Ghost Canyon (The John Decker Supernatural Thriller Series Book 7) by Anthony Strong (ebooks that read to you .TXT) 📕

Chapter Twenty

The plane carrying John Decker landed a little after 4 PM local time in Las Vegas. It taxied to a private hanger where two men were waiting next to a government issue plain black Ford Crown Victoria when he deplaned.

“You John Decker?” The taller of the two asked as Decker stepped out of the aircraft. He was leaning against the car and now pushed himself up. He slipped a hand into his pocket to retrieve a slim leather case, which he flipped open to reveal his credentials, with the initials FBI written in large blue lettering across the uppermost card. He closed the wallet and returned it to his pocket. When he did so, Decker saw the silver FBI badge attached to his belt.

“That’s me.” Decker nodded and stepped from the Gulfstream’s built in airstairs. In one hand was an overnight bag that contained a few changes of clothing, a pair of hiking boots, and a toiletries bag. Over his other shoulder was a laptop case. When he reached the car, he set them both on the ground. “And you are?”

“Special Agent Fowler.” He nodded toward the other man. “This here is my partner, Special Agent Barnes.”

The shorter man raised a hand in greeting but said nothing.

“You ready to go?” Fowler asked. “You waiting on luggage?”

“What you see is what you get,” Decker replied. “I travel light.”

“Great. Let’s get on the road.” Fowler popped the trunk so that Decker could stash his bag and laptop case. Barnes climbed into the back seat so that Decker could sit up front, and soon they were on their way.

Fowler steered the car out of the hanger and onto a service road that ran to the airport’s perimeter. At the gate he flashed his badge to a security guard and a few minutes later they were on the Strip.

The sun was setting. It slipped below the distant mountains, painting the horizon a dazzling orange. To the left and right of them, casino resort hotels jostled for attention with bright lights and outlandish themes. Traffic was moderate, but despite this, the going was slow as they moved along the main thoroughfare in fits and starts, stopping at intersections clogged with tourists. Decker had only visited Las Vegas once before, many years ago, and he peered out of the passenger side window, fascinated by the garish facades of the larger hotels and casinos.

Agent Barnes, in the backseat, watched the passing scenery with disinterest. “You a gambling man, Mister Decker?” he asked, eventually.

“Depends how you define gambling. I’ve taken a risk or two over the years as a law enforcement officer. If you’re wondering if I have a desire to spend hours throwing money away in one of these casinos, the answer is most definitely no.”

“That’s a good thing,” Fowler said. “Because where we’re going, you’ll be lucky to find a strong drink, let alone a craps table.”

“I read the briefing file during my flight,” Decker said. “It’s a ghost town, right?”

“Is it ever.” Barnes didn’t sound happy. “There’s only one habitable building in the entire place. The rest of it is falling into the ground. I swear, we get the worst assignments.”

“It’s not that bad,” Fowler said. “The landowner renovated the hotel, and it’s actually pretty comfortable. There is a saloon bar but is not officially open yet. As for the rest of the place, there’s an old man that lives in a dilapidated cabin, and there are a few other buildings, mostly crumbling shells.”

“What about the goldmine?” Decker asked. They had left the city behind now. The bustle of the Las Vegas Strip had given way to smaller businesses and new housing developments scattered around the outskirts of the gambling mecca, and then to open desert with little sign of habitation. “What condition is it in?”

“It’s stable enough. At least according to the surviving geologist. The trusses and beams holding back the rock are still in good condition considering how old they are, and the tunnels are mostly free of obstructions. We should be able to enter with no trouble.”

“Except for whatever is lurking inside,” Barnes added. “If we run into that, we could be in a whole heap of trouble. The last two groups that went in there didn’t fare so well.”

“I’ve been briefed,” Decker said. “I assume you still haven’t found the two missing geologists?”

“Correct.” It was dark now, and they were driving up into the mountains. Fowler flicked on his high beams. “They were almost certainly killed, and since the rescue team that went in to look for them almost met a similar fate, we decided it was best to retreat until we could bring in expert help.”

“That would be you,” Barnes said.

“One person on that rescue team did meet a similar fate,” Decker observed. “From the witness statements I read on the flight, it was lucky that any of them made it out alive.”

“I assume you watched the footage retrieved from the responding Vegas PD officer’s body cam.”

“Yup,” Decker responded.

“First impressions?” Fowler asked.

“Whatever that creature is, it’s been there a long time,” Decker said. “If I had to guess, I’d say it dates all the back to the Wild West.”

“What makes you say that?” Barnes asked.

“Because I also saw the photos taken by the geologist. Those three mummified prospectors didn’t just decide to sit down and end their days in that mine on a whim. Something scared them so much that they didn’t dare walk out.”

“Unless they got lost down there and couldn’t find their way back to the surface,” Fowler suggested.

“They didn’t. For one thing, they weren’t that far from the entrance. If the surviving geologist is correct, they’re only about half a mile in and close to the adit leading out of the mine. They also carved a symbol into the dirt. I suspect this was for protection, but I’ll know more once I do some research.”

“Sounds plausible. Is that all