12
Without fail, the daemon returned us to the scene of the attack. Old Man Fang was gone, which I had expected, but I was hopeful this search might net us our first cache of bones. The area was overgrown with weeds and brambles, but I didn’t notice any disturbed earth that screamed fresh grave ahoy.
Ahoy?
Really?
Now Colby had me talking like a pirate.
“Here.” The daemon pointed to an animal den. “Bones hidden.”
“Okay.” I turned on my phone’s flashlight. “Let’s take a look.”
Bright against the darkness of the hole, a piece of folded paper leaned against an exposed root.
“That not bones.” The daemon shifted closer. “Bones gone?”
The same indescribable sense of foreboding that kept prodding me urged me to read the note.
“No one ever found your father’s remains,” I read aloud. “Your mother was much easier to locate.”
A cold stone splashed in my gut, and I wanted to vomit at the implication someone had desecrated her grave, taken her remains, and planned to wield her as an instrument for their own ends.
“This is a lie.” I fought off the clench of my fist, the urge to crumple it. “They don’t have Mom.”
Her remains had been identified, a death certificate issued, and then they disappeared without a trace. I searched for her. Everywhere. I concluded that, for whatever twisted reason, the director had secreted them away so that neither she nor I would know any peace. But, as I grew older, I began questioning whether eagerness to blame all my problems on the director had biased me against other options.
Until I learned Dad was alive.
Now I was certain, and it gutted me that even in death, the director’s only use for Mom was as leverage.
“Rue.” Asa had traded forms while I read. “We need to contact your father.”
Unused to having Dad as a backup option, I blanked at the idea then leapt onboard. “You’re right.”
Without checking the time, I dialed Aiden, who answered slightly out of breath. “What’s up?”
“I need you to write my dad.” I clutched the paper in my hand. “Tell him to meet me in Tupelo. ASAP.”
“Are you sure he’ll go for that?”
“Tell him Mom’s bones have been taken.”
A beat of silence relayed his horror at the revelation. “Do you need me?”
“I want to say yes.” I could use emotional support from another family member, which was downright bizarre to think. “But I don’t want to bring you to Black Hat’s attention, and you’re doing a more important job by looking after the girls for me.”
“I’ll send the message now.” His disappointment came through loud and clear. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I will.” I tried for chipper. “If you want field experience, we’ll talk about it when I get home, okay?”
I couldn’t afford for him to think that because I worked for Black Hat, it was an endorsement. The same went for Asa and Clay. We had been forced into service because we were dangerous, not because we wanted to make a difference and felt we could do that through them. We had been transparent in our dealings with Aedan, but if he wanted in on the action, we had to strip the meat down to the bone.
“Yeah. All right.” He hesitated. “I’ll touch base if he replies.”
“Thanks.”
I ended the call, feeling better for having that link to Samford. To home. I wished I could call the girls for a quick pick-me-up, but I was chicken. Rue Hollis, and her small-town life, were unraveling. The girls were pressing for answers I couldn’t give, and it would drive a wedge between us if I didn’t get in front of it.