Shadow Moon, page 5
The evil intent of their plan nailed me right between the eyes. I caught my breath and froze as I imagined myself locked up. Forever. The shocking effect of their words must have caused me to shift position, because it all went away. The dancing rainbow. The fruity aroma. The gray smoke. The thoughts of Redgrave and Ackerman faded away into silence. At some level, I was aware that Faye had entered the room. I felt numb, like I was hovering somewhere near the ceiling, watching the action.
Faye glanced at me and settled onto the couch. She cleared her throat. “After thinking it over, we would like to accept your offer. Unless my daughter objects, of course.”
Ackerman and Redgrave beamed.
Say what? Oh, my God! Never in the history of out-of-body experiences has a soul zipped back into her body as fast as mine did at that moment. The moonstone disappeared inside my shirt in a flash.
Faye stared at me for a long moment, then stood and announced, “On second thought, my daughter is not for sale.”
“Excuse me?” Ackerman huffed.
Redgrave’s eyebrows shot together like two wooly caterpillars. “May I ask what made you change your mind?”
In her I am the queen and don’t you forget it voice, Faye said, “No, you may not.”
I moved next to her and squeezed her hand.
Defeated, the agents dropped their cards on the table. “In case you change your minds.”
Like that was going to happen . . . not.
We watched out the window as they climbed into the Prius and backed down the driveway. After I filled Faye in on what I’d learned, an ugly suspicion, pecking away at my subconscious, broke through. I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I plopped down on the couch and said, “How did those people find out about the moonstone?”
Faye shrugged.
“Think about it. Not that many people know what the moonstone can do. You, Kizzy, Mike, Beck and Nicole, Junior, none of whom would be talking to a federal agency. Redgrave and Ackerman aren’t Trimarks. That leaves only one person.”
Faye looked puzzled. “Who?’
“Dennis McCarty,” I said, feeling sick. “It had to be Dennis.”
Chapter Seven
Dennis was a Star Seeker like me. He was my friend. The fact that he worked for the government was a totally separate deal. I wanted to trust him.
By the time I got him on the phone, my emotional roller coaster of a day had caught up with me, and I was fighting tears. He’d barely said hello when I blurted, “Some people were here.” I glanced at the card to make sure I got the name right. “They’re with a government agency called, ESP, Experimental Studies Program. They know about me, Dennis. They’re studying people with paranormal abilities, and they want the moonstone. They want to put me in a lab somewhere and make me do stuff I don’t want to do. How did they find out about me?”
“Hold on, kiddo. Take a deep breath.”
He waited a few minutes while I blew my nose and calmed down.
“First of all, Allie, I’ve told no one in any government agency about you or the moonstone. I would never do that. Our connection—yours and mine—is strictly through the Star Seekers. Yes, I’ve used my FBI contacts to keep you safe, but everyone involved is also a Star Seeker and sworn to secrecy.”
“How did they find me then?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” Dennis’s voice was grim.
“Will you let me know when you do?”
“Absolutely. You’ll be the first to know.”
With all my heart, I wanted to trust Dennis, but could I? My instinct for self-preservation was strong. It had been forged in the heat of battle while fighting for my life. When people try to kill you, it tends to make you suspicious.
Dennis must have realized this. He said, “Listen, Allie, I understand you’re upset. You’ve got a right to be. Here’s what I think happened. If a government agency is studying people with paranormal abilities, they may have captured a Trimark.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t thought of that possibility. Of course, a Trimark would know all about the moonstone. “Can you find out?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Dennis said. “Switching gears, I’m glad you called. We need to get together. You, your dad and me. We need to talk about some things. Face to face.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Mike told me. Is there something new?”
Dennis was all done talking. He said, “I’ll be in touch,” and broke the connection.
A while later, I was peering into the fridge looking for a snack when the phone rang.
In a blur of movement, Faye darted by me and pounced on the phone. She fluffed her blond hair, smiled and purred into the phone, “Hel-lo-oh,” drawing the word out into three syllables.
“Chicken guy,” I murmured, peering in boxes of leftovers from Bea’s Honey Pot Diner. Brown stuff with gray gravy? No way. Limp lettuce dotted with black specks that may have been olives? Uh uh. Berry cobbler? Score!
I glanced over at Faye. Judging by her look of disgust, she wasn’t talking to chicken guy. She said, “Yeah, okay,” and snapped her mouth shut. After a few seconds, the corner of her mouth twitched. She said, “You’re so full of it,” and handed me the phone. “It’s Latin lover-boy.” She shook her head and tried not to smile. “That kid could charm the britches off a nun. For your sake, I hope he’s still in Mexico.”
“Faye!” I exclaimed, outraged that my mother could have such evil thoughts about my sometimes boyfriend.
I grabbed the phone. “Junior?
“Emerson. How ya doin’, kid?”
“Fine. Are you home?”
“Nah, that’s why I’m calling. Can’t make it until after Thanksgiving. I’ll be home for Christmas, though.”
“Well, crap.” My shoulders slumped in disappointment. Holding the phone to my ear, I curled up on the couch. Guess I hadn’t realized how much I missed talking to Junior. He knew all about me, so I could tell him anything. “I thought you were coming home this weekend.”
“That was the plan. Didn’t work out. We have to reshoot some scenes in Guadalajara.”
He filled me in on his latest movie, a romantic comedy. The girl playing opposite him was Selena Espinoza, and she wasn’t just pretty, she was Miss Universe gorgeous. A wave of jealousy rose and crested as I visualized Junior surrounded by Selena along with a half-dozen other Mexican beauties. A really bitchy comment danced on the end of my tongue, waiting to be launched.
Don’t say it, Allie. I pinched myself, hard.
But then, Junior surprised me. “So what’s going on in Allie world? Anybody tried to kill you lately? Just say the word and I’ll fly up there and beat the shit out of ’em.”
I didn’t doubt it for one second. A former gangbanger, Junior had worked hard to put that life behind him. Not that he wasn’t capable of violence. He was.
I put a smile in my voice. “I’ll be sure to let you know.”
We talked for a while, keeping it light. Neither of us wanted to say anything the other might take the wrong way. It was like trying not to step on broken glass when you’re barefooted. Last summer, after my trip to Boundless, Junior and I reconnected. Not that we were an exclusive couple. We were thousands of miles apart. But Junior got me like no one else in my life. Nothing shocked him. When our conversation wound down, I had a sudden thought. I should tell Junior about Teagan.
I checked to make sure Faye’s bedroom door was shut. “This weird guy keeps popping up and . . . ”
When I finished my story, Junior said, “Wanna know what I think?”
“Yes.”
“I think you got your own scary faery lookin’ out for you.”
“I never saw anything like him in Boundless.”
“Yeah, well, your dad saw him too. So, maybe he’s from another part of faeryland or Boundless or whatever you call it. The Ireland part.”
“I guess that’s possible. What makes you think he’s looking out for me? Was it the Malcolm thing?”
“That and the fact that he hasn’t threatened you in any way. It sounds like he’s just hangin’ out, making sure you’re okay. If he shows up again, try talking to him.”
I shivered. “You wouldn’t say that if you saw him. He’s really creepy looking.”
Faye’s door slid open. “Are you about done? I’m expecting a call.”
I flapped a hand at her. “Yeah, yeah.”
“Huh?” Junior said.
“Faye needs the phone.”
“New boyfriend?”
Faye was hovering. I said, “Probably. Gotta go.”
I settled in at the table and started my homework. Chicken guy called as I was finishing up. Faye cooed into the phone. I opened my mouth and pointed at the back of my throat, making the “gag me with a spoon,” sign. Faye stuck out her tongue. We have such a mature relationship. Faye was smiling when she hung up.
“So, when am I meeting this guy?” I asked.
Her eyebrows shot up. “You want to meet him?”
I grinned at her. “Never met a chicken wrangler before. Do they wear special outfits?”
She put her hands on her hips and glared. “Enough with the chicken jokes! You’ll meet him Thanksgiving. He’s coming to the diner. I have to work . . . remember?”
“No problem. I’d rather be at the diner than at Uncle Sid’s.”
Uncle Sid, Faye’s stepbrother, was married to Aunt Sandra, who’d inherited the ranch from her parents. She didn’t like us, but Uncle Sid made her invite us to dinner on all the major holidays. Trust me, it was hell on earth. Aunt Sandra always wore a big, phony grin. Uncle Sid never talked. Their daughter, Tiffany, was a rude, spoiled brat. And then there was Matt. Matt was nineteen and a real hottie. Unfortunately, he knew it. I’d had a mad crush on him a while back, but outgrew it. Now, I tried not to let him corner me in the pantry.
“Won’t that be a little awkward? You waiting tables. Me and what’s-his-name eating turkey together. Probably not even free-range turkey.”
“Oh, stop!”
I noticed Faye was smiling. On the way to the bedroom, she patted my cheek. “Don’t stay up too late.”
I finished my homework, brushed my teeth and pulled out my couch bed. Curled up in my faded pink comforter, I waited for sleep to come. Instead, my brain kicked into high gear. Images of Teagan, Ackerman and Redgrave, Dennis McCarty, my dad, even Cory Philpott flashed across the flat screen TV in my head, leaving me wide awake and restless. After an hour of tossing and turning, I finally dozed off, only to get caught up in a dream that seemed to go on forever.
I was with Junior at the edge of a cornfield maze.
He said, “You’re mom needs you. She’s at the other end of the maze.”
I grabbed his hand. “Come with me.”
“I can’t. I have a movie to make.” He gave me a little push. “Go!”
Junior vanished, and I raced into the cornfield to the end of a row where the path forked off in three different directions. Panicky, I yelled, “Faye! Can you hear me?”
I heard a woman’s voice say, “Your mother can’t hear you.”
I whirled around. Ackerman was standing behind me. She pointed to the right. “I’ll show you the way.”
“No!” I shouted and veered to the left. The giant corn plants began closing in, weaving their leaves together into a lush green trap. The path was gone. I slapped at the plants, trying to fight my way through the jungle.
Out of nowhere, Teagan appeared, standing directly in front of me, smiling his weird smile. “This way, little miss. Follow me.” As he stepped forward, the plants parted, revealing a long, serpentine trail.
Could I trust Teagan? My heart was pounding wildly. I glanced over my shoulder. Redgrave now stood next to Ackerman, beckoning to me. I had no choice. I’d follow Teagan. But, when I turned around, Teagan was gone and so was the path. I was trapped!
“Allie!” I heard Faye calling to me from a distance. I had to find her! I batted at the smothering plants closing in on me. I tried to move and I couldn’t lift my feet. When I looked down, I gasped in horror. My feet were completely overgrown with tangled green vines that snaked around both ankles and bound them together. I tried to take a step and fell forward, face down.
“Faye!” I screamed. “Where are you?”
“Right here, Allie. Wake up.”
A light came on. My mother was holding my hand. I took a deep shuddering breath. “Bad dream,” I whispered.
Faye slipped under the comforter and wrapped me in her arms. “Go to sleep, you silly girl.”
The next morning, I found the cards left by Ackerman and Redgrave, ripped them into tiny pieces and tossed them into the garbage.
Chapter Eight
We got out of school early Wednesday for Thanksgiving vacation.
No Teagan sightings. No sign of Redgrave and Ackerman. Best of all, I was no longer responsible for Cory Philpott’s happiness. He and Molly Reed were the hot new couple. I spotted them walking to the bus. Cory had his arm around Molly, who gave me a superior smirk like she’d just won first prize in a boy-grabbing contest. I wondered how long it would take for her to dump him and move on to the next guy. Because I didn’t want to deal with the drama, I asked Mercedes if I could catch a ride home with Gilbert and her.
Mercedes’ boyfriend, Gilbert, had just passed his driver’s test. His parents were so proud of him for being Washington State’s Young Scientist of the Year that they’d bought him a car. It was an ancient, pea-green Ford Maverick and the most hideous vehicle east of the Cascades, possibly in the entire state of Washington. The hood was about a mile long. The Maverick nameplate on the trunk looked like the skull of a longhorn steer. Even though the roads were clear, he had snow chains on the back tires. I guess his parents wanted him to be safe in case of a sudden blizzard.
None of that mattered to Gilbert. He totally blew off the laughter of our classmates as he opened the passenger door for Mercedes. I scrambled into the back seat. As we clattered out of the parking lot, Mercedes blew kisses to the raucous crowd.
Clutching the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands, Gilbert drove slowly down Peacock Flats Road. When a guy on a tractor passed us, Mercedes looked at me and rolled her eyes. “Gilbert’s a very safe driver,” she said, patting his arm.
I looked out the back window for the school bus. If it caught up with us, everybody would be banging on the windows, pointing and laughing. Not that Gilbert gave a rip.
When we pulled into Uncle Sid’s driveway, I asked Gilbert to stop so I could get the mail. He pulled over to the edge of the driveway, his right front and rear tires crunching in the snow. As I climbed out of the car, he said, “It’s a good thing I have chains on. Otherwise, we’d be stuck.”
Mercedes giggled.
I said, “Thanks for the ride, Gilbert. I’ll walk from here.”
I collected the mail, my pulse quickening when I spotted a letter from A. Haugen. As I trudged down the driveway, I ripped open the envelope and pulled out two sheets of paper. A letter and a picture.
Dear Allie,
The name of the woman who worked in the nursery was Karla Ring. I’ve included a photocopy of the picture in her file.
I glanced at the picture. It was a headshot of a dark-haired woman without a trace of a smile. Although the picture was in black and white, the woman’s eyes were so pale, the dark centers stood out like punctuation marks. I caught my breath, remembering Faye’s comment. Her eyes were like water with black stones.
I unlocked the door, dumped my backpack and turned on the heat before scanning the rest of the letter. It included Ring’s address and phone number; probably worthless since Nurse Haugen said Ring had adopted a baby and moved away. But, Haugen had thoughtfully provided Ring’s social security number. I’d heard you could track anyone down if you had their social security number.
I paced back and forth, trying to figure out what to do next. Should I dump it in Dennis McCarty’s lap? As I passed the window, I caught a glimpse of Gilbert’s butt-ugly Maverick parked next to Mercedes’ house and I had my answer. Why bother Dennis when brainiac Gilbert was within shouting distance? Mercedes had told me in confidence there wasn’t a secure site Gilbert couldn’t hack into, and that his parents had no idea.
I called Mercedes’ cell phone, not her home phone. The home phone would involve endless conversations with a bunch of little Trujillos, before I actually got to speak to Mercedes. After I explained what I needed, Mercedes said, “Just a sec,” and repeated my request to Gilbert.
“He’ll be right over,” Mercedes said. “I can’t leave the kids.” Her mother cleaned for Aunt Sandra. Mercedes job was to keep her little brothers and sisters from killing each other or ingesting poison until their mother got home.
When Gilbert arrived, he sat at the kitchen table and fired up his laptop. “Where’s your Internet connection?”
My heart sank. “We don’t have a computer. Sorry, I didn’t think of that. Maybe we can go to the library.”
Gilbert waved a hand. “Not necessary.” I looked over his shoulder while he trolled for a connection. Within seconds, he was online. He looked up at me and grinned. “Good thing your uncle has wireless”
I handed him Nurse Haugen’s letter. “I’m trying to find this woman. Karla Ring. I think she may have illegally adopted my twin sister.”
Gilbert scanned the letter, his hands hovering over the keyboard. “Having the Social helps,” he mumbled under his breath.
I leaned closer, curious to see what he’d do next. He turned his head and barked, “I can’t work with you standing over me. Find something to do.”
“Sorry.” I backed away, grabbed a book and slipped into the bench seat across from him. I opened the book and pretended to read. I was pretty sure Gilbert didn’t want me to see him doing something illegal. It scared me. What if he got caught and it was my fault?
