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“Not a cave. An old cellar. But it looks like somethingout of a horror flick. Be careful. In the past twenty-four hours, I’ve hauled all the dead and injured people out of there I care to see.”
The five of them nodded, grabbed the four lengths of nylon climbing ropes inside the tent, and started down.
“It’s pretty big. How do you plan to get it to your car?” Cameron asked.
“Oh…Mr. Raines is en route on a four-wheeler pulling a small flat trailer. He said he can get in here with it and haul it out to our van.”
Cameron nodded. “Okay then, down you go. If you need another lantern, take mine.” Then he walked over to where Woodley’s officer was sitting. “Hey, Kirby. Unless you’re just aching to spend another night out here, you can give Rance a call and tell him you’ve been released from duty and are about to head back to the department.”
Kirby Rawls stood, and began gathering up his sleeping bag and backpack. “Best news I’ve had all day. Thanks, Cameron. I’ve camped out in the woods all my life, but I’ve never guarded an open grave before. It was kinda spooky. Don’t really want to do this again.”
“Understood, but it was appreciated,” Cameron said, watching Kirby make tracks as he headed back to his truck.
An hour later, they were all finally up top again. Cameron had pulled up the ladder, and he and the agents were standing on both sides of the opening, holding on to four lengths of rope. They had to pull it straight up, taking up rope as they went. They were covered in dirt,grass roots, and old cobwebs from wrestling the old box to secure it, so they knew it was going to take all of the upper-body strength they had to get it out.
“Are you ready?” Cameron asked.
“Ready,” they echoed and began to lift.
A couple of hours later, they were gone. Cameron helped Ray and Charlie take down the tent, put plywood back over the hole, and then they shoveled dirt and leaves over it to disguise the location. Hopefully, it would serve the purpose until the construction crew could come out with the dozer to fill it in. They’d have to cut down a few trees to make a path, but it had to be done.
By the time Cameron got home, he was as tired and dirty as if he’d been on active duty. Ghost met him at the door when he walked in, sniffed his clothes, and then dropped to his belly and whined. He’d done it last night, and now he was doing it again.
Cameron’s heart broke. No matter how far away he and Ghost had come from war, some memories never leave. He knelt down beside him and began stroking him and hugging him. He knew what was wrong. Two days in a row Ghost had smelled death on him. Didn’t matter if it was old bodies or new ones. To a dog, dead was dead.
“It’s okay, boy. It’s okay,” Cameron said. “War’s over. Next on the agenda is burying the dead.”
Chapter 21
Mid-July—Jubilee, Kentucky
A most wonderful side effect of Aaron moving in with Dani was being absorbed into his family and his world.
The annual homecoming at the Church in the Wildwood was always held on the Fourth of July, and when Aaron took Dani, it was a first for both of them. She came carrying lasagna and hot garlic bread, and was welcomed profusely, whisked out of Aaron’s arms, and taken into the kitchen where all of the women and the smaller children were gathered.
They immediately oohed and aahed over her food, asked for her recipe, and brought her into the world of women. She was enchanted by their openness and willingness to accept her, but it wasn’t until the women began witnessing how the children gravitated toward her that they saw her true calling. The teacher in her was shining.
By the time Aaron came to check on her, she was sitting in a chair in the corner surrounded by littles, tellingthem a story from her childhood about a little alligator from the swamp with a turtle for a best friend. The basis of the story was about accepting people’s differences and not excluding someone just because you didn’t understand their ways.
Several women saw Aaron walk in the door and gave him a thumbs-up. He just grinned and kept moving toward her.
Dani looked up and smiled when she saw him.
One of the little girls saw him and held up her hand. “Miss Dani, Miss Dani, is Aaron your boyfriend?”
Dani grinned, because she knew Aaron heard it. “Yes, he is.”
The little girl sighed as she leaned against Dani’s knee. “I think he’s pretty.”
Dani nodded. “I think he’s pretty, too.”
Aaron winked at Dani as he swooped the little girl up in his arms. “I heard that, Lili Glass. I thought Uncle Cameron was your favorite.”
Lili giggled. “Mama says I can have lots of favorites.”
“Your mama is right,” Aaron said, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then put her down, and held out his hand to Dani and pulled her up. “Storytime’s over. I want my girl back.”
The children giggled, disbanding like a flock of quail—all going in different directions.
