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top of a snowdrift and sprayed Usher with needle-like ice
fragments. He turned away from the sparkling dust just as it
caught Jarreth in the face, who gasped, cringing.
Usher reached for the door and slowly opened it. Warmth
billowed out of the barn, followed by the odors of cow shit and
antiseptic, mixed with something coppery and foreign that
prompted Usher s stomach to lurch. He peeked inside, sliding
his gaze from one side of the milking parlor to the other. The
cows stood in their stanchions, their eyes wild and rolling,
bodies trembling, feet stomping. One cow near the door saw
him and mooed loudly.
 See anything? Jarreth whispered so softly Usher barely
heard him.
He shook his head, keeping his gaze trained on the milking
area. Fear pounded through his body. I don t know if I ll react
quick enough to even shoot the creature if it leaps out from
somewhere. Hell, for all I know I might truly need silver bullets
to kill it.
Luckily, he d helped Hanna from time to time, so he knew
where the grain bins were located. With his legs trembling, he
led the way down the concrete walkway between the stanchions
and to the door that led into the office. There, on the far end,
the bodies of six cows lay torn and ripped, their blood bathing
the floor. Pieces of fur and meat lay scattered on the concrete
and stuck to the wall. One cow s guts pooled on the floor in
front of its belly, another cow rested on its side with its throat
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
116
ripped out. The odor of blood, feces, and milk gagged Usher. He
glanced at Jarreth, who held his hand over his nose.
Usher pointed to the door. He rounded the low block wall
at the end and stumbled over a pair of boots. He righted
himself, turned and cried out at the sight before him.
On the floor, his torso turned to the right, and his hips
and legs turned to the left, lay Denver, Hanna s hired hand.
Missing an arm, the coat and shirt in tatters around the hole,
the man gazed sightlessly at the rafters above them, his face
contorted in an expression of pain and fear. Across the end
walkway against the base of the wall lay Denver s arm. Blood
pooled around the torn end of it.
 Werewolves are supposed to be people, right? Usher
whispered.
 That s what the stories say, replied Jarreth just as softly.
 Then not only are we dealing with a monster, but a
murderer as well. A deep-rooted shiver passed through Usher
as he remembered something.  And the other day, when we
found the tracks of melting snow in the house 
 The werewolf had entered and then left as its way to scare
the hell out of you, Jarreth finished.
 Okay, that really freaks me out. Now I ll lock up my house
during the day too. Usher grasped the doorknob and opened
the door to enter a dimly lit hallway leading into a storage room
where two bins held feed.
In the storage room, Usher crossed to the first bin and
opened it to find corn and a big rat scurrying around. He
quietly lowered the lid and moved to the second one, hefting
the half lid up to peer inside it. The sweet aroma of its contents
permeated his nose. Hanna squealed and cowered in the
corner.
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117
 Hey, it s okay, Hanna. It s just me, Usher whispered. He
glanced back at Jarreth, who stood with the door cracked open
and kept watch through it with the .12 gauge clutched in both
hands.  Come on. Let s get you out of there.
 Oh, Usher, Hanna cried softly.  I m so glad to see you.
 What made you think of hiding in the grain bin? he
asked as he brushed grains, crushed corn and crystallized bits
of molasses from Hanna s clothes.
 I thought maybe the grain and molasses would help
disguise my scent. She hugged him tightly, her body trembling
so hard Usher thought she might rattle apart.
 Good thinking, he said.  Do you know if the werewolf has
left?
She shook her head.  I have no idea.
 Everything s clear, said Jarreth.  Let s get her out of here
while we can.
Usher made Hanna stay behind him as he walked quickly
and quietly down the hall, trailing Jarreth. His friend paused at
the door opening into the milking parlor, looked to the left and
right, and then waved at them to follow.
Upon seeing Denver and the slain cows, Hanna gasped.
 Oh Lord in heaven!
 Don t look at him or the cows, Usher commanded.
 Focus on the door across the milking parlor and just follow
Jarreth.
She nodded, her mouth a thin, gray line, her eyes wide
and glassy with fear and revulsion.
They reached the far door, and Jarreth opened it to
swirling snow and biting wind. The livestock bellowed and
stomped behind them.
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118
 What do I do about my milk cows? Hanna asked.
 I don t think the creature is interested in the cows
anymore, Usher soothed her.  It seems like it has gone. He
glanced around, his nerves singing high soprano. All he wanted
to do was reach the truck and get the hell away from there.
Jarreth gazed back at them.  Come on. It s too damn dark
with too much snow flying around to tell whether or not it s
safe to step out there, so we ll have to chance it.
Clutching his shotgun in one hand, Usher took Hanna s
hand in his free one.  Stay close to me and keep your eyes on
the Dodge parked up the side lane, all right?
She nodded, her gaze full of trepidation.
 One, two, Jarreth pushed the door wide,  three now!
They pushed out into the darkness. The wind tore at
Usher s coat and hat, shoving its icy fingers into his eyes, nose
and ears. He squinted against the driving flakes, tugging
Hanna steadily along behind him. The snow sucked at his
boots, and they both slipped a couple of times, but they
managed to climb the lane and reach the truck. He opened the
door, helped Hanna into the back of the extended cab, and
quietly shut the door before jumping in shotgun and shutting
his door too.
Jarreth clambered into the driver s seat and passed Usher
his weapon. Once the engine started, he backed up the lane
and turned the Dodge around.
 Where to, Hanna? asked Usher. He turned in the seat to
look at her.  If you don t have a place to stay, you know you re
welcome at my place.
 Or mine, for that matter, Jarreth chimed in.
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
119
 Take me to The Cannonball, she stated as tears trickled
down her cheeks.  Jess will let me stay with her and the kids
tonight.
Usher reached over the seat, took Hanna s hand and
squeezed it to reassure her.  Everything will be all right.
 I hope so, she said.
Releasing her hand, Usher faced forward as Jarreth
navigated the snowy drive. What if I m wrong? What if we can t
defeat this thing, and worse, what if it s someone who lives
amongst us here in Stone Trail?
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120
Chapter Twelve
THE drive to Stone Trail was a slow and hazardous one. Usher
began to wonder if they would ever reach town in one piece.
Once Jarreth pulled into the parking lot of The Cannonball,
Hanna seemed to relax. Usher hated seeing his friend so
distraught, but he didn t blame her. His encounter with the
werewolf had left him scarred. From now on he d never be able [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]