Page 30

Chapter 30

I wrestled the vehicle back under control, narrowly missing Thomas who looked as cool as ever. He gestured for me to roll down my window. ‘They’re gone,’ he said darkly.

I blinked. ‘What do you mean, gone? I saw them not five minutes ago!’

He shrugged, his stoic mask back in place. ‘They just disappeared.’

‘Are portals a thing?’ I asked, ‘Like, could that really happen?’

Thomas shrugged. ‘I’ve never seen one but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Plenty of people haven’t seen the beast beyond the barrier but we know it’s real.’

‘Terrifyingly so.’ Sidnee shuddered.

‘What about all that machinery?’ I asked.

‘It’s parked up blocking the road, but no one was inside either vehicle.’

‘That’s weird. I’m going up there. ’

Rather than argue, Thomas climbed in the SUV.

Shadow was standing on the console between us, looking through the windshield. He mrow’d at us as if he was agreeing that we needed to go forward. What did my cat know that I didn’t?

We stopped beside the deserted truck and tractor and climbed out. The tractor was to the left, but the truck was covering the majority of the road. Shadow squirmed again. I wasn’t sure about releasing the lynx but he was too quick for me to stop him. He raced over to the tractor and disappeared beneath it; it was one of those big monsters with a huge scoop in front.

‘Shadow!’ I hollered, but he didn’t stop. I muttered a few choice words and followed.

Thomas was looking around and I lost track of him as Fluffy and I went after our occasionally loathsome lynx. I crouched under the tractor’s raised scoop then ducked between its front tires. I had to crouch low but at least I didn’t have to crawl in the mud. My torn jeans were a lost cause, but I still didn’t want to be soaked through.

There was a hatch beneath the machine that looked like a metal lid you’d see on a sewer in a street. It had been hidden by brush that had been recently cleared away. So portals were a no-go, but hidden tunnels were a go. ‘Thomas!’ I called .

He and Sidnee came over and we all stared at the hatch. ‘They must have gone down there,’ Sidnee said. ‘That’s how they got away so quickly.

‘Did you know this was here?’ I asked Thomas.

‘No – and it shouldn’t be. There is no sewer access around here. I have no idea what it’s for or how long it’s been here.’

‘Those guys have access to the mines from here, and the dead dwarves had mud on their boots from here. Who’s willing to bet these men are involved?’

‘I won’t take that bet,’ Thomas said.

‘Me neither,’ echoed Sidnee.

I checked the tractor over, but didn’t see any keys to start it with. It was less problematic than the truck covering the road anyway.

I hopped out of the truck. ‘Okay, I’m calling Gunnar. Something stranger than murder is going on here and we need to work it out, like, yesterday.’

Shadow rubbed against my legs and put a foot on the lid. I rubbed his head. ‘Yes, you’re a good boy. I see the hatch. We wouldn’t have found it without you.’ He purred. My cat was going to be the death of me.

Gunnar was yawning when he answered his phone. ‘Bunny, what’s going on?’

‘We have another dead dwarf at the mine. Even stranger, we just saw a group of armed men disappear into a hatch under a tractor near the tailings pile.’

‘Armed? Describe them.’

‘Five men in camouflage with rifles – they were dressed like the ones we dispatched in Sitka.’ I paused. ‘Gunnar, I swear to you they’re MIB.’

He swore violently. ‘Do not go down that hatch! We don’t know what’s down there and I won’t risk any of you.’

I was already considering charging right in; if we left it too long, the men could be anywhere in the sprawling mine. Fluffy was here, we could track them with their scent …

‘I mean it!’ Gunnar barked, interrupting my plotting. ‘Grab a CCTV camera from the back of the SUV and set it up out of sight. We need more intel before you go off half-cocked.’ He knew me so well.

I hesitated and Thomas looked at me sternly: he knew me, too. I huffed. ‘Fine. I’ll place the camera, but then we’re heading to the tailings. That’ll be the murder site.’ I hung up before Gunnar could protest further.

I relayed his instructions then went to get the camera. We placed it at a spot that gave us a clear view of the hatch and made sure it was concealed. As long as the tractor stayed put, we were golden. As back up, I placed a second camera in the trees to watch the tractor.

Once done, we checked out the truck that was blocking the road to see if we could move it. We could go around it but earth nearby looked soft and I didn’t want to get stuck. It was another mile to the tailings pile. I didn’t particularly want to walk with armed men around, but I had to see if I could find the murder site.

Thomas had taken the passenger side of the truck. ‘Keys!’ he announced.

I shook my head in disbelief: the keys were on the dash. This was just plain weird. The dwarves wouldn’t leave heavy, expensive equipment lying around with the keys in it; they had buildings where they parked this stuff when it wasn’t being used. The armed men must have stolen the vehicles to hide whatever they were up to underneath them ... but surely they realised the equipment would be missed?

I swallowed hard as a thought occurred to me: unless they had someone working with them in the mine, someone who would cover for the missing equipment?

Thomas moved the truck so we could manoeuvre around it and we headed up the road to find the site of a murder.