Shadow Effect - 28. Chapter 28

Elijah stood at the railing of the overlook, taking in the vastness of the incredible sight nature created. Pictures did not do the landscape justice. Striations of brown, black, tan, red, and even greenish rock displayed the history of Earth going back millions of years. Incredibly fucking beautiful.

He was glad Tyler came up with this idea. They lucked out and snagged two seats on the two-hour train ride from Williams to the visitor’s center at the canyon’s South Rim. The ride was worth it. High desert scenery mixed in with prairies and pine forests afforded plenty to look at. It was the sweeping view as they approached the canyon itself that had taken everyone’s breath away.

The vastness of the vista spread out before him made him feel like an insignificant speck on the earth. The world was so much bigger than any of them imagined.

“It’s breathtaking,” Tyler said as he joined him.

“It sure is. Thanks for suggesting it.”

“Yeah. Maybe someday when we have more time, we can come back and do some more exploring. The West Rim has the Skywalk and ziplining. I wouldn’t mind trying that. Or we could do one of those whitewater rafting trips, even better!”

Tyler’s enthusiasm was usually contagious, but his mind had been dwelling on Neall’s death. He found it hard to muster up any level of interest, let alone his best friend's level. Kage still hung heavy on his heart as well, leaving an ache he wasn’t sure would ever abate.

“Sure, Ty. That would be great.”

Elijah knew Tyler saw right through him. There was a day of reckoning not too far off in his future, one where he would be called out and not allowed one single iota of slack. He was grateful today would not be that day.

He vowed not to let his own melancholia dampen Tyler’s spirits and to make the best of their time here. This was the perfect opportunity to get his head on straight.

They spent the rest of their allotted time checking out some of the easy trails that wound their way along the edge of the canyon, stopping to take pictures, and making sure not to get too close to the edge. Elijah wouldn’t have minded shifting into an eagle and soaring high over the rugged terrain, but he would never leave Tyler behind.

He hoped they could return someday. The enormity of the landscape didn’t allow him to wallow in self-pity, and he truly did enjoy the rest of the afternoon, despite the heat that was beginning to bake the terrain. They were sweaty when they returned to the train depot, having stopped to pick up a few souvenirs for Tyler’s siblings, paying a little extra to have them shipped home.

Back in Williams, they grabbed a bite to eat before returning to the campground. Instead of joining the community bonfire again, Elijah suggested they figure out what pup to go after next.

“Are you sure you’re up for it?” Tyler asked.

Elijah nodded. “Yeah, I don’t want to waste another day. Who knows? If we had been a few days earlier, Neall might still be alive.”

Tyler flipped through the information in the folders again. “Hey, this one’s family is here in Arizona now. Sebastian left a footnote. It looks like they relocated a couple of months ago from New Mexico. The mom has a sister in the Coronado Forest pack.”

“Let me see.” Elijah took the folder from Ty.

“Cameron Nading, fourteen at the time of his abduction, which was two and a half years ago. Still considered part of the Santa Fe pack, as is the rest of the family. Their visit to Arizona is supposed to be temporary.” He read from the file. “Hmmm, I wonder what made them move?”

“Coronado National Forest is about eight hours south.” Tyler grinned, knowing their life was now nothing but one big road trip. ”You up for hittin’ the highway again?”

“Yeah, I’ll call Sebastian and let him know where we’re headed so he can notify the pack Alpha.” Elijah felt the now-familiar warmth inside of him spread throughout, starting in his chest and working outward. He felt good about the decision and when he called Sebastian, the Alpha agreed. It was the most logical choice. Sebastian promised to text them after he spoke with the Coronado pack’s Alpha.

“So, what’s the rest of the background on Cameron again?” Tyler asked.

Elijah skimmed through the dossier, his brows furrowing as he read.

“Not very good. He’s the one kidnapped by a known pedophile, Micheal Gates, who up until the abduction was being scrutinized by the FBI. They were never able to pin anything on him. They came close a few times. He was approached online, more than once, by undercover detectives posing as twelve or thirteen-year-old boys. No matter how hard they tried, they weren’t successful in drawing him out. Several meetings were arranged, but he never showed up for any of them.”

“Sounds like he’s one slippery son of a bitch who watched too many episodes of Dateline,” Tyler remarked.

“Yeah,” Elijah replied, distracted by what he was reading.

“What did you find?” Tyler asked after a few minutes of silence.

“The FBI dropped their inquiry about a year ago. I wonder why?”

“Maybe they figured they’d gotten as close as they were ever going to get? I mean, if they weren’t able to pin anything on him, wouldn’t it be logical to drop him as a subject of interest? There can’t be a fire if there’s no smoke.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Elijah rationalized.

His phone dinged with an incoming text. He glanced at the contact information Sebastian sent, along with an assurance they would be welcome on pack lands and accommodations would be provided.

He certainly hoped all of the packs they would have to interact with were so easy. He handed Tyler the dossier so he could read through it again. Each time they reviewed a case, it brought a sense of sadness knowing they had barely scratched the surface of what they needed to do.

Cameron’s packet of information indicated he was originally kept captive in New Mexico, but Sebastian wasn’t sure he was still there. Gates had properties in several other states and could easily have moved Cameron several times by now. They had to figure out a way to narrow it down. Maybe tomorrow would bring some fresh information.

Sebastian indicated his team would try to dig up anything new, now that they had a specific target to focus on. Meanwhile, he and Tyler would meet with Cameron’s parents. He hoped it wouldn’t be as emotionally taxing as it had been with Neall’s parents.

Dealing with families and seeing firsthand the devastating impact of the abductions had made everything real. This wasn’t a CGI effects movie they were part of. No, this was a live-action flick, where every move they made had a consequence. They needed to make sure they chose the right one.

It was close to midnight when they turned in and were out cold almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows. If Tyler tossed and turned, Elijah didn’t notice, sleeping straight through until the early morning light and the sounds of other campers stirring roused him.

After a quick breakfast, they broke camp, waved goodbye to their neighbors, and once more took a southerly heading as they got on the highway.

Phoenix took longer to get through than anticipated, but they still made decent time once they were past the typical city congestion. By the time they reached Tucson, they were hungry and stopped long enough to eat. An earlier call to the pack Alpha, Dasan Eaglefeather, came with a warning that if they couldn’t make it to Mescal before six o’clock, they would need to wait until tomorrow to reach the pack. The only road leading to the pack’s land turned into a narrow dirt trail not far out of the small town. It was dangerous to navigate in the dark if one wasn’t familiar with the road.

Dasan was sending one of his Betas, Maikoh, to meet them and guide them in if they made it in time. Elijah wondered if he should’ve rented an all-wheel drive vehicle until Tyler reminded him this was not your average mommy-van.

Despite the delays, they made it with plenty of time to spare. Maikoh was a handsome man who appeared to be in his late thirties. His Navajo lineage gave him beautiful bronze skin, deep brown eyes, and silky black hair, which he tied back into a long ponytail at the nape of his neck. Crinkled laugh lines were etched into the corners of his eyes. He greeted them with a warm smile, genuinely happy to see them.

“Welcome to our territory,” he said, extending his hand, grasping each of theirs firmly in turn.

“Thank you for having us,” Elijah replied. “I hope you didn’t come out of your way to meet us.”

“No, it’s not out of the way. I had to come into town to get some supplies anyway, so it worked out well. I can wait if you need to use the facilities here. It’ll take close to an hour to reach the den.”

“We might as well,” Tyler commented with a chuckle. “You know my Mama taught me never to pass up an opportunity for a bathroom break while on the road.”

“Yeah, well, your mama knows you have the bladder of a flea,” Elijah muttered, just loud enough for Tyler and Maikoh to hear.

“Eat shit, Garrison.”

“Not in your lifetime, Williamson.”

Maikoh watched in amusement.

Tyler gave him a shove as he pushed past to lead the way into the convenience store that was combined with the gas station they stopped at. After emptying their bladders, Elijah topped off the gas tank, and they followed Maikoh toward the National Forest.

The road soon narrowed, and it wasn’t long before they were enveloped in a cloud of dust kicked up from the Ford Bronco Maikoh drove. Elijah slowed down, increasing the distance between the vehicles, thereby lessening the thickness of the dust cloud. At least now he could see more than ten feet in front of him.

They gingerly picked their way across the bumpy terrain, the sun sinking lower and lower to the right as it sank toward the western horizon. They crossed over dry arroyos and slowly ascended as the landscape changed from flat desert to hilly forest, the trail narrowing until single-file was the only option. Dusk descended rapidly as the forest closed in around them. Thankfully, they reached the pack compound before full darkness set in.

Sebastian informed them the pack numbered just under a hundred. They passed several homes before stopping in front of a large two-story house that looked like it had been transported from a farm in Kansas. A wide porch wrapped around the entire house. Peaked windows with wooden shutters were evenly spaced, which, during the day, would allow light into every room.

Elijah pulled in behind Maikoh’s Bronco and turned off the engine. The front door opened and a tall, stately man came out, followed by a pretty woman with black hair so long she could sit on it.

“Hello there! I’m Dasan Eaglefeather and this is my mate, Johona. Welcome to our land, Elijah and Tyler.”

“Thank you,” Elijah replied, Tyler parroting him.

“Please come inside,” Dasan implored.

The inside of the house was warm and inviting. Traditional Navajo colors were predominant throughout the simple decor. Black, white, yellow, and blue were featured in several paintings adorning the walls. Elijah remembered reading somewhere that each color had several meanings, and the Navajo culture wove them into many of their traditions.

“Your home is beautiful,” Tyler remarked, another of Mama’s lessons getting practical use; always compliment your hosts. She would be proud of her eldest.

Johona smiled. “Let me show you to the guest room, and you can freshen up. Heath and Lauren are anxious to meet you.”

Heath and Lauren Nading were Cameron’s parents. A small ball of anxiety settled in his stomach as he and Tyler followed Johona upstairs. The guest room was decorated in traditional Navajo decor, intricately woven blankets covering each of the twin beds. An adjoining bathroom allowed them to wash the grit from their faces. Even with the windows up, the dust had still found its way inside the van, lightly coating everything, including him and Tyler. It felt good to splash cool water over his face.

They quickly changed into clean clothes and headed back downstairs.

The Nadings were waiting with Dasan in the comfortable living room. Heath Nading looked to be in his mid-to-late forties, with thinning brown hair, and a weathered look to his skin that bespoke years of working outdoors. Elijah remembered reading that he was a landscaper. Lauren Nading seemed to be a few years older than her husband, but that may have been because of the deep lines of stress that furrowed her forehead and eyes, just like Neall’s mom. He blinked rapidly, shutting down that train of thought.

Introductions were made and Mrs. Nading cut to the chase. “Don’t bullshit me,” she started. “What do you think are the chances of you finding my baby boy alive?”

Elijah admired her forthrightness. He knew there was no pulling the wool over her eyes or trying to sugarcoat things.

“Ma’am, I can honestly say that I have no fucking clue,” Elijah blurted.

She barked out a laugh. “Finally, someone who tells the truth. Every single person involved so far has tried to coddle us. Shield us from the worst-case scenario. I know damn well what that scenario is, too. No one has to tell me there’s a good chance Cameron is dead. But he’s not. I have a gut feeling. I carried that boy inside of me for nine months when every doctor I saw told me I’d never have a full-term baby. He proved them wrong. Now, I don’t care what they’ve done to him or what monster they think he’s become. He’s my child. I will love him no matter what. You just bring him home. Do you understand?”

At that moment, Elijah was reminded of his own mom. She, too, would have moved heaven and earth if she were in Mrs. Nading’s shoes.

He and Tyler nodded solemnly.

“Can you tell us a little about Cameron, what he’s like, his personality? Anything you can think of to help us understand who it is we are looking for?” Tyler asked, taking the reins again.

“He’s a shy boy, but not bashful. It takes him a little bit to warm up to new people. Our pack is a decent size, and he wasn’t the most outgoing pup, but once you gained his stamp of approval, you had a friend for life. His two best friends are lost without him.”

“Ma’am, why did you and your husband move here?” Tyler asked.

“Johona is my half-sister. She knew I was having a hard time dealing with everything at home. There are just too many reminders, you know? She thought a change of scenery would be better for my mental health. She was right. There’s a calmness here in these woods that soothes my wolf. I somehow feel closer to Cameron than I do at home,” she explained.

“What sorts of things does Cameron like to do?” Elijah asked, wanting to keep her talking about her son. One, it was good for her to get it out and two, it gave them information that might be useful.

“He loves baseball. Not just playing, but everything about the sport. He has a memory like an elephant. Team and player statistics just roll off his tongue. The Diamondbacks are his favorite team right now unless he’s changed loyalties.”

“I’m sure they still are, dear,” Mr. Nading reassured her, speaking up for the first time. Clearing his throat, he continued, “Cameron also likes anything mechanical. He would take apart everything he could get his hands on when he was younger, televisions, radios, appliances, you name it. He loved to take them apart and put them back together just for the hell of it. He once borrowed the neighbor’s vacuum cleaner so he could dismantle it, clean it and then reassemble everything. Granted, he never asked for permission. Needless to say, our neighbor had a conniption fit until she realized the damn thing ran better than it did when it was brand new.”

“He had just started his own small appliance repair business when he disappeared. Something to give him some extra spending money,” Mrs. Nading added.

“It sounds like he’s a really smart kid.”

“Yes, he is,” Mr. Nading agreed.

“Find him.” It wasn’t an order. It wasn’t a command. It was a plea. A plea made by a mother whose only child was out there, somewhere.

Elijah once again felt a soft warmth spreading through his chest, starting somewhere deep within himself and branching out, wispy tendrils of heat weaving their way in and around each of his cells.

“We will,” he replied, a look passing between him and Mrs. Nading. An unspoken promise, waiting to be fulfilled.

There wasn’t much more to say after that and the Nadings bid them goodnight.

Dasan turned to him with dark brown eyes, almost black, pinning him in their sight. “Do you honestly believe you will find young Cameron alive?”

“I hope so,” he answered truthfully.

“I hope so too.”

They went back up to their room, and Elijah gently shut the door behind him. “Thoughts?” he asked.

Tyler didn’t answer right away, finally taking a deep breath, like he’d been trying to formulate what to say, or how to say it.

“I hope you’re right about this. About finding him alive. You all but promised that woman. I sure as hell hope you can back up that promise.”

“Ty, I can’t tell you exactly why I have a good feeling about this one. But, ever since we made the decision to try to find Cameron, it’s like something inside me keeps pushing me toward it. Sebastian told us to listen to our instincts, to our guts. My gut is telling me we have to look for Cameron.”

“Good enough for me. So, where the fuck do we start?”

“I have no fucking clue.”

Elijah wished his instincts would tell him something other than to look for Cameron. A little direction, maybe a little guidance would be nice, but apparently, Jiminy-Fucking-Cricket wanted to remain silent.

“Why don’t we call Sebastian in the morning and see if he has anything new? The last information was from three months ago when Gates’ location was narrowed down to Boston, New York, or Pontiac, Michigan. None of them panned out, according to the file.

“Yeah, let’s turn in and start fresh in the morning.”

The next day dawned bright and cool. The higher elevation kept the desert heat at bay, at least until later in the afternoon. After breakfast with their hosts, Elijah and Tyler excused themselves, citing the need to call Sebastian, retreating to the guest room.

“Elijah, I’m glad you called,” Sebastian answered. “We got a hit on Gates late last night and saw it this morning. His credit card was used at a grocery store in Phoenix, of all places. I’m working on accessing security footage as we speak so we can get visual confirmation, but you know as well as I do that just because he used his credit card there, doesn’t mean he’s there for any length of time. It could just be a stop on his way somewhere else.”

Elijah waited for the now familiar warmth in his chest to appear, but Jiminy was suspiciously silent all of a sudden. Still, he knew this could point them in the right direction.

“Okay, Tyler and I will head back that way, just in case. It’s better than nothing, I guess.”

“Perfect. I’ll text you the information on the grocery store and call you when I have more for you to go on.”

“Thanks, Sebastian. Hey, by the way, how are the other teams doing?”

“Honestly, not great, but not horrible, either. Logan and Cooper came close to catching up to the pup they’ve been tracking, but each time they get close, they come up empty. Ben and Zev are working on a couple of good leads, too. I’m hopeful one of you will score one for our team soon.”

“I guess that’s good news. At least they didn’t discover another Neall.”

“Elijah, I meant it when I said that the offer to speak to a counselor is on the table. Anytime, day or night. You or Tyler.”

“We know. We’re okay right now. I’m just a little wary about getting my hopes up this time around, but I’m working on it. Tyler won’t let me keep my head up my ass, anyway.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Why do you think I let him team up with you?”

“I thought it was my charm!” Tyler chimed in.

“You boys be careful and I’ll get you more information as soon as I have it.”

Elijah ended the call and elbowed Tyler in the ribs when his friend encroached on his personal space. “Knock it off!” he admonished, not very convincingly.

“Last one packed has to buy dinner!”

Elijah shook his head but gathered his stuff up as quickly as he could. If it weren’t for an errant sock, he would’ve beaten Tyler.

“Steak it is,” Ty teased as he headed out the door, leaving Elijah to find his sock on his own.

He gave up after another two minutes. The room wasn’t that big, and he had a sneaking suspicion the sock would mysteriously show up at their next laundromat stop.

Tyler was in the kitchen with Dasan and Maikoh, explaining their immediate departure.

Johona packed them a few sandwiches and pressed a bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies into Tyler’s hands. “For the road.”

What was it about women that made them want to feed him and Tyler? It’s not like either of them were skinny little twinks with no meat on their bones. Still, who was he to refuse cookies?

Saying goodbye seemed like it was getting to be a routine thing for them. They followed Maikoh back out to the highway, honking as they both waved out the windows.

Tyler was driving and was quiet for the first hour. It wasn’t until Elijah’s phone pinged with an incoming text did he pipe up. “What’s it say?”

“It’s just the name of the grocery store Gates used his credit card at and the address.” Elijah tapped his phone, inputting the info into the GPS.

Another ping. “Oh, a picture. This is what Gates looks like.” He gave Tyler a quick glance. “Sebastian says it’s from his driver’s license, which was taken last year. He uses an alias, Mickey Gatwick.”

Elijah studied the picture. Gates was a weasley-looking man. Small, close-set eyes, ears a little too big for his head. His nose was the only non-descript part of him. His chin and his hairline were receding, a slight overbite making his small chin look even smaller. Black-rimmed glasses perched on top of his normal nose. He wasn’t exactly butt-ugly, but mothers would be well advised to hide their daughters, and their sons when he was around.

If ever there was a personification of Chester the Molester it was Michael Gates, a.k.a, Mickey Gatwick.

They were half an hour outside of Phoenix and Tyler pulled off at a rest stop to pee. Typical. Elijah crawled into the driver’s seat, preferring to navigate the city streets. Tyler got too agitated at other drivers when driving in congestion.

They were four exits away from the one they needed to take when Elijah felt a flash of heat zip through his chest. The next exit was approaching. He had no idea what made him do it, but he cut over to the right and flicked on his turn signal.

“What are you doing? This isn’t the exit we want,” Tyler exclaimed.

“We need gas.”

“What the fuck? We have a quarter tank, plenty of gas to go six miles, E.”

“Trust me, Ty. We need gas.”

Elijah passed the first two gas stations, opting to pull a U-turn at the next light to stop at a Circle K on the other side of the divided highway. He pulled up to the pump and shut off the engine. Elijah looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. He was beginning to imagine the heat that flared up within him.

The pump handle clicked and stopped pumping fuel. Elijah was screwing the cap back on when he froze.

Gates.

Gates was coming out of the convenience store, walking toward a black Honda Accord.

Elijah’s heart sped up. He practically pulled Tyler out of the passenger seat. “Ty, you drive. See that Accord? Follow him, but not too close. I’m going to shift and track him from the air. Go around the back of the building so I can get out the window without being noticed.”

Elijah scooted to the back and stripped down quickly. By the time Tyler rounded the back side of the store he was out the window and airborne. The hot wind gave him plenty of lift and he gained altitude rapidly, until from the ground, he was just a speck. His eagle vision was super sharp and he had no problem following the Honda. He kept an eye on Tyler too, relieved when he stayed at least five or six car lengths back.

Gates drove to an older community where the houses weren’t carbon copies of one another, complete with HOA deed restrictions. No, this neighborhood was a little shabby, but not dilapidated to the point where crime ran rampant. This was the type of area where one kept to themselves and didn’t bother getting to know their neighbors. Many of the homes were most likely rentals, the occupants changing often.

Gates pulled into the driveway of a modest house on one of the few cul-de-sacs, the back of the house abutting a local high school football field, encircled by a track course. A tall fence separated the properties, ensuring privacy. The man disappeared inside, any view inside obscured by the shades pulled tight to block out the sun.

Tyler wisely turned around before getting close to the house, obviously spotting the ‘dead-end’ sign. Elijah saw him turn into the parking lot of a neighborhood park, thankfully deserted at this time of day, the heat driving most people indoors to escape.

Elijah flew into the open window and shifted. “I’m going to keep watch from the tree in his yard. Call Sebastian and let him know what’s going on. Make sure he gets the address.”

“Right. E? Be careful, okay?”

“I will.”

Elijah wished he could say things happened quickly, but the reality was, that nothing happened at all. The afternoon wore on endlessly. He perched in the tree in Gates’ backyard, tucked into the branches, completely in shade. It was hot, even with feathers insulating him from the worst of the heat. Occasionally, he would take to the skies to keep from stiffening up, or to check in with Tyler, who’d changed parking spots several times and was as equally bored.

The sun danced across the sky until it kissed the far horizon. Darkness set in and it wasn’t until Elijah was ready to call it a night, did something finally happen. Gates came out and drove off, heading right past the church parking lot where Tyler sat, waiting. Not knowing how much time he had, he made a split-second decision, hoping he wouldn’t regret not telling Tyler what was going on.

Spreading his wings, he flew straight for the back door, shifting and lifting the doormat hopefully. Nothing. Houses in these neighborhoods didn’t have security systems, but nine times out of ten, the occupants hid a key somewhere. That was part of Sebastian’s crash course in surveillance and stealth tactics.

He felt along the underside of the overhang protecting the back door from the sun. Bing-o! He slid the key into the lock and breathed a sigh of relief when it turned. He immediately began a search of the rooms on this level. There was no upstairs, but there was a basement he discovered when he opened a door off the kitchen.

Wooden steps led down to the lower level, illuminated only by a bare bulb. The stairs creaked with each step he took. At the bottom, he groped along the wall for another light switch, unable to see into the depths.

His fingers landed on a switch and when he flicked it up, he was greeted with a startled grunt. Big brown eyes stared at him, widened with fear. It took a moment before Elijah registered the fact that the body he was staring at was half wolf, half human.

“Cameron?”

The only response was a hoarse sound, a cross between a sob and a rough bark.