Shadow Effect - 32. Chapter 32

Elijah looked at the photos on the mantle. Eight pictures showed the boys at various ages. He’d heard of heterochromia before and seen a few people who had it. He had never heard of mirror-image twins though. The photo that first captured Tyler’s attention was the only one that looked as if a professional photographer had taken it. The remaining shots were candids of the boys smiling and laughing. It was apparent they grew up in a loving family.

Devin came from behind them and pointed at a photo of the twins wearing baseball uniforms, their caps askew; one bill to the right and the other to the left. Their arms were slung over each other’s shoulders, and they grinned from ear to ear.

“Their team just lost the regional championship game. The boys didn’t mind; they played because they loved it. The other kids on the team were bummed out. Not those two. They’ve always been such happy-go-lucky boys. That’s my favorite picture of them.”

Elijah smiled. He could easily picture two little boys cheering each other on just for the pure joy of it. “Would you tell us some more about them?” he asked.

“Sure,” Becca grinned, happy to talk about her children, then gestured at the furniture. “Why don’t we sit down?”

Elijah and Tyler each took an end of the couch while Becca and Devin settled in recliners, Devin propping his feet up on an ottoman.

“What would you like to know?”

“What are they like, their personalities?” Tyler asked.

Devin looked at Becca, deferring to his mate.

“Well, as Devin said, they are both really happy boys. Austin is a little more reserved. He tends to be the more reliable one of the two. He’s the ying to Ash’s yang so to speak. They balance each other out. Where Austin is more cautious, Ashton is more outgoing. He can make friends with just about anyone.”

“That’s for sure,” Devin added. “There aren’t many people who Ashton didn’t care for. If he didn’t like someone, you could place a sure bet they weren’t anyone you’d want to hang out with anyway.”

“I swear, when they were babies, I could’ve left Ashton with a complete stranger, and he would have been happy as a lark. Austin would scream if someone other than Dev or myself held him. He got better as he got older.” Becca laughed lightly. “I think his brother rubbed off on him.”

“My little brother, Micah, was like that as a baby, too,” Tyler said. “It took a while for him to warm up to new people. My sister, Kaya? She’s a different story. She takes to people easily, but she’ll talk their ears off in less than five minutes.”

“How many brothers and sisters do you have?” Devin asked.

“Two sisters and four brothers, plus Elijah.”

Becca looked between the boys. “I take it you two are close?”

Elijah nodded. “Yeah, we’ve been best friends since kindergarten. He’s my brother, even though we’re not blood-related.”

“You don’t need to be blood-related to be family,” Becca declared.

Tyler smiled fondly at Elijah. “We’ve been lucky.”

“So, back to Ashton and Austin,” Becca redirected the conversation to the matter at hand. “As I mentioned, Austin is the more level-headed one. Ashton is… well, I don’t want to say troublemaker, but he has a knack for getting into mischief, which leads him into trouble. I used to call him out on it every time. You know what he would tell me?” When they remained silent, she continued. ”I would tell him, ‘Child, you are about to get into a heap of trouble.’ He’d look at me like I was the center of his world and with a straight face answer, ‘But I’m the kind of trouble that you enjoy.’”

Elijah’s eyes widened. He heard that same line over and over in the song Kage had on his playlist. The one he’d labeled ‘Elijah.’ It was from the U2 song; You’re the Best Thing About Me. He didn’t want to read much into it, but silently he thought it was another sign they were on the right track.

Becca and Devin didn’t notice his reaction, but he could see Tyler looking at him from the corner of his eye. He glanced over and gave an almost imperceptible nod, letting Tyler know it was fine.

She continued, “The funniest thing about it was that he was around four the first time he said it. It’s become sort of a running joke between us.” Becca sighed, the light in her eyes dimming just a bit.

Elijah realized that both Becca and Devin referred to their sons in the present tense. They absolutely believed they were still alive. He glanced at the pictures on the mantle again. God, he hoped so. The Laramees were good people, and they deserved to have both their boys back alive.

Becca excused herself for a few moments and returned with a batch of homemade snickerdoodles, which she set in front of them. If he or Tyler weren’t already convinced, she was a good person, that one gesture sealed the deal. Tyler snatched four cookies off the plate before Elijah had time to register they were there. He politely took two.

“These are my favorite!” Tyler mumbled with his mouth full.

Elijah grinned, rolling his eyes. “You’ll have to excuse his lack of manners. His mom would be appalled,” he said before taking a normal-sized bit of his own cookie. Oh damn, they were good!

“Oh, don’t worry. Snickerdoodles are Austin’s favorite too. He scarfs them down the same way. Ashton prefers peanut butter with the Hershey Kiss stuck in the middle, but I didn’t have any Kisses in the pantry.”

Elijah sided with Ashton on this one. Snickerdoodles were great, but peanut butter blossom cookies were greater.

The next few hours flew by. Becca and Devin recounted the boys’ childhood stories, making everyone laugh. Before they realized it, Devin’s yawn pulled their attention to the time. It was after ten o’clock.

“Oh my! I didn’t realize how late it was,” Becca exclaimed. “Why don’t I text John and tell him you can stay here? We have a spare room if you don’t mind sharing a bed. Honestly, it’s been a joy having you boys here. I feel like we’ve known each other forever.”

He and Tyler exchanged a wordless look, silently agreeing with her. The Laramees had put them both at such ease and made them more than welcome. It fueled his determination to find out what had happened to the twins. The thought of disappointing either of them left him with the same feeling he got when he thought about disappointing his own parents.

“That would be wonderful,” he answered, and Becca tapped out a message on her phone.

While Devin showed him the guest room and went to get some towels, Tyler went out to the van and grabbed their overnight bags. He stopped at the closed door across the hall from their guest room on the way back in.

“Is this their room?” he wondered aloud.

Elijah shrugged. “Probably.”

Tyler tried the door, and it opened silently.

Beyond the threshold was every boy’s dream room. Bunk beds were pushed up against the far wall, covered with dark blue bedding adorned with baseballs. An L-shaped desk with space for two chairs to allow both boys to do homework or work on projects at the same time filled one corner. Two gaming chairs sat in front of a stand with a TV on top. Not overly large, but perfect for the purpose. Posters of various baseball players adorned the walls. A shelf filled with trophies hung over the desk. The room was free from dust. The space suspended in time waiting for the return of its occupants, a testament to loving care over the years,

“I know it’s like a time capsule, but in my heart, I can’t bear to change anything,” Becca said softly from behind them.

“We’re sorry; we didn’t mean to overstep—” Elijah started apologizing.

“It’s fine. Their room isn’t a shrine. I know there’s a good chance they won’t ever return, but if they do, I want them to know we never stopped thinking about them. They are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. It’s been eight years, and I miss them just as much today as I did the day they disappeared. Knowing what I now know scares me more and more with every day that passes. Your Alpha thoroughly explained what your purpose is. I’m happy that you’ve chosen my boys to focus on, but at the same time, I’m terrified.”

Becca didn’t need to voice the reason why she was terrified; Elijah could see it in her eyes. It was the same look Neall, and Cameron’s mothers had on their faces when confronted with the possibility their children may never return. He couldn’t imagine the heartbreak.

“If they’re out there, we’ll find them. I promise you; we won’t ever give up,” Elijah vowed. He felt Tyler’s hand grip his shoulder in silent support. They would follow through, no matter what.

“You’re good boys. Your parents would be proud. Now, I’ll stop being all maudlin at you and say goodnight. Sleep well.”

Elijah watched as she retreated down the hall to the master bedroom.

He and Tyler didn’t say much until they were both tucked under the covers of the queen bed in the guest room. He lay flat on his back, his arms tucked under his head, with Tyler on his side facing him.

“Whatcha thinking, E?”

“I’m not really sure. This feels different from everything else so far, and I don’t know why.”

“I think I know. These two kids have been gone such a long time and we know the odds are a massive longshot. But after spending time with Becca and Devin, I’m pretty sure we’ve become attached in a way. Hearing all their stories growing up, I feel like if they were to show up on the doorstep tomorrow, we’d be great friends,” said Tyler with sincere conviction.

“I guess you’re right. It does feel more real for whatever reason. The entire time Becca and Devin talked about Ash and Austin, my scar was warm. Just a low heat, but enough for me to notice. I really think they’re alive, despite the odds. Why else would I feel such a pull to find them?”

“I don’t have a Kage warmer inside me, but I feel that way, too. We just have to buckle down and figure out the next step. Didn’t Sebastian say they might have a lead?”

Elijah flipped onto his side to face Tyler. “He said the information regarding their last known location is two years old. I think that’s actually a good sign.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if they had a confirmed location two years ago, it means they were alive. That was six years into the abduction. If they were kept alive all that time, then who’s to say whoever has them hasn’t kept them alive for the past two years?”

“You make a good point. I didn’t think about it from that angle, but it does give us something to start with. Have you mentioned it to Sebastian?” Tyler asked.

“Not yet. I’ll call him in the morning and touch base.”

Elijah yawned, signaling the need to sleep. Tyler followed suit.

After saying goodnight, his eyelids grew too heavy to keep open as he drifted off, his thoughts filled with visions of bright blue and green eyes.

The early morning hour brought the scent of coffee and cinnamon drifting under the door. Elijah stirred first, his movements waking Tyler.

As the smell of something sweet filled the room, Tyler looked at him hopefully. “Cinnamon rolls?”

Elijah threw the covers back. “Sure smells like it!”

He managed to beat Tyler to the bathroom, which earned him a glare and the sight of Ty’s middle finger. He knew there was no way Tyler would head to the kitchen without relieving his bladder first. He was probably already close to pissing himself.

Elijah was quick, the allure of warm pastry stronger than the need to annoy his best friend. Tyler brushed past him in a huff, bumping his shoulder intentionally as he slid by. Elijah chuckled.

The sweet aroma hit him full force as he entered the kitchen. Becca greeted him with a smile and looked inquisitively behind her, almost as if she anticipated Tyler’s grand entrance less than a minute after his.

Sure enough, the sound of footsteps thudding down the stairs preceded his friend’s entrance by mere seconds as Tyler skidded to a stop in the doorway. Seeing all eyes on him, he blushed sheepishly.

“The twins do the same thing every single time I make cinnamon rolls. It’s the one thing guaranteed to get them out of bed,” she said, grinning.

“Did you even wash your hands?” Elijah asked.

Tyler brushed past him and went straight to the kitchen sink. Ew, gross!

“Is there anything we can help you with?” Tyler asked as he dried his hands on some paper towels Becca handed him.

“You can get the milk and juice out and put them on the table. Elijah, be a dear and pour the coffee in the carafe into that urn over there and start another pot. Everything is on the counter that you’ll need.”

Devin came in and kissed Becca on her cheek, taking a tray of hot cinnamon rolls from her and setting them on the table. She pulled some potholders out of a drawer, turned around, and took the pancakes she kept warm in the oven out, placing them in the middle of the table next to the dish of hot sausage links. Everything looked and smelled incredible.

“So, what are your plans now?” Devin asked, reaching for the butter.

“I think we need to speak with Sebastian and see if his team has been able to find any more information. If not, we’ll head to the last known location and see if we can pick up the old trail from there.”

According to Sebastian, the last confirmed location of the twins was in eastern Tennessee near the North Carolina border. A human by the name of Ken Marvin was the fourth or fifth person to hold the boys captive. The trail went cold after Marvin turned up dead due to suspicious circumstances. Suffice it to say, either the twins had met the same fate, or someone else had them and was playing their cards close to the vest.

The rest of breakfast was a little more somber, but they didn’t let it discourage them. No matter what, Elijah still wanted to go with his gut instinct, which was telling him to keep on the current path.

Becca and Devin shooed them off when they offered to help clean up. “Go. Go call your Alpha and get caught up. Devin and I will take care of cleaning up,” she insisted.

Elijah and Tyler stepped outside, the early morning air still clinging to the barest hint of coolness. Later would be a different story. A front was moving in, bringing heat and humidity.

Despite the early hour, Sebastian answered on the second ring.

"Hello, boys."

"Hey," they replied.

"We wanted to get a hold of you to see if you were able to get any more information regarding the twins. Last night was really productive. The Laramees are an incredibly strong couple. Even though the chances are slim, they've refused to give up hope," Elijah said.

"That's good to hear because, as a matter of fact, we may have hit on something,” Sebastian said. “It's a long shot, but I think it has to be checked out. After Ken Marvin was found dead, there were a few random postings on a social media account for someone named Corbin Taylor. He lived next door to Marvin. This Taylor guy asked for advice on what to do if he came across an injured wolf. By itself, that isn't a big red flag. However, this guy all of a sudden up and moved a few days later. He wasn't a suspect in Marvin's murder, as he had an ironclad alibi.”

Elijah glanced at Tyler, who was listening just as intensely as he was.

“Why would he move suddenly?” asked Tyler.

“I’ll get to that in a minute,” Sebastian replied before continuing. “Real estate and bank transactions show that two days after Marvin’s murder, Taylor placed an offer sight unseen on an abandoned property in Texas, which was accepted and closed in record time. I’m talking about two days, which is practically unheard of in the housing market. Now, I had my guys check out the house in Tennessee where Marvin died, and the family who lives in the house now was nice enough to let it slip that when they moved in, the cellar floor, doors, and moldings were all scratched up. Like dogs had been pawing at them.”

“So, wait,” Elijah muttered, somewhat bewildered. “Does this mean somehow, Corbin Taylor found out Ken Marvin was holding Ashton and Austin prisoner, and what? Rescued them? Took over?”

“Something like that,” replied Sebastian. “It’s quite possible that Mr. Taylor stumbled across their existence and tried to help but didn’t know where to turn. It’s not like we advertise that shifters coexist with humans.”

“Why Texas?” Tyler wondered.

“Who knows? But the property has remained in Corbin Taylor’s name ever since he bought it. If you zoom in on Google Earth, there are four buildings on the property, the main house, a silo, and what looks to be a large barn, along with another outlying building, possibly a second barn or a storage building. Any one of those could be converted into secure housing for a hybrid wolf shifter or two.”

“I guess we know where our next stop is,” Elijah stated, looking at Tyler, who nodded.

“I’ll send you everything I have. Just let me know when you’re on your way. I’ll give you Caleb Micco’s contact information too. The pack he is now a part of doesn’t live very far from Taylor’s place. As a matter of fact, I’ll call the pack Alpha and let him know you’ll be in the area. If you need help, reach out to him.”

Elijah ended the call a few minutes later, excited they had a viable lead.

“Should we tell the Laramees?” Tyler wanted to know.

“Yes. They’ve been so open with us. I think they deserve to know.”

“When do you want to head out?”

“Not until tomorrow. I’d like to see what Sebastian sends over and have time to think about it.”

“Agreed.”

Elijah and Tyler made their way back inside, where the Laramees were done with the breakfast clean up, and both looked up as they entered the kitchen.

“Well, boys, did you have a good chat with your Alpha?” Devin asked.

Elijah thought it was funny how they kept referring to Sebastian as their Alpha. Officially, he and Tyler were not part of any pack, but it made sense that if they were, it would be the Montana one, thereby making Sebastian their Alpha. It felt good that they were so accepting of the notion of a shapeshifter and a human being part of a wolf pack.

“Yes, it was very informative,” Elijah replied. He then proceeded to relay everything Sebastian had found out.

The Laramees seemed a bit shell-shocked by the realization there actually was a slim chance that their sons were alive. Slim as it might be, it made for good news. Becca’s smile could not have been any wider.

“Well, if you boys are going to stick around until tomorrow, then I’d love for you to join us when I take Becca out to dinner later to celebrate the good news,” Devin offered.

Before Elijah or Tyler could decline, Becca lit up once more. “Oh! I’d love that. Please come with us. My favorite restaurant has the most incredible barbeque,” she gushed.

Thinking back to the awesome barbeque they had in Vegas, Elijah’s mouth watered at the very thought.

“We’d love to!” Tyler answered, not even glancing at Elijah for confirmation.

“Then it’s settled. If you boys are looking for something to keep you occupied until you get what you need from Sebastian, I’d love to show off my cars for you,” Devin offered.

Becca rolled her eyes. “I’ll be in the garden. There are weeds that need pulling. Have fun, and don’t let him bore you.”

“What cars?” asked Elijah.

“Restoring old cars is a hobby of mine. Austin and Ashton were just getting into helping me out. I’ve been working on a 1955 Ford T-bird for the past four years. It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. The twins would always ask me, ‘Dad, when are we getting the T-bird?’. After they were taken, it took me two years before I had the heart to even think about looking, then another year actually to start. I finally found one in my price range a year and a half ago. It still needs a lot of work, especially the body, but the engine is done. Come on; I’ll show you.”

Elijah couldn’t move. Visions of what could have been with him and his dad skittered through his head, bringing tears to his eyes. It still hurt just as much as it had when he found out they were gone forever.

Devin turned back when he realized neither Elijah nor Tyler were following. As soon as he saw Elijah, his expression became concerned.

“Elijah, are you alright? Did I say something to upset you?” Devin fretted.

Elijah remained silent.

Instead, Tyler answered. “No, he’s okay. It’s just that a few days before he died, Elijah’s dad bought a ‘55 Chevy Bel Air. We’re pretty sure he wanted to surprise Elijah with it and have it as a project for them to work on together.”

“Oh, son, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No! No, I’m not upset,” Elijah assured him. “I think it’s just another sign that we’re on the right track. I’m not all that great with mechanical stuff. My helping usually meant I handed him whatever tool or part he needed. I think it’s great that you’re doing this. I hope your sons will be able to finish the project with you. I’d love to see it.”

They followed Devin to the garage where the T-bird sat up on blocks, more of a bare shell than an actual car. The hood rested against the wall, exposing the rebuilt Ford-O-Matic 292-ci V-8 engine. The seats had been removed and placed along the back wall of the garage, the cracked and faded leather waiting for reupholstering. The two-door convertible needed a lot more TLC, but Elijah could see the potential.

“She’s a beauty,” he said, rounding the backside, looking at the clean lines of the machine. He could appreciate the similarities to his dad’s Chevy. All in all, the car had the potential to be a stunner.

“What color are you going to paint it?” Tyler asked.

“I’m not sure,” Devin answered, running his hand lovingly over the truck. “My original thought was to wait for the boys to come back and let them decide. Recently I was leaning toward just biting the bullet and picking something, but in light of the news today, I’m going to hold off a while longer.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Elijah agreed.

They talked a bit more before Devin closed the garage and led them back to the house. Elijah checked his email and saw one from Sebastian. It had the information he was promised. He nodded at Tyler, and they excused themselves and went to the empty kitchen.

“What’s it say?” Tyler asked, trying to look over Elijah’s shoulder.

He bumped him back, hating anyone breathing over his neck like that. “Back off and chill.”

He skimmed the information quickly before reading it aloud. “Corbin Taylor owns a small ranch in Hartley County, Texas. It’s in the northwest corner of the Panhandle, bordering New Mexico. According to his tax returns, his occupation is listed as financial advisor. He works remotely for Merril Lynch and does pretty well. His grandparents left him roughly half a mil in a trust, which is how he was able to access funds for the cash purchase of the land. It was a fire sale anyway. He got the land and all the buildings for twenty thousand, which is the amount of back taxes owed, plus a twenty percent assessment fee. Not a bad deal,” he said, looking over at Tyler who was now sitting across the table from him.

“He also gets money from letting other ranchers graze their cattle on his five hundred acres. His social media accounts have been dormant the past year and a half, the only activity that mentions him is his company’s accounts and those are all business related,” Elijah read.

“So, what are your thoughts?” asked Tyler, propping his elbows on the table.

“It’s hard to say. There’s not a lot to go on, we have no idea if this Corbin guy even has the remotest of connections to the twins. One part of me wants to scope things out covertly, and another part wants to knock on his door and say, ‘Hey, are you hiding two half-human, half-wolf twins?’”

Tyler bit his bottom lip, his face contemplative. After a moment, he replied, “Why not? Why not do just that? I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? He tells us to get the hell off his property and that we’re crazy?”

“We sort of are, aren’t we?” Elijah grinned.

Tyler grinned back.

It looks like they had a game plan.