Nathan's Clan of Deadheads Read online

  Diane asked the obvious. “But it’s habitable?”

  “Mmm…you might could say that. In a pinch.”

  The room remained still while Jenna mulled her options with this new consideration. Finally, she addressed Nathan. “Do you think your property could provide a safe haven?”

  “With some improvements, yes, ma’am, I expect so.”

  “What the hell? You’re letting him off the hook? This is bullshit.” Heidi stalked toward the door.

  Jenna whirled on Heidi and held her in place. “I’m not done with you, yet. Now, turn around and face me. He may have borrowed…”

  “That’s putting it nicely,” Diane muttered.

  “…but you killed a man,” Jenna continued. “Now, we can settle this if you stop with the attitude.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  Tired of the game, Jenna glowered and her stature increased to tower over Heidi. “I don’t have to play nice.”

  “Holy mother of Mary!” Marvin scrambled out of his chair. “Don’t do that, it always freaks me out.”

  Jenna directed her countenance onto Marvin. “You stay quiet or leave.” He cowered and slunk to the couch.

  Heidi stood defiant, her blue eyes glaring. “Are you going to stop harassing me if I agree to some bullshit suggestion?”

  “I’ll do better than that,” Jenna replied.

  “How?”

  Diane stepped between Jenna and Heidi. “Do you know anything about us, our sect here on this plane of existence? What we do, how we operate?”

  “Yeah, you bully people like me.”

  “Oh, you have no idea what we can do.” Diane’s height grew to match Jenna’s. “But, bullying is the least of your worries if you don’t stop mouthing off.”

  “You know what? That’s it. I’m done.” Jenna’s countenance grew huge and dark, and enveloped Heidi, removing her from everyone’s sight. She listened to the woman’s laughter turn to utter silence at what Jenna revealed, whimpering increased to an all-out cry for help. Jenna released her and waited. The dim light in the room showed her how much time had passed, and she gawked around to find Marvin, Diane, and Nathan sitting at the small dining table, the remains of room service cluttering the top. Leaning to peer into the master bedroom, she found Erick huddled under blankets, fast asleep.

  Several moments later the visible quivering ceased, and Heidi found her voice, though it came out in a contrite whisper. “What do I have to do?”

  Chapter 37

  Nathan sat near the window of the suite’s bedroom. Early morning light sent shivering glints on the waves of the lake, and gulls left their rocky perches to take to the air in search of breakfast. This conversing with a guy he’d slipped into and lived life for gave a whole new meaning to talking to oneself. This was all strange but in a good sort of way. Nathan turned back to the chore of packing the clothes he’d purchased. “Could you grab the suit out of the closet for me? No sense in leaving this stuff behind this time.”

  “You mean you usually do?”

  “Yes. Usually with a note to donate them to a homeless shelter.”

  “Oh. That’s cool.” Erick pulled the hanger from the rod. “Is there a garment bag for this?”

  Nathan’s hands dropped to his side, two pairs of rolled-up briefs in one. “Damn. Well, put it back in there. Can’t go making any side trips to buy one.” Nathan heaved a long, loud sigh. “What would I need a suit for anyway? This surely is not how I planned for this to go. I can hear my daddy laughing at me. ‘Boy, you done put your cart right in front of that horse, now, didn’t you?’ ”

  “It’s a shame. Not that I won’t miss the luxury after the dreary barracks room.” Erick shrugged, and dropped the hanger onto the rod. “I guess I believed the Air Force ads…you know, ‘you’ll touch the sky’ and all that. Adventure intrigued me. Where did I go? Working day in and day out at the museum. But, this sounds like one heck of a ride to me. Tell me about the compound.”

  “Well, to start, it’s a far piece from this. If you thought the barracks was lean, well sir, wait ’til you get a gander at the place you’re about to call home.” Nathan shoved shirts into the bag. “For starters, it’s one room, no heat except what the wood stove manages to put out without generating a plume of smoke, only cold water… You know, I need you in order to get the truck back. Once we get there, if you want me to—”

  “I know what you’re going to say. Nope. If you do this kind of thing every winter, I’m more than happy to keep the arrangement.” Erick handed him the small case with all the toiletries.

  Nathan zipped up the bag and dropped it onto the bed. “I’d have to say, you’re a better man than I am.”

  “Don’t say that, Nathan. It’s…I don’t know…weird in a sense. I mean, I did have my own thoughts, though yours took the lead somehow. But it didn’t bother me, you know? I liked the things we were doing.” A wide grin exposed even teeth. “Especially with Shelly. I’m going to miss that.”

  That didn’t surprise Nathan considering the performance at the barracks he’d skipped out on. For Nathan to say he’d miss the woman would be like saying he missed living. The stolen lives of the past were empty, hollow compared to this, and the difference hit him like jumping into a snowmelt-cold creek to bathe. In the short time he’d been with her, Shelly had burrowed into him so completely, so thoroughly that she may as well have taken over his entire being. He didn’t understand it, but leaving her ripped something inside and created an ache he couldn’t touch. “Where’s her gift?”

  “On the desk in there,” Erick pointed to the living room.

  Nathan sat at the desk, with the box wrapped in plain gold paper with a silver ribbon and bow taunting him. He pulled a sheet of hotel stationery from the desk drawer and composed a note of apology. After holding the pen poised in the air for a moment, he finished with, “I’ll be back. That’s a promise. Love always, Nathan.”

  He never wrote that before, except maybe on a card or gift to family. But it was true. Folding the note, he slipped it into an envelope and sealed it. Then he grabbed the house phone to dial the concierge. “Yes, ma’am, when Dean comes in, would you be so kind as to have him come up to my room? Yes, ten would be fine. There’s an errand I need to run. Thank you, ya’ll have been more than kind.”

  With that decided, he looked out on the lake. “Erick, it’s best we get some sleep before we head out.” After an affirmative response, he waited. Once Erick’s soft snoring drifted from the other room, Nathan went in to join him on the bed. In slow, deliberate moves, he pushed his way into a willing host and drifted off to join him in sleep.

  Repeated pounding on the door, alternated with the insistent chimes of the doorbell, woke him. He rose, pulled on a robe, and discovered Dean holding a tray of pastries and coffee.

  “Good morning, sir. I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty.” Dean lifted the tray a bit. “Figured you might want a little something to tide you over.”

  Nathan followed him to the dining table, still cluttered from the previous meal of his phantom guests. “Let me stack some of this to make room. You surely have gone over the extra mile. I appreciate that.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Anything you need, you just ask. That’s what I’m here for.”

  Nathan poured two cups of coffee and pushed one across to Dean. “Here, have a seat. I was wondering if you might could do me a favor.”

  “Anything. Well, anything that won’t get me arrested.” Dean grinned.

  “I have to leave today on some urgency, and need a letter and gift delivered to Shelly. Would you do that for me?”

  Though he nodded, an expression of disappointment painted itself across Dean’s face.

  Retrieving the box and letter, Nathan set them on the table. “I’ll be back as soon as I’m able. But, it wouldn’t sit right at all leaving without some explanation. I sure would appreciate it and I’ll make it worth your while.”

  “Mr. Crockett, there’s no need for that. I’m happy to
do it for you.” Dean emptied his cup, and stood. “I hope you’ll call on me when you return.”

  “You can count on it. And, please, tell Shelly the same for me, would you? It might pain my mama to hear this,” he said with a grin he couldn’t repress, “but Shelly’s the finest woman I’ve ever met in my life.”

  He showered and dressed, stopped at the lobby desk to check out. He left a generous tip for the people in the concierge office who’d catered to his every whim over the past few weeks. After a quick walk to the bank, a separate envelope, addressed to Dean, contained a personal note of thanks and a hefty amount in one-hundred dollar bills. Then he made his way to the old F-150 parked in the garage of the mall.

  Through it all questions pierced his mind like a million lengths of straw poking from a bale of hay. The forced early return to the compound complicated things. How the others would handle this, he couldn’t figure. Everyone had worked hard to keep the place off the radar of the truly living world. Who would stay and who would leave when he told them what was about to transpire?

  Chapter 38

  Nathan tried to make the best of the long ride to West Virginia with tedious attempts to start conversations with a passenger no living person—no, make that no typical living person—might detect in the seat next to him. As he neared the turn-off to the long road on his property, the need to make sure her mouthy attitude wouldn’t cause trouble popped to the forefront of his thoughts. “You’ve been as feisty as a badger trapped in a den. These are good folks here. See if you can conduct yourself with a bit of decorum and they might go along for the ride. It’s not like your life has been upended, you’ll get to keep doing what you set out to do.”

  Heidi continued to focus out the front window. “How about if you quit bitching. It seems to me you’ve got nothing to complain about considering how many lives you’ve lived. Try getting cut down by a train in your mid-thirties—”

  Nathan’s raucous laugh cut her short. “Now, that there’s mighty rich. You don’t know a thing about us, what-all happened to us, or at what age.”

  He braked and made the turn, the truck quickly devoured by leafless bramble and ever-larger trees. After more than forty-five minutes of jostling over ruts and tree roots, running down into gullies and back up the other side, Heidi let out an exasperated cry. “Where the hell is this place?”

  “Not much farther, if you don’t count the mile hike after we park.” Nathan pointed to a small clearing ahead where a half-dozen snow-covered vehicles sat. “There.”

  “You’re kidding, right? You couldn’t build a little closer to civilization?”

  “Seems to me you should be happy. If you don’t think folks won’t be looking for missing kids, you’re dumber than a plow mule. This is well away from prying eyes. You’ll need that more than we do.”

  Nathan pulled alongside Zachariah’s Jeep Cherokee and cut the engine. At the bed of the pick-up he slung the duffle bag over a shoulder, then gestured to a small suitcase. “Would ya’ll mind?”

  A woodpecker tapped somewhere among the trees. The snow crunched under their feet. Those were the only things to break the silence as he led the way along the path. Heidi’s silence suited him just fine. For all the enjoyment of luxuriating each winter with fine food and such, walking this path should bring him peace; this was home. The people here were family. Chosen family. He didn’t want to lose them. Moreover, if this was to succeed, he needed them. Despite the beauty surrounding him, dread built in his body, his muscles tightened with every step. He hadn’t been able to conjure up a single explanation for the circumstances of this early return. At least none which didn’t sound lame in his own head. Repercussions could be fierce. The change would be about as welcome as…well, suffering a blast at the mines.

  Nathan whistled low as they approached the footbridge; Zachariah hadn’t been idle. Newly hewn upright studs stood out from weather-worn gray, and new lengths of ship’s rope spanned both sides for handrails. “Right nice work, Zach.” He twisted at the waist. “Careful, it tends to be a might slippery, could be ice under the snow.”

  Heidi laughed. “It’s not like I’d get hurt if I fell.”

  “No, but I don’t cotton to having to scramble down there to retrieve a busted-up suitcase come Spring.” Nathan forged on.

  Twilight sparkled on the snow as they broke from the cover of the woods. The glen of the compound opened up before them. A sight he would never tire of, even in winter. Faint wisps of smoke rose from the chimney of every cabin, their little square windows shed rectangles of light on small snowdrifts.

  Nathan pointed to a newly occupied structure. “Looks like we picked up a new member.”

  “Who’s he?” Heidi’s forefinger indicated a guy standing on the porch of the largest structure, Nathan’s ‘summer home,’ as he liked to call it. A cigarette dangled from the man’s lips as he wrestled to close the buttons of his fly.

  “That there would be Zachariah.” Nathan lifted an arm in greeting. “Hey, Zach!”

  “Hey, Nate. What’re ya’ll doing back? Too much rich food and high living chase you out of the city?”

  “I wish,” Nathan called back, and headed across the meadow. “Sorry, but it looks like I’ll be needing my bunk.”

  Zach jumped down from the porch and headed toward Nathan. “Who’s the lady?”

  “Well, now, bless her heart,” Nathan responded blandly. “She’s the reason I’m here.”

  “Don’t blame it on me. I’m not the one stealing lives,” Heidi retorted.

  “Oh, I beg your pardon, ma’am,” Nathan responded drolly. “I stand corrected, you just kill people.”

  The outstretched hand dropped to his side and Zachariah halted. “And you brought her here?”

  “Oh, simmer down, Zachariah. It’s not like I had a choice.” Nathan made a dismissive hand gesture toward Heidi. “Besides,” he said in her direction, “if it wasn’t for you slamming into me, neither one of us would be in this predicament.”

  “Oh, cram it. You whine worse than a kid who didn’t get his pony on Christmas.”

  “And you’re all sugar and spice yourself.” After she flipped him off, he made the introduction. “Zach, this here’s Heidi.”

  “Hey,” was all either of them bothered to say.

  Nathan shivered, stamping his feet. “Let’s go in. Tromping through the snow after the heat in the truck, I’m about to freeze my nuggets off. I hope you have coffee sitting over the embers. And a few shots of whiskey.”

  “You’ll have to do with the whiskey ’til I get a pot going,” Zach said, heading for Nathan’s cabin.

  “I think I might could handle that. Then, we need to gather the clan. I have some news I’m afraid not everyone is going to take very kindly.”

  Zach took a glance at Heidi and a scowl creased his forehead. “Do tell.”

  “I will, once we have everyone here,” Nathan said as he pushed the door open. Inside he headed straight for the wood stove. “Ah, that feels good.”

  “I’ll go round everyone up,” Zach said.

  Nathan stopped him from shutting the door. Chilled air pushed across the floorboards. “Who’s the new person? We have a single or double? Trust me,” he added before Zach could ask the question. “It’s going to matter; soon, I’m afraid.”

  “Young kid. Name’s Marcus. He’s a wise-ass. You’ll like him.” Zach grinned and strode off.

  Nathan closed the door and turned to see Heidi in the middle of the room.

  She held out the suitcase she’d been tasked with. “Where do you want this?”

  “Just drop it in the corner, at the foot of the bed.” A thud issued as the bag hit the floor. She was a pain in the ass, this one. About as cooperative as a mule pulling loaded carts from the mines. “Grab a chair from the stack against the wall and make yourself at home. We’re as casual as the surroundings.” Nathan opened the single cupboard above the sink and reached for a cup. “You want a shot?”

  “I’m good, thanks.”
>
  “Suit yourself.” Nathan poured a double shot of whiskey, tossed it back, and let out a sigh as the heat snaked its way down into his stomach. After another one spread warmth into his limbs, he set about starting the coffee. He pulled the ancient dining table he’d made with his own hands to the middle of the room, opened it and put the extensions in. He placed a stack of small glasses and the bottle of whiskey in the center. Why couldn’t this be summer? Why couldn’t it be two glasses instead of a stack? Why couldn’t a smiling Shelly be about to sit across from him instead of the frightened faces he expected?

  Chapter 39

  The humidity of late May hung like a shroud. Gnats swarmed through the shade of the canopied tree limbs surrounding the small plot they’d cleared the previous week. Their buzzing louder than the honeybees in the meadow, and provided a backdrop to the sounds of hammers from across the meadow Nathan swiped a forearm at the sweat dripping from his face, launched a two-by-four onto a growing pile, and gawked around. “Marcus?” No response. “Where’d he go?”

  “That way.” Zachariah thrust a hammer to his right, and then pounded another nail to secure the last piece of subfloor for the new cabin.

  Nathan peered at the tree line and called out, “Marcus, slap that dick down and get back to work. Good Lord, Zach, I thought I was a horny cuss at his age. That boy is forever sneaking off into the trees. Why doesn’t he do that in his bunk at night like a normal kid?”

  “Come on, Nathan. Give him a break. With the other cabins already filled and having to share my place, he’s probably too embarrassed. And, if he’s thinking like a normal kid, he believes we don’t know what he’s up to out there.” Zach joined in on Nathan’s laughter. “Now don’t let this offend you, but it would appear he takes off like that right after he’s a spent a good spell gawking at the two of us.”

  “Really? You think he’s,” Nathan removed a hand from the saw he held poised over a piece of lumber and wobbled it in the air. “you know.”