21
Dwight spotted the sedan with North Carolina plates, and pulled off the road alongside it. It looked as though it had been abandoned.
While he was glad to find the car, he had bigger concerns at the moment, so he radioed in for Forensics to come and take over so that he could continue in the search.
Rory Palmer was with him. The late afternoon sun was stretching long shadows through the forest, giving it a decidedly Halloween feel, and both men were glancing around nervously as they walked.
All around them, they kept hearing sounds of something moving in the woods, although neither could see any evidence of squirrels or other wildlife causing it.
"What the hell is that rustling sound?" Rory muttered.
"I don't know," Dwight answered in a low voice. "Just stay sharp, okay?"
"Don't worry," Rory replied.
"There," Vince said, picking up the first print of the newspaper as it came off the press.
On the front page was a photograph of the document and the headline which read in prominent letters: INNOCENT WOMAN WRONGLY CONVICTED IN WITCH HUNT FRENZY.
"Historical Document Offers Proof That Prudence Stillwater Was Wrongly Accused," Dave read proudly. "Signed contract by prominent Haven families of the time reveals that local Havenite woman Prudence Crocker-Stillwater was framed for the crime of sorcery in 1515 because her father-in-law did not approve of her marriage to one of his sons, and conspired with others to have her brought up on the charge of witchcraft. The tragedy was compounded more so by the fact that said families suppressed the evidence for hundreds of years, even possibly going as far to have murder committed to keep their dark secret," he continued. "Forensic evidence has proclaimed that the document is, in fact, authentic. That'll get 'em going down at the City Council."
"I would just like to see Prudence get her name cleared," Vince said.
"It'll help Betsy out too," Dave answered. "People will be standing in line to buy her book now."
"Talked to her awhile ago. She's already rewriting it. She also said she may know the reason why they did all they did."
"Oh? What was it?"
"Apparently, Prudence had a former love before she met her husband. It was thought he'd died at sea. Some years later, he returned home to Haven."
"To find his girlfriend married with a family."
"Yes. Perhaps the flame wasn't quite extinguished between he and Prudence."
"Oldest motive in the world," Dave remarked. "Jealousy."
"Yes, well, I think that it is now time that we joined in the search, don't you?" Vince said, folding up the copy of The Haven Herald into his coat pocket.
"Absolutely," Dave agreed, and the two set out for the North Woods.
"What the hell is that sound?" Rory asked in exasperation.
"If I knew, I'd tell ya," Dwight remarked irritably. He was beginning to regret having brought Rory along with him.
The rustling in the leaves increased at the tone in his voice, and Dwight quickly realized what it was. He'd heard the story about how the roots had taken over the Keegan place, and they weren't but a few clicks from the farm. Vince had told him the roots reacted to anger and discord, so Dwight drew a few calming breaths.
"Rory," he said in a kinder tone. "Just keep calm, okay. Long as we stay cool, whatever's out there won't bother us, all right?"
"What do you mean? Is it a bear or something?" Rory asked, a note of fear creeping in.
"No, it's not a bear. These woods are-alive," Dwight told him, regretting it the instant he said it, because Rory looked as though he'd been galvanized.
"The woods are alive?" he shouted.
The rustling grew louder, accompanied by something that sounded like wood groaning, and Dwight saw movement out of the corner of his eye.
Be like Buddha, Duke had told him once. He'd been joking at the moment, but it sounded like damn good advice right now. Dwight drew a few calming breaths, and gently put a hand on Rory's shoulder.
"Calm down," he said softly. "The woods react to anger and fear. If you're calm, nothing will happen."
But Rory was panicked, and he took off running blindly back the way they came, crashing through the woods. He quickly disappeared from sight, but Dwight heard Rory's strangled screams.
He started towards the sound, already knowing he was too late to save the hard-headed Guardsman.
Dwight reached the little clearing in the woods. He saw what had looked like a struggle, and found blood, but no trace of Rory.
"Dammit, Rory," he muttered. Knowing there wasn't anything else he could do, he turned back and continued back in the direction the compass indicated.
Audrey felt Nathan's steadying hand at her back, and she drew herself to her full height.
"Stop!" she ordered.
The aether-men came to a dead standstill.
William struggled to pull the bandanna out of his mouth, but a right hook from Duke stunned him into submission.
"Duke, don't hit him, you could hurt Audrey!" Nathan yelled.
"I didn't feel it," Audrey said.
"Hell, hit him all you want then," Nathan cracked. "I may join you."
The aether-men still stared at Audrey, gauging her, waiting to see what she would do.
Prudence emerged from the woods.
"Enough!" she shouted, the word reverberating through the woods, and the aether-men disintegrated back into little black balls. They made to flock toward Audrey, but Prudence held a hand out with a small wooden box resting on her palm, and they settled within it.
"You can control aether," Charlotte gasped.
William too, seem stunned by this new revelation, and the little group stared at Prudence for a long moment before she finally spoke again.
"Let William go," she ordered.
"Are you nuts?" Nathan asked. "He's dangerous."
"I need him," Prudence replied. "If you want him to go away, let him go. I need his help."
"You can't trust him, Prudence," Charlotte said. "He wants to destroy this world and ours!"
"What must be must be," Prudence remarked.
"That's your answer? Que sera sera?" Nathan asked dryly.
"Silence," Prudence gestured at Nathan, and although Nathan's mouth was moving, no sound came forth.
Duke also began to say something, and found that he too could no longer speak. He gestured angrily at Prudence, his face angry.
"Guys," Audrey said, going to them. Relieved to see that they were otherwise fine, she turned back to Prudence.
"Fix them back," she ordered.
Prudence looked at her, her silvery eyes cold.
"No," was all she said. "We need no further outbursts."
In the distraction, William managed to jerk the bandanna out of his mouth, and work himself free of the cuffs.
"Thank you, Prudence," he answered, walking back towards her. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like my guys back, please."
"I think not," Prudence told him, squirreling the box within her robes. "You rely too much on them. I need your help now, William, not theirs."
"I figured you'd want Duke to help you, since he's family," William cracked.
Prudence glanced toward the cage, where Duke was watching her intently, trying to figure out what she was up to.
"Duke has already given me what I need," she commented, and William grinned at her answer.
Surreptitiously, Nathan nicked his thumb, spreading the drop on Duke's hand. The blood didn't vanish, and Duke's eyes didn't change. The pair looked at each other questioningly, and then at Audrey and Charlotte.
Audrey saw their action, and looked concerned. She started to speak, but Charlotte put a finger to her lips, as though she understood Prudence's motives for doing so.
She took his Trouble, Audrey thought. I'm not really sure why she did it, but I guess we're going to find out in about half an hour, she reflected, watching as the sun slowly began its descent over the forest skyline.
Dwight could hear the commotion, and drew closer.
Ahead, he could see the rock, and Prudence, along with William and Audrey. He saw the cage containing Nathan, Duke and Charlotte and he began to rise, but he saw William turn back, and he ducked back down quickly.
Behind him, he heard the sounds of people walking in the woods, and he hid himself further in the leaves.
"You really think it's at Guardsman's Rock?" he heard Dave asking someone who could only be Vince.
"Seems logical," Vince was saying. "I never knew it was the opening to a thinny though!"
"Guys," Dwight spoke from the bushes, and both men jumped a foot.
"Jesus, Dwight, you about gave me a heart attack!" Dave started to yell, but Dwight shushed him.
"Prudence and the others are just ahead at the rock," Dwight told them. "I don't know what she's planning, but she's got Charlotte, Duke and Nathan in some kind of cage, and she's got William running around loose up there with her and Audrey."
"Audrey," Dave gasped. "Has she-changed back?"
"I don't think so," Dwight replied. "But that isn't saying that she won't. I think that's what William wants Prudence to do."
"Well, we'll just have to convince her otherwise," Vince answered firmly, and continued forward, going into the clearing.
Dwight started to warn him, but resigned himself to the fact that like it or not, they were all just about to join William's little party for God only knew what.