Dissension

by R. J. Wolf

  Riding off into the night he smiled to himself. There was something about Nickie that just made everything better. He’d never met any person like her.

  Anthony rode this path so many times he absent-mindedly glided home without even thinking. His mind was still on Nickie and the passionate albeit short-lived kiss they had shared earlier. As he crossed over Bayshore Boulevard onto Ocean Drive he noticed a white SUV sitting in the parking lot across the street.

  At first glance Anthony didn’t think anything of it. People routinely parked there when the lot across the street was full. It was just another car in another parking lot.

  As he cautiously rode by, the SUV suddenly lit up and pulled onto the road behind him. Anthony pedaled faster and turned on the next street. When the car swung around the corner with its tires screeching he realized he was in trouble.

  Cutting through a grocery store parking lot, he doubled back past the speeding vehicle. The SUV slammed on the brakes and whipped around. They hopped over a median and a row of bushes then swerved through the parking lot behind him.

  Anthony frantically pedaled harder than he’d ever pedaled in his life. He zigzagged across streets and sidewalks, his legs burning like fire. The SUV roared as it sped up, keeping Anthony in view.

  As he neared his neighborhood they got closer and closer. He slid his bike around and rode through an open fence into someone’s backyard. He jumped off the bike and sprinted through the grass.

  The SUV screeched to a halt and the doors swung open. Anthony dove across another fence and rolled under a row of bushes. He tucked his legs into a ball and held his breath.

  Men swarmed across the backyard with weapons drawn. Anthony froze as someone neared the fence.

  “I found his bike over here,” a deep harsh voice shouted out.

  Anthony could hear more scuffling and then the sound of someone climbing a fence. To his relief they’d run to the wrong house and ended up in the yard next to him. A dog barked loudly and someone started shouting obscenities.

  Suddenly the night lit up and Anthony could see everything. It was like he was looking through night vision goggles, but better. He peered through the slits in the fence and could make out three men wandering around the backyard. They were dressed similar to the ones that had taken Maxey.

  “He’s gone,” one of the men shouted out as he holstered his weapon. “We’ll catch him tomorrow.”

  The men slowly made their way back to the SUV still scanning as they walked. Anthony waited for them to drive off then he emerged from the bushes. He looked around the backyard his eyes still beaming like a flashlight. Shaking his head he blinked a few times and his eyes went back to normal.

  “Cool.” He mumbled under his breath.

  With shaky hands he picked his bike up and pushed it out to the road. He stared down the street looking for any sign of the SUV or the men. There was nothing there, not a car in sight.

  Anthony jumped on his bike and rode off into the night. He moved quickly, constantly checking his back. He was afraid someone might still be following him, so he rode out of the neighborhood and came back in through the rear entrance.

  It was 11:30 when he finally made it home. His father was sitting in the living room watching TV. His eyes were glued to the screen and he didn’t even notice Anthony walk in.

  Anthony quietly tiptoed to the stairs. He slowly crept up them and before reaching the second floor he glanced back at the living room. A banner scrolled across the bottom of the television in bright red letters.

  ”The skeletal remains of a young girl missing for six years were found in desolate area in Wyoming.” Anthony paused before turning and taking the last few steps. He cringed as he heard the reporter repeat the name, “Carol Belanovak.”

  XIII

  FAREWELL

  “Don’t touch that!”

  “But I need it.” Mikey pleaded.

  “Your father will kill you if you ruin his tent.” Mikey’s mother proclaimed.

  “I’m not gonna ruin it, we’re camping out in the backyard.”

  “Ugh!” She rolled her eyes and stormed off.

  Mikey continued to roll the tent up and stuff it into his bag. He looked around his room one last time, considering his surf board for a moment. With a sigh, he turned and headed out of the door. His mother vanished around the corner and he quickly slipped outside to avoid any more questions.

  Winter was now in full effect in North Shore, which meant the low seventies on a cold day. Christmas lights flickered on, illuminating the houses as the sun retired for the evening. Winter break had just begun and kids littered the streets playing tag and riding bikes. A group of carolers shook bells as they sang “White Christmas,” going door to door.

  Mikey moved swiftly down the sidewalk trying to counterbalance the heavy pack he was carrying. An assortment of tools jingled as they brushed against his leg with each step. In his book you could never be too prepared.

  It was barely ten after seven when everyone made it to Anthony’s house. He met them outside on the porch and they quickly ran upstairs. Anthony lingered behind for a moment. He walked towards his mother and gave her a giant hug. He looked into her hazel eyes and smiled.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “Of course you do.” She smiled back at him.

  Fighting back tears Anthony grinned, then turned around and joined his friends upstairs.

  “Did you get everything?” Mikey asked looking at Mit.

  “Yeah, we are ready for nuclear war.” He smiled as he slung his stuffed camping bag onto the bed.

  Mit had assembled just about every hiking necessity imaginable from slings and ropes to searchlights and hunting knives. He opened his bag and a pile of dried meal rations spilled onto the bed. Beneath that was a map that he laid out on the bed and began to circle particular spots in red.

  “We are really gonna do this?” Sticks asked nervously.

  “You can go home if you want. No one said you had to come dude.” Mikey said as he sneered at him.

  “I’m in…I mean I just was asking.”

  Anthony looked over at Sticks and smiled. He understood him, understood what he meant by asking. Anthony had made his mind up a while ago, he was leaving. He knew no one was safe while he was around. His uncle might be the only person that could help him and he was determined to find him.

  For everyone else, no one really asked the question. Of course his friends agreed to go and Sticks was shamed into doing whatever he could to find Maxey. However, no one stopped and asked if it was a good idea.

  “So we first have to cross through the Mojave Desert,” Mit cut in. “We can take I-15 through there. Then we’ll backpack through the few miles of the national forests into Nevada where we’ll get back on the road. Then it’s more desert then Utah and here we come Colorado.”

  “Dude, Steve’s gonna back pack a few miles?” Mikey laughed.

  Steve shot him an angry look and he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just saying.”

  Anthony was still in disbelief that any of this was happening. His life had really just started. He made the varsity soccer team and fell head over heels for Nickie. Yet here he was planning a journey that was sure to get him killed.

  Anthony started to drift off. His mind wandered to the nightmares he used to have. He thought about what he was doing. He barely knew his uncle, but something deep inside told him he was doing the right thing. Or maybe he was just kidding himself.

  His uncle could’ve been talking about anything. Maybe he wanted to have a puberty discussion. Maybe he had decided to leave him some type of inheritance. Anthony decided to travel across four states in hopes that his uncle could help, but couldn’t muster one rational reason why.

  He reached down and grabbed the card off of the bed and stared at his uncle’s hand writing. He looked at the address written in the bottom right corner. “14 Alpine Way Capitol City, CO.”

  He wondered what it would really take to make it there and whether
or not they were prepared to go the distance.

  “You guys sure about this?” He looked to his friends who all stared back him nodding their heads.

  “I mean you don’t have to come, I…I can do it myself.”

  “Go to sleep dude, we’re leaving in three hours.” Mikey demanded.

  Grabbing a pillow Mikey rolled over onto the floor and closed his eyes. Mit folded up the map and stuffed it back inside his bag, then sprawled out on the floor next to Mikey.

  “Yeah we gotta hit the road and I want time to stop for waffles.” Steve smiled as he yawned and laid back.

  “You guys sure we’ll be back in time?” Sticks looked around.

  “Of course we will.” Mikey gave a forced smile. “You remembered the plan right? You’re staying at Mit’s house.”

  “And I’m staying at Steve’s house.” Mit Chimed in.

  “And I’m at Mikey’s house.” Steve said.

  “And we’re all at Anthony’s house.” Mikey laughed.

  Anthony slumped back on the headboard and thought about the last time he’d seen Nickie. Her glowing face made him smile and he questioned if he’d ever see her again. He envisioned her hearing about his death and running off with one of the twins.

  His mind drifted from Nickie to soccer and then to his parents. Slowly, the idea that he was possibly leaving forever had evaporated from his mind; before he knew it he’d drifted off to sleep and was snoring loudly.

  Three hours went by in what seemed like three minutes. Before long they were all standing on the balcony looking out at the night. They smirked at one another, wondering why they chose this as their escape route.

  Anthony looked across the street at the neighboring houses, envious of them in their simple little lives. Families sat watching television oblivious to the real world around them, the world that Anthony was just being introduced to. The day to day worries of what to wear and which movie to watch seemed miniscule against the struggle of life and death.

  He smiled as he reflected on his own life. Anthony had so many questions and the thought that his uncle may have any of the answers made him hopeful. Above that Anthony finally felt like he had purpose, like each step he took actually meant something.

  A heavy rope dangled from the railing down to the bushes below. Mit had already slid down and was waiting at the bottom. Anthony gripped the rope and slowly scampered the length of it, trying to relish every moment. His last time escaping from his balcony he thought.

  Once they all hit the ground, they did one last equipment check as the huddled together in the night. With a heavy sigh they threw on their packs and headed towards the front of the neighborhood, where a taxi waited for them.

  Anthony turned and looked back at the house he grew up in. A sense of sadness and despair overwhelmed him and the gravity of his actions crashed down on him like waves. This was it, after this point there was no turning back.

  His face felt wet, but the sky was as clear as a blank canvas. He couldn’t even tell them goodbye he thought. They’d have no clue why he left or where he went. His mother would come to wake him tomorrow morning and she’d surely think the worst.

  His heart sank as he imagined her crumbling to the ground screaming that her only child had been taken in the night. But if everything worked out, he’d come back. Although he’d told no one else, he planned on writing her as soon as he reached his uncle’s house.

  He thought about leaving a letter, but if someone else got a hold of it they’d be able to track them down. He had to disappear without a trace. That was the only way to keep everyone safe.

  Nickie would never understand. He only just found her and now he was forced to leave her behind. He’d probably never see her again. His uncle would make him live with him in the remote areas of Colorado. He would force him to live out the rest of his life off the grid.

  Anthony suddenly felt a sense of overwhelming guilt. His thoughts were on his own situation, his own despair. But here were four other guys all doing the same thing. Only Mikey and the others were leaving their own family for him. They could’ve easily let him go alone; return to their simple life and be right back in Mr. Douglas’ Geography class. But they didn’t, they chose to follow him, to help him.

  Anthony smiled and turned around. Everyone was staring at him with blank faces.

  “Let’s go.” He said.

  Quietly they walked into the night and were consumed by the darkness. The streets were empty now, only a few porch lights were left on and the occasional Christmas lights flickered. They walked deliberately, taking each step as if the further they got the harder it was to walk. No one spoke, everyone consumed with the battle taking place in their own mind as they headed into uncertainty. They approached the outskirts of their neighborhood and a beat up white taxi came into view, idling loudly as it pumped dark, gray smoke into the air.

  “Our chariot awaits,” Steve laughed.

  XIV

  DEATH VALLEY

  “You can do this.” Anthony mumbled to himself.

  He sat squished in the backseat with his oversized hiking bag crushing his thighs. The taxi driver eyed him nervously from the rearview mirror. His shifty eyes watched as if he was waiting for a knife to be buried into his back. Anthony’s eyes met his and he quickly looked back to the road.

  They reviewed the plan a million times and packed for every environment imaginable, yet Anthony felt woefully unprepared. The terrain they would face as they attempted to transverse the four states into Colorado would be a mixture of dense forests, cascading mountains and deserts that went on forever. Somehow what seemed like such an easy task only hours ago now seemed not only impossible, but suicidal.

  Anthony literally had to fight the urge to jump out of the taxi, head back home and accept his fate. On some level it seemed like the right thing to do, sacrificing himself for the good of the many.

  Mikey nudged him as if he could sense the despair Anthony felt. “We’re gonna be fine dude.” He whispered while tossing a piece of gum in his mouth.

  Mikey smiled then he quickly looked away, hoping Anthony wouldn’t see the look of doubt in his eyes. They planned to alternate between taking taxi’s and buses the majority of the way while hiking and camping in between to make sure they weren’t followed. If all went well they’d be sitting comfortably at his uncle’s house in a little over a week. Hopefully he’d have some answers, or at least be able to help.

  Joey, the Italian taxi driver, hummed some obscure tune as the car puttered down the road. He was hesitant to take a band of teenagers, but a few hundred dollars courtesy of Steve seemed to change his mind. He still looked at them like they were bank robbers. Anthony suspected he might call the police so he watched him anxiously.

  They were now crossing through the Mojave Desert on their way out of California. Any presence of civilization had disappeared some time ago. Anthony was starting to come to grips with the utter lunacy of his plan and was afraid everyone else would soon come to the same realization.

  They were hardly the backpacking type. No one besides Mit could hope to navigate ten miles outside of their own neighborhood. Now they planned to hike and backpack across four states into some of the most hostile habitats nature had to offer. It didn’t matter that Mikey’s dad owned a tent; Mikey had never used the thing. If even one of them managed to make it back alive, Anthony thought it’d be a success.

  Steve turned around from the front seat to face them. “We’re really doing it,” he smiled.

  Anthony mustered a little smirk and Mikey nodded at him. Sticks lay fast asleep with his head on Mit’s shoulder as he drooled down the window. Their snores reminded Anthony of bears he saw in a zoo once.

  The barren landscape rushed by as the little taxi sped down the desolate highway. Cool, night air buffeted into the open window blowing against Anthony’s face. He stared off into the darkness wondering where this adventure might lead them.

  Suddenly the glow of headlights appeared out of nowhere, piercing
the black veil of night. Anthony, Steve and Mikey whipped their heads around in unison as the light illuminated the cabin. The headlights quickly grew from tiny specs and engulfed the entire car. Then, just as quickly as the lights had appeared, they faded away.

  Anthony eyed Mikey and Steve nervously and then tried to inconspicuously wake up Sticks and Mit. Mikey looked back again and could see the outline of a white Suburban.

  “It’s them.” He whispered to Anthony.

  The lights flooded the car again, but this time the Suburban bumped the back of the taxi causing it to lurch forward uncontrollably.

  “Hey!” The taxi driver yelled looking back out of the window. “What’s the problem?” He threw his hand into the air.

  The roar of the engine echoed in the night as the Suburban sped up. Anthony and Mikey looked nervously out of the rearview window. They fidgeted in their seats in an anxious panic. Joey eyed them skeptically then his mind started to piece things together.

  ”You little brats steal something?” He screamed.

  The Suburban bumped them again and this time the taxi slid slightly off the road as the driver feverishly tried to correct it.

  “Drive faster.” Anthony yelled.

  “I’m letting you guys out!” The driver retorted as he began to slow the car down and pull to the side of the road.

  “They’ll kill you too.” Mikey said desperately.

  He wasn’t sure about this, or even who they were, but it seemed like a valid conclusion. The driver glanced at him and then floored the gas pedal and the taxi jumped back onto the road and sped away. He mumbled curse words in Italian, shaking his head in anger.

  “You boys no good. I knew it.”

  Mit and Sticks were now wide awake and they started to grab their things as if jumping out of the speeding car had become the general consensus. The taxi driver fumed, he screamed obscenities at the top of his lungs as he maneuvered the car, which was moving well over seventy miles per hour.