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  Why did I just say that? he asked himself. 'Whoever the fuck you are?' Why would I speak to an animal like it was a person?

  Andrea had gotten to him. That talk about skinwalkers. Did he subconsciously believe all that?

  Without thinking the better of it, Jordan now found himself walking down the front steps, off the porch, toward the panthers, as they themselves started to slink backwards. Jordan was giving off aggressive signals, and the panthers should be attacking him at this point.

  But instead, he had time enough to pick up a large rock, like he had done when he went after the salamander. He had no idea that the rock he was lifting with one hand was about 70 pounds. To him, it merely felt like it was about 5 pounds, and it wasn't because he worked out at the gym (although he did).

  Jordan's right hand again started turning solid.

  It was turning to stone.

  He could feel it, and even in the dark, he could see it. But he was too interested in self-preservation to question the reality of what was happening. Now the panthers started slinking backwards at a faster pace, with Jordan feeling stronger and stronger.

  He stopped in his tracks. The third panther was above and behind him, he could feel it.

  Jordan turned around and looked up at it. It was crazy, but he knew who the panther was.

  "Cephas Mandrell! Either get down here and fight me like a man, or get the fuck away from me!"

  The panther on the roof stared at him for quite sometime, but it didn't budge.

  "Yeah, I know it's you Cephas!" Jordan shouted. "And I know that you're beating your wife! What kind of pathetic, shit-eating stink of a man hits a woman?!"

  Then, with almost no effort, Jordan heaved the heavy rock in his hand up toward the roof. The rock sailed over the roof like a meteorite, barely missing the panther, which fled the roof, dropping to the ground on the right side of the cabin.

  It was a Herculean move, and Jordan shocked himself by it. How the hell had he done that? How the hell had he known he could do that?

  Then Jordan's hand immediately began to gain feeling again, first tingly, then slowly but surely, it went all the way back to normal. He wiggled his fingers and flexed them. His hand had turned back to a normal flesh color, and there seemed to be no residual after-effect.

  The panthers were gone. They had fled, because they realized what they were up against, even though Jordan himself didn't understand at all what had just happened.

  Jordan ended up breaking the window to get into the cabin, knowing that he would need to fix it for Kay before he left Scopes Mountain.

  He tried calling Andrea, because now he really did want to talk to her about what was happening up here in this strange place. But her voicemail picked up, which meant she must have gone to sleep. And Jordan couldn't exactly leave a detailed message about what happened without freaking Andrea out.

  He was pretty much freaked out himself.

  He lit the wood-burning stove in the living room, knowing he wouldn't be getting much sleep that night. There had to be more moonshine around here somewhere, if Kay's stills were at this particular cabin. He checked the pantry, thinking that Kay would store it there like she did at her own home. Jordan was right. He poured himself a full glass of Sugar Fire and downed half of it in one gulp.

  Kay's husband had come for him, and he had not come alone. Jordan could have died tonight. Somehow Cephas knew that Jordan was a real threat to him. And apparently, Jordan was a threat in more ways than one, since miraculously he had managed to face down three shape-shifting panthers.

  Jordan had just seen skinwalkers for the very first time. This would take a while to digest. And, apparently, Jordan himself was capable of morphing into something else himself. Only, he didn't seem inclined to shift into a panther.

  Instead, Jordan had a strange habit of turning into stone.

  Chapter 8

  Just before dawn, Jordan had fallen asleep in a chair, still holding an empty mason jar in his hand. When the jar slipped out of his hand and landed with a loud thud on the floor, he abruptly jerked awake.

  His whole body ached from his cramped position, slumped down in the chair rather than comfortably snoozing in a bed. Before he had a chance to stand up and stretch, his cellphone already was ringing.

  The Caller ID identified the incoming number as belonging to Jordan's Manager, Keith Parks.

  "Mornin', Keith," Jordan answered, his voice sounding hoarse.

  "Is it true what I'm hearing? That you've got a film crew organized and en route to Scopes Mountain to shoot a music video?"

  "That would not be me who's got them organized. That would be Bob. And I told you last week what I was planning."

  "You didn't tell me WHERE exactly you were planning to film."

  "Is there a problem, Keith?"

  "Yeah, I'd say there's a problem," Keith said. "Scopes Mountain has a bad reputation in Eastern Tennessee. You should know that, having been born there. When it gets out to the media that you're filming there, you might get all kinds of weird press out of it — not the kind of publicity you want."

  "You mean, like, the shape-shifters and skinwalkers that are supposed to be running around up here?"

  "I mean the moonshiners and criminals," Keith barked, "and the fact that up until very recently more people went missing on Scopes Mountain every year than anywhere else in Appalachia. That's why hikers are bypassing it now, even though it's right on the Appalachian Trail."

  "You strangely seem to know an awful lot about it."

  "I grew up on the peak on the other side of Lake Surepa. And I don't like the fact that you're putting an entire film crew at risk up there."

  Jordan rubbed his eyes, still not yet awake. Keith was actually right, given his own confrontation with skinwalkers the previous night. What had sounded like superstition and myth was becoming his reality.

  Was he really putting everyone in danger? The logical side of him said yes, but something else inside of him said no and that he had more right to be on Scopes Mountain than anyone else, even those residents who had been there for years and years, and their forefathers before them.

  "We'll be a big group," Jordan told Keith. "Safety in numbers. And we're leasing the property from a local woman. "

  "I want hourly updates."

  "That's not realistic. We'll be too caught up in production."

  "Alright. Fine. I want an update this afternoon, and then another one when you wrap up tonight. The crew should be there by late morning."

  Jordan ended the call and jumped in the shower. He realized he'd have to wear the same clothes as the day before, but Bob should be bringing a suitcase for him, along with the woman in charge of wardrobe for the shoot.

  Jordan left the cabin and headed for Kay's cabin. When he came through the clearing, he saw that Bob and the film crew already had arrived — earlier than expected — and they already were setting up camp. Trucks with camera and sound equipment filled the yard, and Jordan saw Kay talking with Bob on the front porch. As Jordan got closer, he overheard that Bob simply was explaining to Kay the proposed schedule for the next couple of days.

  As Jordan walked through the bustle, he shook his head.

  If Cephas Mandrell was pissed before, he'd be ten times more pissed when he saw all this.

  Up on the porch, Kay beheld the transformation of her front yard with amazement. She then noticed a convertible pull up. The car was driven by a pretty, slender blonde, who got out and looked a bit lost.

  "Who’s she?" Kay asked.

  "That's the model who will appear in the music video as Jordan's love interest," Bob said.

  Kay felt her heart sink a little bit. The woman was gorgeous, and Kay suddenly felt the little confidence she had gained since cooking dinner for Jordan the night before deflate.

  "Are they actually together? Jordan and her?"

  Bob looked surprised.

  "Oh no — this is just business. They don't even know each other."

  Kay should hav
e felt reassured by that, but she didn't. Then she tried to snap out of it. She shouldn't be thinking like this at all. She was a married woman after all, to a man she may or may not actually be able to get away from. And, even if she was ever free, reality was setting in that Jordan was a man way out of her league. She had nothing to offer him. Nothing at all.

  Bob headed off to deal with the chaos, leaving Kay on her own.

  When she saw Jordan heading for the porch, she managed a weak smile.

  "Wow — this whole scene is crazy," Kay said. "I mean, I've never seen this much action before."

  "Stick around, you haven't seen anything yet. Speaking of crazy, your husband paid me a visit last night."

  Kay froze. A shudder went through her.

  "What happened exactly? What did he say?"

  "Well, it was pretty interesting," Jordan began. "He was, well, he had climbed up on the roof, actually."

  "On the roof?"

  "Yeah, kind of a hard climb for a man, I would say," Jordan mused. "But much easier for, say, a panther."

  The statement hit Kay like a brick.

  "A panther," she repeated, deadpan.

  "One of your mountain's secrets apparently. The rumors apparently are all true. Obviously we cannot talk about this now, with everyone around, but you and I need to have a long talk later."

  Kay nodded, her eyes wide as saucers.

  "Something you should notice," Jordan added. He spread out his arms and turned to show her his front and back. "Not a scratch. He never actually attacked me."

  "Do you know why not?"

  "I ran him off."

  "How'd you manage to do that?"

  "I just threw a rock at him."

  That didn't sound right. Cephas didn't scare off easily.

  "That's it?"

  "That's all it took. There's something else, though. It seems I'm shifting a little myself. Only not into a panther."

  "Into what?"

  "That definitely will have to wait until later."

  Kay had absolutely no idea what to say to Jordan. He was giving her that look again, the look that told her she actually mattered to him. But insecurity flooded her. And fear — fear about how Scopes Mountain's darkness could be fully exposed with all these strangers around. She should have known better than to agree to let Jordan lease her property, but the money was too good to turn down.

  Kay decided to change the subject.

  "That girl — she's awful pretty," Kay said.

  "What girl?"

  "The model who's going to be in your video."

  "Who?"

  "She's over there."

  Kay pointed the blonde out to him. She was talking to another woman with a funky haircut with pink streaking through jet-black extensions.

  Jordan looked at the model, and then looked back at Kay. Then he got an idea in his head.

  "Wait here a second."

  Jordan strode over to the model and the other woman.

  "Hey, Gina," he said to the brunette.

  "Hey yourself, cowboy."

  The woman with the funky hair was in charge of wardrobe and makeup for the shoot. She had two other women working under her.

  "Walk with me a sec," he said.

  Gina and Jordan moved off to where they could have a short private conversation.

  "I'm thinking this model isn't right for the shoot," Jordan said.

  "Why — is something wrong?"

  "Nothing's wrong with her, she just wasn't well cast."

  "Well, you need a love interest for the video, and it will take another day or two if you want a new model screened."

  "We don't need another model," Jordan said. "I already have someone in mind. A local woman. She's up there on the porch."

  Gina shielded her eyes against the sun and looked over toward Kay. Bob approached just then.

  "What's going on?" Bob asked.

  "I think we should pay the model for her time, but I think Kay is actually a better fit for the video. She's authentic."

  Bob looked incredulous.

  "Nothing against Kay — her hospitality has been stupendous but she's not exactly the video vamp type."

  "What's wrong with her?"

  Well," Bob said. "She's plain, and she doesn't exactly have a smokin' figure."

  "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Jordan said.

  "Yes...but it's your audience that will be the beholder, not you," Bob said. "Wait a minute, what's really going on here? Do you have a thing for her?"

  "What do you think, Gina?"

  "Well, wardrobe will be a problem because we didn't bring anything up that's in her size. But we can look through what she's got on the spot, and I'm a pretty good seamstress on-the-spot if we need to come up with something, or alter what she's got."

  "You actually are in support of this?" Bob asked Gina.

  "Why not, Bob?" Gina said. "Are you forgetting, oh say, Wynonna Judd? Plus-size and an amazing star. The female Elvis. Big and beautiful has worked in Country and Western in the past, why not here?"

  "I really am not convinced."

  "I think Jordan's fans might appreciate a realistic love interest in the video. Plus, I can tell from here that's she kind of a natural beauty, and when we do her up right she's really going to look like the heart of this mountain."

  Jordan put his hand on Gina's shoulder.

  "I appreciate the support," Jordan said. "I'd like to tell her myself, but I'm thinking maybe you would do a better job convincing her. She's not used to all this, and a woman-to-woman talk might sell her on it."

  "Sure thing," Gina said. "Leave it to me."

  Jordan headed off to consult with Bob on a draft 'script' of what they had in mind for the video. Even though nobody had any lines, just the lyrics that Jordan would be singing, the music video would still tell a story.

  Gina went to introduce herself to Kay.

  "Hey there," she said, holding her hand out to Kay. "I'm Gina. I oversee makeup and costuming."

  Kay shook her hand warmly.

  "Kay. Probably you already know I own the land you're using."

  Gina had an outlandish look to her that Kay wasn't used to, but she was more intrigued than put off by her. And Kay was increasingly impressed and intrigued with what it took to produce what was, essentially, just a 4-minute short film.

  "So, uh, Jordan wanted me to speak to you about something," Gina began. "We've laid off the original model for the shoot and, well, Jordan wants you to replace her."

  "Replace her?"

  "Uh, yeah. How would you feel about that?"

  "Are you saying that...he wants me to be in the music video?"

  "Yes he does. He thinks you look to be a much better fit."

  Kay was stunned.

  "That doesn't make any sense," she said. "I'm certainly not a model by any means. I don't look like any of the girls in any music videos I've ever seen."

  "You will by the time I get done with you," Gina said with a grin. "Artistically speaking, I think Jordan has made a good call. You look like a mountain girl, Kay. You look fresh and natural, and we'll play that up. Can I see what you've got in your closet? We need to outfit you, and I might need to do some alterations to get your image just right."

  "I haven't said yes to anything yet!" Kay protested.

  "Seriously?" Gina challenged her. "Jordan Lawless is a Top 10 recording artist. He is the Big Time. And, to put it bluntly, the man is fine. This fine man wants you to be in his music video. You would have to be bat-shit insane to turn that down."

  "I'm not insane, I just, I just, I can't."

  "Oh yes you can. And you will. This is a fantasy come true, you just need to go with it. And trust me that I have your best interests at heart when I say I am going to get you ready for your moment to shine."

  Kay thought about this. Cephas would not stand for this at all once he found out. But her heart swelled at the thought that Jordan actually wanted to show her off to the world as if she were his woman. Even if it
was only for four-minutes — the length of a music video. And even if it was total fiction.

  Well, she just kept making decisions guaranteed that there would be accumulated hell-to-pay when her husband showed back up on her doorstep. Why stop now?

  "Okay. But I don't think I really have anything decent to wear."

  "Let me worry about that. We'll get your costuming ready before we head up, but I'm not having your makeup done until we get up the spot where we're shooting."

  "Speaking of that," Kay said, "how are you going to get all that equipment up there? The last part of the way you have to go on foot. You've got some massive equipment. It looks like you've even got a big crane out there!"

  "Yeah, that's for a boom shot," Gina explained. "An overhead shot. Don't worry — we'll get it up there. And we won't all have to go on foot. Our production company bought a couple of old military vehicles for this sort of situation. And we've got some ex-marines working for us as part of the film crew. They're mapping out the mountain now, and believe me, these guys can get in and out of anywhere in the world. Scopes Mountain is child's play to them."

  Chapter 9

  Cephas stood on a ridge looking at an unsettling scene below.

  The production crew had loaded up the military trucks, and everyone was making their way to the overlook at Slacum's Holler.

  "Who the hell do these people think they are?" Cephas demanded of no one in particular.

  His brother Daryl shrugged his shoulders.

  "I told you that Lawless guy was up to no good."

  Cephas' shoulder was bandaged up underneath his shirt, and it still hurt pretty bad after he got shot up by Kay, but he was out and about ever since last night. Ever since Daryl told him his wife had come out of hiding and was fraternizing with strangers.

  "Well, I don't like what happened the other night, that's for sure," said Cephas' younger brother Johnny. "If this guy is who I think he is, then we're in for some changes around here, and that's not going to be good for us."

  The three brothers resembled each other both in their looks and in their meanness. Their father had beaten any possible good sentiment out of them when they were young. Now, they had become just like him. Worse even. All three were married. And all three were terrible husbands.