“I’m heading over to the library right now to work with Liam on spells and protections,” Amy told him. “I can watch with him. I think Liam also reached out to Becca over at the Fox Institute. She’s a medium. We’ll let the sheriff do his official thing, and we’ll do our witchy version.”
Justin felt a surge of relief. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re involved. I’ll be over to the library after my flights are done this morning. Scott’s already there.”
“Good,” Amy replied. “I needed to work with him in person to do the protective spells.”
“If Becca plans to reach out to the men who died in the plane crash, I’d like to be there when she does the séance,” Justin said. “First off, to give Scott moral support. He’s understandably very upset by their deaths. And second, because the more I know, the better I can help the research effort.”
“I’ll ask,” Amy told him. “It’s unlikely to be a problem. But we have a lot of ground to cover before we’re ready for that. Go fly your clients around, and I’ll see you in a little while.”
Justin found his mood lightened knowing that they were tapping supernatural resources as well as standard law enforcement channels. He paused to tune into his growing connection to Scott, still testing how well it worked across varying distances.
The connection was faint, but he could feel it. Justin could pick up a sense of safety, curiosity, nervousness, and relief.Sending him to the library with Liam was the right move. And with Amy and Becca there, he’ll be extra-safe.
Relieved, Justin tried to push the matter from his thoughts so he could focus on his tours. Still, he checked the area around the plane thoroughly to make sure there were no suspicious strangers and that the suit guys hadn’t returned to the docks. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he ran through his pre-flight check and waited for his first customer.
Fortunately, the two tours were standard fare. One client wanted a scenic overview of the area, getting the lay of the land and where lakes, attractions, towns, and campgrounds were relative to one another. The other man wanted to fly over Whitney Park and Deerlands, the palatial lodge once owned by a wealthy and famous family.
Justin fell into a familiar patter as he flew, narrating the sights and providing historical background. He was glad that the tours were ones he gave frequently, since it was difficult not to let his mind stray to the situation with Scott and wonder how things were going at the library.
“That was a great tour. I’ll definitely have a new list of places to see when I’m back in Fox Hollow,” the last client said, adding a generous tip to his payment.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ll be here, and I love a good sightseeing list, so come find me,” Justin told the man when they returned to the dock. He waved goodbye and then started his post-flight maintenance, chafing at every delay that kept him from joining Scott.
Once he squared things away with the plane, he checked his phone since he hadn’t been able to look at messages while he was in the air. He found several from Scott and held his breath as he scanned them.
Scott:Showed Liam my research on the mines. He got some leads from it I didn’t think of.
Scott:Impressed by Amy and Becca. Looking forward to working with them.
Scott:We’ve made headway. I’ll fill you in when you get here. Love you.
Justin smiled, glad that Scott’s day hadn’t been wasted despite being hidden away. He sent a quick response.
Justin:On my way. Love you too.
Justin usually drove through town on mental autopilot, not paying much attention to the familiar sights. Now, he scanned the sidewalks for the hitmen and paid attention to the parking lots, looking for any vehicles that seemed out of place. He felt a measure of relief when he didn’t see the men or strange cars, but couldn’t let go of the tension, waiting for the next move.
The librarian at the front desk was clearly on the lookout for him. “They’re back in the conference room,” she told Justin. “They’re expecting you.”
He thanked her and made his way back to where he found the others seated at the large table. Scott had his computer open. Liam was at the front of the room by the whiteboard with a dry-erase marker, making notes. Amy had a variety of objects in front of her that Justin recognized as part of far-seeing rituals. Becca sat with her eyes closed, but Justin had been around mediums enough to know that she was much more likely to be channeling input from spirits than napping.
“I got here as quickly as I could.” Justin peeled off his coat and headed for the empty chair beside Scott. “And I kept an eye out. I didn’t see our unwelcome guests.”
If the goons couldn’t find Scott in Albany, Justin expected them to return to Fox Hollow. He just hoped that this time, he and his friends would be ready for them.
“Glad you’re here,” Liam said. “You already know Amy and Becca.” They nodded at Justin, and he waved in return.
“I also asked Travis Dominick and Brent Lawson to help long-distance with the research,” Liam said. “They’re based in Pittsburgh, but I’ve worked with them before. Travis has deep connections with supernatural practitioners. Brent is a private investigator who understands the paranormal.”
He grinned. “I sicced Brent on chasing the money. I took it as far as I could, but Brent has access to specialized law enforcement databases, and maybe a few hacked resources that I don’t have.”
“That sounds good.” Justin felt overwhelmed that their larger community had come together to help protect Scott and stop the threat.
“I got a call from Sheriff Armel,” Scott told him as Justin settled into his seat. “The poachers-slash-hitmen have some tangled connections to the Mob and the darker side of the supernatural community. This isn’t their first bust.”
“Since they’ve had prior offenses, they’ll stay locked up,” Scott continued. “So at least for now, they’re off the table as threats.”
“That’s a start,” Justin replied. “Glad to hear it. Any luck with everything else?”
