Shadow of Death Read online

  “Well, yes, I figure the Apocalypse can be big,” he said, and she loved the way he spoke, half teasing, half respecting her words. “It will not be endless. And there will not be an apocalypse. Because these people aren’t believers—not in any true religion.”

  He was right. “But what is the endgame?” she murmured.

  “Now on that,” he said, “as of now, well. Hmm. I don’t know. But Denver is great.”

  “Yeah, it’s a great city,” she agreed.

  And it was nice traveling on the private jet. But as they flew, she found herself bringing up the Book of Revelations and going through its various stanzas.

  “‘And he that sat on him held a pair of balances in his hand,’” she quoted aloud.

  “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thee hurt not the oil and the wine,’” Hunter finished.

  “And from what I’m reading, biblical scholars say it refers to hunger, to famine, and to disease,” Amy said.

  “Well, we didn’t need a criminal mastermind for the disease part,” Hunter said. “But it’s also true there are many diseases that have been controlled—but can still be cast out on the public with purpose. But you’d need access to a lab and...hunger. Famine. And ‘hurt not the oil and the wine’—from what I’ve read that refers to the wealthy. I don’t know what we’re dealing with here or even if the missing persons cases are part of this, but we’ll land on the answers soon.”

  Amy nodded and looked out the window. She was taken by the scenery beneath her. They’d left behind the eternal blues and greens of the Everglades, the ocean, the flat land, and now traveled over miles of dusty colors, land that rolled and curved, and crossed hills and mountains in all kinds of colors. She smiled, loving the beauty of the country. She had always known she would be with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, but she realized she loved the diversity of the ground itself, the expanse that was the country; she felt a passionate swell of determination.

  They would find the black horse.

  The captain’s voice came over the speaker warning them to buckle in.

  They did so. Amy watched as they came down to earth in the city of Denver.

  Andy Mason was at the airport to meet them, sweeping up one of their bags, smiling and nodding as Hunter introduced Amy to him. He was a big man, maybe in his late forties, dark-haired, but with one streak of solid white heading back from his forehead as if the coloring was that of a backward skunk.

  “Of course, we’ve all been on alert across the country. But I didn’t come across a body—and God knows with some of the media that’s gone out, some kid who knows what I do for a living might have thought it was funny to leave a plastic horse on my porch. But we’ve gotten calls lately from police stations between here and Boulder. People have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Now, those disappearing are adults, and adults are legally allowed to disappear if they choose. But from the people I have managed to get to interview, their loved ones don’t sound like the kind to disappear. And just yesterday, we got a new one. So, if you’re good with it, we’ll leave your baggage in the trunk and I’ll take you to speak with a woman who is insistent something had to have happened to her friend. I’ve checked you into the hotel already,” he added, handing Hunter an envelope with hotel key cards.

  “Thanks. And fine with us,” Amy assured him.

  “Amy likes to hit the ground running,” Hunter told him and grinned at her as they both climbed into Andy’s SUV.

  She tried to smile in return. But while she’d honestly relaxed and enjoyed the time they’d had together just playing in Key West, the knowledge that nothing had really ended kept haunting her.

  “The woman I interviewed about her report is Hayden Harper. She’s midforties, and an advertising exec at the Barrington Agency,” Andy Mason told them as he drove. “She reported her friend Carey Allen missing when she didn’t show up for a lunch they had planned. She was told, of course, that someone wasn’t considered missing just because they didn’t show up for lunch. Hayden was persistent. When Carey didn’t show up for work the next day, she hounded the police again. And with all that has gone on, the police informed us. I came out to see her, and she sounds legit and may give us real help. She doesn’t live far from Red Rocks. Amy, have you ever been to a performance of any kind at Red Rocks?”

  “I have not,” Amy told him.

  “An incredible place. A natural amphitheater. But there is so much incredible here. We’re going to have to show her around the place, huh, Hunter?”

  “I spent some time here four years ago, I think,” Hunter said. “Yes, Andy, Colorado is amazing. The natural wonders are phenomenal.”

  “I mean, you’re from Florida,” Andy said.

  “Hey!” Amy protested.

  “I mean, it’s just flat, right?” Andy said.

  She laughed. “We have a few hills in the Ocala region. We also have the only continental reef in the country, alligators and crocodiles—”

  “I’d head straight down for that,” Andy teased.

  “Freshwater springs, diving in sea and in freshwater, the Everglades—”

  “Great place to hide bodies, I understand,” Andy said.

  “Where there’s a will, there’s way,” Hunter said. “I’ve seen bodies hidden in just about every possible geographical location. Yes, Florida is a great state. Colorado is a great state—”

  “She just has to see some of our beauty,” Andy insisted.

  “I’m sure I will,” Amy said.

  Andy was pulling into a driveway. The house they were visiting was two-story, built to resemble an old colonial. The yard was well maintained; and she knew it didn’t matter what state they were in, the owner was making an upper-middle-class income.

  “She’s nice; you’re going to like her,” Andy said.

  “Great,” Amy murmured.

  Hayden Harper was nice—and anxious. She opened her front door before they reached it and quickly asked them in. They had barely stepped across the threshold and already she was eagerly asking if they’d be more comfortable in the dining room or the parlor. Andy told her they were happy wherever. She wanted to get them coffee, tea, or—though she wasn’t sure if it was allowed—something stronger.

  “Ms. Harper, we’re fine, thank you so much,” Amy told her. She wished she could alleviate some of the woman’s anxiety, but she knew it could be terrifying to wonder what had happened to friends or loved ones. She thought the woman was usually composed and at ease. She was closer to fifty than forty, an attractive woman some might call “completely together” with her casual but perfect linen pantsuit, impeccable makeup, and beautifully coifed silver hair. “Please,” Amy added, “if you’d like something, feel free. We’re here to listen to you.”

  The woman nodded, then led them into her dining room and indicated the chairs. “I’m fine. Maybe I’ll get coffee. Maybe I’ve had too much coffee.”

  Maybe she had, but Amy said gently, “You need to do what works for you right now.”

  The woman smiled. Maybe she had grasped for some of her executive training because she managed to calm down.

  “I’m fine. Too much coffee. So. I’ll tell you about Carey. She’s one of the finest little artists I’ve ever met. She can do sketches at a meeting with a client that blow your mind. We became friends soon after she joined the agency. She’s a health nut. A vegan. And she runs and hikes and you name it. The kid is in perfect shape. And that’s what I’ve been trying to tell the cops. She was going hiking. She told me she was super excited. She had enticed a boy she’d had her eye on to come with her on an adventure. Here’s the thing. We have caves and waterfalls you’re only supposed to visit with licensed guides. And I’m pretty sure Carey intended to go adventuring where she shouldn’t go,” Hayden said. “I talked to
her on Saturday just before she started out. She was supposed to meet me for lunch on Sunday. She didn’t show, and I couldn’t make the cops understand Carey didn’t do things like that. If she couldn’t make something, she’d call you. She’s that kind of courteous. Then her phone started going straight to voice mail. It’s Tuesday now, and I know something has happened, and something worse could happen if she isn’t found soon!”

  Hayden was passionate.

  “Do you know who she was meeting? Or taking on her adventure?” Hunter asked.

  Hayden shook her head. “She wouldn’t tell me because she didn’t want to jinx it.”

  “Is anyone else from your office missing?” Amy asked.

  Hayden frowned. “Um, I don’t think so. But that’s hard to say because our account execs have to travel out of town to see their clients, so... I don’t think so. But I don’t know who is supposed to be here now and who isn’t. Of course, I can do a roundup of our secretaries and get some schedules, if you think that will help.” She frowned. “What makes you think the man she’s interested in works at the agency, too?”

  “We meet people at work,” Andy said, glancing dryly at Amy and Hunter. “Sometimes, especially at the executive level, we spend all our time at work and, well, there you go.”

  Hayden nodded. “I will find out. But time is—”

  “Where do you think she went?” Amy asked. “And we will start looking while you start trying to get us more information.”

  “You got a map?” Hayden asked.

  “We all have phones with great GPS,” Amy assured her.

  “Of course.” She looked at Amy skeptically for a minute. “Special Agent Mason said you were in from Florida.”

  “That’s right. I’m the one from Florida, though,” Amy said. “Hunter has worked all over,” she added, hoping to assure the woman.

  “And I’m here,” Andy said. “Colorado born and bred.”

  “Of course. Okay, here,” Hayden said. “This area has the most gorgeous caves and waterfalls, not far from the Arkansas River. Worst comes to worst, you’ll see some spectacular scenery. But the area can be dangerous, too. There are areas people see with a guide from one of the companies, and areas the ranger service controls. But Carey has done just about every hike and walk—and swim—possible in the state. And if she were going to impress someone, I think she mentioned this little bit of land right here. The rangers’ office police part of it, and part of it is policed by the county.”

  “We’ll get hiking,” Amy said, rising.

  “You’ll have a couple of hours of daylight left at best!” Hayden whined.

  “We’ll use those hours,” Hunter said. “Andy, can you get us a ranger?”

  “Of course,” Andy said. He looked as if he were about to grin at Amy and realized Hayden Harper was far too anxious for any kind of levity. “This isn’t flat land, you know. You up to it okay, Amy?”

  “I think I’ll be okay,” she told him. “Thankfully, our things are still in the trunk.”

  “And you can change here and move quickly!” Hayden said.

  “We can do that,” Amy said.

  They did, and fast. In minutes, they were both ready in khakis and hiking boots. They headed out with Andy who was—more or less—the same size as Hunter and had borrowed clothing from him so they could all drive out. He’d also talked to the park services, and they were set to meet with Ranger Sam Harrison at the site.

  “Well,” Andy said as they drove out, “I did want you to get to see the scenery.”

  “And it’s beautiful,” Amy assured him.

  It was.

  As they left the suburbs behind, the earth became dramatic with rises and falls, colors and spectacular flowers that grew despite the crisp dry air. Then before her, Amy saw the rise of cliffs with areas where water cascaded down, catching what remained of the sunlight.

  “Beautiful,” Amy whispered. “Outstanding.”

  “I told you,” Andy said.

  There was a park service car before them, and a ranger leaned against the driver’s seat already waiting for them.

  “How do you do? Ranger Sam Harrison,” he called to them. He looked to be in his midthirties, wore his hat high on his head, and sported a mustache and neatly trimmed beard.

  They introduced themselves in return and listened as he told them, “We do have wildlife talks out here—and on occasion, we bring people by boat under the falls and into the caves. I was behind the falls just yesterday, though, and didn’t see a thing.”

  “Were you in the caves?”

  “No, just in the boats.” He grimaced. “We use some stolen jokes. Disney’s Jungle Cruise. We show people the backside of water.”

  “Okay, I’m sure people love the tours. But how do you reach the caves?” Hunter asked him.

  “Oh, we use the same small boats,” Harrison said. “It’s just a different tour. If you want to get over there and into the caves, I’ll get some boats for tomorrow. The only other way is to swim—”

  Amy glanced at Hunter and he nodded, knowing she meant to get there now. She was already removing her sweatshirt, determined she’d best keep her boots, even if heavy in water, for whatever flooring they might find in the caves. Her Glock was waterproof, though she was sorry to wet the nice new belt and holster she’d just purchased. But they would dry.

  “Oh, she’s going to swim,” Harrison said, his face twisting with surprise and confusion.

  “Time may be everything. We’ll get there now,” Hunter told him.

  Amy smiled, then turned back to see him already doffing his sweatshirt, too, and heading toward the crystal water. It really was spectacular, the falls appearing to create bursts of crystal in the air as the water poured from them.

  Cold water! Very, very cold water!

  Maybe that was good. Amy moved quickly. Hunter reached the rocks behind the falls as she did, hopped up and reached for her hand. She took his and murmured, “We aren’t going to have much light, but I do have my little penlight.”

  “And I’ve got mine. These lights are small but powerful. We’re going to be okay. And tomorrow, if we need to keep searching, we can take boats.”

  “Hah, hah,” Amy laughed dryly. “Sorry. I believed that—”

  “We needed to move. Me, too. That was—refreshing.”

  “You mean freezing.”

  “I do,” Hunter said. “But be careful. Caves here can lead to more caves.”

  “Okay, so... Hunter, she had to have come here. From everything we heard and learned, she’s the super sports girl who would do something like this.”

  They were following an opening that led to the cave on the right. Then it split. Hunter indicated he’d take the left.

  Amy kept going.

  Beneath her feet, she felt as if the ground changed. It had been rocky and solid. Now slippery dirt seemed to be covering it, and the ground itself seemed to be headed on a downward slope. She moved more slowly, then—only wincing slightly at the concept of the mud—she went down like a snake to slither forward.

  And she was glad. The earth would have given way beneath her feet.

  Amy threw the slim but powerful light she held down into the hole.

  She’d seen so much.

  And still...

  She’d seldom seen a sight quite so horrible.

  “Hunter!” she called. “Hunter, careful, it’s slick, it’s almost a trap—maybe it is a trap. Come, quickly, please!”

  As she called him, she realized she’d inched closer to see better; the slick mud was taking her down. She didn’t fall. She just slid down to lie next to a body.

  Her gag reflex went into motion, and she couldn’t believe she hadn’t been warned earlier by the smell of death. Running her light over the muddy hole in the middle of the cave, she could see bodies were in different stages of de
composition.

  Some of the dead lay with their eyes, or what remained of them, open in horror.

  Some no longer had eyes. Cavernous sockets seem to stare out at her.

  Hunter was there, somewhere near her. “Hey!” she called. “We need a team, Hunter. I can’t even count. I don’t know how many people are here.”

  “Lord!” he exclaimed, and she could see he remained by the ledge, looking down at her. “Calling for help. I’ll be right with you,” he told her.

  She was trying desperately not to breathe through her nose. She almost dropped her light; when she did so, she saw there was a woman near her. She didn’t appear to be decomposed. Amy reached over to touch her.

  She was cold. For a moment, Amy thought there was no hope since the woman’s limbs were so cold.

  Still, she sought a pulse at the woman’s throat.

  And it was...there. Faint, but there.

  “Hunter! We have a living person!”: she shouted. “I think it’s Carey Allen!”

  He was back with her in seconds, sliding down the strange embankment, rolling next to her, then making it to his feet and drawing her up to hers.

  “She doesn’t appear to be injured, just...”

  “Finding herself here, it’s amazing she didn’t have a heart attack,” Hunter said, looking around.

  “This is...really crazy. How are all these people here? They don’t appear to have been shot or stabbed, though it’s hard to tell,” Amy murmured. “The black horse,” she added thoughtfully.

  “Trapped—and starved. Hunger and famine,” Hunter said.

  “Starved. Oh, my God, you mean they were purposely trapped here and left to starve to death?”

  He nodded. “You can tell,” he said quietly.

  “Okay...”

  “Amy, look at that man. Look at his leg.”

  She did. Again, she fought her gag reflexes. The man’s pant leg was frayed and mostly gone. So was his flesh.

  He’d been gnawed.

  “Rats,” she murmured hopefully, looking at Hunter. “It’s a cave, and if not rats, Colorado is known for its wildlife. Creatures chewing on these poor people.”