by A E Faulkner
“But the dog,” Riley says, cocking her head. “Isn’t that her dog?”
The man’s eyes shift, as if he’s dangling on the precipice of truth, weighing his best option. “Yep, that’s their dog. They knew they couldn’t take her where they were going, so they left the dog behind.” His lips twitch into a smile, as if he can’t contain the cleverness.
Riley and I share a knowing smile. The whole reason Bowen’s wife isn’t with him is because she wouldn’t leave the dog behind. There’s no way she did it now.
“Sorry for the trouble,” Jeff calls, turning back toward the street.
Aidan releases a deep sigh and runs a hand through his hair. “I guess we’re done here.”
“No, we’re not!” I challenge. “She’s here and I know it.” I plant both feet on the ground firmly and cross my arms. Before the man can respond, Riley starts toward the house, shouting. “Roxanne!” I don’t think that’s the right name, but maybe it’s close enough to get her attention.
The man rushes toward Riley, arms extended to stop her progress. “Now I told you—” But before he can finish his thought, Millie charges out the front door, barking wildly as she circles my sister and this stranger.
A lithe figure strides across the porch, approaching the chaotic scene. A dopey smile surges across my face as I recognize the blonde hair and bright green eyes. We lost the picture, but this is definitely Mrs. Sergeant Bowen. She’s slightly taller than me but definitely thinner. Darkened half-moons under her eyes betray the worry she carries.
Her eyes track Millie, who swarms Jeff for another round of affection. Planting a fist on each hip, she demands, “What’s going on here?” Before the man can begin spewing more lies, Riley responds.
“We’re here to see you,” she takes a cautious step closer to the woman, conveying the seriousness of what we have to say. “We came from Langley Air Force Base.” With those words, the woman’s eyes widen and her posture cracks slightly.
“We met your husband, Sergeant Bowen, and he sent us here to give you a message,” Riley continues. Stillness surrounds the scene like a peaceful bubble. Even Millie has calmed down, content to sit at Jeff’s feet while he rubs between her ears.
The man breaks the silence, “Now we don’t know if they’re telling the truth, Rossana. We can’t trust them.” He gestures to us in disgust, as if he just caught us rooting through his trash. She raises a hand to silence him.
“Well, I’m willing to hear what they have to say before I decide anything,” she says confidently. Then, shifting her focus to each of us in turn, she smiles slightly and invites us to sit down and talk with her.
Chapter 46
We leave the neighbor behind as Bowen’s wife escorts us to her house across the street. Millie follows at her heels, although the dog glances back at Jeff as she trots along. She stays loyal to her human, but she’s definitely drawn to at least one of the new humans escorting her home.
Even given the circumstances, a slight bounce boosts each step I take. We finally accomplished something on this trip. Well, besides freeing the dogs and getting Chris home. A quiet confidence breezes through my limbs. This whole trip I’ve been focused on our failures, completely disregarding our successes.
Aidan nudges my shoulder, one cheek hitched in a half-smile. “What’re you thinking about?” Fire flushes from my chin to my ears.
“What? Why?” Those deep blue eyes vaporize my conversational skills. The smile overtakes his face.
“You just look…I don’t know…content. It’s not really a side you show often.” He raises his eyebrows, awaiting a response.
“I know. I just realized that we’ve been through a lot, but we’ve done a lot of good too. And maybe I need to remember that more often.”
“I think you’re 100% right,” he says, a flicker of playfulness flashing through his eyes. “And I’m willing to accept the challenge of making sure you don’t forget!”
He squeezes my hand, just a gentle tug, and releases it just as quickly. As we file inside the house, I practically float over the threshold.
We spill into an inviting living room, each wall bearing a different shade of brown. The fluffy folded blanket on the floor beckons Millie, as she immediately sprawls out on it, watching her human intently. Rossana beelines to the kitchen, quickly returning with a dog-boned shaped treat. Millie rises on her haunches, ears perked in curiosity. Or maybe expectation. I get the feeling this is a regular routine.
Rossana leans down to drop the treat while simultaneously patting Millie’s head. She quickly shoots back up and turns to us. “Let’s go to the lower level and we can talk.”
We all nod and follow her single-file, but I wonder why we don’t just stay in the living room.
The steps are just a few feet away, and as we descend them a sweeping room opens up. A fireplace resides on one wall, sitting idly. As Rossana selects a small log from the metal basket resting on the hearth, Millie wanders down the few steps to join us. She watches calmly as her human sets the log ablaze, forming mesmerizing flames that reach for the flue.
Two overstuffed couches with matching recliners line the wall adjacent to the fireplace. Rossana plops into the tan recliner closest to the fireplace and motions for us to sit.
I sink into a cushion swathed in a deep chocolate fabric. Aidan quickly claims the seat beside me and we both relax into the sofa. Jeff and Riley take the other couch and Millie coils herself at Rossana’s feet.
“Thanks for talking to us,” Jeff says. He jabs a thumb toward the doorway. “For a second there, I thought your neighbor was gonna banish us or something.”
Rossana waves her hand, dismissing the thought. “Oh, don’t mind him. He’s paranoid about looters. The neighbors were all getting together to talk about what’s happening, but I have a feeling what you have to say will be much more interesting.” She leans forward and clasps her hands together. “So, you said you have a message for me?”
Chapter 47
When Riley glances my way, I give her a slight nod. It’s my job to explain. I am the one Bowen first approached about this mission.
I don’t share Riley’s abduction and our pursuit to find her. It’s really not relevant to this woman. I explain that when her husband realized we were leaving the base and heading home to Pennsylvania, he enlisted our help since he had lost touch with her. At the mention of them losing touch, her eyes water with sorrow.
“But he’s okay,” I rush to reassure her. “And we’ve been talking to him the whole way along our trip here.” With those words, her eyes reflect fierce determination.
“What do you mean you’ve been able to talk to him?” she demands, immediately recognizing the harshness of her tone. “I’m sorry, it’s just…we talked on the phone every night for months…since he was sent down there. And then one day, he started…confessing some concerns he had, and the line just went dead. And I didn’t hear from him since then. I tried calling, sent letters, but I heard nothing.”
She shakes her head solemnly before continuing. “I was getting ready to drive down to that base and demand to see him, but then all these warnings came out and I didn’t know what to do.” She huffs out a frustrated breath.
My stomach twists as my mind over-processes the information. Bowen confessed to us just before we left that the government knew about the earthquake before it happened and warned no one. Although he didn’t say as much, the knowledge seemed to weigh on his soul. Had he reached a point where he disagreed with his employer’s ways? Did someone suspect that Bowen wasn’t blindly compliant about withholding looming natural disaster warnings from the public?
My spiraling thoughts slam to an immediate stop when I realize everyone’s staring at me, waiting for me to continue. Heat flushes my cheeks.
“Sorry, I got distracted.” Riley shoots me an incredulous look that screams, “Pay attention!”
“Quinn, I think we’ve told her enough for now,” Jeff says quietly. “Why don’t we give her the satellite p
hone?”
Rossana immediately straightens, as if anticipation tugs at each nerve. I nod. She’s waited long enough to talk to her husband.
Jeff digs into the bag in his lap and pulls out the phone. “Do you know how to use this?” he asks gently. Her green eyes sheen with unshed tears as she shakes her head no. Riley snatches the phone from Jeff’s hand and rushes to Rossana’s side. She demonstrates the basics, like how to dial the number the sergeant pre-programmed into the phone.
With trembling hands, she takes the phone from Riley and mutters a broken “Thank you...if you’ll excuse me…I’ll be back.” Before anyone can respond, she jumps to her feet, sweeping across the room and up the steps. Millie trails half a step behind.
“Well, that got intense,” Jeff says, eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
“Yeah,” Riley agrees. “I didn’t really think about why they lost touch when we’ve been able to speak with the sergeant pretty easily.”
“I think someone knew.” They all turn narrowed, skeptical eyes in my direction. “I mean, I think Bowen was starting to see that the government wasn’t doing what it should have, like warning people about dangerous situations.”
Their stares remain disbelieving, but I continue.
“So maybe he was, like, flagged as someone who was questioning things and they started watching him more closely? And maybe when he was about to tell his wife about what was happening, they cut off his communication with her.” I tilt my head, jutting my chin out, in a satisfied gesture. Surely they’ll all see the genius in my theory.
Aidan crosses his arms and scrunches up his whole face. “Sounds to me like someone’s got a case of the conspiracies.”
A high-pitched chuckle escapes Riley before she can yank it back. Jeff shifts his eyes back and forth, mimicking a type of wall clock while he chants, “Cuckoo…cuckoo…cuckoo!”
I cross my arms sullenly. Fine. They don’t have to believe me, but the hairs rising along the back of my neck seem to agree.
Chapter 48
After about thirty minutes of idle chitchat, a door creaks open within the house and approaching footsteps grow louder. Rossana and Millie bound down the steps and rejoin us.
Rossana settles into the recliner again. Millie sits directly in front of the chair, leaning her furry body against her human’s legs. Pink splotches mar Rossana’s face, remnants of tears that must have accompanied the conversation. Her green irises appear brighter, temporarily enhanced by the salty substance that spilled over them.
“I can’t thank you all enough,” she says with a resolve I didn’t think possible given her appearance. Swiping a palm across her cheek, she continues. “It sounds like we all need to lay low for a day or two, but after that Millie and I will be heading to Langley and you all have your own plans.” She looks to each of us for confirmation.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jeff obliges, shifting forward in his seat.
“Alright, then how about we get you set up with sleeping arrangements: I’ll get you all towels so you can wash up, and we all just stay here until the ash settles?” Although she technically asks a question, she doesn’t wait for an answer. She rises to her feet and leads us up the steps.
After delivering us to our temporary shelter, Rossana escorts the guys to their quarters for the next few days.
Riley and I dump our bags in the spare bedroom we’re assigned. Stark white bedding and olive-green walls give the whole room a modern feel. The décor is all harsh angles and bold fixtures. Impeccably detailed pictures embellish the walls and nightstands.
Riley and I float through the space, admiring each one. A red-throated hummingbird hovers mid-air just beneath a tubular purple flower. Its wings flutter in a tannish-gray blur. A fluffy white owl peers judgingly from a withering branch jutting from a slight pine tree. A deer slopes its mighty neck to a clear flowing stream, the pink tip of a tongue peeking out as it drinks the rushing water.
My eyes marvel at the extraordinary images surrounding us, each moment perfectly captured in a split second. A thud, immediately followed by a metallic squeaking, pulls our attention from the gallery of artwork. Millie yelps, but I can’t tell if it’s in alarm or excitement.
Glancing at each other, Riley and I meander toward the room’s open doorway. We follow a scuffling sound that echoes down the hallway. It leads us back to the living room, where Aidan and Jeff wrestle with the grayish-green couch. With Rossana directing them, they attempt to free the folded mattress and frame hiding within it.
Something must be stuck, because they awkwardly tug at a metal post that refuses to leave its home beneath the cushions. Millie circles the room, randomly yipping as if she’s calling out encouragement.
A giggle escapes me, and Riley quickly catches it, sending us both into a convulsing fit. The room blurs as my eyes flood with laughter-fueled tears. When Riley collapses on the floor, Millie rushes to her aid. I allow my knees to buckle, joining them on the thick area rug.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed like that. It’s like one small intangible reward for fulfilling part of our mission.
As Riley’s chuckles taper off, silence surrounds us. I swipe the dueling tear trails across my cheeks to find three sets of eyes on us. Technically four sets if you count the dog’s. Jeff crosses his arms and lowers his chin so that he’s literally looking down on us.
“You two done?” he huffs. Planting a fist under his chin, he strikes a thinking pose. “Because maybe instead of laughing at us, you could be helping.”
My stomach churns as I notice that, other than Riley, none of the others are even slightly amused. I hope we haven’t offended our host. Clutching Riley’s arm, I yank us both to our feet.
Riley brushes off her knees while eyeing the others uncomfortably. “So, what can we do?” Aidan looks to Jeff and the two carry on another one of their silent conversations. Rossana explains that the metal lever within the skeletal frame is stuck. Then, as if her mind processes possible solutions as she speaks, she thrusts a pointer finger in the air. “We might have a tool in the garage that’ll help. I’ll be right back.”
She sweeps through the nearest doorway, Millie rushing to catch up. I turn toward Jeff and Aidan expectantly. At least we’re trying to help now.
“So, Jeff,” Aidan says. “What did you think Quinn and Riley could do to help in this situation?” Jeff rubs his chin pensively in response before slowly nodding.
“You know, things have been pretty stressful and instead of adding to that stress, I think they should distract us from it.”
In one swift move, the guys dive toward opposite ends of the sofa. Goofy grins overtaking their faces, they proudly display throw pillows. Within seconds, they descend upon us, pillows swinging.
Chapter 49
Adrenaline courses through me as I turn on my heel, running toward the safety of our bedroom. Feet pound behind me, a little too close, but I don’t turn to see who it is. The echoing footsteps grow louder until the four of us land in a pile-up on the bed.
Giggles overtake my movements, yielding me incapacitated as stray elbows and knees connect with my body. We form a human tangle of limbs and laughter. Barking erupts in the hallway as Millie hunts the unruly humans who have invaded her home. She bursts into the room, her legs pushing faster when she spies us. Her sprint morphs into a jump and she worms her body onto the overcrowded bed. This sends us all into a new round of laughter, which only encourages Millie. She rewards us with wet kisses, lavishing attention on whoever is closest to her in the squirming mass.
When the chaos finally settles, I notice that Millie isn’t the only one who’s joined us. Rossana stands in the doorway, hugging a pile of folded sheets and blankets, patiently waiting for an end to our antics. When the room falls silent, she gives us a weak half-smile.
“And this is why the boys and the girls have separate sleeping quarters,” she winks. “Now, I found a tool that might help us with the couch. How about you guys come see if you can make it work? Quinn and Rile
y, why don’t you help me round up some dinner?” Without waiting for an answer, she turns on her heel and retreats from the room.
Taking just a moment to collect ourselves, we rush to the areas we’ve been assigned—the guys return to the living room while Riley and I report to the kitchen.
Rossana sets us up to chop tomatoes and cucumbers for a salad. We ignore the clunking and grunting sounds emanating around the uncooperative sofa bed. Just as Riley gathers plates, napkins, and silverware to set the table, a melodious ringtone blasts from the living room. I peek around the corner, tracking the noise. Aidan mutters under his breath, “My dad,” before pressing the phone to his ear and rushing down the steps to the lower level.
In the time he’s gone, Jeff manages to conquer the sofa bed, even stretching a sheet and blankets over the mattress. Locating an outlet, he takes advantage of the electricity and charges his cell phone. That should serve as a prompt to Aidan to do the same when he’s done talking to his dad.
Claiming victory, he offers his assistance in the kitchen. Stirring a bubbling pot of macaroni, Rossana motions toward the backyard with one hand, suggesting that he take Millie outside instead. At the mention of the words “out” and “Millie,” the dog’s ears twitch excitedly. Jeff smiles and pats his leg, signaling her to come. She rushes past him, swishing her tail back and forth as she waits for him at the door.
When Millie and Jeff have their fill of outside time, they rush through the door in a blur. Rossana calls out the location of the treat stash so that Jeff can present Millie with her earned snack. She carries it into the living room and plops down to enjoy it.