Page 11 of Dead Air (Moon Murder Mysteries)

Nine

I think I’d rather be mauled by a bear…

He was glad that Niall was blissfully distracted with a safer pursuit than bear wrestling but Cenn was at his wits’ end and sick of salamanders.

Thankfully, life on the summit was quieting down and Cenn had most of Niall’s attention again.

The investigation into Roger Tompkins death was wrapping up with the coroner ruling it an alcohol-related accident.

Agent Shelby was proving to be irritatingly competent and was looking into the permit Cenn had obtained through the university. It was just a matter of time before he found out there was no Dr. Curn at Georgetown but Cenn would find a way to slow him down.

There was also the matter of the new sun god, Lennox MacIlwraith, and his mentor, Merlin Oglethorpe.

The elder white witch was extremely powerful and learned in his own right and had been a thorn in Hugh Dùbhghlas’s side for decades.

That was why Cenn was there but the idea of Niall being a pawn in Dùbhghlas’s vendetta grew more and more obscene by the day.

It shouldn’t have mattered to Cenn. He would either win and add Dùbhghlas’s dark, dirty soul to his collection of horrors, or the wretched warlock would prevail and rid the world of two mystical nuisances.

There was also the chance that MacIlwraith would outmatch Dùbhghlas.

The young demigod had a lot to learn but he was gifted and already powerful.

If Cenn was smart, he’d seal the deal and get the hell out of Dodge before MacIlwraith arrived with his hellhounds.

Cenn’s metaphysical money was on MacIlwraith and his band of merry misfits and if his instincts were correct, it would only be a matter of months before he could collect Dùbhghlas’s soul.

Why did it have to be Niall?

The question had plagued Cenn from the moment Dùbhghlas chanted the hapless mortal’s name into burning sulphur, requesting the trade.

In his haste to outwit the warlock and possibly end MacIlwraith and his friends, Cenn had overlooked the not so minor matter of the pawn.

That mistake was proving to be a major hurdle and riddled with complications.

Two new complications had arrived at the park just before dawn with a pair of particularly nasty bear poachers. Cenn heard their footsteps and their whispered plans, carried on the early morning breeze, and was hoping to keep Niall distracted and unaware until they moved on.

“Do you see any eggs?” Cenn had his notepad ready as Niall held up a log and squinted beneath it.

They were both still clipped into their harnesses and had rappelled down to Niall’s “secret” spot to hunt for nesting salamanders.

Niall had been shaky when they were preparing their lines and as he lowered but had insisted he was fine, despite returning to the scene of Roger Tompkins “unfortunate” demise.

“I have to get over it. I live and I work here. So do the salamanders,” he had stated with a defiant tilt of his nose. His thoughts and his mood improved once he went to work, gingerly lifting rocks, logs, and piles of leaves so they could spy on the park’s sacred salamanders.

“I see eggs!” Niall whispered excitedly. “Looks like…maybe ten.”

Cenn cheered softly as he wrote. “Excellent!”

“Oops, there’s mama! Sorry to disturb you, madam.” Niall lowered the log and held up his hands apologetically, making Cenn snort and roll his eyes.

“We wouldn’t want her complaining to management,” he murmured, checking the time and underlining the site’s coordinates. That seemed like something a proper biologist would do.

“I don’t want to be an inconsiderate neighbor.”

“You? Never,” Cenn replied with a flirty wink, enjoying how flustered Niall became.

“Stop it. I wouldn’t have taken that tea bag if I had known it was your last. You should have told me.”

Cenn waved it off. “I’m kidding and more are on the way. I’ll just have to pop up to your place for a cup this evening.”

There was a dramatic sigh from Niall as he lowered to inspect another pile of damp debris.

Shenandoah salamanders preferred shady, moist areas and there were plenty on this craggy corner of the mountain’s peak.

“I suppose I can endure the visit…” Niall said wearily, craning his neck as he searched under soggy leaves and clumps of moss.

“Should I bring dinner?”

Niall shook his head. “My freezer is stuffed. Wait until you see all my bags of frozen soups and casseroles,” he said, then rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I thought that would sound impressive or interesting.”

“I’ll reserve judgment,” Cenn said and gave Niall a reassuring nudge. “I’ve met men with worse hobbies.”

As if to prove his point, they heard a gunshot, making Niall jump to his feet and spin toward the sound.

“That wasn’t very far from us!” Niall gave his line a tug, shaking it out and grabbing the free end before he backed to the edge and jumped.

Cenn ran to stop him but was too late. “Niall, wait!” he called after him, groaning when he heard Niall drop onto the ground below, unclip, and take off running. “Damn it!” Cenn whispered as his head fell and he scrubbed the back of his neck. “I was really hoping you wouldn’t get involved.”

He had no choice but to dash after Niall, invisible as he flew down the mountainside and darted around trees.

The poachers were less than half a mile away and Niall was like a fury, leaping over rocks and fallen branches, and sprinting toward the creek ahead.

He spotted them, their red hats and orange vests glowing amongst the foliage.

“No!” Niall cried when he saw the dead bear in the stream. “Get away from that animal right now. Over here!” he ordered and pointed at the spot ahead of him, unconcerned with the belligerent stares and stiff nods traded between the poachers.

Both appeared to comply, stepping onto the creek’s bank and lowering their rifles. “We got a permit,” the younger man called “Buck” shouted but Niall shook his head, storming into the water to get a closer look at the bear.

“You’re on federal land and hunting is prohibited,” he stated, lowering and bracing his hands on his knees. “And I don’t think he’s big enough to meet the weight requirement.”

“Shoot! We thought we was on my cousin’s property,” the older one, named Albert or “Al,” claimed with an “Aw shucks!” shrug but Niall wasn’t buying it.

“Driver’s licenses and permits, now !” he demanded as he stomped out of the water and between the poachers. He yanked his walkie-talkie off his belt, sealing his fate.

“You don’t wanna do that, son,” Buck warned, raising his rifle and aiming it at Niall and sealing his fate with Cenn.

He heard Al giving the silent order to “take him out” and knocked the walkie-talkie from Niall’s hand, making him duck.

Cenn hopped into Al’s body, stifling his weak will and quickly taking control.

With Al’s arms, Cenn aimed the rifle at Buck’s head and pulled the trigger.

There was a sudden, deafening bang! and Buck’s head exploded, chunks and red mist spraying onto the rocky bank as his body collapsed into a tangled heap.

“Flick!” Niall yelled, covering his head. “What did you do? ”

“He was going to shoot you,” Cenn made Al say before jumping out of his body. He appeared again as Chance, crashing through the trees and panting a moment later.

“I saw it, Niall! That man was going to shoot you!” Cenn said as he pointed at Buck’s body. “Are you okay?”

“I didn’t do it!” Al was ashen and shaking as he stared at his rifle, then dropped it. “I didn’t do it. It was him!” He pointed at Cenn. “He did it!”

“Me?” Cenn pressed a hand against his chest, pretending to be flabbergasted.

“Stay right there and don’t move!” Niall commanded Al in a shaky, cracking voice, raising the walkie-talkie.

“This is Ranger Gilpatrick. There’s been a shooting at Little Hawksbill Creek, around marker…

” He sniffed hard as he looked toward the closest trail and estimated.

“We’re about a mile east of marker 142. I’ll call back with exact coordinates in a moment but a man and a young male black bear are dead and I’m detaining another man until Agent Shelby or the sheriff can get here. ”

“Holy shit, Niall!” DeeDee responded. “Are you okay?”

“I’m definitely freaking out on the inside but I haven’t been injured.

We’re all going to stay cool and keep this from getting any worse than it is,” Niall added pointedly as he bent and reached for Al’s rifle, grabbing it by the muzzle with the end of his sleeve and dragging it closer.

He retrieved a zip tie from a cargo pocket and used it to bind Al’s hands, ordering him to sit and remain quiet while they waited for reinforcements.

“Do you have any idea how…dangerous that was?” Cenn whispered to Niall after pulling him well out of Al’s reach, in the event he came to his senses and tried to take a hostage.

“Not really,” Niall admitted, cringing. “I was just so mad that someone had fired a weapon around here and then I spotted the dead bear and saw red.” He flinched and shuddered, recalling the moment Buck’s head exploded.

Literally, Cenn noted but masked his pleasure with a heavy sigh. “You aren’t law enforcement and they were armed. You could have been killed.”

He had hoped to scare a little sense into Niall but Cenn was shaken as well. His business with Dùbhghlas could have been done and dusted if Cenn had done his job and secured Niall’s soul, then let the poachers handle the rest.

Which made Cenn wonder: was there more to these two dangerous encounters or was it a coincidence that a narcissistic rapist and a pair of ruthless poachers had crossed Niall’s path in less than two weeks?

Cenn scowled at Al, scanning his thoughts and memories as he approached. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, his tone hardening as he snatched the front of Al’s vest. He heard the echoes of their conversations and they had known about Niall, that he’d be close by.