《Lacy in the Dark》 Prologue Seventeen inches under loose, recently displaced soil, lied a girl. She was beginning to move around, fingers and toes fluttering long before her lashes. The intermittent muscle spasms in her arms and legs causing her limbs to twitch beneath the weight of the cool, moist earth. As she roused, she smelled and tasted the soil surrounding her, panic sat in and she gasped for air. Each time her mouth opened dirt filled it and cold fingers of fear would grip her heart and squeeze. The pain threatened to drag her back into unconsciousness, but terror snapped her back every time. And something else. The soil that threatened to suffocate her also quickened her mind and body. Here, in the thickly wooded area of a forest, the moon shone bright enough for a passerby to see the pallid hand break through the soil and the girl bursting from the earth gasping for breath. But no one passed by, no one saw. The girl lied curled up next to the pile of dirt letting the crisp air fill her starving lungs. The soil had given her life. Resurrected her. Even as she lay there, she could feel it giving her strength. Struggling to move, she filled her hand with dirt from the pile and stuffed it into her mouth. She only bothered to chew when she came across a bug or other crawly thing. Once she had swallowed, she gorged on another handful, cramming it into her mouth. She needed her strength.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. It took some time, but she willed her legs to move, to carry her toward the sound of a rushing stream. Loam clung to her skin and hair; a byproduct of her resurrection, afterbirth waiting to be washed away. She could not remember the last time she walked outside barefoot, perhaps she never had, and every pebble, stick, or stiff piece of grass felt as though she was walking on glass. A small chuckle escaped her dry, cracked lips and her frail, scarred hand flew up to stifle the noise. Never did she think she would be grateful for the transformation process or the pain her maker inflicted upon her body and mind, but withstanding pain was now child''s play and she didn''t even flinch. After wandering along the side of the roaming stream, she came upon the edge of a lake. The water was still, reflecting a perfect moon when the clouds gave way to her light. Wearing only a small tank top and a pair of grimy panties, she waded into the water feeling the coolness take away the residue of her rebirth, her creation. She dipped her head under water and opened her eyes and stared into the lake''s darkness before screaming into the water. The sound echoed in her ears and filled the water with rage, but never broke the surface. Chapter One The sounds of the office ricocheted in Nora Pyne''s head, bouncing from one ear to the other then banging around creating a cacophony that echoed through her entire body. Someone must be getting promoted, married, or having a baby. Those were the only things that could cause more noise than solving a big case. Knowing that if she didn''t escape the noise she would spew her morning coffee all over her desk, Nora decided to wash her face and enjoy the quiet of the restroom. As she pushed her chair back from the desk her phone rang, forcing itself into an already too loud room. Nora hesitated, considering letting it continue ringing until the caller gave up. Last night''s Jameson made the sound unbearable and after only a few rings Nora reached for the phone. "Agent Pyne," she said into the receiver. She could hear the breath on the other end coming slow and hard. She looked around the office and wondered why the hell they didn''t fix the blinking fluorescent light over the water cooler or her squeaking chair for that matter. "Agent Nora Pyne?" The voice was deep and gravelly enough to pull her back to the call and make her heart beat a little faster. "Yes, this is Agent Pyne. Who is this?" Nothing. ¡°This is Agent Nora Pyne. Who am I speaking with?¡± Again, nothing. ¡°Who is this?¡± She tried one last time. "I know a secret." Nora sat down and reached for the small pad and pen lying beneath a stack of papers. A secret. Another nut job thinking they had some important and highly sensitive government information no doubt. "What''s your name?" Nora asked. "All you need to know is I''ve finished with her and tucked her in all cozy." "Finished with who?" Silence met her question. "Finished with who?" Nora asked again. The breathing went silent. She waited a moment until the buzz of an empty line came over through the earpiece. Nora slammed the receiver down and rubbed her hand across her forehead. Her face was burning, but her skin was sticky and cool. "Morning, Nora." Nora''s partner, Jeff Dukes, sat one of the two cups of coffee in his hands on her desk. She jerked her head up and shouted to no one and everyone, "And the air conditioner. Why won''t they fix the fucking air conditioner?" Knowing her annoyance was unfounded, but feeling it anyway, Nora slammed her pen onto her desk and let out a frustrated groan. "Rough night? You look a little pale," he said. Nora glared at him. Dukes didn''t deserve her ire, but there it was and it burned in her belly like the lake of fire in the pits of the deepest, darkest hell. Jeff wasn''t Bill. He would never be Bill. Yet here he was bringing her coffee and sitting in Bill''s chair, at Bill''s desk. In an attempt to soften her anger, her hand acted out of habit, going to her neck and rubbing the single gold ball on her necklace. A gift from Bill when they solved their first case together. "I just got a weird call," she said, sipping the coffee and trying to hide her embarrassment. Dukes leaned back in his chair and smiled, showing all his teeth. "An admirer?" ¡°Just a weirdo.¡± She relayed the brief phone conversation to him and watched the smile fade from his face. ¡°That definitely qualifies as weird.¡± Nora caught herself tapping the fingers of her right hand on an empty spot on her desk. This was the one tell she could not control, she was angry, but didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Just some nutter wasting valuable department time," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. ¡°So what¡¯s all the departmental ruckus about?¡± ¡°Willman¡¯s wife had the baby last night. Boy.¡± ¡°And he showed up today?¡± Nora scoffed, shaking her head. ¡°Well on his way to Father of the Year.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Willman¡¯s a good guy. Solid agent. Dedicated,¡± Dukes said, sipping his coffee and watching the celebration from the rim of his cup. ¡°Pyne. Dukes. Can I speak with you?¡± Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Hugo Avalos called from the door of his office. Nora picked up her coffee and motioned for Dukes to follow as she made her way across the room to where Avalos sat at his desk, pecking at his typewriter. Dukes plopped into one of the chairs across from the large wooden desk and settled into what Nora thought of as the Good Ol¡¯ Boy position, one ankle resting on the opposite knee, hands clasped, and a smile that said, ¡°Whatever it is, buddy, I¡¯m on your side.¡± Nora remained standing. Avalos stopped stabbing at the keys of the typewriter and said, ¡°Dukes mentioned you two haven¡¯t picked up a cold case lately. So, here you go.¡± He pulled a small stack of files out of his desk drawer and fanned them on the corner of his desk. ¡°Your choice.¡± There were few things worse than a cold case in Nora¡¯s mind. She had been avoiding them on purpose, of course Dukes ¡®mentioned¡¯ they didn¡¯t have one. Anything to get ahead. Nora shot him a hard glance before reaching out to pull one of the files from the stack. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll expect an update on your progress, let¡¯s say, one week from today.¡± Forcing a smile, Nora turned and left the room. She could hear the two men exchanging pleasantries as she walked off. Damn them. Cold cases were rarely solved and the leads were near impossible to track down or make sense of. And one week! What could possibly be done in a week? Dukes scurried up behind her. ¡°So...about that,¡± he said. ¡°Just shut up.¡± ¡°I ran into him in the parking lot last night and it just came up. I wasn¡¯t looking to get --¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now, does it? Here we are. With an old case that will likely never be solved and a week until we report.¡± Maybe Dukes was smarter than she gave him credit for. He just nodded his head, refraining from saying anything else. ¡°I need food,¡± Nora said. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab breakfast at Tilly¡¯s. We can look over the file there.¡± "Good call, Red. I just need to hit the head first." Nora remembered her first day as a special agent. She strode into the office unsure of what to expect. She had worked hard for this, and felt she deserved it, but she also knew she was young and her colleagues may not see things the same way. As she made her way to her new desk she realized it was business as usual. Phones rang, papers shuffled, and no one cared that she was there. Feeling hopeful, she began placing a few things on her desk. Bill came into the room in the manner of an elephant entering an elevator. He filled every inch of it. "Hey, I''m your new partner, Bill Graves," he said, reaching out a huge, meaty hand. "Call me Bill or Graves. Anything but sir or Mr. Graves." Nora took it in hers and, amazed at the softness of such a hand, said, "Nora, Nora Pyne." "With hair like that? Nah!" he said, "You''re a Red if I''ve ever seen one. You don''t mind if I call you Red?" "Actually, I prefer--" "Great! Red it is!" And Red it was for the seven years they were partners. Snapping out of her thoughts Nora looked at Dukes and said, "It''s Nora or it''s Pyne. There is no Red," before she turned and walked outside. The parking lot of the Constellation branch of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was in better repair than the actual building. The clean landscaping and pristine facade was intended to make people feel safe and comfortable. The problem was as soon as they opened the door they were slapped with the smell of mildew, stale coffee, and the overworked, chain smoking secretary, Paula. Nora had once found these aspects of the office charming, but they had soured in the last few months. She was wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to wipe away the anxiety she felt along with the tears, when Dukes rushed out the doors and straight for her. "You got a call right after you left," he said. "Who was it?" Nora asked. "No name." "And you didn''t send for me?" "No time. Caller wouldn¡¯t wait. He did leave a message though." Jeff pulled a slip of paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and read, "Nora, Nora quite contrary, I¡¯m done and now she¡¯s freshly buried. Hurry, hurry for there are beasts. Wait too long and on her flesh they''ll feast." Feeling her face burn, Nora snatched the paper away from him. "Are you fucking kidding me, Jeff?" she asked. "Did you even try to keep him on the phone long enough for someone to come get me?" "Of course I tried." Jeff''s brown eyes flashed gold as they often did when he was frustrated and, Nora assumed, when he became angry. "He said all that creepy shit and hung up. He didn''t leave a call back number, didn¡¯t give time for a trace, didn¡¯t give time to hunt you down out here." Dukes was standing with his arms spread in disbelief when Nora got into the driver¡¯s seat of the sedan and slammed the door. She glared at him through the window then jerked her head, motioning for him to come on. Neither spoke on the ride to the diner and it wasn¡¯t until after her second cup of coffee and half a piece of toast that Nora broke the silence. ¡°What have we got?¡± she mumbled through eggs, tossing him the file. ¡°Missing person,¡± Dukes said. He closed the file and took and took a long sip of coffee. ¡°Great. With all that information we can solve it by morning.¡± Nora rolled her eyes. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Lacy Cooper,¡± he said, opening the folder to a picture of a little girl with blond hair cut in a short bob. She was smiling at the camera showing a gap where her right eye tooth was missing. He went on. ¡°Last seen Halloween morning 1983 when she walked home from school. She was 8 years old. Neighbor saw her enter the home. Mother spoke to her on the phone at approximately 6pm. It is believed she went trick-or-treating alone when her mom came home late from work. Father is out of the picture, few leads outside the usual -- parents, neighbors.¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± Nora said, ¡°most of them are dead and the ones who aren¡¯t didn¡¯t see a thing.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen this case before.¡± He flashed a bright smile at Nora as he lifted his cup to his lips. ¡°This and a hundred more, smartass.¡± Chapter Two It was raining when Nora and her partner, Jeff Dukes pulled up to the small, mid-century home. They both sat looking at the house through the windows for a moment. ¡°This was Lacy and her mother¡¯s home at the time of her disappearance,¡± Nora said. The house had been kept well, new roof, manicured yard, no chipping paint. ¡°The mother, uhh...Sarah Cooper, lived here until about five years ago,¡± Dukes said, flipping through the pages hidden in the manila folder, ¡°when she died of cancer. Now a couple by the name of Anderson live here.¡± The front door of the house swung open and a little boy no older than four hopped onto the front porch. He was wearing a red rain slicker and yellow boots. Brown curls poked out from beneath bright yellow souwester. His mother followed him out and locked the door while he jumped into a shallow puddle giggling at the splashes of water. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Nora, opening the car door and making her way toward the woman. She could hear Dukes following behind, opening his umbrella. Nora ignored his offer of shelter and moved toward the woman. ¡°Good morning, Leslie Anderson? I¡¯m Special Agent Jeff Dukes. This is my partner Nora Pyne. We¡¯d like to ask you a few questions. Do you have a minute?¡± The usual look of confusion and panic crossed the woman¡¯s face. Nora imagined she was running through a list of people in her life who could have done something heinous enough to bring them to her door. ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°Davey and I were just headed to the grocery store. It can wait. Davey, stay on the porch while Mommy talks over here.¡± She moved over to them and smiled. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Bill was useless against a smile like this, all teeth and motherliness. She was surprised to see Dukes didn¡¯t seem to notice. He pulled out his notepad and pen and prepared to capture what she said. ¡°We are looking into an old case that happened around here in 1983,¡± Nora said. ¡°The disappearance of Lacy Cooper? We¡¯ve only been here five years or so. Wouldn¡¯t know anything other than news and gossip,¡± Mrs. Anderson said. She threw a quick glance to check on Davey, a fleeting look of sadness on her face. ¡°Thank you for your time, ma¡¯am,¡± Dukes said and turned to leave. ¡°Actually,¡± Nora started, giving Dukes a confused look, ¡°it¡¯s the gossip that may help us.¡± What the hell was he doing, she wondered. There are always follow-up questions. Always more to ask. Ways to get in. Never give up that easily. Dukes stopped mid-step and turned to face the women. Nora continued. ¡°People talk. Especially in a community like this. You may have heard something we missed.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t really much,¡± Ms. Anderson said, sighing and shaking her head. ¡°Before Davey was even born a few women in the neighborhood warned me about keeping him close. Said there was dirty business a few years ago and a little girl went missing. That¡¯s all I really know.¡± ¡°Did they say what kind of dirty business?¡± asked Nora. ¡°Creepy house. Creepy man. Quiet wife. Weird kid. The usual neighborhood tittle-tattle. I always figured it was something the housewives whispered about between soaps and mimosas. Nothing serious.¡± ¡°Did you get any names?¡± asked Dukes. ¡°For the creepy guy? Brown? Brooks? Something like that. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°What about the women who told you about him?¡± ¡°Mrs. Owens across the street, Margie Messer, but she moved last year, and Laura Wright. She lives two houses down. Davey, stop that! Is there anything else? I really need to get going.¡± said Mrs. Anderson. Davey had left the safety of the porch and was picking up fistfulls of mud from the flowerbed and throwing it on the steps. ¡°Thank you for your help, Mrs. Anderson,¡± Noa said. She watched as the woman hurried to stop the boy from grabbing another handful. His eyes sparkled and laughter erupted from his cupid¡¯s bow mouth as he attempted to evade his mother¡¯s grasp. ¡°Cute kid,¡± said Dukes. ¡°Yeah,¡± Nora responded. She let her eyes linger a moment too long on the happy scene before her. ¡°You have kids?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Nora said, walking toward the house across the street. ¡°We¡¯ll start with Mrs. Owens.¡± **** Nora slid the empty glass toward the bartender and raised her finger to signal she would take another. He lifted an eyebrow at her. ¡°Just get the damn drink, Barry.¡± When your bartender knows you well enough to express his opinion on the necessity of the next drink it¡¯s either time to quit or find a new bar. Before she could promise herself she would do one or the other the very next day, someone slid onto the stool next to her and said,¡±I¡¯ll have what she¡¯s having.¡± ¡°Of all the gin joints in all the world,¡± Nora said without looking over to the seat beside her. ¡°Pretty sure this was my place before it was yours.¡± ¡°Well, thank you for not taking it in the divorce. It¡¯d be a hard one to let go,¡± Nora said, smiling at Barry as he finished pouring and sat the glasses in front of her and Shane, her ex-husband. He didn¡¯t think she noticed him cock an eyebrow at Barry who then signaled the number of drinks she had had - five - and the slow nod of his head as he reached for his glass and took a sip, but she did. ¡°Heard Avalos slapped you with a cold case,¡± he said, not even trying to hide the amusement in his voice. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little. ¡°Glad my suffering is so amusing. You know how I feel about it.¡± ¡°What did ya catch?¡± ¡°Missing person from 1983. Little girl. Disappeared Halloween night. Nobody saw anything, nobody knows anything. It¡¯s just a bunch of rumors and urban legends now,¡± she said. Shane nodded his head. ¡°Bill would love it,¡± he said. He had been with the department longer than her and knew Bill pretty well even before they were married. In fact, it¡¯s probably because of Bill they ever got together, ever fell in love, ever made a life so beautiful only the worst kind of tragedy could destroy it. She felt her throat begin to close and her ears started ringing. Taking a long, slow drink of her whiskey, she blinked back tears. ¡°Crazy bastard lived for this shit,¡± she said. ¡°To Bill,¡± Shane said. ¡°To Bill,¡± she said, tapping her glass against his. ¡°What else is going on?¡± Shane asked. ¡°Nothing.¡± Shaking his head slowly, Shane gave a little laugh. ¡°You never were one to give up information easily. I know something¡¯s on your mind, five years of marriage taught me to recognize the signs,¡± he said. ¡°What signs?¡± she asked. ¡°¡®Cause nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°For starters your cuticles are a mess, you can¡¯t keep the fingers on your left hand still, and I asked what was going on, not what was wrong. Now spill.¡± She sighed in resignation. ¡°I got a strange call this morning and I can¡¯t get it out of my head.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Just the usual nutjob,¡± she said. ¡°What did they want?¡± Shane¡¯s brows furrowed with concern, creating a v-shaped wrinkle on the bridge of his nose. ¡°Nothing really. The thing is he asked for me by name, said something about finishing up with someone, then hung up. So there¡¯s no reason for it to bug me. We get calls like this all the time.¡± Shane nodded his head and took a drink. ¡°I¡¯m seeing someone,¡± he said. All the breath was sucked from Nora¡¯s lungs and hung in the room, slowing time, and muffling sound. Her ears rang, her mouth began to water, and her jaw got tight. She swallowed hard, trying to keep down everything that threatened to come up. She could feel Shane watching her, so she nodded her head. ¡°Her name¡¯s Vicki,¡± Shane said quietly. ¡°Of course it is,¡± Nora said, attempting a smile. They sat in silence for a few minutes, but when Nora signaled for the bartender Shane spoke up. ¡°Let me give you a ride home, Nora.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ready to go home.¡± She spoke slowly, trying to control the slur she knew her words had become. He waved off the bartender and stood up. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to take you I¡¯ll call your dad and he can come get you, but you¡¯re done for tonight.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t married anymore, Shane. You don¡¯t get to tell me when I¡¯m done.¡± Damn it! She knew she sounded like every sad drunk at every bar in every town in the world right now. She had to get away from him. ¡°Tell Vicki when to go home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡± Shane took her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t let Olivia¡¯s death ruin your life. She--¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± she said, springing off the barstool, jerking her hand away, and glaring at him. ¡°My baby died, Shane! Don¡¯t tell me what that is supposed to do to me.¡± ¡°Everything all right here?¡± Dukes was standing behind Luke with a concerned look. Nora noticed Shane¡¯s jaw clenching. ¡°We¡¯re fine, buddy.¡± He turned around and took a step toward Dukes. Stumbling slightly, she rushed to get between them. She said, ¡°You know Jeff Dukes, right? My new partner.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Shane said, but he did not step back nor break eye contact with Dukes, the muscles in his jaw working. ¡°And, uh, this is Shane,¡± she said. ¡°Pyne. Shane Pyne. My husband. Ex-husband.¡± Dukes held out his hand, an offering of peace, then pulled it back when Shane didn¡¯t take it. Why was he being such a hardass, Nora wondered. His dark eyes glistened with anger and she could feel the heat coming off of him. It had been a long time since she had seen him get worked up so easily. She could feel her body responding to Shane and wanted to reach for him, but resisted. Instead, she chose to concede and go home, but it would be a cold day in hell before she let Shane take her. Nora spun around and put her hand on Dukes¡¯ arm. ¡°Can you give me a ride home?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± he answered, throwing a smug look at Shane. ¡°Great,¡± Nora said before walking back to the bar to grab her keys. Shane followed her. ¡°Let me take you, Nora,¡± he said. His face was a strange mix of concern and defiance. ¡°I already asked him. Besides, I¡¯m not your problem anymore.¡± She put her keys in the pocket of her blazer and took the last swig of her drink. As she walked past Sam he grabbed her by the elbow. ¡°I don¡¯t like this guy. Let me drive you,¡± he pleaded. She angrily jerked her arm away and glared at him. His need to save her, to make everything better, was one of the things that ruined their marriage. She needed to feel, to rage, but he tried to fix it all, even when it couldn¡¯t be fixed, when she couldn¡¯t be fixed. ¡°Seriously, Shane. Get over yourself.¡± Fighting to walk steady in order to make the point that she could handle herself and didn¡¯t need Shane¡¯s help, Nora stamped her way to the door of McGuffin¡¯s where Dukes was holding the door open for her, a strangely satisfied and unpleasant smile pasted on his face. Baby Baby Lights flickered in the distance as the girl walked along the shoulder of a dark, country road. She was still in her underwear and was glad for the warm air. The sun was rising. She could feel the heat intensifying on the back of her neck. Tiny pinpricks of pain that traveled down over her shoulders and her head ached. Master had made sure she stayed out of the sun. He said it would burn her, that she was made for the night, then he put the flame of his lighter to the underside of her arm so she would feel the pain of burning. Running her finger along her arm, feeling the scar, she quietly thanked her Master and wished he was there to guide her now. She needed to find a place to rest out of the sun. An old barn sat off the road at an angle next to the charcoal remnants of a house. White paint was peeling from the rotting boards and it smelled of mildew, but there was a bit of dry hay in the loft and plenty of hiding places, just in case. Dust motes danced in the light shining through the broken window glass, slowing time with their lazy movement. The girl reached her slender arm toward them and waved her fingers in their midst. She thought that touching them would be like touching time itself. Time. How much time had passed since Master took her from her room and all of its comforts into the woods? Her room had been dark, too dark at first. She had been so afraid then, huddled in the corner of the room crying until she was covered with drool and snot, then she would fall asleep. It went that way for some time until she learned that there was nothing to fear from the dark. Bad things did not happen in the dark, in fact, the darkness was safe, secure. It was the light she learned to fear. The light and the shuffle-step-shuffle that eventually gave way to the light, deliberate step of Master. Even when he was a young boy his step was sure. Crates and boxes were stacked in the corner of the barn farthest from the girl. She decided to move some of the dry hay behind the boxes rather than sleeping in the open where she could be seen by whoever the barn belonged to or wandered by. Cobwebs clung to the boxes and hung from the ceiling. She brushed them out of the way and arranged the boxes so they would create a barrier around the pile of hay. They weren¡¯t heavy, but she struggled anyway. She was weak. Finally, with what seemed a pure act of will, she had a space that felt safe enough for her to sleep. As she climbed behind the stack, one of the boxes thudded to the ground, spilling its contents over the hay. Clothes. Mercy of mercies, clothes. The girl spread the clothing out creating a barrier between her weary body and the hay then lay down, falling into a deep, fitless sleep. The sky was the blue-purple of twilight when she woke. Someone was in the barn. Holding her breath, the girl peeked through the spaces between the boxes and saw a woman sitting on a crate untying her shoes and muttering to herself. ¡°Whew! That¡¯s right, Stella, get those shoes off. My dogs are barkin¡¯.¡± Stella¡¯s white hair was a mess of curls and tangles poking out in all directions. Her eyes darted around and her dry, cracked lips moved constantly, spittle pooling in the corners of her mouth and running down her chin. She spoke so quietly the girl couldn¡¯t hear much. Occasionally, she would let out a sharp cackle, having apparently amused herself. The girl desperately wanted out of the barn. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked for any way to escape unseen, but saw none. She would have to wait until Stella left or fell asleep to make her exit. The girl waited quietly for some time as the woman worked to set up a makeshift camp in the barn. She too made a mound of hay the girl assumed would be a bed. She used a second crate for a table and took something wrapped in a piece of foil out of her dirty bag. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Even from her place in the corner the girl could smell that it was food and her stomach growled. Loud. Stella¡¯s head jerked toward the pile of boxes shielding the girl. Narrowing her eyes, she got up slowly and made her way to the corner to investigate the noise. ¡°Hello?¡± she said. The girl clamped her hand over her mouth and pushed the fist of her other hand into her stomach hoping to keep it from rumbling again. She had often done this when her Master refused to give her food and was angered at the rumbling sounds her stomach made. ¡°Hello?¡± Stella repeated. She came closer to the boxes and the girl scurried into the corner knocking several over as she did. She curled her body in on itself to become as small as possible and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°I am not here,¡± she whispered to herself. ¡°I am anywhere but here.¡± Stella grabbed an old handle, probably from a rake or shovel from the roundness and length of it, and pointed it at the girl. ¡°Get outta there!¡± she spat. ¡°I am not here. I am anywhere but here.¡± Laughter spilled out of Stella¡¯s mouth. ¡°Oh, but you are. You¡¯re here! In this shitty ol¡¯ barn in a shitty little town with me.¡± She jabbed the handle toward the girl and laughed. Her laughter soon turned to wheezing, which turned to coughing. At the end of the coughing fit, she spit yellow mucus onto the ground in front of her. ¡°Now stop hidin¡¯ and get out here, stupid girl.¡± Keeping one eye on Stella, the girl slowly uncurled herself and crept out from behind the boxes. She kept her distance from the old woman, unsure of how she would react. Stella walked back to her makeshift table and sat down. She opened the foil and revealed half a sandwich. The girl''s mouth began to water and her stomach growled loudly. She looked at her stomach, embarrassed, then at the sandwich. Stella¡¯s eyes turned hard and flashed brightly. ¡°You¡¯re not getting my sandwich, fool. I ain¡¯t eat in two days and this here sandwich is all I got,¡± she said. ¡°You just keep over yonder.¡± The girl watched as the woman leaned the wooden handle against the wall and picked up the sandwich. ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡± Stella asked. The girl stared at her. ¡°What? You deaf?¡± Annoyance began to show on Stella¡¯s face. She put the sandwich down and gesticulated in front of her face as she asked slowly, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Baby,¡± the girl answered. ¡°Your mother hated you,¡± Stella said, pointing a crooked finger at her and shaking her head. ¡°Terrible name.¡± Tears sprang to Baby¡¯s eyes. Even this horrible old woman knew her mother hated her. Master was right. Baby, whose transformation had only completed hours prior, whose legs had been weak and shaky, whose only nourishment had been dirt and worms, leapt forward and grabbed the handle. She knocked the woman off the crate she was sitting on and planted one foot on either side of Stella, straddling her. Stella¡¯s eyes opened wide and her mouth hung agape showing several rotten teeth and a pale, dry tongue. It felt as though her arms were operating of their own accord when, screaming, Baby plunged the broken handle into the old woman¡¯s chest. There was some resistance, so she pushed harder, ignoring the mewling coming from Stella. Blood gurgled from the old woman¡¯s mouth and her body lurched on the ground as she flailed her arms about, reaching for help that would not come. Once the flailing stopped, Baby removed the handle from Stella¡¯s torso. She was still breathing, though barely, and the blood oozed out at a steady rate. The smell permeated the room and Baby¡¯s stomach screamed for attention, who gently kneeled next to the body and began to lap up the fresh blood pouring from the old woman¡¯s wound. She drank the sweet, metallic fluid until she fell back on her heels and laughed, satiated at last. Later, she rummaged through the clothes that had made her bed during the day searching for something she thought would fit. She decided on a long white dress with tiny purple and yellow flowers and a string of small white buttons up the front. The dress hung loose, but served its purpose. A pair of once white canvas sneakers would protect her feet. She found a well behind the barn and used the spigot to wash the blood from her face and hands and to fill a bottle she had found in one of the boxes. She stuffed a change of clothes, the bottle, and the sandwich in a tattered barn bag and set out along the road. Chapter Three ¡°Good morning, Agent Pyne.¡± Paula had worked the front desk of the Juniper, Oklahoma branch of the FBI. She was in her mid-fifties, had bleach blonde hair that she wore piled on top of her head in a loose bun or back in a tight ponytail. Neither was flattering, but today was a ponytail kind of day. ¡°Morning, Paula. Got anything for me?¡± Nora asked. ¡°I do,¡± she said, sorting through a stack of small yellow papers on her desk. ¡°Prosper PD called.¡± She pulled a few papers from the stack and held them out in front of her. ¡°That Shane is a good one,¡± she said, wagging her red tipped finger at Nora. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you let that one get away. I know plenty of girls who would snatch him up and hold on for dear life.¡± Nora rolled her eyes as she listened. The truth was that Shane was great. He had been a kind and loving partner, and Nora missed him terribly most days. But disasters can destroy even the strongest structures and their marriage was no exception. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, ¡°he¡¯s great. What did he want?¡± ¡°I said it was Prosper PD, not Shane.¡± Paula smiled, showing her nicotine stained teeth smudged with fuschia lipstick. She leaned forward a little, pinching a cigarette between her lips and reaching for a lighter. ¡°Are you supposed to smoke in here?¡± asked Nora. ¡°Going through the motions of smoking helps me make it to my next break,¡± she said then tossed both the lighter and cigarette to the side. ¡°Anyway, it was Shane. He said he needs you to call him.¡± ¡°Hello, ladies.¡± Special Agent in Charge Avalos walked through the door of the offices and made his way past them and into the bullpen. ¡°He is so hot,¡± Paula whispered. She whipped her head back to face Nora. ¡°Think he¡¯s available?¡± Since she and Paula were often the only women in the station, Paula would frequently attempt to engage Nora in gossip sessions. ¡°Pretty sure he¡¯s married,¡± Nora said, giving a little chuckle and walking off toward the bullpen. ¡°Not what I asked,¡± Paula called after her. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at Paula¡¯s brazenness as she made her way toward her desk. Dukes was already seated at his desk talking loudly to a few of the other men in the office. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips and, noticing her walking over, cocked one eyebrow, giving his handsome face a boyish look. ¡°Boys,¡± she said, greeting the men as she put her purse in her desk drawer. After she settled into her desk, she dialed the number of the Prosper Police Department. ¡°Detective Pyne, please,¡± she said into the phone receiver. Impatiently tapping her fingers on the desk, she looked around her. Being the only woman in the office who wasn¡¯t a secretary meant she often found herself on the outside looking in. The volume of Dukes¡¯ conversation lowered, a sure sign they were saying something she wasn¡¯t meant to hear. She glared in their direction. Again, she thought of Bill. Bill Reynolds was a man¡¯s man, but Nora was his partner. He took his job seriously and when the ¡°locker room¡± talk got out of hand or, even worse, included her, he would put a stop to it. Nora missed him. ¡°Well, boys, Red¡¯s here. Better get busy before she gets her panties in a twist,¡± Dukes said loudly. The other men laughed as they dispersed and Dukes spun around in his chair to face her. ¡°Hey there,¡± he said. She opened her mouth to tell him to fuck off, but Shane was on the line before she got the words out. ¡°Pyne,¡± he said. ¡°Hey, Paula said you called me,¡± Nora said. ¡°Yeah, I expected you to call me after the other night. You okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m great.¡± Rubbing her forehead she asked. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Dukes was leaning back in his seat, arms folded in front of him, watching her closely. His gaze made her uneasy, and she reacted to him by sticking her middle finger up at him and turned her chair so he couldn¡¯t see her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t call you because I have nothing to say. And if I had known that is what you wanted, I wouldn¡¯t have called now.¡± Shane started to say something else, but Nora didn¡¯t want to have this conversation. She put the receiver back on the phone base and steadied herself before turning to Dukes who was still watching her. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± she asked him, wiping the area around her mouth with her hand. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then stop looking at me like that,¡± she snapped. ¡°Okay, people,¡± SAIC Avalos shouted across the room. ¡°We¡¯ve got a live one. Gather round. Prosper PD found a Jane Doe last night in an abandoned barn on Highway 51 last night. While canvassing the area they found a shallow grave. It was empty, but there were signs that someone had been buried there. They don¡¯t believe the Jane Doe and grave are related. We have been asked to find out who was in the hole, how they got there, and where they are now. Pyne and Dukes, this one is yours. Everyone else, keep an ear to the ground.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. *** The hole was in the middle of nowhere by Nora¡¯s calculations. The barn was about half a mile south of where she and Dukes stood looking into what was obviously a makeshift grave. Dirt was flung in all directions around the hole, but there was an obvious ring of dead and dying flowers surrounding it. Near one end was a small arrangement of rocks. The average hiker or passerby would think nothing of the four stones when they came upon them in the woods. They were lined up in an almost natural way. Almost. Nora squatted next to the stones searching for meaning in the arrangement. Dukes stood next to her. He was resting his hands on his hips and scanning the nearby area with his eyes. ¡°You got something, Red?¡± Dukes asked. ¡°These rocks,¡± she said, annoyed he had called her Red, but deciding not to address it. ¡°They were put here on purpose. A grave marker, maybe? I¡¯m wondering if there is any reasoning behind the arrangement.¡± She could hear Dukes breathing but he said nothing. ¡°Dukes?¡± she said. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do you see any meaning or reason in the arrangement of the stones? I feel like they were placed purposefully. Not just dropped or tossed.¡± Birds were chirping and singing in the distance. Their melodies made his silence more evident. The forensics team photographed, bagged, and tagged the few pieces of evidence they could find. They took soil samples to be analyzed and made a plaster cast of the two footprints they found. There was a clump of long, blond hair mashed into the dirt at the bottom of the hole. Most of the hair was covered in mud or blood, most likely both, but the blond shone through in some areas, almost white. One of the techs reached down with a gloved hand and picked it up, placing it in a plastic bag labeled with the case number and other relevant information. Nora took a moment to gather herself. She felt a profound sense of sadness looking at the burial site. A child, woman, or victim of some kind most likely lay in this hole recently. Someone who was probably loved and missed by people learning or who learned long ago how to live without them. A near impossible task. A cool breeze blew across her face and through her curls. The sound of a woodpecker drilling a tree somewhere in the distance, filled the silence. She noticed Dukes wasn¡¯t paying attention to the breeze, the forensic technicians, or the vacated grave. He had abandoned his station behind her and was now pacing in a small circle and chewing on his fingernails. He had been a little on edge since leaving the station. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± she asked, rising from her squatting position and squinting against the sun. He stopped pacing and turned to face her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to wear another hole in the ground if you don¡¯t stop pacing like that. What¡¯s got you going?¡± ¡°Just thinking,¡± Dukes answered. ¡°About?¡± ¡°Just personal shit,¡± he said, taking two big steps toward her. ¡°Anything here?¡± Nora shook her head. ¡°Not really. Maybe forensics can tell us something. And leave the personal shit behind for a while, will ya? I need you to focus.¡± Dukes nodded his head and raised a hand in front of him, an unspoken apology. ¡°Looks like we are about done. Wanna get some food?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Yeah, we need to hear from the lab so we have something to go on, I guess.¡± Dukes slipped on his dark sunglasses and traipsed off toward their car. ¡°I¡¯d prefer a drink,¡± she said, under her breath. ¡°We can do both,¡± Dukes said from in front of her. *** The sun shone through the crack where the curtains met in the middle and right into Nora¡¯s eyes. She rubbed them with the back of her hands. Blinking away the morning sand and grime, she sat up on the edge of a bed she did not recognize. ¡°Mmm...hey there,¡± came a voice she did, and a pair of lips pressed against her bare shoulder. FUCK! Dukes was sitting up behind her. He moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her and cupping her breast. Nora mentally gave herself a lashing. What was she doing in bed with Jeff Dukes? He was her partner and this was a terrible idea. She stiffened and cleared her throat. ¡°Hey.¡± He nuzzled her neck and moaned a little. ¡°We have some time before work,¡± he said. She did not want him, she wanted to run from the room screaming that she had made a huge mistake; that she didn¡¯t fuck her partner. But she could not stop her body from softening, from responding to his touch and her mind went foggy. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should do this,¡± she said. She didn¡¯t think they should have done it in the first place, but the taste of whiskey in her mouth indicated had not been thinking clearly the night before. She remembered having drinks with Dukes at the bar but nothing after. He pulled her against him and slid one hand between her legs. ¡°But you want to,¡± he said. Turning her head so she could see his face, she saw his eyes were dark with need. He brushed her hair from her face and pulled her knees apart. She knew she should stop him but she thought about how good it would feel to just get lost between these sheets with this man. To forget what is missing, who is missing, and how she is at fault - always at fault. To let the world consist of her and the ecstasy sex would bring, nothing more. ¡°I want you, Nora.¡± Dukes took her hand and placed it on his erection, sucking in a quick breath at contact. Giving in to desire, hers as well as his, Nora pressed her mouth against his. She lay back and pulled him on top of her, welcoming his weight and running her hands down his back, exploring the muscles she found there. He smelled lightly of perspiration and booze and his skin was warm and firm. ¡°This can never happen again,¡± she whispered, arching her back, riding the wave of pleasure his fingers brought her. He smiled at her. ¡°I planned on making it happen over and over.¡± Her orgasm ebbed, but she could feel it building again. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant and you know it.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± Dukes said as he entered her. Chapter Four Nora walked into her father¡¯s house, praying he wasn¡¯t home. His sedan was parked in the driveway but it was possible he and Daddy Kevin were out together. When she was younger, Nora had been ashamed of her two dads and afraid she would lose them at the same time. She would avoid situations that required parents and never had people over. Now, she considered herself fortunate to have grown up in a home with two parents who loved her and each other. It was more than most people her age could say. ¡°Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,¡± her father said. Phil Baker sat in his recliner petting his poodle, Liza, and eating popcorn. His curly red hair was a mess and a sure marker that he was her biological father. He had paid a woman some amount of money (he would never tell her how much) to have his baby. The two of them lived together and posed as a couple until after Nora was born. Then the woman left and Phil¡¯s friend, Kevin, moved in. The neighbors pretended they didn¡¯t know the two men were lovers at first, they never caused trouble and the home improvements were good for the neighborhood, and by now didn¡¯t care. ¡°Hey, Dad,¡± she replied. ¡°You look like shit,¡± he said. ¡°Who¡¯s outside?¡± ¡°Gee, thanks. I feel so loved. It¡¯s my partner, Dukes,¡± she answered. ¡°He gave me a ride, so I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± Phil raised one eyebrow and grunted before leaning back in his recliner and shaking his head. Since she and Shane split up Nora had been staying with her dads in her old room. It looked the same as when she left for college, which she sometimes found comforting but drove her nuts at other times, like now. She was standing in a child¡¯s room regretting an immature decision. Bon Jovi stared at her from his place on her closet door with a knowing look on his face. ¡°Shut up,¡± Nora said to the poster. Her shower was quick and cold. The water in the old house had always taken too long to heat up, but the cold water helped pull her out from under whatever she had been drinking the night before. Before she made it to the living room Nora could hear laughter, the deep rolling laughter of her father and another, less familiar one. Dukes was sitting on the sofa talking to her father and laughing. Nora stood in the doorway and stared for a moment. ¡°I thought you were waiting outside,¡± she said, going over to kiss her father on the cheek. ¡°Settle down, honey,¡± he said, lifting his cheek to meet her lips. ¡°No need for the man to stay in the car. We¡¯ve just been shootin¡¯ the shit.¡± ¡°He was just telling me about the time he and his friend, uh, Kevin, tried to teach you to swim,¡± Dukes said between laughter. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I sank to the bottom, nearly drowned, then asked to do it again. Cute. Let¡¯s go,¡± Nora said. She couldn¡¯t help but be irritated. She asked him to stay in the car because she didn''t want him in her home, with her dad. This was her space and it meant something for her to introduce someone to her dad; anyone, much less the man she just screwed. ¡°You coming home tonight?¡± Her dad said, smiling. He just had to get one last jab in before she left. She gritted her teeth and squinted her eyes at him. ¡°Definitely will be home tonight,¡± she said. The glint in her father¡¯s eyes showed his amusement at her discomfort. She silently thanked God that Daddy Kevin wasn¡¯t home. His teasing would be too much.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Your dad seems nice,¡± Dukes said once they were back in the car. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Did you tell him about us?¡± ¡°There is no us,¡± Nora snapped. ¡°Do you think I tell him every time I get laid? Jesus. I told you to stay in the car.¡± ¡°I needed a drink,¡± Dukes said. ¡°Bullshit.¡± Once again Nora kicked herself for her bad decision making. Her car was still at the bar but instead of getting it before going home, she had decided to get it later in order to avoid being late. At the office Nora stopped at Paula¡¯s desk as usual, hoping if she acted normal no one would think it was strange, or even notice, that she and Dukes had shown up together. ¡°Messages?¡± she asked. Paula was looking into her compact mirror applying yet another coat of bright pink lipstick. Nora rolled her eyes at her stupidity for thinking Paula would notice anything. ¡°You¡¯ve got a doozy this morning,¡± Paula said. ¡°A real whopper.¡± Paula pinched a yellow slip of paper between two fingers. Nora figured she had recently painted her fingernails by the way Paula held it. ¡°Her sleep was meant to be eternal but she woke up and walked away. If only you had been quicker, you could have saved the sweet thing. Now we both hunt,¡± she read then extended the paper to Nora. ¡°He asked for you specifically,¡± she said. Nora took the paper from Paula and read the message again. She wondered if it was the man from the other day. He had also asked for her and he had mentioned a sleeping woman. ¡°Whatcha got there?¡± Dukes asked as he sauntered up behind her. ¡°God, you¡¯re nosy,¡± she said and shoved the message into his chest before walking away. Dukes followed. Nora wondered if she annoyed Bill this bad when they were first partners. Bill was in the bureau far longer than she and could teach her a lot. She remembered how eager she was and how the other agents laughed at her behind her back. But Bill had always been patient with her, especially after she started seeing Shane. Bill was a local, he grew up in Prosper, so he¡¯d known Shane since he was born. In fact, he had dated Shane¡¯s mom for a few years when Shane was in grade school. And even after they¡¯d broken it off, he still looked after Shane, bailing him out of jail when he was arrested for fighting as a teen, talking to him about what it meant to be a man, and when Shane¡¯s mom couldn¡¯t attend one of his football games, Bill would be there. Bill only had three months until he could retire when he and Nora went to follow up with Anton Miller. Anton was a suspect in a series of murders in Tulsa. Nora and Bill had been put on the case after links between victims indicated a serial. They knocked on the door of the apartment Anton stayed in with his mom and when the door swung open, Bill was face to face with the barrel of a Glock 19. Anton got off one shot before Nora pulled her service weapon and returned fire. That shot went into Bill¡¯s left eye and he died. Not only did Nora lose her partner that day, but she also killed a man. And while Shane had a difficult time with Bill¡¯s death, it was Nora who, six months later, still couldn¡¯t sleep at night without Bill visiting her dreams. And before that was Olivia. Their sweet little Olivia. ¡°Who¡¯s this from?¡± Dukes asked, pulling Nora from her thoughts. ¡°Same guy from the other day, I think. Makes sense anyway,¡± Nora said. ¡°I should have taken the first message more seriously.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that you should take this one seriously,¡± Dukes replied. ¡°So you think it¡¯s a coincidence that I get the first phone call telling me about tucking someone in, an empty, no abandoned, grave is found, and then I get this message? They aren¡¯t connected at all?¡± Dukes stood quiet for a moment. Then he shook his head slowly and handed her the written message, holding onto it a second too long. ¡°I think it¡¯s a reach,¡± he said. Nora looked at the message suspended between their two hands and took a step toward Dukes. He was several inches taller than her so she had to look up at him. ¡°Last night?¡± she said. ¡°It was a mistake, so don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t hang on to shit when you hand it to me so our hands touch. Don¡¯t give me lingering looks or meaningful glances. And don¡¯t assume just because I fucked you, that I think you¡¯re a better agent. You were a mediocre lay I found at the bottom of a bottle.¡± She snatched the paper away from his hand and walked toward SAIC Avalos¡¯ office. She could hear Dukes laughing behind her. ¡°Mediocre?¡± he called after her. ¡°At best,¡± Nora said. Baby Baby wandered. She walked at night when the moon sang her name and the wind tousled her hair. She walked until her feet ached and the sun peeked over the horizon. Then she would find a nice, safe place to rest, usually an abandoned building with tight places she could hide. She stood facing the mirror in a gas station bathroom, studying her face. Running her fingers along her cheek she thought about how she had changed, how the night had morphed her into a creature she barely recognized, or had Master done it? It didn¡¯t matter, she was changed. Once tired of looking at her reflection, Baby stepped through the swinging door into the fluorescent lights of the gas station. She squinted against them, allowing her eyes to slowly adjust. ¡°Bright in here, huh?¡± a man asked from the end of an aisle laden with bags of chips. When he smiled his teeth were dark and stained, not at all like the white of Master¡¯s smile. She said nothing, only looked at the floor and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Cat got your tongue?¡± The man moved closer. The floor was covered in brown spots, partly by design, partly by customers. The man smelled of sweat and rubbing alcohol. It made Baby¡¯s stomach turn. Without looking up she made her way back outside where the air was fresh and cool, the moon was gentle on her eyes, and it didn¡¯t stink of the man with the chips. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Baby stood in the darkness, let it wrap its arms around her, and drank in the familiarity and solitude. She was, she knew, a creature of the night. She crawled through the brush and crept through the darkness. The sun caused her pain and people turned from her. It had been hard to admit when she was younger and the darkness of her room frightened, rather than comforted, her. ¡°You need a ride somewhere, sweetheart?¡± The words were accompanied by sweat and rubbing alcohol. She didn¡¯t need to open her eyes to know she would see the brown teeth and yellowing eyes if she did. ¡°No,¡± she answered. ¡°Look,¡± the stranger said. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for a few minutes and you ain¡¯t actin¡¯ like you got a way away from here. So let me give you a ride.¡± Baby turned toward the man who was smiling sweetly with his hands tucked into his front pockets. She watched the vein on his neck throb, his thick tongue raking over his too large, too wet lips, his eyes looking her over top to bottom, lingering in the spaces between. He was breathing fast, his chest heaving up and down. Baby remembered another who breathed like that. When Master lay next to her in the dark after expending his energy thrusting and grunting on top of her, under her, behind her, his chest would heave with heavy breath. She loved and hated that breathing and the pain it celebrated, loved and hated him. Her throat tightened and her ears began ringing. She blinked hard and fast, pushing the tears back to keep the pain company. The hiss of a semi truck¡¯s brakes invaded Baby¡¯s mind and brought her back to the gas station parking lot staring at the man who stared at her with an all too familiar gaze. And she was hungry. ¡°Maybe a ride would be okay,¡± she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.