Page 70 of Shifting Years
"Stop calling me that! I don't have a flamethrower, rockets, or airstrikes. That's what we need! "
"The military uses what it has and not what it wishes it had. You are in a metal vehicle. Must I spell it out to you, Private?"
I gasped. Henry was still at the docks but slowly slithering further down the walkway toward the water. He could smell and hear, but I never saw proof he could see.
One way to be sure.
I floored the gas. The truck roared forward, bouncing violently over rough terrain, headlights cutting through the dark.
"Smart…" The sheriff then slumped over.
The lake, dock, and a metallic worm came fast. Maybe Henry was more of a snake. Who else would take someone's daughter?
Well, me but I didn't do it like this.
My right hand held the sheriff back and we crashed into Henry, crumbling the truck's front, and throwing an armored worm past the dock. He shrieked like a banshee as he sunk further into the water, thrashing until he was gone. One minute became two and yet he moved under the waves, still alive.
Dammit.
"Tactical retreat, soldier." Todd stood outside the truck, pointing up the hill.
My hand went out and I could almost believe something pushed back for an instant. "What's my favorite show?"
"I don't remember."
"Yeah, stupid me." The real Todd would know how much I lovedStar Trek, but not this mental creation.
Unlike younger Todd's car, the truck still ran. I reversed until we caught a small breeze blowing our scent away from the dock. I got out. Quickly, I searched the dock, finding nothing that belonged to a little girl or a tiny body. Nor did I find anyone else alive.
***
"I got another truck the next day and searched again," I said to Kim's obvious question.
"Was your daughter there?"
I shook my head sadly. "Henry was still there, lurking beneath the surface. Trapped, but not dead." I paused while my throat burned. "Angel was a ghost."
Todd pulled me in for a hug as I continued. "I still don't know if it was the right decision."
"You…wedid the best we could with what we knew back then."
"We lost her, Todd."
Kim sensed he shouldn't ask me more questions and turned to Todd. "Were you still away?"
Todd exhaled, his voice heavy. "Like before… I got there too late. And when I finally did, I had nothing. Not even my memory."
***
Chapter Twenty-Five
Summer 1977
Todd
The pickup truck honked once, then rumbled away, leaving a cloud of dust on the gravel road. Ten minutes of walking on dirt and rock gave way to a two-lane highway, and soon, I found myself at the edge of another small Southern town. Brick storefronts lined the main street; the air was thick with the scent of fried food and asphalt baking in the sun.
This wasn't just another place. Something felt off, like I'd walked into a memory I couldn't quite place, a dream I barely remembered upon waking.
