“I believe that’s what I just said.”
The women followed Cooper and Hannah all the way out of the cave. When the sunshine finally hit her in the face, the relief Hannah felt was of the overwhelming variety. She tripped coming out, stumbling forward and landing on her knees with a loud groan. Cooper was immediately behind her and he turned, standing as a barrier between his fallen girlfriend and the ghouls in the cave.
He needn’t have worried, though. The women stopped at the threshold, refusing to leave the darkness and embrace the light.
“What’s wrong with them?” Hannah asked as she rolled to cradle her knee. She’d smacked it hard upon falling. “Why are they like that?”
“I don’t know.” Cooper kept staring at the abominations, who continued hissing, almost as if talking to one another. When he was certain they wouldn’t risk the sunlight, he dropped so he was on the same level with Hannah and began checking over her knee. “Are you okay? Can you walk?”
“I don’t see where we have much choice.” Hannah gritted her teeth as she pressed her hand to her knee. “I’ll be fine. I might be a little sore tomorrow, but I should be able to make it back before it stiffens up.”
Cooper studied her face for signs she was covering. “I can carry you.”
“Two miles?”
“I can carry you.” He was firm. “I’ve done it before ... and with guys who weighed a lot more than you.”
His military service, she realized. He was telling her he’d carried his fellow soldiers out of hot zones. It was something she hadn’t spent too much time thinking about. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on it either.
“I can walk,” she reassured him. “We have to get moving now, though. The longer we wait ... .” Her eyes traveled back to the hissing women. “What’s wrong with them?”
“I don’t know. We need help, though.” He slid her arm over his shoulder and helped her stand. “I don’t think they’re going anywhere ... at least not right now. We need to get back to town and prepare.”
“Prepare for what?”
“For what’s to come, because I’m pretty sure this is nowhere near over. Now that we’ve discovered the truth, they’ll be coming for all of us.”
HANNAH MANAGED TO WALK THE ENTIRE way back to Casper Creek, even though an impatient Cooper offered to carry her another two times. Jinx yipped excitedly and vaulted through the paddock slats when he saw his mistress. It was as if he sensed she was in pain and the time for being angry was over.
“Don’t give me that look,” Cooper warned as the dog glared at him for the walk to the saloon. “I didn’t do this to her. I’m trying to help.”
Jinx kept his eyes on Hannah, fear present in the depths of his chocolate eyes.
“We’ll take care of her together,” Cooper promised. “We’ll work as a team.”
“What happened?” Tyler asked as they maneuvered through the swinging doors. He had a towel on his shoulder and had obviously been busy behind the bar. “Is she okay?”
“She’s been better.” Cooper led her to a chair and helped lower her in it, moving another chair close enough for her to elevate her legs. “Stay right there,” he ordered before shifting behind the bar to gather ice. “Tyler, I need you to get everyone who made it today and get them here.”
Tyler looked conflicted as he glanced between Hannah and Cooper. “Do I even want to know what happened?”
“Probably not, but you don’t have a choice. Trouble is coming.”
Tyler straightened. “How much time do we have?”
“I’m guessing until the sun goes down.”
“Well, great. That’s not ominous or anything.” Tyler started for the door. “What about Boone? Do you want me to call him?”
“Yeah. Absolutely. We need as many bodies as we can muster out here.” Cooper returned with a towel, ice cubes wrapped inside of it, and placed it on Hannah’s knee. “Hold this here, baby.”
Hannah did as instructed, her heart still thumping due to the excitement of their escape. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to figure it out.” He moved to stand and then saw the fear reflected in the depths of her sea-blue eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
Oddly enough, his words were like a salve to her. “I promise to keep you safe, too.”
He barked out a laugh. “That will be our new mission in life, to keep each other safe.” They held gazes for a long beat, only looking toward the swinging doors at the sound of footsteps. Jackie was the first through the door.
“Did you find her?”
Cooper shook his head. “No. We found trouble, though, and it’s of the really odd variety.”
He laid it all out, making sure he omitted nothing, and then waited for her response. By the time he was finished with the story, Danielle and Tyler had joined them, and everyone was equally flabbergasted.
“Well, that’s neat,” Tyler said finally. “Who doesn’t love a mindless woman who hisses like a snake and can’t go out in the sun? I mean ... and people wonder why I’m gay.”
“Nobody wonders,” Cooper countered, shooting his friend a grin. “It is a problem, though, and we have exactly three hours to figure it out.” His eyes landed on the clock. “I think it’s fair to say that they’ll be coming here once the sun sets.”
“I think you’re right,” Jackie agreed. “I also think I know what we’re dealing with.”
“We’re all ears.”
“It’s a snakeman.”
Cooper blinked several times in rapid succession. “I’m going to need more than that,” he said finally. “I’ve never heard of a snakeman. I mean ... I like to think I’m up on the paranormal world but that’s a new one for me.”
“It’s basically a boogeyman,” Jackie replied calmly. “It’s a monster that time forgot, the creature that lives under your bed, your worst nightmare.”
Hannah involuntarily shuddered. “That sounds lovely. We didn’t see a creature, though. We only saw the women.”
“And you said they had snakes under their skin,” Jackie supplied. “It’s a snakeman. At least that’s what they’re called in the Voodoo culture. I think the technical term is a fallen incubus.”
Hannah was taken aback. “An incubus? I’ve read about them. They’re male sex demons. They kill women with sex.”
Jackie bobbed her head. “That’s it in a nutshell. That’s a pure incubus, though. Sometimes they change. It’s been theorized that they do this because of technology and shifting priorities in the world, but it hardly matters now.”
“How do we fight it?” Tyler queried. “I mean ... what are we dealing with here?”
“They’re all different.” Jackie absently moved to Hannah’s side and lifted the ice so she could get a better look. “I have a salve that might help with this.” She tilted her head toward the door and caught Danielle’s gaze. “Can you get my medical kit for me? You already know what I’m going to say anyway.”
Danielle nodded without hesitation and slipped through the door.
“The snakeman probably didn’t originate here. We would’ve heard about more disappearances if he did. Of course, he could’ve been born here centuries ago and only recently returned. That might explain how he knew where the cave was.”
“Or he was drawn there for the same reason the demon was,” Hannah countered.
“There is that, too.” Jackie momentarily took on a far-off expression and then returned to the here and now. “The creature can be killed through magic ... or silver. We have swords locked away in the weapons chest. We’re going to need to dole them out before dusk settles. We all need to be armed.”
Hannah was chilled by the words. Still, she was curious. “What about the women? What’s going on with them?”
“My guess is he poisoned them with his venom. This creature ... you have to understand, it looks human. It can pass for human.”
“So it’s probably someone
we’ve seen,” Cooper mused. “Anyone have any guesses on who?”
“I was leaning toward Rick,” Hannah replied ruefully. “I guess I was off base there, though.”
“What about the blood?” Cooper was desperate to get all the facts before the fight. “Why would this creature kill Rick and steal his blood?”
“And is this creature what killed my goat?” Tyler added.
“I think we can definitely blame the goat on him,” Jackie confirmed. “As for why it killed Rick, I don’t know. I’m not entirely familiar with the spell used to transform the women. My understanding is that the incubus can control certain people through magic ... and song ... and even in some cases, saliva.”
Hannah wrinkled her nose. “Saliva? That’s totally gross. I mean ... like totally gross.”
Even though it was a serious situation, Cooper had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He was beyond amused at her reaction. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him get his saliva near you.”
“That would be nice. Although ... are we certain we’re dealing with a man?” Hannah directed the question to Jackie. “Couldn’t the same thing happen with a succubus?”
Slowly, Jackie nodded. Her expression was conflicted. “In theory, yes. All the victims are women, though.”
“Maybe we’re dealing with a lesbian succubus. That has to be a thing. Sure, we haven’t heard about it, but the percentages have to be the same, right? It’s possible.”
“I guess it is. Why is that important?”
“Because, if we’re dealing with a woman, I have a suspect.”
Cooper stirred and immediately started shaking his head. “It’s not Astra. I know she’s a sore subject between us right now — and I’m in no way taking her side — but it’s not her. I would know if she was turning women into snakes. I don’t think she could hide it.”
Hannah snorted. “I wasn’t actually talking about Astra, and I’m no longer sore about that. I’m just sore about this.” She indicated her knee. “I’m going to have trouble moving against whatever is coming for us. I’m not going to be nearly as fast as I would normally be, because if it’s a woman, I’m betting it’s Stormy.”
“Which is why you’re not going to fight.” Cooper kept his voice low. “I want you to lock yourself in the apartment upstairs with Jinx. The rest of us will fight this ... snakeman.”
Hannah balked. “No way. I’m not going to let you fight without me.”
“Hannah, you can’t fight.” Cooper was matter-of-fact. “Even if Jackie manages to work her magic, you’re going to be hobbling. It’s not safe for you to be out there.”
“Well, then we’re going to have to figure something out there, too.” Hannah folded her arms across her chest, adamant. “I’m being serious here. You can’t do it without me. You don’t have enough manpower.”
“There are three women and a snakeman. There are four of us — five if you count Boone — so we’ll be perfectly okay.”
“Don’t forget Arnie,” Jackie volunteered. “He’s still out here, too.”
“He has a gun,” Cooper said, nodding. “That’s good. He’ll be able to lay down some cover. So, that’s six of us. We’ll handle it.”
“Not without me, you won’t.” Hannah refused to back down. “I’m not going to just sit upstairs and hide while you guys are fighting. It’s not going to happen. I’m part of this.”
Cooper worked his jaw. “You are a complete and total ... .” He didn’t finish the sentence. It would just lead to another fight, and they didn’t have time for that. “What about the women?” Cooper turned to Jackie. “If we kill this creature, will they return to normal?”
“They should, although there’s a tonic that couldn’t possibly hurt. I have bottles of it stashed in the storage room at my store. It should restore the women quicker.”
Hannah’s mind was busy. “Then Heather could make it to her wedding ... and she wouldn’t have snakes under her skin for the ceremony. It could still work out.”
“There’s something else to consider,” Tyler interjected, drawing three sets of eyes to him. “Becky. We still don’t know where she is. I’m assuming you didn’t find her in the cave.”
Cooper’s heart skipped a beat. “No, we didn’t. I completely forgot about her. It was freaky and we were in such a hurry to get back she slipped my mind. I’m guessing none of you have seen her either.”
“She’s gone,” Jackie said. “Her car is still here, but she’s gone. Either she’s purposely hiding because she’s pouting and wants attention, or she’s been taken. I think there’s a fifty-percent chance it goes either way at this point.”
“What good would hiding do her?” Hannah asked, legitimately confused. “I mean ... what would be the point?”
“She might want to make it so Cooper miraculously finds her,” Tyler volunteered. “She might think that if he’s worried about her, that means she still has a chance.”
“She is delusional,” Jackie agreed. “She’s convinced herself that Hannah stole you from her.” Her gaze was pointed at Cooper. “She thinks she had a legitimate shot.”
“That was never going to happen,” Cooper countered. “I mean ... never. It simply wasn’t a possibility. She’s a nice girl, but I wasn’t attracted to her. It’s nothing personal but ... that’s simply the way it is.”
“You don’t have to justify yourself to me,” Jackie reassured him. “I get it. Hannah is your match. I’ve known that from almost the first time I saw you two together. Even when you were with Astra, it wasn’t a fit. You fit now.”
Cooper spared a quick glance toward Hannah. “Even though the fit is going to be tight if she keeps putting herself in danger.”
“That may be true, but we need her.” Jackie opted for the pragmatic approach. “She’s powerful and we’re down a witch, one who might turn out to be working against us. We simply don’t know what’s going on with Becky. We have to proceed under the assumption that she’s one of them.”
“Then why wouldn’t she be in the cave?” Hannah queried. “Why wouldn’t she be with the others?”
“It could be that she was taken someplace else,” Jackie replied. “She could be closer than we realize. Our snakeman might already be here. There are tunnels under this town. Don’t forget that.”
Cooper lifted his head. It was obvious the possibility hadn’t occurred to him. “We have to stick to the plan,” he said after a beat. “We can’t risk going into the tunnels. We have to set up our defense here and work as a team. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to get through this.”
“I agree.” Jackie forced a smile for Hannah’s benefit. “Are you going to be able to fight? I mean ... well and truly fight. We need to take down the snakeman to save the women, and yet we’re going to have to fight off the women long enough for us to kill the snakeman. It’s going to be a balancing act.”
“I’m ready.” Hannah was grim. She understood the stakes. “What do you need me to do?”
“What you always do. Follow your instincts. They haven’t led you astray yet.”
Hannah could only hope this wouldn’t be the first time.
18
Eighteen
Jackie’s salve didn’t exactly fix the issues with Hannah’s knee, but it did numb up the area enough for her to walk. Cooper found her testing the injury in the saloon just as the sun started to set.
“I would still feel better if you’d go upstairs,” he said in a quiet voice.
“Well, that’s not going to happen.” Hannah smiled when she turned. “I put Jinx up there. He’s really mad, by the way. I think we’re going to have to spoil him tomorrow ... if we survive, that is.”
He frowned. “We’re going to survive. I meant what I said. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
They both knew that was a promise he couldn’t keep, but she opted to refrain from pointing that out.
“How do you think they’ll approach us?” she asked instead. She wanted to be as prepared as possible.
“I think they’ll try to split us up and isolate us. We can’t allow that to happen. We need to stay together, as a group. That’s why I’m here. It’s time to group together on Main Street. We’re putting ourselves directly in front of the saloon. That means there are only two ways to approach.”
Hannah nodded. That made sense. “The goal is to take out this snakeman — although I like boogeyman better, because snakes freak me out — and then, in theory, the women will return to their normal selves, right?”
Cooper understood what answer she wanted to hear, but he was hesitant. “That’s the theory,” he said finally. “If one of those women comes for you, though, you can’t be afraid to take her out. We have no proof that this is going to work and you’re more important.”
“Than what?”
“Than anything, as far as I’m concerned. You’re more important than what already might be dead.”
Frustrated, Hannah placed her hand on her forehead. “I don’t know that I can just kill them. We have to save them.”
“We’re going to do our best.” He lifted the sword he carried. “This is for you. It’s lightweight, so you should be able to wield it. Just be careful when you’re swinging. You’re not used to fighting with a sword.”
“Is anybody used to fighting with a sword?” Hannah was rueful when she took the weapon. “I think I would prefer using my magic.”
“This is just in case.” He leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss. “I’m going to be right there with you. I promise. We’re doing this together.”
“Yeah ... and then maybe we can spend all day together in bed tomorrow, huh?” Hannah brightened considerably at the prospect. “We can even eat in bed. That’s something to look forward to.”
He nodded without hesitation. “That sounds like the perfect day.”
“Even if Jinx is with us?”
“Yes.” He was determined to get the dog to forgive him no matter what. He wanted to be with Hannah more than anything and the dog was part of the package. They would form their own little family and go from there. “Are you ready?”
Boot Scootin' Boogeyman Page 18
