The Beast Within (The Elite Series) - By Jonathan Yanez Page 0,11

jobsites he had already been to the week before, one to Morrigan Hayes, who was a regular; one to Katie’s family, the Hubers; and the last one didn’t even have a name, just a place—the Catskill Forest Preserve.

Connor said his good-byes to Joe and Pete. He left them to discuss who got better scores in eighth grade math and how to position the plants.

Peeking his head inside the shop, he saw his mother watering some hydrangeas by the flower display. He asked, “Mom, did you see this last delivery to the Catskills? That’s two hours away, we don’t usually deliver that far.”

His mother looked up and smiled, “Yes, I hope you don’t mind. They called in first thing this morning, insistent about the delivery. I told them it would be an extra fee and they said that was fine. Even stranger, did you see what they ordered?”

Connor looked down at his sheet. Whoever had phoned in the call had only asked for a small container of bug spray, two bottles of generic water, and a very large, very expensive, silver-headed pickaxe.

“Okay, I’ll be back,” Connor said with a confused look.

“Be safe.”

Getting into his truck, Connor decided to do the two construction jobsite deliveries first, head over to Mrs. Hayes’ house, the Hubers’ next, and save the Catskill delivery for last, since it was by far the furthest.

The first two deliveries went smoothly. He had delivered to both jobsites last week and the foremen knew him. The next delivery, however, was to Mrs. Hayes. Mrs. Hayes was a widow of at least eighteen years. Connor couldn’t ever remember meeting her husband. She must have been in her seventies or eighties by now but it was hard to tell with how active she stayed. Being an avid gardener, she ordered from the shop at least once a week.

Pulling up to her light brown house, Connor exited his truck and unloaded her order of fertilizer, an assortment of seeds in small pouches, and a new pair of gardening gloves. Walking up to her fence, he admired her immaculate yard. It seemed as though not a blade of grass was out of place. Her rows of vegetables were neatly placed on the right side of the house and to the left were flowers of every kind. An assortment of colors entertained the eye, bright yellows, deep reds and luxurious purples were radiant with life, and this is where he found her, hunched over her work.

She was wearing a large flower-printed shirt that was much too big for her, tan pants that reached just shy of her old brown boots, and a floppy straw hat that kept sliding into her eyes. Looking up from her work, she smiled at Connor.

Most people would have taken her smile for a threat, her crooked teeth were stained yellow, the way her eyes disappeared when she grinned also didn’t help the effect. Connor knew differently, having been acquainted with her for so long. She was harmless, crazy maybe, but completely harmless.

“Well, hello there, young Mr. Connor.”

“Hello, Mrs. Hayes. Here are the items you wanted. Where should I put them?”

“Just there. We have bigger matters to discuss now.”

Connor placed her things down beside the house and looked at her as she stood up and approached him. Her usual wild grey and white hair was stuck up in her straw hat and her light brown eyes twinkled with excitement.

“Three of the Five Families have been reunited, whether they know it or not. It’s a very exciting and dangerous time now, Connor. But you’ll be safe because they don’t know it’s you, now, do they? She has a feeling, though. She is drawn to you and she is more than you think.”

Connor looked at her with a blank expression. This was normal. Mrs. Hayes had been babbling things every time he saw her. She was constantly going off about how she knew of secret things and secret people. Connor was always polite and amused, but today, with the sun beating down on them and still two more deliveries to go, one all the way to the Catskill forest, he decided to cut it short.

“Yes, yes. The three families, so, anyway I have to get going. Your yard looks great. Let us know if you need anything else.”

But she wouldn’t let him go that easy. “Connor Moore.” She ran to him incredibly fast for a women of her age and grabbed his hands in her own.

Her worn, wrinkled palms contrasted his young, strong