Chapter 06 - Storyteller’s Gambit
Morning still lay hidden as my eyes peel open to the sound of silence. I had neglected to set an alarm for the three hour trip down memory lane, but held trust in my body’s ability to naturally rise at the appropriate moment. I turned on my side to confirm the suspicion by a quick glance at the clock, I had been off by a slight forty minutes. Oh well, I’m sure Cameron appreciated the extra time ridden in covers.
I get myself out of bed and make myself appropriate before opening the front door and embarking on the quick journey between properties. I noticed the quiet air all around me as twilight emerged over the horizon. A few knocks on Cam’s door proved useful as a bark of “come in!” could be heard from within.
ATMOS: Hey buddy, sorry I’m a bit late. I guess I needed the shut eye more than you.
CAMERON: Careless.
He smirked as he looked over at me.
ATMOS: Well, I’m sure you can't wait to hear the tale of why I was in your home today. Shall I? But first, two of your finest glasses, each with a splash of ice please.
I held out the bottle of gin in my left hand, unopened, it would prove as a middle man tonight. Cameron proceeded to give me a nod, leaving the room in a slow sway as I opened the top of the elixir. He returned with two glasses, some meaningful words stretched along the entire radius of each glass surface, with two perfectly placed ice cubes. With the angling of the bottle, emptying hope into each glass, I began my monologue.
ATMOS: The last time we talked, I was somewhere along the lines of a person of interest. Now, I’m damn near in the middle of the sights of something fierce. Through run-ins with a few new characters to say the least, along with the jarring reality that I might actually be crazy, I’ve clearly shot off some obscure life ramp and am currently airborne for a collision.
CAMERON: As full bodied as that sounds Atmos, how does this involve me and my house.
ATMOS: You can’t just skip over the appetizer and jump straight into the meal, who taught you such patience?
CAMERON: You’re right. You’re right, please proceed.
ATMOS: I needed to know where the boundary of the Deep Pines was, you know my stance on owning a map. I had to know Cameron. Sev, he died some time ago but because I thought I knew as an absolute truth that his bar was outside of the Deep Pines, I’ve….somehow been hallucinating him. I knocked, you weren’t home, so I found the answer to this dilemma of mine.
CAMERON: Jesus Atmos, I know you talked about how you would go out there….to Sev’s. I had just assumed you were going out to dream a bit about you had lost, him and Carmine.
ATMOS: Do you know when he died? I feel like I need to know.
I shot back the rest of my glass and poured myself another stiff dose of clearness. During such action I topped Cameron’s glass off as well. We were well paced at drinking, sometimes I knew my tolerance came from a repetitive past whereas his might stem from some German ancestry that swapped out breast feeding for a cold stein.
CAMERON: Yeah, yeah I do Atmos. He died about the time that the train started running in Forest City. The damn incident, Fallen Friday, had our government scrambling, trying to find a way to put a bandaid on the incision, they greenlight the rest of the construction on the train. Completing the parts of the line that went to areas off limits to the public, one of them being my office, others being areas of research. I’d have to look in the archives but I’m pretty sure he died working on the line. Some accident for which the paper gave little detail, only shedding light on his past.
I looked down for a moment, the slope in my eyes aiding in my inability to hold back a small show of water works.
ATMOS: Dammit. I don’t remember that.
CAMERON: Atmos. I’m really sorry. I’m here for you, but if the bandaid is going to come off, it might as well hurt. Sev died on a Friday, I remember sitting here drinking my coffee Saturday morning when I found out. You were out in the Deep Pines when it happened, when you came back you seemed as if you knew. We spoke briefly that weekend, I had mentioned that I was sorry, I should have added detail. You nodded, as if used to the sympathy, and went inside. That was about two years ago if I can recall.
None of the nights passed out in the Deep Pines had truly felt as if I had hit a bottom, this moment with Cameron, finally shed light to its location.
ATMOS: I think I’m going to call it a night if that’s okay with you. I’m sorry again about breaking and entering.
CAMERON: Hey, don’t worry about it. Did you find everything you were looking for?
ATMOS: I did. Oh, I didn’t mean to but I saw some book in your office that alluded to some codename of yours, Tigerman. It’s none of my business, and I wasn’t snooping, scout’s honor. But hey, there’s a transparency here that I’ll always uphold.
He grinned with the confession.
CAMERON: It’s a story for another time. But Atmos, you’re not falling victim to all chance. Some of what is going on is meant for you. One of these days I’ll introduce myself to you as Tigerman.
I didn’t understand his words, surely the confusion was written on my face. Silence stuck in the air for a moment, we had both drained our reserves of worthy words. A faint knocking could be heard, not on Cameron’s door but on one close. I looked at Cameron and stood up to peer through the window, finding the intruder caught in my porch light.
Sails was standing in the dark, pounding on my door. An odd sight considering the fact that Sails had never been to my place since I moved in, him and becoming the more estranged two out of the original group. Exclusions now include Carmin, who isn’t real. Sev, who has passed. And Red, who moved away long ago.
ATMOS: Sails is knocking something fierce at my door, thoughts?
CAMERON: I’d go see what he wants. Hell, invite him over here for a drink if he’s in the mood to talk.
Another nod was given, following a refill of both Cameron and my glass. I pointed at the tumbler and gave the hand gesture of three, alluding that we might have company. As I opened Cameron’s front door, Sails turned around immediately.
SAILS: Atmos, why aren’t you at your house? I need to speak with you right now. Thanks for bailing on me with Conifer Cove, you really dropped the ball this time.
There was a slight deception to Sails demeanor now, I knew not where my trust laid in him.
ATMOS: We’re talking over here, I could pour you a drink if you’d rather speak in Cameron’s house.
His eyes rolled to the side, he began walking towards me.
SAILS: Fine, they’re your secrets anyway. Doesn’t matter to me who else hears them.”
We reentered Cameron’s living room, three glasses lay full on the mid century modern wooden table placed picturesque between two large couches. I sat on the same couch as Cameron as Sails lowered to the couch adjacent to us.
ATMOS: Sails has a few secrets of mine to tell, Cameron, do you mind giving a blood oath on this conversation.
CAMERON: I just sat down, you want me to go grab a knife now too?
I burst out laughing, the reaction to the sadness and confusion that had just been consumed in my body. Sails was not entertained by my response.
SAILS: Great, are you guys drunk already? How am I not surprised?
CAMERON: Sails, right now you are a welcome guest. I’d recommend you start telling a tale or you can excuse yourself from my house.
Cameron’s subtle ability to look after me was a strong trait of his.
SAILS: Alright, I’ll get this over with. Atmos, all eyes are on us right now. This incident has every sleepy mover and shaker in this town now paying attention and asking questions, and as the prestige firm that we are, we are responsible for some of the answers. This is going to come just as much of a shock to you as it did to me, but somehow, your very real, very much alive Carmine appears to be at the center of this web. I know I have mostly doubted you and honestly still don’t know what to believe when you talk about your Friday outings, but recently I was handed a case file of a Jane Doe. A Jane Doe that is believed to be responsible for the incident in the Deep Pines last Friday. This Jane Doe got a name this morning, identified through some means that wasn’t shared with me. Her name, Carmine Lorring. Now maybe I’m sure in some universe there are two women with the same full name, but I don’t think we’re living in it.
Sails was right, shock smacked my face with both hands. This recent uncovering of Sev has me doubting so much of myself, what I’ve actually experienced over the past few years. I had convinced myself that with the news of Sev, Carmine was also among the list of the buried.
ATMOS: Sails, you need to tell us exactly what you know about the incident last weekend. Maybe some details will scream out to me, maybe I can make more sense of this.
Sails glanced momentarily at Cameron.
SAILS: I suppose it would be fair to share such information with you. As you know, the news of last Friday night has been widespread. From what I have been told, the main result of the incident has been the Lake Mist Research Facility being taken offline. I don’t find it necessary to disclose what the purpose of the research facility is, I am not sure that I even know. The facility sits at the base of a dam, one that was installed when the railroad was put into place. This dam has four emergency flood gates, for which their use was purely theoretical. The access to utilize these flood gates can be counted on one hand, each of which not being a suspect at this time. Someone broke into the wing of the research facility that houses the mechanics for the dam and somehow activated the emergency flood gates. After such a monumental flooding event and true test of the flood gates themselves, all four have broken and need significant repair. The current state of the research facility is that it is now completely submerged underwater with no solution in sight to drain the area or to salvage the building at all. A solution has been started for how the flood gates can be repaired, but with the lead time on how long that could take, others have taken the stance that the research facility will just become an underwater ruin. One to be abandoned and given back to nature. Atmos, I don’t ever remember Carmine being savvy with computers or adept in any way to have pulled what I have just described, am I wrong?
ATMOS: That’s incredible.
Sails face hurt with my response.
SAILS: Excuse me?
ATMOS: I mean it’s incredible that so much could be hidden from us here in our own home by some company.
SAILS: Can we get back to the point? Now I’m quite sure that you’re not going to like this next part but I’ve informed our superiors that you have had frequent contact with this individual. You can be mad at me later, but after your recent stunt of dropping the ball, perhaps we are yet again equal.
He paused, although I hadn’t liked what he had just mentioned it would appear that the worst was about to come.
ATMOS: Great Sails, what a friendly gesture by you. Now what am I supposed to do.
SAILS: The company wants you in office immediately. They sent me here to come and get you and to inform you that you should plan to be there for a while. Pack some overnight pleasantries, anything that might make your extended time working more comfortable. Now I am not your favorite person today, I know this, but I can at least allow you to come in on your own accord. I’ll tell them that you weren’t home but that I left word with your neighbor, and conveyed the importance in the matter. Just make sure you are literally at your desk by early morning tomorrow and perhaps we can finally get ahead of this mess.
Sails stood up, and began walking towards the door.
SAILS: I’m sorry Atmos. I’m sorry I’ve changed on you.
I remained quiet during his encore, giving him a forgiving glance instead.
Sails closed the door behind him, outside of frame you could see that he had ridden his motorcycle here. There was an ounce of him that still was as cool as he used to be. The ignition of his engine rattled in the air, along with his departure. As the tail light to his steed bled out of view from the horizon, Cameron got up and closed the front door.
CAMERON: Hey Atmos, I want you to be careful with Sails. With everything that he told you and is asking from you. You and I keep a handful of conversations off of the table, out of necessity, nothing more. One of those conversations would easily shed light to what I am about to say. It is not important how I know this but Sails lied to you about the incident regarding the research facility. That facility has been underwater for years now, abandoned by all. I don’t know why he chose to do that, apart from him being him, but just be careful. Clearly you are being used in some way, just find out who to trust, you know.
ATMOS: Okay Cameron, I trust you. I’ll be cautious around Sails. Regardless, maybe I need to lie low somewhere else for the next few days. I haven’t been able to tell anyone this yet but in some foreign reality to this life, I think I met someone.
CAMERON: Hell yeah buddy, when did this happen?
ATMOS: We met last night, during the storm in the Deep Pines. She kindly got me to safety.
CAMERON: Atmos. This is incredible news. I’m really happy for you bud. This means more than you know.
He gave another smile of the night that hinted he knew more than he was telling.
ATMOS: I don’t know how she’ll take it, but I think I’m going to sail out to her and ask her if I can stay with her for a few days, just until I can figure out a little more of what is going on.
CAMERON: Sounds like the perfect ice breaker. Yeah, go.
ATMOS: Well not in the middle of the night, I can’t come on that strong. But first thing in the morning.
CAMERON: Smart man Atmos. Now let’s finish this gin and talk about only tangible and non-scary things.
Our glasses tinged as we cheered to the night, surely great conversation would follow through the hours and hours of little moments that were to be found in the limelight. I would awake in the morning and head out on the thought that for some reason this would go well. Showing up at Lee’s unannounced and with danger on my tail, it almost sounded like a preference of hers.