THE IMMORTAL
Chapter 12 - The Truth
Jonah
reacted instinctively. His first thought was of Clea and Joey’s safety.
Popping outside, he
stared in horror as flames raced up the side of the barn. Nearly invisible
smoke poured up into the night sky. So far, the house appeared to be untouched,
but he knew that wouldn’t last long. He had to awaken Clea and the boy and get
them out of there. Grabbing the rope handle, he fiercely rang the bell as he
yelled for them to wake up.
“Fire!
Fire! Wake up and get out of the house! Clea! Joey! Fire in the barn! Clea!
Joey!”
Within
seconds, Clea exited the house with Joey in tow, the both of them blinking in
sleepy wonderment. The instant she saw the burning barn, she gasped in shock.
Jonah
waved for them to distance themselves from the structure. Although the barn was
set back a ways from the house, that didn’t mean an ember couldn’t float over
and land on the roof, setting the home ablaze.
“Stay
back!”
He
heard her call out to him as he headed back into the barn, but he couldn’t go
over and find out what she’d said. Every second was precious, and he couldn’t
waste any of it.
He
went straight to the stalls. Daisy was pressed against the wall, as far away
from the encroaching flames as she could get. The bovine was terrified, and
panicked when Jonah threw a rope around her neck. It tried to headbutt him, but
Jonah jumped out of range.
“Come
on, old girl! We gotta get out of here!”
It
took some effort and a few whacks on the animal’s hindquarters before the cow
took off, out of the barn. Next, he went to get Muffin, their other cow, which
was easier to persuade to leave. He followed the creature out of the barn to
make sure it was safe when Clea ran up to him.
“I
called emergency! The fire department’s on its way!”
“Good!
Grab the garden hose and begin spraying the roof and side of the house with
water. Keep an eye open for sparks and embers, in case some land on the roof of
the house!”
He
turned to go back inside the barn, but she grabbed his arm.
“Where
are you going?”
“I
must retrieve my backpack.”
“No!
The whole barn is aflame! You’ll be trapped inside!”
It
was then he realized she was right. By now the old barn with its aged wooden frame
was almost fully engulfed, but the southernmost end of the building hadn’t been
breached. There was a chance he could make it.
Jerking
his arm from her grasp, he dashed inside. Flames licked his boots, and he was
forced to hold his breath to keep from breathing in the roiling black smoke. The
place was a tinderbox, ripe for combustion, making him doubt the fire
department would be able to save it.
When he reached the
far stall he’d enclosed to be his private quarters, he snatched up the few
items of clothing he’d placed on a wooden crate, grabbed his boots, and threw
his backpack over one shoulder. Using the clothing as a mask, he turned to
leave when a wall of fire breached the doorway, blocking his way. Holding his
belongings tightly against his chest, he disappeared from the barn’s interior
and reappeared next to the bell.
Dropping
his things on the ground, Jonah bent over, hands on his thighs, and breathed in
huge gulps of fresh air. Clea and Joey quickly joined him and embraced him.
He
couldn’t help but chuckle. “This is one of those times I’m glad I’m able to do
what I can do.”
“Why
did you run into the barn? Why didn’t you just vanish inside?” Clea asked.
“Wouldn’t it have been faster?”
“Because
it wasn’t safe. I had no idea how far the fire had spread. It was too great a
risk. I could have appeared in the middle of a blaze.” He coughed again, then
straightened. Taking one of her hands in his, he kissed it. “I have to leave
you for a while, my dearest.”
“Why?”
He
temporarily ignored her question as he pulled on a pair of jeans over his
boxers and slid his feet into his boots. “Did you also call the sheriff?”
“Yes.
He’s on his way, too,” Clea confirmed.
“When
he arrives, tell him I’ve gone to confront Vince Barnes. Tell him to come there
immediately.”
In
the glow cast by the fire, her face was unusually pale. She understood what he
was implying, but she had to ask anyway. “Why?”
“I
saw his truck leaving when I first ran out of the barn. After the cows woke me
up and I smelled smoke.” Releasing her hand, he stepped away when she planted
herself in front of him.
“Why
do you have to leave?” she demanded. “Why can’t you wait until he gets here?”
“I
have to confront him before he has the chance to hide the evidence. Before he
can wash the smell of gasoline from his hands and change clothes.”
She
opened her mouth either to protest or beg him not to go, but he had no other
choice. Stepping back, he vanished.
To
be on the safe side, he didn’t appear directly in front of the Barnes
farmhouse. There was too great a chance a car could be parked there. Instead,
he chose the front drive and hoped he wouldn’t get run over.
That
was always the danger of “jumping,” as he personally called it. For some
strange reason, whenever his body jumped on its own accord, he always managed
to appear in a clear area. Sometimes he was bumped into, or nearly struck by
something or someone passing by, but never actually placed directly in harm’s
way.
Or
maybe I’ve just been lucky so far.
But
when he initiated it himself, that guarantee didn’t apply, and there had been a
couple of times when he’d nearly been killed. After the second event, he’d
sworn to himself that he would take greater caution, which was why he’d
mentally and visibly targeted a particular spot in Barnes’ front yard when he
and Clea had gone to confront the man earlier.
The
one security light atop a pole was the only illumination in the area this time
of night. The house itself was dark save for one light coming from a window at
the rear. The truck he’d seen driving away from the Hatch house was parked near
the barn a few yards away.
Rushing
over to it, he laid a hand on the hood. It was warm, proving he hadn’t imagined
seeing it. A check inside the truck bed revealed two ten-gallon cans of
gasoline, which he bet if he hefted them, he’d find them empty. He turned toward
the house when a harsh voice called out.
“Halt!
Whoever’s there, stop right where you are! I got a gun trained on you!”
Jonah
raised his hands. “It’s Jonah Cobb, Barnes! And I’m warning you that the
sheriff is on his way here to find out why you set fire to Mrs. Hatch’s barn!”
He made no effort to hide his anger.
“Cobb?”
The man sounded confused. “What in hell are you talking about? Get out here
where I can see you!”
Steeling
himself, Jonah stepped out of the shadows surrounding the truck and into the
brightness cast by the security light. He kept his eyes on the rifle the man
was holding. If at any time the guy looked as if he was going to fire it, Jonah
would instantly disappear.
Barnes
glared at him. “What the hell are you doing here? Especially this time of
night?”
“You
know exactly why I’m here! You set fire to Mrs. Hatch’s barn! Would you have
set fire to the house, too, if I hadn’t shown up? What else would you have
vandalized if I hadn’t woken up when I did? Before you saw me and took off in
your truck?”
Barnes
shook his head. “You’re crazy, you know that? Accusing me of something I didn’t
do!”
“I
saw you take off in your truck!” Jonah yelled. “I didn’t imagine it! Right now,
that barn is a goner. You better pray that house is still standing come
morning.”
Jonah
studied the man’s expression. Something about the man’s demeanor didn’t sit
well with him. It was like the guy was telling him the truth, yet at the same
time was hiding something.
Barnes
seemed to come to a conclusion. “You’re lying through your teeth. I haven’t
been to her place tonight. What’s the real reason why you’re here, skulking
about in the middle of the night?”
“You
can lie all you want, Barnes, but I will testify that I saw you leave in your
truck right after you set fire to the barn. Why did you do it? Because you’re
mad Mrs. Hatch discovered you were skimming off the top? That you were cheating
her of her rightful share of the profits?”
“We
done discussed this, Cobb! It ain’t none of your business anyway what kind of
dealings go on between me and Mrs. Hatch!”
“It
will definitely be my business when Mrs. Hatch and I say our vows in front the
Justice of the Peace,” Jonah informed him. “Then you’ll have to deal with me.
And, believe me, I’m not as trusting a person as she is.”
Oddly
enough, Barnes laughed at the comment. “So you are shacking up with her.
The gossip floating around town is true.”
The
distant sound of sirens alerted them that the emergency crews were coming down
the small county road. The instant Barnes turned his head to look in that
direction, Jonah vanished from where he stood and reappeared on the step next
to the man. Before the guy could react, he grabbed the rifle from the man’s
hands, but not before Barnes managed to fire off a shot into the air.
Taking
a few steps back, Jonah quickly emptied the weapon of its bullets and threw the
gun into the grass several yards away. Almost immediately following, Mrs.
Barnes appeared at the back door.
“Vince!
Vince, what happened? I heard a gunshot!”
Barnes
didn’t get the chance to respond. The sheriff’s cruiser with lights flashing
came tearing up the caliche driveway. It slid to a stop and the driver’s side
door opened. Lowden took partial cover behind his door as he aimed his service
pistol at the two men.
“Both
of you! Freeze right where you are! Nobody move!”
Behind
him, a second car with red and blue lights pulled up next to the cruiser, and a
deputy took the same position behind his car door.
Not
seeing another approaching vehicle, Jonah slowly turned to face the sheriff and
raised his hands. “It’s all right, Sheriff. Neither of us are armed.”
Unexpectedly,
Mrs. Barnes stepped outside and pointed an accusing finger in Jonah’s
direction. “He fired at my husband! He shot at my husband!”
Jonah
shook his head. “It was Barnes who fired. Not me. I was able to disarm him, and
the rifle was fired by mistake.” He pointed over his shoulder. “I emptied the
ammunition from it and tossed it over there.”
Sheriff
Lowden glanced down at the objects lying at Jonah’s feet. He slowly stood but
kept his own gun trained on both men. “Armmin, you take Barnes. I got Cobb.”
He
waited until the deputy had cuffed Barnes before approaching Jonah. Silently,
Jonah allowed himself to be placed in handcuffs. Lowden turned him around to
face him when he was done.
“Mrs. Hatch said
you saw Mr. Barnes set fire to her barn, then drive away.”
Jonah
gave a nod. “I came here to ask Barnes why he’d done it.”
“I
didn’t do it!” Barnes hollered.
Jonah
threw him a dark scowl. “Your truck is still warm.” Turning to the sheriff, he
noted, “Go touch the hood of that truck. And check what’s in the bed. Find out
for yourself.”
“I
haven’t left this house since I got home earlier this evening!” Barnes declared.
Something
in the man’s tone sounded truthful. Jonah stared at him, when he noticed
something. The guy was still in t-shirt and jeans. He turned to Lowden. “Go
smell him.”
The
sheriff’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“If
he set the barn on fire, he should smell of kerosine or gasoline. I smelled the
accelerant when the fire broke out. He might also smell of smoke.”
Barnes
gave a bark of laughter. “How do we know you didn’t set the barn on
fire?”
Jonah
had to give the man credit for the comeback. “Smell me, Sheriff. Yes, I smell
of smoke because I was inside the barn at the time. I rushed back inside the
structure to get the cows out to safety, but I don’t smell of gasoline.”
Bending
closer to him, Lowden sniffed Jonah’s shoulder. He also sniffed Jonah’s hands
and arms. “You’re right. I smell smoke, but not gasoline.”
“Go
check Barnes,” Jonah insisted. He was starting to doubt himself, and that
wasn’t a good thing. But he was certain it had been Barnes’ truck he’d seen
leaving the farm. Plus there was the still warm engine, and the gasoline cans
in the bed.
He
watched the sheriff saunter up to Barnes and sniff him over, including where
the man’s arms were cuffed behind his back. When the lawman looked back at him
and shook his head, Jonah gritted his teeth. He didn’t expect Lowden to gesture
to Mrs. Barnes, who was still watching from behind the kitchen door. “Mrs.
Barnes? May I have a word with you, please?”
“What
for?”
“Just
come out here and answer a few questions, please. It won’t take long. You have
my word.”
The
woman, dressed in her bathrobe, opened the screen door and stepped outside. Lowden
stood his ground, forcing her to come up to him. When she was close enough, he
smiled at her.
“Looks
like you just bathed,” he calmly remarked. “And you washed your hair. Do you
often take a bath this late at night?”
“I
was watching a movie,” she replied, unable to control the thread of nervousness
in her voice.
Without
warning, the sheriff took her by the arm. Mrs. Barnes tried to wrench it away
from him, but his grip was too strong. A look of uneasiness came over her face
as Lowden lifted her hand to his face.
“You
know, there’s an odd thing about gasoline. It doesn’t matter how much you try
to scrub off the scent, a trace of it still clings to you until it fades on its
own. Armmin, go inside the house and find Mrs. Barnes’ clothes.”
“Yes,
sir.”
As
the deputy turned to obey, Mrs. Barnes burst into tears. “I just wanted to
scare her! I didn’t mean no harm!”
“Brigit,
shut up!” Barnes snapped.
Lowden
nodded. “I strongly suggest you listen to your husband and wait until I read
you your rights.”
“Are
you arresting her?” Barnes demanded.
“Yes,
sir,” the sheriff calmly answered as he applied handcuffs to the older woman’s
wrists.
“What
for?”
“For
starters, arson. Destruction of property.” Lowden cast an eye at Jonah. “And
attempted murder. There’ll be others, but that’s enough for now.”
Barnes
spluttered. “Attempted murder?”
“I
didn’t try to kill anyone!” Mrs. Barnes objected.
Jonah
turned to her. “I was sleeping in the barn when you doused it with gasoline and
set fire to it. If the cows hadn’t awakened me, I could have been trapped
inside and burned to death.”
Mrs.
Barnes stared at him for a handful of seconds before turning to her husband.
“You told me the two of them were shacking up together!”
Sheriff
Lowden grabbed the woman by the upper arm and forced her to look at him.
“Before we go any further with this, shut up and listen. You have the right to
remain silent.”
As
the sheriff read the woman her Miranda rights, Jonah waited for the deputy to
uncuff him. He wanted to leave now and go back to let Clea know what had
happened, but he knew it was best if he remained here and got a ride back to
the farmhouse.
In
the distance, he saw a pale glow on the horizon. Not knowing what time of night
it was, it could either be the first rays of dawn or the light from the fire
engulfing the barn.
He
prayed it was the former, but he didn’t hold out much hope for that to be the
case.
THE IMMORTAL
Chapter 13 - The Morning
Jonah
dropped onto the sofa with a loud grunt and a sigh. Clea was sitting near the
fireplace where she’d waited for him. Seeing her defeated posture, he made an
attempt to be lighthearted. “I do believe a hot bath at the end of a long day
is on the list of the top five pleasures afforded to man,” he proclaimed. When
she didn’t respond or move, he cast her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry for the
barn,” he said in a more somber tone.
“Don’t
be. It’s not your fault. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine for going after Mr.
Barnes for what he’d done.”
“Whoa
there.” He held up a hand. “It’s not your fault, period, and I don’t ever want
to hear you say that again. Barnes was in the wrong for cheating you. Just
because his wife went off the deep end and decided to torch the barn as a way
to get even is not and never will be your problem.”
Rather
than comment, Clea pointed to the end table by his elbow. “There’s some water
if you want it.”
He
thanked her and took several long swallows before setting the glass back down
on its coaster.
“Jonah,
do you really think it was all Mrs. Barnes’ idea? What if Mr. Barnes told his
wife to come down here and take revenge?”
“Personally?
No. I think she did it on her own. But after she got back to the farmhouse, I’m
guessing he must have been suspicious of where she’d been and had her confess
to him. That’s why he tried to cover for her when I showed up. To give her time
to finish bathing.” He snickered. “That was a nice move by Sheriff Lowden,
making her think he could go inside and confiscate the clothes she’d been
wearing.”
Clea
tilted her head slightly. “How so?”
“I
believe that technically he couldn’t have done that without a warrant, if my
feeble grasp of the law is correct.”
“But
Mrs. Barnes didn’t know that,” Clea continued with a soft laugh. A silent
moment passed before she spoke again. “Do we know why she did it? I mean, other
than to get back at me?”
“Sheriff
Lowden and I had a short discussion about that when I told him about Barnes
stiffing you. Maybe they’re desperate for money. Hopefully we’ll find out more
later on.”
“But
why did she try to kill you?”
“She
didn’t.”
Seeing
her confusion, he couldn’t help but snicker. “The gossip in town says we’re
shacking up together, so she assumed I was in the house. It was a good thing I
wasn’t, or else we could have lost the cows. Or worse, the fire could have
spread to the house.”
She
bowed her head again. “The barn is a total loss. The chickens… The garden…” Her
voice was soft, but he could tell she had yet to absorb the full extent of what
they’d been through. And how close they’d come to losing everything.
Reaching
out to her, Jonah silently invited her into his arms. Clea got up from her
chair to take her place beside him, tucking her legs behind her and resting her
head on his shoulder as he embraced her. He kissed her hair. “We will get more
chickens, and the garden can be replanted. Although it will take a while to
rebuild the barn, hopefully we can have enough of it finished to house the cows
before winter sets in. We have lost nothing that cannot be replaced.”
She
lifted her head to look up at him. “Then why did you run back to get your
clothes? Or your backpack? Why did you risk your life for those things?”
Jonah
smiled down at her. “Because of a certain coin I have stashed in the side
pocket.”
“That
gold coin?”
“Yes.
If I’d left it in the barn, the heat from the fire would have melted it.”
“That
coin, it’s that important to you that you’d risk your life for it?”
“That
coin has saved my life more times than you guess,” he confessed. “There have
been countless times when I was starving. Cold. Lost. Sometimes injured. That
coin paid for food and lodging and medicine, and once I used it to purchase my
fare on a ship.”
As
he’d expected, she shook her head, confusion clouding her face. “But if you
spent it…” Then it dawned on her, and she began to laugh. “You went back later
to retrieve it!”
Jonah
nodded, grinning. “If ever I needed something desperately enough, it gave me
the chance to go on. It has never let me down. I wasn’t about to abandon it to
a measly fire.”
“Speaking
of… Jonah, I’ve been wanting to ask you something about your…power.”
“My
ability to transport myself?”
“Yes.
When you leave or come back, are you able to do that time-wise?”
“Time-wise?
You mean, can I go back in time into the past or forward into the future?”
“Yes.”
“No.
I cannot do that. At least, if I can, I haven’t discovered it yet. No, I can go
from one place to another only if I have been there before. All in present
time.”
“But
not to someplace you’ve never been?”
“No.”
“Hmmm.
You said you’ve sailed on a boat? Could you go back to that boat?”
He
chuckled. “I probably could, but I don’t dare try. I don’t know if I’d end up
wherever the boat is located at this time, or in the middle of the ocean.”
“What
if the boat sank? Could you transport yourself from the ocean back to someplace
you’d been to save yourself?”
He
gave her a loving squeeze. “Funny you should ask that.”
“Why?”
“Because
an incident exactly like that is how I discovered what I could do.”
“Oh?
That was going to be my next question.”
“How
did I discover my ability?” He hugged her again. “That story will have to wait
for another day.” He checked the clock on the fireplace mantel. “It will be
daylight in a couple of hours. Joey will be awakening soon to get ready for
school, and we have yet to get any decent rest.”
When
he looked back at her, he saw her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Her
expression was one of trust. She believed in him and needed him as much as he
needed her.
They kissed, softly
and sweetly, their lips briefly lingering before he released her. When she
stood, she turned to him with a tender smile and held out a hand to him. He
stared at it. If she was implying what he wished she was suggesting…
“Clea.”
“Come
to bed, Jonah. With me. You have nowhere to go since the barn’s destroyed.” She
chuckled. “Besides, if the townsfolk already believe we’re sharing a bed, what
harm is there?”
“Are
you sure, Clea? I can sleep right here on the couch until we say our vows.”
“And
you’re an idiot if you think I’m going to let you sleep there.”
“But,
the boy. What will Joey think if he learns we’re sleeping together?”
“He
won’t think anything about it. To him, you belong here…with him and me.” She
waved her hand at him. Grasping it, Jonah got to his feet and let her lead him
into the master bedroom. Now their bedroom. Now his home. His home and family.
The
practical side of him said it wouldn’t last forever. But in his heart, he
promised himself to make every moment, every day, and every year count. Because
this time with her would become the dreams and memories he’d cherish for the
rest of his days.
However
long that may be.
THE END
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