Downwinders: Blood Oath, Blood River Part 34

"Yes," Carma said, smiling. "He proposed when I was just twenty, and I accepted immediately. He is so handsome, don't you think? And intelligent. Smart as a whip."

"I've never heard of anyone marrying a ghost before," Deem said.

"What do you think they're doing in that big temple in St. George, my dear?" Carla said. "Sealing dead people, all day long!"

"You have a point," Deem said. She knew Mormons went there to perform proxy sealings for the deceased.

"Lyman and I were sealed by the ghost of John Taylor. Not many people can say that. Some gifted fundamentalists, that's about it."

"The third president of the church?" Deem asked. "He's a ghost?"

"I think he was part gifted, myself," Carma said. "He's hung around for years. Some say he haunts the temple itself, in Salt Lake City. I contacted him at his gravesite in the Avenues and he agreed to do the sealing. He's sealed Lyman to a couple of other women over the years. He's a big polygamy advocate."

Deem leaned back in her chair. "You'll have to forgive me," she said, "but this is kind of blowing my mind."

Carma laughed. "It's OK, I'll stop. Too much for one morning, eh?"

"I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed," Deem said. "Awan told me last night to alter my expectations around the secret council, and I'm starting to think he was right. He believes they're going to take much longer to deal with than I was antic.i.p.ating."

"Well, what were you expecting?" Carma asked.

"I was hoping to find something in the doc.u.ments that I could use against them. Something damaging that might destroy their group."

"I think Awan is right," Carma said. "You might find something you can use, but destroying them might take much longer. Lyman's been fighting them and other groups like them for a hundred and fifty years, and he's much better at it than you. More experienced. He and Claude couldn't bring them down."

"Awan made it sound like I'd have to live with them," Deem said. "Coexist."

"And so you may," Carma said, "once you find a way to show them you won't be trifled with. I remind you, my dear, that your original goal was to locate your father's journals, not to take down the secret council. The former is an achievable goal, while the latter is probably not."

Deem tilted her head to one side, considering this. She's right, she thought.

"I don't mean to rain on your parade," Carma said, perking up. "Not on the jubilant day when you're learned you're to be excommunicated! We should be celebrating, not moping. Why don't you two run along and take care of that shaman, and come back here tonight for a dinner. I'll make my special pot pies, and we'll toast the Bishop's Court!"

Carma was so enthusiastic about the idea of the dinner that Deem couldn't help but smile and agree to come. "Sure," she said. "Why not?"

"And you, Winn, you'll come celebrate your friend's departure from the clutches of old white men who want to run everyone's lives, won't you? Say yes."

"Yes," Winn said, smiling at Carma's expository. "As long as we toast with booze."

"Oh, how agreeable!" Carma said, clapping her hands together. "I'll have to run to the store to get a few things. I want you to call me when you're on your way, so I can pop the pies in the oven. I don't care how late it gets, alright? We can eat and drink at two a.m. for all I care!"

"Sure," Winn said, rising from his chair. Deem stood too, knowing it was time to go.

"I'll call Awan and see how his mother is doing," Carma said as she walked them to the door. "I hope she'll be well enough that he can join us. Now, you two be sure to use those mindwalls Awan gave you. You'll be safe if you do. Well, mostly safe. I don't know how powerful this shaman is. I'll see if Lyman can lend a hand too. You said the school is in Kanab?"

"North side of town," Winn said.

"Well, I know his influence reaches at least as far as Colorado City," Carma said, "and it grows every day, so he might be able to help you in Kanab. I'll talk to him as soon as you push off."

Deem gave Carma a hug and Winn followed. Then they got into Winn's Jeep and Winn drove them back to the interstate.

"I'm not sure how to describe that visit," Deem said. "Carma just blows my mind."

"I'm still creeped out by that oath and penalty stuff," Winn said. "You Mormons are f.u.c.ked up."

"This is a million miles removed from the average Mormon," Deem said. "Most are so nice you can't believe it. They'd be appalled by all of this. Anyway, I won't be a Mormon for long. By next week, I'll be off the rolls. Exiled. Denied the celestial kingdom in the next life. But you know what? If I wind up in the same place that Carma winds up, I think I'll be OK. She'll keep me entertained, at least."

"I wonder what will be in the pot pies? She didn't say."

"Let's hope it isn't rabbit pee."

Chapter Sixteen.

Winn handed Deem his whiskey flask, filled with protection. "Here," he said. "Drink some."

"d.a.m.nit," Deem said. "I forgot to bring my own."

"What's wrong with mine?"

"The alcohol burns."

"You don't make yours with alcohol? I can't believe it works."

"It was a recipe my dad showed me. They figured out how to make it without alcohol."

"Mormons," Winn said, rolling his eyes. "Well, you'll be excommunicated soon, so you can drink this."

Deem took the flask and gulped down two large mouthfuls.

"Ack!" she said, gasping for air. "Why do people think alcohol tastes good?"

"They don't," Winn said. "That's why they mix it with things like orange juice."

Deem wiped her mouth and removed the beaded emblem from her pocket. "Time for this, too," she said.

"Lean over on me before you do it," Winn said. "I don't want you to crack your head open on the dash."

Deem summoned every thought she could invoke regarding the skinrunner and the shaman, and pressed the emblem against her forehead. She slumped against Winn, the emblem falling from her hand. Once she regained consciousness, Winn helped prop her back up.

"You dropped it," Winn said, pointing to the emblem on the floor of the Jeep. "You'll need that to get it back out."

"What about you?" Deem asked.

"I put mine in this morning," Winn said. "It's been squirming around in there for a while."

Deem shuddered. She still felt dizzy. She held the car door handle to steady herself.

They were parked in front of a chain link fence, and fifty yards beyond that was the cement face of one of the buildings in the school complex. The school was on the outskirts of town, and there were no houses close to it. Winn had chosen a side of the school that seemed quiet and abandoned, where no one would notice their car.

"Ready?" Winn asked, strapping a light onto his head.

"Give me a minute more," Deem said. "Still dizzy."

"No rush," Winn said. "It's early afternoon. We have plenty of time."

"What's the game plan, exactly?" Deem asked, rummaging in her backpack for the video camera Awan had told them to bring.

"Let's start with this building here," Winn said, "and work our way through the complex. From the pictures I saw on the internet last night, there's at least a dozen buildings."

"Connected by underground tunnels," Deem said.

"Yes. Awan said he's in the sub-bas.e.m.e.nt of one of the buildings."

"Since he's drawing power from this place," Deem said, "would it make sense that he's in one of the central buildings, as opposed to one on the outskirts like this?" She pointed to the building in front of them.

"Possibly," Winn said.

"I'm going to trance," Deem said. "See what I can see, before we go in. Maybe I can find him without us setting foot in there."

Deem closed her eyes and dropped into the River. She immediately saw a green hue at the fence, rising up and over the building beyond.

Winn joined her in the flow. That doesn't look good, he thought, observing the glow at the fence.

Deem moved over to it and extended her hand. She pressed against the glow. It pa.s.sed through a couple of inches, then stopped. Some kind of barrier, she thought. She dropped out of the River.

"Well, that won't work," Deem said, back in the car. "I guess we have to hoof it."

"Feeling good enough to walk?" Winn asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," Deem said, opening the car door and stepping out.

They walked up to the fence. There were plenty of spots where the fence was compromised. Winn chose one and held the fence open as Deem pa.s.sed through, then she turned and held the fence for him.

Inside, they walked toward the first building. There was graffiti here and there on its face at the ground level. It looked like it was three stories tall.

"Did you look at any of the YouTube videos of this place?" Winn asked.

"Didn't have time," Deem said. "How do you get into it?"

"There's got to be a door or a window," Winn said, starting around the side of the building. There were no windows they could reach. Once they turned the corner around the edge of the building they saw the other structures of the complex. There were six or seven in sight, similar in height and construction, spread out in front of them. Cement walkways connected them all. Weeds had grown up between cracks in the walkways. Gra.s.s that had once grown between the buildings had long since burnt and dried out, and tall weeds had invaded.

"Wow," Deem said. "So quiet. And desolate."

Each of the three story buildings in front of them had broken windows and graffiti. In large letters on the one closest to them, someone had sprayed in large black letters: "Indians Go Home!"

Deem dropped into the River. It was hard to make out in the bright sunlight, but she saw figures moving along the cement sidewalks. As she focused in on them, she saw they were kids Native American kids, carrying books.

Winn joined her in the flow. We're downwind, Deem. It's dangerous if you're seen. They'll change and attack.

Deem scanned he buildings. The largest one in the center was wrapped in an additional layer of green. That's our building, Deem said, dropping out of the flow.

"That one," Deem said, pointing to it. It was larger than the others.

"You sure?" Winn asked.

"No, but we've got to start somewhere," Deem said, "and that building has extra protection. So it's a good bet."

They walked toward the central building. It had been painted yellow years before, but the sun and the elements had turned the yellow into a peeling pale color, streaked in places where rain had carried minerals from the roof down onto the sides of the building. The doors to the structure faced a small circular cement pad, where Deem imagined some benches or a statue might have once sat. The faded wooden sign over the double doors read "Administration."

Deem walked up to the doors. She tried the handles, which were hot. The doors didn't budge.

"Window," Winn said, stepping to the right. The lower half of a ground floor window had been broken out. It was about six feet off the ground. Winn bent over to give Deem a boost. She slid up and through the window, then turned and extended her hand to Winn, pulling him up.

They were in a small room with no furniture, but plenty of graffiti on the walls. Deem noticed a light fixture dangling from the ceiling, the gla.s.s of the fixture and the bulb smashed, lying on the ground below it. There was a wooden door with a gla.s.s window, also smashed, leading out of the room.

Winn walked out the door, and Deem followed. They were in the lobby of the building. Behind them were steps leading down to the double doors they'd tried to open. In front of them was a reception window, and hallways led to their right and left.

Deem dropped into the River again, and saw a woman sitting behind the reception window. Her head was turned away from them. She looked like she was typing. Deem dropped out.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Winn said. "There could be hundreds of them in here, and if they see you, we're f.u.c.ked," he said.

"You brought your EM gun?" Deem asked.

"Yes," Winn said, "but we're supposed to be exploring in here as kids, normal people making a YouTube video, not gifteds. That'll give us away."

"I gotta know what we're dealing with," Deem said. "I'll be careful, and I won't stay in long."

"Which way?" Winn said. "Right or left?"

"Well," Deem said, "I was raised to choose the right. So let's go left."

"Left it is," Winn said, starting down the left hallway. They pa.s.sed doors, some closed, others open, exposing rooms inside.

"We're looking for a way down," Winn said. "Gotta find the bas.e.m.e.nt before we can go to a sub-bas.e.m.e.nt."

They poked their heads into some of the rooms they pa.s.sed. They were all the same, mostly empty, some with junk. Spray paint here and there, light fixtures destroyed, gla.s.s on the ground.

The hallway reached a corner and turned right. They continued down the pa.s.sage. Two large doors were open to their right, and Deem popped her head inside.

"Wow," she said, stepping into the room. "The auditorium."