Chapter 8
Company Email from Drew Harlowe, Entity CEO
“Hey, boss.”
Zachary gave a perfunctory knock on the door before poking his head in. Nic was hunched over his desk, flipping through the pages of an old textbook. There was the usual mess of paperwork, folders and books, but Zach knew better than to comment on the state of his desk.
“Hornsby, come in.” Nic took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “How’s the Dunn case shaping up?”
Zachary leaned against the door frame, crossed his arms, and grinned. “Already finished.”
“Brilliant. You can wrap up Keane’s report for me. Silver Giants—very straightforward. I’ve already outlined the Plan Of Action and added my additional … comments.” He fished through the mess of his desk in search of the folder.
“Speaking of Alexys,” Zachary started, he stepped into the office and shut the door behind him. “I had an interesting conversation with one of her Wardens yesterday.”
“That so?” Nic continued to shuffle through the stacks of paper on his desk.
“Yeah, young kid, fresh out of California. A real go-getter.”
Nic raised his brow.
“Here we go.” Nic handed the folder to Zach as he sat down. Zach flicked through the contents quickly and then grinned.
“You know, something tells me you’re going to want to hold on to this.”
Nic frowned. “Enlighten me.”
“This is the guy, the one I mentioned. Elliot, er …” Zach looked back down at the folder. “Harman. District 13.”
“What about him?” Nic replaced his glasses and pushed a few wayward curls from his forehead.
“He phoned with an information request, said he’s onto some unclassified creature and wants any information we may have.”
“I highly doubt it’s unclassified.” Nic snorted, a sound that was equal parts amusement and derision.
Zach’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “He might surprise you,” Zach said.
Nic’s patience was waning, so he leaned forward and gave Zach his undivided attention. “Out with it then, what is it he thinks he’s found? A Megasloth? Or no, let me guess, Flatwoods Monster?”
“The Hollow Walker.”
Nic’s heart nearly stopped in his chest.
“The Hollow Walker?” Nic repeated. Zach nodded, pleased with himself. “What did he say, did you write it all down?” Nic’s brain was spinning as he reached for pen and paper.
“Only thing I wrote down was the kid’s number.” Zach held up a piece of notebook paper. “Thought you’d want to speak to him yourself.” Nic nearly toppled all the contents of his desk reaching for the phone. He snatched the number and dialed the digits.
“And you’re certain he actually said the words Hollow Walker?” Nic asked as the phone rang. He dropped the receiver and put the call on speaker.
“Loud and clear, Hollow Walker,” Zach confirmed.
Nic didn’t know where to start. What were the chances? After all this time, all this fruitless searching and researching …
“Hello?” Elliot’s voice crackled through the phone’s speaker.
“Elliot, this is Nic Dyre, R&C.”
“Oh, uh, hey there,” his voice came in and out of reception.
“Elliot, yesterday you spoke with my researcher Zachary Hornsby and described an unclassified creature known as the Hollow Walker, is that correct?”
Nothing.
“Elliot?”
What followed was a series of expletives, a boom of static, and what sounded like a door slamming.
“Sorry, Nic, is it? Got a Black Dog on my hands, but, uh, I’m fine. Just in my car.”
Nic and Zach exchanged a look.
“Great, so, Elliot, the Hollow Walker … Can you share with me what you told my colleague?”
“Yes, it really is interesting. At least, I think so, since it isn’t my usual case.”
“So you’ve seen it?” Nic could barely contain his excitement.
“Well, not exactly.”
Nic frowned.
Elliot rambled on, “The locals have been talking about it, and my contact showed me vegetative abnormalities on his property he believes are signs that it’s been hanging around.
” Elliot paused to take a bite of something.
He chewed and swallowed before continuing.
“Sam says he’s never seen mushrooms like the ones he’s got growing in his yard, not in his forty-seven years of living there. ”
One of the few records in the Archives indicated there was an unusual mycelial network that sprung up in the wake of the Hollow Walker. It had never been definitively proven of course, but if there were mushrooms present that weren’t indigenous to the area, then it was compelling enough for Nic.
“Was there anything else?” Nic tried not to sound too eager. “Did he mention anything else, specifically vegetative?”
“Yeah, he did—a moss of some sort, said it didn’t belong. It struck me as odd given there’s so much moss in these parts. But he was adamant that this particular moss wasn’t normal.”
Nic couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He beamed at Zach, who gave him an I-told-you-so grin. The kid actually had a lead.
Nic finally had a lead.
“Elliot,” Nic interrupted. “I need you to type up everything you’ve learned, even the stuff you’ve already mentioned, and send it to me in an email. I’d like to look into your findings.”
“Oh man, I knew there was something going on out here,” he exclaimed. “I’ll send everything I have over today, and then I’ll head up to—”
“Yes, yes, that’s excellent,” Nic cut him off. “Just send it as quickly as you can.”
“Sure thing, but what have you heard about Mer—”
“Uh-huh, sure.” Nic wasn’t listening anymore, his mind was already racing. Zach handed him back Alexys Keane’s folder, and he accepted it greedily. “So, yeah, it’s Nic dot Dyre, with a Y, thanks, Elliot. Speak again soon.”