Almost Midnight (15 page)

“Where did you go?” Mindy asked, stopping in front of them and looking indignant.

“Where did
I
go?” he asked, and now that he wasn't so worried, his anger rose. “I went looking for you. You disappeared, damn it. Dad told us to stay together.”

Offering him her tight-lipped frown, she cut her eyes to Eric who stood beside her, as if telling him to shut his trap in front of her new boyfriend. “We just went to grab a soda. I thought we'd be back before you two finished getting your futures told.”

“Here,” Tami said and dropped Mindy's phone in her hands. “We were extra concerned because we realized I goofed and took your phone and we wouldn't be able to contact you.”

That wasn't the only reason Chase was concerned, he thought. He was worried because his sister had decided to hang out with a guy who kept looking at her as if she was candy and he needed a sugar high.

“I don't need anyone worrying about me,” Mindy said, sounding annoyed at Tami.

“We all need someone to worry about us,” Tami said, sounding annoyed right back.

Silence descended. Angry silence. Two girls mad at each other kind of silence.

Finally, Mindy spoke up. “Let's go and get in line for the haunted house. I heard someone say it was great.” She swung around on the heels of her shoes and started walking down the street. Eric followed her, but instead of looking where he was going he did nothing but stare at her ass.

“I don't like that guy!” Chase growled close to Tami's ear.

“Me, either,” she said. “But let's do the haunted house and then I'll claim I started my period and we have to go home.”

Chase nearly choked on his next breath. It was a good idea, but did she have to mention her period? What was that acronym Mindy tossed around for things like this? Oh, yeah, TMI. That was totally too much information.

Tami's chuckle came close to Chase's ear and he looked at her.

“What?” he asked, not understanding the humor dancing in her eyes.

“Sorry, I keep forgetting guys can't handle hearing stuff like that.”

“No, I'm fine,” he lied.

“Then why are you so red?” She moved a little closer, her soft shoulder lightly whispering against his bicep. Back and then forth with each step. The warmth from that light touch made his heart skip a beat. This time, he didn't shift away. He might have moved a tiny bit closer. Even though he was still mad enough to chew nails and spit out staples at his sister and her new boyfriend, this would go down as one of the best days of his life.

Which, according to the palm reader, might not be too long.
Never turn your back on a challenge.
Well, Tami was one challenge he wasn't going to turn away from.

*   *   *

Complete darkness descended upon them. It took a second for Chase's eyes to adjust. The first thing he did was make sure his sister and the jerk were right ahead. They were.

Without warning, a vampire, blood dripping from his fangs, pounced at them. Tami screamed, grabbed his arm, and plastered herself to his side.

Haunted houses had never done much for Chase, but after feeling Tami's body so close to his, he wondered if he could find one in Houston that ran all year long. He'd love to bring Tami to it at least once a week.

Next a guy with a chainsaw came after them. It wasn't a real chainsaw, but it sure as heck sounded like one. Tami held on tighter.

Yup, he'd just become a haunted house fan for life.

They followed the arrows, highlighting the way to walk. They dipped through a black curtain, and complete darkness swallowed them again.

Chase blinked and tried to see Mindy, who he'd sworn had gone through the curtain seconds before. He couldn't make her out. But it could just be the light. He continued to follow the tiny blue lights past a coffin with a dead guy trying to grab them.

Worried that he'd lost his sister, he hurried Tami though the next curtain. He squinted his eyes, forcing them to adjust. No Mindy.

Then he heard it. A scream. Mindy's scream.

It wasn't the fun kind of scream. “Stop it!” she yelled.

Gut instantly knotted, he grabbed Tami so as not to lose her, and followed the sound of his sister's voice. The sound led him straight toward a wall, but he discovered it was just a curtain. He swiped it back and ran inside, looking for a monster. One named Eric.

The small room filled with technical equipment had just enough light to make out shapes. Then the shapes became more visible. Eric had Mindy against a wall, his hands all over her, his mouth on hers trying to drown out her screams.

“There,” Tami yelled, but Chase already had the asshole by the collar.

Wadding the asshole's shirt in his fist, Chase yanked him off his sister.

“Whoa, stop!” the guy screamed, holding up his hands.

“I think that's what my sister said!” He clenched his fist and heard Tami consoling his sister.

“It was a mix-up. I thought she was into it,” Eric said.

“Liar!” a feminine voice yelled out from behind him. Not his sister, but Tami. “Mindy might have been into it for a kiss, but she never invited you to climb inside her bra! She said stop, you low-life creep.”

Eric stiffened, obviously not liking being called names by a girl. “All I did was cop a feel. She was asking for it.”

“You're the one asking for it!” Chase pulled back his fist and plowed it right into the guy's face, crashing against teeth and bone. It hurt like hell, but felt wonderful at the same time.

The guy went down on his ass with a loud thump. “You broke my tooth,” he bit out and started to get up.

“Don't move!” Chase took a step closer and glared down at him. “You get up, I'm gonna break your nose next time.”

Eric stayed down, obviously hearing the truth in Chase's voice.

Chase turned to his sister, still sniffling and wiping her eyes. “Somebody call the cops.”

“No,” Mindy said. “I'm okay. Thanks to you, he didn't … didn't get anywhere. I just want to go home. Please. Please just get me home.”

His gut told him he needed to report this, but the pleading in his sister's voice had him just wanting to make it easier on her.

“Fine.” Chase turned back to the piece of shit on the floor and pointed a finger at him. “If I see you before I leave, I'm gonna hit you again. And I swear when I'm done, you'll have so much blood on you, that you'll put that vampire to shame. So you'd better not go back to your cabin tonight.”

 

NOVEMBER 1, 2 P.M.

NEWS FLASH: UPDATE

Search and Rescue volunteer hurt trying to reach plane crash

One of the rescue members with Search and Rescue (SAR) has fallen down a thirty-foot embankment while trying to reach the crash site of the Cessna 210—the plane that went down last night in the Jasper Mountain Range carrying four passengers and one pilot. Two emergency crew members carried the man to the site where an emergency helicopter is meeting them to transport the man to the local hospital. While the injuries are not life threatening, initial reports state that he suffered a broken leg and collarbone.

Tom Phillips, a volunteer with SAR who is more familiar with the Jasper Mountain Range, is busy trying to find a new and safer route to get to the wreckage. Meanwhile, temperatures continue to drop, making the conditions even more dangerous for any potential survivors, as well as the team trying to reach them.

 

Chapter Five

OCTOBER 31, 2:15 P.M.

They stormed out of the haunted house and Chase continued to rush them forward. He didn't want to chance meeting Eric again. He might just have to kill him. And he wanted to get Mindy somewhere quiet so he could make sure she was okay.

They made it almost a block to where a long picnic table sat in front of a concession stand. He motioned to the table, thinking Mindy might need to sit down. As soon as he got there he turned to her.

“Are you sure you're okay? If he … if he hurt you, I'll go back and find him and break his friggin' neck.”

“No,” Mindy said, still standing, but her voice shook a little. “He didn't do anything but … grope me. I'm fine.”

“Crap!” Tami said. “Look at your hand, Chase. You're bleeding and your knuckles are swelling.”

She caught his hand and held it. “You need some ice. I'll go get some.” She took off and Chase turned back to his sister.

“I'm sorry it took me so long to find you.”

“Oh gawd, Chase, it wasn't your fault. I was stupid,” she said, her voice wavering a little less. “I went with him behind the curtain thinking all he'd do was kiss me, but…” She hesitated. “Please don't tell Mom or Dad. I mean, it's not like something really happened. He didn't even get inside my shirt. I was just … so pissed that I fell for him and that I couldn't stop him. He was stronger than I was.” She bit down on her lip. “Please, please don't tell. You know this would freak them out and Dad … Hell, Dad would kill him.”

Yeah, his dad probably would kill Eric. Chase knew he wanted to. “Are you sure you're okay?”

She took a few steps closer. “Thanks to you, I am. And I've been so mean to you today. I'm sorry I was a bitch. I promise you that I'll never be a snot to you again.”

Seeing Mindy acting like Mindy, the nicer Mindy, had the panic in his chest lessening. Unfortunately, the panic was probably what had stopped his hand from hurting, because it was throbbing like a mofo now.

Before he knew what Mindy intended to do, she hugged him. They hadn't hugged each other since his mom stopped making them hug to make up after a fight. Oddly, this one was nicer.

He really did love his sister, even when she was a snot.

“Thank you,” she said and pulled back.

She looked around him. “Here comes Tami with the ice.” She glanced down at his hand. “I'm sorry you got hurt.”

“I'm fine,” he lied.

She made a face, looking from Tami back to him. “Look, I know you have a thing for Tami and … if you tell her I said this, I'll lie and say I didn't, but…” She looked up again. “She kind of has a thing for you, too. I didn't approve, but after seeing you two today, I think you might be great together. So, go for it. You have my permission to date my best friend. But be nice to her.”

Chase's head reeled with that piece of information.

“Here.” Tami came running up with a cup of ice and some paper towels. “They didn't have any plastic baggies, so this will have to do.” She pulled him over to the picnic table. “Sit down and let me put ice on it.” He sat down on the bench facing her instead of the table. She stepped between his legs, and quickly started emptying ice into the paper towels.

“I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all.” It wasn't a lie this time. Hearing that Tami had a thing for him chased the pain away.

She picked up his hand and dropped the paper towel filled with ice on it. “You were awesome,” she said. In the corner of his eye, he saw his sister move a few feet away as if giving them space.

He glanced up at Tami. “Not really. I should have chased his ass off a long time ago.”

“Mindy wouldn't have let you. Besides, I … never thought watching a guy fight would be hot, but it was.”

“You think I'm hot?” he asked, loving the sound of that.

She grinned. “I think you're a hero.”

“So I'm not hot?”

She laughed. “You're both.” She dipped her head and kissed him. It wasn't one of those that came with tongue, but it was much more than a simple peck.

And it didn't end quickly. It lasted, not long enough, but long enough for it to mean something.

When she pulled back, he looked up at her. “Are you only kissing me because I hit Eric? Because I don't want to have to hit a guy every time I want to score a kiss.” He smiled at her, his heart still racing from feeling her lips against his.

“No,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I've wanted to kiss you for a long time. And…” she made a funny face, “since I'm gonna die soon, I figured I'd better do it.”

“In that case, do you think you should do it again?” It was a lame line. But it worked.

She kissed him again. And this one did come with a little tongue. He was nervous at first, but just like he thought, he didn't suck at it. He suddenly felt confident. He even reached up with his uninjured hand and held the back of her head.

The sound of a ringing phone broke the kiss. His sister stood about ten feet away staring and smiling as she pulled her phone out.

When she looked at the phone's screen, her eyes widened with panic. She came running up. “It's Dad. Pleeeasse tell me you didn't call him about this.”

“I didn't,” he told her and stood up. “He's probably just checking in.”

She inhaled a breath and took the call.

“Hey, Dad,” Mindy said, sounding extra cheery, but she really did sound okay. She paused. “I hate that. Yeah, we were ready to come back anyway.” She looked up at Chase. “Okay, we'll meet you in twenty minutes.”

She dropped the phone back in her pocket. “He's picking us up early. Something about a storm and a surgery he's been called in to do. We're going to have to leave this afternoon. Like soon, because everyone is trying to get out of town before the storm.”

“I hate that,” Tami said.

“Me, too,” Chase said. He wasn't ready for this weekend to end. He plopped the ice he'd been using on his knuckles on the table. He moved his hand. It wasn't broken, just bruised.

Mindy stood there staring at him, looking worried again. “Promise me you aren't going to tell Mom or Dad about this.”

Chase studied her frown. “Promise me that you'll be more careful from now on. And not hook up with jerks.”

“I promise,” Mindy said. “Now you promise. I want to hear it.”