Not stripping.”

  “I don’t strip.” Hunter rolled his eyes. “Ladies pay a lot of money to watch me dance. And we gotta eat.”

  “If you needed more money, all you had to do was ask.”

  “As long as I can entertain the ladies, we don’t need to dip into the rebels’ coffers. I ain’t taking money from folks that’s barely getting by.”

  “Veyjivik Enterprises is bankrolling both rebel bases. They can afford to support your mission.”

  “I can support myself.” Hunter patted Josh’s cheek and winked at him but there was a hard glint in his eyes.

  Josh jerked his head back. “Dance all night. Sleep all day. No wonder it’s taking you so long to find Prudence. I thought you cared about Channie.”

  Hunter narrowed his eyes. “I only dance from eleven to one and only on Friday and Saturday nights. Vince is either searching for leads on the internet or driving us to our next destination while I catch up on sleep. My dancing is not interfering with my mission.”

  “Whatever. Did you check any luggage?” He didn’t have a carry-on bag with him.

  “No, but I did check a package I need to pick up at carousel number four.”

  The ‘package’ turned out to be a four foot tall, blue teddy bear encased in bubble wrap and plastic.

  “Holy crap, Hunter. There’s no way the hospital is going to let you haul that monster into Kassie’s room.”

  “Hospital?” Hunter’s tanned cheeks paled. “I know the little fella arrived a bit early but he looked okay in the picture you sent. Is Kassie okay? She didn’t have any problems birthing him, did she?”

  “They’re both fine.”

  “Then who’s in the hospital?”

  “Most women have their babies in hospitals, just to be safe.” Josh clicked his electronic key to help him find his car then crossed into the next row, following the sound of the beep.

  “That don’t make a lick of sense.” Hunter shifted the bear to his other hip. “Hospitals are full of sick people.”

  “Kassie and the baby will probably go home either tomorrow or the next day.” Josh opened the back of his car so Hunter could stuff the ridiculous bear inside. “It’s a good thing I drive a hatchback.”

  Hunter left the bear in the back of Josh’s car, but insisted on buying another, much smaller, one in the hospital gift shop. He also bought a dozen roses in a crystal vase.

  “People are going to think you’re the father when you walk in with all that stuff.”

  “I wish I was.”

  As soon as they stepped off the elevator, they were greeted with the sounds of a bitter argument.

  “I can’t believe you named my son after a janitor!”

  Uh-oh. Eric.

  Hunter shoved the bear and vase of roses at Josh, drenching the front of his shirt, then took off down the hall towards the commotion.

  “Hunter! Wait.” Josh spun around to follow but slipped on the spilled water. He managed to hang onto the vase as his feet flew out from under him.

  “I can’t believe you have the balls to show your face after the way you treated me. And you’ll never be half the man Hunter is.”

  “You’re making me pay child support. I have the right to see my kid.”

  Josh didn’t break any glass or bones when he fell, but he and the bear were soaked, half the roses were crushed and his ass would be sore for days.

  Josh skidded around the corner just in time to see Hunter dart into a room. “Crap! Hunter, wait up.”

  “Get the hell out of here, you mother—” Eric’s rant ended abruptly as a flash of green light lit up the hall.

  Josh yanked the door open and froze as he took in the scene.

  Kassie’s face was a mask of fury. She was sitting up with her hands clenched around the bed rails.

  The baby was in a clear plastic bin next to Kassie’s bed, screaming his head off.

  Aunt Mary was jostling the bin and stroking his cheek with the backs of her fingers.

  Hunter stood beside Kassie’s bed, in front of the bin, feet spread, face red and hands fisted, obviously guarding her and the baby from Eric…who was on the floor, cowering in a corner.

  A nurse shoved Josh out of the way. “What’s going on in here?”

  Eric pointed at Hunter. “He hit me with a taser!”

  Kassie shifted from her ‘avenging angel of death’ persona into her ‘helpless little girl’ act, complete with trembling lip and glistening eyes.

  “Hunter was protecting me and the baby from my crazy ex-boyfriend.” She pointed at Eric. “He’s been stalking me ever since I broke up with him.”

  “You didn’t break up with me.” Eric kept his back pressed into the corner as
he stood up. “I broke up with you!”

  Aunt Mary smiled at Eric, but it was the smile of a predator protecting its young. “We’ll be filing a restraining order this afternoon.”

  “I want you, you and you,” the nurse pointed at Eric, Hunter and Josh, “out of this hospital right now. And don’t come back.”

  “Me?” Josh pressed a palm against his chest. “I didn’t do anything.”

  The nurse propped the door open with her foot and glared at everyone, including Kassie. “Your mother may stay. But no more visitors.”

  Eric slid along the wall, keeping as much distance between himself and Hunter as possible then darted outside.

  Kassie grabbed Hunter’s wrist. “I’m getting out of here later tonight. Come stay with me? I missed you.”

  Hunter’s eyebrows shot up and disappeared under his hair. “What about your momma?”

  Kassie rolled her eyes. “I just had a baby. She knows we aren’t going to do anything.”

  “Kassie’s told me all about you.” Aunt Mary hooked a hand through Hunter’s elbow and led him towards the door. “If you’re willing to take on the 2am feeding and change a few diapers you can stay in our guest room until you find a place to rent.”

  Hunter’s shoulders sagged. “I’m only here for a week.”

  Kassie’s eyes filled with tears. “Why?”

  “I have a new job that keeps me on the road. I was lucky to get any time off at all.”

  Josh gritted his teeth. Kassie knew that Hunter was helping him with ‘magic stuff.’ But she didn’t know why. “Why don’t you call your employer? Maybe he’ll give you a few more days if you ask real nice.”

  Hunter’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. I’ll do that.”

  The nurse cleared her throat and nodded towards the open door.

  Hunter dodged Aunt Mary and the nurse and ran back to Kassie’s bed. He leaned over the rail and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be waiting’ for ya.”

  True to his word, Hunter insisted that Josh drop him off at Kassie’s house so he could wait for her on her front porch. “Go on home to Channie.”

  “Are you sure? It could be hours before Kassie gets here.”

  “You heard the girl.” Hunter sat on the porch swing and laced his fingers behind his head. He stretched his legs out and crossed his ankles. “She missed me.”

  Chapter Eleven

  SACRIFICE

  Prudence paced back and forth in the narrow space between the beds of yet another sleazy hotel room, waiting for her turn in the shower. She’d already dumped the contents of her suitcase into the bottom drawer and slammed it shut. Hopefully Wisdom would be too tired after driving all day to inspect it. ‘Neatness, routine and personal hygiene’ was a part of her ‘therapy.’ Prudence tried to follow Wisdom’s orders to earn more ‘privileges.’ But there was a limit to the amount of nonsense she could handle. They’d be on the road again tomorrow morning, so what was the point?

  Wisdom refused to stay in one place for more than twenty-four hours, claiming it was to keep Channie’s stupid halfie husband from finding them. Let him come. She’d take care of him just like she had Abby’s empty husband. Abby…no don’t think about Abby. It wasn’t my fault! She betrayed me. They all betrayed me, everyone from my own husband to my grandsons.

  Prudence shook with rage. Everyone she’d ever loved had turned against her, but Wisdom’s betrayal was the worst.

  I would have shared everything with you. All the power. All the fame. All the wealth. We were supposed to unite all the clans. But you betrayed me.

  Prudence never would have shared the Book of the Dead’s message with Wisdom if she’d known she was just as weak willed and timid as all the others. When she’d recited the prophecy, Wisdom had pretended she was excited about their destiny. But it was all a lie. A trick. She’d insisted Prudence let her see the Book of the Dead for herself. But as soon as Wisdom had her hands on it, she’d knocked Prudence out with a be-calm spell and stolen her book.

  You cowardly traitor. You backstabber. You treacherous fiend. “You’ll pay for this!”

  “Prudence? Is everything all right in there?”

  Stop. Breathe. Be calm. Be patient. “I’m fine.”

  Prudence hadn’t meant to speak out loud. She had to keep her thoughts and plans to herself. Wisdom had to believe she’d broken Prudence’s spirit or she’d never be free. She’d never get her revenge and she’d never get to Channie in time to perform the sacrifice.

  She slipped her fingers under her wig and dug at her scalp. The itching was driving her crazy. The wig was another of Wisdom’s bright ideas. She claimed Prudence’s nearly bald head drew too much unwanted attention. But that’s not why Prudence wore it even in the privacy of their hotel room. She’d discovered that Wisdom treated her differently when she wore the wig. She still knocked her out with empty drugs and be-calm spells every night, but she no longer handcuffed her to the bed.

  Wisdom stepped out of the bathroom with a thin, ragged towel wrapped around her body and smiled. “Your turn.”

  Prudence sighed. She didn’t want to take a shower, but it was all part of the game.

  “Remember, neatness, routine and personal hygiene will help you get better faster.”

  If you repeat that ridiculous line one more time, I swear I’ll slit your throat from ear to ear and shower in your blood. Prudence smiled and nodded. She had to convince Wisdom that she was ‘getting better’ every day. She had to pretend that she was weak, docile and pathetic. She had to hide her strength, keep it buried inside. She had to pretend that the drugs Wisdom was giving her weren’t losing their effectiveness. Soon, she’d be able to access her magic again.

  They were all afraid of her power and wanted to take it from her. How many times had they stolen her book? And how many times had she recovered it? She’d found it before. She’d find it again. And then they’d pay. Every last one of them. But first, she had to escape.

  ~***~

  As summer solstice approached, Josh refused to leave Channie’s side. He cancelled all trips to Freedom Ridge and ordered Hunter, Vince, Tim and Zen to report to him in Colorado as an extra precaution. A little before midnight on June twentieth, Josh knocked Channie out with a calming spell. He didn’t want her death pledge activated if Prudence managed to breech the combined protection spells of every mage present.

  He instructed Vince, Zen and Tim to guard the area inside the protection zone while four extra men from Blackthorne patrolled the perimeter of the property—then barricaded himself, Channie and Hunter inside the cabin.

  And then they waited.

  Nothing happened.

  Josh called Dad to check if Wisdom had made her daily call. She had. He woke Channie on the second day and let her out onto the deck on the third. He waited an extra five days, just to be sure, then released everyone to go back to their regular duties on Saturday morning.

  “Hey, babe, I wanna celebrate. Do you feel like take-out?” Nederland was a small mountain town, but it had a couple of great restaurants.

  Channie’s eyes lit up as she licked her lips. “Can you get something from Wild Mountain Smokehouse?”

  “Sure. But would you mind whipping up a batch of cornbread while I’m gone? Yours is so much better than theirs.”

  She rolled her eyes, but Josh could tell she was pleased by the way her mouth quirked up at the corners. “You are so spoiled.”

  “True. But it’s your fault. You never should have let me taste it.” He kissed her eyes, both cheeks and the tip of her nose. “When I get back, remind me to recharge the protection spells. I should have done it last night, but I got a little distracted.”

  Golden light pulsed out of both their chests. Channie walked her fingers up Josh’s belly then pressed her palm over his glowing heart. “I wouldn’t mind being distracted again.”

  “You’re making it hard for me to leave.”

  “I like making it hard for you.”

  Josh choked on his own spit.

 
Channie laughed as she thumped his back. “Sorry, but you walked right into that one. Besides, you deserved it for all the times you teased me.”

  “I teased you about sex?”

  “Constantly.”

  “Huh.” Josh found that hard to believe.

  “You were shy when we first met, but you knew a lot more about sex than I did.”

  “Believe me, it was all theoretical knowledge. I had no field experience at all.”

  Channie stretched up on her toes and tugged Josh’s head closer. Her breath tickled his ear. “I’m glad I’m the only one you’ve ever experienced.”

  Two hours later, Josh placed an order of prime rib “to go” then swung by the Kwik Mart on Highway 119 to pick up a couple liters of pop; Dr. Pepper for Channie and Cherry Pepsi for himself.

  Josh frowned when he turned the corner and noticed the gate swinging on its hinges. Where were the guards? He stopped the car but left it running and opened his door. The stench of burned hair and flesh assaulted his nose. All that remained of the guards were two piles of blackened, smoldering bones.

  Josh screamed Channie’s name then ran back to his car. He pounded the steering wheel with his left hand and drove with his right. He prayed for her safety as he raced up the dirt road to the cabin.

  ~***~

  Channie hummed and sang as she stirred up a batch of cornbread, making the high altitude adjustments so it wouldn’t fall. She slid the pan into the oven then closed the door and set the timer for twenty minutes. The fact that she no longer needed Josh’s help with the fancy appliances made her smile every time she used them.

  When the buzzer on the timer went off, she grabbed a couple of pot holders and pulled the cornbread out of the oven.

  “Well, well, well. If you aren’t a regular little suzy homemaker.”

  Channie spun around and dropped the pan to the floor. Hot shards of glass and clumps of cornbread skittered across the tile floor.

  Momma! Channie barely recognized her. Every inch of visible skin was burned. She was completely bald. Her face and scalp were bright red and blistered. Even her eyebrows and eyelashes were gone. Her hands and arms were spotted with charred black patches.