The Source (15 page)

Tucker shakes his
head as he takes his seat beside me. “No.  The deaths were never solved.  The sheriff
could not determine how the men died, much less any motive.”

“How many deaths were
there?” I ask.

“Three,” he answered
while looking over the menu.  He glanced back up at us. “Would you be
interested in seeing the mine?”

I thankfully don’t
have to answer and show any ridiculous fear as the waitress arrives to take our
orders.  When she walks away Abe says, “I would love to see the mine.  But
isn’t the area restricted because of the deaths?”

Tucker grins.
“Technically, yes.  But that hasn’t stopped me before.”

“You’ve been there
before?  Why?”  I ask.

He shrugs. “Morbid
curiosity, I guess.  It’s a mystery and nothing gets the imagination developing
all types of theories like something that apparently doesn’t have any
explanation.”

“True.  You can make up
any explanation you want and you’re never wrong, that is until someone solves
the mystery,” I state.

“I would like to go,”
Abe says. “It sounds like something that would interest me professionally.”

I look at him,
“What’s your degree in, Abe?”

“I got my PhD in
forensic criminology from Florida State University,” he says.

I smile brightly.
“Fascinating field.  I had thought at one point to go into criminology, but I
ended up sticking with environmental science.”

“You could still work
in the field,” Abe returns my smile. “Working knowledge of the surrounding
environment at a crime scene is always helpful.  Many times it has helped to
solve crimes, even if it’s just a matter of knowing the ecology of a specific
organism found on a victim.”

Tucker looks at both
of us. “As interesting as this is, could we talk about something a little more
mundane before the conversation goes off in a direction that I can’t follow.”

I lower my head but
raise my eyes just enough to notice a slight blush erupt on Abe’s light brown
skin, like cinnamon sprinkled in cappuccino.  I can feel the corner of my mouth
lift in a half smile as I allow my eyes to drink in the view.  Good looking and
highly intelligent with knowledge of a field that I find extremely
interesting.  It is quite possible that I have been directing my attentions in
the wrong areas when there are better options that may be available. 

We continue to talk
about everyday, trivial topics as we finish our lunch.  I can’t help but
continue to smile at Abe and notice that he seems to be smiling at me just as
much.  I remind myself that there’s no sense in reading too much into it as
he’s just being nice. He’s just thankful to find a peer with similar interests.

After we pay the
bill, we return to the car and Tucker says, “So, do you all want to go to the
abandoned mine?”

I look at my watch.
“Well, it’s just after noon, so we could go for a bit and still have enough
time to rest and get cleaned up before returning to the facility.”  I look in
the rearview mirror. “Is that good for you, Abe?”

“Most certainly.  I
am very interested to take a look around the area.  Do you know where the
bodies were found, Tucker?”

“Yeah, I know the
general locations,” Tucker advises as he turns toward me.  “Emma, get back on
the main road going toward the facility.  After passing the facility, you’ll
want to take the second left.  We will take that road for about fifteen minutes
as the location is situated in the mountains.”

I nod as I turn the
car back on the main road.  We drive in relative silence with Abe asking the
occasional question about the unsolved deaths.  I only half-listen to the
conversation. Instead, I take in the scenery of the trees and wild flowers
growing abundantly on the sides of the road.  Although we are going to the spot
of mysterious deaths, I feel a sense of calm, almost like the mountains are
giant walls blocking out the evil of the outside world.  But, bad things happen
everywhere, including in a secluded mountain town like Rowan.  Regardless of
how hard we try to make ourselves feel safe, evil will always happen wherever
there are humans.

“Right there,” Tucker
says, pointing to a large, fenced-in area.  “You can pull over there on the
left side.”

Once the car stops,
we all get out in the hot autumn sun.  Using my hand to shade my eyes, I look
around the vicinity.  Everything is locked up and closed with heavy chains. 
“Looks like the place is locked up.  How would we even get in?  Even so,
wouldn’t it be trespassing?” I say.

Tucker smiles. “I
know a way.  And there are no signs posted to keep out.  Even if there were,
it’s not like anyone has kept up with what’s going on with this place.  It’s
like a ghost town.”

He begins walking
toward the right side of the fence as Abe and I follow.  “The chained up fence
kind of gives the message that they don’t want people inside.”

“It’s not a crime if
you don’t get caught.” Tucker looks back and winks at me.

Grunting I say,
“Yeah, because leaving the car parked in plain sight is really inconspicuous.”

Tucker stops, turns
around and takes a deep breath.  He looks me straight in the eyes, pleading,
“Emma, please.  Just try to relax.  Nothing’s going to happen.”  He takes my
hand and lightly squeezes it.  “I promise.”  He releases my hand.

I put my hands in my
pockets, “Okay, but if we get caught I’m telling them you made me and Abe do
it.  You threatened us with your....um....your secret ninja skills.”

Abe and Tucker laugh
as I push past them.  Tucker catches up and takes the lead again.  He leads us
to a rather large opening in the chain-link fence.  It looks like someone had
cut it at some point.  Tucker spreads the sides open and wiggles his way
through.  Abe gestures to the opening, “Ladies first.”

“Lovely,” I say, “men
showing chivalry when committing crime.  Be still my heart.”  I wiggle through
the opening, glancing back at Abe to see him stifling a laugh by broadening his
smile. 

Once we are all
inside the fence, Tucker takes us between the buildings then further into the
mountains.  The buildings are in bad shape and everything metal has the dull
glint of rust and decay, making everything look as if it were splattered with
dried blood.  The mineshaft reminds me of the mouth of one of the monster worms
from the movie "Tremors," only less inviting.  Nothing like walking
into a gaping black hole to make you feel like the end will be near.

We walk only a few
feet inside the shaft, trying to use the trickling rays of sunlight to see just
a little bit more.  Tucker pulls out a cell phone and attempts to use the
backlight as a guide, an effort that fails miserably.  All the while Abe is
crouching close to the ground as if he were looking for clues.

Tucker looks at him.
"The bodies were found deeper within the mine.  If I knew we would be
coming here I would have brought a flashlight."

Abe nods, eyes scanning
the ground of the entrance. "Evidence doesn't always just stay at the
scene of the crime.  Sometimes the bodies don't even stay at the scene. 
Attempting to be mobile is one of the easiest ways for a criminal to make a
mistake."

"I guess it's
better than sticking around and giving yourself up to the authorities," I
say.

"Investigations
are never that easy," Abe points out, "because if they were, the
prisons would be even more overcrowded than they already are.  You would be
amazed at the number of crimes that are committed that are not only
not
 punished, but never
even reported."

"Meaning that on
any given day, we're surrounded by rapists and murderers," Tucker states
matter-of-factly.  I just look at him as he stares at me.  The hairs on my arms
rise as the surface of my skin prickles.  Somehow I don’t think that it has
anything to do with the coolness of the mine.

I turn and leave the
opening of the mine and walk back toward the abandoned buildings.  Something
bad has definitely happened here for a coal company to just up and leave.  I
mean, these types of industries are not known for being the best to the
environment, but it looks like they didn't even bother to pack up or strip
down.  It would be like if your neighbors just left one day with all of their
furniture, clothes, pictures and other possessions left in their once-rightful
place.  It raises too many questions, including what could have scared them so
badly?

I barely notice that
Tucker and Abe are slowly following me, talking about the unsolved deaths.  I
go to the side door of the first building and try the handle.  The door opens
easily, but grates loudly like giant fingernails raking against an even bigger
chalkboard.  A slight tremble ripples through my body as I grit my teeth and
step inside.

Everything is dark
but there are enough windows that I can see relatively well.  It looks like an
office building, as there are desks, chairs and filing cabinets.  Everything
was definitely left as is, from the half-filled-out forms on top of the
cabinets to the dried up, moldy coffee residue within the cups on the desks. 
Yep, either everyone left in a hurry or after a normal day of work they were
told never to return.  Either way, no one just leaves things like this unless
there is a very good reason.

Tucker and Abe walk
through the door.  "Find anything interesting?" Tucker asks.

"Not really. 
Just more confirmation that the company just up and left."

Abe walks to the back
of the office where there is another door.  Opening the door we can see that it
leads to a large area housing a lot of mining equipment.  Abe stands there with
his mouth hanging open, looking to the right side of the room.  He takes a few
more steps inside, walking toward whatever has caught his attention.  Tucker
and I look at each other, returning questioning glances before we follow Abe
inside the other room.  I look up to the right to see most of the wall is gone,
the wilderness growing into the side of the building and invading the nooks and
crannies of the mining equipment.  More startling is the words that appear to
be scratched into what is left of the wall:

         
Nay-sayers are never
believed

          Although they
ever speak the truth

          The dead can
never be relieved

          In a manner that
is absolute

          But to believers,
this much I say

          Your faith is not
of blasphemy

          For seeing is
always the way

          To rid the mind
of fantasy

I start to back
toward the door and end up stumbling against Tucker.  "Sorry.  I think we
should leave."

Tucker half-laughs.
"Why?  There's nothing to be scared about.  No one is here."

I shake my head.
"It just doesn't feel right, with that writing.  It's too eerie."

"Did they ever
determine who wrote it?" Abe asks.

"Well,"
Tucker responds, "the official documentation states that it was written by
whoever was responsible for the deaths.  The message is not serious in any
sense except to get the coal company to leave."

Looking slightly
confused, Abe asks, "Why would something like this make the coal company
leave?"

Staring at the floor
I softly say, "Because the miners left."

Tucker looks at me.
"That's right.  How did you know?"

I shrug. "An
educated guess."

Abe walks over to us.
"I consider myself educated, but I never would have guessed that."

"That's because
you're not from around here," I say.  "Many people in West Virginia
live by the Old Ways.  There are beliefs here that some would call
superstition, such as a belief in ghosts and other supernatural creatures. 
There was a time when it was accepted as fact.  Then with the advances of
science, it was shrugged off as superstition.  Now in today's world, when we
not only know that vampires exist but they are accepted in society, who knows. 
Regardless, I think that many of the miners or their families did not want to
take the risk that the message wasn't a warning, but a prophecy of something
that can’t be stopped by normal humans.  With that fear, they had no choice but
to leave so they wouldn't end up like the three who were already dead."

Abe hums while
rubbing his hand back and forth over his chin, turning to look again at what is
left of the ragged wall.

I turn, pushing past
Tucker as I walk back toward the car.  The place officially makes my skin
crawl, so there is no point in staying any longer when I don’t have to. 
Besides, it’s getting late and I need to clean up before returning to the
research facility.  I get into my car and start the engine.  When I don’t see
Tucker or Abe, I honk the horn not caring if anyone learns of our little trip
through the fence.  After several moments I honk the horn again and I finally
see them heading toward the car. 

When we are all
settled in the safety of my clunky sedan, I put it in gear to turn around. 
"I'll take you all back to your cars so that we can go home and rest
before getting back to work."