The Rogue Mate

Chapter Five.

The sunlight shone through my window, hitting my face and blinding me as I groaned. My head pounded and my mouth was as dry as a desert. Dust danced in the early morning light as I looked around my room; something felt… wrong.

Throwing back the covers I stood, my legs shaky. The dogs began to bark as a car door slammed outside and I hurriedly tossed a robe over my camisole and shorts. My head pounded as I rushed down the stairs, clinging to the banister as someone knocked on the door. I knew that my uncle would be out in the field already, but why hadn’t he woken me? Told me to get my ass out of bed?

A rank stench hit my nose, like something had died and I gagged slightly; god why did the house smell so bad? There was another knock and I groaned. “Hold on, I’m coming!”

I shakily walked over to the door, by passing the kitchen where the dishes were piled high in the sink. I walked past the diving wall where the dining room was hidden and past the closed door of my uncle’s office. I opened the giant wooden front door, shielding my eyes from the bright sun. “Can I help you?”

It took me a few seconds to register the smiling face of Seth Logan, one of the local deputies. He was only a few years older than me at twenty and was known for being a generally nice guy. “We got a call down at the station from Ernest who said that after your uncle failed to call him to check in with the sales, he phoned the ranch and no one picked up; he asked us to check to make sure everything was ok out here.”

His chipper voice made my head pound and I leant against the door frame. “But Ernest only left a day ago and my uncle called him right before dinner last night.” I said confused, vaguely remembering that we’d been made to wait for him to join us while he talked to Ernest who was down at a ranch in Texas, working through a sale agreement with the owners.

A frown overcame Seth’s tanned face, his eyes growing weary as he stared at me worriedly. “Evan, Ernest said he’s been gone for three days; it’s Wednesday today.”

I frowned in confusion, peering through narrowed eyes at Seth, but not really seeing him. “What?”

“It’s Wednesday.” He repeated, taking a step forwards and slinging one of my arms over his shoulders as he turned me inside. “Come on, I think you need to sit down.”

The moment we walked back into the house, the smell hit me full force again. “God what is that?” He asked me, sitting me down on a bench near the door.

I shrugged and looked around the house in confusion. “Went to bed after dinner last night, so tired.”

“Let’s get you some water, I’m going to need to speak to your uncle.” I nodded as he went to the kitchen and got me a glass of water.

I downed it quickly after he handed it to me and looked around with slightly more clarity. “I don’t know where he is; he should have gotten me up this morning but he let me sleep, he never-,”

“What is the smell; it smells like something died in here.” He said, standing and walking towards the dividing wall of the dining room. I stood and followed him as he rounded the wall. The stench intensified, making my stomach roll as I turned the corner. My uncle was slumped over the table, a knife sticking through the back of his skull, dried blood pooled around his head. The three hands that’d stayed on during the off season and had dinner with us last night were in the same kind of state.

Seth turned around, covering his mouth, looking a little green. I guess my fogged mind didn’t register what I was seeing because all I could do was stare; so much blood, the smell, the knife. “They’re dead.” I muttered, sliding down the wall. “They’re all dead.”