Dirk And Steele: The Wild Road Part 26

He looked sheepish. "I can't help myself. I see little things here and there, down in Jasper or Paoli. I don't have anyone else to spend on but my grandkids."

"I bet they love you," she said, and he blushed happily, shaking his head as though having their love was something to which he was far too modest to admit.

She looked up and found Lannes watching her. Her heart twisted in her chest, pounding fast with grief...but also hope. His eyes were filled with concern, but there was nothing but warmth on the edge of his mind; his heart was sweet against her own. "Ed," Lannes rumbled, tearing his gaze from her. "We have a picture we wanted to show you. We were hoping you might recognize some of the faces."

The old man clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "I would be delighted."

Behind him, the cat was still having a vigorous conversation with Rictor, who, in a sudden burst of motion, swept down and scooped her into his arms. Four white paws curled in the air. The cat chirped once, then fell silent.

"Huh," Ed said, frowning at the orange tabby. Rictor remained utterly impa.s.sive.

Lannes opened the shoe box and removed the black-and-white group photo. Ed carefully took it from him and sat on the couch. He stared for a long time. Long enough for Lethe to take a sip of coffee and realize that she hated the stuff.

"I know these people," he said, finally. "All but one."

He pushed aside some magazines and laid the photo down. "Here, this little girl is Milly. That's Etta Bredow beside her. The two boys are Marcellus and, well, Simon. This here is William." Ed tapped the young man's face. "He had a good heart. Always a kind word. His parents owned the spread where this picture was taken."

"His family owned a cemetery?" Lethe asked, finding that rather odd.

"Not just a cemetery," said Ed, tapping his chin. "And by the thirties they had stopped burying local people. Maybe any people at all."

"Um," she said, and pointed at the child in William's arms. "How about this little guy?"

"He's the one I don't know. Probably because he was too young to come out and play."

She glanced around to see if the others had questions, and found Koni staring at the photo with unnerving intensity.

"Where," he said slowly, "did you say this was taken?"

"The farm is in Cuzco," Ed replied, looking at him curiously. "Fifteen, twenty minutes from here."

Lannes also glanced at Koni. "Is it still owned by the same family?"

"I a.s.sume so. Every now and then I hear rumors that William still visits the place."

"He would have to be near a hundred years old," Lethe replied.

"Young lady," Ed said, "a man is quite capable of living that long and doing things, even if he's got one foot in the grave."

Lannes smiled and started to put the photo back into the box. Ed stopped him and reached inside. He pulled out a pink piece of paper, his hand shaking slightly.

"Runa's stationery," he said reverently, though hearing that name made Lethe's stomach twist. "She used to write grocery lists on this stuff. I would do her shopping when she was busy."

He glanced at Lethe. "May I?"

She hesitated, afraid of what he might read, but Ed did not wait. He unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning words.

" 'Dear Abigail,'" he read out loud. " 'Aware as I am that you no longer welcome my letters, I nevertheless feel compelled to try one last time to make you understand the very real danger that threatens your children. I confess to having serious concerns about Simon. He is a bad influence, and the ill-advised present of that blasted grimoire does little to a.s.suage my fear that he will commit to a grievous action beyond our ability to repair. I warn you, Abigail, Lucy and Barnabus feel the same and have ordered William to take special care when around that child. He is not to be trusted. Nor will your children be, should they continue to keep his company.' "

Ed stopped reading and set down the letter. He stared at it, his hands pressed flat against the table. Lethe forced herself to breathe, those words ringing through her as though she could hear them in her head. Which, given the nature of things, would not have been an incredible surprise.

Koni and Lannes appeared equally troubled, while Rictor displayed a cold glimmer in his eyes. The orange tabby hung over his shoulder. The entire front of his body was covered in cat hair.

"Some letter," Ed whispered. "b.i.t.c.h."

She stared, startled, but Lannes was on his feet in a moment, slamming a hand against the old man's shoulder. He bore him down against the couch, and Koni leapt over the coffee table to take his other arm. The old man did not struggle. He looked at Lethe, and smiled.

"Amazing, the things you learn when you eavesdrop," said Ed, though his voice was suddenly low, hoa.r.s.e. Even his face looked different, and the muscles in his jaw were trying to rearrange themselves.

"Simon," Lethe said. "Get the h.e.l.l out of that man."

"You have no patience whatsoever. Please. Sit. Relax. Let us chat a spell. And while you're at it, get your monsters to stop touching me. They'll leave a bruise on this nice old man."

Lannes leaned forward. "You hurt her, you hurt him, and there will be no talking. I'll find you myself, and rip off your head."

"You leave me shaking in my skivvies, beast. Now, please, if you would." The old man-Simon, really-gave them a rather ghastly grin. Lannes and Koni, sharing a long look, eased off. But not far. Behind Lethe, Rictor moved close. Still holding the cat.

"Talk," Lethe said.

"We have options," the man remarked. "As I said while dangling from the seat belt of that awful truck, I am prepared to offer you a deal. You kill the thing inhabiting you, and I will let you live."

"Gee," Lethe said, "what a bargain."

"It is," he replied. "I can be anywhere, in anyone. All I have to do is think it. And you're dead."

"Really," Lannes said. "If that's the case, then think your way into me."

"Or me," Koni said.

"Or please," Rictor added coldly, "try me."

Simon hesitated. Lethe smiled. "You are so desperate. And you are such a loser. Runa saw it. She hated your guts, and you knew it. So you thought you'd get even by hurting her little girl. You thought that would prove yourself to everyone. You little s.h.i.t."

Ed's face froze in an ugly grimace. "Don't you say that."

"Murderer," she snarled. "Spoiled f.u.c.king brat."

"I'm gonna kill you," he whispered. "Oh, G.o.d, I'm gonna kill you."

Lethe felt a pulse at the back of her brain. It was Runa, waking. Lannes gave her a sharp look and took a step. Too late. The dead woman entered her mind like a ghost, intangible but full and rich.

Lethe could not fight Runa, and her mouth moved, speaking words not her own. "For my daughter," she whispered. "You will never have peace."

And then she used Lethe to slam into Ed's mind. Simon had a barrier up, but it buckled under the onslaught, and quite suddenly Lannes was there with her, too, skimming the outside of her thoughts. His strength poured in deep and true.

They did not break the wall, but Ed cried out, the tendons of his neck straining, and just like that, Simon fled. Back to the foxhole, wherever he lived.

Runa retreated as well. Lethe's knees buckled, and Rictor caught her arm, the cat on his shoulder jumping off with a disgruntled yowl. Lannes reached her in the next heartbeat, his jaw set, his eyes so dark with concern that all the blue seemed to have been traded for black. His pa.s.sage sent magazines flying off the coffee table, victims of his wings.

"I'm fine," she muttered. "Ed?"

"Okay," Koni said. "Just unconscious." Lethe sat down on the floor, resting her forehead against her knees. "That went well," she said, and promptly leaned over to vomit.

Chapter Eighteen.

It took several hours to take care of Ed. His pulse was fine, his breathing regular, but he was unconscious for such a long time that Lannes grew concerned about brain damage. Unfortunately, that was nothing a doctor could fix. Psychic trauma had to heal itself, or not heal at all.

But the old man woke. And after a lengthy conversation in which Ed confessed remembering nothing after seeing the photograph-and Lannes determined that no permanent damage had been done-they bundled themselves up, said good-bye to the cat, and drove away, waving to the old man who stood on his stoop and watched them with a smile, sadness in his eyes.

They stopped briefly at a little cafe near the lake. Lethe had used the bathroom at Ed's house, so she stayed in the car-just in case someone recognized her-while the men went in and bought some food. It took only a few minutes to do that, and less than that to decide where to go next.

"I've been thinking about crows," Lannes said, as they stood outside eating. "Crows with odd behavior, protecting large tracts of land."

"I haven't heard this story," Lethe said, talking around a roasted chicken sandwich. Odd breakfast, but the cafe served fishermen who wanted to buy lunches for the entire day. Sandwiches fit the bill.

"You think the farm in the picture is there," Koni said, looking rather ill.

Lannes shoved some roast beef into his mouth. "You must be a mind reader."

"Do you think William will be there?" Lethe asked them. "If he is, it could go badly for him."

Koni tensed, his reaction seeming rather more personal than simple concern over a stranger's welfare. Lannes frowned at him, and to Lethe said, "I'm not throwing you in the trunk of the car. Forget it."

"Duct tape, then. Rope. If he was part of that group, he could be in danger from me."

Lannes finished off the rest of his sandwich. "Based on Runa's letter, I doubt he did anything to harm her daughter."

"I'm not willing to take the risk."

"You'll have to," Rictor said, leaning against the car, deceptively casual. "You're too powerful. Even if we tied you up, you'd still break free. I don't even know how well a sedative would work. The only way to really stop you is to put a bullet in your brain."

"Stop," Lannes said. "Don't go there."

Rictor shrugged. "It's the truth. Deal with it, or not. She's dangerous. And once this is over, if it's over, she-"

"I'm right here," Lethe interrupted.

"Is going to need training," he finished.

" 'Training,'" she repeated. "Or is that another way of saying that I'll need to be watched, to make sure I don't cause trouble?"

"You are trouble," Rictor said. "It's in your blood."

Lannes stepped toward the man, who was a full head shorter but looked perfectly capable of handling himself against the gargoyle. They stared at each other, and there was no remorse in Rictor's eyes. No calculation, no emotion. Just flat, hard calm.

Everyone fell silent. Then, carefully, Koni said, "We're too exposed. Let's go."

Lannes and Lethe pulled out first in the Impala, leaving the Humvee a fair distance behind. For good reason. Five minutes later, he saw a crow fly free of the large black car. Koni, going scouting. Still attempting to keep his secrets from Lethe, which at this point, seemed rather ridiculous. Soon after, Lannes let Rictor pa.s.s him.

It was still morning. Lannes saw very few homes and hardly any people-just two boys playing basketball in the parking lot of a church-but the sun was shining, and the air flowing through the open window tasted rich and sweet and wild as they traveled down narrow country roads winding through land still heavy with mist. The gold of autumn was in full riot, brilliant against green meadows nestled along swollen silver creeks that captured the dawn light as though the waters were full of magic.

"There's a crow following us," Lethe said, peering out the window.

"Um," Lannes replied. "Really."

She gave him an odd look. "You do realize, don't you, that this link goes both ways? I might not be able to read your mind all the time, but I know what you're feeling."

"Might as well be the same thing," he muttered.

Lethe looked out the window again, staring into the sun, her hair shining golden and fine. Her face finally had some color, a touch of rose in her cheeks, and her eyes carried a deeper, richer green than he remembered. "I have instincts about things. Not memories, and not those random facts I spout. Just...feelings that seem to rest in between." She pointed out the window at the crow winging high above the Humvee. "Like instincts. And that bird, if I can allow myself to say it, is not normal."

Lannes sighed. "Don't ask me to explain."

"But I'm right."

He smiled. "You're sitting in a car being driven by a gargoyle disguised as a human man, while you are capable of moving objects with your mind, as well as reading minds. So yes, probably most anything your instincts tell you about this world, no matter how strange, is going to be possible."

The Humvee began to slow. Lannes looked around. He had not paid attention to where they were driving. Harvested cornfields were on his left, and on his right, a thick forest. Ahead, the crow wheeling in the sky suddenly twisted to the left, diving toward the ground, and Rictor braked so suddenly that Lannes almost crashed into his b.u.mper.

Just as he slowed, Lannes felt a hum in his blood, a flutter of energy...and then a black wave of feathers erupted over the golden forest, careening en ma.s.se towards the one black bird struggling to get away.

"s.h.i.t," Lethe said.

Rictor jumped out of the Humvee and ran toward the edge of the road. Lannes and Lethe got out as well, joining him. The one small crow began flying toward them, but the sheer number pursuing him was terrifying, even to Lannes. At least a hundred crows, maybe more, their shadow pa.s.sing over the cornfield like a giant fist. Rasping voices screeched, so deafening he could feel the vibration in his chest.

Rictor glanced down at Lethe. "You can save him."

She blinked, clearly startled, and the man grabbed her wrist. A cold smile tugged at his mouth. "Make something of yourself."

Lannes grabbed her other hand. "Put up a wall," he said urgently, traveling along their link. "Just see it in your head."

He felt her bewilderment, but it was followed by the roar of her quick mind. She stared at the birds, her focus sharpening to a razor point, and narrowed her eyes.

Power roared across her skin into Lannes' own body, like a lightning bolt shooting up his arm and into his brain. Her eyes flashed with actual light, her mouth tightening into a hard line, and a moment later all of the crows crashed against an unseen barrier. None of them dropped all the way to the ground, but they hovered, flapping furiously, blocking out the morning sun.

Koni fluttered past, directly into the Humvee. Rictor slammed the door behind him.

"Move," he snarled at the others, and then froze, staring into the woods. Lannes turned and saw nothing. Lethe grabbed his arm.

"I lost control of them," she snapped, and raced for the car. Lannes looked over his shoulder in time to see a black wave rushing forward. He leapt into the Impala, fighting to roll up the window, and gunned the engine.