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decaying moss, the thick brush scratching her bare arms as she ran. Her leg muscles burned from the exertion of an hour-long race through the swamp, and her head throbbed above her right eye, where the creature had struck her. She paused for a couple of seconds and looked up, trying to ascertain that she was still running in the direction of the highway, but the thick canopy of cypress trees and moss choked out any view of the moonlight.
    If she could get to the highway, she might be able to get help. The only town anywhere near was Pirate’s Cove, where she’d left her car, but she had no idea which direction it was anymore. Besides, the residents of Pirate’s Cove had to know about the curse. Someone was shielding the creature…either by helping it remain hidden all these years or by calling it up from the darkness if it hadn’t been there before. Either way, it was likely that person was in Pirate’s Cove.
    The highway was her safest bet. There wasn’t much traffic, but truck drivers often used that stretch of road because it was wide open and not cluttered with regular traffic.
    Taking a deep breath, she pushed forward again, knowing that the creature was behind her somewhere…tracking her as it would an animal. And if it found her, it would kill her like one.
    As soon as she told him her secret.

Chapter Four
    It was almost one o’clock when Max pulled into Pirate’s Cove. The town consisted of six buildings, scattered on both sides of the highway. The swamp stretched behind the buildings and went on for thousands of acres. Max pulled up to a café and parked.
    “I figure we can get a bite to eat and use the time to feel out the locals. See if we can get some information on the location of Cache.”
    Colette nodded. Her stomach had started rumbling after leaving the bank. With all the stress of the morning, she was a bit surprised that food even entered into her thoughts, but apparently, biology prevailed.
    They exited the car and walked to the café entrance.
    Max paused outside the front door and said, “Don’t tell anyone about Anna.”
    “Then what do we say?”
    “I’ll think of something. Let me get a read on the people first, and then follow my lead.”
    She nodded and followed him inside, reminding herself of Alex’s confidence in Max’s abilities. No matter how much she wished the investigation could progress faster, she had to take a step back and let Max do the work she’d hired him to do. He’d struck just the right note with the bank manager in getting access to the video footage. Hopefully, he could find a way to do it again with the citizens of Pirate’s Cove.
    The lunch rush was either over or there wasn’t much of one to begin with. Two men with sparse gray hair were the only patrons in the café, along with one cook and a waitress. All four stared as they took seats at the counter.
    “Can I get you something to drink?” the waitress asked.
    “Iced tea,” Colette said.
    “Same for me,” Max chimed in.
    The waitress filled the glasses and placed them on the counter. “You want something to eat?”
    “I’ll take the special,” Max said.
    Colette looked up at the board and saw the special was a BLT with chips. “I’ll take the special, too.”
    The cook pulled some bacon from a fryer and began preparing the two sandwiches. “You folks passing through?”
    “No,” Max said. “Actually, we’re looking for Cache.”
    The waitress dropped a plastic bottle of ketchup on the floor and some of it squirted out onto her shoe. The cook glared at her, and she snatched the bottle up and hurried through a door to the back of the café. The two old men leaned toward each other and started whispering.
    The cook slid the plates in front of them and wiped his hands on a dish towel. “You a little old to be chasing after fairy tales, ain’t you?”
    “I don’t think it is a fairy tale,” Max said.
    The cook laughed. “You and about a hundred new high-school seniors every year. All