by Darien Cox
Baz’s shoulders hunched and his head bowed. “Okay.”
“We’ll see you,” Christian said. “Good luck.”
Baz smiled at Christian. “Yes. Okay. Baz Goodbye.”
Baz left. He didn’t use his misty shield, but simply walked out of the house, past the soldiers, who backed away from him, staring.
“Damn,” Elliot said. “That hybrid’s got a temper.”
“Can you blame him?” Nolan said. “He warned us people could get hurt if we didn’t do as he said. Ogden refused to listen.”
“Are you ready for this?” JT asked Christian. “To see Myles over at Eva’s? You know Ogden’s going to walk in on that. I think you should be there. I’m sure Myles will handle it better if you’re there, whether he’s mad at you right now or not.”
Christian closed his eyes. “Doesn’t matter if I’m ready. It’s happening.”
****
“Try to stay calm, Eva,” Myles said. “You need to breathe evenly.”
Seated in a wicker rocking chair, Eva Sorensen trembled, wiping tears from her eyes. She was dressed in a bathrobe, her feet bare, and she was nearly hyperventilating. Myles knelt before her, holding her hand.
“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I’m trying, Sheriff. I’m just scared.”
“I know you are. But I’m here. Darwyn’s outside. You’re safe.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Can I get you something? Water? Tea?”
She wiped her nose. “Whiskey.”
Myles smiled. “Do you have any?”
“Yes. In the cabinet. Over the fridge.”
“I’ll get you some.” Myles stood.
“Thank you. Thank you, Sheriff.”
Myles left Eva in her living room and found the small kitchen down the hallway. The refrigerator door was open, one of the crisper drawers thrown across the floor. Bits of gnawed vegetables were everywhere. A box of cereal lay tipped over on the counter, its contents spilled. An empty spring water gallon wedged the refrigerator door open. Myles moved it, and closed the fridge.
He found the whiskey and dug through the cabinets for a glass. It had been one bitch of a long day. And old rundown cottage that had been abandoned for years collapsed and part of it fell into the lake. Then a masked man had robbed the cash register at the diner. And now this. It seemed the village had gone stark raving mad in the space of a day.
His lips tightened as he poured the whiskey, wishing he could take a swig himself. He’d checked Eva out to make sure she wasn’t in shock. She appeared healthy, just freaked out. They’d never had much of a drug problem in the village, but Myles suspected that whatever crazed lunatic had broken into Eva’s house was on something. He needed to get Eva calm so he could get a better description than, ‘a monster’.
“His eyes,” she kept saying, then would burst into tears.
He went back into the living room and handed Eva the whiskey.
“Thank you.” She took a sip with trembling hands. “Oh, that’s much better. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The screen door opened and Darwyn stuck his head in. “Murph?”
“You find anything out there?”
Darwyn smiled at Eva. “Not a thing. All clear,” he said. “But ah...could I speak with you outside for just a moment, Sheriff?”
Myles looked down at Eva. “Will you be all right for a minute?”
“I’ll be fine. I have my whiskey.”
Myles chuckled. “Good. I’ll be right back.”
He followed Darwyn outside, then stopped dead when he saw Christian and Ogden standing on the lawn a few feet away. Christian was wide-eyed as he stared back at him, his normally olive complexion pasty. Two black SUVs were parked on the street out front, and a few more people milled around them. “What the fuck is this?” Myles asked.
“They said they need to speak to you urgently,” Darwyn said.
Myles stared at Christian. “Darwyn. Go sit with Eva.”
Darwyn nodded, and went into the house.
Christian walked toward Myles, while Ogden hung back. “Hi, Myles.”
“This is a really bad time, Christian. What are you doing here? With him.”
“I’m really sorry about this. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t urgent. Ogden needs to speak to you about something.”
Myles had never seen Christian look so utterly miserable. It was concerning, and Myles had to stop himself from reaching out to soothe him, despite his promise to himself that he’d not engage in intimacy with Christian again. At least until Christian was willing to reveal more about his work. But with Christian standing right in front of him, that conviction was easier said than done. “All right,” Myles said gently. “Make it quick. I’m in the middle of something.”
Christian glanced over his shoulder, and Ogden came forward. “Sheriff. Have you questioned Eva Sorensen yet?”
Myles scowled. “How do you know about that?”
“I don’t want to be abrupt with you, but we don’t have much time,” Ogden said. “I need you to order a lockdown on the village so we can do a search.”
Myles shook his head. “Search for what?”
“Whoever broke into Eva’s house,” Christian said. “We believe it’s someone dangerous that we’re looking for as well.”
“What does he have to do with it?” Myles pointed to Ogden. “Someone escape from your secret military base?”
“Myles.” Christian placed his hands on his head, blinking slowly. “There’s no secret military base. This is something else.”
“This...man is dangerous,” Ogden said. “I’m asking for your cooperation, but I don’t need it.”
“I see. You’re going to bully me into this. But you won’t tell me what it’s about, right? Well screw you.”
“We will,” Christian said. “We’ll explain everything. But first we need to come inside while you question Eva.”
“Absolutely not.” Myles shook his head. “Also, I don’t have enough people to lock down the village and do a full search. Unless we call in officers from the main town.”
“We have the people,” Ogden said. “We just need your cooperation. Elliot is at the radio station, he’ll make an announcement. My team will spread the word while they search the streets. I’d like to have your blessing. We may not get everyone off the streets, but it will make a big difference if the order comes from you.”
Myles cursed, pacing a circle. “I suppose if I say no, you’ll just call the chief again and have him order me to do it.”
“We don’t need to involve the town of Singing Bear,” Ogden said. “With your cooperation, we hope to keep this problem contained.”
“Myles,” Christian said, stepping close. “I told you I’d let you know if my work ever posed a danger to the village. I’m letting you know now. This is real.”
“That’s great, Christian,” Myles said. “Fucking great. And did your work cause this danger?”
“We don’t have time for this,” Ogden said. “We’re going to interview Eva with or without you. And the village needs to be searched, with or without you.”
“Fine,” Myles said. “Do what you have to do. Call your DJ and tell him I’ve ordered people to stay inside with the doors locked so we can search for a criminal. You can come inside, but I handle questioning Eva. She’s scared shitless, and she doesn’t know you.”
“She knows me,” Christian said. “We’re friends. She probably won’t mind me being there.”
Myles pointed at Ogden. “Do not upset this woman more than she already is. And I want some answers.”
“After we speak to her, we can talk,” Ogden said.
Myles paused, then nodded.
“Wait just a moment,” Ogden said, and moved away, phone to his ear.
Myles and Christian faced each other. Christian reached out and brushed a hand down Myles’ arm. “I’m sorry about this.”
I
nvoluntarily, Myles shivered at his touch, but said nothing.
“I hope...” Christian’s lips tightened, misery evident in his expression again. “I hope you can forgive me for all this. I didn’t want you to get dragged into it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Myles said. “As usual.”
“I know. But you will. And when you do, I want you to remember that I care about you. So much, Myles.”
“This isn’t the time or place for this conversation.”
“I know. But I had to say it anyway.”
Darwyn stepped out of the house and approached. “Murph. What’s going on? We gonna keep her waiting all night?”
“No. I’m going in now. I need you to go back into the village and make sure everyone’s off the street. I need everyone in their homes tonight.”
“Why?” Darwyn scowled. “Everyone?”
“Everyone, Darwyn. Until we find whoever broke in here. He’s...”
“He’s broken into other places,” Christian cut in. “He’s dangerous.”
Darwyn cocked an eyebrow at Christian.
“Go ahead,” Myles said. “I’ll check in with you later.”
Darwyn left, and Myles looked at Christian. “Is that true? That he’s broken in other places?”
Christian shrugged. “He’s dangerous. That’s all I can say right now.”
“How easily you can lie, Christian.”
“Don’t do that,” Christian said. “Not now, okay?” Christian ran a trembling hand over his head, eyes cast down. “You can yell at me all you want later but please not now Myles, I can’t deal with it.” Christian took in two sharp breaths.
Myles reached out and touched Christian’s arm, concern overshadowing his anger. “You all right?”
Christian shook his head, then chuckled. “No.”
“Hey.” Myles stepped closer, looking into his eyes. “How bad is it?”
Christian’s brown eyes locked onto Myles. “This is a shit storm. I’m scared. I’m worried for the villagers. I feel guilty that we have to throw this down on you. And I don’t want you to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. I’ll never hate you.”
“Also, this is bad timing, but I’m in love with you.”
Myles’ breath caught in his throat. “What?”
“Okay, let’s go,” Ogden said, interrupting them. He glanced at Christian. “Now, Christian.”
Christian nodded. “Myles. After you.”
Myles led them into Eva’s small home, his heart beating too fast. He tried to shake off Christian’s words, but his thoughts were disjointed now. “Eva,” he said, finding her where he left her in the wicker chair. “I’m going to let a couple of people observe while we talk. It might help catch the man who did this. Is that all right?”
Eva looked up and beamed. “Christian!”
“Hi, Eva.” Christian leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Rough night, huh?”
“You could say that.”
“This is Ogden,” Christian said as the tall, broody black man stepped in. “He’s a friend.”
“Hello,” Eva said.
Ogden smiled. “Nice to meet you. Sorry for the intrusion.”
She shook her head. “Don’t mind one bit. Long as that...thing isn’t gonna intrude on me anymore.”
Myles brought chairs over, and they gathered around Eva. “All right,” Myles said. “Take your time, and tell me what happened.”
She pointed toward the screen door. “He came in through there. Just walked right in. I never lock my doors. Don’t usually need to around here.”
Myles nodded. “So he came in. Then what happened?”
“I screamed. He looked...sick. And his face...it was just wrong. Something wrong with him.” She shivered.
Myles patted her hand. “He attacked you, you said when you called in?”
She nodded. “See that chair, across the rug there? He pushed me into it. Then I couldn’t move. Not my legs. Not my arms. I was just...stuck there, in the chair.”
“Did he restrain you? Or was it fear that kept you immobile?” Myles asked.
She shook her head. “I was scared, yeah. But that’s not why I couldn’t move. I swear...I know it sounds crazy. But he did something to me. Those eyes...he wasn’t right. He wasn’t right.”
“Can you describe him?” Myles asked.
Eva stared at the floor, silent.
“Eva?”
“He was tall,” she said. “Real tall. Skinny. And he was wearing this...” She ran her hands over her body. “Like a onesie? Like babies wear? All gray. His hair was this weird color. Like strawberry blond but...almost looked dyed, the color was so odd. Like pale orange.”
Myles scribbled the details down in a notebook. “And his face?”
Eva stroked her chin. “Narrow. Down here, narrow jaw. Long chin. He had this little divot, right here.” She pointed to the tip of her nose. “Like an indent. His eyes were big. Unnatural.” She shook her head. “Unnatural. And his ears.” She placed her hands over her ears. “Flat. Deformed.”
“How long was he here?” Ogden asked. “Did you see which way he went when he left?”
Myles glared at Ogden. “I wasn’t finished with the description yet.” He turned to Eva. “What color were his eyes?”
“Blue. But not normal blue. Like a bright, bright blue, with sparkles in them. And they moved funny, shifting all around, anxious. And hard. He looked mean. And he was so pale. Like death.” She glanced at Ogden. “I didn’t see where he went, but he left right out that door, same as he came in. I just locked the door and called the sheriff.”
“What else happened while he was here?” Myles asked. “Did he hurt you?”
Eva’s lip quivered. “I couldn’t move out of the chair. But I heard him in the kitchen, tearing through things. I saw the kitchen afterward. He ate all my carrots. Took a few bites of a potato. But while I was still stuck in the chair, like...paralyzed, he came back into the room. He had my gallon of spring water, drinking the whole thing down. When he finished the water, he went back in the kitchen, and I heard him in the fridge. Maybe looking for more. Then he made this noise. Like this...frustrated scream.”
Myles squeezed her hand.
Eva chuckled. “I wanted to tell him there was more water in the tap, but I couldn’t speak. Eventually he came back.” She blinked slowly. “And did things to me.”
Myles sensed Christian tense beside him. He nodded at Eva. “It’s okay. Tell me what he did.”
She wiped tears from her cheeks. “I had my slippers on. He...he took them off and was looking at my feet. Touching my toes. Like he was just...curious. Then he grabbed my face and opened my mouth. Started running his fingers over my teeth.” She shuddered, taking a breath.
“Is that all?” Myles asked.
She shook her head, eyes squeezing tightly shut.
“You’re safe now,” Myles said. He gripped her hand. “It’s all right, Eva.”
Her eyes opened and tears leaked out. “He...he lifted my robe at the bottom. Then he pulled my underwear aside.” She took a couple sharp breaths, then stared down at the floor. “He was looking at my...vagina.” Her eyes lifted to Myles. “But it was like the way he looked at my feet. Like he was curious. Then he stood up, and he waved at me. Like this.” She stretched her arm out. “Then he just went out the door. Soon as he was gone, I could move again.”
Myles’ lips tightened. “I think I should take you to the hospital. Get you checked out.”
“No.” She shook her head. “If you think I’m safe now, I want to stay home. I hate doctors.”
“You’ve been through a terrible ordeal, a violation. I just want to make sure you’re looked after.”
“I can look after myself. All I want to do is take a hot bath, have another whiskey, and go to bed. As I said, if you think I’m safe now.”
“I’ll have someone keep watch over your house tonight,” Myles said. “Is there anything else you can r
emember? Even the smallest detail might help.”
Eva stared at her hands for a long moment, then nodded and looked up. “He’s injured. His foot. He was limping, and I saw what looked like dried blood on the material that covered one of his feet. Oh, and his suit was dry, but his hair looked kind of damp. Like he’d been in the water. That’s it. That’s all I can remember.”
Myles patted her hand again, then stood. “Thanks, Eva. We’re going to find this guy.”
“Thank you, Sheriff. And...you’ll keep someone outside my house tonight?”
“I’ll call Darwyn and have him come back over. You sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
“I’m sure.”
When they left the house, all three of them pulled out their phones. Myles and Christian made eye contact, then he called Darwyn.
“Murph,” Darwyn said when he answered. “The streets are almost clear. Who are these armed people I don’t know who claim they’ve got permission to police things here?”
Myles groaned. “They’re fine. Just let them be. Any problems?”
“Well, people didn’t want to leave the pub, but JT Warden got them hustled out. That’s another thing. JT and Nolan won’t listen to me either. I tried to get them to go home but they’re wandering the streets with flashlights and told me to talk to you. What the fuck is going on, Murph?”
“I’m gonna find out. For now, can you come back here and watch over Eva for the night?”
“Absolutely, on my way. One more thing, whose choppers are in the air? At least I think they’re choppers. Been seeing these strobes of light from the sky moving through the woods, and even through some of the buildings.”
Myles glanced over at Ogden and Christian, both busy with their own phone calls. “Just head over here, Darwyn. We’ll talk later.”
“Copy that.”
When Myles hung up he caught the end of Ogden’s phone conversation. “And I repeat, no one is to engage, or even move closer. If he’s spotted, contact me immediately.”
Christian approached Myles as Ogden hung up. “You all right?” Christian asked.
“Not sure. The village is secure. At least for now. You guys have choppers up?”
