head to toe. “You’re trespassing,” he a dded before Paul could answer, his tone menacing as he took another step forward.
Paul didn’t know whether to be more shocked at the man’s state of undress, or the fact that the rumors seemed to be true. Black beady eyes, sunken cheeks, and a thin pointed nose was all that he could see through the mass of wild hair covering the man’s face and head. Besides that he didn’t have on a stitch of clothing, his feet bare and crusted over from years of wear.
“I…I’m…well I was looking for E agle’s Point,” Paul stammered, his heart hammering in his chest as his gaze darted nervously to the birds that had all returned to their perch. “Uh…I was told that I could find Jennings up here,” he added when the man said nothing, pointing to the strange tilted structure built high up in the trees behind him.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” the man shook his head, stalking past Paul without a second glance. “Leave!” he bellowed, his hand thrown up in a dismissive wave.
“Wait!” Paul called out, starting after him at a safe distance. “I’m the new mine inspector, Paul Adler. I just had a few questions about…”
“The mine isn’t safe!” the man snapped, spinning around so fast that Paul stopped immediately in his tracks. “Now leave.”
“But I was told that you could tell me exactly why the mine isn’t safe. That’s what I’m trying to get to the bottom of,” Paul explained weakly, shrinking back when the man rose to his full height.
“All you city folk coming around here just asking for trouble. I learned my lesson the hard way, and before you have to learn yours I suggest you go. It isn’t worth losing the town over!”
“That’s the second person that said that today. Rone…uh…Rone Bear, he’s one of my men,” Paul started, but snapped his mouth shut at the piercing gaze that locked with his.
“Well if Rone said that, then you don’t need to hear it again from me...”
“So you are Jennings then…?” Paul pressed, aggravated that this was turning out to be yet another dead end.
“Eagle Jennings,” the man confirmed with an uncertain nod, his thick brows knitting together at the look Paul threw back at him.
“You r first name is Eagle, and you live at Eagle’s Point, up here with all these…well…uh…eagles,” Paul stated the obvious, immediately wishing he hadn’t. “Just a little ironic,” he explained with a slight shake of his head, taking a step back when Jennings mouth drew into a hard line.
“You should go,” Jennings murmured, his gaze falling on something over Paul’s left shoulder.
Paul turned to look with him, but saw nothing but the trees and the birds filling them, watching them both.
“Look I just wanted to know…”
“The mine stole my son away from me alright!” Jennings snapped. “He was never found, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it from happening over and over again. You want some answers, well there it is. Close the mine! Now get off my property!” he roared, his stale breath washing over Paul’s face as their noses almost touched this time.
Paul stumbled back in confusion, watching as the man turned and stormed away, into the trees on the other side of the clearing. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled when he realized that he was once again alone with over a hundred birds watching, their calls starting up again the second Jennings disappeared. Paul didn’t need a warning this time, he ran at a full sprint, scooping up his discarded loafer just before dashing into the safety of the woods.
He could hear them overhead, screeching and calling to each other as he began his descent back down to where he’d parked ‘Big Red’. This was turning out to be the day from hell. No wonder his salary had been doubled, and his living expenses taken care of. This town had more secrets than he cared to imagine, and it all had something to do with the mine,
Paul didn’t know whether to be more shocked at the man’s state of undress, or the fact that the rumors seemed to be true. Black beady eyes, sunken cheeks, and a thin pointed nose was all that he could see through the mass of wild hair covering the man’s face and head. Besides that he didn’t have on a stitch of clothing, his feet bare and crusted over from years of wear.
“I…I’m…well I was looking for E agle’s Point,” Paul stammered, his heart hammering in his chest as his gaze darted nervously to the birds that had all returned to their perch. “Uh…I was told that I could find Jennings up here,” he added when the man said nothing, pointing to the strange tilted structure built high up in the trees behind him.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” the man shook his head, stalking past Paul without a second glance. “Leave!” he bellowed, his hand thrown up in a dismissive wave.
“Wait!” Paul called out, starting after him at a safe distance. “I’m the new mine inspector, Paul Adler. I just had a few questions about…”
“The mine isn’t safe!” the man snapped, spinning around so fast that Paul stopped immediately in his tracks. “Now leave.”
“But I was told that you could tell me exactly why the mine isn’t safe. That’s what I’m trying to get to the bottom of,” Paul explained weakly, shrinking back when the man rose to his full height.
“All you city folk coming around here just asking for trouble. I learned my lesson the hard way, and before you have to learn yours I suggest you go. It isn’t worth losing the town over!”
“That’s the second person that said that today. Rone…uh…Rone Bear, he’s one of my men,” Paul started, but snapped his mouth shut at the piercing gaze that locked with his.
“Well if Rone said that, then you don’t need to hear it again from me...”
“So you are Jennings then…?” Paul pressed, aggravated that this was turning out to be yet another dead end.
“Eagle Jennings,” the man confirmed with an uncertain nod, his thick brows knitting together at the look Paul threw back at him.
“You r first name is Eagle, and you live at Eagle’s Point, up here with all these…well…uh…eagles,” Paul stated the obvious, immediately wishing he hadn’t. “Just a little ironic,” he explained with a slight shake of his head, taking a step back when Jennings mouth drew into a hard line.
“You should go,” Jennings murmured, his gaze falling on something over Paul’s left shoulder.
Paul turned to look with him, but saw nothing but the trees and the birds filling them, watching them both.
“Look I just wanted to know…”
“The mine stole my son away from me alright!” Jennings snapped. “He was never found, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it from happening over and over again. You want some answers, well there it is. Close the mine! Now get off my property!” he roared, his stale breath washing over Paul’s face as their noses almost touched this time.
Paul stumbled back in confusion, watching as the man turned and stormed away, into the trees on the other side of the clearing. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled when he realized that he was once again alone with over a hundred birds watching, their calls starting up again the second Jennings disappeared. Paul didn’t need a warning this time, he ran at a full sprint, scooping up his discarded loafer just before dashing into the safety of the woods.
He could hear them overhead, screeching and calling to each other as he began his descent back down to where he’d parked ‘Big Red’. This was turning out to be the day from hell. No wonder his salary had been doubled, and his living expenses taken care of. This town had more secrets than he cared to imagine, and it all had something to do with the mine,
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