Beneath the Veil Page 6

  “Hold up, Hector,” Jimmy said.

  The truck’s brakes squealed as Hector brought it to a stop. Jimmy hopped off again and examined a muddy section of the road.

  “What do you got, Jimmy?” Hector asked, leaning out the truck’s window.

  “Footprints going back that way,” Jimmy said pointing behind them. Hector turned to Jackson and Barry.

  “What type of shoes was she wearing?” Hector asked.

  Jackson looked confused and realized he didn’t know.

  “She had on sneakers,” Barry answered.

  “Nice job,” Jackson said.

  “Artist’s eye,” Barry responded.

  “She was wearing sneakers,” Hector called out.

  Jimmy stood up smiling.

  “She came this way maybe a day ago,” Jimmy said.

  “Yes!” Jackson said, pumping his fist.

  Hector drove further down the road until Jimmy called out.

  “Look up ahead,” Jimmy said.

  The sun shined off of an object in the distance, when they drove closer they saw patches of white covered by a thick tangle of vines.

  “It’s my truck!” Barry said.

  Hector pulled next to the Rover and the men jumped off the flatbed with their weapons drawn. Ralph opened the door of the Rover, then Jimmy and Bobby rushed forward and pointed their guns inside.

  “Looks like no one’s home,” Ralph said.

  “Can we pull it out?” Barry asked.

  “Let’s give it a try,” Jimmy answered.

  Jimmy climbed onto the back of the flatbed and opened the military locker. He pulled out a length of chain, and then walked back down to the Rover.

  “Back her on down, Hector,” Jimmy said.

  Hector ground the transmission into reverse and then backed up to the Rover.

  “One of you boys mind steering this thing?” Jimmy asked.

  “I got it,” Barry answered.

  He climbed in through the back door and crawled behind the wheel. Jimmy secured the chain and Hector inched the truck forward until the chain tightened. The flatbed’s double rear wheels spun in place as it strained to pull the Rover free. After a few failed attempts, Hector put the truck in neutral.

  “It’s no use,” Hector said.

  “Let’s get the damn vines off first,” Bobby said.

  Heeding Bobby’s advice, the men began stripping off the vines. Jackson cleared the doors, while Ralph crawled underneath and removed vines wrapped around the axles. They stood back when the work was done.

  “That oughta do her,” Ralph said.

  “Yep,” Bobby agreed.

  Barry got back behind the wheel, and Jackson joined the other men in front of the Rover. Hector eased on the truck’s throttle, and the Rover was pulled free.

  “Alright, now we’re talking,” Jimmy said, smiling.

  Barry retrieved the starting crank and fired up the engine.

  “How about that?” Jimmy asked. “Sometimes the old way is the best way.”

  C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - N I N E

  It took hours to reach the crumbling grounds of the mansion and they were exhausted from the journey. When they turned onto the drive leading to the once great house, Jen spotted a vehicle in the distance moving towards them.

  “Hide!” she shouted.

  They ran down a sloping hill into the tree line.

  “If they come this way, run as fast as you can into the woods,” Jen said, breathless.

  Daniel, terrified, picked up Katy and held her tightly. He watched two men, both armed, climb off the back of one of the trucks. In the middle of the road sat Katy’s doll. One of the men picked it up and studied the ground where he found it. Another man walked over and joined them in conversation looking towards their hiding place. Jen signaled for the children to start moving. She walked behind them staying low to avoid detection. Katy whimpered and then began crying as Daniel carried her. The men heard the cries and ran straight towards them.

  “Run!” Jen shouted.

  Daniel, carrying Katy, led the way moving quickly. Tonya was close behind, struggling with a bag of supplies.

  “We need to hide!” Jen shouted.

  They found a fallen oak tree and hid behind its decaying trunk.

  “I am going to lead them away,” Jen said. “Stay here and I’ll come back for you later.”

  “No, I’ll go,” Daniel said. “I’m faster.”

  He handed Katy to Tonya and ran to an open area, stopping to stamp his foot prints on a muddy piece of ground to ensure the pursuit. The men came quickly, found the footprints, and then followed his trail into the woods.

  C H A P T E R T H I R T Y

  Barry waited in the truck with Hector while the others searched along the roadside. After hearing Katy’s cries, the Edwards brothers left to search the woods while Jackson followed Jimmy down to the tree line. The two men stopped suddenly when they heard another cry.

  “Whose there? We don’t mean you any harm.” Jimmy’s finger hovered over the trigger of his rifle.

  “Hello?” Jackson called out.

  “Jackson?” Jen answered, still tucked in her hiding place.

  “Jen!” Jackson shouted.

  She emerged from behind the tree with the two girls. Her hair was full of leaves and her clothes were filthy, but to Jackson she never looked better. He ran up and grabbed her in a hug as tears of relief washed down her face. Jimmy walked a few yards away to give them space.

  “Who’s this?” Jackson asked, looking at the two girls.

  Before she could answer, gunfire echoed through the rugged terrain.

  “Daniel!” Jen screamed. “There’s a boy with us, he ran off in that direction.”

  “Dammit!” Jimmy shouted running towards the sound of the gunfire.

  “Jen, wait here, I’ll be right back,” Jackson said, and then turned and ran off. He caught up to Jimmy who had stopped fifty yards from a clearing.

  “Ralph, Bobby. Hold your fire!” Jimmy screamed.

  “Alright, come on,” Ralph yelled back.

  They found the two brothers crouched behind a rock with their guns aimed towards the clearing. Bobby held his hand up to a bloodied ear.

  “Hold up!” Jimmy shouted. “It’s just a kid.”

  “Kid, my ass,” Bobby said. “That fucker put a thumpin’ on me.”

  “Whatever it is, we got it cornered,” Ralph added, gesturing towards a rocky rim rising above tall oaks.

  Jimmy unslung his rifle and walked into the clearing.

  “Daniel?”

  Jackson walked into the middle of the clearing and joined him. There was no sign of Daniel.

  “What’s your girl’s name?” Jimmy whispered.

  “Jen,” Jackson answered.

  “Daniel, we are with Jen and her friends.” Jimmy called out. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

  Slowly, Daniel emerged from behind a holly bush. He was unscathed, save for a few scrapes and bruises. He was hiding when the brothers came up on him, hit Bobby with a tree branch and managed to get away. Ralph and Bobby lowered their weapons as he approached with his hands raised above his head. The brothers, embarrassed to be bested by a kid, walked off without a word.

  C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - O N E

  Barry drove back to the camp racing against the setting sun. Jen sat in the back seat with the children next to her, overjoyed to be safe and among friends again. During the drive she explained how she escaped her captors and found the children. Jackson reached back and took her hand to reassure her.

  “Jen, wait till you see the set-up these people have. It’s an old mining camp and some of them have lived there for years,” Jackson said.

  Barry followed the flatbed up the road to the camp, slowing as they approached the gate. An older man, holding a rifle over his shoulder, swung it open and with a wave, let them pass into the compound. Doc was there waiting to greet them when they pulled to a stop. Jimmy and the Edwards brothers jumped down fro
m the flatbed and began to unpack the truck. Doc gave Hector an approving nod, then walked over and helped Jen climb out of the Rover.

  “Nice to finally make your acquaintance,” he said warmly.

  “Thank you,” she answered. “Jackson told me what you did for us. We’re very grateful.”

  “It’s nothing someone hasn’t done for each of us before,” he replied. “Now, who do we have here?” he asked, winking at the children. “We heard tale of some young people living out there on there own, my name’s Doc and we’re real glad to have you.”

  Daniel awkwardly shook his hand while his sisters took in their new surroundings.

  “Well, let’s get you folks settled in. Come on this way.”

  He led them through the mine building and into the vault, then grabbed the heavy door and feigned weakness.

  “You kids want to give old Doc a hand?”

  The children eagerly helped pull the door closed, and then Doc spun a tumbler locking the vault.

  “Jackson, you mind leading the way?” Doc asked.

  “Sure.”

  Jackson climbed onto the ladder and descended through the opening. When they all reached the floor of the storage room, Doc waived them out into the machine shop where the equipment stood silent in the empty room. All but a few in the camp were down below for the night.

  “I’ve got a treat for you, unless you’re afraid of heights, that is.”

  The orange sun was low in the western sky and shadows formed along the rim of the quarry. Doc led them to an elevated steel cage hung from a thick chain wrapping a steel spindle.

  “Any volunteers? She can handle four at a time safely.”

  Jackson stepped out on to the wooden floor of the makeshift elevator and grabbed the bars of the cage as it swayed side to side.

  “Haven’t lost anybody yet,” Doc said smiling. “Had a few get stuck one time, but that was a long while ago.”

  Barry joined Jackson on the platform and motioned for Tonya to join them. She stepped in slowly, and Doc closed the gate behind her.

  “Enjoy the ride, its one hundred and sixty seven feet to the bottom.”

  He pulled on a long metal lever and the platform began to move. Daniel stepped near the edge to watch them descend. A minute passed until the chain slackened. Doc pushed the lever up and walked over to the voice tube.

  “How we looking?”

  “All set Doc, pull her up,” a voice below answered.

  He walked over to an orange generator mounted on a trailer with a black gas tank attached. He pushed a priming rod, pulled a rope and the machine roared to life. He checked the gauges and then tightened a pressure valve. The chain tightened with a jerk, and the spindle began to turn. The chain wrapped around the spindle as the platform climbed back towards ground level. When the top of the cage appeared over the edge of the quarry, Doc twisted the valve and the platform came to a stop. He opened the gate and motioned for them to enter. Jen followed Daniel, who carried his sleeping younger sister, onto the platform.

  “I need to stay up top,” Doc said. “I have watch duty with Sully. We take turns every few nights. The folks below will see to you.”

  He closed the gate and lowered the platform for the last time that day. The camp had rules and the most important one was that once darkness came, the elevator remained down until daybreak. The men left up top understood they were the last defense, unable to retreat to the safety of the quarry.

  C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - T W O

  Jen sat in a makeshift tent used as a dining hall eating a second plate of food. She had never been so hungry in her life. Picnic tables lined the tent and tree timbers sunk into the ground provided support for its canvas roof. One of the camp residents, Elaine Forester, was busy getting them settled.

  “You can all bunk in here tonight until we get you permanent places to stay,” she said.

  “Don’t go to too much trouble. We won’t be here long,” Jen answered.

  Elaine, a former school teacher, looked somewhat confused. “Okay. We will try to make you comfortable here, for however long you plan to stay with us.” Elaine put down a set of sheets she was folding and walked out of the tent.

  “What’s that all about?” Jen asked.

  Barry shot a glance at the children who were busy playing, then turned back to face her.

  “These people claim that no one ever leaves this town. That we’re trapped here.”

  Jackson nodded in agreement.

  “What? There has to be a road out of here,” she insisted.

  “Some of these people have been here for a long time,” Jackson added.

  “Tomorrow, we need to pack up and get the hell out of here,” she responded. You don’t know what’s out there...I want to go home.”

  Barry stood up without answering and walked out of the tent. A large pond glimmered under the light of the moon as cold mist descended into the quarry. The residents of the camp, many of which were families, hurried about their nightly rituals. They had managed to carve out an odd normalcy in this abnormal place. People cooperated to get things done without the modern conveniences they had once relied upon. He picked up a stone from the shore and skimmed it across the glassy water. Jimmy walked up carrying a lantern and a silver flask.

  “Want a sip?” he asked, holding up the flask. “Homemade.”

  “Thanks,” Barry said, accepting the flask.

  “Go easy, now. It’s close to two hundred proof. The vehicles here run just fine on it.”

  Barry took a sip and the liquid burned his throat as it went down.

  “Good,” Barry said, in a hoarse voice.

  Jimmy chuckled and sat on a stone wall built along the water’s edge. Barry joined him and handed the flask back.

  “So, what brought you folks up this way?” Jimmy took another sip.

  Barry watched the water as a fish jumped at the moonlight. “There’s fish in there?” Barry asked, surprised.

  “Sure, plenty of them. They’ve been in there for years. Some say birds dropped fish flying over and nature took care of the rest. We pump water from the pond and spray it on the crops.”

  “Family,” Barry answered, returning to Jimmy’s original question. “I came here looking for my family.”

  “Good a reason as any, I suppose.”

  He offered Barry the flask, but he waived it off.

  “Maybe we’ve got some of your people here.”

  “Maybe, my family’s name was Rhodes.”

  “Rhodes,” Jimmy repeated. “That’s not a good name around here.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “People say a man named Rhodes, Ezra Rhodes, helped put the veil over this city.” Jimmy took a long swig on the flask. “Some say he still walks this town at night with a thing he calls his sister. You oughta to keep this conversation between the two of us.”

  “What do you mean?” Barry asked, perplexed.

  “Folks here are real giving, but they’ve lived in fear for a long time. If they knew you were a Rhodes, they might not take well to it. Catch Doc and Sully in the morning. They can tell you about the Rhodes family and you can trust them to keep quiet about it. Well, I better go get some sleep.”

  “Goodnight, Jimmy...and thanks for the advice.”

  Jimmy stood up and walked off into the darkness. Barry sat for a while watching the fish jump with any thoughts of his illness far from his mind.

  C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - T H R E E

  People sat chatting and eating breakfast in the dining tent. A kitchen was set up in the back where a crew was busy preparing eggs and bread for the hungry camp. Barry sat with Doc and Sully who had returned safely from a night on watch. The kids happily munched their food next to Jen and Jackson at the end of the table.

  “Jen, we can’t just drive out of here,” Jackson pleaded.

  “We got in here,” she replied. “There must be a way out.”

  “Miss,” Sully said. “Some of us have been here longer than we care to rem
ember. We all have people, friends and family on the other side. Don’t you think we’ve tried leaving?

  “Sully’s right, Doc added. “The only thing you’ll do out there is get yourself killed.”

  “So, that’s it? We spend the rest of our lives sitting here hiding from those things?” she asked.

  Doc and Sully didn’t answer.

  “What about Barry?” Jen demanded of Jackson. “He’s sick. If he doesn’t get help, he’ll die.”

  “Jen,” Barry stuttered. “I am fine. Let’s not get into that right now.”

  “What’s ailing you, Barry? Sully asked. “Maybe Doc can help. He was one of the top surgeons in Charleston till he got stuck here with us.”

  Doc sipped a cup of black coffee, looking slightly embarrassed by Sully’s description.

  “I would be happy to take a look at you, Barry,” Doc added.

  Jen stood up and took her plate and silverware.

  “Jackson, kids, why don’t we give these guys a little privacy?” Jen said.

  Jackson and the children gathered up their own plates and walked towards the kitchen.

  Doc stared at Sully but didn’t say anything.

  “It’s okay, he can stay,” Barry said.

  Barry poured himself a cup of coffee from a dented metal coffee pot. He held the pot up to Doc and Sully, but they both waived him off. Barry hesitated for a moment, then described the history of his illness and the family he was looking to find. Both Doc and Sully reacted when he mentioned the name Rhodes. He could see in their eyes his medical problem had been replaced by something far worse.

  “The Rhodes family is damned,” Sully said. “All of ‘em. They are the ones that started this whole mess.”

  “Sully’s our camp historian,” Doc added softy. “He has been trying to piece together the history of this place.”

  “It all began with a man named Ezra. Ezra Rhodes,” Sully said. “He went off to serve his country in WWI and returned four years later a changed man. But Ezra didn’t return alone, he brought home a woman named Evangeline. He claimed she was his sister who had run away years before. According to Ezra, she was wandering in the mountains of Montenegro, half starved and naked. He rescued her and brought her back to Auraria when the war ended.”