Whispers in the Woods (Firemountain Chronicles Book 1)

by Victoria Lynn Osborne

  A corpse lay before them, and Dinah was shocked to recognize her. Her naked body was torn, and her arms and legs lay in unnatural angles. Her lungs had been pulled through her rib cage. Wide blue eyes stared up at them.

  “I know who she is,” Dinah said, “or at least I’ve met her. She’s Anna. She lived down the road from me. I saw her my first day here.”

  “What’s that?” Jake said, flashing his light between her ruined thighs.

  Dinah saw a long black worm crawl from the girl’s ravaged sex. It hissed malevolently at Jake and Dinah. Jake stumbled backward as the thing started to crawl towards them. It grew unnaturally fast. Soon it was a foot long.

  Dinah shrieked and stumbled back. Jake pulled another silver flask from his bag. He upended the flask over the thing. It screamed a high-pitched, inhuman scream and sizzled. Jake snatched a glass vial from his bag and with a silver spoon scooped up a bit of the residue and slid it into the flask. He tightened the lid and looked at it closely. The stuff on the ground sizzled and dissolved, but the bit in the flask remained stable. “We need to get this to the university to study.”

  Jake suddenly turned and pushed his way through the brush back to the circle. Dinah followed him, puzzled, as he strode down the path and across the street to the Broken Oak tavern. “Sidecar for me and the lady,” he barked to the waitress. “Wait here, I’m calling Laya.” He motioned to a table.

  Dinah slid into a chair just before her legs gave out. The waitress brought their sidecars, and Dinah sipped the strong drink. It went straight to her head, and the image of that thing that had come from the girl grew fuzzy. She drank some more; the heat from the alcohol warmed her. She leaned back in the chair and waited for Jake to return.

  A few minutes later Jake threw himself into the chair and tilted back his drink, swallowing half of it in a single gulp. He shuddered as the drink hit his stomach. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. When he opened them again, Dinah had a few more drinks in front of them. “Laya is sending over a team to pick up the girl. I’ll need to go to the station again to make a statement. You should come with me.”

  Dinah took another gulp. A good buzz chased away the images of the girl. “What do you think happened?”

  Jake glared at her. She recoiled from the fierceness of his gaze. “I’d say she was sacrificed to appease something.” He took a long swallow from his drink. “But that should have been obvious even to you.”

  Dinah glared back at him. “Listen, buddy,” she retorted, “you may be a great founder and everything, but you’ve no right to speak to me this way. In case you haven’t noticed, this is all very new to me, and the fact that I am not running screaming for the hills should say something about me.”

  “You can leave,” Jake said, his voice rising. “I can’t. Don’t you get it? I’m stuck dealing with this crap for at least ten years. You come here with your Ivy League education, and your American blue-blood standards, and you can’t even deal with the basic need for survival.”

  “This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Dinah murmured. “We both have jobs to do, and if we fight then we won’t find your uncle’s killer.”

  Jake finished his drink. “You’re right, of course. Come on, I’ll take you to dinner.” He got up and threw a twenty on the table. “At the Red Dawn Temple. But first this tree of yours.”

  Dinah led the way to the farm. The tree jutted out from the house. Roots snaked out, crumbling the drive.

  Jake whistled and stepped out of the car. “Now that is something you don’t see every day.”

  They both crept toward the big tree. Branches waved, even though there was no breeze.

  “Whatever disturbed the tree, Janelle wasn’t able to stop it,” Dinah whispered.

  “What do we do?” Jake asked.

  A root rose up from the ground and tried to wrap around Jake’s ankle.

  “We’ve got to do something. Do you have any holy water?” Dinah asked.

  Jake took a flask from his bag. He sprinkled the water on the ground, and the tree root hissed and drew back.

  “Well, we know it responds to holy water. Let’s go and get some weapons. Maybe we can shut this down,” Jake said.

  They drove to the Willis estate. Jake led Dinah to the weapons locker, filled with swords, rifles, pistols, and boxes of ammo both lead and iron. Greataxes, swords, and lances hung from the walls. Jake took down a claymore for himself and handed Dinah an axe.

  “They are both blessed, so perhaps the axe and sword would be more effective than pistols.” He grabbed several vials of holy water. “Leave your car here. We’ll take my car.”

  The big black Mercedes purred as they drove back to the farm. They stopped just out of range of the tree.

  Dinah let her second sight wash over her. She was getting better at calling it and dismissing it. A green circle surrounded the roots of the tree. That circle was containing the tree and not letting it spread. The witches had done some good, but now it was time for the big guns.

  Jake held the sword in front of him. He marched into the writhing mass of roots that leaped from the ground. His recent blessing flared silver on his forehead and drove back the roots. The claymore made quick work of the roots, a bright silver light spreading from around the nexus that was Jake.

  The tree lashed at him, daring him to come closer. Jake swung his sword and with his other hand splashed holy water on the grasping roots.

  Dinah waded in behind him, but her axe was not as effective against the roots or branches that pummeled them. The great axe bounced off the hardened trunk. Dinah fell back beyond the range of the roots took out her camera and started to photograph the battle.

  The trunk of the tree had entirely destroyed the house. A great maw opened, and teeth gnashed and challenged them. Its tentacles encircled Jake.

  Sweat poured from her, soaking her shirt. She swung at the tree, but the axe bounced off the blood red trunk, jarring her arm up to her shoulder.

  Jake swung at the trunk, and it did even less. “Try again,” he shouted.

  She swung the heavy blade, and it smashed through the trunk. Sap as red as blood oozed from the opening. Dinah swung again, putting all her strength behind the blade. Next to her Jake swung his claymore.

  Branches pummeled them, but the blessing that Father Conrad had intoned gave them strength and repelled the branches.

  Finally, the great tree groaned once more. Dinah smashed through the bark and outer layers and struck the inside of it. A fountain of red and black sap erupted, and the tree swayed toward them.

  “Run!” Jake screeched, grabbing her hand.

  Together they fled the area.

  The tree teetered and with a crash fell to the ground, uprooted. The roots and branches twitched in death throes.

  “This isn’t good,” Dinah whispered. “We should burn it.”

  “How? I’m not sure normal fire will destroy it. We will come back tomorrow with the right equipment and finish it off, but right now we need to get cleaned up for dinner. I will drive you home so you can get ready.”

  Dinah took one look at the tree and followed Jake to the car. Something niggled at her sight, but she couldn’t focus on it. What am I missing? she thought as Jake drove them away.

  The sun was setting by the time they got to the temple. The building was a mass of glass and brick overlooking an immaculate golf course. Dinah smiled. Her grandfather had taught her to play golf. She enjoyed strolling along beautiful golf courses, and this one looked like the ones she used back east.

  A valet came up to the car and opened her door for her. Jake left the key in the ignition. The valet stared at her attire before driving off the car to the back of the lot. The front of the lot seemed to hold the most expensive cars.

  Jake had calmed down since the battle with the tree. He gave her a sheepish look and offered his arm. Together they went through the graceful double doors to the reception area.

  “How long is this going to take?” Dinah noted the sun sink
ing low on the horizon. “I have to be back at the boarding house by ten.”

  “Hopefully we will be back before then. I want to see Caedon’s rooms here at the temple. We might find answers to some of our questions.”

  The guard glowered at them. “She isn’t allowed in here, sir.”

  “Excuse me?” Jake held out a card. “This is a founder’s card that means that I am able to bring anyone in here that I choose. We’re going to dinner, if you don’t mind.”

  The guard consulted his book. He picked up the phone and punched a few buttons. “Mr. Willis would like to bring a guest into the temple… Yes, sir… I will let him know.”

  The guard hung up the phone. “Dr. Valencio will be out shortly. He would like to speak with you. If you and Miss Steele would be so kind as to have a seat.”

  Jake sighed and led Dinah to some deep sofas. A few minutes later a man with strong Italian features made his way to them. “Jake.” he held out his hand. “What seems to be the problem?”

  Jake shook the offered hand. “The guard seems to object to my dinner companion.”

  “Jake, you know she can’t come in here. She’s a woman and a reporter.”

  “When I came here with my uncle for meals, I saw several members bringing women to the dining room.”

  “Well, they had been with us longer. They knew the rules.”

  “Okay.” Jake handed the card to Dr. Valencio. “I resign my membership from the Red Dawn Temple. Take my card.”

  Dr. Valencio backed off, looking at the card as if it were a snake. “You can’t do it. You have to be a member.”

  “Hmm, then I guess I can bring my companion into the temple, just like you are able to bring your companions, and not all of them are your wife.”

  Dr. Valencio glared at him and motioned to the guard. “Let them in.”

  Dinah and Jake followed Dr. Valencio into another chamber with a set of double doors leading to a softly lit dining room.

  “How do I get to the sanctuary?” Jake asked Dr. Valencio.

  The man smirked. “If you know so much about our rules, then you know how to get to the sanctuary. Enjoy your meal. Good day, Jake. Good day, Miss Steele.”

  “It’s Ms. Steele,” Dinah blurted out.

  Dr. Valencio looked her up and down. “I don’t think so.” He turned and left the lobby.

  Jake escorted Dinah into the dining room. The maître d’ seated them near the door. Dinah realized Jake had a great view of the foyer and could watch what happened. Dinah opened her menu. The engraved heavy paper listed the regular dishes and specials for the day. There were no prices on her menu.

  “Order whatever you like, my treat.” Jake smiled at her over the menu.

  “No, I’m going to pay for my meal.”

  “As you wish.”

  A man in a white dinner jacket approached the table with a list. “Would you like to sample some of our wine?”

  Jake perused the list. “Please bring us a bottle of Guigal 2003 La Turque Cote Rotie.”

  “Excellent choice, sir.” The wine steward retrieved the list and left the table.

  “What kind of wine is that?” Dinah asked.

  Jake smiled. “The kind that puts this dinner outside of your price range.”

  Dinah studied the dining room. The lights were dim. The tables were adorned with fine white linens. Her folded napkin was shaped like a swan. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons played softly in the background. Another waiter approached and asked if they would like a before-dinner drink. Dinah ordered a martini with a twist. Jake ordered a Manhattan. As she sipped the strong alcohol, she realized that she needed to eat something, but the buzz felt so good and soon the horrors of the day faded.

  Jake peered over her shoulder into the foyer. Dinah turned in her seat and watched a panel slide closed, and smiled. Jake raised a glass to her, and another waiter came to get their dinner order.

  Jake ordered rack of lamb, very rare, with mint sauce. Dinah ordered cedar-planked king salmon. Jake ordered salmon puffs for an appetizer. The steward brought the wine bottle and showed the label to Jake for approval, then opened the wine and poured a small sip in Jake’s glass. Jake smelled it, swirled it, and took a sip. “Let it breathe,” he told the steward.

  The man left the bottle on the table. Jake and Dinah enjoyed the appetizers and the drinks. Jake poured the wine during the soup course, and when Dinah tasted it, she found it rich and hearty. It overwhelmed her senses with complex flavors. Her grandparents had tried to educate her about fine wine, but she still had limited exposure. Even so, she could tell this was exceptional wine. The soup itself was a creamy mushroom soup made with chanterelles and other exotic mushrooms.

  The fish was wild salmon. The flesh was deep pink, and the cedar-planking was perfect. The chipotle butter added the perfect zip to the dish.

  Jake smiled as she enjoyed her dinner. “Is this the first time you’ve had salmon in Washington?”

  “Aside from some smoked salmon mousse at the Tacoma Dome, yes. Why is it so good?”

  “Washington is the main jump-off point for Alaska. We get it here within twenty-four hours after it’s caught.”

  “I think the wine was a little much for the flavor of the salmon.”

  “I’m sorry about that; I should have warned you to get a meat entrée. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway.”

  Dinah tapped her mouth with a napkin. “It was the best meal I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

  Jake signed the check without taking out a card. They probably had his card on file, Dinah thought. Jake put his hand on the small of her back and escorted her back to the foyer. He pushed a small panel, which slid open to reveal a card slot. He slid his membership card into the slot, and a paneled wall slid open to reveal an elevator door.

  “Tricky,” she said as she stepped into the elevator.

  The elevator had cushioned seats and mirrors, and slid down without a sound. Overhead, a chandelier illuminated the compartment. A short time later the doors slid open to a long paneled hall with a massive fireplace and several couches and chairs clustered around it at the elevator landing. The floor formed a U with two other halls radiating from the elevator doors.

  Jake led Dinah down the left hall. Mirrors lined the walls, with chairs and small tables at regular intervals. Pictures of all the founders dating back to the beginning hung from the wall, illuminated by little lights fixed over the scowling men.

  Some of the rooms were open, and some were closed. Jake and Dinah peered into the open rooms and studied the interiors. There were libraries, billiard rooms, and game rooms. Several of the rooms had ornate bars with gleaming crystal glasses dangling from hardwood racks. Men would look up over their glasses from deep leather chairs and glare at Jake and Dinah as they wandered by.

  “Not the friendliest place on the planet,” Dinah whispered.

  “I’m not sure if it’s you or me,” Jake whispered back. “Some of these guys were on waiting lists for years until they were granted membership. And it is well-known that the only women that are allowed here are from the House of Fire and Rain. And you, most assuredly, are not from that house.”

  “That’s the brothel outside of town on Indian land. I read about that before I came here. Apparently, it is the only legal brothel outside of Nevada.”

  Jake nodded. “Yeah, the town council didn’t want streetwalking or unregulated prostitution in town, along with the problems it brings. So they approached the neighboring tribe and helped finance the brothel. That way they don’t break Washington law.”

  The next room was labeled “Relaxation Room.” Jake opened the door, and they looked inside. Dinah’s curiosity was piqued; she wondered what a relaxation room was. A man lay out on a bed while a naked woman straddled him. She had long black hair and an exotic Pacific Islander look. She glared at them, but the man didn’t notice. Her eyes flared scarlet, and Jake and Dinah closed the door.

  “Well, now we know why Dr. Valencio insisted on calling you ‘Miss Steele’,�
�� Jake whispered.

  Giggling, they moved down the hall until they came upon a much smaller hall off the main hall, and across from it was a set of massive double doors labeled “Sanctuary.”

  Jake paused before opening the doors. “I need to see,” he whispered.

  Dinah nodded. Jake eased open the door, and they stepped into the sanctuary of Red Dawn Temple. Dinah gasped as she saw the room. Dominating the north end of the chamber was a huge mahogany altar with a huge cross looming over it. The plaque stated it was salvaged from a cathedral burned by the Nazis during World War II. It had been carved in 1113 AD for the church.

  The room was enveloped in a hush, and on cushions spread about the space, red-robed members of the temple knelt in silent contemplation. Etched into the center of the floor was a Rosicrucian cross. When Dinah touched it, a chill flowed through her. The men chanted, and Dinah recognized Latin and possibly Aramaic, and noted several other languages she did not recognize.

  “This isn’t what we’re looking for.” Jake tugged on her arm. “Come on.”

  Dinah and Jake headed down the side hall. No paintings of stern founders decorated these walls. Only gilt mirrors lined the small hall. The hall continued for some time and opened to another elevator.

  There was a card slot next to the summoning button, and Jake slid his card into. The elevator door slid open silently and they entered.

  The elevator dropped so far that Dinah was sure they were several stories under the temple. Wherever it was taking them was a lot farther down than just one floor. The door slid open to a stark white floor with linoleum and white walls. Fluorescent lights cast a hard light over the plain hall.

  Before them were eight doors, none of them labeled. Dinah stared at them. “Why eight?”

  “Broom closet maybe,” Jake said. He dug his uncle’s journal out of his bag and flipped it open to the back cover. “Caedon didn’t mention the temple much in his writings for fear it would fall into the wrong hands. But this last phrase makes more sense now. ‘Down by three and widdershins do look.’”

  “What does it mean?” Dinah asked.