Mia handed him some money before leaving for the bathroom. She scanned the diners in the booths as she passed. She had an advantage knowing what Others looked like. There wasn’t anyone in the restaurant who looked familiar, apart from the waitress who served them.
Cid walked out and waited for their order so Ted could use the facilities.
The cashier brought the bags over and smiled at the young teen. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
Cid pushed his glasses up on his nose. “No, I’m from Wichita. Our father is driving us up to see my grandmother in Omaha.”
“Tell him that there’s a lot of construction between Lincoln and Omaha on 8o. He may want to try a different route or plan for the slow down.”
“I will.”
Mia, who had heard the exchange, walked up and asked Cid, “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s smoking.”
“Mom’s going to be upset.”
The cashier handed the kids the food. “Don’t be hard on him. Cigarettes are hard to quit.”
Ted joined them and paid the check.
The three left the diner, trying not to rush and attract unwanted attention.
Murphy manifested and opened the door. He had a twinkle in his eye. He nodded to the back door of the diner. It opened and out walked the cashier. She lit up a cigarette and nodded to the family.
Mia got in. “Thanks, Dad.”
Ted sat in the front passenger seat until the cashier finished smoking and walked back into the building. Once he felt the coast was clear, he slid over and started the car.
“That was a close one,” Mia said. “You’re getting to be a good liar, Cid. Should I be worried about my influence on you?”
“I do have grandparents in Omaha. And I’m sure my dad is smoking secretly somewhere.”
Ted, who was alone in the front, called back, “Tell me where to pull over.”
Mia crawled into the front and watched the road. “Just the other side of the bridge,” she instructed. She pulled a sheet of paper out of the back of Ted’s notebook and penned in her best handwriting: Car trouble. Walking to Summerville for help.
“What are you doing?” Ted asked.
“Making a sign to put in the window so the cops don’t tow the car away on us.”
“But we’re going to succeed this time,” Ted said confidently.
“Just in case,” Mia said. “I don’t relish walking in the dark.”
Ted pulled over, and the four of them divided up the gear. Before they left, Mia said, “Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure and an honor to work with you.”
“Thanks for the adventure, Mia.”
Ted walked over and stared down at her. “See you in the future, Mighty Mouse.”
Mia’s eyes opened wide. “I’m counting on it.”
The four traveled together until the grade changed. Mia and Murphy headed for the river, and the boys headed for the road.
Cid heard movement in the forest. He looked back and spotted antlers above the brush alongside the river. He wondered if Mia and Murphy knew that a deer was following them. He tripped and decided he should pay more attention to where he was walking. The antlers were soon forgotten.
Chapter Twenty-two
Mia did her best to navigate the rough terrain. She worried that she was getting behind the timetable Cid had set up. He and Ted would arrive soon at the place Cid thought would be a good spot to start their diversion. It was just the other side of the hospital wall.
“Murph, can you…” she stopped talking as she saw something she hadn’t seen since they lost Father Santos in the hollow. “Murph, look,” she said with an outstretched hand.
A Native American woman with antlers growing out of her head stood there.
“Lorna?” Mia asked.
“No, my name is Sage Fire. Mia Cooper, you have been judged by the Council of Women as a danger to world of women.”
“How could I have been judged without a trial?” Mia said. “Even Romeo and Juliet had a trial,” Mia lied in order to summon her knives.
Murphy moved around quickly, making sure there wasn’t another assassin at their backs.
“You need not be there to be judged. I’m to kill you and send you into the Dark World where you will walk alone for an eternity. You and your ghost lover.”
“He is not my lover. I’m twelve years old,” Mia pointed out.
The deer woman angled her head. Her human eyes looked for the truth in her words.
“Leave me now, and you may return to your council to ask, why does Fredericka want her granddaughter dead?”
The moment of clarity had passed. The human eyes were gone. They were replaced by the demon eyes. “Prepare yourself,” the deer-woman said and bared her teeth.
Mia turned to Murphy and reminded him, “Beware, she travels with reapers. They can’t be killed. She, however, is vulnerable.” Mia didn’t wait for the entity to turn into the mighty stag whom she knew she couldn’t defeat without her adult powers. She took aim and tossed her knives.
The deer-woman looked surprised as the knives penetrated her flesh. She would not die, but she did need to recharge. She pulled the joined knives out of her body and ran into the forest to find a power source.
Mia retrieved her knives and ran towards the hospital, knowing she had only wounded the entity.
Ted and Cid had reached the overgrown road. Cid’s legs hurt from the exertion of keeping up with Ted. However, he didn’t ask Ted to slow down.
Ted sensed his friend’s distress and stopped. “Tell me more about Mia and me in the future.”
“She said
