Black Creek Burning (The Black Creek Series, Book 1) (30 page)

She let Macey out the front and headed to the mailbox in the dark. She paused at the
faint lilac smell of the arrowhead viburnum, enjoying the scents of spring. She stood
with Macey at her feet looking at her mother's dianthus that were turning green with
the warming temperatures. Checking the locks behind her, she grabbed a granola bar
before heading up for bed.

The phone rang as she lay in the dark. She almost didn't answer. The only calls she's
gotten this late were silent.

"Hello?"

"You aren't as sneaky as you think you are."

"Nathan."

"You sound shaky. You okay?"

"Of course. Locked up nice and tight."

"After your stroll around the front in the dark, alone?"

"How do you know?"

"Again, you're not as sneaky as you think you are. Macey wouldn't have let you go
to bed without letting her out and your back light never went on."

"That's just a little creepy, Reed."

"I also know you slip the kids' lunches in their backpacks every day except pepperoni
pizza day."

"Wow."

"Did I wake you? Where are you?"

Brie grinned while cozied up in her sheets in the dark. "I'm standing at my lingerie
drawer deciding between a sheer, silk teddy or black lace for bed."

She heard something thump through the receiver.

"You're killing me. I've never seen the black."

"I'm a little top heavy for that one and sometimes fall right out of it." She bit
her bottom lip, stifling a laugh.

"I could come over and help you choose."

"Sleep, Nathan. Big day tomorrow."

She barely had time to roll over after hanging up before the phone rang again. "That's
all the phone sex I can offer for one night, Reed. Go to bed." But there was no answer.
She could hear breathing. "Nathan?" More breathing, then disconnect. She broke her
own rule and whistled for Macey to come up and sleep at her feet.

* * *

The morning was crisp and the ground dry. Brie stopped by to pick up Nathan's anxious
dog and ran with Macey on her left and Goldie on her right. They had worked up to
a mile and a half, but Brie still cut their usual route short and ran along the floodplain.
The ground was rock hard and the wild flowers stunted. One good rain would bring them
all to life, Brie thought as they ran.

She chuckled to herself at the four-wheeler in the field. It was a sure sign of spring
when the snowmobiles were gone and the four-wheelers came out. She didn't completely
trust Goldie yet to control himself around a vehicle that drove much like a spunky
rabbit, and she guided him over to Macey's side. Brie thought about the materials
she would need to prepare for her first day back. She felt amazing running her lover's
dog with hers and thinking of what to pack for the boys' lunches.

The sensation at the back of her head was confusing. She wasn't sure what happened.
Just that one minute she was running and the next she was rolling down the floodplain,
tangled in leashes and landed halfway in the cold water. The back of her head felt
warm, wet. And then there was pain. Sheering, mind-numbing pain. She couldn't move
and the sky grew darker before it blackened all together.

* * *

Duncan stood at the kitchen window in shock.

He'd been watching Miss Chapman and the dogs. They'd almost made it back to the house.
He noticed the four-wheeler and thought it might be following them, but he was too
preoccupied with the idea that she might have forgotten about making his lunch to
pay close attention.

Then, he saw the bat. So badly he wanted to yell out to her, but nothing came out
of his mouth, just like now. He watched the dogs bark hysterically. Goldie tried to
wrestle free of his leash. He jerked her around in the mud like a rag doll. Macey
lay next to her limp body, setting her snout on Miss Chapman's shoulder.

No, Duncan thought. No, no, no, no! He'd already lost a mom.

He watched Goldie flip around in panic, then pull her farther into the frigid water.
Eventually, the dog wrestled his leash free and raced toward home. Using his teeth
to turn the mudroom door knob, Duncan heard him come in, barking madly and leaving
muddy prints throughout the house. He remained like a statue as he heard an ear-piercing
scream. Then he realized it was coming from him.

Chapter 26

Nathan was upstairs when he heard Duncan and the dog. He could tell it wasn't a simple
scuffle between the boys or a skinned knee. He passed Andy in the hall while wiping
shaving cream from his face. Throwing the hand towel over the banister, he took the
stairs two at a time.

When he reached the kitchen, the situation was easy to analyze and threw him into
overdrive. Duncan was standing, intact, looking out the kitchen window that faced
out back. He was still screaming at the top of his lungs. Goldie dangled his leash
from his neck as he barked like mad, jumping and spreading black mud all over the
kitchen floor. He didn't bother to look out the window at what Duncan could see. He
knew it had to be Brie and that it was bad.

He darted for the garage with Andy on his heels. His mind raced, when he saw the yellow
of her fleece jacket.

Brie was lifeless, half in the cold creek water with Macey's snout lying across her.
He couldn't breathe. He used the adrenaline from the slap of grief and grabbed a nearby
packing blanket as he turned to Andy. He spoke loudly over Duncan who was still screaming
in the kitchen. "Call nine-one-one. Can you do that, son?" Andy nodded and went for
the phone as Nathan sprinted out the back door.

As he ran, he heard himself yelling
no
over and over again. Frantically, he watched for movement. There was only Macey whimpering
with her head resting protectively on Brie.

He skimmed clumsily down the cracked floodplain, sliding across the dried green of
the wildflowers. Ignoring the fallen log, he splashed his boots through what was left
of the creek water to reach her and skidded onto his knees.

"Baby, no," he said aloud as he felt deep under her jaw for a pulse. He found it and
desperately began pulling her out of the cold water. She didn't have gloves and her
fingers were a ghostly white.

It was when he was untangling Macey's leash from around her that he noticed the blood.
He remembered something about not moving accident victims until help came, but it
was cold and she was wet. He tried to feel if she had broken bones and decided he
had to get her warm. Working on autopilot, he wrapped her cautiously in the rough
blanket and carried her toward his house. He could feel blood warming the crook of
his arm as he ran with her up the hill.

"Did you call?" he yelled as he entered the back door to the kitchen.

Andy nodded and handed him the phone. Duncan had stopped screaming and dropped to
his knees next to them, the corners of his mouth trembling. Andy hid his face behind
his brother's shoulder.

Nathan took a towel and tried to wrap it tightly around her head as he spoke to the
rescue operator. "Wait, wait. She's awake." He held the phone between his head and
his shoulder, leaning closer to her.

"Nathan," Brie said quietly with her eyes closed.

Sticking his head close to her face, he answered, "I'm here, baby. The ambulance is
on its way."

"Nathan." A tear fell from her still face and down her temple. "It hurts."

He stuck his forehead gently to hers. "I know. We're going to fix it. I can hear the
rescue. Just be still now. I love you." He squeezed his eyes shut and propped the
phone between his ear and shoulder.

* * *

Slowly, the group in the waiting room grew. Nathan had tried to get Duncan and Andy
to go with his folks. He thought school might take their minds off this, but Duncan
had a tantrum Nathan didn't know he was capable of. So, his folks came to sit with
them instead. They sat quietly in rows of cushioned chairs that were attached side-to-side.
His parents had contacted Liz, who came with her kids, followed soon after by Dave
and Amanda.

"We're waiting," he said. "They don't think there are any broken bones, but she's
got a gash on the back of her head, and they won't know how bad it is until the test
results come back. She might lose some fingers from frostbite." His patience thinned.
If he had to explain her condition one more time, he was going to punch something.

He pulled Dave aside. "Where's McKinney, damn it? Find him and you'll likely find
him with Black Creek mud on his boots."

"He's actually in the parking lot."

Nathan exploded for the door before Dave's giant hand caught the back of his LL Bean
shirt. Dave quickly and smoothly twisted his arm uncomfortably behind his back and
whispered in his ear, "Not here. Not now. Think."

Defeated and feeling helpless, Nathan slumped down in the chair next to him, set his
forearms on his thighs and put his face in his hands. "He did it. I know he fucking
did it. He set the fire. He's always conveniently around when this shit happens. Here
he is again. Can't you do something?"

Dave shook his head. "Listen, patrols are at the scene and CSU is on their way. We'll
wrap this up, man. I swear."

They waited long enough to make him think the worst. When the doctor finally came
out, he and Liz approached him away from the others.

He was a small man that looked to be in his sixties and walked toward them like he'd
done this hundreds of times. "She's unconscious. We were able to get some response
from her and test results look good, but she needs to rest. She's lost a lot of blood.
We suspect a pretty hefty concussion but will know more when she's awake. I'll check
on her again in the afternoon." He stuck his hand out to shake like he was ending
the conversation.

"Can we see her?" Nathan interjected before he held out a hand in response.

"Only a few at a time. She's needs to sleep and let her body heal."

* * *

"You know I need to talk to Duncan."

Dave and Nathan sat in the closest waiting room while Liz and her family took their
turn to see Brie.

Nathan sighed. "I know. He's not taking this well. Be easy on him." He held onto the
back of his neck and tilted his head up. "My folks are taking them for the rest of
the day. You can talk to him after they go in to say goodbye to her."

Dave felt for his friend as he watched the disparity run over him. He could see McKinney
pacing outside the sliding doors and wanted to pound on him himself. He realized he
was really only officially seen when the dog was poisoned. Unless you count the fire.
He couldn't help but let his mind turn and contemplate. Brie swore she had never met
him before the day of the fire. Shit. What a mess.

Dave shook his head. "I need to take him back to the house and have him show me what
he saw and where." He winced like he was waiting for a backlash. "The area will be
surrounded in yellow tape and the evidence crew might still be there."

"Shit, Dave." Nathan rubbed both hands over his face. "Okay. It makes sense. I'm going
to be with him. Let me talk to my folks."

Dave spotted Amanda and made his way to her. She looked like she was analyzing him,
then buried her head in his chest as he sat.

"I hate this. It's like six years ago all over again."

"I'm taking Nathan and his kids to his house while the scene is still fresh in their
minds."

Amanda looked up. "You have on your cop face." She leaned back in the chair. "I'll
stay with Brie."

He pulled her back to him as Nathan made his way over to his parents and the boys.
Andy was curled up in Mackenzie's lap. She stroked his hair as he lay quiet. Duncan
sat in a chair by himself next to Sylvester. He had his arms wrapped around his legs
in a tight ball, staring at the floor. Liz and her kids walked out and everyone stood
up.

"I'm going to get the dogs and see if they'll let me check on her house. Then, I'll
take care of things at school for both of us. I'll stop back later." Liz's eyes and
nose were puffy and red. "You'll call if she wakes up?" She kissed Nathan on the cheek
and rubbed the tops of Duncan and Andy's heads. "Sylvester. Mackenzie." She nodded
politely to them before she left.