Blacklake-Book4-1 Three Cousins

Chapter 46
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I was peering at David’s clipboard, all the notes he was takin’. Had no clue the human is so observant and—anal. Like I care what kind of crown molding, if any, ringed the office space, or how many toilets were in each bathroom. More important how many power lines could be dropped per square foot, how many wifi routers we’d need—concrete firewalls can double up that particular spec.

My phone jingled with Papa’s tone. I don’t ignore Papa’s calls. He doesn’t call to ask about the weather. Immediately my mind went to our work site. Had someone gotten hurt? Had the rioters drawn new life?

“Hey,” I answered.

“Been a development,” he said. The bull is rather understated some times, so maybe a mountain collapsed on the Hamlet. That wouldn’t be good.

“Yeah?” I said.

He asked if Ezra was with me. Told him she was restin’ a spell at the entrance. Figgered I didn’t have to explain what entrance. We aren’t here to spelunk. She’d lost interest in our process after ten minutes. I knew we should have checked into the hotel first, and left her off at a library or something. A deli would prolly have been better. A deli near a library.

“Why do ya ask?” I asked.

“It’s about Thomas.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“We think someone’s gone and kidnapped the fool.”

I got tingles all across my body, and they immediately dashed up and down, like maybe a majical firefighter was hittin’ me with a wizardly hose. A strong one, ’cause I stumbled maybe a bit.

“He was on a four-by UTV, takin’ water out to the crew workin’ on the path connectin’ the old and new facilities,” he continued.

I waited. Mind spinnin’ maybe. Picturin’ the high peaked cover spannin’ the entire three hundred feet. We shoulda used more steel, to hold up under a particularly heavy blizzard. But maybe the architects know what they’re doin’.

“Found the UTV. No human nowhere. Constables called for an ogre to do some scentin’ for em. Tracked him as far as the new stretch of road. So he was tossed in a vehicle.”

Where was Daze? Shoulda been with him.

And Papa said, “Daze is beside himself. Almost sick, feelin’ at blame. But Thomas wasn’t gonna be out of sight of the warehouse, and Thomas insisted he keep at whatever minor catastrophe he was supervisin’ on the shop floor. The poor bull is wrecked.”

“We’ll head back right now,” I said.

“No point,” Papa said. “Constables have checkpoints on all five highways out of the Hamlet. All three helos are in the air.”

Helo. We’d rent one to head back, keep it there to add to the huntin’. I suggested that.

Papa hawed. “We’ll be like clowns bumpin’ into each other. Without some intel, idea who did it, we’re wastin’ our time.”

My chest welled, maybe with five or six emotions, not one washin’ over the other, mixin’ in a confused bundle of oh-crap. Blood pressure in my face hinted it might blow in a second.

Thomas is an idjit. Unexpectedly with more character than five orcs. I questioned his character, but he’d latched onto my favorite ogre on the planet—so he’s got good judgment. Made Ezra smile more than I’ve ever seen her smile. Outrage that a bigot chose to attack my guest maybe seemed to outweigh my other emotions. That was so wrong—tinged me with a bit of guilt. Don’t care that much for humans, but they’ve got as much right to live in peace as any other. And fall in love with an ogre hen if they choose.

“Why don’t—”

I cut my papa off, which I’m certain I’ve never done before. Fact I’m still alive proves that. “Be back as soon as we can get there.”

“Ya’re under a time constraint choosin’ a site,” he said softly.

“I’ll leave David and Kriz to finish up,” I said. Despite the situation, thought how fun watchin’ them work together would be.

~ Ezra ~

The pilot, or whoever, closed the door on the six-seater Ike had rented, and immediately the twin engines revved, spikin’ some emotion I’d been endeavorin’ to quell the past forty-five minutes. The roar was impressively harsh. A little like a sudden push over a cliff.

We three cousins have taken flights together every summer to visit either the eastern coast, or the Wildes beaches since before we were teens, so I’m not new to flyin’. But this tiny thing was nothin’ like the jets I’ve ever been on—or even Ike’s fancy, company double-prop. Must not have much sound proofin’. Either.

The human gent who closed the door strode toward us, a professional smile on his pale, borin’ face, and ensured we were buckled in and settled.

Crashin’ in this puddle hopper, a strap of cloth wasn’t gonna do no ogre any good. Just a psychological device to calm a fool. Even one of Ike’s silly motorcycle helmets wouldn’t help, don’t think.

Nice to worry about myself for the moment. Gave me a chance to avoid all the bad things I was imaginin’ goin’ on with Thomas.

Ike’s hand lightly padded upon my own makin’ me jerk. He didn’t offer me any cliches, about either the safety of this nuts-and-bolts piece of junk twice older than us, nor for Thomas.

The bull’s not much for fillin’ the air with worthless words. Which is good. Still got my mind thinkin’ of other things for a moment besides why some fools may have taken Thomas. No confusion why they woulda. ’Cause he’d shown an interest in me. Plain and simple. So his death is on me.

No doubt about his future. No reason to take him other than to squash the life out him. Send a signal for any future human fools who might show interest in an ogre hen. In an area as vast as the Range, there’s no chance we’ll ever find his body. What the wild critters leave of it.

My sinuses welled again, eyes watered, chest expanded. Had nothing to do with the plane jerkin’ forward on the tarmac. If I ever get my hands on those idjit ogre bulls—and there’d be more than one. Fools never have the gumption to follow through on their own moronic ideas. Takes idjitory in plural to accomplish grandly stupid things.

Thomas loved to hear himself talk. But all he ever did was hide his own kindness with his silly blather. Why he was attracted to me, a homely ogre hen, escapes me. But he was my friend—if nothing else. Deserved a long, happy life.

~