[color=007236]>HIGHWAY I-64
>2019.8.JULY
>1400...///[/color]

As the hours passed the dull grey of concrete sidewalks and buildings eventually gave way to tall, bright green trees and picturesque views of the mountains as the car drove down the faded black asphalt of the highway. 

Ava watched the countryside pass them by, admiring the beauty of the mostly unspoiled nature just 20 or so feet away. Though the admiration was tainted by the knowledge of what lurked among the towering trees and lowely undergrowth. An insidious black market operation skulking in the sleepy mountains. Or possibly something worse.

Ava glanced away from the window, picking up her slurpee from the cup holder and taking a long drink of the radioactive red drink that was cherry flavored. From the corner of her eye she looked over to Laine, driving their rental car for the first few hours and then Ava would take over. She felt a little nervous being in the car for hours on end, fearful of them lapsing into  long awkward silences.

Well, when in doubt, talk about work. 

“So,” She spoke up, setting her slurpee back in the cupholder. “What do you think of the case so far?”

Laine drove in silence, her thoughts to herself and she suppressed the urge to crank up the stereo in deference to Ava. She took a drink of her own slurpee, a blend of cherry and Coke. 

"I think it's much bigger than I imagined when I first arrived in Blackriver," she replied, then hesitated. "It's actually the second time, I never thought...well I still don't know if there is a link between what I've seen on both my visits. Blackriver County is just full of weird shit."

It wasn't much of an answer so Laine continued, "I think we have a lot of information, bits and pieces that need sorting out."

“No kidding.” Ava agreed softly, her mind sifting through what information she did have and all the questions that need answering. 

Shaking her head lightly to snap herself out of it she focused back on Laine with a curious frown. “What...happened on the first trip? If you want to talk about it.” She quickly added so Laine wouldn’t think she was being pushy. “If you don’t, I understand.”

Laine huffed a soft laugh, smiling slightly, "Are you curious? I find the best way to satisfy that is just to ask. I suppose it's alright to tell you, you're part of UMBRA now."

She cut her eyes to Ava then back to the road. "It was my trial, so to speak. To see if I could cut it with the Program. We were to clean out a retired agent's apartment, he'd passed away. But we found something."

Laine gestured with her head towards the back, indicating their luggage in the trunk. "That footlocker I've been lugging around. It belonged to the late Agent Clyde Baughman, we found he had a cabin up here in Blackriver. So we paid a visit."

Her hand gripped the wheel tightly and she reached for her slurpee, taking a long drink. 

Ava furrowed her brows in confusion and concern as she listened to Laine, a chill starting to settle over her with each word she spoke. “What happened at the cabin?” She asked, her voice having gone a little quieter than her normal speaking volume.

Laine took a deep breath, then said, "In one of those books you'll see a story about a chief that grieved the loss of his wife so much he tried to bring her back. Well, Clyde grieved for his wife."

She reached for her Djarums instinctively, then said, "And he brought her back."

Laine lit the clove cigarette, pushing the button to roll down the window. "None of us knew, especially not a bunch of rookies. But even Donnelley didn't know, though...I should have heed his warning. I thought this Baughman had someone locked away. We heard a woman's voice, calling for him. From the septic tank. I was so damn sure it was a possible victim, because that's what I work with, you know?"

She shook her head, wincing slightly and drew deeply on the black cigarette, "It was dark in there and the smell...like wet rot and suddenly she was there, reaching out with corpse hands. Mrs Baughman... she was living but dead. I felt her strength, she grabbed me by the neck and tried to strangle me, she was strong but so cold, decomposing...then Donnelley and the rest of the team with me shot her. That was the only thing that made her release her grip, they killed her..."

Flicking her ashes out the window, she glanced at Ava, "But according to records she had died and been buried. So what was that in the septic tank?"

Laine shook her head, her voice slightly raspier, "Baughman must have found something, someway to do that to her. Maybe, I don't know. It's not scientifically possible yet...there she was."

She smoked harder, her cheeks hollowing as she took a sharp drag. "What do you think about that?"

Ava was staring at Laine with wide eyes as she told her tale, the chill that had creeped over her now settling on her fully like a blanket. She tore her eyes away as she brushed a loose curl of copper hair behind her ear, her expression troubled as she processed the information.

“I...I don’t know what to say.” She answered truthfully. “I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked since,” Her mind flashed to that short encounter two years ago that drastically changed the course of her life. “I’ve worked for the Program for a few years.” She finished, trying to cover up her pause.

She turned her head back to Laine, her eyes softening from fear and shock, to something more sympathetic. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. Are you okay?”

Laine nodded, then took a sip of her slurpee, "Then you've seen more than I have." 

Laine took one last drag and snuffed out the cigarette, "Yeah I think so, it was like a few months back, but it did shake me up. Hell, I ran away and tore off my jacket and shirt because it had uh...well she came apart being shot so much at close range. Donnelley helped me though, he's...you know, he's experienced. Anyway, we had one person never come back after that and I don't blame her, it was tough. But I'm wondering how Baughman did it and if there is any connection to what is going on in Blackriver. Of all the places to buy a vacation cabin he picked the center of weird in the Appalachians. I don't think it was just a coincidence."

“I think you’re right.” Ava agreed with a frown, looking down at her hands for a moment. “So, you think that whatever he did is the same as that chief in the story?” She asked, lifting her head to look in the backseat for the book she mentioned. 

Laine pressed her lips together tightly then sighed, "I don't know, I mean like the scientific research I've seen even experimental stuff still says it's impossible. Mrs Baughman was dead and buried according to the records. Did he exhume her or was she never dead but maybe sick and the funeral and death records a farce? Not quite out of the question considering Baughman was with the Program. I wish I'd got tissue samples but the body was burned along with the shed. I was too out of it to think clearly at the time."

She shook her head slightly, "I wanted the opinion of Agent Bhaat about the stories in those books, there are similarities that I can see to what's occurred in Blackriver but..."

Laine shrugged, "She didn't seem interested in reading them. I have friends in forensic anthropology and sociology fields, maybe they might be able to help me understand. But you know, it's risky asking too much from outside sources."

Ava glanced at her with a concerned crease between her eyebrows at the mention of Pari. “Maybe she was distracted by...everything?” She suggested with a small shrug. “Um, it’s not my field, but my mother is an anthropologist professor at Brown University so I know a little bit about the study.” She turned back to her searching and spotted a box of books.

She twisted her body, not taking off her seat belt as she got up on her knees on the seat and reached back with a grunt to pull the box closer before picking it up. “Which book is it?” She asked, turning back around and settling in her seat with the box in her lap.

Laine merely shook her head slightly and sniffed, "I guess so, it was certainly an eventful week."

"Impressive, an Ivy League mom. Well if you want to take a look I believe it was [i]Backwoods Witchcraft of Appalachia[/i], there is a section on local Native American legends and their religious and magic beliefs," she said.

Ava looked through the books until she found the one Laine spoke of, then set the box down between her feet. “Does the story go in to detail on how the Chief brought his wife back?” She asked Laine curiously, even as she flipped through the pages to the section she spoke about.

"Not really," Laine said, "At least not like a recipe for zombie making. It talked about ritual and sacrifice, bargaining but no details."

Ava pursed her lips together as she started reading. “Maybe he bargained with The Sleeper?” She muttered distractedly as her eyes flickered across the page.

Laine glanced at her, raising her brows, "Huh, maybe something like that. Dulane did say he made a promise. He promised something to the Sleeper, he was very adamant about that."

“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” She began, her face still locked toward the book. “Do you think if Dulane promised something to the Sleeper, he was expecting to get something from it for fulfilling that promise?” Ava asked with a frown.

"It's not too far fetched, it's the same geographic area and..." Laine paused then said, "That thing in the footlocker, it's some Native artifact. It looks old and strange, maybe Clyde used it. You know like a ceremony or prayer. Hey, you have your phone, got any signal? Maybe you can look up that story, see if there is anything else out there on the interwebs."

“Let me see.” She said while shutting the book and setting it in her lap. She picked up her phone from the center console and started tapping at the screen. “I hope I can find something that goes into more detail about the story.” 

She didn’t take her eyes off the screen, but did turn her head slightly toward Laine. “You found an artifact?” She asked, her tone surprised.

"Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what it is, it was in the foot locker with some research papers and a knife and some other oddities," Laine said, "I pretty much forgot about it until now. Find anything?"

“I think I might have.” Ava said, her eyes flickering back and forth over the screen. “Huh, this is interesting.” She muttered, her finger moving gently over the screen as she read through something. “It doesn’t look like the story has gone through much evolution in tellings like myths and legends tend to do. That’s unusual considering how old it is.”

"Yeah? No evolution of the legend to myth? It's been awhile since I had any cultural anthropology classes but do you think it might mean that it's more of a telling of an incident rather than like a metaphorical tale?" Laine asked, "But still, it's very... supernatural. I mean, I know what I've seen and heard, it's still hard to wrap my head around."

Ava shrugged her shoulders as she continued to read. “I’ve been with the Program for two years, I’m still having a hard time accepting it.” She admitted to her, her voice quiet. 

She straightened in her seat. “Here it is, some fringe historians do believe that the story of the Grieving Chief is an actual oral historical tale that was used as a cautionary story of the dangers of bargaining with the Lord of the Woods.” She frowned as she continued to read. “They’re citing some Occult writer called John Dee, so I’m not sure how factual that might be.”

"John Dee the occultist? Never heard of him, doesn't sound like solid resume for historical accuracy but it's a start. Look him up, see what you find," Laine replied, "And Lord of the Woods, that's that picture I saw, the guy that looks the Horned God or Baphomet. Maybe a connection with the Sleeper, I can definitely follow up with Dulane about more details, if he saw it or what exactly he was bargaining for."

Ava picked up the book again and flipped through it until she found the picture she was talking about. “Oh, well, that’s creepy isn’t it?” She said with a grimace as she looked over the strange chimaera of goat and man. “Usually local...let’s go with “spirits” for this,” She said, motioning to the picture. “Have a tendency to have more than one name or title, so it’s possible?”

She shut the book and returned to her phone, tapping away at the screen with her thumbs. “So, what exactly is the plan with Dulane?” She asked Laine curiously as she searched. “You guys are just...going to take him to the mines?”

"The idea is returning him to the scene of the crime, that whole area is spooky. That's where Dave's team was killed, where Laurie and Gwen were killed and the men attacked by that... whatever it was. It was big and dangerous and it makes me nervous about going out there, I'm not afraid to admit. I hate hiking, fresh air is for dead people. But if it helps Dulane remember details about this Sleeper then, I guess I better bring my Docs."

Ava looked over at her, a worried tilt to her lips and the furrow of her brow. “It seems like a big risk.” She said, shifting her gaze back to her phone. “I wouldn’t go up there without a Sherman Tank as an escort.” 

She scrolled through her phone and started to shake her head. “There isn’t much I’m finding on John Dee, just that he’s an Occult author that some fringe historians cite for his writings and his influence on witchcraft.” She frowned. “There’s also mention of his work translating something called the Al Azif?”

Laine drove in silence, the mines were too big a key to the mystery to stay away from. She might not have a Sherman Tank but she had Donnelley and she knew he wouldn't risk taking her or any of the team back up there unless he was planning on heavy protection. 

Ava's voice broke into her thoughts and she glanced at her, "I never heard of that, Al Azif. Well, we have our homework don't we. Answer one question and get a dozen more. The nature of a mystery," Laine said, a hint of pleasure in her voice. "What are your plans for the break?"

She was surprised by the sudden change of topics, but it wasn’t an unwelcome one. “Oh, you know, the usual.” She said with a small shrug. “Probably be ignored by my cat for a day for leaving, maybe go for a jog with my neighbor and I’ll be moving offices since I was transferred from Logistics to Operations. Oh and hunting down Jay’s online trail.” 

She put her phone down and picked up her slurpee, frowning as she realized it had mostly melted. “That’s a shame.” She muttered, but took a sip anyway. “What about you?” 

"Work," Laine replied, "I am going to teach a course this fall for the Academy, so I'll be preparing for that and working any cases that I'm assigned. In the meantime, I'll be working on our case. There is a lot of information that needs to be written down and organized."

She paused and grinned slightly, "And maybe go out for drinks or something, unwind."

Laine drove in silence for a moment then asked, "So you have a cat? I love cats, I just don't have any pets because I'm always traveling."

“I do.” Ava said, perking up with a grin. “He’s...well he’s basically a miniature lion. I call him my guard cat because he’s 20 pounds of Viking feline breeding; his name is Thor.” She was tempted to whip out her phone again to show her pictures but decided against it since Laine was driving. 

She leaned back in her seat and let out a mournful sigh. “I miss drinking. A margarita or a glass of wine sounds really good right about now.”

"He sounds great, I had a black cat in highschool named Bastet, because well...I had a little Wicca phase and Bastet was the Egyptian cat goddess or something. I thought it was very clever," Laine chuckled at herself and then took another drink of her slurpee, grimacing at the melted mix of flat Coke and fake cherry. "You don't drink anymore? Did you...are you like recovering?"

She cut a glance at Ava, who did not seem the type to be recovering from any addiction. She hardly looked old enough to drink at first glance, because of her size and girlish features. 

“Oh, no! No, I’m sorry.” Ava flushed at the misunderstanding and gave her a smile that was part reassuring, part flustered. “I should have been more clear, I can’t really drink anymore because I take a type of anxiety medication that reacts poorly to alcohol.” She explained, brushing a hand through her mop of red curls. “Some people can balance the two, but because I’m a munchkin, it was just easier to stop drinking.”

Laine nodded, "Yeah, that'll do it. Medications can really do a number and pretty much alcohol will make anything like that worse."

After a beat, Laine grinned slightly and glanced at her, "Do you smoke weed?"

Ava looked over to her, startled by the question before she grinned and laughed at the idea. “Oh yes.” She said, her quiet voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m a big partaker of the Mary Jane.”

Laine chuckled at her reply, "Only Mary Jane shoes, I bet."

They crossed the state line and Laine casually flipped the middle finger at the sign proclaiming 'Now Leaving West Virginia, come on back soon, y'hear!' 

"Oh we will be," she muttered then spoke up, "Let me know if you're hungry we can stop for lunch or just keep going straight to Langley, still got another two hours of driving."

Ava grinned slightly when she saw Laine flip off the West Virginia sign, giggling to herself at the unexpectedly crude gesture to an inanimate object. “We can stop for lunch and I can take over the driving so you can have a break the rest of the way. Especially since we’ll be driving to my house.”

"That's fair, I could use a break," Laine agreed as they continued down the highway. A billboard caught her eye, and she grinned, "Let's go to Waffle House, ever been?"

“I haven’t, though I’ve heard about them.” Ava said, straightening up in her seat with interest as she watched them pass the billboard. “Is it good?” She asked curiously.

"They're good enough but more importantly, it's essential to any road trip in the south," Laine replied, a grin cracking her serious expression. 

A few miles later she pulled into the parking lot under the yellow block sign of the roadside diner, parking the rental Honda Accord a few spaces away from a pick up truck and the far side was lined with big rigs. 

As they walked in heads turned, eyes looking over the pair as Laine lead Ava to a booth near the back. She sat down, facing the door and picked up a plastic cased menu. 

A waitress trudged over, "'Mornin' ladies, getcha something to drink?"

"Coffee for me," Laine replied, then glanced at Ava, "Same?"

“Yes, please.” Ava said with a polite smile to the harried looking waitress. “With some creamer please.”

Once she left, Laine tapped the menu, "It's basic but the waffles are good. And the blueberry biscuits. Nothing like the nice cafes in the city but it'll do for road food."

She set it down and leaned forward, "You know what I really miss is good Mexican food. Fish tacos, chilaquiles... you know? I've yet to find anything in the DC area that's comparable to LA taquerias."

“I’ve never been to LA.” Ava said, her eyebrows ticking up with interest. “I’ve heard that the Mexican food was good there though.” She looked away, her eyes growing distant for a second with a small smile. “I miss clam cakes and home cooked Italian food.” She blinked her eyes as she focused back on Laine. “So, did you use to live in LA?” She asked her curiously, glancing down at the menu for a moment just to read it over.

"I was born there, in Van Nuys to be specific," Laine said, "You know, like the [I]Valley.[/I] We moved a few times but always in the Los Angeles area. My mother insisted on it so my dad went along, I didn't mind. I like the beach, I just hate the sun. You sound very East coast, where are you from?"

“Uh,” Ava frowned as she rubbed the back of her neck with an awkward expression on her face. “Technically I’m actually from West Virginia, but I grew up in Rhode Island and then lived in Massachusetts for awhile for college.” She shook her head with a small smile. “Fun fact, Massachusetts and Rhode Islanders both take their clam chowder very seriously.”

Laine looked at her closely, then grinned slightly, "No shit? You don't look inbred, must not have been from the hills. Amazing your mother made it out and became an Ivy League professor. And where did you go, Harvard?"

“No, MIT.” Ava answered sheepishly, looking down at her menu even though she had already decided to get the waffles. “I’m actually adopted, but that’s a long story that’s probably not appropriate for this setting.” She fiddled with the plastic edges of the menu for a moment and then set it back down, folding her hands on top of it. “So, where did you go to school?” She asked as the waitress returned with their coffee and a small pouring dish for the creamer. “Thank you.” Ava nodded to the waitress.

"MIT, of course, the computer science," Laine nodded, then looked at her with mild surprise, "Nothing wrong with being adopted but we have plenty of time for long stories in the car, if you feel like telling it. "

The waitress took out her pad and clicked her pen, "Y'all ready to order?"

"I'll have an order of pecan waffles and a side of bacon," Laine replied. 

“I’d like the chocolate chip waffles with some blueberry biscuits please.” Ava answered with a polite smile as she handed her the menu. “And extra whip cream.”

The waitress wrote it down then nodded, "Be a few minutes. Enjoy ya cawfee."

Once she was gone, Laine continued, "And I went to school at the University of California Irvine. From freshman to doctorate, good times. I have a lot of good memories and friends from those years. How was MIT, and being a woman in a male dominated field?"

“It was...interesting. I was able to earn a doctorate in Computer Science as well as a Mechanical Engineering degree.” Ava answered, picking up the little container of cream and pouring it into her coffee. “And I was ten years old when I went.” She explained with a small, awkward shrug. “So it was less about me being a woman and more me being a kid that stood out.” She suddenly gave her a small grin, a hint of mirth breaking through her obvious discomfort in discussing her college experience. “So, you can see why I didn’t experiment with weed in college.”

Laine blinked in surprise, tilting her head, "Wow, ten? That's amazing. Your folks won the lottery adopting you."

She smiled warmly, noting her discomfort, "Hey, you should be proud. But I'm sure it wasn't easy, just the social situation alone must have been very difficult."

Laine paused, considering for a moment how lonely and awkward it must have been to be so young among adults doing adult things and no one her age to bond with. She sipped her coffee and tried not to make a face, it was more bitter than she liked, almost burned. "So, did your parents move with you to live in Boston while you went to school?"

Ava shook her head, the curls and waves bouncing against her shoulders and around her head with the motion. “No, no, my dad is a surgeon and he couldn’t find a new position in Boston and I don’t think my mom wanted to give up her professorship with Brown University. So they rented a house for me to live in during the school year and my grandparents moved with me to look after me since they were retired.” 

She took a sip of her coffee herself, grimaced at the taste and added a bit more cream to it. “I can see why they don’t call this place the coffee house.” She commented, then took a quick look around before leaning in closer in a mock conspiratorial whisper, “Though honestly, with only four options for waffles, I don’t know why this is called the Waffle House either.” 

Laine snickered at her comment then shrugged, "Yeah it's trash, sorry. I have questionable taste sometimes. I do it for the experience."

"How was it living with your grandparents?" she asked, following up on her comment. 

“It was great.” Ava answered with a genuinely happy smile, her eyes growing distant as she thought back on the days she lived with her grandparents. “They're a loving and fun pair, made sure I didn't work too hard and just looked out for me.” She said, her hand reaching up to touch the pendant of her necklace.

She shook her head and smiled sheepishly. “I'm sorry, I'm probably talking too much about myself.” Ava said with a nervous huff of a laugh. “You sound like you've had a lot of interesting experiences, any of them Waffle House related?” Ava asked her with a small grin.

Laine shook her head slightly, "No, you're fine. I did ask you about yourself. And I'm glad you had supportive grandparents that remembered you were still a child despite your intellect."

She sat for a moment, glancing out the window at the cloudless blue sky and the stretch of highway as eighteen wheelers rumbled by. Laine turned back to Ava, "I've had a few interesting experiences and maybe one or two involved a Waffle House. Being a criminal behavioral analyst I travel a lot, which is why I don't have a pet. I spent some time in a small Georgia town, assisting in an investigation of a string of murders in that area  and the detective I liaised with always wanted to meet up at a nearby Waffle House. It was one of my first cases and the first time I went alone so...I guess it's sentimental rather than actually liking the food. Another time, when I was with my ex we did a road trip down to the Outer Banks and I made him stop at one. He hated it, it was funny and we...well, you know how it is we were still in that honeymoon phase of dating."

Laine raised her brows then shrugged, leaning back into the booth bench. 

“Wow,” Ava said, her eyes sparking with interest behind her large circular glasses. “So, I guess we’re kind of honoring a tradition here, aren’t we?” She asked with a smile, picking up her coffee to take a sip. It was serviceable. “I don’t know much about dating, but I’ve heard of the honeymoon phase, I’m sorry it didn’t work out after it was over.”

She set her cup down, biting her lip for a moment before asking, hesitantly, “Did you catch the guy?” She asked, referring to her first case.

Laine turned her coffee mug then said, "You might say that, though both are viewed in rose tinted glasses. One was a murder investigation and the other a failed relationship. Well, Alex and I made it two years, and we're still friends, sort of. We worked together and he actually helped on this case. He did the autopsy of Maria Vasquez when we first found her."

The mention of the case Laine nodded, "Eventually, I wasn't there when they finally made an arrest. That happens often, we drop in and study the evidence and make a suspect profile. It's nice when I'm present for a resolution."

“I can only imagine.” Ava said, shaking her head in amazement. “I have no idea how you’re able to do what you do, looking the worse of humanity in the eyes and getting inside of their heads like that.” 

Laine crossed her arms and leaned forward in the table, looking at Ava directly. "It's fascinating work but more importantly it's the way I know how to fight the darkness. I witness, I try to understand these [I] people[/I] so we can stop them. It's ugly, but necessary to catching killers faster. And that's the ultimate goal, to stop the predators and I guess that's why...well I'm here, with the team."

She paused, her gaze shifting past Ava as she added, "Like Donnelley told me, it's the only war that matters. I'm starting to understand."

Ava stared at her for a few silent moments before she slowly began to nod. “I’m still adjusting to being on the frontlines.” She admitted with a small, if tired, smile. 

Laine gave a half smile, looking back at Ava, "I bet. Getting capped your first time out. How are you feeling about that? Sometimes it takes a while for a trauma to settle in."

“I’m...not sure?” Ava answered honestly with an uncertain frown. “I feel okay, I guess, but I’ve been pretty occupied with helping the case so maybe it hasn’t really hit me yet?” She shrugged awkwardly. “Already being on anxiety medication also probably helps.” 

She laughed, then covered her mouth, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh about your anxiety but yes, it's probably helpful. If you feel like you need to talk, you should. A counselor or psychiatrist, there is no shame in it. Though I suspect you'd have to be circumspect with the story you give them."

“I don’t think I can do that.” Ava said with a wince. “I’m the worst liar I know and panicking about lying and getting caught while talking about the trauma of being shot seems counterproductive.”

"You're right, well I'm not a therapist but I'm a psychologist," Laine said, glancing toward the kitchen then back at Ava. "So if you need to talk about anything, I'm here. That goes for everyone on the team."

“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Ava said, relief flickering across her features. “I’m obviously not a psychologist, but I’m a pretty good listener if you ever need to talk.” She offered with a smile. It only seemed like the decent thing to do, especially after she had witnessed Laine deal with the weight of the case first hand. 

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you," Laine gave her a warm smile then glanced up as the waitress brought the plates, the huge waffles protruding over the sides and then placed the syrup on the table. 

"Any more cawfee?" 

"Not for me, thanks," Laine said, picking up her fork.

“I’m good too, thank you.” Ava nodded to the waitress, picking up one of the blueberry biscuits. She waited for the waitress to leave before turning her attention back to Laine. “If these waffles aren’t good, then this place is a House of Lies.”