Mackenzie Legacy, The (10 page)

“They’re usually after deer,” she said. “But this time of year they might have been going for bear or boar…”

“We should go back,” he said, anxious. “What if they shoot us instead?”

“Don’t worry,” she said confidently. “I can spot them long before they spot us.”

She set out on another even narrower path, moving swiftly, and now it was all he could do to keep up with her. Within a few minutes they entered into a perfectly formed little clearing in the woods, ringed with ferns. Caledonia drank in the sight with hungry eyes.

She went to the center of the meadow to sit in the sun on the smooth log from a fallen tree, smiling over at him brilliantly when he settled in next to her. Birds were singing in the dark woods beyond them, and she looked all around, savoring the familiar place. Then her face clouded over.

“I must have been sitting right here when it happened,” she said wistfully.

Calvin took her hand wordlessly, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. All at once she was on her feet, knife gleaming in her hand. Calvin stood, alarmed, following her eyes to a dense wall of shrubs set back in the dark blue shadows.

“What is it?” he whispered, expecting some sort of wild beast to burst out and attack them at any moment.

“I know you’re there… Come out and show yourself,” Caledonia growled, surprising Calvin with a ferocious voice he’d never heard coming from her before.

There was a movement in the shadows, and the apparition of a man appeared. He seemed as ancient and wild as the land itself, his long beard and hair hanging like moss from trees. He entered the clearing slowly, leaning onto a twisted, gnarled walking stick, its grip polished from years of wear.

Calvin thought he looked like the ghost of an old frontiersman, or a modern day Rip Van Winkle. He wore a poncho cut from a frayed Indian blanket, and a woven leather hat with feathers stuck in the headband. When he saw Caledonia his weathered face split into an enormous grin.

“There’s my wild child,” he said.

~

Chapter Twelve

DISCOVERY

~

“Jesse!” Cali cried, surprising Calvin by rushing forward to greet the man with an embrace. “What are you doing all the way down here?”

“I saw the chimney smoke… I came to check on your house.”

Caledonia turned to Calvin. “Calvin… This is my friend Jesse.”

The old man squinted at the younger one, extending a rough and knobby hand, “Pleased to meet you.”

Calvin couldn’t have been more surprised, but he shook the man’s hand, looking to Caledonia for some kind of explanation.

Jesse looked to her also, “When I heard about the accident I didn’t expect you’d ever come back…”

“Why wouldn’t I? This is my land now.”

“I suppose you can take the girl from the woods…” he looked tired, leaning on his stick. “I think I’ll just rest my old bones for a minute. This hiking business is getting harder on the old feet.”

He shuffled over to the log and lowered himself down with a sigh. “I should have known you couldn’t stay away… I should have seen that coming. But I suppose I’m going to have to warn you about a few things...”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Sit down Cal,” Jesse patted the log next to him. “We need to talk.”

She settled down beside him while Calvin stood watching in silence. “The people I work for… They’re not the same as they used to be.”

“Not the same how?”

He heaved a heavy sigh, shaking his head sadly. “The whole operation has been taken over by some pretty bad hombres from south of the border… These cats are only in it for the money.”

“Operation?” Calvin asked.

Jesse looked up at Calvin suspiciously, and Caledonia patted the old man’s arm to reassure him. “It’s okay. You can trust him.”

“They’re big time growers,” Jesse finally said bitterly. “They’ve got plots set up all over the property. They don’t even care about the trees, they use chemical fertilizers… divert the creeks… and now…” his voice cracked and trailed off.

“Now what?” Caledonia asked.

“They’re dangerous… Territorial. They carry guns.”

Calvin looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening.

Cali nodded. “I saw where they passed.”

Jesse flashed icy blue with fear, startling Caledonia. “Did they see you?”

“No, I just saw their track.”

He slumped with relief. “I should have known you’d pick up on it right away.” He took her hand in his to look into her eyes earnestly. “Listen, it’s harvest time right now, and they post extra guards this time of year. Just stay away until they clear out. It’s much safer in the winter.”

“Why do you stay?” she asked.

“This is my home… So I’ve decided to make myself useful to them. That way, I can try to keep the damage to a minimum. David would have wanted that.”

Caledonia was shocked, “My father? You knew my father? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“You weren’t supposed to be roaming as far as you did.” He chuckled, “But there wasn’t anything you didn’t know about this land, was there?”

“I knew about the marijuana, if that’s what you mean…”

“Your father agreed to look the other way if we could grow on his land.”

“That was on
his
land? But why would he allow that? He
hated
drugs!”

Jesse sighed, fumbling to explain, “When your folks first came here, they were desperate… There was a pretty big tax lien on the land…”

“A what?” Calvin asked.

“A debt,” Caledonia answered, suddenly understanding.

“The county was going to sell it off at auction… So we– my former employers that is– made a deal with your dad. They paid the property taxes, and he looked the other way.”

Caledonia was shocked, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Her parents never had any money, and they were strict about keeping her within a predetermined range. They just hadn’t counted on her breaking their rules.

“Please don’t be upset… I don’t know what kind of trouble they were in, but your folks were pretty desperate when they showed up here.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“What were they running from anyway?” he asked.

“It’s a long story,” she said, reaching for her basket. “Are you hungry?”

The three of them shared a picnic sitting on the log, and Calvin listened as Caledonia questioned Jesse about the extent of the pot growing operation on her land. The old man seemed scattered and confused, and Calvin’s initial suspicion turned to pity. He got the impression that Jesse didn’t know very much about the world outside of the forest, much like Caledonia when he’d first met her.

She pushed her lunch onto her friend, wrapping up everything that was left and pressing it into his hands. Jesse looked over at Calvin watching them and nodded.

“She’s one of a kind son,” he said. “I hope you treat her right.”

He reached down to rummage in the fringed leather bag that hung around his neck and produced a pipe, filling the bowl and lighting it. The meadow was filled with the familiar smell of pot smoke.

Jesse held the pipe up to Calvin. “Toke?”

“No thanks,” he replied, raising his eyebrows at Caledonia. He knew that she held the same view on drugs as her parents had, and with good reason, so he was surprised to see that she was completely unfazed, continuing to question him as he puffed away. She waved the smoke out of her face. “So, if I pay these people money, will they leave?” she asked hopefully.

Jesse shook his head no. “They’re dangerous. Don’t go near them.”

“He’s right.” Calvin added, “Mexican drug cartels? They’re brutal… Even Jarod knows better than to screw around with people like that… They don’t care who they hurt.”

“When you lie down with dogs…” Caledonia whispered.

Jesse nodded in agreement, “Exactly. When you dine with the devil, bring a long spoon.”

~

On their drive into town, Caledonia explained how she had stumbled upon Jesse’s remote encampment, and used to stop by to visit him from time to time.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Calvin asked.

She shrugged, “I never told anyone.”

“Do you have any other secret friends I should know about?”

She flashed her forest and sky eyes at him playfully. “Loads. The woods are just
crawling
with fairies and leprechauns.”

They finally reached the nearest town and drove down the main street, passing a small gas station, general store and diner. The place looked like the kind of idyllic village you’d see on a calendar or a puzzle box, but Calvin wasn’t paying attention. He was busy watching the rearview mirror for the police cruiser that was following closely behind them.

“Take a right turn here,” Caledonia said intensely.

Calvin parked in front of a small cemetery surrounded by a white picket fence. He got out, coming around to open her door. She sat frozen in her seat, her face stony.

“Do you want to come back later?” he asked gently.

“No.”

She climbed out of the cab resolutely, walking past decades-old carved headstones and statues of angels, making a direct line for a remote corner of the fenced-in area. Calvin walked alongside her, stopping when she stopped. She stood stock still, staring down at two small brass markers set flush with the earth.

She forgot to breathe for a moment, finally gasping, “I thought maybe… It… It seemed like it might have been just a dream…”

Calvin stood behind her, and this time he embraced her without hesitation, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder silently. They stood there like that for a few long minutes while she gathered herself.

“Mackenzie,” Calvin said, looking at the names on all the tombstones that surrounded them. “Are these all your relatives?”

“I guess so,” she wandered through the section, reading the names aloud. “This must have been the family plot.” She went back and forth from stone to stone, retracing her steps to double check. She could scarcely believe what she was seeing, and gooseflesh rose on her arms as her face registered the shock.

“What’s wrong?” Calvin asked, worried. “Cali?”

“Look at this!” she exclaimed. “All seven of them died on the same day.”

Calvin looked them over, equally stunned. “Whoa… That’s freaky.”

He looked up to see that the police cruiser had returned, turning around to park. Two officers got out and inspected their truck closely. He watched the younger one of the two walk all the way around it, like he was looking for something; the second cop started heading towards them.

“Uh oh,” Calvin said, expecting to be hassled. “What did I do now?” He cursed under his breath, prompting Cali to look up.

Her face broke into a bright smile. “Sherriff Brown!”

He rushed up to clamp her in a joyful embrace. “Cal! It’s sure good to see you again, young lady. How are you?” he asked.

“I’m great,” she said, smiling at Calvin’s surprised face.

“Are you back to stay?” Sherriff Brown asked.

“Only for a few days. I’m eighteen now, and I’m here to claim my land.”

He nodded. “The wife will sure be happy to hear that you’re doing alright.”

Calvin stood nervously while the officer turned his attention towards him. Once again, Caledonia introduced him to the last person he’d expect her to know. He shook the older man’s hand nervously, uncomfortable with the way the cop was scrutinizing him. He’d never had a positive experience with the law.

Sherriff Brown turned back to focus on Cali. “We can’t be too careful about strangers around here… There’s been some talk of outsiders, gangbangers and dopers, and I don’t want that sort of thing to get a foothold around here.”

Too late, Calvin thought.

“Keep your eyes open when you’re out at the place. I want you to let me know if you see anything suspicious.”
 

“Sure,” she nodded. “Uhm… Sherriff Brown?” Caledonia asked, “I found out that my father was orphaned when he was very young… Do you know what happened to his family?”

The sheriff explained that he’d arrived in town just before her parents had, directing her to the courthouse. “Ask Miss Millie. She’s lived here her whole life. She’s the county clerk, librarian, and town historian all rolled into one. She knows everything there is to know about this town… And everybody else’s business too.”

“Okay,” Cali said. “We’re headed there next.”

The other officer approached them, “Everything alright sheriff?”

Sherriff Brown introduced them to his new deputy, Ramon Ruiz. He was a handsome young man with dark hair and eyes who looked even younger than Calvin.

“Pleased to meet you ma’am,” he nodded politely, dimples popping onto his smooth cheeks when he smiled.

“You can call me Cali,” she returned his smile, nodding as she shook his hand.

Calvin watched the pair walk away, startled when Ramon turned on his heel to look him in the eye, “It was Cal… Right?”

Calvin straightened up, “Yes?”

“That’s a nice truck you got there.”

~

“Well I’ll be,” said Millie, regarding Caledonia over the top of her bi-focals. “You’re a Mackenzie?” The old woman glanced over at Calvin, her eyes landing on his tattoo with a flicker of disapproval. She got up from her desk with a grunt, taking her time to dig up the deed from a dusty old file cabinet, leaving the two Cals waiting at the counter of the little courthouse.

“Here’s a map of the property,” she said, unfolding it across the counter. “And right here…” she traced the border with her index finger, “Is your parcel.”

“How big is that?” Caledonia asked, puzzled.

“Looks to be a little over two-thousand acres,” Millie nodded.

“Two
thousand
?” Caledonia said. “There must be some mistake.”

“No mistake. Your property extends from here to here.”

Calvin looked down at the map and back up at her. “Whoa.”

Caledonia was barely over the shock of that revelation when Millie opened her mouth once more. “I see that you come by those eyes honestly– Just like your grandmother’s… A Mackenzie… Well, I’ll be,” she repeated herself.

Caledonia was taken aback, “You knew my grandmother?”

Millie looked back at Caledonia and hesitated, unwilling to go into detail. Calvin watched as the two women locked eyes; he suppressed a smile when he realized that the old lady wouldn’t even know what hit her.

“What do you know about my family?” Caledonia demanded. “Tell me everything right now.”

Miss Millie blinked a few times, and started talking, “Oh, they had a huge estate up in the mountains. Big old Victorian house… People said it was haunted. There was talk of strange goings on, rumors of...” she lost her train of thought.

Caledonia’s eyes bored into hers. “Rumors?”

“Witchcraft,” she said like it was a dirty word. She dove back in, chattering away like the town gossip she obviously was, “Oh, you know how people talk. Folks said that old lady Mackenzie would put a hex on you if you crossed her, and there were all kinds of stories about devil worship and such… No one wanted to look her in the eye because of those strange… Witchy eyes, people said.” She paused, glancing up at Caledonia as if she was surprised at the words coming out of her mouth.