Halfway Heroes

by Dustin Martin

Lydia retrieved her backpack after leaving Barrett. She bid farewell to Wren and rendezvoused with Aidan at the Center’s front desk. “Are those braces?” he asked, examining her arms. “Was physical therapy that intense?”

  “I’ll explain later. Let’s go,” she said.

  As they headed for the Center’s exit, they ran into Ryan. He greeted the two, swinging his arms. “What are you up to?” Ryan asked, staring at the backpacks.

  Aidan excused himself, saying he’d wait for Lydia right outside the building. He quickly left.

  “Don’t you have some homework to do?” she asked Ryan.

  “Yeah, but I got all day to do it. It’s just writing sentences for math.”

  “For math?” Lydia asked.

  “ ‘I will not use my tongue to steal the whiteboard eraser.’ ”

  Lydia grinned. “Yeah, you probably shouldn’t have done that.” She silently chastised her own hypocrisy. She remembered several pranks she’d pulled with Dariela’s help.

  “But Davin dared me to do it!” Ryan said.

  “Alright, I believe you,” she said. “But don’t always listen to Davin.”

  “Okay. You want to come play a game?” Ryan asked. “There aren’t many people in the game room.”

  “I’d love to, but I have something I need to do. Maybe another time?”

  “Promise?”

  Lydia smiled. “I promise.” She hugged him and joined Aidan, who was leaning on the wall beside the doors outside.

  “That kid always gives me the creeps,” Aidan said, shivering. “Those big eyes always look like they’re staring at you. He’s freaky.”

  Lydia rounded on him. “Don’t you ever call him that again, Flyboy,” she said, backing him up to the wall. “Ever. Got it?”

  Aidan, stunned, merely nodded. They continued on, but Aidan’s statements had sparked an idea. Once her parents were rescued, and she reached Rooke, perhaps she could find a cure for Ryan. She’d make that one of her top priorities after saving her parents. Who knew? Maybe Rooke could cure everyone.

  They crept around to the loading area, taking care to hide behind some of the empty boxes already waiting for transport. When she was sure no one could see them, Lydia slipped off her backpack and sat next to one of the crates. “Okay, we’ll sneak aboard when the drivers get out. They have to sign in, saying that they arrived,” she explained to Aidan.

  “Why not just get into the crates?” Lydia spun around. Jando leapt over the crate and squatted next to them.

  “I thought you said he wasn’t coming,” Aidan said, shooting Lydia a dirty look.

  “Why are you here?” she whispered to Jando. She checked the corners. Nobody seemed to have noticed him join them.

  “Oh, this is a nice welcome after I decided to help you out,” Jando said, standing. “Maybe I’ll just go.”

  “Get down!” Lydia yanked him to the ground. “You’re here now and you’re not going to give us away.”

  Jando sat beside her. “Nice braces. You break both your arms this time?”

  “Shut up, shut up,” Lydia said. The Cave’s gate squealed as it opened wide for the trucks pass through. A handful of employees came out of the Center to greet the drivers. Lydia knew she couldn’t be seen from her current position. However, she didn’t have a good view of the drivers and what they were up to when the trucks stopped. She craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse. “Can’t see anything,” she said.

  “Here.” Jando touched her shoulder. “Now take a look.”

  She glanced down. From her chest upward, she was completely invisible. The fabric of her shirt cut off in a jagged fashion where she’d disappeared. Lydia poked her head above the crate, watching the drivers. They unloaded the new supplies first, and then started to grab the empty crates. They began with the larger boxes near the very back beside the ramp, working their way to the front.

  “Okay, since the crates are sealed and empty, they’ll notice if we try to open one and hide in there. On three, we head for the nearest truck,” she said. It was about twenty feet away, a good distance. They’d be able to bolt for it without being seen. “We’ll get near the front of the truck’s cargo hold and hide behind the crates. Jando can keep us invisible for their inspection and then we’re home free.”

  “Will I be able to get leave before the truck takes off?” Jando asked.

  “Yeah,” Lydia said. “They’ll check the cargo, making sure everything is in order, so none of the crates will topple over. Then they’ll get out, sign some paperwork for the supplies near the ramp, and shut the door. You’ll leave while they’re signing.”

  The drivers and employees went back and forth, loading their trucks. When they were working in unison and busy with packing loads onto their dollies, Lydia counted down. “One.” The drivers each hefted up a crate. “Two.” Lydia sent up a silent prayer. “Three!”

  They dashed to the truck. Lydia easily lifted herself inside, turned to Jando and Aidan, and yanked them up. They vaulted over the piles of crates, heading for the front of the trailer’s wall, just behind its cab. The obstacle course of empty areas surrounded by crates proved to be quite the test. Whenever she stepped on a crate, Lydia cast a glance at the drivers, hoping neither had heard the soft thumps.

  Aidan banged his knee on one large box and fell onto a pile of smaller ones. Lydia winced, hoping he wouldn’t draw any attention. Thankfully, his crash coincided with the drivers’ tossing several crates onto their dollies.

  Lydia helped Aidan up and pushed him along. He grumbled, rubbing his sore knee. Jando found a nook near the truck’s front wall that was a perfect fit for him. He shimmied into it, squeezing himself between several tall stacks of crates that rose above him. His back was pressed against the wall and he had to keep his head turned sideways. Lydia and Aidan were left to lie on top of the same stacks. It was a tight fit for them, squashed up against the roof. Aidan was on the left, nearest to Jando. Lydia steadied herself, pressing her shoulders and feet on crates to hold her body in place.

  Jando stood on tiptoes and touched Aidan’s sleeve, making him invisible. Aidan touched Lydia’s arm and the ability spread to her, causing her to vanish as well.

  “I hope they hurry up. I can’t keep this stretch for too long,” Jando whispered.

  “I think they’re almost done,” Lydia said, trying to encourage him. Truthfully, she couldn’t really see the drivers. She listened to them loading crate after crate for what seemed like an hour, building the towers until all but slivers of light streamed to the front. Lydia’s hiding place atop the precarious piles wasn’t comfortable. A corner of the crate dug into her ribs, making breathing difficult.

  “I can’t hold on much longer,” Jando said. He slipped, losing a hold on Aidan. In the encroaching darkness, Aidan materialized before Lydia, and she knew her body was now visible, too. He looked like a jumble of eviscerated limbs.

  “Oh, boo-hoo. You have it so bad down there,” Aidan said, turning his head as far as he could. “Stop whining.”

  “Say that to my face,” Jando said. But he grabbed Aidan’s shirt to hide them both once more.

  “Both of you, quiet,” Lydia said. “I think they’re doing the inspection.”

  The driver climbed aboard the truck and studied the crates. He stood up on the balls of his toes, checking the tops of the stacks. He can’t see us, Lydia told herself. We’re invisible. He can’t see us! That fact didn’t make his lingering eyes on her spot any less tense. For the longest time, he stared straight at Lydia. Her breath hitched in her chest. He can’t see me. He can’t see me. The driver’s eyes slid away from her, checking elsewhere, and she relaxed. When he’d finished his task, the driver turned around and hopped out of the truck.

  “Okay,” Lydia said. “Jando, like I said, the drivers are going to be on the ramp, near the door where they bring in the new crates. When you leave, if you stick to the new crates and the Center’s walls, you shouldn’t be seen.” She shifted closer to Aidan.

  “Alr
ight,” Jando said. “Help me up.”

  “Maybe you left it in there.” A man’s voice. She stayed motionless, hardly breathing. The driver was coming back, escorted by one of the Center’s employees.

  “I didn’t see it,” the driver said. “What did you say it was?”

  “A box of office supplies,” the employee said, reading off a clipboard. He tapped it with his pen. “Pens, paper, staples, ink cartridges, the works.”

  The driver gazed at the stacks of crates. “Are you sure you looked outside?”

  “Positive. Now you need to find it. Our printers are running low as it is.”

  “Alright, alright.” He began pushing aside the crates, dismantling the stacks in his search.

  “What’s going on?” Jando whispered.

  “Quiet!” Aidan said.

  The driver took out a flashlight and read the labels of the crates. His examination of each crate led him closer to the front wall of the truck. Closer to Lydia and Aidan. Soon, he was reading the labels on the stack directly in front of them. He was murmuring to himself, every crate failing him.

  “Guys,” Jando said, his strained voice a hiss.

  “Quiet!” Aidan said again.

  “I can’t hold,” Jando said, struggling. Lydia saw his fingers slipping. She dared not move. The driver had taken down the stack of boxes in front of them. Now he was right below them. All her effort was needed to hold her position.

  Jando grunted and let go his touch. They were exposed! Lydia looked at Aidan. He was still, but his eyes were darting around. There was nothing to use for cover. Nothing. We’ll be caught! Lydia fretted. Her parents would be at the mercy of terrorists. It was all over.

  The flashlight trailed upward. Row after row, it inched ever closer. Lydia wiggled into the space, trying to make herself as small as possible. Not now, she begged. God, please. Not now. The light was right below her leg. Her shoestring was drooping over the side. He would see that, shine his light on them, and they’d be caught. Lydia closed her eyes, preparing for the worst.

  “There it is!” the driver said. He stepped over the mess he’d created to another untouched stack. Lydia’s foot rested against this pile. The driver yanked the crate out, leaping out of the way of its falling brothers. Lydia was off balance, tilting to the side. She reached out for something to hold on to.

  Aidan snatched her right arm and then grabbed her left. He held firm and stared at her, willing Lydia to understand that he had her. How he’d managed to free his arms of his human pretzel position to stretch that far, she couldn’t tell. Meanwhile, Aidan had shifted enough so that Jando was able to reach back up and latch onto Aidan’s shirt once more. Together, Aidan and Lydia disappeared from sight.

  The driver unloaded the crate, checking with the employee that it held the supplies they were looking for. Once the man was off the truck, Jando snuck a peek around the pile. “Guess he was never good at Jenga.”

  Lydia chuckled and grabbed one of his arms. She motioned for Aidan to do the same. “Come on. Help me pull him up.” The driver was busy signing paperwork right outside of the truck. “Okay, you leave as soon as he’s done,” Lydia said, yanking Jando up.

  Jando didn’t budge. He shook his body, rattling the crates around.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Aidan hissed.

  “I’m stuck,” Jando said. “My foot’s caught.”

  Lydia peered over the side of the crates. There was no room for her to slip down beside Jando.

  “Hold onto my feet, Lydia,” Aidan said. He turned his body and, head down, inched toward Jando. Lydia couldn’t see what he was doing, but she held onto his feet. She heard muttering as he rooted around blindly for Jando’s foot.

  “Hurry up!” Lydia said. The driver had finished the paperwork. He closed the doors, shrouding the teenagers in pitch-black darkness. He would drive the truck back to the entrance and the security guard would check the contents. Then the door would be locked for good. Jando had to leave now.

  “Stop kicking me!” Aidan said. He swatted Jando’s leg.

  “Then get my foot out,” Jando said, kicking him.

  The truck rumbled to life and jolted forward. Lydia fell off her perch and began tearing down crates, trying to find Jando. She reached out blindly for his body, and found him. She freed him after ripping away the mountainous jumble of crates.

  “Oh, that’s nice,” Jando said, purring when she laid her hand on his torso. “But I don’t think this is the time to continue our elevator tryst.”

  She didn’t reply. Lydia pulled him out of the wreckage and pushed him toward the exit. “You’ll just have to jump while we’re moving! Now go!”

  “Alright! Good luck!” Lydia heard him stumble over crates, feeling for the doors. He smacked the wall and dragged his hand across it. He gave a cry of success when he found the door handle.

  Before he could open the door, the truck stopped. It idled in place and someone tapped on the outside. It was too late. The security guard was there.

  “Hide!” Aidan said. Lydia crashed into a row and lay low behind what she believed to be a couple of bulky crates. Suddenly, light shone in and she heard someone exclaim what a mess there was. “Did a tornado blow through here?”

  “I forgot to unload one crate, so I had to go digging for it,” the driver said. “I’ll tidy it up when I get some gas.” Then the doors were shut. There was a click this time. They were locked inside.

  The truck lurched forward, throwing the trio around. In vain Jando pulled at the doors, grunting, “No, no, no.” The truck sped up. For the three of them, trying to stand now became a tricky balancing act. In the distance, Lydia heard the Cave’s gate close with a resounding boom.

  Lydia dug her flashlight out of her backpack and flipped it on, shining the light onto the door handle for Jando. Aidan was sitting among several crates, watching Jando struggle with the door. Jando glanced at Lydia and called her over. “Why don’t you give me a hand here? Bash it open?”

  “So you can do what? Drop out onto the highway while we’re going fifty?” Aidan asked. “You’ll be smeared all over the road.”

  “Well, I’m certainly not going to ask you to fly me out,” Jando said sarcastically.

  “On second thought, jump! Go ahead and jump out!” Aidan said. “Let the road run you raw. I’d like to see if you actually have a brain in that thick head of yours.”

  “Look, Aidan has a point,” Lydia said. “The truck is going pretty fast. You can’t just expect to hop out and roll to safety.”

  Jando fought with the door for a while longer, and then sat down next to Lydia. “Every time. Every time I try to help, I get the short end of the stick. Should’ve stayed in my room.”

  “What made you change your mind?” Lydia asked. She shone the light on the floor between the three of them and shifted on her crate, leaning her back on another one. The stiff crates were hardly ideal as far as seats went.

  Jando sighed and clapped his hands together. He glanced at Aidan and leaned in close to Lydia. “Honestly, it was what you said. If my mom was in trouble, you can bet I would leave right away to help.”

  “What if it was your dad?” Lydia asked. “If he was alive, that is.”

  He looked up at her, cocking his head. “What are you talking about? He’s still alive.”

  “Oh.” Lydia sheepishly scratched her neck. “I thought earlier when we were on the cliff and all...”

  Jando laughed. “No, no! He’s alive. But if it were him, he’s on his own.” He settled down and clapped his hands again. “My mom always told me I should try to help others.”

  “But what about ‘relying on yourself’?”

  “I never said I didn’t follow that. But when I saw you guys determined to leave, I figured you were either telling the truth or you were desperate. So I stupidly took a chance on the former and helped.”

  “Well, we appreciate it,” Lydia said, glancing at Aidan. He had his eyes shut, pretending to sleep through the bumpy r
ide. “Thanks.”

  “You can thank me by helping me get back to the Cave when we stop,” Jando said.

  “But I don’t know where we are. Do you know?” Lydia asked. Jando stayed silent. The truck turned sharply, scattering them across the crates. Two large boxes nearly smashed Lydia’s leg. “If we’re not flattened,” she said, climbing back onto her makeshift chair, “then you can get back to the Cave when we’re in Colorado. They’re already going to notice we’re all missing anyway, but Sylvia should be down there. She can take you back, alright?”

  Jando sighed. “Guess I don’t have much choice.”