Tribulation Road: A Red Hot Treats Story

DEDICATION

Thanks
to all my Colts who take a chance on me with every new adventure. It’s my hope that
I do you proud and take you places you never expected to go with my words. To
the man upstairs who made this all possible and made me not only a dreamer, but
a woman with a “can do” attitude. Truly, none of this would be possible without
some kind of divine intervention. Last but not least, for my family and friends
who share me with all the people that live inside my head.

CHAPTER
ONE

B
righ Howell cut
the engine on her black sedan and surveyed the hotel. The beige building with
hunter green accents had decent cars in the parking lot, a clean exterior, and
prices in the fifty to sixty dollar range. When Richard called her in on a case
involving suspected ghouls, she set aside her research and hit the road. It’d
taken her six hours of driving while pushing the speed limit, but she made it
here with the sun still high in the sky. They would hunt tonight. She stepped
out of the car and stretched her arms above her head. Unlike the movies,
keeping a low profile meant having a nondescript vehicle.

Rolling
her neck, she worked out the kinks and moved to the back seat. She hefted the
black duffle over her shoulder and walked to room 203. Rapping on the door, she
studied the neighboring rooms. Everything seemed quiet for a town plagued by
disappearances. The door swung open and she smiled at the olive-skinned man
with sharp brown eyes, long black hair, and facial hair that told her he’d been
living for this case for the past week.

His
eyes lit up and he flashed the million-dollar smile that usually got him out of
sticky situations. “You got here fast,” Richard said, stepping back and
allowing her entrance into his room.

“They
don’t call me lead foot for nothing. How’s it going, Richie? You’re looking
rough around the edges.”

There
were shadows forming beneath his eyes and the tiny red lines on the whites of
his eyes told her he hadn't slept much. “You’re all heart, Brigh,” he quipped
as he rolled his eyes. 

“You
wouldn’t like me if I was a liar.”

“You’re
right.” He shut the door behind her and engaged the lock. 

“You
want to clue me in on this?” she asked while studying the maps he had taped to
the wall.

“Yeah,
I got called in by the local parish. They had a lot of Alzheimer’s patients
disappearing from the nursing home. Residents claimed to hear strange noises
and a few of them said they saw lights. The building borders the woods, so my
first thought was maybe it was puckwedgies or will-o-the-wisps.”

“I
would’ve thought the same.”

“I
set up some recon, and the next thing I know, I have a group of stumbling,
rotting, corpses.”

Brigh
shuddered. Even after all this time, ghouls got under her skin. There was
something utterly disturbing about a monster that resembled a perverted version
of a human. Their yellowish-green skin drooping off bones, spindly fingers,
bulging eyeballs, and hideous stench could turn the stomach of an experienced
hunter. Her father, however, had trained her well. Members of her community
were known for being the best. Raised for the sole purpose of hunting, Noble was
a name well respected among inner circles of hunters. “I’m glad you called me.
You have a pension for trying to play hero.”

“Yeah,
well, a pack of ghouls will make mincemeat of the best hunter,” he said.

“Truth.
What can I do?”

“Sharpen
your sword and help me come up with a plan.”

“I
hope you aren’t expecting me to play bait.”

“What
do I look like, an amateur?” he scoffed.

She
opened her mouth to answer.

“Don’t
answer that.”

Brigh
smirked and he rolled his eyes. The mood lightened.
Mission accomplished.

“Smart
ass. I swiped some blankets from a newborn to wrap a realistic baby doll in.”
Richard walked over to his desk and lifted an eerily accurate facsimile of a
newborn. “I tampered with the vocals and have them hooked up to a remote
control. I figure we can use it to draw them in.”

“Well,
no one ever accused ghouls of being the brightest bulbs on the tree,” she said.

“Thankfully,
‘cause the bastards are like indestructible tanks. You damn near have to dismember
or roast them to make them stop. Not convenient when you’re trying to avoid
getting arrested.”

“Yeah,”
she snickered. “Are we dealing with enchantment, or naturally occurring?” She
flipped through the case files on the missing residents. They were from a
number of surrounding cities, different races and ages. If a connection existed
between them, it wasn't obvious.

“I
can’t say, but I’m leaning toward freak of nature variety, because nothing else
odd is going on in the town. No breaks-ins, no family feuds.” Richard shook his
head and set the baby down on the desk.

Brigh
sank down on the edge of the bed. “I brought some UV lights, like you asked.”

“Good,
we’ll stun them, toast em’ to ashes, and cut the stragglers down.”

“Sounds
good. You got some flame throwers handy?”

“What
do you think I called you in for, cousin? You were the one at the home front
with all the stock.”

She
grinned. “It’s all in the trunk. I didn’t think hauling it out in broad
daylight was the best route to go.”

“Agreed.
Right now, they think I’m an insurance man investigating possible negligence at
the nursing home.”

“Fancy,”
Brigh noted.

“Shut
up. You’re lucky you’re my favorite female cousin.”

“I’m
your only female cousin,” she retorted.

“Yeah,
there is that.”

She
rolled her eyes. The label of being a Noble at all was a noose around her neck,
tightening more every day.

“As
soon as the sun goes down, we’ll prepare the flamethrowers. Right now, we need
to lay a trap.”

“Are
they living in the woods?”

“No,
there’s and old forgotten cemetery in the thicket. I think they wandered from the
main graveyard and realized there was a fresh feeding source,” he explained.

“They
never could resist fresh flesh if they could get their hands on it. Heads up.”
She tossed him the keys. “Unload A.J. while I go over your files.”

“You
just got here and you’re already putting me to work?”

“Hey,
I’m the reinforcements, not a trainee.” She shrugged.

“Keep
it up and I’ll tell people what A.J. stands for.”

“You
wouldn’t dare.”

“Backstreet’s
back, alright,” he sang while heading for the door.

“It
was a stage!” she yelled, mentally kicking herself for her drunken admission.
She grew up in a male-dominated world. Hiding her feminine inclinations was
second nature.
Except with Jaegar Sutton.
The silver ring between her
breasts burned cold beneath the brown thermal shirt she wore. She brushed
thoughts of him aside. In order to continue the Howell legacy, she would have
to let go of a faded memory and think about settling down. She’d tried going
with her heart and it failed her. This time, she’d choose for cunning and
strength.

Richard
returned with a few more duffle bags.

“Most
girls love perfume. Me, I love the smell of deer urine because I know it’s
going to save my ass,” Brigh drawled sarcastically.

“We
got a real lady with you.”

“You
want manners or someone to have your back?” It was a long standing joke she
bore the butt of. A hazard of being the lone female of their generation. It’d
hardened her. Growing up, it’d carved her up inside. No woman wanted to be
defeminized. Even if she did spend the majority of her time covered in dirt, urine,
spatters of blood, and horrible clothing. The job came first and like a good
soldier, she made her sacrifices accordingly.

Properly
doused, they gathered their bags and headed out.

“We’re
taking your car. I didn’t prep mine.”

“I
figured,” Richard said. Most of the men found her cleanliness amusing, but
they’d grown used to it over the years. Whether they admitted it or not, it
saved their ass more times than once. There’s something suspicious about a
person covered in gore and guts.

They
walked out to his black truck where she made the climb to his cab and tossed
her bag into the back seat. The older Ford model rumbled to life and they drove
out of the motel parking lot. The small town looked quaint. Exactly what she
expected for a tiny place smack dab in the middle of Indiana. The sun warmed
her face and the tiny crack she’d allowed herself in the window took the edge
off the scent of urine.

“Feels
like I haven’t seen you in a while. What have you been up to?” he asked.

“Sticking
close to home, playing paper bitch.”

“You
like it that way, though. I’d much rather be on the road.”

“I
like a mix of both, but you’re right, knowledge is my crack.”

He
laughed. “Good thing too. It’s saved my ass a million times over.”

“That’s
what happens when your mother’s the clan librarian, I guess.” The thought of
her mother brought a smile. A no-nonsense woman with walnut brown skin, kind
brown eyes that could go deadly in the span of a millisecond, and a willowy
frame with killer muscle memory who acted like a den mother to all of them.

They
drove through the heart of the town and made a sharp left. The woods loomed
ahead. They passed Sunny Days Retirement Home on the right. The lawn in front
of the building was gorgeous, lush green with pops of colorful flowers. Patients
walked around the perimeter and sat out beneath umbrella covered, circular
stone benches.

Brigh
sighed at the peaceful sight.
We have to get this handled.

Ten
minutes later, Richard pulled off the main road into a small parking lot. “This
is the entrance to the woods. I mapped out the area I think is their feeding
grounds.”

“I’ll
follow your lead.”

“I’m
hoping they’re too busy fighting with each other over the fresh meat to realize
we’re coming in for the kill.”

“Either
way, once the flames start flying…it’s ashes to ashes. How else are we going to
keep them from the sweet old ladies?”