Justin shrugged. “I’m sure you’ve heard the old stories about mine monsters, especially from Cornwall and Wales. When you get that far down below the surface, it’s a whole different world. What’s to say they didn’t run into things that liked their privacy? Like what we saw in that woman’s backyard?”
Liam’s eyes widened. “You mean the Knackers and the Coblyns.”
“Yeah. Miners brought their beliefs over with them, or maybe the same creatures live underground all over the world,” Justin said.
“Those creatures are known for being pranksters, but not malicious.” Liam kept gazing out the window as they flew over the hills. “At least, according to the stories that have survived. They also don’t match with what you saw.
“I’ve been researching when I have a spare moment, but so far I haven’t turned up anything useful. If that thing you saw really was something from the mine, what was it doing all the way down here? And how have there not been sightings before this over the years?”
“Maybe someone doesn’t want people getting any closer,” Justin said.
“Someone?” Liam asked.
“There are rumors that the mine’s new owners have Mafia connections. A couple of the sources say they have a witch at their beck and call,” Justin replied. “Good reason to keep people away—including Scott.”
For a while, they flew in silence. Liam snapped photos with a couple of different cameras, including his cell phone for brief videos. “These will make a nice display on the wall in the library, and I can use the digital versions on the library website.”
Despite the remote territory, several highways cut through the forest, providing a lifeline for shipping essential goods to residents and trucking out lumber and other products. This late in the season, the number of campers and RVs had dwindled, although die-hards would continue the outdoor life even after snow covered the ground.
Justin much preferred a nice, warm house. He knew that Scott’s thick coyote fur would keep him comfortable. Liam’s winter coat as a fox gave him more freedom in bad weather than Justin had without an animal form.
“Hey, look there.” Liam pointed. “Those don’t look like the usual tourists.”
Justin followed where Liam indicated and saw two black sedans that appeared to be traveling together.
“Those guys must have a good reason to be such a long way from Albany.” Justin remembered Scott’s remark about “men in black.”
“I wonder what sort of business they might have with the mines. Maybe the owners or investors?” Liam said. “They’re certainly off the beaten track for sightseeing tours.”
“There aren’t a lot of year-round businesses up here that aren’t touristy,” Justin noted. “I agree that it’s unusual, but if they’ve got investors, then they must have a plan that at least looks good on paper.”
They quickly outpaced the cars and reached the old ski area.
“Wow,” Liam said. “It’s funny that from the air, you can still make out where some of the ski trails and buildings were, even after almost sixty years.”
Justin spared a glance and understood what Liam meant. Although the forest had reclaimed much of the old resort, he could easily see where nature had been disturbed. “It’s a shame the resort didn’t make a go of it. This end of the state could use more jobs. A lot of the hunting and fishing happens more toward the middle and south. Good for the area around Fox Hollow, but it makes rough going for the folks who stayed in the towns up here.”
Justin veered north, and the Platt Mine came into view. “On the other hand, there’s more left of the mine than I expected.”
A couple of large, older buildings remained, and Justin guessed that they were the main mine shaft and some processing buildings like he had seen in the satellite images. They looked sturdy enough to still be around in future decades unless someone made a substantial effort to blow them up and haul away the remains.
“It makes me think about how big the complex must have been in its heyday, when the whole mine operation was still standing, and there was a small company town next door,” Liam added, twisting in his seat for more pictures.
Several pieces of heavy equipment were new additions, as were temporary buildings for supplies. No people were in sight,but it was clear that the area was active. Two construction trucks were parked near one of the storage buildings. Justin circled the mine one more time, then headed home. The memory of the mysterious strangers brought something else to mind.
“Did you happen to find anything more about the Mob being involved with mining up here?” Justin asked, remembering Liam’s initial comments and counting on him to be an equally geeky researcher to match his own efforts.
“The mines were a big deal. Lots of money to be made and some of the same players as in other states,” Liam replied. “When the mines closed, from what I found the Mob seemed to go away too.”
“Seemed to?” Justin spared a side glance at his passenger.
Liam shrugged. “I doubt mobsters go straight just because an opportunity dries up. I imagine they could move away, and most of them probably did, but I’d bet that some just quietly got their hooks into anything else that would make a buck.”
The thought that a shadowy gangster organization might still be secretively pulling strings behind the scenes near his town made Justin shudder.Will Scott be in danger even if he doesn’t report on that part of the history?
“Are you glad Scott is volunteering to help with the Halloween events?” Liam changed the subject, trying to sound casual.
Justin chuckled. “Oh, yeah. He’s excited about getting involved with local events, and I think he’s trying to make a good impression. Not that he hasn’t already, but he’s planning on moving up here as soon as we can make arrangements.”
