Chapter 9
Nine
Main turned into a different place after dark.
The Halloween decorations she hadn’t really noticed on the way to work this morning had suddenly come alive.
The townsfolk had really thrown themselves into the festival and had started a week or so before the actual celebration.
Already, pumpkin lights adorned the fronts of the stores and some of them had gruesome automatons along the sidewalk.
The cold misty weather hadn’t deterred people from heading to the local eateries in town.
Cars lined the sidewalk and people bundled up for the cold hurried along, blowing out great puffs of steam.
Jenna drove to Maple. The road circled the entire town and then wove its way through Stanton Forest to Bison Ridge.
There were many rivers with bridges running from the falls, through the lowlands, and on to Blackwater.
Once she crossed the first bridge, the street lights ceased to exist. In a matter of seconds, blackness surrounded her and she had only headlight beams for company.
It was no wonder that people believed they saw ghosts wandering across the roads at night.
The moment the headlights hit the swirling mist, her imagination took flight and she could actually make out women with long flowing ballgowns drifting across the road in front of her.
A shiver went down her spine as she crossed to the second bridge and drove a mile along the road before turning around and driving back toward town.
In the short time she’d been away, mist billowed like giant waves rising up from the river, crashing onto the road.
It was an incredible phenomenon and she’d seen it many times, but being alone made it very spooky.
She slowed, scanning alongside the road for anything unusual, and then she saw it.
Jenna blinked, trying desperately to rationalize the sight before her.
Just ahead she made out the image of a young girl with long blonde hair wearing a bloodstained white nightgown.
She slammed her foot down on the brakes so hard the truck skidded on the loose gravel, coming to a halt sideways across the highway and stalling.
Heart racing, she stared in disbelief as the young girl turned to look at her and then headed slowly into the forest. Her mouth went dry as her brain tried to rationalize what she’d seen.
It was exactly how the two women had described it.
Realization slammed into her as she scanned the thick white mist. It’s a trap.
Terror shivered through her. The Axman was close by and she needed to get away now!
With trembling fingers, she pressed the ignition button and stepped on the gas, but the truck refused to start.
She slammed her fists against the steering wheel. “No, no, no. Not now.”
All around her the mist closed in and the temperature inside the truck dropped dramatically.
Her headlights flickered and just inside the perimeter of the forest, the girl turned again to stare at her with huge black eyes.
The next second, a bump on the roof startled her.
She looked all around, seeing nothing but thick mist, and then came the scrape of metal, like something sharp being dragged along the blacktop.
Terrified, she pressed the ignition button again and the truck burst into life.
She thrust the stick into drive and hit the gas, fishtailing along the road.
Out of control, she hit the bridge fast, scraping the side of her truck along the brick wall.
Checking her rearview mirror, all she could see was swirling mist behind her and blackness.
She drove hard, turning left when she reached Main.
She slowed and pulled to the curb outside Aunt Betty’s Café.
Looking behind her, she rushed through the door pulling out her phone.
The restaurant was crowded as usual and she hurried to the reserved table in the back and in quick succession called her deputies.
That done, she leaned back in her chair trying to get her breath.
“You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” Susie Hartwig filled a cup with coffee and stared at her. “Is everything okay?”
Glad of the company, Jenna nodded. “Yeah, I just had a possible sighting of a suspect. The team will be here soon and we’ll go and check it out.”
“Okay.” Susie narrowed her gaze. “You skipping meals again? The last time Dave went fishing, you almost faded away.”
Still trembling from the ghostly encounter, Jenna took a deep breath to settle her nerves. She hadn’t eaten since lunch and shrugged. “I’ve been too busy to eat. I’ll grab a bite when I get home. The coffee will be fine—really.”
She checked her watch. It was getting late and she added cream and sugar to her coffee and took a long drink.
The heat from the cup warmed her frozen fingers.
Moments later, Susie returned and placed two savory turnovers in front of her.
Jenna stared at them and then lifted her gaze to her. “Thank you but—”
“I need an honest opinion. They’re fresh from the oven and filled with ground beef, vegetables, potatoes, and Aunt Betty’s secret herbs and spices. Our chef is creating a number of new dishes from Aunt Betty’s original recipes.” She frowned at her. “You know I value your opinion, Jenna.”
They did smell delicious and her stomach growled in appreciation. She glanced at her watch and then at Susie. “Thank you, they smell delicious.”
“I have a feeling that Dave will be ordering a pile when he gets back home.” Susie smiled. “They’re on the house.” She turned and walked away.
Trying to thrust the sight of the blood-soaked girl from her mind, she nibbled at the turnover and immediately her mouth exploded with flavor.
She moaned as gravy coated her tongue, the savory filling, so rich and tasty she took another bite.
The fear suddenly vanished and the shivering ceased.
She could almost hear Kane in her head telling her his rule to eat when possible during a mission had saved his life.
She finished her coffee just as Raven came through the door, wearing his Kevlar vest under his jacket and with Ben at his side.
“Did you make out anyone?” He dropped into a seat beside her.
Jenna shook her head. “No.” She lowered her voice to just above a whisper and gave him all the details.
“I figure it’s a trap. I’ve read the story about the girl in a bloody nightgown luring people to their deaths.
It’s another folklore story told around campfires to scare people—but I saw it and so did two other women. It was very real and terrifying.”
“Yeah, but if you didn’t know about the story, would you be tempted to follow her into the forest?” Raven shook his head when Susie appeared with the coffee pot. “Thanks, but we’re leaving soon.”
Jenna considered what she’d seen. “It did look real and, yeah, maybe someone might believe it was a kid in trouble and follow her. In any case, we need to go there and see if the Axman is lurking close by. He won’t be expecting us.”
“Maybe he will.” Raven rubbed his chin and looked at her. “You were in a patrol truck. He’d know you’d go and get backup.”
Rowley and Rio walked in and headed their way.
Jenna brought them up to date. “I’ll grab a vest from my truck and then we can head out.
” She turned at Raven and stood. “I’ll ride with you.
My truck stalled when I tried to get away from whoever it was messing with me.
I don’t want that happening again.” Pushing down the fear of seeing the apparition again, she headed for the door. “Let’s go.”