Rising Phoenix Gaming

"You were out cold, It was close, but stayed where it was. It growled, but then turned away. It was strange because it was in town, and it was alone." He shrugged. "I can handle a single wolf in front of me, though I was worried there might be more. That's why I was trying to wake you up when you were asleep. It ran off before anything happened, so other than it being a little strange, I wasn't really worried."

The rest of the evening was mercifully short as no one seemed to know what to say or talk about. Good nights were said and Keith and Peggy climbed into Keith's jeep and drove away. Ethan stood on his porch watching the taillights grow small his own thoughts a mystery. Peggy had said very little all night really not intruding just listening and wondering. Her mind kept going back to the picture. Other than the hunting gear there was nothing about those four that said they were friends. and to be honest with herself they didn't look like friends. Of course they were looking at the camera posing. She thought about the stories her cousin had told her about their uncle. She thought about what the old man had said about her uncle. If he was so much a loner why go hunting every month with those other three. Especially if he was cursed. If he had passed it to her, then he had it too and like her he would have had to suffer the change. Peggy looked at Keith, "Why didn't you tell me about the wolf?" Keith had been driving mostly by muscle memory his on thoughts bouncing around in his head, the girls sudden question caught him off guard. He glanced quickly to his right saw her watching him. "What wolf?" "The one in the cemetery. When you woke me up. I know you saw it."

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." He shrugged and took a drink. "We know grandpa and Buck are Dead. Mostly this is all curiosity, due to coincidence." He sighed. "I mean, It all seems too coincidental. Now I'm gonna get to the bottom of it, just to see if there's actually anything to it. You gave us another lead, so I'll check on that later. I've got that trip this weekend, so i can't pass that off. Besides, I already bought the gear for these guys, and found us some spots that should produce what they want from a trip. I can follow up on all this after that." He had a feeling Peggy wouldn't want to wait, but he had to take care of his professional life too. He wasn't free to just go off and do something without repprecussions. "I'll talk to Haddy, and see about Ravinski's business."

Ethan absentmindedly shakes his head, "No, like I said I wasn't in that circle. I just knew them enough to say hi on the street. But I do know that Ravinski ran some sort of impost business out of L.A.. Check with Haddy Cooper at the Five N Dime, I know she bought from him from time to time." Again shaking his head Ethan looked thoughtful, "I really don't know. I suppose whenever the two from out of town could match schedule. I mean Your grandfather didn't have a Job so he could go at any time. And I never heard of Buchannan working either." Ethan looks at the picture again and rubs his chin, "You know one thing odd about it, now that I think about. They met year round, for about three, maybe four years, even out of season. " Keith leaned forward, "They met every month?" Ethan shrugged and glanced at the girl who was silent through all of this then back to Keith, "As far as I know. Keith what is this all about?"

"I don't suppose you've got a phone number, or address for either of them?" Keith asked hopefully, though he did expect a negative answer. "May be that we're reading too much into this. They could have easily just been hunting buddies, though Grandpa does look older. Still, It's a strange coincidence that I met Peggy today, and we both have kin that knew each other pretty well it seems." He looked over at Ethan. "What time of the month did they all get together? Was there any real pattern to it, or did they just show up at all times?" Could they have been meeting on the full moon each month? He didn't give voice to that thought, but he had read his Grandfather's journal, he knew what he had been, the secret he'd inherited, but if there were indeed more like him, he had to wonder about Peggy.

Peggy smiled at the old man as she rocked back and forth on her heels her hands stuffed into her back pockets. Ethan nodded and noticing the picture in Keiths hand held his out. Keith gave his friend the picture and watched as the older man studied it. Ethna held it in one hand and pursed his lips then reached up and rubbed his chin. “What is it you wanted to know, Keith?” “For starters, who are Ravinski and Mckenna? And did you take this picture?” Ethan looked up from the picture startled at the question, “No, no I didn’t take it. I wasn’t, um… part of that group.” He drifted of back into silence as he dropped his eyes to the picture again. “And Ravinski and McKenna?” “Let’s go sit.” Eathan led the two younger folk into his living room where they sat on a sofa. Eathn disappeared into his kitchen and returned with some beers. After passing those around he too sat in an easy chair facing the sofa. He leant forward and picked up the picture which had been set on the coffee table. “I don’t know who took the picture maybe they used a timer. These four were a… I don’t know what you would call them, club, group, hunting buddies. Take your pick. I didn’t know Ravinski or McKenna well, they didn’t live up here. They would come up about once a month and the four of them would go hunting. They didn’t hang out at the lodge or anything. Except for your grandfather, none of them were very social. Especially Buchannon, your uncle, he was an ornery old s.o.b. he just lived out there by lake Toro in that shack. He come into town for supplies once or twice a month and maybe turnup at the Redwood and get mean drunk.” He looked up at Peggy suddenly embarrassed, “Sorry, meant nothing Ill just telling it as I saw it.” Peggy shrugged, “It’s okay I didn’t really know my uncle. Seems no one did.” Keith shook his head. “These other two still come up here and hunt? I ain’t never heard of them.” Ethan took a deep breath and thought. “No I don’t think so. Least ways I haven’t seen them not since before the fire.”

"Hey Ethan. It's probably good that she's gone, given what we've got to discuss. This is Peggy. She is Buck's Niece." He said to introduce Peggy. Keith shrugged. "Way too many coincidences occurred today, and after seeing the picture, well, I knew if anyone could tell us about it, it would have to be you, Boss." he was calm, but given that he had the picture with him, and he hoped Ethan could provide them both some answers.

Peggy sighed abruptly, “The we better go.” She looked back at the table still full with the dirty dishes, “We can clean up when we get back.” Her mom would have killed her. Neither spoke much on the drive to Ethan’s place and in short order they were there. Ethan greeted them as they came up to the Porch. He was surprised to see Peggy. He gave Keith a questioning look, after all Peggy was much younger than Keith and looked even younger than she was, but mostly the look was because he hadn’t expected anyone else but Keith. “Howdy Keith, afraid it’s only going to be us tonight, Becky had something with her book club she had to attend.” He than nodded at Peggy, “Evening Miss”

"That's Oscar Mckenna and Saul Ravinski. I don't really know anything about them, or recognize them. I was hoping Ethan would be able to fill us in on them as well." It was disappointing, realizing how little he knew of his grandfather's life. Because his parent's didn't have a good relationship with him, none of their kids did either. He couldn't recall seeing him much before He'd become a soldier, and even after that, he'd spent more time home with his Niece.

Peggy looked at the photo again. If Keith's grandfather had fought in that war then he had to be pushing eighty or even older. No way. "Your grandfather died in a fire?" "Yeah, burned down the house that was here." Peggy looked around the at the room again. "Who are these other two guys. We might should talk to them."

"My Grandfather fought in World War I in the Army." He nodded. "No he doesn't look that old. Grandpa looked really spry for his age when I last saw him too. I just thought it was good genes, you know. Some people age better than others." Thinking on it though, he realized his own parents looked older in some ways. They didn't carry the weight of years as well as his grandfather and Buck had.

Peggy looked at he color photo again. Most of the mien looked to be in their late thirties including Uncle Buck. the only one who looked older was Keith's grandfather. "He isn't really my uncle, he's my great uncle. This picture had to have been taken in the last couple of years I would think. Uncle Buck was born at the end of world war one, he died a few months ago in some sort of weird hunting accident that no one knows anything about. He was probably in his late fifties." She turns the picture so Keith can see it clearly. "Does he look like he is in his fifties to you? And how old was your Grandfather?"

"I don't know." Keith answered quietly. "That is why I asked Ethan about it. He was Grandpa's friend too, and he's not in the photo. He could well have been the one to take it. That's why we're going to see him later tonight. I'm sure he can tell us more." He was concerned as well, but he wasn't sure why. "I promise I didn't know any of this when we met. However improbable it seems, I'm just as surprised as you by this."

Peggy picked up the picture but watched Keith as he sat back down, then she looked at it. The picture was in color which meant probably it wasn't that old. It was taken outside in the woods and was posed not candid. She looked at all four men. There was nothing in common about them aside from an obvious camaraderie. Then she looked closer at the man with her great uncle’s name scrawled beside him. It was him, uncle ‘Buck’, or his twin. She set the photo back down, “That is him. How old is this photograph?”

Keith nodded, and went to get the folder he'd put the picture in from the small bar. He'd brought it up from the bunker, prepared to bring it with him when he went to see Ethan. He knew she was nervous now. "I didn't know that myself, until I saw the picture, and Ethan confirmed it." He set the picture in its frame, down so she could see it. "I mean I could be wrong and this could be someone else, but it did seem very coincidental to me." He went and sat back down so he didn't loom over her while she looked. noting she seemed on edge, and he was trying to defuse that. While it was a very improbable coincidence, he was very much trying to reinforce he held no hostility or sinister motives regarding her.

Peggy pushed her plate away and drank some water, "Your grandfather knew my uncle." That sent waves of warning up and down Peggy's spine. That was a very big coincidence. She was hitchhiking and gets picked up by a guy whose granddad knew her uncle. All to much of a coincidence. She wasn't scared, she had her claws and she had learned to put them out whenever she wanted. Had pulled them out in fact. "Can I see the picture?"

Keith nodded. "I work hard, but I admit to being fortunate too. My Grandfather left me the land and everything else when he passed. I rebuilt the house and updated some things, but it's largely as it was when it was his." He chuckled. "Won't find many like it, but all the nearby woods and all are part of the property, so it offers alot of peace and quiet. There's no neighbors within a couple miles, and it suits me fine. It's way better than the jungles of Vietnam."

"Water please." She had discovered a dislike of sugery drinks sine the change so she dranl mostly water now. They ate. It was the first home cooked meal Peggy had eaten since running away. It was pretty good. She studied the house what she could see of it from where they ate, It was nice and everything looked new. She had never been in the country before or the woods but from TV this was not what she had envisioned a cabin in the woods to be. “This is a nice place.”

"Ethan is actually my boss. When I came home from the Army, not everyone was that keen on hiring soldiers. My grandfather made a call, and arranged for Ethan to hire me. He runs a large Hunting and fishing camp up here, and he and my grandfather went way back. Since then I've become one of his best guides, and never really give him reason to doubt his decision to hire me." He cooked as he spoke, feeling oddly comfortable with Peggy in his home, even though he didn't know her. "I am honestly not sure he truly knew your uncle personally, but he may have. You see, I found a picture of My grandfather, and three other men, with each of their names on it. One of those men has the same name as your Uncle. I'm bringing it tonight when we go see Ethan. If there's anyone alive who can tell us if it was your uncle, and about him and the others in the Picture it's Ethan. I believe he was actually the man who took the picture." He set the food on the table, her plate first, a Pork Cutlet, mashed potatoes, green beans, and an oven roasted corn on the cob. "What would you like to drink? I've got water, soda, Sweet tea and beer chilled." He had several sauces set out, and set his own plate opposite hers.

Peggy had narrowed her eyes at Keith’s suggestion, but her senses didn’t give her any warning, so she agreed. About an hour later, after a hot shower (the first in a long time) she felt she had made the right decision. She didn’t have many clothes, but she dressed in her one non t-shirt which was a man’s light cotton button-down that was colored with blue swirls almost like a tie-dye. At first, she was going to tie it up across her belly but then thought better since she didn’t know these people at all, so instead she tucked the shirt tails into her jeans and put her worn sneakers back on even though she preferred to go barefoot. When she came out of the spare bedroom that Keith had put her in she followed the smell of cooking to the kitchen where Keith was preparing a meal for the tow of them. He noticed her and gave her a smile. She found herself returning the smile, “So who is this guy we are going to see? He knew my Uncle?”

When Keith pulled up at the cemetery, he got out quietly, with respect. He didn't see anyone else there walking around, but it was still what he'd been brought up to do. He walked quietly among the tombstones, still not seeing Peggy, but he was known enough that the officers wouldn't have lied to him. He pressed on and as he drew near the back, where the indigent section was, that was where he saw her, laying on the ground. He couldn't smell any blood, but it was warm out. "Poor girl, the heat and stress must have hit her all at once. He didn't run, but did walk faster. As he neared the grave he saw the little frame, and the name on it. He could only hope Ethan would have some answers for them both. He didn't reach out to her, knowing some people instinctively reacted poorly when physically roused from their sleep. "Peggy." he called to her. "It's Keith, I need you to get up." Sleeping in a graveyard, if that was what she was doing wasn't good. Of course, if she wasn't just asleep he was ready to pick her up and carry her somewhere out of the heat. The girl didn't stir so Keith moved closer and prepared to gently give her a shake. Before he touched her he caught a wild scent one the wind and looked up. Standing several yards away just beyond the wire fence denoting the end of the cemetery stood a red wolf, growling. Keith stopped, and his eyes narrowed at the Wolf. He'd never heard of a wolf in daylight here in this part of town, and he frowned. His gun was in the jeep, and there was still a sleeping woman here. "Peggy you need to wake up right now." His voice was louder, with a more commanding tone, the sort one would expect from a soldier. He wasn't yelling, but it should easily have been enough to rouse anyone from sleep. There was little he could do if the animal decided to attack. "C'mon..." He raised his hands, ready to try and catch the animal if it lunged, He nudged her foot gently with his own, but his eyes never left the Wolf. He wasn't scared, he knew he could handle a single wolf, but he didn't know if he could protect her too if there were more of them. The wolf stared into Keith’s eyes then huffed, turned and sprinted away. Keith quickly lost sight of the animal then he heard Peggy. “What are you doing here?” Keith glanced down at Peggy as he stepped back. She had pushed herself into a siting position and was looking up at him. Despite her question she did not look surprised at seeing him nor did she look like a person who had just been woken up from a sleep as deep as hers had appeared. Keith had watched the wolf, but after losing sight of it, he looked down and heard her question. "I was looking for you. It turns out I do actually know someone who might be able to tell us about Buck. I'm heading over to his place tonight at seven, and if you'd like to come, you're invited. I was hoping I'd find you fast enough so that if you wanted to freshen up and such beforehand you could." He'd extended a hand to her to help her up from the ground, while replaying how fast she'd gotten up. and how she didn't seem like she'd just woken up. it was odd, but he let it pass. He said nothing of the wolf, he didn't want to cause her any anxiety, but he thought to himself that it was a good thing he'd come by. Peggy let Keith help her up then brushed off the dirt and grass and picked up her bag. "I don't have anyplace to stay." Keith shook his head. "I know we just met, but if you're willing to trust me, I do have extra room at my place. You can get cleaned up if you want and wash your clothes. I'll cook, or we can grab something to eat on the way there. " It was strange, but now that he found there was a potential link, he felt obligated to help her out, to at least offer this much.

The phone rings about four times before it is picked up, "Hello, Pikes Hunting and Fishing Ventures, how can I help you?" "This is Keith Cranston, I need to speak with Ethan Pike, please." "Oh hi Keith, just sec." Keith hears the sound of the phone being set on the counter, a few moments pass then, "This is Ethan, how are you Keith? Is there a problem with the booking?" "No no problems boss, i got everything together for that. This is something abit more personal. You knew my Grandfather. Well I met a young woman today, claimed she was looking for James "Buck" Buchanan. Now I know he knew Grandpa, because I found a picture of the two of them and two other guys together, looked like they were all old hunting buddies. Oscar Mckenna, and Saul Ravinski, if I'm reading it right. I was wondering if you knew them too, or maybe what happened to them. Is there anything you can tell me?" Ethan was quiet for several seconds, "Well I guess we never really talked about your grandfather much, what with you having your own shit to deal with. I've heard those names before but don't know em. Look, Keith, why don't you come by tonight and we''ll have a couple of beers and talk. This isn't anything we should talk about on the phone." "Alright I can do that. Sayi Seven or so?" Keith asked. "Also Ethan, would you mind if I brought the young lady who was asking along, kill two birds with one stone as it were." If it was a problem, he'd just have to find her tomorrow, if not he'd go find her now, invite her home so she could freshen up and such before heading over. A small part of him wondered why he was going out on a limb like this for a stranger, but at the same time, he almost felt compelled by an almost insatiable curiosity. Peggy had never been to a police station before and even though this was a small town and probably didn’t have that much criminal activity, it was busy. There were men wearing uniforms and carrying guns all running around with purpose and the few women she saw were dressed conservatively and either answering phones or typing. Typical. “Can I help you…miss?” The man who spoke was large, not fat, just big. He was older in his fifties she guessed, wide shoulders thick arms, a tattoo was exposed on his left forearm, a topless woman straddling an anchor with some numbers, maybe a date, below. He was bald except for a steel gray fringe. He was in a uniform and his badge said SHERIFF. “Good, you’re the sheriff. I need to ask you about James Buchanan.” The man glanced down at his badge and laughed. “No miss I’m not the Sheriff just a deputy, all the badges say that. Give me your name and I’ll see if the sheriff has a minute.” Peggy told him who she was and gave him Uncle Bucks name again. He pointed her to a wooden bench set against a wall and told her to wait there, then he disappeared into the belly off the station. After a thirty minute wait another man in uniform, this one was fat, about the same age as the deputy came before her and introduced himself as Sheriff Wallace. Peggy introduced herself and explained why she was there. After some thought and what seemed hesitation the fat sheriff answered. “Yeah I remember the case. He didn’t live here or anywhere as far as anyone here abouts knew. Sam at the five and dime remembered him coming in a few times for supplies. But nobody knew him.” The sheriff looked uncomfortable. “His body was found in the preserve by some …young hikers. He had been shot by a rifle probably, we didn’t find the slug it went through. Ahem. Anyway, it was put down as a hunting accident. Whoever did it probably didn’t even know they had shot anyone. All the stuff I sent to you was with him.” “There was a key in the package” Peggy said. “Yeah, I don’t know what it’s to, maybe a post office key though usually those are marked or a Bank key but we checked and your uncle didn’t have any accounts, at least not in his name. and the bank said it was one of their safety-deposit box keys. I’m sorry there isn’t much more I can tell you. But if you want I can have one o the deputy drive you over to the cemetery and show you where they buried him.” “What? He’s buried here?” “Yeah, your folks said they didn’t want to deal with it. Kind of odd and to be honest cold.” Peggy scowled, “Well that sounds like my parents. If you don’t mind you can give me directions and I’ll walk I need to think.” The sheriff obliged and Peggy left to walk to the south side of town and out of the city to an old cemetery. Fort Jones had been established in 1852 and folks have been dying here ever since. The cemetery was compact considering its size and the headstones were indicative of the early twentieth century. Lots of tablet style headstones and lots of monument style as well. There were no mausoleums but there were a great number of graves. She found her uncle in the indigent section at the back of the cemetery. No headstones here, no monuments. Just small, weathered mounds of earth some with small metal frames stuck in the earth at the foot of the grave that held the name and DoD. She found Uncle Bucks grave at the back the mound still rounded and covered with dry yellow grass, the card in the frame read James Buchanan. Peggy didn’t really know why she had come here and didn’t know what to do now. She sat crosslegged beside the grave and wondered why she felt connected to this man she hadn’t ever even spoken too. Soon the heat and the quiet and her exhaustion got the best of her and Peggy lay down beside the grave and fell asleep. Keith drove up and down the main street a couple of times and didn’t see the girl. He stopped at the sheriff’s station and went to ask about her. He was fairly well known in the area so the deputy trusted him and told him that she had gone to the grave yard. And that is where Keith headed.

"It can't be, can it?" He said quietly. His grandpa hadn't really talked about the old days, and Keith certainly couldn't ask him about anything now. Still, there was at least one person he might get some anwers from, Ethan Pike, his boss. He wasn't quite as old as his grandfather had been, but he had known him well. Enough that he'd given Keith a well-paying job and taken care of him at a time when alot of the country didn't think well of any type of soldier. He quietly realized this was all kind of crazy, that he didn't really know Peggy, or owe her anything. Still, his own curiosity was piqued, so he wanted to know for himself, now. It wasn't too late, so he headed back upstairs, and picked up the phone and Dialed Ethan's number, waiting for him to pick up.

The last ten minutes passed in awkward silence. Keith drove and Peggy watched the forest slip by then suddenly they were in a town. It sort of shocked her for almost an hour they had been driving through thick forest then suddenly buildings and sidewalks replaced the trees with no warning. Keith slowly drove through the town which was quaint with foux log siding on many of the buildings and the streets were lined with older model cars and pickup trucks. Keith drove right up to the County Court house and parked leaving the engine idling. "Sheriffs department is inside just passed the county registry. Hope you find who your looking for." Peggy had already opened the jeep door but at that she turned back and started to say something but changed her mind. "Thanks for the ride....Keith. " The she grabbed her bag and slid out of the jeep and jogged up the courthouse steps after closing the jeep door. Keith watched her go inside. He found himself puzzled by the girl. He drew in a deep breath through his nose, her scent lingered in the jeep. She hadn't been wearing deodorant or perfume so what he smell was her natural scent and it was clear and strong to his heightened sense of smell. He felt the wolf stir. Then he shook himself clear of this strange feeling and shifted into gear, he had a couple of things to do in town then head home to finish getting ready. A few hours later Keith was back at home the gear for the clients had been sorted, inspected, and repacked. Then he checked his own gear. When he was done with that he headed down into his grandfathers bunker where the gun safe was. He would take a sidearm and a long gun gust for safty. It was never a good idea to head into the wilderness without protection. After choosing his weapons and gathering ammunition, he closed up the safe and glanced around grandfathers bunker. That's how he thought of it. Grandfathers bunker. It was a strange thing to have found up hear in northern California. It wasn't a bomb shelter which had been popular back in the fifties when grand dad ha built the place but a certified Military Bunker like they had on army bases. It had the safe but it also had a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, a bunk room which had two bunk beds and could sleep four, and a large well stocked store room filled with non perishables and canned goods. Most of it had been stored here by his grandfather with just some added by Keith and some thrown out that was outdated. Keith shook his head. It still puzzled him, this bunker, he had found it when he had started rebuilding the old house. there had been a trap door that dropped into a tunnel that led to here. The bunker wasn't under the house but offset on the lot. Probably the biggest surprise was the gun safe and the arsenal it contained. Keith shook his head at the memory and then gathered the guns and ammo and turned to head back to the main house but paused long enough to glance at the picture on the wall near the safe. It was the only picture of his grandfathers that hadn't burned. It showed his grand dad and three other men in outdoors gear posing by a huge tree. Grand dad appeared to be the oldest but the other three were not that much younger in appearance though all of them looked fit for their age. Four hunting buddies. The picture was black and white and had been signed by the four men. Keith paused, stepped closer and peered intently at the old photo. The man on the end a big guy dark hair, the only one not smiling. The name scrwled under him in poorly shaped print letters said "Buck".

Keith nodded. "Alright, well I'll be around town, if you have to go somewhere else, if you see me flag me down, and I'll do what I can to help. " He drove on, and when they finally got to town, he made for the Sheriff's office, letting her out. "I hope you find who you're looking for Peggy."