Sulfur heart, p.7
Sulfur Heart, page 7
“You’re vile,” said Will.
“Enough with story time!” Rivers shouted. “Give me the map, goddammit! That gold is mine. I killed for it. And if you don’t give it to me, you will die for it.”
He pressed the cold barrel of his gun against Will’s head.
“No!” Aaron shouted. He leaped up from his chair and lunged at Rivers.
Rivers spun and fired off a shot. The bullet hit Aaron in the shoulder, sending him staggering backward. He collapsed onto the office floor.
Aaron struggled. He tried to crawl away. “Please,” he wheezed.
“That’s what your daddy said when I killed him with his own ax,” said Rivers. “And now I’m going to kill you.” He aimed his gun.
“Stop!” Will screamed. “He’s my brother! Please, Uncle Jim, please. Don’t hurt him.”
Rivers stared at him. “Your what?”
“It’s me you want,” said Will. “Shoot me. Not him.”
“No, Will!” Aaron screamed.
Rivers laughed. “Of course,” he said. “There was something that always bothered me about how much time you spent here. Why you were always around. It makes sense. And your mother, well, she got around. There were rumors. No wonder your dad drank so much.”
“Stop,” Will said. “You don’t have to do any of this.”
“Don’t I?” asked Rivers. “Tell me,” he said, leaning down over Aaron. “How long have you known you were brothers?”
“Long enough,” gasped Aaron. “I found out right after you killed my dad.” He stared at Rivers, the hatred obvious on his face.
“I found out after my mom died,” said Will. “Old Man Sullivan started paying my way. He was good to me. And to my dad.”
Rivers chuckled. “Well, isn’t this sweet? It’s going to make it so much better when you’re all dead.”
“Please,” Will pleaded. “Just let them go.”
There was a moment of silence when Rivers seemed to consider this. Finally he looked Will dead in the eyes and cocked his gun.
“No,” he said. He pulled the trigger and a shot rang out, hitting Aaron in the chest.
Eve screamed, and Will fell to the floor. He couldn’t tear his eyes from his brother. He crawled toward him to try to help. But Aaron was gravely hurt, the huge wound in the center of his chest pouring blood.
“No, no, no!” Will cried. “Aaron, wait. Hold on. Don’t go.”
Aaron sputtered and coughed. Blood sprayed from his lips. “Will,” he croaked. “You have to finish it. Just burn it all down, bro. It’s not worth it. Just get away.”
“Tell me where the gold is, boy,” said Rivers, crouching down next to him. “And I’ll call an ambulance. You might still make it.”
“Fuck you,” Aaron wheezed.
“Wrong answer,” said Rivers. He fired another shot, hitting Aaron in the temple.
Before Will could process what was happening, his brother was gone. There was no going back.
Chapter Seventeen
“Now,” said Rivers, pressing his gun to the back of Will’s head, “give me what I asked for. Your brother was stupid. Don’t be like him.”
“Stop,” said Eve. “I’ll take you to the gold.”
“Eve, no!” Will shouted.
“There is a map,” she said. “I am the map.”
“You,” said Rivers.
“He was like a father to me too,” said Eve. “Mr. Sullivan was kind to me. And he showed me where the gold was. Said if anything ever happened to him, I should take it and run away—with his sons.”
“Show me,” said Rivers.
“I’ll take you,” said Eve. “But you can’t hurt Will. You hurt him, and the deal is off.”
Rivers chuckled. “Let’s go.” He pulled out a knife and cut Eve's ties before dragging them both to their feet. He led them at gunpoint out into the mill yard.
“This way,” said Eve. She walked to the center of the yard and then took a hard right turn. She took them past the railcars and buildings and trucks to the long-term storage piles. Every now and then she looked up at the sky, as if she was using the stars to guide her. They stopped at a large pile in the northeast part of the grounds.
“In there,” she said. “There’s a chest.”
“Dig it up,” said Rivers. He shoved Will forward and kept the gun trained on them as they scooped sulfur away with their hands.
The yellow dust plumed around them, covering them both with a sickly veil. Finally Will’s hands struck a hard surface. He pulled out a heavy trunk and dropped it in front of Rivers.
“Open it,” said Rivers.
“There’s no key,” said Will, pointing to the heavy lock.
Rivers fired off a shot, and the bullet sparked blue flames on the sulfur-covered chest. The lock smoldered. He kicked it loose.
“Open it,” he said again.
Will pried the lid up. It groaned open.
Rivers stepped forward and used his flashlight to peer inside.
There was only a tiny bundle resting there. He picked it up and unfolded it.
“You son of a bitch,” said Rivers. In his hand he held a single gold piece. And something else too—William Homer’s police badge.
Will smiled. “You get nothing,” he said. “It’s all gone.”
Rivers’s face twisted with rage. “Say good night,” he said, raising his gun.
Suddenly a car screeched onto the grounds and raced toward them, its horn honking and lights flashing.
“Nigel!” Eve cried out.
Will grabbed Eve and dove out of the way as Nigel’s car made contact with Rivers and sent him flying into the sulfur pile.
The Tempo idled, and Nigel rammed his hand on the horn. Then he flung open the door and jumped out with a shiny object in his hand.
“Nigel, no! Get back—”
But it was too late. Before Will could finish, Rivers emerged from the sulfur pile and opened fire.
Bullets sprayed the lot, pinging off the Tempo.
“Will, run!” Nigel yelled, and then he fell silent.
Nigel looked down at his stomach. He had been shot. He made eye contact with Will and then fell back, unconscious.
Will ran to him. “Nigel!”
Eve tried to rouse him, pressing her hands into his bleeding stomach. “Oh, Will,” she cried. “It’s bad, it’s so bad.”
“Will,” Nigel sputtered as he coughed up blood. “I did it. I made the call. I set it up.” He held out Will’s phone.
“No,” Will moaned. “You stupid bastard. I told you to stay away.”
Nigel managed a weak smile. “I had to. I… needed to ask you.”
“What?” Will asked.
“I needed to ask you what time it is,” said Nigel, his smile widening.
Will blinked. “Oh,” he said. He checked his watch. “It’s one minute to midnight.”
“One minute,” said Nigel. “I did it.”
Rivers staggered over. The impact of the car had messed up his leg, but he still had the upper hand. “What’s he saying?” Rivers demanded.
“One minute until your whole…world…ends.” Nigel’s eyes closed.
“Nigel?” Will shook him. “Nigel!”
“What did he mean?” Rivers shouted.
“At midnight this broadcasts live,” said Will.
Rivers staggered backward. “W-what?”
Will lifted Nigel’s shirt, revealing hidden wires. Then he lifted his own.
“You fucker,” Rivers said. “You’re recording this? Well, it won’t do you any good now.” He reached over and ripped the wires away.
“Doesn’t matter,” Will said. “Nigel’s been recording us this whole time. Aaron was bugged for days. Me and Eve too. It’s all linked to an offsite server.”
“Then I’ll destroy it,” said Rivers.
“Too late,” said Will. “It went live on the internet a few seconds ago. And to my contact at the FBI. They know everything. And they’re coming.”
Rivers shook his head, confused. “How?” he demanded.
“See for yourself,” said Will. “Check Nigel’s site.” He picked up his phone and opened the browser.
Rivers snatched it from him and clicked the link, the horror on his face growing by the second. He threw the phone into the sulfur. “No!” he screamed.
“Like he said.” Eve smiled. “Your whole world is about to end.”
“And now you’ll know how it feels,” added Will.
“Don’t worry, kid,” said Rivers in a menacing tone. “There won’t be anyone left alive who cares.” He cracked Will on the head with the butt of his gun.
The image of Eve crying was the last thing Will saw. Then it all went black.
Chapter Eighteen
Nigel’s Tempo rested on an incline at the top of the hill. It overlooked the sulfur mill and the whole town of Hope. The slide area, the motel, the Trainstop and the Armory all looked tiny. As night faded into day, a faint blue light appeared over the mountain.
Will struggled to stay awake.
Nigel slumped in the driver’s seat. He was breathing in ragged puffs, but he was alive. A heavy brick lay on the gas pedal. The engine revved, but the car was still in Park.
The dead goon was in the passenger seat. Eve and Will were in the back. Eve was also unconscious, a nasty bruise on her head. Rivers must have knocked her out too.
Rivers opened up the back door, reached in and cut off the connector buckles for the seat belts.
He put his face next to Will’s. “The bullets those two ate were a gift,” he said. “Nothing like the horrible fiery crash you’re about to experience. And anyway, I want you to watch her die.”
“You won’t get away with this,” said Will in a thin voice. “Everyone knows everything now.”
“Maybe so,” said Rivers. “But at least you’ll be dead.” He chuckled. “You know, I blame myself. It’s because I have such a big heart. I cared about you.”
“Fuck you, Uncle Jim,” Will whispered.
Rivers grinned. “I should have killed you back then. It’s my only true regret.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
“Bye, kid. Have a nice ride.” Rivers shut the door, reached in through the front window and put the car in gear.
The Tempo lurched forward and then picked up speed. It zoomed faster and faster, straight for the rockslide memorial at the bottom.
Will tried to shove Nigel out of the way to get to the brakes, but there was no getting past him. There was no time.
He turned to Eve and took his father’s handcuffs from his boot. He used the cuffs to clip a seat belt around them both, attaching it to a metal loop between the seat and the backrest.
The Tempo swerved and shuddered, sending off sparks.
Will brushed Eve’s hair back from her face and traced the tattoo on her neck. He pushed it down a tiny bit to read the word inked there. His name.
“I knew you loved me,” he whispered to her. He reached out to stroke her cheek.
The Tempo hit a bump and took flight. It floated through the cool fall air like a burning rocket. Billows of steam rose from the hot engine. The peaceful moment of flight gave way to a shattering crash as the sedan slammed into the rocks.
Will and Eve hurtled forward, but the seat belt stopped them. The driver’s airbag opened, saving Nigel from going through the window, but the goon crashed through. He sailed forward until he struck a large boulder spray-painted with a blue heart. His body slid into the hollow at the base of the rock.
Chapter Nineteen
Will woke in a hospital room. A woman in a crisp navy suit stood next to his bed, taking notes. Her name tag identified her as FBI Special Agent Justine Tia. A plastic baggie lay on the table next to her. Inside it was Will’s father’s badge.
“Aunt Justine,” croaked Will. “Took you long enough.”
Will wheeled around the hospital halls alone, peeking into doors.
He wasn’t allowed in to see Nigel. He was in the ICU, and Will wasn’t blood family.
Toby was recovering after surgery. Will felt guilty about Toby getting caught up in their revenge plot against Rivers. It was never the plan for him to get hurt, but they hadn’t had much of a choice. It was Toby who’d dealt Hell’s Gate to the town, though he had gotten it from Rivers and his crew of crooked cops. It was the drugs and the connection to Rivers that had helped Will and Aaron get the feds interested in their case. Toby couldn’t have known that Rivers would use those same drugs to murder Will’s dad. He would never have wanted it to happen.
Will found Eve sleeping in a room. The FBI had put a protective detail on her to keep her safe in case Rivers showed up. He was still missing.
Will wheeled in and watched her a while before leaving her a note. It said:
Wait for me a little longer.
Months later, as Will sat in a truck parked on the highway, he opened his tablet and looked up Beatty’s Beat. There was a link with a new viral video called Hope’s Most Wanted.
He clicked it, and a video of the FBI busting Rivers at a rural rest stop began to play. Agents closed in on his car as it idled. The car door swung open and Rivers came out shooting. He died in a hail of bullets, the blood pooling in a black puddle beneath him.
The SulCorp sulfur mill lay silent like a sleeping yellow beast. None of its machines operated. It was quiet except for the clink of a fence gate closing and the sound of footsteps running away.
Will and Eve sat at the rockslide memorial, on the boulder with the blue heart. Eve smiled as a cool light illuminated her face. Will kissed her. They looked out over the horizon at the huge piles of sulfur burning in the distance. SulCorp was on fire, the flames glowing blue and brilliant against the night sky.
“Did we just burn down your inheritance?” Eve asked.
Will shrugged. “Good riddance,” he said. “I think we’ll be all right.” He nodded to a duffel bag at their feet. A glint of gold peeked from behind a gap in the zipper.
“Where to?” she asked.
“Anywhere but here.”
They got into Will’s truck and took off down the highway.
As the blue fire burned, Will imagined what the mill must look like from high above. If he could float up into the sky with Eve and look down, what would he see?
Not the big out-of-control fire. Not the emergency vehicles scrambling to put it out. Not the train snaking around the spot where his dad had died. Not the place his biological father, Old Man Sullivan, had tried to save Eve.
He wouldn’t see the true hiding place for the money. Or the place his brother, his last blood family member, had died trying to save him.
From high up, and from far away, he’d only see a burning blue heart. Just the lopsided shape of a past that was finally dead and buried.
Acknowledgments
This book was created during a pandemic, a time when everyone was sad and everywhere was a little bit dark. I’m so grateful to everyone who has had a hand in bringing this book to life, including the entire Orca pod. If you’re reading this now, you should know that I think you are amazing. A special thank-you to screenwriter Sara Graefe for her guidance and feedback all those years ago and for igniting my interest in writing noir fiction. Thank you to the town of Hope. Although this book truly isn’t about you, I did borrow your perfect name and part of your history for this story. Thank you to my friends for being there, even when they couldn’t really be there. And, as always, thank you to Robert and my children. You are the light that sees me through.
The text at the top reads, Now what? Check out more great reads by Brooke Carter. The first photograph shows the book titled, “Double or Nothing,” by Brook Carter. Gambler Essie Makes a Bet She Can’t Cover.” A royal flush of a read,” - Kirkus Reviews. The second photograph shows the book titled, “Learning Seventeen,” by Brook Carter. The surrounding text reads, Has Jane found her soul mate at the Baptist Reform School? “More than a simple coming-of-age story,” —CM Magazine.
The photograph at the top shows a book titled, “The Unbroken Hearts Club,” by Brooke Carter. The accompanying text reads, Logan uses her camera to work through the loss of her mom. “Tackles serious topics with sincerity.” —Kirkus Reviews. The second photograph shows a book titled, “Another Miserable Love Song,” by Brooke Carter. The accompanying text reads, Will joining a punk band help Kallie find her purpose? “A thoroughly modern and realistic love story.” —Resource Links. The logo of Orca Soundings is at the bottom.
Brooke Carter is the author of several contemporary books for teens, including Double or Nothing, Learning Seventeen and The Unbroken Hearts Club from the Orca Soundings line.
For more information on all the books in the Orca Soundings line, please visit
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Brooke Carter, Sulfur Heart
