Angel Fall Read Free Page B

another grunt, but the man’s last words strangled it in mid-articulation. He stared at the lined face. “What did you say?”
    Dim, whimsical eyes peered back at him. “I said, don’t never fly when you kin take a cab.”
    “No. After that. Something about a spirit.”
    “Oh, the time spirit. I said he’s movin’. Look up at that drippy, blurry sky. That’s what he does, makes things seem like they’re slowin’ down, when they’re speedin’ up. ’Course usually he’s a little quieter about it. Bet you never heard o’ the time spirit, did you, boy?”
    Suddenly everything was clear to Alex. They were being driven to the airport by a certifiable lunatic. Of course, there was no way this idiot could be from the cab company. His mother would have discovered that with a single phone call. Picking them up had been a scam. Alex even knew how it had been pulled off; all it took was listening to a two-way radio. When the pickup order went out from the dispatcher, you raced over and beat the cab to the door. Very likely the real driver had arrived a few minutes after they were gone. Alex wondered if Ellen was worried. Maybe she was trying desperately to find out who had stolen her children. Maybe soon there would be an Amber Alert.
    The thought amused him.
    “Yeah, nobody talks about the time spirit these days. Can’t blame ’em none. He’s nobody to mess with.”
    It occurred to Alex that since he was stuck with a lunatic, he might as well enjoy it. A sarcastic smile twisted the corner of his mouth. “Bet you’ve seen a lot of spirits.”
    “More than my share.”
    “Hey, you’d better look behind you, ’cause there’s one on your tail right now.”
    “ Really ?” The old fool stared in his rearview mirror. “What you talkin’ about, boy? There ain’t nothin’ back there.”
    “Oh, he’s there all right. It’s the junkyard spirit, and I think he wants your car.”
    As soon as he had said the words, he wished that he hadn’t. There was a long pause, then the old man smiled and turned to look at him. And with that look, everything changed. From being dim and whimsical, his eyes took on a clarity and power that Alex had never seen on any human face.
    For an awful moment he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even breathe.
    “You like music, don’t you, son? Why don’t we just stop talkin’ an’ listen to the radio.” He punched a button, and rock music blasted from the dashboard speaker.
    After that, the man never said another word until they reached their destination. Alex rode slumped down, staring sullenly out the window, trying to make the blur resettle over his brain. Finally they turned off the Tri-state and headed down the ramp toward the Kennedy. Moments later they arrived.
    Outside the terminal their bags were removed from the trunk. Then the old man got a cart and loaded them on it. Amanda and Tori went inside while Alex paid the driver. For some reason, the tip was more generous than he had planned, but still he couldn’t look into the old man’s eyes. Cramming his wallet back in his pocket, he was about to push the cart through the automatic doors when he felt a tap on the shoulder.
    “Got a mind to tell you somethin’.”
    Alex turned.
    “Listen to me, boy. When you don’t know where to go, follow.”
    “What?”
    “I said, when you don’t know where to go…follow. Now, you an’ your sisters have a good trip to England. And don’t forget what I told you about cabs.” With that, he got into his car and drove off. It wasn’t until later that Alex realized he hadn’t mentioned anything about England.

4
THE CLOTH OF TWILIGHT
    A manda stared around the terminal and mumbled, “This is creepy.” The huge room was jammed, and the noise should have been deafening, but instead, there was total silence. Nobody was talking at all. Not even the kids. And on every face there was a slight bewilderment as though the blur outside had entered their brains. She turned to her sister.