Heap of Trouble (Trouble, Tennessee 2)

“Whoever walks out of here isn’t the winner. They’re just the one strong enough to handle the more excruciating torture. By the way, that’s why you’ll lose. I don’t want to kill you, but I also don’t want you to be the one sacrificed to the owl.”

“To the owl?” Heather asked, perplexed.

“It symbolizes wisdom and it’s in our family crest,” Jims explained.

Wisdom and the Vance brothers didn’t exactly go together but she didn’t say as much. “Why is the owl in your family crest?”

“Why do we all have an additional ‘s’ in our names?”

“I don’t know,” Heather replied.

“It’s symbolic. Basically what it means is each one of us has several lives and several personalities in many worlds, not just this one.”

“I see.” She really didn’t.

On second thought, she’d witnessed a few personalities in Jims. From the little girl’s voice, to the crazed lunatic, to the sensible Jims, she’d seemingly met them all.

“I don’t want to die,” Heather said, finally realizing this was something they needed to discuss.

“Then kill me and face the devil out there,” Jims said.

“And who’s the devil?”

“You have to ask?”

Apparently so.

“Dons. The devil is Dons.” A beat later, Jims said, “I’ve never seen him in that form but I’m certain of it.”

The quietness took hold again and they sat there without breathing another word. She listened to the dripping water, wishing she had never had such a fascination with the underworld. She’d lived such a sheltered life. Her brother and parents had wanted the best for her and what had she done? She’d rebelled.

“Well, since you weren’t crazy when Toms was here, I take it you heard what he said about trying to lure my brother here.”

“They set you up.”

“I gathered as much.” She’d certainly taken the bait. “But you said you used the situation to find their stash and—”

“They set me up, too,” Jims admitted.

“Why would they do that?”

“It’s time for this generation’s sacrifice,” Jims stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

“This generation’s sacrifice?”

“I already explained it to you, Heather. I’m not going over it again.”

“You mentioned others had fought to the death but then ended up at the owl. So there have been others? You’ve seen this with your own eyes?”

“There have been others, but none as great as the forthcoming one.”

“Why do you sound okay with this?” Heather asked.

“Because I’m a cancer and they have to cut me out of the family so the family can then thrive and prosper with more wisdom to face the coming years.”

“You are not a cancer.”

“I’m an addict, Heather.”