The Crocker Chronicles
Chapter 4
"Second Time Around"
15 November
There's an old saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, which I guess is why Howard beat it back to the Barn on the double when he found out that my fishing charter consists of Nathan, Sasquatch and his right-hand goon McHugh, and Stan. Nate's the honored guest of this little shindig so I guess Nate and Audrey 2.0 have decided to make it official.
I went back to the Barn to talk it over with Heckle and Jeckle, and they told me that I was going to have to deal with it on my own. Fine. But that I couldn't tell them anything. What am I supposed to do, wear a Halloween mask? It's a 50-foot fishing boat, not the Rouge! I could hide on the Rouge, but there's nowhere to run on Scarlet.
Why do I get the feeling that somewhere Fate is laughing her ass off at me?
Duke went into the office.
"Duke, why aren't you down at the docks? That charter is waiting!" Jake burst out.
"Jake, I need to ask you for a huge favor," Duke began.
"I already gave you an advance," Jake answered.
"No, no, it isn't about money," Duke sighed. "Can you take that charter out? Scarlet's all gassed and ready to go, it's just-I can't take those guys."
"Why can't you take 'em?" Jake asked, suspiciously, and narrowed his eyes. "You ain't wanted somewhere, are you?"
Not since I kicked the bucket, Duke thought, but aloud he said, "No, I'm not wanted. I know these guys. We didn't-part on good terms."
"Does this have to do with The Cicero?" Jake asked a little gentler.
"Partly," Duke fudged. "Not that they're crooked cops, they're great guys," he added hastily. "It's just-I can't, Jake. It's really personal," he went on, his eyes bright. "I just can't take them out. Please-don't even mention me. I want them to have a good time, not be weighed down with bad memories."
Jake heaved a great sigh. "All right," he said at length. "All right, I'll take 'em out. But I want some answers later on," he pointed a finger at Duke. "Something just don't seem right about this. We ain't through with this conversation, savvy?"
"Savvy," Duke muttered. "Thanks, Jake."
Jake gave Duke a crooked grin. "Besides, been a while since I got to take the old gal out. It'll be fun."
"I'm sure it will be," Duke smiled faintly.
He made his way back to his bungalow, first stopping by Shelley's house to check on Susie, who was taking a nap.
"Duke! I thought you were supposed to take out that charter!" Shelley said upon seeing him.
"I asked Jake to take them," Duke told her. "It's a long story, and I really don't want to talk about it."
"I understand," Shelley smiled. "Want some tea? I was about to make some."
"Yes, please," Duke said. "But what I really wanted to talk about was you and Mark. Susie told me he was yelling at you last night."
Shelley didn't answer, just turned her back to Duke. She reached up into the cabinet over the stove, and Duke caught a glimpse of finger-shaped bruises on her arms.
"Shelley," he blurted, going over to her. He raised her sleeve and looked at her accusingly. "He's hurting you."
"No, it was just a-a misunderstanding," she said.
"I'll show him a misunderstanding," Duke answered hotly.
"Duke, don't," Shelley begged. "He's really tight with the local law enforcement, it won't make any difference."
"Oh, it won't, huh?" Duke answered. "We'll see." He patted Shelley's hand. "It's not right he hurts you," he went on gently. "That's why Susie gets tummy aches, from the stress. You don't need that guy, Shel."
"Duke, he'll hurt you too if you interfere," Shelley whispered, and Duke smiled tightly.
"I rather doubt it," he said. "You let Duke worry about Duke. I don't think you're going to have any more trouble out of Mr. Mathis after today." He kissed her forehead, and rested his own against hers, feeling her hand warm against his neck. In some ways, Shelley reminded him a lot of Jennifer, with her warm smile and caring demeanor.
It surprised him somewhat that he still had emotions, even though he was built out of aether. You're a living soul, Duke, he remembered Howard had told him.
So why wouldn't I feel? Duke thought. My body might be made of different stuff now, but the soul inside it remains the same.
"It hasn't been easy these last few years since Danny died," she sighed. "Susie really doesn't remember him-she was just two when he was killed."
"How did he die, if you don't mind my asking," Duke replied. "If it's too painful-"
"No, it's okay. He was killed in action in Baghdad," Shelley told him, showing Duke the box with her late husband's medals in it, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. "He saved four other guys," she said softly.
"Danny sounds like he was a brave guy."
"He was. Danny was-amazing," she sighed.
"So why are you settling for less than amazing?" Duke asked. "I don't think Danny would like to see you being smacked around."
Shelley put her hands over her face and began to cry, and Duke held her in his arms.
"I didn't mean to make you cry," he told her tenderly. "Please don't, Shelley."
"I've just been so afraid," Shelley wailed.
"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Duke questioned.
"I've been a-afraid of Mark-and of his strange friends."
"What friends?"
"I don't know them; they're new to the island," Shelley said, wiping her eyes. "One of them is a woman; blonde, pretty, blue eyes. But there's-something about her," she continued. "There's something-not right. When Mark's around them—it's almost like he's a different person," she whispered. "He wasn't always like that. And then they showed up, and-he changed."
"How do you mean?" Duke asked.
"When I met her, Mark had picked Susie up from school, and she and her friend happened by. She just kind of smiled down at Susie and patted her back, and she said something to her. Mark just stood there smiling at her like she couldn't do anything wrong."
"What did she say?" Duke said, feeling his heart race. This could be who I'm looking for.
"She said-" Shelley strained her memory, and then realized it. "She said, 'well, aren't you just the little firecracker."
Duke's face grew grim as she said it, and he realized that he'd just found who was Troubling people; the hand print on the guy's chest. The one on the old man's arm; what man would mind being touched by a beautiful woman? Duke knew first-hand what it was to be Troubled like that, and he determined that he'd better find this woman quick.
"I don't suppose you caught her name, did you?" he asked casually.
"Meredith," Shelley answered. "I don't know her last name."
"I don't suppose she's running around with some guy named William, is she?" Duke muttered, sipping his tea.
"Yes, that's her friend, how'd you know?" Shelley asked, wide-eyed, and Duke's hand froze, cup in mid-air. "That's her friend that she arrived with!"
"William?" Duke croaked. Nathan had said that William had helped him get out of the Void; and that he'd given him Charlotte's ring so that he could go home again.
Home to get new recruits to help him Trouble people. Oh, Nate, when will you ever learn to stop being so damn trusting? You'd think knowing me all these years would have cured him of that, Duke thought, and shook his head.
Duke made his goodbye with Shelley, and then went back to his bungalow, and scribbled a note, sliding it under Dwight's door. He didn't want to have to do this; but he wasn't about to let this go any further. He had a hunch that he knew exactly what William and this woman were doing with Mathis; they were making their very own Trouble-Collector.
Takes one to know one, he thought grimly.
Towards late afternoon, the fishing group returned, sun-browned and burned respectively, and went back to their rooms.
"Hey, somebody left you a note," McHugh pointed out to Dwight. "Maybe it was that cute housekeeper."
Dwight grinned, and bent down and unfolded it. It read:
Squatch:
There is a situation that you need to be made aware of. Meet me this evening in the Sandpiper after closing, you and Nathan. I will try to explain everything.
D
"Squatch?" McHugh read over his shoulder.
"Short for Sasquatch," Dwight answered, thinking. "Crocker used to call me that. Nobody has since he died."
"Think it might be a family member of Duke's?" McHugh asked.
"What other family members? Nathan said he read somewhere that Duke's oldest brother died, and we know Wade's dead too, so who's left?"
"Vince always said Simon liked to get around-might be one more Crocker coming out of the woodwork, wanting to get his-or her-share of Duke's estate."
"Nothing to get-Gloria put it all in trust for Duke's daughter Jean, till she's 21," Dwight observed.
"You gonna go?"
"Yeah," Dwight said, reading the note again. "If nothing else just to find out whomever this 'D' character is."
The afternoon and evening seemed to drag on, and Duke paced restlessly in his bungalow, wondering what he would say when he was face-to-face with Nathan and Dwight. How would they react to seeing him again? How were they going to react to find out that the world wasn't quite as Trouble-free as they'd hoped for?
He knew Vince and Howard would be furious with him for meeting with them, to say the least. But they're the ones that said, deal, so I'm dealing, Duke reflected.
Vince appeared behind him.
"Duke, you cannot go through with this meeting!" he said sternly. "This isn't their fight anymore!"
"I need help, Vince," Duke answered crossly. "You know, you and Howie want to sit in your ivory Barn and not lift a finger while I'm down here fighting in the trenches," he went on, growing angry now. "But then again, that's how it always was in Haven too, wasn't it? You let others in the Guard do your dirty work, letting them run rampant while people died left and right from the Troubles and you and Dave said nothing!"
Vince flinched at that, and then spoke.
"I am sorry that we didn't tell you sooner about your—family's legacy," he answered. "Perhaps if we had not kept our secrets for so long, things would not have spiraled so out of control."
"Oh, you think?" Duke retorted, and then relented. "This isn't getting us anywhere," he sighed. "I'm sorry, Vince. But this is the exact same situation. You brought me back to prevent the Troubles from ever happening again, and I'm doing my best to do the job, but dammit, Vince," he panted. "I need someone to watch my back too. Who better than the people who fought alongside us? If we can catch William and this woman, can we confine them to the Barn as well?"
"Absolutely," Vince smiled. "There's plenty of room for new guests."
"Well, good," Duke answered. "Now all I have to do is catch them, and it's easier said than done."
"He is a bit slippery," Vince muttered.
"So was I, if you'll recall," Duke grinned. "I'll work it out. Just-let me meet with Nate and Dwight."
"I still think this is a mistake. But you do make a valid point." He looked Duke over critically.
"Perhaps we shouldn't have given you quite so much independence," he remarked, and then vanished before he could hear Duke's exceedingly crude remark regarding his parentage.
A little after two a.m., Nathan and Dwight sat outside on the patio of the Sandpiper, the Beachcomber's bar and grill.
"I can't believe we're sitting out here waiting on someone who left you a note," Nathan grumbled, yawning.
"I'm just curious as to who would be calling me Squatch," Dwight told him. "You know only Duke ever called me that."
Nathan smiled faintly. "I remember," he said, thinking back, and sighed deeply. "Haven hasn't been the same without him."
"Yeah, it's been peaceful," Dwight cracked.
"I love you too, Squatch," Duke spoke from the shadows, and both men jumped to their feet, eyes bulging in disbelief as Duke emerged from the shadows. Dwight was too overwhelmed to speak; Nathan looked as though he were about to faint.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to scare you," Duke began. "But really, is there any good way to break it someone you're not really dead?"
"It's his ghost again," Dwight said, looking him up and down. "But you're dressed differently now."
"It's kind of hot down here for a pea coat," Duke cracked.
Nathan stretched a trembling hand out, and poked Duke in the stomach.
"You're solid—you're real," he breathed. "Oh, God, Duke," he said, scrambling to his feet and putting his arms around him.
Duke patted Nathan's back, feeling him sobbing against his chest. He didn't imagine things had been any easier for Nathan than it had been for him when he'd killed Wade. He hadn't wanted to; but he'd been left with no other choice.
"I'm so sorry, Duke," he wailed. "Every night when I close my eyes, I—"
"Hey—it's okay, Nathan," Duke interrupted. "It's all right. Come on, pull yourself together," he told him, helping Nathan sit down again.
Dwight finally managed to find his voice.
"W-What is this?" he asked. "Are you here to take—are you gonna—"
"No, I am not here to take Lizzie away," Duke stated gently but firmly, pulling over a bar stool to sit down. "She's yours. So if you're looking for refunds, sorry, no returns, you're stuck with her," Duke smiled at him, and Dwight looked immensely relieved.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said, and closed Duke in his arms. "Thank you again," he mumbled into his shoulder, and then released him. He looked at Duke, and then smacked him up the back of the head.
"Hey! What was that for?" Duke asked, rubbing his head.
"For flipping me off," Dwight winked, and Nathan laughed out loud. It had been so long since Duke had heard him honestly laugh it surprised him; but he just grinned at him, before sobering.
"How this—miracle—happen?" Nathan questioned. "Or is it something else?" he sobered, glancing at Dwight.
"A combination of both," Duke said. "I'm Duke; and I'm not. I did die, yes, and technically, I'm still dead."
"Then how are you solid?" Dwight asked.
"Perhaps I'd better explain it, Duke, you'll only make a mess of it," Vince sighed, appearing.
"I was hoping you or Howard were going to step in and say something," Duke answered.
"Vince! What are you doing here? Who's watching the Barn-and Croatoan?" Dwight interrogated.
"The Barn is still secured, as is Croatoan. I sent Duke back to you to help Nathan find Audrey," Vince began. "After he returned to the Barn, I gave Duke the option of staying to help, as a guardian; and in case someone decided to try to restart the Troubles. And I was right to do so," he continued. "I'm afraid that someone is indeed attempting to resurrect the Troubles."
"So you resurrected Duke to help you fight them," Nathan said. "How did you bring him back to life?"
"I'm not alive—not in the sense that you are, Nate," Duke told him. "Look," he gestured, standing up, allowing his body to return to its aether state, a cyclone of whirling black orbs, before he returned to himself.
"You're an aether-man," Dwight got out. "I thought aether was all bad, like those two guys that time."
"Normally, aether does tend to be negatively charged," Vince spoke. "But as Charlotte said, it can also be positively charged. When Duke died, something happened to the aether in his body. He changed it."
"To be all touchy-feely about it, the aether and I became one," Duke toned. "I'm like an aether-man, but with a difference; I have a soul. They didn't. Aether responds to me because it's sentient. Or at least my aether does."
"Aether can think," Nathan said dubiously.
"Not so much think as sense—it gets its thinking done for it, usually by whoever is wielding it," Vince explained. "Remember what Charlotte said? It's all focus and intent. Think of it as drones in a beehive. Duke, however," he sighed, glancing at him meaningfully, "thinks for himself. He is, in the literal sense, sentient aether."
"Glad you're on our side, then," Nathan deadpanned. "You are, right?"
"Yes, I guess I am," Duke admitted. "I wouldn't have come to you guys at all, but Isla de Jean Batiste has a small problem," he continued. "Somebody is handing out Troubles here; big, nasty ones. I pulled one out of a little girl today that was truly terrifying."
"How old was the kid?" Dwight asked.
"Six. This Trouble was designed to kill her and anyone else in her vicinity. That should tell you something of the person who's doing this."
"Sounds like William's up to his old tricks again," Nathan grumbled.
"I think he's one of them, yes," Duke said.
"One of? Who else is with him?" Dwight questioned, anxious.
"A woman named Meredith, blonde, blue-eyed, very pretty, according to Shelley. She's the one who Troubled Susie, her daughter."
"The little girl," Nathan put in, and Duke nodded.
"How many people have been Troubled, or is there any way to know?" Dwight asked.
"I've counted five so far. I can see the marks on them, like Audrey could," Duke told them. "The difference is I can pull the aether out of them before their Trouble gets too bad. The catch is I have to wait until it's active before I can. I also think they're using a local man named Mark Mathis to help them," he continued. "Also part of the reason I wanted to see you guys."
"You want us to find him?" Dwight asked.
"I want you to follow him; see if you can find out where he goes to meet these people, what they're doing. I would; but he knows me," Duke explained.
"I thought the Barn was supposed to contain all that. That no more Troubles could be started," Nathan said with an anxious look in his eyes.
"The Barn was designated to keep all of the Troubles that had been previously created away," Duke said. "But aether continues to thrive in the Void. If anyone is able to access it, they can start all over again."
"We are in uncharted waters here," Vince replied gravely. "We are trying to prevent another Haven from happening."
"They picked a perfect place to test new Troubles," Dwight commented, glancing around. "An isolated little island in the Caribbean. Just like paradise."
"That's what Howard said," Duke answered. "Now we have to figure out how to prevent it from becoming a lost paradise."