Indigo Shadow - Hemlock

Chapter 4

Later that day they were back at Ange's house packing up their equipment in his Jeep, which was dripping with the condensation that had collected from the afternoon fog. Ange put in two large wheels that were wound with power cords. Jacoby had his hands full of cases, which carried video cameras and infrared lights. On his shoulders were bags filled with recorders, electromagnetic field detectors, and extra batteries. Hemlock oversaw the laptops and made sure everything was intact. They were a couple of hours and some minutes away from their destination, they couldn't afford a shortage of space. In Wyoming, there was a phrase used, that the state was a small town with long streets- everything was far away from anything. Driving three hours to get somewhere was nothing but normal, especially if it was autumn or "early winter" as most Wyomingites call it. Hemlock threw everyone's winter gear in the back, alongside the equipment. Everything had to be perfect; they wanted their client to be satisfied with their professional behavior and organization.

"Ready?" Ange asked as he closed the trunk with a bang. He clapped his hands together and rubbed, excited to get going.

"Shotgun!" Jacoby exclaimed and climbed into the car. Hemlock shook his head and smiled, automatically taking the back seat, making himself snug with the equipment and extra blankets. When Ange turned on the car, they were yet again greeted with the ear-piercing sound of folksy guitars and banjos.

"I hope you guys don't mind my tunes. I love the sound of bluegrass in the afternoon!" He remarked, proud with his choice in music. Jacoby made a face and instantly plugged his phone into the auxiliary, letting the smooth sounds of lo-fi fill the car. Ange didn't protest, instead he smiled and shrugged.

"I get it." Today he was in a good mood; his blonde hair was down and curling slightly at the ends. Hemlock laughed under his breath and opened the window, allowing the cool October wind to hit his face.

Soon they were blurring past buildings, heading north towards the Wind River Range. The pines started blurring together, forming a curtain of green on either side of the county road. Every now and then a patch of fiery aspens would illuminate the road, their small oval shaped leaves looking like embers dancing in the breeze. The mountains started to grow in size and the road became more zig-zagged. As the first forty-five minutes went by, Jacoby's music kept the mood of the car optimistic and chatty. However, everyone was anxious to get there. They had never investigated a ghost town, they had only investigated homes and small businesses in the past, and this was substantial for them. Hemlock twiddled with the strands of his black hoodie, he grabbed one string and stuck it in his mouth, chewing it while he thought. So far today has been good, except for his haunting dream last night, but he hadn't seen the shadow angel... Yet... he reminded himself. He peered out the window at the passing trees and bit his lip, nervous that he was going to jinx himself.

He turned his vision back to the company in the car. Ange was wearing a blue and black plaid button down shirt; his navy-blue jeans were form fitting and Hemlock could see that he had also worn his tattered brown hiking boots. Ange loved to go on long hikes and camping trips; sometimes he'd go hunting with his friends from the clinic for days on end. As for Jacoby, he was wearing black cargo pants and a soft cream shirt with the words "Black Lives Matter" spray-painted on its front, around his waist he had a dark green jacket tied. To compliment it all, he wore his reading glasses on top of his head as if they were sunglasses. Cradled in his lap was his camera, every now and then Hemlock would hear its shutters click as he snapped a shot of the autumnal road ahead.

"Wait!" Jacoby burst out suddenly, making Hemlock jump.

"What?" Ange asked, turning down the music.

"We forgot to get energy drinks for tonight!" Jacoby whined.