Wings to the Kingdom (Eden Moore 2)

The chattering of the Marshall party overwhelmed the barely there electronica I had been hearing before. They were close enough now that if we leaped out and shouted “Boo!” they probably could have spotted us—fog or none. The fuzzy glow of their electric lamps gave them a wide yellow halo, a dome of fuzzy light that both revealed and distorted their location.

I had the distinct and unpleasant sensation of being trapped between a rock and a hard place. There was nothing to be done except hold still and watch.

The mobile bubble stopped. “I don’t think we should go any farther,” a man said in an

ordinary speaking voice.

“Tripp,” Benny blew the word into my ear.

“We’re almost at the field. Or are we at the field? Dammit all, I can’t tell. What crazy weather they get down here. I don’t know how anybody stands it. ”

“It isn’t all the weather,” a woman answered, and I assumed it must be Dana. “This place is positively loaded with activity. I’ve never seen so much energy. I’ve never felt anything like it. ”

A third voice answered her. “I’ve never felt anything like a bullet in my ass, and I’d be happy to keep it that way if it’s all the same to you. I say we stop at the field. ”

“Did you just now realize you’re wearing a red shirt?”

“Yeah. Thanks for reminding me. ”

“Fine, we’re stopping. This is close enough; we can set up our equipment here. I suppose it won’t hurt the dead much to come across the street. Where’s the cabin?”

“I’m not going near the cabin. That’s where Matthew got shot. What if there’s some wacko holing up in there?”

Dana again. “Look, the cabin is barred up—you can’t get into it, okay? They keep it locked all the time these days, and no one but the rangers has keys to it. No one’s hiding inside. Last time was just some fluke. You heard those kids at the camera place; Every nut and his best friend comes out here wanting trouble. ”

“Let’s get off the road and set up over by the picnic tables. ”

“Where?”

“We passed them a minute ago. It’s across the street from the field, and it ought to be close enough. ”

“Honey, the EVP we got said to go to the field—not ‘the picnic tables across the street from the field. ’ I think we should get closer. We could set up in the road alongside it, at least. It’s not like there will be any cars coming. ”

So they’d gotten a message about Dyer’s field too. It couldn’t be coincidence, or at least I didn’t think so. We must be in the right spot. A quick look at my companions told me they had both come to a similar conclusion. But this was the right spot…for what?

Swish. Swish.

The boys heard it too, though it was awfully soft. I raised the camera again and pointed it at the white wall between us and the cabin. I couldn’t see anything, but the film might tell us something later.

Swish. Swish.

Legs, I thought. Parting tall grass with shins. One-two. One-two.

Swish. Swish.

“All right. Whatever. The picnic tables. Which direction is that? Christ, I can’t see a thing. ”

“Turn around, dear. Look. We’re still on the road. The picnic tables are behind us. ”

“I have never seen fog like this before in my life. No wonder this place scares the locals so bad. It’s not enough that it’s haunted silly—it’s also got homicidal maniacs and pea-soup fog. ”

“Cannon smoke,” said the third member of the party. “It looks like cannon smoke. ”

The other two were quiet, and might have been staring at him.

“Well, that is what it looks like. Isn’t it?”

After another pointed pause, Dana said, “Charlie, you’re entirely too sentimental for this job. Stop letting your imagination get the better of you. ”