Cold on the Mountain Read online

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re going to have to eat something. I mean, really eat something. I know you want to give it all to the girls, and I support that thinking, but if they don’t see you eating, then they’ll search you and they’ll find it and then it won’t do anyone any good. Hell, they might even throw you off the crew—dock you a day’s pay. That would be probably be game over for you guys, I think.

  “So you have to sell it. At least eat the apple, and make sure that they see you doing it.”

  Phil sighed. He wanted to eat the whole damned lunch, but he also wanted none of it. He pictured the twins splitting the apple, and his heart raced. Damn, they needed it way more than he did.

  “Take a bite, Phil. Come on. Before they come over here and hassle us.”

  Phil took the apple out of the box. There was a bag of potato chips, two cellophane-wrapped cookies, and the sandwich. There were even a few of those little packets of mustard and mayonnaise.

  He swallowed, then realized that he was drooling.

  He licked his lips and bit into the apple. Sweet, cold juices puckered his mouth and he gasped. It was nothing he could stop—those sounds of pleasure—and Jasper laughed before warning him to take it slow.

  Jasper opened his chips and ate one. He unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite. One of the rovers—the silent one with dark hair and sunglasses, sauntered by. He lingered near their table and Phil merely nodded at him.

  Without a word, the rover kept moving.

  “Okay, I’m going to pass you my lunch underneath the table, Phil. Pocket what you can and stash it in your jacket. It’ll stay cool enough out here. Just act natural and…oh, hey there Belphegor! Join us, won’t you?”

  The rover’s shadow covered half the table. Phil resisted the temptation to turn; he simply took another bite.

  The rover sat, staring at Phil until he looked up to meet his gaze.

  “Ah, Jasper,” the rover said, “you know that you don’t have to be so formal with me. You’re not one of them, you know. Never have been. You can just call me plain old Benny. Yes sir, Benny will do just fine.

  “So, who’s your friend here?”

  “This is Phil Benson. New arrival. Phil, this is Belphag—Benny. He runs security for the lady of the lottery. All of this land is hers.”

  Phil cleared his throat and offered his hand. “Nice to, uh…nice to meet you, sir.”

  Belphegor shook, holding Phil’s hand just a beat too long. “Say, you look familiar, Mr. Benson. I got this weird feeling that I just…I just recently ran into you somewhere.”

  “Maybe at the textiles plant. I, uh…I work pretty much all the time. I’ve been there a lot since I got to Adrienne.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, that’s probably it. How’s that going? You doing okay with the adjustment? It takes some longer than others.”

  Phil nodded. He took a big bite of his apple. “We’re doing fine, sir. Girls are enjoying school, and my wife’s working hard. We’re pulling our weight—hoping for a miracle like everyone else.”

  Belphegor’s smile slipped away. He hadn’t been expecting such a direct response. He squinted into the sun, taking Phil’s measure. “You guys going to make it?”

  Jasper nodded emphatically. “Phil’s been one of our best, Benny. He’s really worked hard to get acclimated at the factory, and he’s willing to put in the long hours. He might be cutting it close, but I think he’ll float the check.”

  Belphegor stood. He scratched his jaw and smiled at Phil. “Good for you. My supervisor likes it when we get close to full participation. It’s a win-win, right? So do me a favor, will you?”

  “Yes, sir. What’s that?”

  “Don’t do anything to fuck it up, okay? We don’t like it when folks try to game the lady’s system, and I especially don’t like coming down hard on a family man. Just keep your nose clean and maybe I can forget about your presence the other night at that little midnight get together, okay?”

  Phil nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “You gentlemen enjoy your lunch,” the rover said. He touched the brim of his cap and sauntered off.

  “Well, that was cordial,” Jasper said when he was out of earshot. “You still want to try this?”

  Phil sighed. “I don’t really have a choice,” he replied.

  Jasper nodded, pushing his sandwich under the table. Phil slid it into his jeans. When the coast was clear, he did the same with his own sandwich and Jasper’s apple. He slipped the cookies into his pockets and then made a show of eating his potato chips. He turned the package inside out, licking the salty grease from the wrapper.

  Jasper chucked their empty boxes into the garbage, right in plain view of the dark-haired rover.

  Phil stood and walked carefully back to his station, where he slipped into his coat. He worked for a few minutes before asking Jasper if he could use the bathroom—the rovers within earshot of the request.

  “Make it quick, Benson. Anybody else need to go?”

  Two others accompanied him, and when Phil took his turn, he slipped the food into the interior pockets of his winter coat.

  He urinated and returned to the tent. By 4:00 the air had cooled and the rest of the men shrugged back into their coats and jackets.

  Phil worked hard, buoyed by the presence of the food tucked against his chest and the calories fueling his depleted system. When it grew dark, they fired the vans up and the men headed back into town, exhausted. They were cranking along nicely, and much of the tent’s frame was in place.

  They made their farewells and went their separate ways, Phil pulling the collar up on his coat against the chill. He hustled home, bursting with excitement to share his pilfered treasures with the girls.

  He was so focused on getting home that he never even noticed the figure, a shadowy form tracking him from a distance.

  ~0~

  “Daddy!” the girls shouted in unison when he turned the key and stepped inside; he immediately locked the door, and then they attacked him with hugs and kisses. With Phil putting in so many extra hours at the factory, family time had been sparse.

  Phil told them about his day, careful to not mention the lunches. Wendy had dark shadows under her eyes; she looked utterly exhausted. Phil held her hand and was stunned by how small and brittle it felt. A week of fasting had made the little bones stand out in staggering relief, and he squeezed it gently and flashed his most sympathetic smile.

  Oh, his poor girls! His heart simply ached for them…

  “How about a bath? It’ll be just like the old days, back home in Oregon,” he finally suggested, when the girls had told him all about their day. He went from room to room, closing the drapes and drawing the blinds.

  He was paranoid, and the bathroom was the only place that was truly free from prying eyes.

  “Phil, what do you mean…?”

  “Come on, girls! Bath time!” he shouted, picking up his coat and draping it over his arm.

  Belphegor stood just outside the front window, peering in at the little family framed in the sliver of light between the wooden blinds and the window sill. As if sensing him there, Phil turned and looked directly at him.

  Belphegor narrowed his eyes. What was going on here?

  “We’ll save the hot water if you take one together. Come on, now.”

  The girls hadn’t bathed together in months, if not years. They flashed an expression of puzzlement before standing and following Phil to the bathroom. Wendy followed suit, and Phil closed the door behind them.

  “Shit,” Belphegor hissed. He wanted something—anything—before he executed the Dowager’s instructions. Davey Billups had been trying to game the system. He’d been trying to escape, and there was a world of difference in taking the life of somebody like that. But if he killed an innocent…well, things didn’t work like that in Adrienne. There were repercussions to consider, and he had to be certain.

  Phil turned on the water while Wendy collapsed on the toilet.

  “What a
re we doing, Dad?” Cammie said. “This is really weird.”

  “Just keep quiet,” Phil replied, his voice calm. He grabbed the ham sandwich and the little packets of condiments. The water rushed into the tub, creating little clouds of steam, and he unwrapped the sandwich, half expecting there to be a pounding fist at the front door.

  “Phil, where did you…? Did you go to the store? You know we can’t buy anything if we want to get out of here!” Wendy said.

  “I didn’t go to the store, honey. They fed us as part of the payment for the work we did today. I smuggled them off the job site. Eat up, girls. Hurry, now.” He spread mustard and mayonnaise on the sandwich, careful not to waste a drop, and used his thumbs to divide the sandwich into equal portions. He gave each of them a half and they devoured them.

  “Here,” he said, pushing Jasper’s partially eaten sandwich into Wendy’s hand. He handed her the condiments, and she looked at it warily.

  “What is this, Phil? Is it safe to eat?”

  “It’s Jasper’s sandwich, and it should be fine. Look, I already had an apple and some potato chips. I don’t need anything else, and you definitely do, Wendy. Here, girls. Split this, okay?”

  He gave them the apple, which Cammie held like it was a priceless diamond. “Whoa! An apple—Dad, where did you get this?”

  “Like I said, they gave us lunch. Look, I’m hoping they’ll do the same tomorrow. But if anyone finds out that I shared any of this stuff with you guys, it could be bad for us. The people who run Adrienne don’t like it when we help each other. Eat up, girls. All of it.”

  And they did just that. Handing it back and forth—bite for bite—they demolished the apple, seeds and all, until all that remained was a sliver of stem. Phil tossed it into the toilet.

  “Come on, Wendy. Please, honey.”

  With a sigh, she spread the condiments on the sandwich. She had wolfed three quarters of it before offering the rest to Phil. “Your turn,” she said through a full mouth. “Everybody eats.”

  Phil shook his head. “Nope. That’s all you, honey. Here, girls. Try these.”

  They shrieked when he showed them the cookies. He unwrapped them and they disappeared in two bites, the girls making satisfied little grunts while they polished them off. Carrie hit her knees in search of a dropped crumb.

  Phil brought out the second package. “For you,” he said, handing it to Wendy.

  She was crying. She had finished the sandwich and, with a shaking hand, she unwrapped the cookies and handed one back to Phil. He merely broke it in two and gave the portions to the girls. Wendy finished hers just as quickly as the girls had.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, and the girls went to their father and put their arms around him. Wendy stood and pulled all of them close in the ultimate family hug. “Thank you, Phil. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  He squeezed the cellophane into a tight little ball and flushed it. “I’ll try again tomorrow, but there’s no guarantees. If the coast is clear, I should be able to bring something back.

  “Listen, girls. I’m not sure if anybody’s watching out there. We have to be very careful, okay? You girls take that bath, just like I said. Wendy and I are going to head into the living room, okay? Call us if you need anything.”

  He switched the water off and the girls, their spirits lifted immediately by their humble dinner, laughed as they prepared for their bath.

  Wendy and Phil settled on the couch, and she put her head in his lap. He stroked her hair, his eyes darting to the picture window from time to time.

  Belphegor watched, frustrated. He had nothing.

  He turned and made his way back toward town. There was still time. Jasper’s crew hadn’t finished the job yet, and there was still time for him to catch Phil in the act. He just had to stay vigilant.

  Vigilant and patient.

  THIRTY-ONE

  “I took the long way home last night,” Jasper said, dragging deeply on his cigarette, “and I noticed a curious thing.”

  “What’s that?” Phil said, blowing warm air into his hands. It was a few degrees above freezing, the sun just beginning to glow in the east.

  “There was a man outside your house, Phil. Well, not really a man, but you know what I mean.”

  “Shoot. Belphegor?”

  Jasper nodded. “I think you better let me handle the operation today, buddy. I have an idea.”

  Phil regarded him closely. “Thanks, Jasper. Look, I have to ask—why? Why are you willing to help me?”

  He smiled. “It’s not just you, Phil. I’ve helped lots of people—as many as I’m able—over the years. It’s just the way that I am. We don’t deserve to be here, you and me.”

  Phil let that sink in. “Would it have worked, do you think?”

  “What’s that?”

  “On the night they stormed the assembly, there were folks talking about open revolt. About storming the portal. Could it happen?”

  Jasper shrugged. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and stamped it out. “I don’t know. I doubt it, I guess. It’s a pretty intimidating scene. You know, you see these assholes out here and you recognize a bunch of them. The serial killers and the crazies. But the worst ones, I think, don’t really show themselves around town. We’re talking the megalomaniacs. The dictators. People like Solovief. Most of them have been here for a long damned time, and they keep to themselves, just waiting for their number to be called. But everyone—and I mean everyone—shows up on the night of the lottery. You’ll see some stunners, Phil. I think there will be almost eight thousand of them, so it wouldn’t be wise to challenge them.”

  “I suppose you’re right. So I guess…I guess our only chance is to get lucky.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Jasper said, waving at his crew as men congregated outside of the factory. “We’re talking about a doorway here, right? We can walk through it from our side; others can come through it from theirs, right?”

  “But why would they?”

  “Look, there are places where things sneak through. That school your girls attend is one of them. Why do you think Frankie had you drop that note in the garbage? We’re building a bridge here, buddy.”

  Phil’s mouth fell open and Jasper simply nodded in reply.

  “Yeah, I know about that. There are things underfoot, Phil. People on the other side that are invested in getting their loved ones back.”

  The vans pulled up and men piled into them.

  “We can talk more about it later,” Jasper said. “But remember what I said about lunch. Just follow my lead.”

  ~0~

  By the time the whistle blew, they had the banquet tent stretched taut over the frame. Jasper walked the periphery, double checking the knots on each length of rope.

  “Excellent work!” he said, as his crew tucked into their meals. Phil snacked on chips. He couldn’t think of a practical way to sneak them out, and he needed something to keep him going anyway. “I’m proud of you gentlemen. We’ll spend the rest of the afternoon working on the interior, but we should be able to knock off a bit early tonight.”

  This brought a smattering of applause from the men and Jasper nodded at Belphegor as he took his seat across from Phil; they sat in the same spot, hopeful for a similar result.

  “Let him see you pocket the apple,” Jasper said, his mouth full of sandwich.

  “What?”

  “Let him see it. When he looks over here, don’t make eye contact with him—just slip it in your coat.”

  “But Jasper, I—”

  “Just do it, Phil.”

  Phil worked on his chips. With a shaking hand, he picked up the apple. Belphegor slowly made his way toward them, and Phil watched his approach from the corner of his eye. When the rover’s eyes came up, he quickly stowed the fruit in his coat.

  Belphegor turned before reaching their table, putting his back to them so Phil couldn’t see the smile on his face.

  ~0~

  “I’ll take it,” Darryl Merton
whispered. They were carrying rectangular folding tables into the tent.

  Phil smiled in reply. “Why?”

  “It’s not just my old man that I’m missing while I’m stuck here,” he replied. “I have girls of my own.”

  They set the table up, the rovers ever watchful of their progress, and walked shoulder to shoulder back to the tractor trailer for another table. When they stepped out of the tent, Phil hurried the apple to the old man, who made it disappear.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “Happy to help.”

  They had the tables arranged and were setting up the chairs when Jasper called for Phil to check the stakes on the exterior of the tent one final time.

  He handed him a hatchet. “The sun warms the soil, so the stakes will slip a bit. Just make sure you give them each a good whack.”

  Phil was isolated on the far side of the tent when Belphegor made his approach. “You, uh…you planning to eat that apple you stuck in your coat there, Mr. Benson?”

  Phil paused mid-swing. He stood, his heart racing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir. I don’t have anything.”

  Belphegor flashed his best grin—pure cowboy cocky. For just an instant, Phil saw the creature underneath, the thing with golden eyes and sharp teeth. “Now we both know that’s a lie. I know you’re trying to support your family—trying to avoid any trips to our little mercantile here in Adrienne. But that’s not how the game is played, Mr. Benson. If your girls want to eat, they need to pay. Now give me that apple or you’ll have to face the consequences.”

  “I…I don’t have an apple. I ate it.”

  “Shit, Phil. I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. I told you I don’t like coming down hard on family men. Regardless of whatever you might think about the nature of a person like me, I do have a soft spot for that particular institution.

  “But I saw what you did, and you’re going to get docked for it. Give it over before it gets worse.”

  “I ate it, sir. I don’t have anything.”

  “Then open your coat.”

  Phil unzipped his coat.