Finding Lexi Read online

  Clyde continued looking out the window as well, "I don’t see anything now,” he answered, his words heavy with something Lexi couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  “Probably just my imagination,” She smiled and stifled a yawn that pushed itself up and out.

  One side of Clyde’s mouth rose in an affectionate half smile, “Probably,” he agreed, “but I think I’ll go check none the less.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Lexi offered immediately, not relishing the idea of her eighty something year old grandfather alone in the dark with whatever she thought she saw.

  A full smile creased the still handsome face at her words and he gave her a gentle nudge with his shoulder, “You’re becoming your mother,” he warned her teasingly, waiting for her to smile back before continuing, “I have been checking on livestock for many years, Hon,” he told her, “I don’t need you, or your mother,” he added as she opened her mouth to interrupt him, “to trail behind me like mother hens. Not to mention I saw you yawning. You need some sleep. It’s been quite a day and tomorrow is another one so get yourself to bed. I’ll check the horses and be back before you’re even asleep.”

  Lexi tipped her head sideways, still unsure of letting him go. She couldn’t shake the ominous feeling in her stomach, which made her chew the inside of her cheek pensively as she considered her options.

  “Bed,” he said firmly, pointing one work roughened finger in the direction of her room, “Now,” he told her, leaving her no room for dispute.

  She acquiesced, nodding and rising on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek, “Be careful,” she said, her eyes big and round like she was a kid. He smiled and kissed the top of her head in response.

  “I promise,” he agreed and turned disappearing once again down the staircase from which he had just risen.

  ***

  That night Lexi slept fitfully. Her dreams were dark and cold with water pouring over her head and flashes of fire. Sweat poured off her body and it seemed as if she couldn't awaken from the grasp of the terrible nightmares. Suddenly she sat bolt upright in bed, her chest heaving and her sheets tangled. She pushed her hair back from her face, forcing herself to take deep breaths to calm herself, and wiping the perspiration from her face. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, a shiver shaking her frame.

  "This is ridiculous," Lexi told herself, speaking out loud but almost inaudibly. She forced herself to stand and move over to the window. Ever so slowly she pulled back the curtains, the folds of material folding over her hand as she did so, and peered out into the darkness. There was nothing there. Of course there wasn't. She had been imagining things in the moonlight earlier, she must have been. Plus hadn't her grandfather gone out to check? There was nothing out there. Her eyes scanned the darkness again, and although she saw nothing, the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach grew enormously.

  With a sigh Lexi pulled on her jeans and a denim shirt and crept silently downstairs. She pulled on her boots and slowly slid back the lock on the kitchen door and slipped out into the moonlit night. The grass was already wet with dew and her boots made a tiny squishy sound that seemed to be amplified by the quiet hum of the night. Unwilling to wake the horses, Lexi slid open the barn door and reached out for the flashlight Clyde kept by the door for emergencies.

  She swung the beam in a low arc, careful not to awaken the sleeping horses as she moved down the aisle way slowly. In the darkness the familiar barn took on an ominous feel and she shivered inside her denim shirt more than once. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was not alone, that there was someone other than the horses of course, in the barn with her, waiting. After checking to make sure the horses were all safe she moved through the tack room and feed room, shining the beam of the flashlight into every nook and corner.

  “Nothing,” she said to herself when she had finished her search. She leaned against the tack room door and chewed her bottom lip pensively. She had been so sure there had been someone down here. Sure enough that she had even grabbed her cell phone on her way out, pulling it from the charger on her bedside table. Lexi shrugged her shoulders and clicked off the flashlight. If no one was here, all the better she reasoned with herself, after all what had she been planning to do if she had come across someone. She started for the barn door and placed the flashlight back where she had found it. Just as she reached for the barn door she heard it. A slight shuffling overhead. Lexi froze instantly, her hand hanging in mid air where it had been about to seize the door handle. The sound occurred again, a slight shifting of weight buffeted by loose hay, sound as familiar and known as her own voice, and just as unmistakable. Someone was in the hayloft.

  Taking a deep breath, Lexi slowly opened the barn door and slid out into the night. She could have gone up the ladder into the hayloft but was afraid that if the individual up there had ill intentions it would put her at a disadvantage. Creeping softly through the dew soaked grass she moved up the hill to the top of the bank barn. The door to the hayloft was slightly ajar and Lexi felt an ominous shiver run up her spine. Knowing that door creaked she sucked in as much air as was possible, held her breath and slipped through the small space, silently cursing her mother for baking such good pies and herself for partaking in them. She managed to get through, only bumping the door once with her backside and only a touch then, the hinges holding their silence.

  Inside was almost pitch black and Lexi stood still while her eyes adjusted, every fiber of her being on high alert. Her muscles were so tense they hurt as she waited for her vision to improve. The sounds around her seemed huge, the shifting of the horses below, the quick stealth movement of one of the barn cats, and the soft shuffle of footsteps off to her right.

  Lexi’s heart froze in her chest, her breathing arrested in her lungs. The idea to come up here, without letting someone know first seemed amazingly stupid all at once. It was too late now though so Lexi forced herself to exhale and move cautiously to her right, inching her way carefully over the hay-laden floor. She could no longer hear the other person, but her own footsteps, however carefully placed, seemed to boom in the darkness. She knew whoever had been there was still there-she could feel them. Somewhere in blackness they were lurking, as aware of her as she was of them, perhaps more so, waiting ever so patiently for her to draw near. Lexi kept moving, one tentative foot in front of the other until she reached a corner. She stopped, closing her straining eyes for a moment against the shifting shadows and taking a deep calming breath.

  That was when she felt it. The gloved finger that trailed ever so slowly down her face, lingering as it traced the line of her jaw, dropping to trace the neck of her shirt. For a moment Lexi stood paralyzed. Terror gripped her with maniacal tightness, as she found herself backed into a corner and facing an unknown opponent. She closed her eyes again for a moment, said a little prayer, and swung as hard as she could.

  The person opposite her gave a gasp as her fist met his chin. The figure stumbled back briefly in surprise but recovered quickly, coming back at her with alarming viciousness. Lexi got in a few good punches as she swung blankly into the dark at a constantly moving target. Her ears strained to hear the sounds of shuffling feet in the hay, grasping at any hint as to where to swing, more often than not her instinct proving at least partly right as she would catch a part of her attacker. The figure, however, was much better prepared for nighttime combat and proved not only swift, but smart, in the attack. The figure kept Lexi moving in a circle, weaving around her with expert ease, until she was not only swinging wildly but off balance as well. It only took one well-aimed punch to drop her like a rag doll onto the hard wooden floor.

  ***

  He smiled to himself, leaning his head back against the headrest in his truck. He had been so close. He had been so close to her he could smell her fear, her agitation. He had obtained total control, even only for a few moments, and he relished every minute of it. She had been brave to come up to the hayloft- he would give her that. He ha
dn’t expected it but had been pleased that she had been so willing to participate. Yes, she was proving to be even more fun than he had hoped. Everything was going much better than he had dared to dream and his plan was moving along beautifully. He grinned into the darkness and started up the truck, the giant engine roaring into the darkness angrily. He reached over and pulled a flask from his glove compartment, its metal casing, long since tarnished with time and use, glinted dully in the pale light of early dawn. He took a long pull from the container, replaced the cap and tucked it neatly back into the nook from which it had come. Then, grinning broadly, he slammed down the accelerator and roared off into the first hints of morning light.

  ***

  The next morning dawned bright, clear, and unseasonably hot. Lexi could feel the heat emanating from the golden glow of her window, the sunshine murmuring the promise of a searing summer. She heard what sounded like the staircase collapsing and smiled. Jake was up and ready for breakfast by the sound of his enthusiastic footsteps. Lexi yawned and rolled out of bed, which was exactly when her head began to swim. She closed her eyes for a moment and lay back down, her head pulsating like she had Congo drums in her brain. The noise from the kitchen grew steadily and deciding it was time to get up, Lexi gritted her teeth and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She grabbed the headboard as her eyes swam for a moment but with sheer determination she stood up. Sliding on her well-worn jeans, she pulled on her favorite Texas A&M shirt before heading downstairs. Her whole body was sore like she had fallen off a horse and been galloped over.

  “What in the world?” She asked herself out loud, which was exactly when the memory of the previous night’s events came back to her, “The horses!” She exclaimed and forgetting her throbbing head and lack of balance rushed to the stairs, tripping over her own feet as she hurried to the kitchen to see if everyone, and everything, was all right.

  "Hey, Mom, guess what?" Jake asked flouncing into his seat with a plate piled high with pancakes, eggs, and sausage. Twinkie sat expectantly at his feet, watching as one sausage rolled precariously to the edge of the plate and wobbled, just a breath from falling to the floor and her waiting jaws, as the plate hit the table. Jake absently caught the runaway sausage with his fork and stuffed half of it in his mouth, practically bouncing with excitement. Lexi’s eyes swung around the big room, catching sight of her mother and son. They were okay, but what about Clyde and the horses.

  "Finish your mouthful and then tell me," Lexi said slowly, suddenly feeling the energy leak from her body and catching Nora's eye shook her head half in amusement and half in dismay.

  “You should be sitting down,” Nora whispered as she passed her, a plate full of food steaming in her hand. Lexi wholeheartedly agreed and plunked down in her seat in front of her breakfast.

  Jake swallowed, paying no attention to his mother or grandmother, tossing a bite of egg to Twinkie before taking a deep breath; “Grandpa said that if we get our chores done today we'll head over to the Henderson's for a barbeque this afternoon. He said we could play horse shoes and they have a big pond everyone fishes in, doesn't that sound like fun?" Jake demanded scooping a forkful of pancakes dripping sticky, golden syrup, into his mouth.

  Lexi shot her mother a look out of the corner of her eye but Nora was purposefully flipping a pancake, her gaze firmly on the griddle and away from Lexi's. Luke's family was famously hospitable, they loved a good BBQ, however the fact that they were hosting a BBQ on the same day as Peter Monteque seemed not only a bit on the side of unfriendly, but was downright strange considering they were, normally, the friendliest people in town, which only added to her suspicions of last night that something very odd was going on here.

  Lexi didn't answer Jake but instead offered him another question, "Where is Grandpa?" she asked, fighting back a shiver left over from last night. Nora caught the change in Lexi's tone and her head snapped up but it was Lexi's turn to ignore her mother and she kept her eyes tuned to her son.

  "He's outside," Jake said, oblivious to the strange behavior of either woman, "He was packing our fishing poles and said he would be right in," Nora tipped her head curiously at Lexi as her shoulders noticeably relaxed and she exhaled audibly.

  "Everyone is fine,” Nora said filling another plate, “Although I would like to know what happened last night,” Before Lexi could answer Clyde came in the kitchen door, pulling of his ball cap and wiping the sweat from his brow.

  "It's hot already," he said, washing his hands before he piled a plate full of pancakes, eggs, and sausage and settled next to Jake at the table, "Pass the syrup please, Jake," he said giving his pancakes a liberal dosing of the warm, golden liquid. He looked over at Lexi, concern etching deep lines in his face, “Are you okay this morning?” He asked, “You gave us quite a scare last night.”

  Jake immediately looked up, “What? Why? What happened?” he asked in rapid-fire succession.

  “I’m fine,” Lexi answered, “I have a bit of a headache and I feel like I fell off a horse but otherwise I’m fine.”

  Clyde nodded but continued to study Lexi with fierce intensity, “You took quite a wallop,” He said, “When I found you, you were out cold.”

  “What?” Jake demanded looking between the two of them, his face stricken with fear.

  “I’m fine, Jake,” Lexi said, reaching out to take her son’s hand and give it a squeeze, “I just went to check the horses last night one more time and bumped my head,” she smiled encouragingly at him, “You know how I am about paying attention,” she shot warning looks to both Nora and Clyde clearly articulating they would discuss the matter later.

  “Okay,” Jake said hesitantly. Lexi gave his hand another squeeze and blew him a kiss. He made a face and then smiled at her, “Eww, Mom, I’m eating breakfast.”

  Lexi grinned in response, ignoring the sudden jolt of pain behind her eye and turned her attention back to Clyde.

  "So, Grandpa," Lexi began, pausing to take a bite of egg and toss her last bite of sausage to the dog, "What's this about a BBQ at the Henderson's?" she asked casually, although her words were heavily pregnant with curious suggestiveness.

  He pushed a mound full of pancake in his mouth and said nothing but his eyes were a swirl of well-concealed thoughts and Lexi was sure he knew just what she was talking about.

  "Aren't we supposed to be over at Monteque's tonight?" she inquired, knowing her grandfather was a man that always kept his word and would hardly back out of something he had said.

  "I said," he corrected her, taking a swig of coffee before he continued, "that we would stop by if we got our chores done and we will. We'll stop briefly on the way to the Henderson's," he explained as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

  "We'll have to keep it brief though," he cautioned, his eyes now twinkling mischievously, "Because I told Luke we'd be there early to help set up." Clyde went back to eating with purpose and Lexi recognized that was all he was going to say. She shot her mother another look and Nora grinned and dug ambitiously into her food as well, “That reminds me, you should call him, he’s probably worried about you.”

  “Why would he be?” Lexi inquired, leaning a bit over the table as she did so.

  “We called him last night,” Nora told her, “Marci too,” she added and before Lexi could protest Nora continued, “They are your friends,” she said firmly.

  Lexi clamped her mouth shut, her protests locked inside and shook her head. Her mother and grandfather were like two runaway horses. Sometimes the best way to handle a runaway horse is to let it run.

  "I see," Lexi said with a smile, looking between the two of them, "Well, that was very thoughtful of you. I will be sure and call them in a bit,” Lexi said with a deep breath, “and I'm sure Peter will understand."

  "Not likely," Nora muttered under her breath her smile lingering on her lips as she did so.

  ***

  They all worked hard to ensure all the chores were done, livestock was taken care of, and horses were worke
d. Lexi’s head throbbed for most of the morning, but fresh air, hard work, and horses had her feeling better by noon. Even Red seemed to feel the excitement of a BBQ and had been surprisingly good with his lesson for the day. In bits and pieces throughout the day, anytime Jake was not around, Lexi had filled in Nora and Clyde about what had really happened the night before in the barn.

  Both had given her the same reaction, brows furrowed in a mixture of anger and worry. Who would do such a thing and why? They were thankful Lexi, horses, and livestock were safe but the ominous feeling that remained despite that fact was far from comforting.

  “I don’t like this,” Clyde told her. Jake had been busy spraying Twinkie with the hose and the three adults had stood together watching the boy and dog clean up and play, “They could have done much worse but they didn’t,” Clyde shifted unhappily from one foot to the other.

  “This was a warning,” Nora said, frowning in consternation, “Something much bigger is going on here and this was just a warning of what is to come. They think they’re playing with us.”