A Visitation of Angels by Carolyn Haines

Author:Carolyn Haines [Haines, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Carolyn Haines

Chapter 18

The car was jam-packed as we set off. I held Callie while Elizabeth held a lead rope. Mariah trotted contentedly behind the car as Reginald drove down a road that was little more than a track. It defined the borders of Elizabeth’s land, and I watched the expressions roll across her face as she said goodbye to a farm she’d worked and enjoyed. She would not come back. Not willingly. This much I knew in my heart.

Reginald’s clenched jaw reminded me how much danger we were in, though he’d been upbeat and cheerful to Elizabeth. I looked into the backseat at Michael, who rode beside Elizabeth. He nodded encouragement. “We’re going to be okay.”

The trees crowded close to the road, the trunks so thick the woods were as dark as night on each side of us. Anyone could be lying in wait. “Don’t stop,” I cautioned Reginald. “Whatever happens, don’t stop.”

He nodded and gripped the wheel tighter as the challenging road tried to wrest control from him. Up ahead, on the right, I saw something moving in the trees. I touched Reginald’s hand. “Look there.” I said it quietly, hoping not to alert Michael and Elizabeth until I was certain it was danger.

Reginald sped up. The car bumped and Elizabeth cast a worried glance at Mariah, who seemed able to keep up.

Whatever was in the woods increased its pace also. Michael leaned forward, pressing into the front seat. “We have to go back,” he said.

“What?”

“We have to go back. Turn around. Quickly.” He wasn’t panicked, but he was firm.

“Why?” I leaned across the seat to ask him.

He pointed toward the woods, and I thought he’d also seen the dark shadow tracking us. Instead, he pointed to something closer—a green hood that had been fitted over the top of a small pine. The empty eye holes stared right at us. “They know we’ll try this way out. They’ll be waiting for us.”

Movement deeper in the woods caught my eye. I caught what appeared to be the flutter of large, dark, wings, but I couldn’t be certain. Though I was looking closely, I was completely unprepared for a wild rush of black wings and bodies that came out of the trees and flew over the car, missing us by only inches. The wake of turkey buzzards swarmed the car in a way I’d never seen that kind of bird react. It was almost as if they were attacking us. Their red heads, almost bald, looked dipped in blood.

“What the—” Reginald slowed in a small clearing and turned the car around. With the buzzards in pursuit, we headed back to Elizabeth’s. We would not escape this morning. Maybe not ever.

“I’ve never seen a buzzard attack anything,” Elizabeth said. “They’re carrion eaters, not hunters.” Little Callie had grown completely still. Her eyes were wide open, but she didn’t fuss or cry.

“Could they have been poisoned?” Reginald asked. “They seem to be everywhere in Mission and they don’t act like regular buzzards do.”

“There have always been a lot of them.

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