Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

This thing—this evil
     creature—is capable of turning anyone against us.”
    “We still need allies, Mom,” Riley said. “Those men have helped us so far, and they’re
     armed to the teeth. Both carry all kinds of weapons on them, some I’ve never seen
     before. They didn’t seem to care, when they strapped them all on this morning, that
     the guides and porters could see them. In fact, they wanted them to see—I think to help protect us.”
    Annabel frowned and rubbed sweat from her forehead. She pushed back the damp curls
     corkscrewing around her face. “How would they get any weapons through customs? Through
     the airport? Don’t you think it’s strange they even have weapons on them? As if they
     already knew something would be wrong and they came prepared?”
    Riley leaned in close to her mother. “I honestly don’t care how they got them, or
     why they brought them. They saved your life last night and we need them. Something
     bad is going to happen soon. We both know that. We need these men and their weapons.
     In fact, I’m going to see if they’ll lend me one.” She infused determination into
     her voice, daring her mother to disagree with her. Clearly Annabel wasn’t thinking
     straight, or she would see they couldn’t do this task alone.
    Annabel simply shrugged, wiping her face again, hanging her head, shoulders slumped.
     Riley bit down hard on her lip. Her mother was definitely giving up and she couldn’t
     have that. She had to find a way to make her feel as if they were empowered—as if
     whatever this evil entity was they had a chance against him.
    “Mom, if this Arabejila is our ancestor and she was able to lure this evil killing
     machine into a volcano and hold him there, and keep the volcano from erupting for
     years, and then my great-great-grandmother, all the way to you have done it, then
     together, we can do it, too.” She infused confidence into her voice. “We aren’t less
     than they are. We have the same blood. The forest reacts to you, and now to me. I
     feel the earth’s heartbeat . . .”
    Annabel rocked gently and shook her head. “I don’t. I can’t anymore. Before, her heart
     beat with mine. My blood ran with the sap in the trees and underground rivers. She’s
     lost to me. I could feel her fading after your father died.”
    Riley leaned close to her mother. “Stop it, Mom. I mean it. Pull yourself together.
     You’re giving up because Dad is dead. I saw Grandma do the same thing. You can’t leave
     me here in Peru, surrounded by danger. I need you to be strong. You’re the one pulling
     away from the gifts you have, pulling away from me. I’m your daughter. Your only child.
     What do I do if you just give up?”
    She put her hand on her mother’s knee and softened her voice. “You taught me to be
     a fighter, to never give up. Now, whatever this is, no matter how bad, you say we have to succeed, that innocent lives depend on us. So let’s get the job done, no matter
     the cost to us. We do this thing all the way, and we succeed.”
    Annabel looked up, her eyes meeting Riley’s. For a moment there was that spark of
     absolute determination Riley recognized in her mother. And then she blinked back tears.
     “I know I haven’t been myself, honey. It’s just that your father and I were so close.
     I can’t breathe right without him. We just fit together more like one person and without
     him, I’m having a hard time functioning.”
    “Mom.” Riley leaned close. “Of course you feel that way. Dad’s only been gone a short
     time. You haven’t had time to come to terms with his death. Neither have I. We just
     lost him and we’re supposed to be home grieving, not out here in the rain forest,
     climbing a mountain surrounded by strangers and dealing with something profoundly
     evil.”
    Annabel swallowed hard and shoved at the damp curls springing around her face. The
     humidity and heat had sent her hair into a frenzy of brown frizz and corkscrews all
     over her head.
    Annabel reached out to touch Riley’s thick, long hair, straight as a bone, not a frizz
     in sight in spite of the humidity. She wore it in a long braid to keep it off her
     neck and away from her face. “You’re so beautiful, Riley, and so different. You belong
     here. Your soul is here whether you know it or not and the land is calling to you.
     I can feel it. I’m certain you can as well. Listen to what it says to you. Trust your
     instincts.”
    Riley’s