She felt her chest tighten at the thought of sinking, drowning into that swaying sea of corn.
Eve? Gil was standing at the edge of the field, waiting. John wants you with us.
She moistened her lips. Why?
He shrugged. Ask him.
Its stupid for me even to be here. Im not going to be able to tell anything until I get back to the lab.
Sorry, he wants you there when he digs it up.
Stop arguing. Do it. Get it over with. Get out of this place.
She followed Gil into the cornfield.
Darkness.
She could hear the rustling sound Gil was making ahead of her, but she couldnt see him. She could see nothing but the tall stalks all around her. It was like being buried. Even with a map and directions, how could Logan manage to find anything?
I see a light ahead. Gils voice drifted back to her.
It was more than she could see, but her pace increased.
Get it over with. Get out of here.
She could see the light now. Logan had set the flashlight on the ground and was already digging, his shovel spiking into the earth and tearing at the roots of the cornstalks.
Here? Gil asked.
Logan glanced up at them and nodded. Quick. Its buried pretty deep so the farmer wouldnt dig it up when he was planting. You dont have to be careful. Its supposed to be in a lead-lined box.
Gil started digging.
She wished theyd given her a shovel, she thought after five minutes. Being busy would have been better than standing there, watching. Her tension was growing with every second.
This was stupid. There was probably nothing buried there and they were all behaving like people out of a Stephen King novel.
Ive hit something, Gil said.
Logan glanced at Gil. Hallelujah. He began digging faster.
Eve moved closer to the hole and saw rusted metal through the loosened dirt. Jesushellip;
Why was she feeling so shaken? Just because Donnelli hadnt lied about the location didnt mean the rest of the story was true. There might not even be a skull in the box and the chances of it being Kennedy were out of sight.
Logan was prying open the lock on the box.
Only it wasnt a box, she suddenly realized. It was a coffin.
A babys coffin.
Stop it.
Logan looked at her. What the hell?
Its a coffin. A babyhellip;
I know that. Donnelli was an undertaker. How else do you think he got a lead-lined box?
What if its not a skull?
Logans face hardened. Its the skull. Were wasting time. He broke the lock on the coffin.
She hoped he was right. The idea of a little baby buried out here alone and lost was too heartbreaking to bear.
Logan was throwing open the coffin.
No baby.
Even through the heavy plastic wrapping she could make out the skull.
Jackpot, Logan murmured. He brought the lantern closer. I knew it was
I hear something. Gil had raised his head.
Eve heard it too.
The wind?
Not the wind.
More purposeful. The same sound they had made as they had moved through the cornfield.
And the rustling was heading toward them.
Shit, Logan muttered. He slammed shut the coffin, grabbed it, and jumped to his feet. Lets get out of here.
Eve looked over her shoulder. Nothing. Just that menacing rustling. It could be the farmer, couldnt it?
