Talgorian Prophecy Page 3

  I couldn’t sit there, wasting time, any longer.

  If only she didn’t need a tracker she could find Robbie by herself. She couldn’t find the clearing alone. She no longer knew these woods by memory. A lot of landmarks would have changed in seven years.

  She glanced at the Town Hall in the rearview mirror. Turning her attention forward, Wildcat Mountain loomed on the horizon. The ranger station was a short distance away. Brody would be at work. She knew calling first would destroy any chance she had of gaining his assistance.

  That was the problem. She knew. The police wouldn’t listen to her. No one believed her.

  Sadness washed over her. A good mother would never let anything bad happen to her child. She couldn’t connect to Robbie and that worried her even more.

  “Oh, Robbie. I love you, baby. Mommy’s coming, you’re not alone,” Megan whispered.

  Her stomach tightened and tears stung her eyes. How could I fail my child? She was strong in the face of adversity but this was the worst crisis she’d ever faced. When Brody broke off their engagement she’d gone into hysterics. Losing control hadn’t gotten him back and it wouldn’t save Robbie now.

  Brody’s words still hurt. I hate you, Megan. Don’t come near me again. If she revealed the secret she’d kept from him the hatred would only deepen. She had to avoid that at any cost.

  She wiped away an escaping tear, yawned and stretched her arm across toward the passenger seat. Her body ached from hours of high tension and lack of sleep. Even a catnap would lose valuable time. She had to force her body to stay awake.

  The ranger station came into view beside a long narrow sign announcing the entryway into Edgewood National Forest. It reminded her of a ranch entrance. She turned into the building’s parking lot, choosing a space away from the town-owned vehicles. She noticed the building sported new signage. It was now called Flatrock Creek Police and Ranger Station. She turned off the car, glanced at the clear sky and decided to leave the top down. She grabbed her brown purse from the passenger seat, exited the car and hurried toward the building.

  * * * * *

  Brody Phelps sipped coffee, which had gone cold long ago, while he flipped through the file lying open on the desk. The only excitement all week had been Owen Henderson’s regular Friday night binge at Sheridan’s Bar. He set the cup down to jot a final detail in Henderson’s report and took the folder to the records room, filing it the tan cabinet labeled H-J. The bell over the front door jingled.

  “Be right out.” He slid the drawer closed and walked down the dimly lit hallway into the main office. Saturday morning sunlight poured through three large windows overlooking the mountains.

  He blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the brilliant light. A faint, fresh scent drifted to his nostrils, triggering a sliver of memory he couldn’t place. It reminded him of springtime.

  A slender woman stood with her back to him, looking out the windows. Tight jeans hugged curvaceous hips and a narrow waist. Her straight honey-colored hair with golden highlights was pulled back in low ponytail.

  “What can I do for you, ma’am?” Brody asked, stopping a few feet behind her.

  Instead of turning, she stiffened. Slender shoulders squared and her head lifted slightly. Brody frowned. Something about her was vaguely familiar.

  Realization shot through him. No, it couldn’t be. His heartbeat lurched and scorching heat seared through him.

  “Megan?”

  The woman cleared her throat and turned to face him.

  “Megan!” Stunned, his jaw dropped but he quickly clamped it shut. Brody stared at her. The memories flooded back, making love, their engagement, the accident and the breakup. She didn’t say a word but watched him with those brilliant blue eyes as if she had the power to penetrate him and see into his soul.

  There was little resemblance to the glamorous psychic who appeared on television talk shows. Dark circles shadowed doe eyes and worry lines marred her classic beauty.

  Brody shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “It’s been a long time, Megan.”

  “How are you, Brody?”

  Her voice sounded tense, not the carefree silky tone he remembered. Hearing the husky way she said his name made him think of the past and the desire they’d shared. Desire he buried years ago, that he’d rather not remember now. Her body was no longer the slim tomboyish figure of a teenager. Her curves begged to be touched.

  Megan smiled softly.

  Can she read minds? “I never expected to see you again. What brings you back to Flatrock Creek?” he asked.

  “I need you, Brody.”

  “You need me?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “What the hell for?”

  “It’s Robbie. My son.”

  A son? So she had moved on, married and had a family. She’d been able to forget him so easily? She’d told him they’d be together forever, yet she’d wasted no time in finding someone else to love and have a family with. Resentment and jealousy stabbed at him. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in years. “You have children?”

  “Robbie…” She choked on the name. Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away. “I’ve kept him a secret from the media. I didn’t want people to know about him because I was afraid someone would try to hurt him because of my job.”

  Brody stepped back. He had to distance himself from the memories, yet he couldn’t stop staring at her.

  “Why did you refuse Detective Archer’s request?”

  He frowned. “Robbie Cassidy is your son?”

  Despite their past, or maybe because of it, her pain washed over him, clenching at his heart. He'd never forgotten how Megan had stood by him when his cousin, Arial, disappeared. When the police discovered the body he’d been devastated and angry. People shouldn’t hurt little kids. He’d sworn to help children in danger and, as an adult, had become a ranger and a police officer. Arial’s disappearance had upset Megan but she’d stayed strong for him.

  Now her son was missing. He fought the unexpected longing to hold her the same way she’d held him back then.

  He couldn’t get involved with Megan again—not even to comfort her. Even though he’d sent her away, she’d always possessed his heart in a way he could never escape. Getting involved with her on any level would only bring pain back into his life. The accident had been Megan’s fault because she’d misinterpreted her vision. If she’d been accurate he would have been able to repair the car and prevent the accident. His parents would still be alive.

  He remembered the car’s twisted metal. His heartbeat pounded harder thinking about the day his parents wrecked and the sadness of losing them both at the same time. His breathing quickened.

  Megan’s tired gaze held his. She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. The feelings they’d shared had been nothing more than first love. It didn’t matter how soft her skin looked now or how much her full lips begged to be kissed. She’d betrayed him and he wasn’t ready to deal with Megan or her visions again. “Archer didn’t tell me about you.”

  Megan stepped forward and grasped his wrist. The look in her eyes held a plea for help. “Brody, I need you. I’ll even pay you to be my guide.”

  His skin burned under her touch. He wanted to pull her into his arms, plunge his tongue into her mouth and reclaim what had once been his. He should send her away and keep his sanity. “Archer will find someone to search for your son. I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

  It took all of his self-control not to change his mind. He was acting like a jerk and couldn’t stop. He tried to justify his actions by thinking of the wedding he had to attend this weekend. He really couldn’t miss it. Besides, he never took time off work.

  “Please don’t send me away until you hear me out. Give me a chance to explain why you’re my only hope.”

  Brody looked down at the slim fingers squeezing his wrist. She death-gripped his skin, her hold so tight the tips of her fingers had turned w
hite. He looked into her eyes. The fear and pain he saw there pulled at his heart. His resolve slipped. How could he not lend a hand?

  He pried her fingers from his wrist and then held her hand, caressing its softness. Looking up he examined her face. Something in her eyes captured his attention. Why did she have to stare at him as if he were the only person she could count on?

  God help him, he was about to make the worst mistake of his life.

  Chapter Three

  “Okay, Megan,” Brody nodded toward the lounge area, “sit down and tell me why you’re here.”

  She entered the room. An overstuffed brown couch with two matching chairs, a plank coffee table and end tables added a sense of coziness to the police station. She sat on the couch clutching the purse against her abdomen.

  What was Brody thinking? Had he wondered about Robbie’s father? Or what her life was like now? Maybe he felt indifferent about seeing her again. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

  Brody lowered all six foot two inches of his toned physique into a chair. She let her gaze move over his broad chest and down strong arms as the shirtsleeves tightened around muscles bunching beneath the fabric. A utility belt holding a two-way radio and other items clung to his narrow waist. Man, he sure fills out that ranger uniform.

  Her heartbeat increased watching him settle into the chair. She fought the urge to go to him, bury her head against his neck and let him comfort her. It was all she could do to keep her seat. She wanted to lean on him, to feel his strength protecting her. She hadn’t realized seeing him again would be this difficult.

  Years ago he had wanted her love and she’d willingly given it. She remembered the time he’d playfully tickled her at the community barbecue, chasing her into the forest until they’d both tumbled onto the grass and into each other’s arms. The day he’d asked her to marry him had been the happiest of her life, a joy eclipsed only by Robbie’s birth. Brody had been her most trusted confidant until that fateful morning when the accident ripped their world apart.

  She’d tried to get over Brody by dating other men but none had compared. She’d even convinced herself she didn’t need a man in her life and Robbie’s love was enough. Now she realized she’d only kidded herself. A love like theirs was rare. For a moment she allowed herself to wish for love again.

  Brody watched her.

  Instead of the baby-faced teenager who caused her to spin out of control, the man staring at her with such intensity was a stranger. His features were more sculpted and laugh lines creased the outer corners of his eyes. She knew she’d never be able to deny her feelings, even after all this time or the pain she’d experienced when he’d broken her heart. How much had he changed after his parents’ deaths?

  She searched for any softness in his eyes, an unclenching of his jaw, anything to indicate he’d forgiven her. She saw nothing to offer even a shred of hope.

  Not that she’d expected forgiveness.

  “I’m waiting, Megan.”

  She stared at Brody and twisted the purse strap. “It started eight months ago. A girl was kidnapped and two weeks later her mother was taken. They found both of them murdered in the Allegheny Mountains about twenty miles north of Clarkston. Two months later, a man and his teenage son disappeared. When, again two months later, a woman and her daughter were abducted, the Clarkston police realized they had a serial killer on their hands. They called in the State Police but neither department is saying much. The victims are always a parent and child, with the parent having some type of psychic ability and the killer cuts an X across their chest and decapitates them.”

  “The Mountain Mangler?” Brody crossed his arms over his chest.

  “You have heard of him?”

  “Archer wanted me on the search and rescue team with this case but you know that don’t you? You came back to Flatrock Creek to see me because…”

  “Yeah, I knew Archer wanted you on the team.” She rubbed her face with her hands. “Brody, you’re the best Forest Ranger in West Virginia and a trained police officer. You’ve been tracking these mountains your whole life. You know this area better than anyone and have proven it by finding eight missing people. If anyone can find Robbie, it’s you.”

  “Have you been keeping tabs on me, Megan?” His eyes narrowed and the muscles in his jaw twitched.

  Megan jerked her gaze from him. Heat rose into her cheeks under his scrutiny. She couldn’t admit that was exactly what she’d done. “I saw you on television when you found the Anderson boy in the Allegheny’s.”

  She met his stare but his expression remained cold. “You were quite a hero.”

  “This is out of my jurisdiction.”

  “Not as a ranger.”

  “What does Robbie’s father say about your coming to me?”

  “I’m not married so there isn’t anyone else to consider. Please help me.”

  Brody stood and paced over to the desk.

  Megan waited. She knew better than to pressure him. And because this concerned her, it wouldn’t be anything less than monumental for him to agree.

  He turned to face her. Indecision and something else flitted in his eyes. Images from their youth flashed through her mind, the accident, his anger.

  Crap. I’m reading him. Megan tried to break the connection by imagining a brick wall between them. It didn’t work. She looked away and thought of the serial killer taking Robbie. Anger took over and broke her psychic link to Brody.

  “I’m sorry, Megan.” He frowned. “I’m going out of town tomorrow. I can give you the names of other rangers who are good trackers. I hope you find your son.”

  “What? You must be kidding!” She wouldn’t settle for a ranger who wasn’t a natural tracker and didn’t have the intuitive ability, instincts and dogged determination that Brody had. “This is unacceptable. Couldn’t you cancel your trip?” Megan rubbed her temple. “You still resent me, don’t you? I did not kill your parents.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “No.” Megan stood. “We will talk about it.”

  She moved to stand in front of him, in case he decided to walk out on her—again. “My son’s life is in danger. He may die. What about your promise to Arial? When she was murdered you swore you’d always find a way to help a child in danger.”

  “There’s too much in our past. You’ll be better off with someone who doesn’t have our history.”

  “I don’t want any other ranger. I want you. You’re the best. You’ve got an instinct about this sort of thing—intuitiveness—even if you don’t agree. Please, Brody. I haven’t bothered you in all these years. The one time I ask for your professional expertise, not for myself but for my child—how can you refuse?”

  “Because I have other commitments. I can recommend Ranger Thompson in Calgory. He’s an excellent tracker.” Brody reached for a pen and wrote something on a notepad. He ripped the page from the pad and held it out to her. “Here’s his number. Tell him I referred you.” He tossed the pen on the desk.

  Dark brooding eyes bore into her. “Dammit Brody, Robbie needs you.” Her anger swelled.

  Brody turned away. When Detective Archer asked him to work this case it had been a hard decision to choose his cousin’s wedding over work. He’d let her complaints influence him.

  Now Megan needed him.

  He wanted to be there for her, he really did but the risk to his heart was too great. Megan had torn his world apart once. He couldn’t let history repeat itself. Not now, not ever again. “You only want to use me for my tracking skills just like everyone else. You only came to me because I know these mountains. You said so yourself.”

  Tracking was his job and he loved it. He didn’t mind being used for work but with Megan it was different. He’d always hoped if he ever saw her again it wouldn’t be work related.

  “Brody, there’s something—”

  He threw up his hands. “I don’t want to know, Megan. Whatever it is, it won’t influence my decision. For once, why don’t
you accept you’ve made a mistake?”

  “A mistake?” Megan stared into his eyes as she stepped toward him. So these were his true feelings. “I’m not too proud to admit when I’m wrong. But there’s not a psychic on this planet who is right one hundred percent of the time.”

  For a moment he watched her. Megan hoped he was reconsidering his decision. Maybe he’d change his mind and search for Robbie.

  “I know you’re under a lot of stress. I’m not going to put myself in a position to be hurt by your visions again.” He took her hand and pressed the piece of paper with the phone number into her palm. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t want your sympathy, Brody.” Megan backed toward the door, crushing the paper in her fist. “You told me how you felt seven years ago. I should have believed you. I don’t know why I ever thought you would feel differently now. I’ll handle this situation like every other one in my life—alone.”

  Megan jerked the front door open and slammed it behind her. She ran down the steps, fumbling with her keys. They slipped through her fingers, clattering onto the sidewalk. She scooped them up but dropped them again.

  Anger boiled in her stomach, mixing with the ever-present fear. Tears clouded her vision. She snatched up the keys. Her heart beat so furiously she thought a heart attack was imminent. She paused to take a deep breath while visualizing her heartbeat decreasing. Once the rapid pounding and her breathing slowed, she continued down the porch.

  And stopped dead in her tracks a few feet away from the car.

  Her gaze narrowed on the child-sized, blue baseball cap lying on the Mustang’s dashboard. The letters NY were stitched above the brim.

  Oh God! Panic tore at her, catching her breath and shattering her. She ran to the driver’s side door and leaned into the car for a better look.

  Robbie, in capital letters, was embroidered in white above the adjustable clasp.

  The killer’s here!

  “Give me my son!” Megan screamed and spun around, looking for him. “Damn it, show yourself, coward! Give Robbie back to me!”