“What?” he asked, not understanding the humor dancing in her eyes.
“Sorry, I keep forgetting guys can’t handle hearing stuff like that.”
“No, I’m fine,” he lied.
“Then why are you so red?” She moved a little closer, her soft shoulder lightly whispering against his bicep. Back and then forth with each step. The warmth from that light touch made his heart skip a beat. This time, he didn’t shift away. He might have moved a tiny bit closer. Even though he was still mad enough to chew nails and spit out staples at his sister and her new boyfriend, this would go down as one of the best days of his life.
Which, according to the palm reader, might not be too long. Never turn your back on a challenge. Well, Tami was one challenge he wasn’t going to turn away from.
***
Complete darkness descended upon them. It took a second for Chase’s eyes to adjust. The first thing he did was make sure his sister and the jerk were right ahead. They were.
Without warning, a vampire, blood dripping from his fangs, pounced at them. Tami screamed, grabbed his arm, and plastered herself to his side.
Haunted houses had never done much for Chase, but after feeling Tami’s body so close to his, he wondered if he could find one in Houston that ran all year long. He’d love to bring Tami to it at least once a week.
Next a guy with a chainsaw came after them. It wasn’t a real chainsaw, but it sure as heck sounded like one. Tami held on tighter.
Yup, he’d just become a haunted house fan for life.
They followed the arrows, highlighting the way to walk. They dipped through a black curtain, and complete darkness swallowed them again.
Chase blinked and tried to see Mindy, who he’d sworn had gone through the curtain seconds before. He couldn’t make her out. But it could just be the light. He continued to follow the tiny blue lights past a coffin with a dead guy trying to grab them.
Worried that he’d lost his sister, he hurried Tami though the next curtain. He squinted his eyes, forcing them to adjust. No Mindy.
Then he heard it. A scream. Mindy’s scream.
It wasn’t the fun kind of scream. “Stop it!” she yelled.
Gut instantly knotted, he grabbed Tami so as not to lose her, and followed the sound of his sister’s voice. The sound led him straight toward a wall, but he discovered it was just a curtain. He swiped it back and ran inside, looking for a monster. One named Eric.
The small room filled with technical equipment had just enough light to make out shapes. Then the shapes became more visible. Eric had Mindy against a wall, his hands all over her, his mouth on hers trying to drown out her screams.
“There,” Tami yelled, but Chase already had the ass**le by the collar.
Wadding the ass**le’s shirt in his fist, Chase yanked him off his sister.
“Whoa, stop!” the guy screamed, holding up his hands.
“I think that’s what my sister said!” He clenched his fist and heard Tami consoling his sister.
“It was a mix-up. I thought she was into it,” Eric said.
“Liar!” a feminine voice yelled out from behind him. Not his sister, but Tami. “Mindy might have been into it for a kiss, but she never invited you to climb inside her bra! She said stop, you low-life creep.”
Eric stiffened, obviously not liking being called names by a girl. “All I did was cop a feel. She was asking for it.”
“You’re the one asking for it!” Chase pulled back his fist and plowed it right into the guy’s face, crashing against teeth and bone. It hurt like hell, but felt wonderful at the same time.
The guy went down on his ass with a loud thump. “You broke my tooth,” he bit out and started to get up.
“Don’t move!” Chase took a step closer and glared down at him. “You get up, I’m gonna break your nose next time.”
Eric stayed down, obviously hearing the truth in Chase’s voice.
Chase turned to his sister, still sniffling and wiping her eyes. “Somebody call the cops.”
“No,” Mindy said. “I’m okay. Thanks to you, he didn’t … didn’t get anywhere. I just want to go home. Please. Please just get me home.”
His gut told him he needed to report this, but the pleading in his sister’s voice had him just wanting to make it easier on her.
“Fine.” Chase turned back to the piece of shit on the floor and pointed a finger at him. “If I see you before I leave, I’m gonna hit you again. And I swear when I’m done, you’ll have so much blood on you, that you’ll put that vampire to shame. So you’d better not go back to your cabin tonight.”
November 1, 2 p.m.
News Flash: Update
Search and Rescue volunteer hurt trying to reach plane crash
One of the rescue members with Search and Rescue (SAR) has fallen down a thirty-foot embankment while trying to reach the crash site of the Cessna 210—the plane that went down last night in the Jasper Mountain Range carrying four passengers and one pilot. Two emergency crew members carried the man to the site where an emergency helicopter is meeting them to transport the man to the local hospital. While the injuries are not life threatening, initial reports state that he suffered a broken leg and collarbone.
Tom Phillips, a volunteer with SAR who is more familiar with the Jasper Mountain Range, is busy trying to find a new and safer route to get to the wreckage. Meanwhile, temperatures continue to drop, making the conditions even more dangerous for any potential survivors, as well as the team trying to reach them.
October 31, 2:15 p.m.
Chapter Five
They stormed out of the haunted house and Chase continued to rush them forward. He didn’t want to chance meeting Eric again. He might just have to kill him. And he wanted to get Mindy somewhere quiet so he could make sure she was okay.
They made it almost a block to where a long picnic table sat in front of a concession stand. He motioned to the table thinking Mindy might need to sit down. As soon as he got there he turned to her.
“Are you sure you’re okay? If he … if he hurt you, I’ll go back and find him and break his friggin’ neck.”
“No,” Mindy said, still standing, but her voice shook a little. “He didn’t do anything but … grope me. I’m fine.”
“Crap!” Tami said. “Look at your hand, Chase. You’re bleeding and your knuckles are swelling.”
She caught his hand and held it. “You need some ice. I’ll go get some.” She took off and Chase turned back to his sister.