Free Harlan County Horrors by Anthology Page A

and
well.”
    I
nod. “Do you have any leads?”
    “ Yes. But I didn’t call you here to brief you on the
investigation. Your desire to assist in this case is
understandable. However, you aren’t qualified—”
    “ I
fought in the war, Warden Rose. I’m more than capable
of—”
    “ With all due respect, Mr. Carter, your attempts to help would
only reduce your son’s chances of survival. I read your file, and I
know you’re a man of myriad abilities. But this is a matter of
harmony. If I allowed you to enter our system, we could no longer
synchronize and achieve perfection. I hope you understand, I’m not
trying to insult you. I only want to save your son.”
    I
still feel angry, but I also feel more respect for this man and his
organization. “I understand.”
    “ Good. Now.” The warden taps a button on his desk, and a
monitor lowers from the ceiling. “As you must know, there are
security cameras in place throughout Kingdom Come. One such camera
captured the initial moments of the kidnapping.” He presses another
moment.
    And
I see a monster with black matted fur and metallic fangs. It pushes
my wife’s chest. Snatches up my son. Runs.
    Then the warden turns off the monitor. “I don’t blame you for
not believing your wife. Like me, you’re a man who refuses to
accept outlandish stories without empirical data.”
    A
hint of guilt tingles in my gut, but the feeling’s soon overpowered
by rage. I told my wife not to talk about the monster, and she did
so anyway.
    “ But now you’ve seen the truth,” the warden says. “Now you can
give your wife the validation she needs. Don’t tell her about the
recording. Just tell her you believe her. And convince her that
what she saw was a man in a suit. I’m sure she’ll see reason, if
it’s coming from you.”
    I
nod.
    “ One more bit of advice,” Warden Rose says. “Take your wife to
the show tonight. I hear our guest is a genius in his
field.”
    “ I’m not in the mood for comedy,” I say.
    “ That’s exactly why you should attend. Laughter is the best
medicine, Mr. Carter. At least promise me that you’ll consider the
matter further.”
    “ Alright.”
    “ Good.” The Warden stands, and I do the same. “I’ll contact
you as soon as I find your son.”
    “ Thank you.”
    We
shake hands.
    And
halfway to the door, I turn around. I almost forgot. “My Filter’s
been malfunctioning ever since my son was taken.”
    The
Warden sits. “How so?”
    “ The audio and visual editor shut off once, for a few seconds.
And my dialectal translator doesn’t seem to be working at all
anymore.”
    Warden Rose rubs his eyes. “I apologize for the inconvenience.
To be honest, the Filters have a hell of a time coping with the
effects of heartbreak. Still, this is no excuse. My Guardians
assured me they’d stomped all the bugs in this new model, and
they’re going to suffer for their failure, I assure you. I’ll send
a technician to your tent tonight, and he’ll fix your Filter while
you sleep.”
    “ Thank you,” I say.
    And
all the way back to my tent, I search myself for the heartbreak
Warden Rose spoke of.
    Sure, I find annoyance, outrage.
    But
I don’t feel any sorrow.
    In
fact, I can’t even picture my son’s face.

    The
Guardian tries to stand, fails.
    So
I help him to his feet. “What happened?”
    “ I’m sorry, sir,” he says. “It ate my gun, knocked me
unconscious. I’m sorry.”
    I
check the tent.
    Empty.
    And
still, I don’t feel anything but anger.
    Anger at the monster, of course.
    Anger at this pathetic excuse for a Guardian.
    And
more than that, anger at myself. Because what kind of man doesn’t
protect his own family?
    A
man like my father, that’s who.
    I
punch my forehead, hard.
    And
a few hours later, I’m lost among the trees. This isn’t easy to
accomplish, due to my impeccable sense of direction. But I manage,
somehow.
    Once again, the natural world makes me feel small,
connected.
    Calm.
    And
I realize I’m not