Ash Return of the Beast

CHAPTER 62



10:00 a.m.

Kane’s cell phone vibrated in his front pocket as he sprinted up the main steps to the precinct entrance. He stopped just inside the large glass doors and took the call. “Ravenwood! Where the hell have you been? Where the hell are you?”

“I’m at the Zocalo in San Cristobal.”

Kane could tell she was winded, breathing hard. It sounded as if she was walking quickly, maybe even running as she spoke. He shook his head. “At the what, where?”

“Southern tip of Mexico. Never mind. Just listen.”

“No, you listen––”

“No, you listen. I don’t have time to explain. I’m on my way to Guatemala as we speak. We’ll catch a flight from there and––”

“We? Who’s we? Ravenwood, what the––?”

“Never mind. With any luck we’ll be in Albuquerque by around four o’clock and I’ll catch a flight to Seattle from there. I’ll call you the minute I’m back. You won’t believe what I’ve seen. What’s happening with Cowl? Is he still in––?”

“You won’t believe what I’ve seen, either. He’s awake. I mean he was awake. He’s sedated now, but… hello? Ravenwood? Hello––? Damn it!”

***

1:00 p.m.

Guatemala Airport

Tocho stood by the magazine rack and waited, watching Ravenwood talking with the man behind the ticket counter. She turned, briefly, and he could see the troubled look on her face. Then she turned back to the man behind the counter. It looked like she was arguing with him. The man didn’t seem to be showing any sympathy so much as he simply looked annoyed. Tocho studied the situation and wondered if he should step in. Finally, it seemed a transaction was being made and then Ravenwood turned and walked away, clearly upset. She glanced around, apprehensively, looking for Tocho.

“Over here,” he called out to her.

She snapped her head in the direction of his voice and hurried over to him with two tickets in her hand. “Unbelievable,” she said, trying to restrain her emotion.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“The next flight to Albuquerque was scheduled to leave at one-fifteen. That would be cutting it close enough but now there’s been some kind of delay and it won’t be leaving until one-forty-five. A goddamn half an hour. Shit.”

“Half hour. That means we won’t get to Albuquerque until––”

“Five friggin’ o’clock this evening.” She squeezed the tickets in her fist as if she was strangling the man behind the counter.

Tocho put a hand on her shoulder. “Okay, calm down. Let’s not––”

She jerked her shoulder away and Tocho’s hand remained suspended in air for a moment before falling to his side. He stood there with a helpless look on his face.

She glared at him. “Calm down? Don’t you get it? At this rate I won’t get home until… Christ, I don’t know… ten… eleven o’clock tonight? Tomorrow is the ninth day, Tocho. If you had seen what I’ve seen…” She paused a moment and took a breath. “Kane’s not going to be able to handle this on his own.”

“Yeah, but like you said, that’s tomorrow. This is today. There’s still time to––”

“Tomorrow starts tonight, Tocho.” She was raising her voice, almost yelling. “Midnight, tonight. Get it?”

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about that.”

Ravenwood let out an exasperated sigh. She turned and walked a few steps away, paused a moment, then came back. She touched Tocho’s arm. “I’m sorry.” She sounded tired. “I shouldn’t be yelling at you. I just can’t believe this is happening.”

Tocho nodded. “It’s all right.”

She snorted a little nervous laugh. “Yeah, I wish.”