by Andrew Grey
“You won’t say anything about…?” Billy whispered.
“About what?” Robin asked. “As long as there is no repeat, I don’t remember anything.”
They joined the rest of the group, and Robin led them out of the hotel and along the cobbled streets to the old town center. He got everyone oriented and explained a little about the area where they were. They seemed excited to explore, and he didn’t keep them too long. Once he made sure there were no questions, Robin went back up to his room, took off his shoes, and lay down on the bed. He’d taken his medication and just needed to try to make up for some of the lack of sleep from the night before.
He woke a couple hours later feeling somewhat better and more clearheaded. Johan hadn’t come back upstairs, so Robin washed his face and brushed his teeth to freshen up before leaving the room. He headed down the cobbled streets of the old city center toward the cathedral and the market, smiling in the warm sunshine as the children played in the Bächle, little channels of fresh water running through the old city center streets.
Freiburg was unique in that it still had the remains of the medieval water supply. At that time, they channeled water from the river and ran it through a system of canals about a foot wide alongside the streets. Now, the water gurgled and shimmered in the sunshine as it flowed on its merry way. Robin loved how something so ingenious as a way to preserve some of the town’s history made it so unbelievably quaint. And all he had to do was follow the water. It led him to the center of town and to the cathedral, where the town market was in full swing.
“Are you feeling better?” Johan asked as he strolled up to him. “I stayed away so you could rest.” His expression was earnest and kind, filled with concern.
“I’m fine. A few hours of rest helped a lot.” Robin looked around, unsure what to do now.
“Come on. There’s some amazing fruit over here, and they have fresh wurst and frites. All kinds of things.”
Robin bought some fruit and a little cheese, along with a loaf of bread, while Johan went off in search of something interesting to drink. They found a bench in the shade of the cathedral and set out their bounty in a makeshift picnic of amazing proportions.
“Break off some bread,” Johan instructed, and cut some cheese into slices for him before pulling out the fruit. “I noticed that you don’t eat a lot of fried food.”
Robin shook his head. “It’s… I need to watch what I eat so I don’t put extra strain on my heart. So I try to eat lean foods and plenty of fruit and vegetables. It’s harder over here because German food is heavier, but I love it. And pommes are the food of the gods.” He took a bite of the cheese and bread, then sipped the Schorle Johan had found for him. “So much of my life revolves around that.” There were some things he couldn’t get away from no matter how much he wished they were different. The fact that he lived his life on borrowed time with a heart donated by someone else was something he could never get away from.
“What’s it like to have gone through all that?” Johan asked.
Robin shrugged, shifting his gaze toward the top of the cathedral and its towers. “The surgery I don’t really remember, other than the waiting and my parents hoping and praying. I was out of it a lot, and I had pretty much accepted that it seemed likely that I was going to die. Then they found a heart… an accident victim, or so I’m told. I don’t know anything more about him other than he was about my age. When I woke up, I was in pain and had to take it easy for a long time.” He swept his gaze over to the roofline and down the gothic-windowed wall toward the spire, rising toward heaven. “The doctors were afraid my body would reject it, so they watched me really closely, and I was on machines for a long time. But then I started getting better and stronger. My new heart beat on its own, and gradually they weaned me off a ton of stuff until I take just the medication I do today. It was a long road, and I know my mom and dad prayed a lot.” Robin finished his bread and cheese, and nibbled on some amazing blackberries.
Johan broke off another piece of bread and handed it to him, along with more cheese. “What does your family think of you being over here? They have to be worried.”
“My mom wants me to come home. She worries all the time. But I don’t want to spend my life working in the family business, never seeing anything and being sheltered and coddled. What good is being given a life and not having the chance to live it? So I took this job, and I love it. I get to spend my summer in Europe and be on my own. My mom is German and my dad is American, so through a twist of fate and timing, I have dual citizenship. I can work here during the summer. After the tour season, I need to decide what I want to do. I can stay here because of my citizenship, or I can go back to America.” Robin shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“What about Mason?” Johan asked.
“He and I dated through college and afterward. He’s part of the reason I looked for this job and came over here. My mom said I was running away, but it felt more like needing a change of scenery at the time.” Robin finished his bread and cheese, declining with a gesture when Johan offered him more. “I wanted to see some of the world, and I had no idea that Mason was going to follow me over here. Though I should have suspected something.” Robin smiled as he shook his head. “I’ve wondered in one of my wilder, more ridiculous moments if my mom had something to do with it. It would be like her to send someone over to keep an eye on me.” He looked around, finishing up some of the fruit and drinking the last from his paper cup. He began packing up the trash for something to do.
“Do you really think she would do that?” Johan asked with a gasp.
Robin shook his head. “No. She’d never send him over here, but she probably knows he’s here and she might have asked him to check on me.”
“What’s your mom like? You met mine.” Johan grinned.
Robin thought a minute. “My mom shows love with food. That’s the best way to describe her. She’s short, under five feet, and a bit curvy, I guess. She has a quick smile and a wicked sense of humor, but only about some things.” He tried to think. “She can be fierce. I swear the doctors found me a heart because they didn’t want to face the unending wrath of my mother. When it comes to us, she’s a lioness, without a doubt.” He smiled slightly. “I bet my mom would love you.” He reached out to gently stroke Johan’s dark, soft hair without really thinking about it. Robin realized what he was doing and pulled away.
“But she doesn’t let go well?” Johan asked.
Robin shook his head. “That’s just about me. She’s protective, and that means she wants to keep me close and keep me from hurt and stuff, I guess. She worries, but I have to make my own decisions. She’s a mother. I bet she’s a lot like yours in some ways.”
“Yes.” Johan smiled and gathered the rest of the trash. “This was a nice… bench picnic.” He stuffed the paper in the bag and found a trash can to drop it all inside. Then he waited for Robin to join him. “What do you want to do? It’s a beautiful day, and the group is out and about.”
“Maybe a little shopping?” Robin offered. “There are some wonderful antique shops here, and I usually don’t take the time to look around.” He never had anyone to really go with before, and Johan seemed to like the idea. Robin checked his watch. “I have about an hour and then I should go back so I can confirm arrangements for our next stops.”
They wandered for a little while, looking in some shops and enjoying the sunshine and warmth, until Johan tensed, his gaze following a group of large men in leather and dark clothes.
“What is it?”
“Did you hear them?” Johan asked. “They’re talking about looking for some fags to bash. They apparently heard that there was a group in town and are spoiling for a fight.” Johan pointed toward the hotel. “You get back and tell the hotel what’s going on. I’m going to round up our people and get them out of here.” Johan swore under his breath, a steady stream of German that turned the air eight shades of blue.
“Let’s go.”
> “Robin,” Johan growled.
“This is my group and I’m responsible.” Robin headed for the square, and Johan passed him, leading him away from the main route and through smaller streets.
The market was still going on, and he found the four ladies at a sausage booth. “I’ll tell them.” Robin peeled away and hurried over as Johan continued through the market. “Get your food and go back to the hotel. There’s a group of men that Johan thinks is going to cause trouble. I have to find the rest of the guys.” He took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart.
“The three of you go back. I’ll help Robin,” Margaret said, and took off with Robin, holding his arm. “Now we’ll look like a regular couple, if you know what I mean.” She turned to walk to the right. “Billy and Grant are over there, and so are Oliver and Javier. I’ll send them back. You see if you can find the others. Oh, there are Gerald and Harold. I’ll send them back too.”
“I’ll find Mason and Kyle.” God, Robin hoped they were together.
He didn’t find them in the market and went to check the cathedral, quietly stepping inside to see if they were looking around. He didn’t spot them and went back out to circle the market. The men were muscling their way through the crowd of people. Robin heard their threats and bravado and did his best to stay away from them, heading around and back to the edge of the market where he’d left Johan.
Margaret was there waiting for him. “Any luck?” she asked.
Robin shook his head. “I didn’t see Johan either.”
“We should go to the hotel. They could be there waiting for us.”
Robin agreed, and they walked back that direction, down a side street. Everyone was gathered in the lobby, talking over one another.
“We called the police per Mr. Krause. I explained what was happening, and they said they could add a patrol to the market,” the clerk said, seeming quite nervous and upset, and hung up the phone with a shaking hand. “We don’t get this sort of thing in our town.”
“It’s not your fault.” Robin turned to the group. “Please settle down. Has anyone seen Johan, Mason, or Kyle?”
“Mason and Kyle were together the last time I saw them,” Javier said. “That was probably an hour ago. I’m not sure where they went.”
“You can use the breakfast room if you’d like,” the clerk offered, weaving through the group and opening the door.
Everyone filed in and sat down. They didn’t really have a restaurant, but the clerk passed out glasses of water, which Robin was grateful for, taking one and wandering back into the lobby, pulling out his phone to call Johan.
“Where are you?” Robin asked as soon as Johan answered. “Did you find Mason and Kyle? They were seen at the market an hour ago.”
“The market is breaking up, and the men are gone now. I’m on my way back. I haven’t seen either of them. Do you have mobile phone numbers in your papers? Have you tried calling?”
“I’ll see if I can raise Mason.” Robin disconnected. He didn’t remember if he still had Mason’s number in his phone, but he checked and found it. He dialed and didn’t get an answer, wondering if Mason’s phone had been switched so it could receive calls in Europe. He tried multiple times, as Johan hurried up to the hotel. “I should have thought of this sooner, but I didn’t.”
“Anything?” Johan asked, but Robin shook his head.
“I tried calling Kyle, and he didn’t answer either,” Billy explained as he hurried in from the other room, pacing back and forth. “I’m going to try to find them.” He muscled past them and out onto the street.
“Billy, please stay here.” Even as Robin said it, he wondered how he could keep anyone from his group inside for the rest of the day. “The market will be torn down soon, and then the square will clear out. Saturday night is for cafés, restaurants, and that sort of thing. Nothing else is going to be open.”
“It doesn’t matter. I have to find him.” Billy started off, and Johan followed after him.
“He can’t go alone,” Johan said as he disappeared from view.
Robin groaned, returning to the rest of the group.
“What do we do now?” Lily asked. “I don’t want to sit in here for the rest of the day.”
“Once we get everyone back, we’ll get in the bus and go up into the forest. We’ll move up our itinerary a little and get out into nature for a while. You can go on up to your rooms, or you can stay here. Either way is fine.”
Robin went to the front door to look out. Of course, no one was coming back yet, and it was all he could do to stop pacing and sit down. He decided to confirm the arrangements for the rest of the trip. It needed to be done and would give him something to do. Robin went up to the room, got his folder, and returned to the lobby to make his calls where he could watch the front door.
No one came or went. The conversation in the other room was subdued to the point where Robin could barely hear it.
He had confirmed all his reservations and hung up the phone when Kyle stumbled into the room.
“Oh God.” He dropped his phone on the seat and hurried over to him. “Kyle.” Robin escorted him into the other room and sat him down. The buzz of conversation turned to chaos in seconds. “Get me some napkins.” He motioned to the table, and Grant rushed over, handing them to him. “What happened? Are you all right?”
Kyle nodded and dabbed his bleeding nose and cut lip. “Some guys found me. I was outside a small shop behind the cathedral, just looking at the buildings. They taunted me, and I tried to get away. One of them took a swing at me while another hit me hard. I kneed one in the nuts and knocked down the other. I was able to run away and found my way here.”
“We should call the police,” Grant said.
“No.” Kyle pulled the napkin away from his face. “It’s just a bloody nose, and they got worse than they gave.”
Billy pushed through the crush of people and engulfed Kyle in a hug, holding him tightly. “You scared me.” Billy shook more than Kyle, and Robin backed away, motioning for the others to do the same. “I was looking for you and tried to catch up when I saw you.” He continued hugging Kyle. “Let’s go up to the room so we can get you cleaned up. Mason is still out there, and Johan was looking for him.”
Billy got Kyle to his feet and led him to the stairs. Robin figured it was best to let them be alone. He’d talk to them both later.
Mason wandered into the hotel once they’d left, whistling happily to himself.
“Where have you been?” Oliver asked as soon as he spotted him.
“I was in town, taking care of some business,” Mason explained with an unusually happy expression.
Robin narrowed his gaze. That particular smile usually meant Mason had been up to no good. It was the same one Mason had a few times when they were together.
“Some men were in the market looking for trouble. Kyle was accosted, but he’s okay. We got everyone else back here but couldn’t find you. I tried calling.”
“You were worried about me. That’s so sweet,” he whispered.
Damn that smile. Robin wanted to punch it off Mason’s lips.
“Don’t be a smartass,” Robin snapped. “As soon as Johan returns, anyone who wants to is going for a hike in the Black Forest. We thought a little time in nature would be good.” Robin turned toward the door, hoping Johan would appear, but he didn’t, which only added to Robin’s tension. He hoped Mason would decide he wanted to stay in town to conduct more “business,” whatever that was.
Johan finally returned, and Robin snapped, hugging him hard as he sniped at him for taking so long and not returning his messages.
“I am sorry. I was with the police. They have arrested the men for being disorderly and making threats. It is safe now.” He patted Robin on the back.
“They got Kyle. He wasn’t hurt badly and got back here a little while ago. He and Billy are up in their room.” Robin smacked Johan’s shoulder. “You should have stayed here.”
“Mason?”
“Came back on his own. Didn’t know anything was wrong.” Robin backed away. “Let’s get going. I think we need some fun and a touch of nature and fresh air after all this.”
Johan agreed, and Robin got the message around that the bus would be leaving in fifteen minutes for whoever wanted go. Thankfully, Mason didn’t come. To Robin’s surprise, Billy and Kyle got on the bus. They sat together and didn’t say anything, but they were there. Everyone else came, and they got on their way.
THERE WAS nothing like a few hours of quiet in the forest. The path was paved, but they’d been surrounded by dense forest, the ground covered with leaves, the air heavy and still, scented with leaves, earth, and even a few late-flowering shrubs near the breaks in the canopy.
“I love how the light dances when the leaves move,” Robin told Johan as they headed back to the bus. He’d given the others some time on their own, though Billy and Kyle stayed close and came back with them. They got on the bus and sat in the back, talking quietly to each other.
“Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Robin asked.
Johan shrugged. “I don’t know. But I will talk with him.” The haunted darkness in Johan’s eyes sent a chill through Robin. He turned away to give him the privacy of his own thoughts.
“I love coming up here,” Robin said, looking out over the valley to the city laid out below, with the cathedral dominating the skyline. “Can you picture it? The cathedral was built eight hundred years ago, and it’s still awe-inspiring.” He tried to imagine how someone who had only seen single- or two-story buildings at most would feel about something so large and grand. It took his breath away.
Johan got up from his driver’s seat and walked toward the back of the bus. Robin followed him with his gaze as Johan checked one of the windows. After a few seconds, Billy came up and sat next to Robin.
“He’s going to be okay,” Robin said to try to reassure Billy.
“Yes, he is. I think things are going to be fine.” Billy turned to watch them, and Robin continued looking outside at the view until Johan returned to his seat. Billy hurried back to Kyle as the others returned, climbing onto the bus to head back to town.