Marker of Faith

CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 45

John drove towards the center of town with the location of the field he'd seen in his vision nagging at him. The place had to be close, but at the same time the whole "other-wordly" aspect of the Old Ones meant the field could be on Mars for all he knew. Still, something kept poking at his mind's eye; the location was familiar.

Roddy pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit three at a time, his eyes tearing up from the acrid smoke as he handed one over the seat to Minerva and the other to John. A tense smile crept into the corners of Roddy's mouth as he put the last one between his lips and puffed at the butt feverishly.

He exhaled roughly. "I just thought of something."

John clenched his cigarette between his teeth and squinted through the mixture of smoke. "What?"

"All of the bodies weren't kept here in Portsmouth, remember?" Roddy was turned sideways in the seat with his elbow resting against the dashboard. John flicked his eyes back to the road and then a slow smile eased onto his face. He started nodding eagerly as he changed lanes to make the turn onto an access road that eventually would lead to the highway.

"Oh, County Medical Examiner Rodriguez, you da man!"

Minerva rested her chin on the seat back between them. "What does he mean, John?"

"There were two other murders, a shaman and a Buddhist I think -- hard to keep track, in another town down the highway."

"Yeah, the posts were done there instead of being shipped to me here," Roddy said. "I don't know what the status is, but it's worth taking a look. And there are probably more bodies by now."

"So where are we headed?" Rattle asked.

"Marksburgh," John and Roddy answered in unison.

Minerva sat up quickly and looked at Rattle. The old man met her eye and frowned as Roddy sat back and began to ramble.

"Who knew so many different faiths existed side-by-side around here? Not so white bread after all." Roddy laughed, unaware of the tension in the back seat. "It's a sick salute to America's melting pot of religious freedom, though, the Old Ones chewing their way through our quiet little corner here." He turned and winked at Minerva.

"Of all the towns and big city cesspools teeming with human evil...the Old Ones had to wander into this joint," he said in a bad imitation of Bogart, but no one laughed. Roddy looked over at John and shrugged.

"It wasn't that bad."

"Marksburgh." Minerva looked pale again. John caught her reflection in the mirror, and the frown lines around her mouth twitched like she was chewing on something sour. A silent exchange passed between her and the old man, and Minerva shuddered.

"What's with you two back there? This might be good news."

Roddy swiveled in his seat to face them. "Yeah, we just might yet catch a break. I hope the shadow nuts haven't beaten us there."

"Trust me," Minerva said. "The bodies are long gone."

"What did I miss? What's going on?" Roddy demanded.

"I know Marksburgh," Rattle said, his voice barely a whisper as he pulled his jacket tightly across his chest, the weathered fabric giving comfort against the chill of fear mounting in his bones. The battle was coming.

"I was born there."

"No shit?" You're just full of surprises, amigo." Roddy turned his attention to Minerva. "What are you not telling us?"