Inheritance

Chapter 2: Jack (Part 3)

Jack lowered the mall cop to the floor with a confused shake of his head. He took out his cell phone and snapped a quick picture of the servant tattoo to ask Olive about and he pocketed the taser. After digging through the guy's pockets, Jack took a picture of his driver's license. He checked his pulse and breathing. They seemed even and regular, so Jack left him in the hallway. He hurried from the mall, ran through the rain and jumped in his car. He sped home. 

Navigating the treacherous roads, Jack went over and over the attack in his mind. What were the odds of Sundance's attempt to get him in trouble being the servant of a witch who apparently wanted him? Why Jack? What did this witch want? Questions raced around in his head. They collided and the explosions made him feel jumpy. Zephyr climbed out of her pocket and onto his shoulder. Her wings hung limply behind her, wet from the rain. Neither of them spoke. 

Not reaching home soon enough, Jack raced up the drive, threw his car into park, almost forgot to turn it off, and dashed into the house.

"Mom? Dad?" he called.

An oddly silent house greeted him. He looked down at his watch to check the time - 4.25. The potion waited on the deadline for Olive to finish it. Panic rose in him, fear based on a history where people who disappeared died. Jack ran to the velvet curtain and ripped it open. Olive stepped from her room with her hair still wet.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we Jack?"

He started breathing again as he handed her the package.

"You okay?"

Relief made him weak. He wondered if his family would ever get over the years Manson had hunted them. Would they ever come home without the fear of missing family? Maybe the twins would be born untainted.

"You okay, Jack?" Olive repeated. "You look a little pale."

"No, but I'll explain in a minute. I need something to eat."

As Jack dug around in the fridge, Olive moved over to her potion and un-wrapped the large tobacco leaves. She slipped them into the pot one at a time. The surface boiled and a sweet spicy smell filled the air. It reminded Jack of Christmas. Real Christmas. The special time enjoyed with his family, not the one the mall marketed with perfect people being perfect.

Olive put the lid on the pot and tapped it once with her finger.

"It'll be ready by the time we have to leave."

Jack nodded. He piled cheese and meat on two slices of bread with chips, pickles and cookies on the side. He set a slice of honey oat bread and water out for Zephyr. Olive poured him a glass of orange juice and, with his help, hefted herself up onto one of the barstools. Clipper, the cats and the skunks crowded around Jack's feet waiting for the small pieces of his food bound to come their way because they wore their cute faces.

"Wanna tell me what happened?

Between bites, Jack explained about the cop.

"Let me see this picture of his tattoo," Olive said.

Jack pulled out his cell phone and opened his photo album. He selected the picture.

"Damn."

Blurry and indecipherable photos filled the screen instead of the tattoo and driver's license.

"Damn, damn, damn," Jack moaned. His one and only clue faded and blurred leaving him with nothing.

"Just describe it to me," Olive said.

"It was like a branch just about to bud out."

"Well, that narrows it down to the witch of Trees, or it could be the witch of Youth, NewLife, Growth or even something totally different. We could check in with the LoreHolder and see if she knows."