The Massacre Mechanism (The Downwinders Book 5) (21 page)

She walked
back into the main room. The air conditioner was running, pumping cool air. She
sat on the corner of the bed, the mattress squeaking a complaint.

Then she saw
it — the only unusual thing in the room, the one thing that seemed even remotely
out of place. A thin white strip, a fraction of an inch of color, contrasted
against the dark frame of the television and the dresser upon which it sat.

She stood
and pushed the TV back an inch, exposing the rest of the paper. It was a
receipt. She examined it.

It was a
credit card receipt from a convenience store, dated several years ago. The
black ink had begun to fade, but enough of it remained that she could read the
name on the credit card.

Robert
Hinton.

Dad,
she thought.
He was here!

Deem?
she heard again. It sounded as if it
was coming through a long, metallic tube.

Dad?
she called.
Dad? Are you here?

Silence.

She turned
in the room. She wished Lorenzo was there, someone she could talk to. Here, in
this strange, altered place, she felt isolated.

Deem?

Is that
his voice?
she
wondered.
Lorenzo’s? Or my father’s?

She stood
and walked again, checking every detail of the room. She turned on the TV; it
slowly flickered to life, showing static. She tried every light switch, pulled
open every drawer.

There was a
book of scripture in the nightstand. She lifted it out to examine it; a sword
was embossed on the cover. She opened it to the title page.
The Book of Lehi
,
she read. It was half the size of a Book of Mormon. She flipped through the
pages, not recognizing the sections, and dropped it back into the nightstand’s
drawer.

Didn’t
Winn say it would only last a few seconds?
she wondered, walking back into the bathroom. She
felt around the mirror above the sink, then turned on the faucets. Dirty water
sputtered out of the spigots and began to fill the basin.

She turned
to the window, grabbing the metal handle, giving it a twist, expecting to push
it open.

Instead, the
room dissolved around her. She was inside a tunnel, the window now embedded in a
rock wall. She released the handle, examining her surroundings. It was dark,
but there was light behind her, filtering into the cave.

She turned to
the light and began to make her way out of the tunnel, emerging into a large, open
area. It looked like nighttime, with stars overhead and a faint moon in the
distance, partially obscured with clouds.

In front of
her was a path, leading through water. Large plants grew out of the liquid, and
she could see little lights through them. Something was at the end of the trail,
obscured by the plants.

She walked
forward, following the route in front of her, feeling as though it had been
carved through a Louisiana swamp. As she rounded a turn, a small cabin came
into view. Lamps hung from a railing on the porch, where a rocking chair was
slowly creaking back and forth.

In the chair
was a man. She recognized him instantly.

Dad!
she cried, rushing forward. As she
approached, he rose from the chair and opened his arms.

My little
girl!
he said, wrapping
her the moment she arrived and holding her tightly.
You made it.

Deem sat in
the wooden chair, looking around the cabin’s interior. It looked like something
out of a movie.

Where are
we?
she asked.

Where
I’ve been stuck for years,
her father replied.

I was
stuck somewhere too, for a while,
she replied, not quite knowing how to continue the
conversation.
It was an awful place, though. This is kinda charming.

Yeah, I
decided if I’m going to be here for a while, why not make it interesting,
her father replied.
I always
wondered what living on the bayou would be like. No mosquitos or alligators in
this one. I think next will be a Parisian apartment with a view of the Eiffel
Tower.

Did you
make all this?
Deem
asked.
You can change it when you want?

Well,
it’s the weirdest thing,
he replied.
It was just a cave when I first found it. I remember one
night I had a very intense dream about a family trip we made to the redwoods
when you were little. When I woke up, the place was full of trees; huge trunks,
one with a hole cut through it, like the one you can drive through in
California. I discovered that if I concentrate really hard for a long time, the
entire place shifts to what I’m thinking. I’ve changed the place a hundreds
time at least. But I kind of like this little cabin. Had it for a while now.
Seems cozy. What do you think?

It’s
charming,
Deem
replied, smiling.
But the motel? Caliente?

Ah,
her father replied. He sat opposite
her, resting on another wooden chair, and began to rock back and forth.
The
motel. Spent a long time in that room. It has the strangest smells.

Why?
Deem asked.
I thought you died.
Are you dead?

No,
he replied.
I’m not dead. They’ve
been trying to kill me for years now, but they can’t. I’m a tougher nut than
they know how to crack.

But the
cancer?
Deem asked.
That
was real. I saw what it did to you.

That was
poison,
her father
replied.
You saw the effects of it.
When I became weak enough, they
moved me to the motel room. I was supposed to die there, but it didn’t work out
that way.

I’m so
glad you’re alive, Dad,
Deem said, then paused.
This is so strange…I was at your funeral! Who
did we bury if it wasn’t you?

Was it
open casket?
her
father asked.

No,
Deem said, remembering the viewing at
the Relief Society room at her chapel. Many people had come and gone, paying
respects, but the casket had remained closed.

The last
time I saw you,
he
said,
was in the hospital, remember?

How can I
forget?
Deem
replied, feeling tears come to her eyes.
I thought it might be the last time
we talked.

I don’t
know who or what was in the casket at the funeral, Deem. Where’d you bury it?

Tonaquint,
she said.

Tonaquint?
he replied.
But I have those
plots in LaVerkin that I bought years ago.

Mom
refused to bury you in LaVerkin.

Oh,
he replied, pausing.
Doesn’t
matter anyway, I guess. It wasn’t me anyhow. How is she, your mother?

She’s
living in Arizona with Virginia. I don’t see her much.

And you?
How are you doing?

Deem smiled
up at him.
Better, seeing you.

I mean in
your life. You going to college?

No,
she replied, knowing he’d disapprove.
To her relief he didn’t pursue it.

You still
at the house?
he
asked.

No, I’m
living in Leeds. I met some people.

Lyman?

She wasn’t
sure if she should reply, so she hesitated.

I can
tell from your face it’s Lyman. He’s dangerous, you know.

He killed
Dayton,
Deem
replied.
Killed all of Dayton’s group. Well, didn’t kill them outright.
They’re all neutered though. Lost their gift. And they’re going to die off, one
by one.

He’s a
smart man,
her
father replied.
How’d you wind up with him?

Contacts,
Deem said.
Friend of a friend.
They’ve taken me in and helped me. I owe them. Taken in my friends, too. We’re
like a little family.

If you
had told me that before I wound up here,
he said,
I’d have put my foot down and insisted you
disconnect from them. But I’ve had plenty of time to think while I’ve been
here, and Dayton turned out to be a very, very bad man. So, if Lyman has dealt
with that, I guess that’s OK.

The enemy
of your enemy is your friend?
she asked.

Kinda
like that.

Lyman’s
got a case to make,
she replied.
He was wronged.

A long
time ago,
her father
said.
He’s in the middle of a two-hundred year war. You need to remember
that. You’re not the first soldier he’s involved over the years. Don’t think
you’re not expendable to him. He’ll sacrifice you and your friends to achieve
his ends.

Dayton
targeted me after you left,
Deem said.
Lyman helped with that. Protected me.

What did
Dayton do?

Deem took a
deep breath and began to explain what had happened since his departure — the
skinrunners, hunting for his journals, Claude Peterson, David’s parents,
Blackham Mansion. She left out a little here and there, particularly regarding
Winn and Warren. Her father listened quietly.

Once she was
finished, he nodded for a few moments before speaking.
OK,
he said.
I
understand.

She looked
at him, remembering how wonderful it had felt as a girl growing up when she’d
been able to tell him about things that had been bothering her, and he would
respond the same way. Always patient, always listening. Always understanding.

I’ve
missed you so much,
she said, feeling her voice break.

I’ve
missed you too,
he
replied.
I was always hoping you’d find me. I thought there was a slim
chance, but I knew if anyone could find me, it would be you.

She raised a
hand to her face to wipe away the tears.
How do we get you out of here?
she asked.

You
don’t,
he replied.
I
can’t go anywhere.

But I got
here,
she said.
I
can go back.

Maybe you
can,
he replied.
You’re
not really here physically, like me. Your body is somewhere else, isn’t it?

Winn said
I’d get pulled back after a few seconds,
she replied, suddenly worried, thinking about the hand of
her physical body, resting on the metal ball of the device.
Am I stuck here?

I hope
not,
her father
said.
I love seeing you, but I wouldn’t want this for you.

I’m going
to try something,
she said.
I want to see if I can leave and come back. In case it doesn’t
work, can I have another hug?

He stood.
Of
course you can.
He opened his arms, and she walked into them, letting him
wrap her up and hold her while she decided what she’d do.
I’ll be right
back, I promise,
she said.

What are
you going to try?
he
asked.

I’m going
to backtrack and see if I can get out, and then come back in.

Good
luck,
he replied,
giving her a squeeze and then releasing her.

Can you
come with me?
she
asked.

Happy to
try,
he replied.
But
I don’t think I’ll be leaving with you. Once I came here, I’ve never been able
to get that window handle to work. It was a one-way affair.

They walked
together through the swamp, following the path back to the short rock tunnel.
Once inside, Deem reached for the handle.

Let’s
both try it at the same time,
she said.

She felt her
father’s hand envelop hers, and they twisted the window handle together.

▪ ▪ ▪

Deem was in
the motel bathroom. She turned, hoping to see her father.

He wasn’t
there.

Disappointed,
she walked out of the room and around the corner of the motel. Standing on the
sidewalk in a circle around the mechanism were the four of them. She had her
hand on the metal ball on top of the device. They all seemed frozen in time.

She allowed
herself back into her physical body, and felt the metal of the ball in her
palm. She lifted it up, and Winn pulled the mechanism back.

“Did you see
it?” Winn asked.

“Yes,” she
replied. “How long was I gone?”

Winn took a
step back. “You going to throw up?”

Deem stopped,
examining how she felt. It was a little odd; she had the feeling of being distant,
like she wasn’t in full control of her faculties, but other than that she felt
fine. “No. I don’t feel sick.”

“Huh,” Winn
said, puzzled. “Hungry?”

“No,” Deem
said, extending her hand. “Hand it back, please. I need to try something real
quick.”

Winn didn’t
raise the mechanism. “You can’t do it again right away.”

“Why not? I
feel fine.”

“Because…I
couldn’t?” Winn replied, searching for a reason.

“Let me!”
she said. “I’m fine, really. There’s something important there. Just let me go
back for a second.”

Winn raised
the device once again and before he’d positioned it centrally between them,
Deem reached forward and grabbed the ball. She turned, feeling herself detaching
from her body, leaving it with the guys and the device, and returning to the
motel room.

She walked
to the bathroom and placed her hand on the metal handle of the window.
Please,
she thought to herself.
Let this work!

She turned
the handle, and once again the room dissolved. She found herself in the tunnel.
Her father wasn’t there.

Leaving the
tunnel, she followed the path to the wooden cabin. She was relieved to see her
father on the porch, rocking.

There you
are!
he said.
You
figured it out, I gather.

I thought
you’d still be in the tunnel, waiting for me,
she replied.

I waited
several hours,
he
replied.
Then I decided to come back. You’ve been gone a while.

Hours?
she repeated.
It was only a
couple of minutes, at most!

Might
have been a couple of hours, might have been more.
It’s hard to judge time here;
I’ve only got moonlight. Anyway, I waited in the tunnel for a while, then I
came back. I knew you’d find me.

There’s a
huge time difference, Dad. I swear it was only one or two minutes for me.

Hmm,
he replied.
Interesting. Does that
mean I’m getting older faster than you?

You look
like you looked before the cancer,
Deem said, joining him on the porch.
You look good.

Thanks,
he said.
How’d it go?

I was
able to get out just fine,
she replied.
Obviously it didn’t work for you.

Nope,
he said.
Never does. I’ve tried
that handle a thousand times.

I went
back to my friends. I used the mechanism that Winn found, and came back.

Ah, the
mechanism,
he said,
drifting away in thought.

Does that
mean I can come visit you whenever I want?
she asked.

Her father
pondered the idea.
I guess so,
he said.
As long as it doesn’t hurt
you in some way, or make you a target. You’ll keep an eye on that, I hope.