Moon - New Moon Part 59

Logan wanted to punch out the cop's lights. He'd thought this guy could give him a clue about where to find Rinna. But Cooper was only on a fishing expedition.

"I don't have time for this," he muttered, starting to turn away.

"Wait a minute," Cooper said quickly. "Let's exchange information."

Logan stared at him, stony faced.

The detective continued, talking fast. "I've had patrols going past the store every couple of hours. They didn't see anything, so I went there last night. I didn't see a d.a.m.n tiling."

"Then stop wasting my time!" Logan growled.

"I said I didn't see anything. That was part of what was so strange. I thought I heard men coming out of the store. When I tried to pursue them, somebody threw a spear at me. Then somebody else came up behind me and started a fight. I couldn't see the spear carrier. And I couldn't see the one who attacked me, but I smelled his sweaty body. It was like somebody made him invisible. Him and his friends."

Logan stared at him, hardly daring to hope. He'd seen enough cop shows to know that they could say anything they wanted to you and it didn't have to be true. But why would Cooper have come up with such a bizarre story?

"You're saying you think there were a bunch of guys there last night. But they were invisible?" he asked, keeping his voice low and even.

"If I told that story to someone else, they'd haul me off to the loony bin," the cop remarked. "But you're taking it in like I was telling you about a cool play during Monday night football."

"Yeah," Logan admitted, looking from Cooper to his brother, then back again. "I have an idea about what's going on at the Easy Shopper. But you probably won't believe me."

"Try me."

"If you're willing to keep an open mind."

The detective nodded.

"You watch science fiction shows on television? Star Trek? Stuff like that?"

"Some."

"You remember they landed on a different planet every week, with inhabitants who were different from us?"

"Where are you going with this?"

Logan swallowed. "One more thing. Have you heard of string theory? It's a concept developed by physicists that says there are universes parallel to this one."

The detective c.o.c.ked his head to one side, studying him. "You've got me on that one."

Logan knew he could be making a big mistake. But he figured he didn't have anything to lose.

Looking the detective squarely in the eye, he said, "What's happening at that d.a.m.n store proves the theory. There's a door to another universe in the back. The guys you couldn't see came through it. They come from a universe where a lot of the people have psychic powers. I'm guessing one of them made them invisible."

Cooper heaved a sigh. "I thought you were going to come clean with me."

"I am."

"I don't think so. What are you covering up?"

"Nothing!" Logan made an effort not to grab the guy by the collar and shake him. One fight in an hour was enough. "I'm not going to stand around talking about it. Not when Rinna is missing."

He pushed past the detective, walking rapidly toward his car. "Come on," he said to Lance.

His brother followed.

"I don't have a record of your being married," the cop called after him. "What is she, an illegal alien?"

WHEN Rinna saw Falcone disappear inside the campaign tent and close the flap behind him, her footsteps faltered. But two of the soldiers grabbed her. They must know what Falcone had done to her. They were in his household, and gossip traveled quickly around a closed little world like Falcone's estate.

She wanted to scream, "No," but the protest stayed locked in her throat.

They were afraid to help her, and she understood why.

She wanted to tell them that they could run away. She and Logan would help them get adjusted to this world. And together they could deal with Falcone.

But she knew they wouldn't believe her. They were too conditioned to the reality of Sun Acres.

So they followed orders, pushing her relentlessly toward the tent. It took every bit of resolve she possessed to keep from turning and clawing at them, then running as fast as she could into the woods, praying that somebody heaved a spear into her back before Falcone could get his cold, cruel hands on her again. Better death than another session in his bed.

But somewhere in her frantic mind she remembered why she had come here. If she was strong enough, she might change her own fate.

LOGAN turned back toward the detective, determined to make him explain that crack about Rinna being an illegal alien. But before he could challenge the cop, Lance put his hand on his arm and squeezed.

Logan went rigid, hardly able to control his need to strike out-at someone. Anyone. The detective. His brother. Anybody convenient.

But Lance's voice cut through the red fog in his brain. "Come on," he ordered. "Getting slapped into jail isn't going to do you any good."

Logan gritted his teeth and struggled for control.

The detective gave him an a.s.sessing look. Logan thought the guy was going to make a comment about his state of mind. But he switched to something completely different.

"One more thing. You have any insights about a big white bird hanging around the Easy Shopper?"

Logan felt his heart stop and start up again in double time. "You saw a large white bird?" he asked carefully.

"It came flapping down to the pad in front of the store after I got coldc.o.c.ked, while I was lying there, trying to get up the energy to move."

"And when was that?"

"Last night."

Logan stared at him. The bird sounded like it was Rinna, unless someone else who took that form had come through the portal. That was always a possibility.

So why had Cooper mentioned it? Was he just doing more fishing for information? Or did he think the bird was part of the strange events coalescing around the convenience store?

Logan chose to believe it was Rinna. But he'd know soon enough. Because if she'd been at the store, her scent would be fresh there, and closer to where Falcone and his men had come through the portal.

"You've seen that bird?" Cooper asked.