Chapter 30

The morning dawned gray and rainy. The air outside was cold that Sunday morning as everyone woke up and quickly dressed. Mr. Hatch had kicked on the furnace, and the house smelled of burning dust for the first few minutes before it finally burned off and kicked warm air out of the registers.

Michelle and Paul had slept on the couch together, and when Paul woke, he found David smiling at him. The Owens had beaten Mrs. Hatch to the kitchen where they started making breakfast for the troop before they headed out for the day.

Jake, was the last to wake up, having been given another Xanax to help him sleep after the night prior. This morning, however, his mood was as gray as the weather. Tara did everything she could to keep his spirits up; Robert took note but didn’t know what to make of it, and he awkwardly stood by as she doted on him.

After showering and dressing, they all sat down to eat Mrs. Owen’s cooking, which was just fine. Mrs. Hatch looked like she didn’t know what to do with herself with those two taking care of everything. Mr. Hatch, on the other hand, just smiled and happily accepted his hearty breakfast of omelets, toast, and orange juice. Cassandra walked in around nine with a smile on her face and a skip in her step and kissed Paul on the cheek as she made her way over to Michelle.

“You’re in good spirits this morning,” Michelle observed as she handed her a plate of steaming food.

Cassandra leaned close to whisper in her ear. “We had a pretty good night last night. The kids went to bed early, and Tony and I made up for some lost time.”

Michelle grinned at that and looked over at Paul. Cassandra and Tony hadn’t been the only ones; the divorcees also seemed to be affectionate and attentive to each other. It made Michelle feel good seeing that, even if it was only temporary for Jake’s sake.

While they ate, Paul divided the house up into teams. The Owens would, of course, stay back and monitor their son, and Cassandra and Michelle would go over the journals. Meanwhile, David, Paul, Tara, and Robert would all go out on the boat. Mrs. Hatch left the kitchen and returned with four different colored rain slickers and hats for the crew. “Just in case the rain gets worse or doesn’t let up at all.”

“Mrs. Hatch, you’re a lifesaver,” Tara said.

“Just doing my part, dear,” she replied with a wink. She started gathering everyone’s plates up to wash and waved Audrey and Daniel away when they tried to protest. “You all made breakfast, so I can take care of the cleanup. Audrey, what you can help with is to grab the sandwich stuff out of the refrigerator and pack lunches for those going out today. Bread is in the box over there, lunch meat and cheese are in the drawer, and I have some sodas and chips in the pantry. Daniel, out in the garage, I have a pot roast in the deep freezer—all the meat is in tin foil, but it’s marked. You should be able to find it. Would you be a sweetheart and bring it in for me? We can have that for dinner since it’s going to be a bit chilly today.”

The two jumped up and got to work.

“Papa, why don’t you give Paul the keys to the Suburban so they can load all their equipment into that, keep it from getting rained on. Paul, do you mind if we borrow your truck in case one of us has to run into town?”

“Not at all, thank you,” Paul said as he poured himself a thermos full of coffee.

“Kind of a big day for you all, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. We’re going to be doing a lot of work. But the radios are on and we will be checking in every half hour. We’re also going to be giving one to Tommy and Hayden who are staying at the house by the lake, just in case they need anything. I wish you could meet them, they’re really nice.” Paul turned the top of the thermos, making sure it was sealed tight.

“I know Tommy and his mother. Thomas Law, his father, used to run the bait and tackle shop out on highway twelve before he passed away. His mother was so proud of him when he got back from the service. He was an army ranger, you know.” She wiped her hands on a dish towel. “You may want to consider keeping him close in case you get in a pinch somewhere.”

“I didn’t know that. I’ll keep that in mind. All right, everyone, let’s round it up and hit the road. Daylight is burning,” Paul announced loud enough to be heard through the house. He walked out of the kitchen, thermos in hand, and headed for the front door, stopping to give Michelle a kiss on the cheek before he walked away.

“Be safe out there,” she said, zipping his windbreaker up.

“Yeah. You too, huh? You see or hear anything unusual, please get in touch with me. I’ll be on the radio, channel thirteen. You going to go through those journals?”

“Yeah, me and Cass will be reading. Things will be fine here, don’t worry. We’re going to make Jake a part of everything, that poor boy. His mom told me that his friend Tanner was coming over to help. Tanner’s a good kid—his parents were shit, but he is a good kid. I think it will cheer Jake up a bit.”

“Good. That’s good. I feel bad for him. This all has to seem like a nightmare, but, things will get better.” Paul took her hands in his. “Thank you, by the way, for last night.”

Michelle laughed and put her head on his chest. She was nervous, and her stomach clenched in fear. She was worried about them being out on the lake, about him being out there. He drew her close to him, and she melted into his arms.

“Come home to me safe and sound tonight, and I’ll show you how welcome you really are,” she said as she lifted her head and kissed him.

“I promise,” he murmured and broke the embrace as Tara came bounding into the kitchen.

“Everything is packed up and we’re ready to go.”

“All right. It’s show time.” He followed Tara out the door, leaving Michelle nervously wringing her hands. Mrs. Hatch, who had listened to the exchange, walked over and sat her down at the table. Cass patted her hand and pulled out the journals.

“Think this will take your mind off it for a little while anyway. We have to do our part,” Cassandra said.

Michelle took the book, flipped the pages open to where she had left off and started reading.

* * * * * * * *

Tommy was the first one to wake in the early morning light. Hayden had rolled over to his side of the bed and was curled up with the blankets wrapped around him. His hair was standing up all over the place, and his head was tilted back as he snored deeply. Tommy chuckled and rolled out of bed, casting his little bit of blankets off as he stood and strolled, bare-assed, to the bathroom.

Under the shower, he let the hot water wash the sleep from his brain as he soaped up quickly and rinsed, stepped out, and towel-dried himself. He walked to Hayden’s dresser and fished out a less colorful pair from the rainbow assortment, settling on black boxer briefs. He threw his jeans on, a fresh pair of socks, and a sweatshirt from Hayden’s old college. At some point, Tommy needed to go home to at least change clothes; these jeans had made it two days and were starting to look worse for wear.

Downstairs, he found Terri up and making coffee. As he walked into the kitchen she handed him a cup, and he thanked her for it.

“Headed back to Boston today?” he asked as he took a seat on a stool at the counter.

“Yep. I’ll hit the road as soon as our boy wakes up. He is our boy, now isn’t he?” She eyeballed him and stirred coffee creamer and sugar into her coffee, awaiting a response.

“You could say that,” Tommy said, a little embarrassed.

Terri brought her cup and rounded the corner of the counter to sit next to him. She set her coffee down and studied him for a second.

“What?” he asked.

“Hayden’s been through a lot. More than most people can handle. I wanted this place to be a fresh start for him, a place he could recover. Do you think that’s possible? And what role do you plan on playing in that recovery?” She came straight to the point.

Tommy considered her question for a second. “I think Hayden is going to recover just fine. The world is a funny place, and things happen that alter the route a person takes. Sometimes permanently. When things happen like what Hayden experienced with the loss of his husband, sometimes it leaves scars that never heal. I’ve seen that time and time again. Hell, I’ve been there myself. My role in his life will be whatever he needs it to be.”

“I’m just afraid of him getting hurt.” Terri said coolly, watchful of Tommy’s reaction.

“No one is going to hurt him. Especially not me, if that is what you’re getting at.” Tommy met her gaze and held it. “I understand that you have his best interests at heart, and I can assure you, my intentions are the best where he is concerned.”

Terri nodded thoughtfully. “You know, I never really knew a lot of gay people until I met Hayden. He came whirling into my office full of big ideas and big dreams and such a work ethic, I couldn’t help but notice him and like him right away. He was passionate, hardworking, and terribly dedicated to winning. I wonder if it wasn’t that dedication that got his husband killed.”

“So, you’re feeling guilty. Is that it?”

Terri shrugged. “I can’t help but think that way sometimes. It was a huge case and we had it in the bag. It was the fallout that we weren’t ready for.”

Tommy sighed and sat back. “Look, things happen. When the war in Iraq was considered over, when the president landed on that aircraft carrier, we all breathed a sigh of relief. But then the fallout of sectarian violence began, and people started dying in larger numbers. Nobody could foresee that. What happened to Malcolm was terrible, and it left wounded people to pick up the pieces, especially Hayden. Life happens.”

“Yeah but this is different. I mean, they put a hit out on him. The Cassone family only stopped when Hayden confronted them head-on after the murder. It was like watching a star go supernova. Hayden brought his A-game to trial and an entire generation of Mafia family went under. The only ones left are the wife and grandkids, and she called everything off. Had she not had, Hayden would have been forced into witness protection for the rest of his life.”

Tommy’s expression hardened but his voice remained cool and calm as he said, “I’ve escorted dignitaries and high political officials, both in the military and out, and I can swear to you that it would take more than an angry mob to take Hayden away.”

Terri could see the fire in his eyes and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “I believe you.” She turned her head to the door where Hayden was standing, bleary-eyed, hair a mess, and her mood shifted into a sunny disposition. “You know, with your hair standing up like that, I would have expected you to be outside crowing when the sun came up.”

Hayden, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, yawned and nodded, patting his hair down. “I know, I’m getting to be lazy these days. You’re leaving soon?” He shuffled his way into the kitchen.

“Boston called this morning. I can’t stay and I’m on my way out the door right now. Oh, look, the Ghostbusters have arrived,” she said as a large blue Suburban coasted into the driveway and people started getting out. “That’s my cue. Tell Amanda that I will have her vacation forms filled out and sent to payroll for her. Have her call me if anything happens with the spooks.” She hugged Hayden. “And you be good to yourself. We’ll see you soon.”

He hugged her back fiercely. “Take care and drive safe. Let me know when you get in.”

“I will. I promise,” she said, gathering her bags. “Tommy, take care of our boy.” She kissed his cheek one more time.

“Roger that, ma’am.” He saluted, and she snickered. He reached over, grabbed the largest of the bags, and escorted her out the side door to her car. Hayden watched them go as he mulled over what he had heard on his way downstairs. He was annoyed they’d been talking about him like he was some sort of damaged goods.

He turned his attention to the people piling out of the large vehicle and pulling equipment from the back. The boat they had brought last night had a tarp over it, which was being untied to load the equipment on. As people climbed all over the boat, removing the tarp and loading boxes of stuff, Hayden poured his coffee and stepped out into the morning with a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. Paul waved at him on his way past Tommy, who was giving the others a hand, and came to the porch.

“Good morning,” Hayden greeted.

“’Mornin’. We’re all set to go out and should be out there most of the day. I just wanted to drop this off in case you needed to get a hold of us or vice versa.” He gave Hayden a handheld radio. “I already set it to my channel, which is channel thirteen. And in case of an emergency, Tony Diaz and the police department are on channel four.”

“Got it. You think there may be trouble?” Hayden asked as he lit up.

“Don’t know, but we have to anticipate whatever. Well, have a good one, huh? Oh! Before I forget, the remaining crew at the B&B are also on thirteen and there may be a lot of chatter.” Paul winced like he was sorry for the intrusion, but Hayden didn’t care.

“It’s not a problem at all really, just…happy hunting.” Hayden wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say.

Paul laughed and went back to the boat, stopping to shake Tommy’s hand and chat with him for a few minutes. Hayden waited in silence, sipping his coffee and having his morning smoke. Finally, Tommy walked up looking sheepish.

“I knew you were standing there,” he said, taking a seat opposite him.

“Knew I was standing where?” Hayden asked, playing dumb.

“I heard the stairs creaking. You walk heavy.”

“I don’t need saving,” Hayden said sharply.

“No one said you did.”

“I heard you both talking like I’m some wounded animal. I can take care of myself.” The fury was whirling around inside him. Deep-seated and ready to break loose was this emerging feeling that he couldn’t shake, and it was begging to break free.

“She’s just worried about you is all. And she feels guilty for what happened to Malcolm. It’s understandable,” Tommy said, sitting back and watching the blood drain from Hayden’s face. He knew what was going on, what was about to happen, and he prepared himself for it. Hayden’s sorrow and depression were going to turn outward like a festering boil. He’d seen way too many people go through trauma and react just like this. He was ready to weather the storm; Hayden needed a target and if that target was going to be him, that was okay. Whatever Hayden said wasn’t really going to be about Tommy even if the words were directed at him.

Yet instead of exploding, Hayden pushed it back beneath the surface. His resolve made Tommy respect him even more, but that wasn’t going to be the end of it. If Hayden was as extroverted and as passionate a person as Terri and Amanda believed him to be, that personality was going to punch through eventually and come back with a vengeance.

“I’m sorry, Tommy, I shouldn’t have snapped. I know she’s worried. I’m a bit of a mess and have been since it happened. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” Hayden reached over the table and took Tommy’s hand. He felt the calluses there and ran a thumb over them, thinking about the things that Tommy had to endure. Hayden’s issues were nothing by comparison. He sighed heavily and sat back in his chair, watching as the big SUV backed the boat up into the water. “You think they’ll be all right?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to go look inside of your boathouse, just in case. I thought I saw a canoe in there.”

“Yes, there is, actually. I’ve seen it. I was only in there once, but Curtis, my realtor, said that was one thing that didn’t go with the estate sale after the Woodbridges died. He thought it was sound. You wanna walk down there with me? We can look real fast.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

Both stood and headed down to the pier and the adjacent boat ramp, waving at Paul and the others as they turned the motor over and made for the center of the lake. As they walked towards the boathouse, Tommy stopped for a second, looking at the ground.

“Tommy, what is it?” Hayden asked.

“Does the grass look greener to you?”

“What?” Hayden looked down. “It looks fine to me.”

“Yeah…I don’t know. Maybe I am just tired. Come on, let’s go.” Tommy shook it off and strode off towards the boathouse; Hayden followed.

* * * * * * * *

“Listen to this, Cass.”

Cassandra stopped what she was doing to listen to Michelle reading aloud.

 

Riley and I snuck out again tonight and we took to the meadow just beyond the church. It was quarter passed midnight, and he was excited to get out into the meadows. I could hardly keep up with him he was walking so fast. He kept encouraging me, laughing, and finally grabbed my hand, pulling me forward. As soon as we came into the clearing, he stopped with his head tilted towards the heaven like he was soaking in the moonlight.

I watched him for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he opened his eyes, took my hand and walked me into the center of the field. The grasses were high and wet with dew sparkling like little diamonds that broke against our legs as we traveled forward. Two nights ago, I asked him to explain his faith to me, as he refuses to acknowledge it. He insists that he is not a Catholic nor does he sound like any other sect, Protestant or otherwise.

Finally, we reached the center of the grassy field where a patch of grass had dried and withered.

“Where there is life, death must follow. But where there is death, new life springs forward. Do you understand?” he asked.

His statement was so peculiar I couldn’t help but shake my head.

“Look down at your feet. This grass is dead, has dried, and seems lifeless. But your eyes deceive you. The grass will shrivel and die, returning to the soil to feed it. In the ground, in the black dirt, other seeds await the food which this grass will provide, and it will grow, blooming a flower or perhaps a rose.

“Consider this: out there, just beyond the trees, is a family of foxes. The mother has just had a litter, three pups. Two boys and a girl, the mother feeds her with the milk that her body creates, but she cannot create that milk unless she herself is fed by whatever it is she hunted for that day. It’s all a cycle of life and is represented in the world around us at all times, day and night.”

“I understand, but why are you telling me this?” I asked him.

“You wondered after my religion, and I have to say that I was afraid to tell you. Your father is wrong. I am not a Catholic, but I am not a Christian either. My faith is much older than that.” He paused to sit down on the dried grass. He put out his hand, and I sat with him, curious.

“Thousands of years ago, my people populated various places throughout what you would consider Europe and England among other places. They worshipped Nature and the life force that she gives. They recognized the circle of life, and the cycle of it, and sought to preserve her.

“Through our bloodlines, we have been able to be a part of the cycle, by watching closely how she was affected by the advancement of men. The mines are a perfect example. The earth does not like things taken from her and something not given in return. When our farmers planted for the season, we always made sure to give the earth something back. When we cut down the timber to use for our homes, we always planted another tree in thanksgiving. There is always a give and take.

“In the mineshaft, because the men were always taking, there were accidents. Now, when we go in there, I always put something back. A token, a gift, of sorts. I am a druid. My family always has been.”

I was in wonder, in awe, and a little scared. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. That is why I brought you here. I brought you here to show you who I am. And tonight, with the full moon, it’s a perfect chance. Do you trust me?” he asked, sitting forward.

I looked forward staring into his eyes. How could I not?

“I trust you.” I said.

With that, he stood up and walked a circle around me. His arms were above his head and he spoke in a foreign tongue, the words rolling easily out of his mouth. He went around me clockwise three times and then three times counter as I watched him. Then he sat down with me again. Before I knew it, fireflies danced up from the meadows around us and began to circle where we sat. There were hundreds of them that lit up the world, so many I could feel the breeze they created as their wings flapped to hold them afloat! I’ll never forget tonight as long as I live.

Michelle put the book down and stared at her counterpart across the table.

“That’s crazy. So, Riley Dunne was a druid. But aren’t they a gentle faith, I mean, like, Wicca and other forms of Paganism?” Cassandra asked.

“Well, there is stuff about them doing human sacrifices, usually criminals and such, in Roman records. But the Romans did that themselves—burning people at the stake too—but that also happened here in the thirteen colonies. The druids referred to it as the Wicker Man, and Leviticus is wrought with human sacrifice. Christianity has mellowed over the generations, as have most other major religions. So, your guess is as good as mine. The only thing I can think of is to keep going.”

Daniel and Audrey had been listening, dumbfounded, to the whole conversation. “You mean to tell me this man had magical powers?” Daniel asked.

“For lack of a better term, it seems like it. Far-fetched? Perhaps. But we’ll have to see.” Michelle said.

They turned back to the books in search of more on the lives of Riley and Veronica’s father. Cassandra stopped mid-paragraph on a page she was reading to involve everyone else like Michelle had done.

“Here we go. Check this out.”

 

It has been six months since Riley Dunne and his band came to these parts. The longer he is here the more I despise him. The mines haven’t had an accident since he started working down in those dreadful holes, and I commend his resourcefulness, but I do resent his ability to rouse up the citizenry for late-night drinking exploits.

The alcohol and the music flows from campsite to campsite as people laugh and make merry. The women have even begun to kick off their shoes and dance to the sound of his drums as he sings. The boy has a beautiful voice and speaks in such a soothing language that it must be of the devil, I am sure of it. He is seducing this town with his magic.

The church attendance has fallen away since he has come here, and I daresay those that do attend do so out of habit more than commitment. And Veronica! How dare she question my authority in this town? I have demanded that she close the school while the people are in the throes of that Papist’s sway, but she flat-out refuses to listen to reason.

“I even went so far as to threaten to cut off the funding, but she simply shrugged her shoulders and told me that the townspeople would be able to pay for it out of their own pocket and that the mayor has already agreed to it! She sought his approval behind my back.

I went to the town mayor and the committees, and they all seem to agree that Riley is a good man and cannot see what is so wrong with everyone having a bit of fun! I railed against that with all my might, and the mayor threatened to have me removed from chambers if I didn’t settle down! I may not be able to convince the town, but by God, as long as Veronica is my daughter I will control my own family!

“That guy is having serious control issues,” Audrey said. “You know, it’s kind of funny, but when I was listening to that, I couldn’t help but think of John Lithgow’s character in the movie Footloose.” She snickered.

“Yeah, but he sounds like he really has it in for Riley,” Daniel said. “Keep reading, guys, I want to know what happens next.”

Mrs. Hatch, who had stayed quiet during most of the discussion, also urged Cassandra to continue and she, being cheered on, did.

* * * * * * * *

The gray clouds had passed on and the sun began to shine around midday. The boat floated in the center, engine off, as everyone prepared their own instruments of study. David had taken the temperature of the water at various levels, and, of course, the further down he went the warmer the water was due to air cooling the surface. It was a balmy fifty-five degrees and would take the breath away of anyone who accidentally fell in.

Robert had located the deepest part of the lake with the depth finder that came with the boat and it was an impressive 251 feet deep. Now, Tara had her equipment ready to go. The large yellow and black underwater camera was being lowered into the water attached to hundreds of feet of thin, powerful rope that was coiled up and attached to the rigging. She kicked the power on; the little fan started to whirl as she let go.

She walked over to where the monitor was plugged into the boat’s battery and clicked that on, and everyone gathered around her to watch the camera’s decent. With the water temperature growing colder, a lot of the sediment that had been kicked up with warmer temperatures had begun to settle, and although the camera picked up the green color of the lake, it was surprisingly clear.

“All right, it’s going to take a few minutes for her to hit bottom, but it shouldn’t be too long of a wait. Robert, come sit closer so you can identify artifacts as we run across them. Also, this indicator up here is her GPS location, with each fragment found. If we find any, mark their location and what it was or what it looks like, here in this black binder. It will make looking for a particular thing easier if we have to do this again.”

Robert grabbed the black folder before trading places with David.

As the minutes passed by, all they saw was sediment and curious fish swimming up to the camera before darting away. Tara explained that the camera had a high-powered light on the end which would kick on as soon as the light from the sun dissipated, and at about seventy feet down, it did as she said it would. She adjusted the resolution on the screen to make up for the glare and kept piloting the small craft down and down and down.

Finally, it hit bottom, kicking up sand and other small debris. “All right, let’s look, around, shall we?” Tara’s fingers expertly manipulated the various levers on the handheld device. As the camera panned around, everyone took a collective gasp at the first sighting of what looked like an old wagon wheel half in and half out of the lake bed. Robert dutifully noted it and its location to give them a starting reference.

“Now, I’m going to raise the camera up a little and go one way for a few minutes. If we don’t see any more debris, then we will go back in the other direction. But you said this is where the church was located?” she asked, glancing at Paul.

“Yes, the old maps Michelle handed me indicate that it was roughly in this area, oh, I’d say by fifty feet, give or take.”

She nodded and started piloting in one direction, and they did happen to see broken pieces of timber and some glass but everything faded into nothingness. Minutes turned into one hour and then into two before they saw something else that made them all lean forward to try to figure out what they were looking at. It was large, cone-shaped, and lying on its side. Everyone tilted their heads to the left before David finally spoke up.

“It’s the church steeple. See? There’s the cross on top.” He pointed with his finger.

“Ah, yes, it is.” Robert pointed to a metallic object a few feet away. “That looks like a…yeah. There’s the church bell.”

“I can’t believe how clear she can see through all of this,” Tara said. “I’m glad I was able to pick this up before I came.”

Robert looked at her, his eyebrows drawn together. “You keep referring to the camera as a she.”

“Noticed that, did you? I call her Miranda. Named her after Miranda Lambert, you know, the country singer? All my equipment has names and yes, they’re all female country singers. It’s the only way I can keep track of my crap on inventory lists.” She spoke matter-of-factly as she concentrated on what she was doing. The guys all looked at each other with in amusement but all turned back again when Tara let out a little yelp.

“Holy shit, did you see that?”

“See what?” David asked, leaning forward.

She raised a hand for him to be quiet and panned the camera around for a second in a slow circular motion, but all anyone could see was underwater flora and fauna. She shook her head and proceeded forward with it again, and this time, the ground gave way to open water.

“You were off your depth about twenty feet, Robert. See, this appears to be a small cliff. Let me just…there we go. I’m going to put the camera in reverse and take it down that way with the light on the wall.”

She worked her fingers over “Miranda’s” controls, and everyone jumped with the camera jolted to a sudden stop.

“It’s all right. It just ran into something, lemme turn it…there. Oh my god!”

The light panned over what used to be the church itself. The structure was surprisingly well intact, and Robert hadn’t been wrong after all. The church was lower than everything else. It had sunk the furthest by about fifty feet. Robert sat forward and muttered, “Look at the walls, it looks like a glacier cut into it. Not like a collapse at all, it looks like it was cut into being.”

“What do you mean?” David asked.

“Glaciers cut land mass over long periods of time, millennia in some cases. Look here, at the ridges. Whatever did this, it wasn’t natural. No explosion did this either, at least, none that I can think of. This was done by something a lot more precise.”

“I see what you’re saying,” Paul said. “These walls are sheer cliffs—I wonder if the entire lake looks like this? Granite, copper, and marble are the main resources here in these parts. The stone is hard, so…this is damn peculiar.” He rubbed his chin.

“Do we have anything here to take a soil sample?” David asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

“Not at that depth.” Tara said.

David sighed and stood back. “Well, let’s give the church a go over and then see what we can do about that.”

Tara nodded, and as everyone took their attention off David and panned their heads around to the monitor, they were struck silent for a moment. The screen was dark. Not from lack of power, but because the camera lens was being covered by something.

“What the hell…here, let me try to…no, that isn’t working. OH SHIT! OH MY GOD!” Tara screamed, and everyone who saw what she did backed away the camera in a hurry, except Robert, who threw himself backward into the chair and put the black binder up over his eyes.

It had only lasted a second, and then the camera was released. It floundered, tilting back and forth, before settling. But a second was all that was needed.

“Did you record that?! Is this being recorded? Tell me you caught that!” Paul yelled, stumbling back forward.

“It is, it is, yes!” Tara cried. She was trembling and felt sick to her stomach.

“Play it back!” David demanded. Tara shook her head. “Play it back, damn it!”

“I can’t! I have to hook it up to a laptop once I get the camera back in,” she said.

Her face was so pale and she was so shaken that Paul was afraid she would pass out. He kneeled in front of her and took her ice-cold hands, rubbing them in his. She cried softly, her head bowed, her hair covering her face.

“It’s okay. We’re okay. We came out here knowing this was a possibility. We all saw what you did, it’s okay,” Paul soothed.

Robert lowered the binder from his face, his eyes as wide as saucers, and he actually stuttered when he talked, “That…that…was a person. That was a person. Oh my god. That was a person.”

The camera hadn’t been covered by anything, nor had it caught a snag. It had been held downward, facing the ground. When it was righted again, the one who had been holding it down at arm’s length was staring right into it, his dead eyes non-seeing, and his mouth open in a silent scream. His hair danced above his head as the water moved the follicles around like seaweed. As soon as everyone saw it, and reacted, he let go. But the image of the pale drowned face would be burned in their memories forever. Paul instructed that they reel the camera in immediately and set back for shore.

* * * * * * * *

Tommy really liked Amanda. While they were out in the boathouse, she had awakened and started breakfast, and as soon as they came in, she fed them. She was wearing pink pajamas with her hair held up with a clip of some sort, no makeup, and filled with such a cheery disposition it lightened the mood in the whole house. As they ate omelets and toast, she poured them orange juice and sat down to eat herself.

“I see they are out on the lake already.”

“Yeah, they got an early start,” Hayden said, peering over her head at the back window that looked out over the lake. The boat bobbed a little in the distance, and he wondered if they were okay.

“Did you sleep well, Amanda?” Tommy asked, cutting into his food with a fork.

She nodded her head and waited to speak as she had a mouthful of food herself. “Yeah, I slept great. It’s so quiet out here. But, I had some weird dreams.”

Tommy and Hayden both stopped and stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

“What?” she asked, a little startled at their sudden attentiveness. “Oh! No…it wasn’t about the lake. It was about you being in the office, Hayden. Just like it used to be, remember? We had so much fun.” Amanda smiled wistfully.

Hayden gave her a sad smile. “We did, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. But I’m really happy that you’re getting on with things. Terri was incredible worried about you. But not much has changed in the office—same ol’ grind.” She took another bite.

Tommy listened to them banter about cases she was working on and things that had to be done. Her personal life, or lack thereof according to her, was dismal, and Tommy couldn’t imagine why. She was a bright, beautiful girl who was incredibly charming and thoughtful.

As they gathered the dishes, Tommy heard the radio crackle to life. “Hey all, we’re headed back in. Got some remarkable footage. Tommy and Hayden, are you there?”

Tommy picked up the radio and keyed the microphone. “Go ahead for Tommy.”

“Do either you or Hayden have a laptop available?” Paul asked.

Tommy looked around, and both Hayden and Amanda nodded. “Yeah, we have one. Whatcha got?”

“We need to check and see if the video we recorded actually did its job.” The radio crackled and hissed. “You really need to see this.”

“Yeah, come on by.”

“He sounded anxious,” Hayden said as he put the dry dishes away.

“Yeah.” Outside, Tommy could hear the boat’s engine grow louder as it approached the house. The acoustics in the valley was amazing.

Hayden left the room to go upstairs and grab his computer as Tommy watched the boat heading for shore.

Amanda came to stand next to him and put her hand on his back. He turned to look at her. “I don’t want to speak out of turn. But I’m glad you’re here. For Hayden, I mean.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a light hug, and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”

As the boat came to shore and her passengers jumped out, Tommy’s senses came alive. They all seemed to be rushing to get away from the water and up to the house. He grabbed his jacket and headed outside, meeting the crew halfway. The passengers looked stricken, especially the two youngest.

“What happened?” he asked.

Paul was huffing and puffing as he lugged gear back with him, David at his heels. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. So I’m going to have to show you. Does he have the laptop?” Paul stopped the others rushing past him to get as far away from the boat as possible.

“Yeah, he just ran upstairs to grab it. You all look spooked as hell. It has to be bad.”

“Depends on your definition of the word bad. Scary as hell? Yes. Bad? I don’t know yet. But there is something down there.” Paul glanced quickly behind him to check the others were out of ear shot. “Tell me, you said you always got bad feelings when you went into the lake—did you ever see anything.”

“Honestly? Sometimes I thought I saw things…I don’t know. It’s been years since I’ve been in it.”

Paul nodded. “Come on, then, I hope this doesn’t give you nightmares,” he said, and they continued to the house.

Paul’s blue truck pulled into the driveway as they reached the porch, and he handed Tommy the things he was carrying. Tommy went inside and Paul went to greet the driver.

Michelle got out and slammed the door shut; Cassandra and Jake followed. “You sounded a little frantic over the radio. Are you all right?” she asked, hugging him.

“Yes. Well…I don’t know. You have to see what we’ve got—you too, Cassandra. I want to show your husband this as well. Cassandra whipped her phone out and texted her husband. “Jake…I’m not sure if you should.”

“I’m good. Really. I want to help.”

Paul regarded him for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea. He could see Jake was hanging on by threads and didn’t want to cause him any more harm. But then, Paul reasoned, maybe being proactive was better than waiting until things got better. He nodded and put an arm around the young man’s shoulders—“All right. Come in, then”—and they quickly trudged up the stairs and into the house.