Chapter 50: After the Fire

So, despite all the chaos – all the moving parts involving Keith and Darcy, their daughter, the citizens, and the police force of Stockard Creek and the omnipresence of The Arm and all its' resources – it came down to the two main players clashing in a thunderstorm up in the rocky hills. And the ultimate battle featured no witnesses other than a little girl who had her eyes squeezed so tightly shut she saw white spots behind her eyelids.

After Darcy had carried Bella back down the hillside, through the mud and the grit, the bushes and the trees, Keith pried loose a some of the wood beams that covered the entrance to the old mine shaft – snapping a couple of them in the process – and then he dragged the wet, shaggy body of the Wolf into the darkness.

Ultimately, he re-emerged a short while later and repaired – as best he could – the entrance to the old mine.