Beautiful Dead 04 - Phoenix

by Eden Maguire

Zak hooded, bound and gagged.

  But actual y the elevator was empty and I had enough time to backtrack in my mind to the evening before, when Phoenix had driven me in Nathan's Chevy to the outskirts of town.

  'I can't come any further in case someone sees me,' he'd told me as he parked in a lot outside Blockbuster. You walk straight home, stay inside and wait there for me.'

  I'd promised again that I would and, taking care that there was no one around, Phoenix had done his shimmery dissolving act. I'd gone home, showered, invented a convincing story for Laura about the theft of my convertible and so far done exactly as Phoenix had told me sit tight, wait until Deputy Sheriff Jardine had knocked on our door.

  So what had happened since then to bring the Chevy from the parking lot outside Blockbuster to Centre Point? A quick figuring out painted the picture in my mind that someone - some aimless kid ready to poke his nose into other people's business - had cal ed Nathan late last night to ask him was he out of gas, or else why was his car dumped in an out-of-town lot, and did he need a ride out there to col ect it? Which would put Nathan back behind the wheel, driving here to see Zak, which also meant that I was right

  - Nathan could be here with Zak right now.

  As I stood thinking this through, the door closed and the elevator whined

  upwards, clunked and shuddered to a stop.

  What would Nathan do to Zak if he found him?

  'This is so not good,' I muttered to myself as the elevator whine: 1311 clunked and shuddered down once more.

  'Hey, Darina,' Michael Rohr said to me as he stepped out. He seemed chil ed and relaxed, wearing a two-day stubble and a crumpled linen shirt.

  I eased back on my concerns and returned the greeting. 'Hey, Michael. Is

  Zak at home?'

  'That kind of depends on your interpretation of the word "home". Do you mean here, or his mom's house?'

  'Here. I need to talk with him.' I didn't say why, or fil Michael in on the latest details connected with Nathan, Hal and Black. I didn't tel him that since the last time we met I'd been half drowned in Forest Lake and was worried they might try something similar on his youngest son.

  'Sorry, it seems like Zak's a popular guy. A couple of buddies already cal ed.'

  'He went out? Who with?'

  'I have no clue. That was before Brandon showed up. I told him the same story Zak went out early.'

  'Brandon was here too?'

  Michael pursed his lips. 'You have a lot of questions, Darina. It seems Zak hasn't made any final decision about where he wants to stay, so Sharon sent Brandon over with a bag of clean clothes.'

  'And this other kid - you don't know his name, but what did he look

  like?' The black Chevy in the parking lot stil loomed large and I was pressing for answers.

  'I didn't get a clear view. Zak answered the door. What is this the third

  degree?'

  'No, everything's cool. I was just curious.'

  'I only saw the kid from the window. I guess that's his car,' Michael said and pointed to the Chevy.

  That was it - my fears were confirmed. 'Long, black hair, kind of babyfaced?' I asked.

  'That's him. He was getting into the car with Zak when an older guy in a

  black Mercedes pul ed up. Zak and his buddy changed their minds and got

  into the Mercedes instead. Nice set of wheels who can blame them?'

  'OK, thanks.' I nodded and turned, started to run towards Laura's car.

  'Is everything OK?' Michael cal ed after me. 'What happened to your convertible?'

  'It got stolen. Yeah, everything's cool!' I yel ed back, my mind in chaos as I reached the car.

  I should have stayed, told Michael the ful story I know that now.

  My first thought was to ignore Phoenix's instructions and drive straight out to Foxton. That would be forty-five minutes, maybe an hour in Laura's car. Was that better than going to Henry Jardine? How would the cops react when they heard Nathan Thorne had visited Centre Point and his car was stil there? Would they step up their search?

  I drove aimlessly, trying to fix on my next move. Jeez, Darina, tel someone! Arizona-in-my-head came back ful volume. You know how it feels to be snatched off the street. Do something, for chrissake!

  'OK, I go back and tel Michael,' I said, doing a U-turn.

  No way. Zak's dad already left, my internal Arizona reminded me. Who

  knows where he is now?

  'So it's the cops.' I swung back round, across a line of traffic.

  Or Sharon? Arizona reminded me. If my kid had been kidnapped, I'd want to know.

  'I can't get my head around this,' I groaned. 'Phoenix, what do I do?' There was no answer.

  Try to stay calm, Summer would say. I listened hard for her voice from beyond the grave. Who knows the reason Nathan went to Michael's apartment?

  Maybe Zak is safe after al .

  I shook my head. 'He's in trouble. I have to do something.'

  I stopped at red lights and Brandon pul ed up beside me carrying a passenger.

  'Zak needs us!' I gasped.

  The passenger was Kyra, the gas station cashier, looking cute in a fringed jacket and leather pants on the back seat of a Harley - but this wasn't the

  point. I didn't realize she knew Brandon this wel , is al I'm saying. 136

  Brandon pointed across the street to a KFC car park. 'Fol ow me,' he said.

  By the time I parked next to him, Kyra had got off the Dyna and disappeared. 'What car does Oscar Thorne drive?' I asked Brandon, who had dismounted and was staring at me, trying to decide if I was nuts.

  'Mercedes,' he told me.

  ' Black?'

  He nodded.

  'OK, so Oscar and Nathan have got Zak.'

  'You're certain?'

  'Yesterday they snatched me from my car. They tried to kil me.'

  'Slow down. Breathe. What's that got to do with them taking my brother?'

  'Oscar knows I told the cops Nathan was carrying drugs. He also knows Zak was there and that I hang out with Zak. Now the cops are after Nathan. They already arrested Black and Hal .'

  'Again, breathe.' Brandon's eyes narrowed. He looked as if he was going to waste time yel ing at me then changed his mind. 'Deep breaths, Darina. Think. Do you know where they would take Zak?'

  'They drove me out to Forest Lake. I don't think they would do the same thing twice. And they wouldn't take him to their house, not with the cops crawling over the place.'

  'Somewhere out of town?' Brandon prompted. 'Foxton maybe?' 'No. Why Foxton?'

  'I just thought maybe.'

  'Not Foxton,' I insisted, thinking, Phoenix, where are you? Dean, get someone down here fast! 'But there's a place out on the Forest Lake road, a trailer park, where the kids hang out.'

  'I know it.' He swung his leg over the saddle and told me to take Kyra's

  place. 'You'd better be right, Darina,' he said as he started the engine. 'And you pray that we get there in time!'

  The Dyna swept out of town, past the fast-food joints lining the entrance to the Interstate. Brandon leaned into the bends until our knees almost scraped the tarmac, soared up the hil s, over the brows and down into the dips wii 1?7 gut-churning speed. I crouched behind Brandon's broad frame and held on

  tight.

  The sign told us that Forest Lake was eight miles ahead. 'We're almost

  there!' I yel ed at Brandon as the wind tore the words from my mouth. 'See the trailers on your left slow down!'

  He eased off the accelerator and the world regained focus. I took a deep breath. 'That's the one - tip ahead.'

  Brandon stopped the bike fifty metres from the derelict trailer. Through the tal pine trees we made out a vehicle parked on the far side of the trailer, the sun glinting on the windscreen and bouncing off the sleek bodywork of a black Mercedes.

  'Oscar Thorne!' I whispered.

  Quiet! Brandon raised a warning finger to his lips, got off the bike and crept forward through the trees. For
a big guy he moved smoothly and silently, crouching slightly and taking care not to crack fal en twigs underfoot. I held my breath and fol owed.

  Ahead, I made out familiar details of the dul silver trailer - the smal , grimy windows, the door with the smashed pane of glass, the metal steps kicked carelessly to one side. And I pictured the scene inside of Zak with his hands tied behind his back, a gag across his mouth, with the Thorne brothers taking their time, taunting him, tel ing him exactly the way it would end.

  Twenty paces away, Brandon stopped. He listened to every sound - the flap of a blue jay's wings as it rose from a tree overhanging the trailer, the hum of traffic on the Interstate, the breeze rustling through the pine branches overhead. Meanwhile, I was picking up a sharp smel that penetrated my nostrils and hit the back of my throat - recognizing it as the smel of gasolene.

  Brandon smel ed it too and after a while he jerked his head in the direction of the parked Mercedes and made his way around the back of the trailer.

  We skirted careful y between the trees, upwind of the smel and along a ledge of rock behind the trailer then came down again a few metres from t}W?38 car, where we crouched low. What noui? I mouthed at Brandon.

  He signal ed for me to stay in hiding behind the Mercedes while he crept forward to look in through the nearest window. I watched him do it, my hands bal ed into fists, hardly breathing. He reached the trailer, cupped his hand to the window to cut out his reflection, peered inside.

  'Hey, you must be Darina,' a voice hissed at me from behind. 'I'm Oscar Thorne. Happy to meet you at last.'

  This was one of those moments when everything happens faster than you can tel it, yet the whole of time seems to slow down and the adrenalin pumping through your system gives everything crystal clarity.

  Oscar Thorne said hey and clamped his evil-smel ing hand over my mouth. He'd been handling a can of gas - the stench came off his skin and fil ed my lungs. Brandon peered in through the trailer window and the door

  lfew open. Out came Babyface Nathan, carrying a weapon - a smal , grey

  gun - snug in his hand. He ran round the side of the trailer and held it

  straight at Brandon's head.

  Brandon stood as stil as a statue, the barrel of the gun pressed to the spot between his eyebrows. Oscar kept his hand to my mouth and shoved me out

  from behind the car. I made a strangled cry.

  Nathan held his arm braced and the gun in position. He glanced at Oscar for instruction.

  'Take care of the girl,' Oscar ordered as he released me and sent me staggering towards them. 'Give me the matches.' With his free hand Nathan felt in his jeans pocket then tossed the box to his brother, who caught it and strode on towards the trailer. As I fel against Brandon, he steadied me and gave me a look that said, Do nothing. Don 't move, don 't scream!

  'Oh, by the way,' Oscar said, pusing in the doorway and rattling the box of matches towards us. He al owed us a glimpse inside, where we could

  make out Zak's body slumped motionless on the floor. 'We were planning

  to torch this rusting pile of crap - we soaked it with gas, ready to watch the baby burn. Then you two showed up without an invitation, to make thV9

  event even sweeter.'

  Brandon's gaze flicked from the trailer to Nathan, who held the gun

  steadily in position. As Nathan took his eye off Brandon to watch Oscar

  open the box, take out a match and strike a light, Brandon exploded into action. He swiped his fist up towards the gun and knocked it clean out of Nathan's hand. I flung myself on top of it and lay there while Nathan tried to kick and drag me clear, leaving Brandon free to run at Oscar, who threw the lighted match into the trailer.

  There was a whoosh and a burst of bright-orange flame inside the

  doorway, which I saw through the blows that Nathan was inflicting. Oscar

  took a step back from the force of the flames and Brandon thrust him to one side, heaved himself up the trailer steps and disappeared inside.

  I fumbled for the gun, grabbed it in my right hand and rol ed onto my back, aimed it at Nathan with my finger around the trigger. I rose slowly to my feet.

  'She's got the gun!' Nathan yel ed to Oscar, his face crumpling, his whole body starting to shake.

  Oscar backed away from the burning trailer, turned and started to run towards us until I swung the gun and aimed at his head. He stopped suddenly.

  'Don't come any nearer!'

  I was shaking more than Nathan. Could I do it? Could I actual y pul the trigger? I couldn't bear the picture that flashed into my head of a bul et exploding inside Oscar's skul - a bul et that I had fired. Stil I pointed the gun and warned him to stay back.

  'Behind Oscar a wal of fire blazed in the trailer doorway. Black smoke bil owed into the air. Seconds seemed like an eternity. Here we were -

  a sheet of flames, a cloud of smoke and me with a gun in my hand facing two guys who wanted to kil me.

  Then Brandon broke out of the trailer. He'd flung his own jacket over Zak's head and carried him out on his shoulder, emerging from the flames like a figure out of the jaws of hel .

  'Grab the gun!' Oscar yel ed at Nathan. 140

  Nathan made his move, I fired over his head. It turned out I couldn't shoot to kil . The shot cracked, the bul et missed. I kept on firing my warning shots - once, twice, three times. Nathan jumped sideways, yelped

  and ran off through the trees. I turned the gun on Oscar. Behind him, Brandon lowered Zak to the ground, bent down and listened to his chest.

  'Is he breathing?' I cal ed, hating the gun in my hand and the way it kicked and leaped when I fired. I kept it aimed at Oscar Thorne's head.

  Brandon nodded and raised himself to his feet, his face blackened by

  smoke.

  I aimed and stared at Oscar - he had the same bulging eyes as Nathan, but a meaner face, a harsher mouth. His dark hair was shaven close to his head. He stared back at me, smal muscles flicking in his jaw, his eyes calculating the chances of me firing another shot.

  'One move and I shoot!' I hissed.

  His eyes narrowed. I don 't believe you!

  'I wil - I'l shoot to kil !'

  Shaking his head, Oscar took two steps towards his car. Another step and

  he was opening the door and getting in. He slammed the door and turned the ignition.

  My hand shook so hard that my finger slid from the trigger. Oscar put his foot on the accelerator and drove away.

  With a groan of self-disgust I threw down the gun and ran to Brandon and Zak. Brandon leaned back his head and sucked in air. On the ground, Zak turned his head sideways and coughed. His eyes flickered open. Behind us the trailer was an inferno. Heat cracked the window panes and buckled the metal wal s, flames burst out, the black cloud gathered between the branches of the trees. Fal ing to my knees, I held Zak's head and told him he was going to be OK. He looked up at me, tried to sit but slumped back down. I wiped the streaks of soot from his face.

  'Brandon saved you,' I murmured. He didn't care about himself, he just went in there and carried you out. In my whole life I never saw anything so brave!'

  141

  After the trailer fire the Rohrs closed ranks.

  I was there when the paramedics arrived to treat Zak for smoke inhalation and minor burns, but after I got a ride into El erton in the back of Sheriff Kors' car I had no contact with Brandon. I gave my version of events to Kors then went straight to Michael's apartment, which was empty.

  Then I cal ed at Sharon's house where Brandon opened the door. He'd already showered and changed his clothes.

  'How's Zak doing?' was my first, anxious question.

  'They're keeping him in the hospital overnight. Mom and Dad are there with him.'

  'But he's going to be OK?'

  A slight nod was al I got. Brandon obviously had no plan to invite me in.

  'What's wrong?' I asked the hero of the hour. 'What did I do?'

  His hostile look intensified as he steppe
d out of the house and closed the door behind him. 'Darina, you don't have to do anything. You just are.'

  'Am what?'

  'Trouble. It fol ows you, sticks around like a bad smel .'

  'Didn't I just help save Zak?' I was shaken and stil torn apart by the fact that I'd let Nathan and Oscar escape, trying to make sense of Brandon's

  negativity.

  'And would they have even thought about trying to kil him without you stepping in where you're not wanted?' he pointed out.

  'I wasn't ... I didn't mean ...'

  'I ... I ... I ... This isn't about you, Darina.' Brandon sat me down

  forceful y on the bench under the kitchen window. 'Last time we spoke, we decided you were grown up enough to take care of yourself without my help. Even though it turns out that's not true, it was stil my way of saying thanks but no thanks I want you out of our lives.'

  'That's not fair,' I pleaded.

  'Sure it is for al the reasons you already know.' Sitting on the doorstep

  beside the bench, Brandon rested his arms on his bended knees. ' Numb( !2

  one it's hard for Mom to look at you without blaming you for Phoenix.'

  'Not any more. We talked. Everything's cool.'

  He spoke over me, drowning me out. 'Two whatever you do turns bad. Today Zak almost died.'

  'Yeah, and without me he would stil be hanging out with Taylor Stafford and Jacob Mil er, spending time with drug addicts like Black and Hal .

  He'd most likely be in jail!'

  'Better there than dying in a trailer fire.'

  I gasped and stopped. Brandon real y meant what he said.

  'Go figure, Darina this obsession with finding Phoenix's kil er wil end in someone else dying. Look what you unleashed - from now until the cops find the Thorne brothers, I can't let Zak out of my sight.'

  'Kors wil catch them,' I swore. 'And today is the anniversary. How come your family isn't involved in this with me, chasing every lead, talking to witnesses, putting pressure on guys who were there - those people know

  stuff that they're not saying?'

  'Because!' Brandon spread his palms upwards but refused to go over old ground. ' Darina, if you want to keep on being a one-woman army on a mission to root out evil, whatever it is you're doing and for whatever reason, you go ahead. But leave us out of it.' Jab, jab, jab with his forefinger -