Track of the Beast: A Brock Stone Adventure

“Can you show me the way?” Stone’s heart raced.

“I can show you right now, if you are willing.”

“I am.”

Gideon opened a drawstring pouch and poured a handful of white, sparkling powder into his palm.

“The first Treasure is the Treasure of Salt.”

The stuff in Gideon’s hand didn’t look like salt. It reflected the firelight in a wide spectrum of colors.

“Do you truly wish to see the monastery and gain the Five Treasures?” Gideon intoned. It sounded like part of a ritual.

“Absolutely.”

“Do you vow to complete this journey, no matter the cost?”

Stone didn’t hesitate. Something in his life had to change.

“I give you my word.”

Without warning, Gideon flung the powder into Stone’s eyes. Stone let out a shout. Instinctively he threw a punch at Gideon, but he was weak, and his movements were sluggish. The liquor had done its work.

He felt Gideon grab him by the wrists. Stone has no strength left to fight.

Gideon whispered in his ear.

“To be born again, first you must die.”

Darkness swallowed him.

15- Rockmire

Rockmire was a small logging town. Truth be told, it was barely a town at all. A combination filling station and country store stood on one side of the dirt road. Across the street was an establishment called the Woodsman’s Complaint. A hand-painted sign out front advertised soda pop, but the man who came staggering out the door had obviously been drinking something stronger.

Stone wasn’t all that surprised. Prohibition was growing increasingly unpopular and seemed likely to be repealed in the coming years. Already, many jurisdictions were turning a blind eye at speakeasies, provided the establishments were discreet and made generous donations to the local powers that be. Was the revenue department really going to send an agent into the Cascades to try and stop a town full of lumberjacks and hunters from having a drink? Stone wasn’t a heavy drinker by any stretch, but he thought a grown man ought to be able to decide such things for himself. And a woman. He heard Trinity’s voice inside his head, and it made him smile.

A few cabins stood nearby. One of them was larger than the others and the sign outside proclaimed it to be a boarding house.

They pulled up to the filling station and were pleasantly surprised to see that the owners were apparently happy to do business with anybody. As Stone was parking the truck, they saw a black man exit the store, chatting amiably with a Yakama Indian and a white man. They clambered into the back of a truck driven by a Chinese fellow and drove off. Stone saw Moses gaping at the truck as it disappeared.

“You thinking about moving West?” Stone asked.

Moses grinned and shook his head. “Virginia is home. I just wish it loved me as much as I love it.”

Stone couldn’t think of anything useful to say. He gave a sad nod and inclined his head toward the store.

“Let’s go inside. I’ll buy you a Coca Cola.”

“You think they have that out here?” Moses asked.

“I had one at the Amsterdam Olympics, and that was a few years ago. Surely they have it out here.”

“You were at the Amsterdam Olympics?” Alex asked.

“Not officially. Actually, forget I told you that.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “You know I hate it when you do that.”

The shop owners were a couple named Vince and Deb. They were polite, but seemed uncertain what to make of these newcomers. Sensing their discomfort, the men browsed the store while Constance engaged the couple in casual conversation. She asked about the town and learned that Deb owned the boarding house, which was currently filled to capacity with married loggers and their families. Most loggers lived at the logging camps and only ventured into town for supplies or a drink at the saloon.

When Constance asked if the couple had seen Trinity, the air grew thick with tension.

“She came in here a couple of times, but she didn’t talk,” Vince said.

“Knowing Trinity, I find that difficult to believe,” Constance said. “At minimum, she would have peppered you with friendly questions until you felt like you’d been turned inside out.”

Vince flashed a smile. “I only meant that she didn’t say much about herself.”

“She has gone missing and we’re trying to find her,” Constance said. “Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”

Watching from the far side of the store, Stone saw the couple exchange nervous glances. They knew something but were reluctant to say.

“Please,” he said, approaching the front counter. “I appreciate that you are respecting her privacy but we need your help.”

Deb did a double-take, then relaxed. “I know your face. You are her fellow, Rocky Smith, something like that?”

“Brock Stone, and I’m surprised she called me her fellow.”

“My words, not hers. She showed me a photo of you. Said you were not as bright as you are handsome.”

“Truer words have never been spoken,” Alex chimed in.

“You calling him handsome?” Moses said.