Downwinders: Blood Oath, Blood River Part 28

"Well, they've got to go somewhere until I can read through them," Deem said. "Winn? Any ideas?"

"My trailer is too obvious," Winn said. "They know I'm with you on this. It'll probably get searched tomorrow."

"And they monitor everything," Deem said. "I've got to store them somewhere they can't see."

"Transfer the boxes to my car when we get back to St. George," Awan said. "I know a place. I'll take them there."

"Where?" Deem asked.

"I have an aunt in Leeds," Awan said. "She lives in an old house, from pioneer days. It'll offer some protection for the boxes, if we make a deal with Lyman."

"Who's Lyman?" Deem asked.

"It's a long story," Awan said. "But the boxes will be safe. Trust me."

"It's better than taking them home, Deem," Winn said. "Safer for your mom."

"I don't know," Deem said. "I can't afford to lose them. I feel like they've fallen into my lap for a reason, and I need to read what's inside. What if your aunt loses them? Or Dayton tracks them there and intimidates her into giving them up?"

"Tell you what," Awan said. "Come with me to Leeds and drop them off yourself. Meet my aunt, and Lyman. See if you're comfortable leaving them there."

"What if we're being followed?" Deem asked. "They'll know where the boxes are."

"It won't matter if they know they're at my aunt's," Awan said. "If Lyman agrees to watch over them, there's nothing they can do."

"They could kill him," Deem said, "like they killed Claude."

"He's already dead," Awan said.

"Oh," Deem said. "Well then. Alright. But I want to talk to him, to be sure."

"Of course," Awan said, smiling. He turned to Winn. "She can be very insistent."

"You have no idea," Winn said.

"Then we don't need to go to your car, Awan," Deem said. "Let's just go straight out to Leeds now, and we'll bring you back to St. George after. Alright, Winn?"

"Yes," Winn said. "Let's do it."

"I'll call her," Awan said, pulling his phone from his pocket, "to tell her we're coming."

Winn pulled up to the old home situated at the dead end of a flat street in Leeds. Newer homes lined the street that led to the house, but there was a comfortable distance between the last houses on the street and the old one at the end. It was surrounded by a white two beam fence and had a large front lawn. A hill rose up steeply behind it, the reason for the dead end. Winn drove into the driveway. Deem noticed a large sign that said "No Visitors No Trespa.s.sers No Solicitors No Missionaries" posted on a stake just inside the fence. Winn parked next to an old green Ford station wagon that had wood paneling on the side.

"Carma is gifted," Awan said as they walked to the door, "but her practice is a little different." Awan knocked on the door. It flew open and Carma rushed out, extending her arms to Awan, who allowed her to wrap him in them. Carma was thin and tall, just over six feet, and had perfectly manicured hair she looked as though she'd just left a beauty parlor. A thin cigarette dangled from one hand.

"You don't visit enough," she said in a slightly raspy voice, which Deem a.s.sumed was due to the smoking. She hugged Awan until Deem thought he would pop. Then she abruptly released him and turned to Winn and Deem.

"Your companions?" she said.

"Deem and Winn," Awan said. "Good friends."

"I am so pleased to meet good friends of Awan's," she said, transferring her cigarette from her right to her left hand, then extending the right to each of them. When Deem shook Carma's hand she thought she could feel every bone in it, and she was afraid of using too much pressure and breaking it.

"It won't break," Carma said, smiling at her. "I take calcium pills. They do a number on my stomach, but my doctor insists. Didn't drink enough milk as a child apparently."

She whirled around in a perfect one-eighty and walked back into the house, motioning for them to follow her.

Deem looked at Winn. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. They both seemed to approve of Carma.

"Now, this house is over a hundred and forty years old!" Carma said as they walked into a hallway and down it to a back room. The hallway was lined with pictures of the house from different eras and the surrounding area. Deem recognized pictures of abandoned buildings at the nearby ghost town, Silver Reef.

"Built by a Mormon pioneer named Hosea Hamblin, a revered name in these parts. He was a favorite of Brigham Young until he sided with John D. Lee and apostatized. They killed apostates in those days, but Hosea had built himself a nice homestead here and he had some resources as well as friends, so the local church decided to leave him alone rather than slit his throat. Anyone like some iced tea?"

They emerged into a back room that had a comfortable sitting area with more pillows than Deem could count. It had large gla.s.s windows that looked over the back yard.

"I'd like some," Winn said. "Thanks."

"Awan?" Carma asked.

"Not for me, thanks."

"How about you, dear?" Carma asked Deem. "You look like you could use something right about now."

Deem looked out over the beautiful back yard, lit by small lights placed here and there, and a larger light that lit part of the large hill rising at the end of the lawn. It was beautiful. The day had been brutal, and for the first time in a long time, she felt peace wash over her. She felt a release coming, and lowered her head to her chest, fighting the urge to cry. I will not let Winn and Awan see me cry, she thought.

She felt Carma place her hand on her back. "I have a Diet c.o.ke with your name on it, my dear. Does that sound good?"

Deem shook her head yes.

"Good," Carma said, walking away. "I'll be right back with drinks, you all make yourselves comfortable."

"Nice place," Winn said to Awan. "That yard is amazing."

"You OK, Deem?" Awan asked.

"I'm fine," Deem said, looking for a place to sit down, and finding a large overstuffed chair she flopped into. It was soft and enveloping, and she instantly felt the tension that had built up in her body seep out and into the chair. "It's been a long day."

"That it has," Winn said, joining her by sitting on a nearby couch. Awan joined him.

"Here we are," Carma said, entering the room with a tray. "Now, take what you want and leave what you don't. I've brought some of these little Asian crackers you might want to try. I've fallen in love with them. Not everyone likes them, because of the seaweed. If you don't like them, just ignore them."

"Thank you," Winn said, standing up and pouring himself a gla.s.s of iced tea from a pitcher. He took the can of Diet c.o.ke from the tray and handed it to Deem, who popped it open and took a long swig.

"The boxes!" Deem said, pulling the can away from her lips. "They're in the car!"

"We have some boxes of doc.u.ments," Awan said to Carma. "We were hoping we could keep them here for a while. They're..."

"Dangerous?" Carma said, c.o.c.king one eyebrow.

"Yes," Winn said.

"Delightful!" Carma said. "How are they dangerous?"

"It's a long story," Deem said.

"Short version," Carma said, "so you can bring them inside."

"I think they have information about a secret council of gifted Mormons," Deem said. "Higher-ups in the church."

"How high up?" Carma asked, a smile spreading across her face as her eyes widened.

"Stake presidents and up," Deem said.

"Delicious!" Carma said.

"We think they killed a friend of mine to get them."

"Killed?" Carma asked. "Who?"

"Claude Peterson."

"Claude is dead?" Carma said in horror, pressing her palm flat against her chest.

"Yes," Deem said. "Eviscerated, in his home."

"And his files are in your car?" Carma asked.

"Yes. Awan said we might be able to store them here, to keep them safe."

"Awan," Carma said, "take this handsome man with you and the two of you go bring those boxes inside immediately."

Winn put down his iced tea and stood up as Awan made his way out of the room and back down the hallway. Carma turned and followed them, and Deem followed her. When Awan returned with the first box, Carma directed him to a side room, where he began stacking them. Deem started to walk out of the house to help them, but Carma stopped her. "Let the boys do it, dear," Carma said. "You've had enough excitement for one day. You relax." Carma took a long drag off her cigarette and blew the smoke into the outside air.

Once they'd all been moved inside, Carma led them back to the sitting room where Winn picked up his iced tea and returned to the couch with Awan. Deem sat back down in the large overstuffed chair. Carma seemed content to remain standing behind them.

"Really, Awan, leaving them outside like that," Carma chided.

"I thought the whole property was protected," Awan said. "Isn't it?"

"The house is stronger," Carma said. "Not as strong as the bas.e.m.e.nt and the cave, but much better than the driveway, for heaven's sake."

"It sounds to me like you knew Claude," Winn said. "From the radio? Or personally?"

"Claude and I go way back," Carma said. "Before St. George got so built up, all the non-Mormons around these parts knew each other. We had to, to survive." She took a long drag off her cigarette and exhaled, deftly aiming the smoke behind her. "I can't believe he's dead. Then again, I can. He waded in turbulent waters, that man. Wasn't protected. I tried to get him more protection, but he thought alarm systems and surveillance and a good dog was enough. It was bound to catch up to him. He'd angered the higher-ups around here for years. Poor man. You said eviscerated?"

"Belly cut open," Awan said, "intestines pulled out."

"d.a.m.n Mormons," Carma said. "They really make me angry sometimes with their ridiculous penalties. I can't tell you how many people have died in this state with either their throats cut or their guts ripped out due to that crazy temple stuff. Are any of you hungry? Would you like something more to eat? I noticed none of you tried the crackers."

"We ate just before we went to Claude's place," Awan said. "Maybe two hours ago. I'm not hungry, but thanks."

"Me either," Deem said. "Just tired."

"Awan mentioned someone named Lyman," Winn said. "He said we'd need to make a deal with him."

"That'll be an easy deal," Carma said. "If those boxes have dirt on a secret Mormon council, he'll say yes without hesitation."

"He lives here?" Deem asked.

"Almost," Carma said. "He lives in a cave in that hill back there," she said, pointing through the windows to the hill that rose up at the end of the lawn.

"Awan said the boxes would be safe here," Deem said. "I need to read through what's inside. I gotta be sure they'll be OK if I leave them with you. And I'm worried that they'll make you a target of the council. That's why I couldn't take them home, I didn't want to put my mother and aunt at risk. It seems unfair to do the same to you."

"Don't you worry about that," Carma said, smiling at her. "They'll be safe here, I promise you. And we're under no threat from your council."

"Awan said you are gifted," Deem said. "You've protected the house?"

"Not me," Carma said, pulling another hit from her cigarette and exhaling. "Him!" She pointed out the window toward the hill.

"Is it strong enough to keep the council away?" Deem asked.

"They know better than to come here," Carma said. "The boxes will be safe."

"I'm sorry to keep asking," Deem said, "but I have to be sure. So many things have gone wrong recently. What keeps them away?"

"Lyman has slaughtered every high ranking Mormon who has set foot on this property for more than a hundred years," Carma said. "They stopped coming years ago. He's too dangerous to them."

"The sign out front?" Deem asked. "Warning people away?"

"It keeps the right people away," Carma said. "Rank and file don't need to worry, as long as their intentions are good. But I guarantee you, a Bishop or Stake President knows why that sign is there, and they respect it."

"Lyman hates church authorities?" Deem asked. "Why?"

"Tell you what," Carma said, taking the empty can of Diet c.o.ke from Deem and placing it back on the tray. "I'll let you ask him that yourself, when you meet him tonight. He'll be out around four-thirty, and we'll go down. Why don't you all just sleep here for a while, and I'll wake you when it's time."

"Alright," Deem said. "Winn? What do you say?"

"I've got nowhere to be," he said. "Awan?"

"I'd rather sleep here than drive back home tonight," Awan said. "It's a long haul."

"Alright, it's settled," Carma said. "There's plenty of rooms upstairs. Go pick the one you like. I'll set the alarm for four-thirty and wake you up then."

"Why four-thirty?" Deem asked, rising from her chair.

"It's all moon-driven," Carma said. "He's always around, but he only materializes and talks when the moon is at its zenith. It's a little inconvenient, but I'm use to reading the almanac. A lot easier when it's during the day, but Lyman makes the rules around here."