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As Shandi stood in a throng of other professional reporters, she felt acutely inadequate. Rose Valley had never had a true press conference. There had never been a reason. Most of the journalists hailed from stations near Rose Valley, as far away as Austin. Some traveled from national outlets. Shandi wished she could have the same cool detachment as the rest of the reporters, filled with wonder and excitement as they waited for Cam to take the podium.
Pulling herself away from the hospital had been hard, but Dan insisted that his “best” journalist be in attendance. She lacked the strength to protest, and reluctantly accepted that it might be good for her. Her journalistic toolbox provided no help to Jake in his current state, and Deirdre sat (and would hopefully rot) in jail. At least here, Shandi could do something to make her feel like she hadn’t strapped in to the world’s worst rollercoaster.
The makeshift risers in front of the Sheriff’s Department had come from the high school choir. A tangle of wires and cables all led up to a podium. Shandi had always just used a handheld recorder, and lately, her cell phone; she had no idea how to tap into the microphone system that all the different outlets had set up. The stage had a few chairs on it. The mayor sat in one already. Shandi could only guess at who would sit in the other chairs.
Like most press conferences, the event lacked any sense of mystery. The news had been in the wild for hours: Cornelius Brooks had been killed by the beast. Violently. The Sheriff’s Department could easily ignore sightings and dead sheep, but when people started dying, they could no longer turn a blind eye.
A hush fell on the crowd as people entered onstage. Dub Higgins took a seat. Then Skylar Brooks, followed by Miriam and Tanner. Shandi reflected on what Macy had told her about them, and she found her heart aching for their loss. They seemed good kids, despite their oddities.
The high school principal took the last chair, an old man who’d held his position for decades. He had been there so long that Shandi remembered him serving as her principal, though her memory painted him with lush, dark hair instead of the graying and thinning pate he sported now. It seemed strange for him to be in on stage.
Cam stumbled onto the stage last, immediately approaching the bank of microphones in the center. He was crisply dressed. The cowboy hat on his head looked new, in contrast to his usual dirty, grimy one. The same care hadn’t been afforded to his facial hair, though. His mustache almost disappeared within a full beard. His countenance showed defeat. He had never weathered a storm this violent in Rose Valley, and the toll it took showed in his entire body.
He pulled a folded-up piece of paper from his breast pocket and cleared his throat. “I’d like to thank the mayor for being here, as well as Principal Steele. They are both pillars of our community and share my condolences for all of those affected by recent events.
“At approximately 8:15pm,” he continued. “central standard time yesterday evening, Cornelius Brooks of Missouri was murdered by what the media has dubbed The Beast of Rose Valley. Earlier yesterday, the Sheriff’s Department also discovered the body of Bernard Jones on his property, where it appeared that another attack from the beast had occurred.”
Bernard? The rumor mill had missed that one. Jake would be devastated. Since Bernard had no family in town, she presumed that the principal served as a stand-in. Bernard had loved nothing more than coaching at Rose Valley High.
Cam continued, “The Sheriff’s Department is working tirelessly to get to the bottom of these murders and to apprehend this creature. Photographs and video have been distributed to the media to help educate citizens of Rose Valley. If you see this creature, please immediately report it to the Sheriff’s Department. Do not engage. Do not try to capture or otherwise harm it. Though not armed, it is highly dangerous.
“Due to the seriousness of this situation, we are instituting a curfew here in Rose Valley. All residents are expected to be in their homes no later than eight PM. The Sheriff’s Department will strictly enforce this curfew. Citations will be issued for any person out past this time without express permission from the department.”
It was about time. A curfew probably would have made more sense after the football game, but leave it to Cam to ignore a problem until it had spiraled completely out of control. Seriously, did it take a death before he was willing to admit that he was in way over his head?
“If you are watching this broadcast from outside of Rose Valley, please do not come here. The Sheriff’s Department will be putting up checkpoints at all major entrances into Rose Valley to dissuade visitors.
“In order to apprehend this criminal as quickly as possible, we are seeking volunteers to participate in a county wide manhunt. A meeting will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Rose Valley, tomorrow, on Saturday afternoon at two PM. All able-bodied citizens who are willing are invited to attend.”
Cam paused for the first time and looked at the crowd. He looked scared, briefly, before regaining his composure, his loss of nerve perceptible to only to those who knew him as well as Shandi. It terrified her to see Cam so out of his depth. It made him seem more vulnerable and invited memories of the man that she married. If Cam didn’t know how to save them, then all seemed lost, and that thought frightened Shandi more than the beast.
“Though these are trying times for Rose Valley,” Cam said. “we will persevere and capture this creature. Rose Valley will be a safe place again. At this time, I will take questions from the media.”
The crowd exploded with murmurs and hand waves. Shandi couldn’t make out any one question, and found herself so overtaken by the loudness that she did not attempt to ask any herself. She supposed that whatever she wrote in the Rose Valley Reporter would be unimportant compared to the live news segments that would be airing across Texas, and possibly even the country. She felt small and unimportant.
The Sheriff looked overwhelmed at first, but finally pointed at a young man in a tan suit, who immediately launched into his question: “In what way was Mr. Brooks killed?”
Cam shifted uncomfortably. “Much like the livestock victims of the beast. Next question.”
Shandi felt her stomach churn as her mind immediately tried to construct a picture of a mutilated kid. She pushed it back as far as she could, but still struggled to maintain her composure. Shandi searched the faces of Miriam and Tanner for any reaction, but both remained remarkably stoic.
A small blonde woman in a pencil skirt spoke next. “Based on the video from the football game, this creature does not seem to be affected by guns. What steps are being taken to prepare for this?”
“The Sheriff’s Department is working with partners to obtain higher grade munitions and other weaponry appropriate for hunting large game. Though it was able to shrug off bullets from a handgun, we believe that larger rounds will prove more effective. Next question.”
Another reporter. “Have you made any progress in identifying what exactly this thing is?”
“Negative. At this time, we are approaching the beast as if it is a wild animal of unknown origins. We have partnered with Skylar Brooks, father of Cornelius Brooks. Mr. Brooks specializes in hunting monsters just like this.” Cam motioned towards Skylar. “The department will use his expertise in devising a plan to bring this thing to justice. Next question.”
Shandi’s face tingled. She would never have expected Cam to team up with Skylar Brooks. Surely Cam could see through that huckster. A wave of guilt crept through her as she realized that she’d indirectly introduced the two of them. No good could come of the alliance.
“Was Mr. Jones also murdered in a similar way to Mr. Brooks?” another reporter asked.
“Though no one was present, the current theory is that Mr. Jones went into cardiac arrest upon seeing the beast in person. His shotgun was broken in half, which is comparable behavior to that displayed at the football game. His chickens were also mutilated in a similar method as the earlier livestock. Next question.”
Shandi found her mind wandering. She had a hard time caring about the beast with Jake in the hospital, and though she tried to focus on the beast, her mind drifted instead to other criminal activity. The fact that Jake had almost been murdered seemed to be at least as important.
She put up her hand.
Cam pointed at her. “Ms. Mason.”
“Sheriff. Why have there been no charges pressed against Deirdre Valentine for the attempted murder of Jake Rollins?”
The crowd fell eerily quiet. Did they not know of what had happened to Jake? Cam’s nose flared and his face reddened.
“That line of questioning is not related to the purpose of this press conference. No further questions.”
Cam stormed off the stage. Shandi peered through the crowd, desperately trying to keep her eyes trained on Cam’s trajectory. She wouldn’t be surprised if he headed for her, but then she also felt a sense of safety in the crowd of people. He wouldn’t get too irate with her with an audience. Thankfully, he did not approach her.
The others streamed off the stage. Shandi lost track of them. Reporters yelled more questions, trying to get anyone to answer them. A spry journalist waylaid the Principal and peppered the old man with questions. Skylar Brooks fell to another reporter. Dub stayed on the stage, his eyes surveying the crowd, as if expecting trouble.
Shandi had no interest in trying to wade through the chaos to get any statements. It didn’t feel as important to her as it should have. She just wanted to get back to the hospital. Jake might wake at any moment and she had an overwhelming need to be there when he did. She certainly didn’t have the requisite skillset to stop the beast, anyway.
As she turned to go, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, and saw Miriam’s red, puffy face.
“Hey, Miriam. I’m so sorry—” Shandi started.
Miriam embraced her in hug, catching Shandi off guard, but Shandi instinctively returned the embrace by wrapping her arms tightly around Miriam.
Miriam whispered, “It’s not an animal.”
When Miriam released, she grabbed Shandi’s hands. Shandi felt a plastic bag in her palm, and looked down at it as Miriam disappeared into the crowd without another word.
Confused, Shandi looked down at what Miriam had given her. It looked like dog tags. Old ones. What Miriam had said provided nothing new; Shandi had been certain for quite some time that the beast shared more with man than any animal. Had he been a soldier?
Realizing that Miriam had likely given her something that neither Cam nor Skylar knew about, she furtively slipped it into the front pocket of her jeans. She would need to study it in private. Everyone focused on stopping the beast. Killing him. No one seemed to be worried about the person underneath or whether they could help him. Perhaps this small trinket promised a new direction.
Her head pounded in the loudness of the crowd. She needed to get away. To a quiet place. To Jake.
