Colby Core by Debra Webb

the top so she presumed that was his desk. He propped his shotgun against the wall and gestured to the chairs. “Take a load off.”
    Tessa joined him at the table. Riley did the same but with a bit more caution. He seemed to still be assessing the place and the man.
    â€œYou have a quest?” Moses asked.
    Tessa nodded, trying not to show her surprise. One of the stories about Moses involved his ability to see the future. She resisted the impulse to ask him if the children would be rescued safely. The risk that he might say no was far too great for her to bear.
    â€œWe need to find a man who can help us accomplish our quest,” she explained. “His name is Renwick. I believe you treated him for cancer.”
    Moses nodded. “I remember the case. The citydoctors recommended he get his house in order since his time on this old earth was short. But last I heard his cancer was gone away.”
    Tessa had heard the same. “Your treatment saved his life.” Such as it was. Like the Master, if any man deserved to die it was Renwick.
    â€œI don’t like to take credit for such things,” Moses allowed, “but that’s what they say.”
    â€œWe need to contact him or his man Phipps,” Tessa said, getting right to the point. “You may remember Phipps. Quite tall and thin—”
    â€œRed hair,” Moses cut in.
    â€œThat’s the one,” Tessa confirmed. “We need a way to contact one or both. It’s very, very important.”
    â€œAbout that?” Moses gestured to Riley’s necklace.
    Tessa considered keeping that part out of the conversation but she had a feeling Moses would know she was lying. “Yes. And for other reasons.”
    The old man’s dark eyes fixed on hers. “The children?”
    Her mouth seemed to fill with grit. “Yes.”
    â€œAnd you?” he ventured.
    She nodded.
    â€œYou know—” Moses leaned back in his chair “—slavery ended in this country a long time ago. What your Master does is wrong.”
    Emotion tightened in her chest. “Very wrong.”
    â€œRenwick ain’t no better,” Moses declared, “but he came to me for help. He got a new lease on life andhe’s repeating the same mistakes. There’s a special place in hell for men like him.”
    The old man got up from the table and crossed the room to rifle through an old chest of drawers.
    Tessa dared to make eye contact with Riley then. If skepticism were rain clouds, a dense dark cluster would be hanging over his head.
    When Moses returned to the table he tossed a cloth sack in front of Tessa. He pulled out his chair and lowered his frail body there. “There’s a bartender at the Rusty Hinge,” he said. “Name’s Ike. He’s one of Phipps’s contacts. You convince him to put you in touch with Phipps and you’ll be in business.”
    Hope dared to take root amid Tessa’s fears. “Thank you. We really appreciate your help.”
    Moses untied the strings holding the cloth bag closed, then tossed the contents onto the table. Tessa blinked and looked again to be sure her eyes had not deceived her.
    Bones.
    She shivered.
    Moses looked over the pattern of the bones atop his many papers with great care before lifting his gaze to Tessa’s. “The past is catching up with you, child. Your life is about to change in ways you’ve been afraid to consider.” A smile parted his thin lips. “It’s all good. No worries.” His smile faded. “Unless you trip yourself up with all those bad things that evil man’s put in your mind. Be careful, child, you’ll be treading a slippery slope.”
    A new kind of fear trickled into Tessa’s veins.
    â€œNow you—” Moses turned to Riley “—your future is a horse of a different color.” His attention settled on the steel necklace. “Death is all around you. You might not be