Stolen Innocents (The Shadow Series Book 2) (13 page)

“Gwen knows
a lot
of people,” mentioned Tommy.

“Yeah, every time they have a party the cops show up,” mentioned Cole.

“Are there going to be any cheerleaders here?” asked Blake hopefully.

“Oh, God. I hope not!” said Tristan in annoyance.

***

27 Caribou Road was jam packed with people when they arrived. Tommy led the way and weaved through the crowd as he waved to random people he recognized. Roger O’Mara spotted him coming his way and furrowed his brow in irritation.

“Mr. O!” Tommy yelled across the living room. He loved to grate his nerves. Finally, he found Courtney in the sea of people and gave her a peck on the cheek while his brother and cousin made fun of him.

“Hey Court, where’s your sister?” asked Tristan.

“Hey Tristan… Um, like… Which one? I have like a hundred,” said Courtney dumbly.

Tristan could feel her IQ dropping by the second.

“Trixie… We have a card for her,” explained Tristan.

“Oh… She’s probably in the yard with her friends.”

“Okay, thanks.”

She didn’t know how her brother put up with that airhead. Tristan desperately wanted to take a pin and jab it in her forehead to see if her head would pop. Cole and Tristan made their way outside while Blake and Shane mingled with the other party guests. Blake saw Natalie by the radio and started to dance really badly with her; she seemed embarassed by his total lack of rhythm. Shane, meanwhile, tried his luck chatting up two cheerleaders who were standing near the back door. When they outright rejected him, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, and joined his cousin on the makeshift dance floor.

***

Angie stood outside by the tiki bar her father had installed as the party raged on. With a beer in one hand, she smoothed down her black dress with the other. Angie decided that she would need to make the best of the situation and try to have a good time. She had even worn makeup for the occasion, which was exceedingly rare these days.  Hunter took her in from the far corner of the yard. She looked beautiful and completely at peace. Angie O’Mara had definitely come a long way since their high school days. Angie watched Hunter approach her. He was dressed smartly in a pair of khakis and a white button down shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. She could just make out her name on his arm.

“Look who decided to join us!” said Angie excitedly.

“I told you I’d be here,” Hunter said with a cocky half-smile.

“Can I get you a drink?” Angie asked.

“Shot of whiskey. Straight.”

Angie passed a shot glass to Hunter. The amber liquid in the glass swirled gracefully and permeated the air with a bitter smell.

“Bottom’s up!”

***

Tristan and Cole found Trixie in the yard. She was surrounded by her legions of friends. This included girls from the cheer squad, guys from the football and track teams, neighborhood kids and some faces that even Cole didn’t recognize. They weren’t able to squeeze through the sea of people, so Tristan left Trixie’s card on the kitchen counter where other gifts had gathered. Cole glanced over at Tristan warily. He could tell that she didn’t want to be here. Frankly, neither did he.

“Let’s get out of here…” Cole said as Tristan let a smile creep across her face.

***

Cole started the engine of his Jeep as Tristan climbed in the seat next to him. He grabbed her hand and suggested, “How about a drive to Wilhamette Creek?”

She smiled.

“Okay, we just have to be back by curfew to pick up the guys.”

***

Cole’s Jeep wound the steep curves of the Wilhamette backwoods as they climbed farther away from Elkhart. The Wilhamette Creek was located about twenty minutes from Elkhart and there was plenty to see and do there. Nature trails wound through the deep woods and you never knew what you might find hidden amidst the waterfalls and cliff-side scenery. Cole turned the Jeep off of the asphalt road and rumbled down a dirt path. The way down was winding and steep and you could find yourself wrapped around a tree if you didn’t have your wits about you. Tristan enjoyed the sights outside of her window as the Jeep sped down the hill, going deeper and deeper into the Wilhamette woods. Finally, they reached level ground and Tristan’s heart raced from excitement. She and Cole loved coming back here because it was so quiet and peaceful. The Jeep rambled down the road until it came to an abrupt stop. Cole had slammed his foot on the break. Tristan looked alarmed as she looked over at Cole.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with wide eyes.

Cole pointed out his window.

“Look. Someone broke into the old mine shaft,” Cole said with worry in his voice.

Tristan peered out the driver’s side window. The wooden gate that was intended to prevent entry to the dangerous mine was demolished. It looked like someone had crashed right through it with their car.

“Who would break in there? It’s so dangerous!” Tristan exclaimed.

“My best guess is that somebody is either hiding something in there or smuggling something.”

“Smuggling?”

“Yeah. This mine is long and runs all the way to Elkhart. An old map my father has shows that the other entrance to the mine is in the basement of Harrow’s.”

“There are a lot of entrances. There’s one at the old lighthouse, too.”

“Yeah, but apparently they’ve all been boarded up for over fifty years.”

With a dark tone to her voice, Tristan quipped, “Not all of them.”

Cole gave Tristan a knowing look as he grabbed a flashlight out of the glove box and flashed it down the mine. Something had definitely ripped through the tunnel. There were chips of black paint scuffed on the wood. Suddenly, a pair of headlights appeared on the road behind them, and they were approaching fast. Cole scrambled into action. He threw the flashlight into the Jeep, jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed on the gas.

“Let’s get outta here.”

***

“Where the hell did Tristan and Cole go?” lamented Shane as a beer bottle flew over his head and crashed against the wall behind him.

“I don’t know but we need to get out of here…” remarked Blake as he eyed the rowdy crowd warily.

“And what about him?” asked Shane as he pointed to Tommy who was rolling up his sleeves and preparing to go toe-to-toe with Hunter McCord.

“Dude’s lost his mind. Let’s go wait it out in Cole’s yard,” suggested Blake smartly.

***

The scene at 27 Caribou Road had changed dramatically in the short time since Cole and Tristan left. A group of people huddled in the yard as a fist fight broke out.

“That better not be Tommy!” yelled Tristan as she ran from the Jeep towards the fight.

“Shit…” said Cole as he chased after her.

He jumped the fence into the yard and fought his way to the center of the huddle. Tommy was engaging Hunter McCord, an ex-con, in a fist fight. Cole had heard of beer muscles before, but this was just ridiculous. He didn’t see Blake or Shane anywhere. So it would be up to him to take down the raging bull.

“I walk away for two seconds and you creep up on my girl…” yelled Tommy.

“I just offered her a drink, man. I was being friendly,” explained Hunter reasonably.

“I know all about you, McCord. Drug runner…” accused Tommy with a silver tongue.

Tommy had hit a nerve. Courtney grabbed Tommy’s hand and said, “C’mon, it’s not worth it!”

Tommy yanked his hand from her grasp and prepared for whatever Hunter was about to dish out. Hunter punched Tommy not once, not twice, but three times. Blood gushed from Tommy’s nose and mouth and ran down onto his shirt. Tommy kicked Hunter in retaliation, sending him flying back into the crowd. Cole had finally reached the center of the circle.

“C’mon Tommy, time to go!” yelled Cole as he grabbed hold of Tommy’s shirt collar.

***

“I don’t know how you do it, Jack,” said Joe Piedmonte as he got out of Jack’s truck.  “I can barely handle two kids, let alone six.”

“You used to have your step-kids to take care of…”

“Maria’s eldest kids visit every now and then… After she passed, they went to live with Maria’s mother. They are grown now though.”

“How old are they now?”

“Joanna is 23 now… She’s living in New York with her boyfriend. Joey is 22, he’s in law school up in Boston.”

Joe, Jr. who was actually named after his birth father, Joseph Boone, not Joe Piedmonte, was now 22 and entering law school in Boston. Joe married Maria in 1980, and had taken on shared responsibility of her children, since their father was not alive. When Maria passed in ’81, the kids decided to live with Maria’s mother instead of with Joe, because their grandmother gave them greater comfort after the loss of their mother.

“You’ve had your share of bumps with your family, too. You don’t need six kids to be stressed out at home.”

Joe shrugged, “I guess so… But I will say two is much easier than six.”

Jack shrugged, “I’ve definitely earned my gray hair, that’s for sure.”

Jack and Joe looked up. It became immediately apparent that the party had turned ugly. Beer cans and bottles were strewn everywhere. A crowd of rowdy people gathered in the yard as they hooted and hollered. Trash littered the entire front yard. Joe gritted his teeth at the scene.

“I’m so glad that I don’t have neighbors!” remarked Jack.

That would be the last joke that Jack would tell that night as he recognized one of the men that was fighting in the back yard. Tommy and Hunter McCord were circling each other with their fists bared, ready to fight.

“I’ll kill him. What is wrong with that boy?!” Jack said explosively.

“What is he thinking going up against McCord?!” yelled Joe.

Jack rampaged across the road and jumped the fence in much the same fashion as Cole had just done. He pushed people out of his way as he gripped Tommy by the back of his shirt. Hunter looked as if he was going to pummel Jack instead. Jack looked Hunter dead in his eyes.

“I fucking dare you.”

Jack stared Hunter down until he backed away, with his face beat red and a vein bulging out of his forehead. Hunter gave Jack a fearful glare as he grabbed another beer from the cooler. Even at the age of fourty-nine, Jack was not a guy that you wanted to cross.

***

Angie watched the whole scene with disgust as she gulped down the last of her beer.

“Rehabilitated, huh?! Yeah right!”

She chucked her beer can into the trash can as she made a beeline for the backdoor. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and slammed her bedroom door behind her. With an agitated click, the door locked as Angie sunk her weary bones onto her bed.

***

Jack was in a fit of rage as he pushed Tommy to Cole’s Jeep. Tristan, Blake and Shane were waiting inside. They turned wide-eyed with alarm when they saw Tommy’s face. There was blood everywhere. Jack pushed Tommy down into the back of the Jeep.

“You and I have a major problem,” spat Jack, his face scrunched into an ugly snarl.