Grave Echoes: A Kate Waters Mystery (15 page)

He huddled in his coat, shivering against a bitter cold that nipped at his exposed skin and frosted his breath. He didn’t mind cool weather, and worked in it often, but these temperatures were beyond cold, more like fucking frigid, he thought. Stalking her was tougher than he’d expected. Here he was, eight-thousand-feet high in three feet of snow on Halloween night, trying to get his key back that her sister stole from him. He was glad Jevanna Waters was dead and wished the same on her sister, realizing he should have just ripped it off her neck when he had the chance earlier this evening. But the guys were too close. He was forced to let another opportunity decay; he couldn’t risk getting caught. Restlessness pulsed through him, but he willfully coerced himself to stay calm—this was the point where most mistakes were made, when greed, haste, and carelessness overrode logic and diligence. To take another chance could mean the end of his early retirement.

He turned around, scrutinizing the shadows around him and rubbing his legs to generate heat. Then he moved down the length of the cabin. Each of the units rested on stilts to allow for spring runoff, which elevated the windows to shoulder height. To see inside the window, he had to stand on the balls of his feet. Even then, he could only see her from the waist up, where he could see her walking around inside. She set up a mini propane stove and then sat down on the cot, and unbuttoned her shirt. At least she wasn’t ugly, he thought, having seen her undress many times. Each time, he still felt the warm throb of pleasure in his groin, with her long brown hair, dark eyes, and a perfect blend of curves and muscle. She even had the same enigmatic smile as her sister had.

Struggling to stay on track, he turned his head aside to avoid the fantasy, which threatened the order in his mind. He went back behind the cabin to hone his plan. Since the railing around the deck granted access to the cabin only at the door, he would have to lure her into the forest in order to get close enough. Thumps against the side of the cabin would pique her curiosity, coaxing her to step outside, hopefully vulnerable in attire and therefore exposing his key that dangled from the chain around her neck.

In the spirit of Halloween night, he’d brought a goblin mask—a perfect and appropriate cover. Then, he would wait behind the corner of the cabin, ready to spring as she approached the back. Though the plan involved some risk, it was simple. He picked up the stick he’d found earlier. “And a good plan is always a simple one,” he muttered under his breath.

***

Solitude in the dimly lit cabin wrapped Kate in much-needed peace. After brewing a mug of chamomile tea, she changed into thermal pajamas. The tumult she’d endured earlier today, having nearly fallen off the mountain, had inundated her nerves and left her feeling hollow. She slouched on the cot frame, arms and legs as heavy as weights. It took effort to breathe, exhaustion constricting her ribs as if they were constructed with tightly hinged metal plates.

It was Halloween night, and Kate had never felt so haunted before. Yet with truth came strength, she told herself, after realizing how the distress of her sister’s death and her secrets had dangerously affected her judgment. Sean’s warning outside the cabin stung deeply, partly because she deserved it, but also because of whom he’d pointed the finger at—a witch named Thea. The priestess of a coven was the last person in the world Kate wanted to get involved with.

So tonight, she concentrated on other things, like getting back on track with her life. She needed to come to terms with Jev’s death and let go of the notion that someone was to blame for it. It was an accident. The matches, the fingerprints, the binding note, none of it changed the fact that Jev crashed her car, and the only way to deal with her sister’s secret religion was to learn more about it.

In her overnight bag, Kate had stashed a book from Jev’s house, the one with the pentagram on the front cover, titled A Book of Shadows, by Tara Reeds. She pulled it out from underneath a sweater. The sight of it made her gut sink. The corners of the pages were curled, and creases wrinkled the front and back covers, as if Jev had read it often.

“No better night than tonight to read about witchcraft,” she said, flipping to the table of contents.

Three main sections divided the book: Tools, Rituals, and Spells. Kate skimmed past the Tools section, imagining a table set with chalices full of blood and braided goat’s hair. She turned through the marked pages, passing rites on full and new moons, holiday Sabbats, and maturation landmarks, when a bookmark slipped out towards the back. Embossed on the front in silver cursive was the address to a store called, Practical Magic and Occult Supplies, located just a few miles from her work in Northwest Portland. It must have been a place that Jev had frequented when she came to visit her at work, she thought.

Kate opened to the pages where the bookmark had fallen from. In the protection section, she noted the subject heading, Binding, on the right side of the page. To prevent someone from hurting themselves or others. Next to the paragraph in the margin, Jev had written: perform this waxing moon.

“Jev’s binding spell,” Kate whispered, smoothing her finger over her sister’s handwriting. The spell called for a poppet doll, black candles, dragon’s blood, an object belonging to the subject, and some red thread to bind the poppet with before burying it in graveyard dirt at midnight. The idea of Jev performing a spell where she bound poppet dolls with dragon’s blood in a cemetery on a waxing moon troubled her. Jev had always been eccentric and daring, but never weird and creepy.

A loud thump sounded outside the cabin, startling Kate with a jump. Outside the window, the camp lights illuminated the surrounding trees with heavy shadows. She spotted clumps of snow falling and guessed some had hit the cabin from branches above. Picking up the book again, Kate turned back to the beginning of the chapter on protection. The thump sounded again, this time louder. She stood and moved to the window. Across the snowy patch, about thirty feet away, she could see light from Sean’s cabin. Mark and Eric’s cabin lights were just beyond his a few feet. Considering the excitement today and the fact that they had just met, she doubted Mark and Eric would be playing a trick on her. But Sean might.

Thump.

This time, the thump didn’t sound like snow hitting the roof. The object sounded dense, like a rock. She decided to have a look outside and put on her boots and jacket. If it was Sean, she planned to give him a piece of her mind. She was tired and grieving, and regardless of what she’d accused him of earlier, he shouldn’t be playing tricks on her, especially with another climb in the morning.

Outside, the camp light cast shadows across the cabin deck, drowning the woods in velvet midnight blues and grays. Frosted air escaped her mouth as she zipped her jacket higher around her neck. At the end of the deck, she leaned over the railing, looking toward the back of the cabin to see what had caused the thumping noises. A tree branch stretched close to the roof, but not close enough to touch the cabin. Besides, snow still caked the top of it, Kate reasoned. She looked at the ground where footprints tracked through the snow. Since their descent from the mountain, it had snowed at least two inches, not to mention wind gusts from the storm usually added another inch or two near the base of trees and buildings. Kate knew visible tracks meant one thing: they were fresh.

She stomped down the stairs, fuming. She couldn’t believe the guys would play a trick on her after all that had happened today. It had to be Sean. She dipped her bare hand in the snow, wadding up a pile into a firm snowball. Whoever was teasing her was going to get a bit of his own fun, she cursed, heading toward the back of the cabin. She stopped, waiting to hear muffled laughter.

“I know you’re out there. You can stop hiding.”

The woods were silent.

“Hello? Sean, Mark…you can cut it out now.” She took two more steps. Then, something moved in the trees ahead.

“I can see you stirring,” Kate said.

She expected to see Sean or Mark come stumbling out, beer in hand, laughter bellowing. Raising the snowball over her shoulder, she prepared to strike, but the next sound she heard stilled her. It wasn’t human. A low growl rumbled from the woods. Kate stiffened, as two blazing golden eyes emerged from the shadows, belonging to a large, grey wolf. Drool dripped from its mouth and fur spiked along its back. The wolf crouched down in an attack position, a glare menacing as any beast.

Kate lowered the snowball, panic gripping her chest like a wrench as she shook in fear. The wolf’s jaws opened wide, baring the largest fangs she had ever seen, and its growl escalated to a vicious bark. The wolf wasn’t just being defensive about its territory; it was enraged.

Abruptly, it leapt from the tree line and crouched down, ready to lunge again. Kate shrieked, her mind scrambling for an escape. Running away would only provoke the wolf to chase her down. She wouldn’t make it but a few feet before it pounced on her back, stabbing its incisors deep into her neck, severing major arteries. If she didn’t die of a heart attack first, she knew she would bleed to death. In her sheer terror, Kate realized, she couldn’t move anyway.

He waited at the back of the cabin, where the campsite joined with the forest. The tapping of the stick against the cabin had succeeded in drawing her outside, into the night like an innocent lamb. Her footsteps approached, and he readied himself, mask in place, gloves removed so he could rip the chain from her neck and slice a deep crimson line around her throat. This charade had gone on long enough, he fumed. The perfect moment had arrived, and he would seize it with victory this time.

He heard her call out to the guys, her vulnerability overwhelming him with a smile. Two more feet and he would jump out. But something snapped behind him. He swung around, afraid one of the guys had spotted him. No one was there. His eyes darted through the trunks and limbs in the forest, a camouflage of shapes, until one stopped him cold. A surge of dread engulfed him. Ten feet away, crouching behind the trees, was a giant wolf.

A wide rib cage sat above tall, muscular legs, and a skull the size of a small bull housed fierce, iridescent amber eyes. It leapt from the brush with incredible speed and then crouched in front of him, its mouth snarled open, exposing rows of jagged, white fangs. He tried to back up, but the cabin wall stopped him. He was trapped. Fear swallowed his thoughts, strangling him of reason and flooding his gut with burning fear.

The wolf growled, its crazed stare zeroing in on him. Cautiously, he moved along the back of the cabin, tripping over a rock. He scrambled to catch his footing, as the wolf snapped at him. Its slanted eyes blazed like an August fire, and he noticed something hungry in them—a hunger different than famine. One more like rage.

He reached for his pocketknife, wishing he’d packed his gun after all. The wolf, unthreatened, bobbed back and forth on its front legs, like it anticipated another attack, one that would draw blood. Before he could flinch, the wolf lunged at him, knocking him against the cabin. Sharp teeth pierced through his forearm as the dog gripped a hold of him. It took all his energy to keep from screaming. He tried swiping his blade at the dog to get it to release it’s jaws on his arm, but its massive shoulders pressed into him, trapping him against the ground and cabin wall. It snarled at his face, so close, he could smell its foul breath, stinking of its last meal. Desperation choked him of air. It couldn’t end like this, he dreaded, there had to be a way out.

***

The wolf’s growl rumbled through the forest like a bulldozer. Crouched into defensive posture, the wolf threatened Kate with a jagged display of fangs. Kate thought to back up slowly, but she couldn’t move her feet—she was petrified.

The wolf snapped its jaws and charged…but not at Kate. It dove behind the cabin, and Kate could hear the dog snarling and wrestling. Then, a shotgun blasted, piercing through the crisp air in hammering waves. Startled, Kate’s body jerked out of its frozen state. She spun around where two dark figures came running toward her. Eric and Mark. They must have heard her screams. She fled to the deck, signaling at the back of the cabin.

“There’s a grey wolf behind the cabin!” Kate shouted.

Eric and Mark reached the cabin where she stood. Their parkas were unzipped and boots still untied.

Eric held a .44 at his side with an ease Kate assumed came with frequent target practice. “A what behind the cabin?” he asked.

“A giant wolf.” She understood the disbelief Eric and Mark expressed with their disconcerting glances at each other and then around them.

“A wolf?” Mark repeated. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. It was back there,” Kate said, pointing to the area where the wolf had stood its ground. But nothing was there now.

Sean came up behind them. “What the hell is going on?” His voice rang almost as sharp as Eric’s gunfire.

“A grey wolf almost attacked me.”

“There are no wolves in this region,” Sean corrected her.

“There are now,” she replied.

“Whatever it was, it’s gone,” Eric said. He looked Kate up and down. “Did it bite you?”

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. “No. But it was definitely ready to attack.”

“Why didn’t it attack you?” Sean asked.

She remembered how the wolf seemed fixed on something behind the cabin. “I don’t know. I ran for the deck, and that’s when I heard Eric’s shots.”

“What were you doing outside of your cabin?” Mark asked.

“I heard noises thumping against the wall. I thought it was one of you guys, playing a trick on me. When I came outside, I saw fresh footprints in the snow.” Kate pointed to the ground where she’d seen them.

The three of them walked toward the back of the cabin. Kate’s tracks had muddled what was left of the footprints she first spotted. Mark shone the flashlight over the ground. Eric lifted his gun at shoulder height, aiming it at the forest.

“I see something that looks like a dog print,” Mark said.

Eric moved closer. “A big dog,” he added, searching the woods again with vigilant eyes locked in front of his weapon. “I think it’s gone now.”

Kate wasn’t disappointed. If she never saw the wolf again, she would consider herself blessed.

“You have some guardian angel,” Mark replied. “First the avalanche and now a wolf.”

“It was probably just a stray dog,” Sean said. His words came out as cold as the night.

“I know a wolf from a dog,” Kate returned.

“But you can’t tell the difference between grief and malice?” Sean replied, low enough so that Mark and Eric couldn’t hear. He slapped her with his frown and then headed back to his cabin.

He’d made his point, Kate mulled over.

“Well, I’m cold and tired,” Mark said. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Then he followed Sean back to the cabins.

Eric came up to Kate, tucking his gun into the waist of his jeans. She caught a glimpse of his skin as he did so.

“I know something is going on between you and Sean,” he said. “If you need me to step in and talk to him, just let me know.”

Thoughts about her accusations of Sean toyed with her—maybe you could tell him I didn’t mean to accuse him of being involved in my sister’s fatal car accident? Her mind refocused. “I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

He smiled at her warmly. “My pleasure.”

He walked her to her door and then went back to his cabin. Once inside, Kate remembered the tapping outside her cabin. Someone had been out there, she was sure of it. She suddenly remembered how Sean was the last one on the scene. Kate knew grief very well. And she was beginning to grasp malice too.

***

Kate bolted upright in bed just before the wolf in her dream lunged at her with its gigantic fangs. Her heart galloped in her chest—she could still hear the growl thundering from its ribcage. Getting out of bed, Kate went over to the little window and looked out. Darkness still blanketed the forest, like the fatigue she felt weighing her down. She wished she could fall back asleep. Even breathing felt hard, and she still had another climb today. The few hours of sleep she had last night were interrupted by episodes of restless insomnia, which could lead to a sleep attack later on. Maybe she just needed some fresh air.

Kate put on her hiking boots, zipped up her parka, over her pajamas, and went out onto the deck. The stars glittered across the amethyst sky, and more snow had fallen overnight. From her spot on the deck, she could see the tracks beside the cabin. Sheltered by the enormous pines, the tracks that marked what had taken place—the wolf was real.

Kate didn’t want to leave the safety of the cabin, but she was thirsty and wanted coffee. Will succeeding, she stepped off the porch and headed to the spigot, still fearful of the wolf’s return. She carried a can of mace in one hand and an empty water jug in the other. But the mace failed to give her security, and she glanced over her shoulders frequently, scrutinizing the surrounding woods. Leaning over to turn the spigot, the sound of brush scraping and twigs snapping jolted her with panic. She lost her balance and tripped, falling shin first onto the metal spout. She flinched back around, searching the woods for the source of the noise. But what she'd thought was surely the mad wolf, returning with its ravenous appetite, turned out to be two chipmunks racing up a nearby tree.

“Get a hold of yourself, Kate,” she said, rubbing her shin with the palm of her hand. She kneeled back down to fill up the jug. Water spat out in bursts and sprayed her leg. Wanting to be back inside the cabin, she filled the jug only half way, still eyeing the woods as she did. Once inside the cabin, she started the propane stove to heat water for her coffee, her mind drifting back to the wolf. She had no doubt that what she’d seen last night was a wolf, a species of the grey wolf to be specific. It had the distinct smoky coloring, large build, and characteristic yellow eyes.

The sighting concerned her for a couple of reasons. First, it was an obvious danger to campers, hikers, and skiers. This wolf was anything but timid and last night’s encounter could have involved a casualty. Secondly, grey wolves weren’t supposed to be in Oregon, as Sean blatantly pointed out. She knew that recent re-introductions into Idaho mountain ranges had resulted in a few sightings toward the state border, but Mt. Hood National Forest was a good three hundred miles from Idaho’s border. It didn’t seem possible for a pack to have dispersed across the state and go unnoticed, especially with so many farms between the two areas. Sheep, calves, chickens, and pets would surely have disappeared, warning of their intrusion.

Kate waited for the water to start bubbling as she scooped coffee into the presser. To document what she’d seen, she decided to take a picture of the tracks with the digital she brought from work. She poured coffee into her mug and stepped out onto the deck of the cabin with the camera and mace. Apprehension plagued her again, but she needed proof of the wolf to give to the Rangers.

Distant sunlight banded hues at the horizon. Daybreak would come soon, giving Kate some assurance that the wolf had left the area. She stepped from the deck, discerning prints in the snow that resembled a large dog. Having studied animal tracks in her rescue courses, she observed the distinct slants to the toe pad and an overlapping mark in the prints not seen with domesticated dogs, which was important to distinguish rescue dogs from wild ones. She leaned in closer to capture a print that had sunk into the soil below where the snow was thin. She took a couple of shots and then stepped around it when she spotted a small object to the right of her—a cigarette filter, clean and recently smoked. Someone had been smoking behind the cabin, Kate questioned?

She stood up, surveying the scene. Amidst the wolf prints were boot prints she assumed were from one of the guys, but they followed around the entire backside of the cabin where she hadn’t seen Mark or Eric go. But maybe Sean? He hadn’t been on the scene as quick as Eric and Mark had been.

A loud ring gave her a jump, as she’d temporarily forgotten about putting her cell in her coat pocket. Kate quieted the phone, checking whom the call was from before she answered—a restricted number.

“Hello?” On the other end of the line was the nasally voice of a woman she didn’t recognize. “Is this Miss Katlyn Waters?”

Very few people knew her true first name. “Yes it is,” she replied after a short pause.

“This is Providence Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. We are calling about David Bradshaw.”

Shock slammed into her and Kate leaned against the cabin side for support. “What happened? Is he okay?”

“Yes, Mr. Bradshaw is fine and stable.”

Stable…what exactly did that mean, Kate wanted to ask, but the nurse continued.

“I’m sorry to panic you, Ms. Waters. David came in early this morning with a concussion. He suffered a blow to the left side of his head after falling off a ladder. He has come to consciousness, but is still having troubles with his vision and balance. Although he asks to be released, we would like to run some more tests and perform an MRI to make sure there isn’t any swelling or damage.”

“But he’s all right?”

“He seems fine at the moment, but like I said, we need to confirm with more tests.”

A possible brain injury…the woman was not very convincing. “What time are the tests?”

“The MRI is scheduled for nine o’clock this morning.”

“Tell him I’ll be there.” Kate said, and then she hung up the phone, in a daze. What had happened to David?

She darted back inside the cabin to pack her belongings, her mind echoing the nurse’s details: concussion, swelling, tests. Her chest heaved and her throat constricted, as if she were swallowing her tongue. The surface of her composure started to crack—her sanity splintering like rotten wood.

She gathered her bags and headed out the door, realizing she was going to have to take Sean’s truck, which could be a problem after the incident yesterday. She went to his cabin anyway and knocked on his door. Sean took awhile to answer and looked half asleep when he did.

“I need to go back to town now,” she said. “David’s been in an accident and he’s in the hospital.”

“What happened?”

“He fell off a ladder and hit his head. The doctors are going to give him an MRI this morning to make sure there isn’t any swelling or damage to his brain. I have to be there with him,” Kate said. “Can I please borrow your truck?”