A Tangle of Secrets

by R. G. Thomas

  “Here’s his car.” Andy crouched down beside the car, and Thaddeus did as well. It was an older model and meticulously maintained, the paint a dark color not easily recognized under the gleaming parking lot lights.

  Thaddeus crouched beside Andy, turned to face him with the front passenger tire between them.

  “What’s the plan?” Thaddeus asked.

  Andy pulled a long, thin tool from his back pocket. “This is the plan.”

  Guilt flooded Thaddeus, starting low in his gut and swiftly filling him up. It edged out the darker thoughts and left him feeling nervous and unsure.

  “You’re going to puncture his tires?” Thaddeus looked around, eyes wide and breath hot in his throat.

  “No, I’m not going to puncture them.” Andy smiled as he reached over and unscrewed the cap that covered the air valve. “I’m going to simply do this.” He pressed the tip of the tool against the stem inside the valve. The steady hiss of escaping air sounded to Thaddeus like the roar of a speeding train in the quiet night.

  “I don’t know about this,” Thaddeus said. He looked around again but saw no one else in the parking lot.

  “Don’t fall back into Baby Bedtime mode,” Andy said.

  “What the hell?”

  The shout made them both jump, and Thaddeus ended up on his feet with his back pressed against the car. Dixon followed by all of his jock friends and their cheerleader girlfriends were heading right for them.

  “Get away from my car!” Dixon shouted.

  “Run!” Andy turned to flee but stopped short at the sight of more football players closing in from behind him.

  “We’re trapped.” Thaddeus swallowed hard as his belly tightened and his heart pounded.

  Dixon walked up and poked Thaddeus hard in the chest. “Were you messing with my car?”

  “No, no we weren’t,” Thaddeus stammered.

  “What if we were?” Andy asked, and when Thaddeus turned to look at him with wide eyes, he was surprised to see that Andy looked calm and not the least bit guilty.

  “Well, then you might have to pay for it,” Dixon said. “We’ll use you as rushing dummies.” He looked his car over. “What were you doing?”

  “Letting the air out of your tires.” Andy winked as Thaddeus stared at him with even wider eyes.

  “You little shits.” Dixon grabbed them each by the arm and walked them to the back of his car. As they passed a couple of powerful football players, Dixon muttered, “Keep an eye out for Winslow.”

  The two jocks obediently turned to look back toward the gymnasium doors.

  “Someone’s coming,” one of them said.

  Dixon handed Thaddeus and Andy off to two more football players and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Who is it?”

  “It’s a girl,” one of the cheerleaders replied. “Looks like that bitch who hangs out with them.”

  “She’s trouble,” Dixon said as he stuck a key into the lock of his trunk. The lid raised and Dixon reached in to grab an object that looked similar to something Thaddeus’s father kept in the trunk of the Toyota: a tire pump with a plug for the cigarette lighter. Dixon handed it off to one of the jocks and said, “Get to work,” then looked over at the guys holding Thaddeus and Andy. “Put ’em in.”

  “What?” Thaddeus cried. “No!”

  But it was no use. The jocks were stronger. Before he could think of a way out, he and Andy had been stuffed into the trunk of Dixon’s car, and the lid was slammed shut. They lay in opposite directions, Thaddeus’s back pressed against the rear of the car and Andy’s feet in his face. He pounded on the trunk lid and shouted to be released but stopped when someone pounded back and then whispered in a menacing tone, “Keep quiet or you’ll get it even worse.”

  “What are they going to do with us?” Thaddeus whispered. He was on the verge of tears, and the close confines and complete darkness were making him feel very claustrophobic.

  “They’re not going to kill us,” Andy said. “So you can relax.”

  “You don’t know that,” Thaddeus shot back. “How can you be so calm?”

  “It’s Dixon Praise and his band of head injuries,” Andy replied. “They’re seriously stupid and haven’t had an original thought between them all four years they’ve attended this school.”

  “How do you know?” Thaddeus said. “You’re new here too.”

  “I know their type.”

  Before Thaddeus could ask a follow-up question, he heard raised voices outside the trunk and cocked his head to listen. He heard Crystal’s voice as she approached, and she was angry.

  “Where are they?” Crystal demanded.

  “Who?” Dixon shot back.

  “Thaddeus and Andy. I know you’ve done something with them. Now where are they?”

  “Get out of here, bitch, if you know what’s good for you.” This was a girl, most likely Dixon’s girlfriend, Joy.

  “I’m not leaving until I know where they are. I’ll get Mr. Winslow.”

  Thaddeus pounded on the trunk lid. “Crystal! Help!”

  “Thaddeus?” Crystal’s voice was closer. “Are you in the trunk?”

  “Yes!” Thaddeus shouted.

  “Dammit, grab her and put her in the back seat,” Dixon said. “Colton, finish pumping up that tire already. Come on.”

  The sound of a struggle was loud and clear inside the trunk as Crystal was grabbed and forced into the back seat of Dixon’s car. Moments later the engine roared to life, and the car sped out of the parking lot. Thaddeus felt every bump in his hip and shoulder pressed against the floor of the trunk, and he tried to think of some way to get out of their situation without revealing to Andy his ability to perform magic. But his frantic thoughts would not slow down long enough for him to think clearly, and all he could do was lie inside the trunk as Dixon drove fast to whatever he had planned for them.

  Chapter TWENTY

  THADDEUS LOST all track of time. The darkness of the trunk, the noise and bumps from the road, and the occasional curse words shouted by Andy all blended together and overwhelmed him. Because Andy lay inside the trunk with him, Thaddeus couldn’t perform any magic, not even a small flame to allow him to see the interior of the trunk. He slipped into a daze, stunned by this bizarre turn of events. Where was Dixon taking them? And what were they doing to Crystal?

  He thought about his parents, his father especially, and how much disappointment he would cause them when this all came out. On the heels of that, came thoughts of Teofil, and Thaddeus wondered if he’d ever get the chance to talk with him again.

  The car turned off the relatively smooth road and bounced and rattled along a horribly bumpy one made of dirt. Stones and dirt were thrown up into the wheel wells, each ping like a gunshot inside the trunk. It felt like forever before the car slid to a stop and the car doors opened, then banged shut. Harsh laughter and deep voices converged outside the trunk, and when the lid opened, a bright light shone in Thaddeus’s eyes, temporarily blinding him.

  “Bastards!” Andy screamed. His feet flailed as he struggled to get out, and Thaddeus barely managed to avoid being kicked in the face.

  Andy rolled out of the trunk, and the shouts of the jocks and a few screams of pain followed. Sitting up, Thaddeus looked over the edge of the trunk. Cars were parked behind them, headlights on to illuminate the trunk and the group of jocks and cheerleaders standing around. Two jocks had pinned Andy to the ground on his stomach, arms stretched out to either side. A tire iron lay in the dirt nearby, and Thaddeus guessed that Andy must have jumped out of the trunk with it in his hands and started swinging. Two jocks stood nearby, one clutching his upper arm and the other the side of his head, both of them glaring down at Andy.

  “Get Garbage Baby out of the trunk.” Dixon’s order sounded slurred, and Thaddeus figured he’d spiked the soft drink he’d been drinking at the dance.

  “Leave them alone!”

  Crystal struggled to get loose from a couple more football players, but they gripped her arms t
ight as they watched Dixon with interest.

  “Shut up or I’ll shut you up,” Dixon said, pointing at her.

  “Go to hell!” Crystal shouted back. “This is kidnapping, and you’re all going to jail.”

  “This isn’t kidnapping,” Joy said as she put an arm around Dixon’s waist. “This is a friendly little welcoming committee. The varsity footballers and the senior cheers do this every year with the JV footballers and junior cheers. This year we’ve decided to open the experience up to the three of you.”

  “What are you going to do?” Thaddeus asked, still inside the trunk.

  “We’re not going to do anything,” Dixon said with a chilling smile. “You’re going to do all the work. Get out of there.”

  Thaddeus slowly crawled out and stood before Dixon. He jumped when someone behind him slammed the trunk lid shut. Then he fixed Dixon with as strong and confident of a stare as he could manage. Even with his headache raging and the pimple on the back of his neck throbbing, he thought he did a pretty good job of it.

  “What if we refuse?” Thaddeus asked.

  Dixon stepped closer and glared down at him. “It’s not a request. You and your little boyfriend are going into the Tangle. You’re going to bring something back from the center of the Tangle, or this one—” He pointed toward Crystal without taking his gaze off Thaddeus. “—suffers the consequences.”

  “You asshole!” Crystal shouted.

  “Dammit, gag that bitch!” Joy said.

  “No!” Crystal turned her head back and forth as she struggled to pull free, but she was outnumbered, and soon someone’s bandana was quickly tied around her head, blocking her mouth. She met Thaddeus’s gaze, her eyes wide and stunned, and shook her head side to side, trying to tell him not to do it.

  “You wouldn’t hurt her,” Thaddeus said.

  Dixon stepped even closer. “Wouldn’t I? Do you want to bet your friend’s life on that?”

  “Why are you doing this?” Thaddeus asked.

  “Dude, you were messing with my car,” Dixon said, spreading his muscular arms wide. “You don’t mess with another dude’s car. That’s, like, some kind of commandment.”

  “At least,” Joy said.

  “Let the other one up,” Dixon said.

  The two jocks holding Andy down released him and got to their feet. Andy slowly got up and brushed dirt off his clothes. He acted as if he was going to go after one of them again, then laughed when the jock jumped back with a scared expression. The other jock pushed Andy out into the semicircle next to Thaddeus.

  “Oh, hey there,” Andy said as if seeing Thaddeus for the first time. “Come here often?”

  Thaddeus didn’t respond. He was busy looking at everything lying nearby that he might be able to use to help them escape. His gaze fell on the tire iron in the dirt a few feet away, but before he could focus enough on it to use his magic, one of the jocks behind Crystal picked it up and held it tight. Thaddeus looked around the unfriendly group staring at them, searching for a friendly face or a guilty expression. A few of the kids avoided meeting his gaze, but the majority of them simply glared back, and that fact alone scared him more than being forced into the Tangle.

  “I’ve heard no JV jockstrap has ever made it into the center of the Tangle,” Andy said. “How do you even know what’s there?”

  “I got a drone for my birthday over the summer,” Dixon said. “I flew it over the trees and found the center of it. Not that it’s any concern of yours.”

  “Dude, you got a drone?” said one of the jocks standing behind Dixon. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Not now, Colton,” Dixon said with a sigh. “I know what’s inside the center of the Tangle, so you’re not going to be able to pull one over on me. Since you’re fags, you need to each bring me back a flower. Got it?”

  Andy chuckled. “Just a flower? That’s it?”

  “These are big flowers,” Dixon said. “You’ll know them when and if you see them. All right, you two, you’d better get to it. The Tangle awaits, and you have one hour.”

  “Oh, now there’s a time limit?” Andy said.

  “Yeah, and you’re wasting time.” Dixon pointed behind them.

  Thaddeus turned along with Andy and stared, not really sure what he was looking at. It appeared to be a wall with every inch covered by interconnected vining plants and small shrubs. How were they supposed to get around such a tall wall? But when the leaves moved in the breeze, Thaddeus saw the empty darkness behind the plants, and he felt a little sick. It was a wall of plants, so intertwined there didn’t seem to be any way to pass beyond. He tipped his head back and looked up, trying to find the top, but the trees and plants grew so tall that they passed into darkness outside of the glow of the headlights.

  He wished Teofil was there with him. Instead of feeling sad like he had inside the trunk, however, a sudden surge of brooding anger burned to life inside him. The dark, grumbling voice in the back of his mind returned and whispered slyly.

  This is all Teofil’s fault anyway. If he hadn’t left you alone all week, you probably wouldn’t have snuck out to go to the dance.

  “Crazy, isn’t it?”

  Thaddeus jumped at the nearness of Dixon’s voice, but he didn’t look around. He couldn’t take his eyes off the towering plants before them. These plants were even more condensed than the killer vines they had encountered in the deserted village of Bower’s Grotto.

  “Is there a path?” Thaddeus asked.

  “Nope,” Dixon said. “And you can’t see the sky overhead once you get in there. Gotta go by instincts.”

  Thaddeus looked at Dixon. “Has anyone ever gotten through it?”

  Dixon’s smile was not reassuring. “There’s always a first time. Better get a move on. Your girlfriend’s time is ticking away.”

  Thaddeus looked to Crystal, who stood between the two jocks. Her chin was up, and she looked determined not to show her fear, but he knew she must be at least as frightened as Thaddeus was himself. He wished there was some way for him to perform magic without revealing his abilities to them all, but he couldn’t think of a single trick. Instead he nodded to Crystal before turning to Andy.

  “Are you ready?” Thaddeus asked.

  Andy’s eyes were wide. “You’re seriously going in there?”

  “What choice do we have?” Thaddeus looked at the practically solid wall of plants. He thought about the Lost Forest and the crazy, flesh-eating vines in Bower’s Grotto. “Besides, I’ve been through something similar before.”

  Right as Thaddeus was about to step toward the Tangle, a car eased around the bend in the dirt road, headlights washing over the group and grabbing everyone’s attention. Thaddeus squinted against the glare of the high beams as he watched the car come to a stop. Because the headlights shone in his eyes, he couldn’t make out any of the car’s details or see its driver.

  “You’d be smart to get the hell out of here,” Dixon called to the new arrival. “This is a private party.”

  A man stepped out of the car and flicked on a flashlight. He slowly approached until he stood in front of his car and was revealed in the glow of the headlights. Thaddeus let out a breath of relief, and some of the tension left him as he recognized Mr. Elder.

  “What are you all doing out here?” Mr. Elder demanded. “What’s going on?”

  “Son of a bitch,” Dixon muttered, and turned away from Mr. Elder to glare at Thaddeus. “Did you set this up to get us busted?”

  “What?” Thaddeus frowned. “No! I had nothing to do with him showing up here.”

  “Who is that?” Mr. Elder took a few steps closer to the group, craning his head this way and that to see around some of the taller jocks. “Is that Thaddeus Cane?”

  Thaddeus stared at Dixon as he called back, “Yes, Mr. Elder, it’s me. Andy Harkin and Crystal Frances are here as well.”

  “What’s going on?” Mr. Elder moved even closer. “What’s this all about?”

  “It’s nothing, sir.” A
brilliant and engaging smile lit up Joy’s face. “We’re just out here having some fun and making new friends. Isn’t that what the Spirit dance is all about?”

  “I find that hard to believe,” Mr. Elder said. “I’d better not find alcohol out here. Who’s in charge of this gathering?”

  Dixon glared at Thaddeus, threatening him without words. Before anyone could speak, however, another car arrived and parked off to the opposite side of the narrow dirt road from Mr. Elder’s car.

  “It’s like a damn social hour out here,” Dixon said.

  “Who’s that?” Mr. Elder asked, shining his flashlight at the car.

  The front doors opened, and Marty got out of the passenger side while Mr. Winslow stepped out of the driver’s side.

  “Mr. Winslow,” Mr. Elder said, sounding surprised. “How did you get here?”

  “Mr. Reed here saw Dixon and the rest of the football team drive off with his friend Ms. Frances in their car,” Mr. Winslow explained. “What are you doing here, Larry?”

  “I live in Stoker’s Mill and was on my way home from the store when I saw all the cars turn in here and got suspicious,” Mr. Elder said.

  Before Mr. Winslow could say another word, sounds from within the Tangle drew their attention. Thaddeus turned to stare at the slivers of darkness barely visible in the spaces between plants. It sounded like something was slowly making its way through the Tangle toward them. Something big.

  “What is that?” Andy asked, taking two steps back.

  “I don’t know.” Thaddeus stepped back as well.

  Dixon’s car was the only thing between all of them and the Tangle, and Thaddeus didn’t think it would provide very much protection. He wasn’t sure why he thought they needed to be protected, but something in his gut was slowly tightening as whatever was in the Tangle made its way closer. The front line of plants shivered and rustled as the thing they concealed made its way toward the edge. A growl rumbled out of the darkness, low and all-too familiar to Thaddeus. He’d heard it several times in the past few months, back in Superstition, in the Lost Forest, and in the mines of Iron Gulch.