The Seventh Taking: A Mountain Mystery Read online

  THE SEVENTH

  TAKING

  A Mountain Mystery

  ___________________

  BY

  BJ BOURG

  www.bjbourg.com

  THE SEVENTH TAKING

  A Mystery Novel by BJ Bourg

  Originally published by Amber Quill Press

  April 5, 2015

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

  Copyright © 2015 by BJ Bourg

  ISBN-13: 978-1-52323-526-1

  ISBN-10: 1523235268

  Cover Art © 2016 Christine Savoie of Bayou Cover Designs

  PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 1

  Mathport, Louisiana

  July

  “I hate my dad.” Joy Vincent pushed a tuft of black hair away from her sticky forehead.

  “What’d he do this time?” I didn’t really care, but felt compelled to ask.

  “I told him I didn’t want—” Joy slapped violently at a mosquito that had landed on her arm. “Gosh! Summer just started and these bloodsuckers are already out in full force.”

  I laughed. “They’re not called the Louisiana state bird for nothing.”

  Joy grunted. “We’re going to catch the West Nile virus out here. Anyway, when I told him I was quitting band, he freaked out. Told me I was grounded, that if I didn’t do band camp I wasn’t doing anything—that I couldn’t go anywhere this summer. I’m seventeen freaking years old…he can’t ground me anymore!”

  Although it was dark, the moonlight cast an eerie glow around the small clearing in the trees, and I could see Joy’s bottom lip jutting out like it did when she was angry.

  “Aren’t y’all leaving for the Blue Summit Mountains tomorrow?”

  “First thing in the morning. Before sunrise.”

  “But I thought you couldn’t go anywhere this summer?”

  “I can’t, but he can, and he’s dragging us with him. Trust me—I’d rather stay here than go to that awful place. Did you know there’s no cell service in the mountains? None! I won’t be able to text you for a week.”

  Joy walked to where I sat on the old log and I slid over to make room for her.

  “You’re quitting band?” I asked.

  She sighed. “What’s the point? You won’t be playing football anymore, so I—”

  “That doesn’t mean you have to quit. Stick with it. I stuck with football, even though I don’t have a chance at college ball. You have a real shot to earn a band scholarship at LSU. You’re that good! Don’t quit now. Don’t throw all of that hard work away. You’ve only got one more year of high school. Finish it.”

  “I’d throw anything away for you.” Joy wrapped her arm around my neck and kissed my cheek softly. She moved to kiss my mouth, but I stood up and her arm fell from my shoulder.

  “You shouldn’t do anything for me. My dad always says you should never make a life-altering decision for a girl—or, in your case, a guy.”

  Joy waved her hand dismissively. “He’s old. Who cares what he says? I love you and I’d do anything for you.”

  “But you wouldn’t be quitting for me—I don’t want you to quit. Band is your life.”

  “If I stay in band, I won’t have another Friday night free until Christmas. The same thing with Saturdays. I’ll never get to see you when you come in from college.”

  I couldn’t keep still. Sweat beads formed on my forehead, and I didn’t know if it was from the smothering heat or my nerves. I walked from one edge of the clearing to the other, swatting at mosquitoes as I did. “I don’t want you to quit band. I’d feel bad.”

  Even in the dim light I could see Joy’s brows furrow. She stood slowly, and I could tell she was on to me. “What’s going on, Abe? Why’d you want to meet me out here tonight? You saw me earlier today, so I know it’s not because you want to see me one more time before I leave. Something’s up.”

  We’d been meeting at that spot since she was a freshman, a few times each month. It was exactly two hundred and ten paces from her window to the clearing and five hundred and four paces from mine. She had to walk through an open field to get there, and I had to push through wild blackberry bushes and anthills. I never cared. It was exciting and fun—except for our very first time. I had been so nervous I’d nearly vomited. I grunted at the memory. It felt like that first time all over again and I thought I would lose my dinner.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” Joy said. “I know you…something’s up.”

  I hesitated, licked my lips. “I…um…I need to tell you something.”

  Joy tilted her head, folded her arms across her chest. Her eyes looked like dark holes against the pale backdrop of her face. “What?”

  I shoved my fists deep into my jeans pockets. “I’ll be in college next year, you know?”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Well, I kind of wanted to take it easy—enjoy myself.”

  Joy’s face relaxed into a smile. “That’s it? God, I thought it was something serious. I want to take it easy, too, spend more time together. I’m sure my dad will eventually give in and let me quit band, and we’ll have a lot of—”

  “I want to be single.”

  Joy’s mouth opened slowly and then closed, but no words materialized. Her smile faded. She tried several times to speak, but without success. After several long seconds, she finally managed to say, “Wait…single?”

  I swallowed and dropped my head. “I want to have fun in college. Want to be single.”

  Her face seemed to fade to a brighter shade of pale. “Have fun? What does that even mean? We have fun. We laugh and joke all of the time. Wait a minute…is this a joke? It is, isn’t it?”

  I shook my head. “I’m so sorry. I’m just not feeling it anymore. I want to branch out a little, you know? Like maybe date other people or something. Well, not date anyone, but go on dates. Just live free and single for a while.”

  Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes and glistened in the moonlight. “You’re breaking up with me?”

  “Look, I’m going off to Southeastern this year and you’ll be going off to LSU next year. Pretty soon, we won’t even see each other any—”

  “You’re not kidding! You’re serious, aren’t you?” Joy dropped to her knees on the rough dirt and buried her face in her hands. “No!” she screamed. “You can’t do this to me!”

  I glanced over my shoulder in the direction of her house. “Don’t be so loud. If your dad hears us, we’re dead.”

  Joy was bawling now. She began gasping for air. I immediately dropped beside her, taking her into my arms for what I knew would be the last time.

  “It’ll be okay,” I whispered.
r />   Joy pulled away from me and slammed a fist against my chest. “How can you do this to me? You said you loved me! I thought you’d ask me to marry you when I graduated!”

  My jaw dropped. “I don’t want to get married! I’m too young for that real life crap. I want to go to college and have fun, do law school, start a practice. I told you I was never getting married, that I didn’t believe in the institution of marriage. I said it more than once. I don’t want to get married and I don’t want kids and—”

  “I thought you’d change your mind. I thought you loved me!”

  “I do love you. I love you like a friend.”

  “Like a friend?” Joy gasped. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I stayed for you.”

  I could hardly understand Joy, so I squatted beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. “What did you say about staying?”

  Joy looked up. The tears were shiny streaks on her face. “You’re the only reason I stayed here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My aunt in Birmingham knows how overbearing my dad can be, and she wanted me to go live with her, but I stayed here because of you.”

  “Your dad was going to agree to this?”

  “He didn’t know.”

  I scrunched my face. “You were going to run away?”

  Joy only nodded. Her head was down and she was crying. I felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave before I changed my mind out of pity.

  “What time are y’all leaving again?” I asked.

  Joy said nothing.

  “Don’t you have to get some sleep? Isn’t it like a twelve-hour drive? I don’t want you to be tired when you get there.”

  Joy leapt to her feet and pushed her face close to mine. “Stop acting like you care! You just broke up with me, so it’s none of your business what time I’m getting up or how long I’ll be in the car or if I’m tired!”

  Before I could say anything, Joy spun and ran off in the direction of her house. I sighed and headed home. I’d wrestled with this decision for weeks. I wanted to be single, but I didn’t want to upset Joy. We had started out as good friends and I wanted us to stay that way, even though we weren’t dating. “Oh well,” I said aloud. “I guess that won’t happen now.”

  When I reached the window to my room, I pushed it open and then listened for a few seconds. No movement from inside. I grabbed the windowsill with both hands and squatted, pausing long enough to gauge the distance. At six feet and one inch tall, I had to be careful not to plant my head through the top of the window frame. I took a deep breath. Pushing off with my legs, while pulling with my arms, I propelled myself through the opening. I landed on my bed and rolled to the floor, as though I’d done it a million times before. Out of habit, I pulled the window shut and straightened the curtains—just in case my parents had heard something.

  As I changed for the night, my mind was on Joy and the good times we’d had. I slipped into bed and closed my eyes, trying to push her from my thoughts, but all I could see was her sad, tear-streaked face. I opened my eyes and stared up into the darkness. I bolted up and grabbed my phone from the nightstand to make sure it was charged. I sighed, rolled onto my back and tossed it on the bed beside me. I didn’t have to worry about that anymore—Joy wouldn’t be texting me. Those days of texting deep into the night were gone forever.

  My heart started to pound in my chest. I felt a wave of panic wash over me as I wondered if I’d made the right decision. What if I couldn’t find another girlfriend? What if Joy found another boyfriend right away? What if it bothered me? My dad once told me I should never break up with a girl if it would bother me to see her with someone else. Yesterday I was certain I wouldn’t be bothered, but I wasn’t so sure anymore.

  I shook my head to clear it, then closed my eyes. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about her and worrying if I’d made the wrong choice. I snatched up my phone, tapped the screen to wake it up. I slid the screen over to unlock it and scrolled through my contacts until I found Joy’s number. I held my thumb over her name, hesitating. Earlier that day I’d been sure I wanted to be single and I’d called Joy with confidence and asked her to meet me at our spot. Another wave of doubt came over me as I realized we would never be meeting at our spot again and—

  “Crap!” I threw my phone into the air and nearly jumped out of my skin when it screamed to life. Joy? I scrambled across the carpeted floor on my hands and knees, fumbling around in the dark until I found my phone. My heart raced. I turned it until I could see the screen. I grunted when I saw the name. I inhaled and exhaled forcefully, pressed the button to answer it. “Hey, Charlie, what’s up?”

  “You don’t sound happy to hear from me,” said my best friend.

  “I was expecting someone else.”

  “What?” Charlie’s voice was shrill. “You didn’t break up with her yet?”

  “No, I did.”

  Charlie was quiet for a few seconds. “Dude, you did the right thing. She’s a high school kid and you’re a college man now—it’d be creepy. Besides, you’re supposed to have fun in college, not play house. You’re going to meet so many girls next year you won’t even remember her name.”

  “Whose name?”

  Charlie laughed. “That’s the spirit! You’ll get to live like the great Charles Rickman. I can flirt with any girl I want and not worry about getting slapped in the face. Now that I have you on my side, we’ll be unstoppable. You’ll own Southeastern, and I’ll take care of the women back home and then when you get back, we’ll—”

  “She cried.”

  “What?”

  “Joy…she cried when I broke up with her.” I strolled back to my bed and sat on the edge. “I feel like crap for breaking her heart. It would’ve been easier if we’d been arguing or something.”

  “Why didn’t you start an argument before breaking up with her? Rule number one…before you break up with your girl, get her good and mad so it’ll seem like her idea. That way, you’re always the victim and the other girls will feel sorry for you.”

  “I felt bad enough. Maybe I should’ve waited until she graduated high school.”

  “And be a prisoner during the best year of your life? No way! Look, it’s not fair to stay with someone if you don’t want to be with them. Not fair to you and not fair to her.”

  “I guess you’re right.” I scrunched my nose when I realized I was taking relationship advice from Charlie. “How do you know so much about relationships when you’ve never even had a girlfriend?”

  “I read Cosmo.”

  I laughed. “Why’d you call anyway?”

  “Brett’s mom came over earlier to drop off my mom’s makeup—she’s some kind of a makeup delivery lady or something—and I got to talking to him while they were doing their lady stuff.”

  “Brett Lester? That transfer kid from Arkansas?”

  “Yeah. He’s actually pretty cool. He’s never seen an alligator, so I told him we might take him camping this weekend and let him catch one.”

  “Sounds fun. It’s been a while since we’ve gone swamping.”

  “It might help take your mind off your new relationship status.”

  * * *

  It was Saturday morning—a little after daybreak—when we walked around the last bend in the trail and I pointed up ahead. “That’s Alligator Hole.”

  Brett’s eyes were wide. He was as tall as I was and looked like he could hold his own, but he acted scary. “Are alligators dangerous?”

  “That depends,” Charlie said.

  “On what?” Brett wanted to know.

  “On how fast you can run. You see, Abe and I don’t have to outrun the alligator—we only have to outrun you.”

  Brett stopped walking. We turned to face him. He stared from me to Charlie, as though searching for a hint of a smile on either of our faces. There was none.

  “Wait…you guys are serious!”

  Charlie started laughing out loud. He sauntered over and reached up to slap Brett’s shoulder. “
No, we’re not serious. They can be dangerous, but we know what we’re doing. You’re perfectly safe with us.”

  It was funny to see a five-foot bag of bones reassuring the giant mountain kid from Arkansas.

  “We rule the land,” I said, “but they rule the water, so don’t fall in.”

  We had just turned to finish our trek to Alligator Hole when my cell phone rang.

  “Don’t answer if it’s Joy,” Charlie said.

  “She couldn’t call if she wanted to. They don’t have cell service in the mountains.” I pulled the phone from my jean pocket and answered when I saw who it was. “Hey, Dad, we’re almost there. What’s up?”

  “Abraham, you need to come back home right away.” His voice sounded strained.

  “Why?” I asked. “We’re like fifty yards away. Brett really wants to see an alligator.”

  “Just get home as quick as you can.”

  Charlie mouthed the words, “What’s wrong?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Can’t I come home after we’re done? I’m serious…we’re like right there.”

  My dad was quiet, and I began to worry.

  “What is it, Dad? What’s wrong? Did someone die?”

  “It’s…um…it’s Joy.”

  “Joy? What do you mean?” My heart started to thump a little harder against my sternum.

  “Son, I’m sorry, but she’s missing. They think she ran away and now she’s lost.”

  “Ran away? What do you mean? Where’d she go?”

  “They don’t know. She got into an argument with her dad while they were hiking in the mountains and she stormed off. They thought she was just walking ahead of them, going to the trailhead, but they never caught up to her. They got all the way to the car and never saw her again.”

  I slowly sank to my knees, guilt stabbing at my chest. This was my fault. She’d said it herself—You’re the only reason I stayed here. “Did they look for her? I mean, she has to be somewhere. She can’t just disappear. They need to call the cops or something. Get a helicopter. Or dogs. Don’t they use bloodhounds to find people who’re missing?”