Still, seeing her just makes my blood boil. If it wasn’t for her manipulating Lindsay, none of this would’ve happened.
“I hope you’re happy,” I tell Parker, getting close enough to her to make her take a step back.
Ryan looks from Parker to me and back again.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Parker says, trying to look innocent.
“You sent my sister off into the woods,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Me? I didn’t send your sister anywhere,” Parker says, shrugging, as if she couldn’t care less about Lindsay. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“What’s wrong? Where’s your sister?” Ryan says, cutting into Parker’s denial and looking suddenly concerned. “I mean, is she okay?” Ryan looks at me now. He’s a little too interested in Lindsay. He sure isn’t acting like a guy who’s about to tell her he’s not looking to date. I glance at Parker, who seems peeved. Maybe Ryan is crushing on my sister. Great, that’s all I need.
“I think she’s gone to Whale Cove, but then Parker knows that already.”
Parker just sniffs and rolls her eyes. “Whatever,” she hisses under her breath.
“Whale Cove? On the other side of the island? But that’s far and…” Ryan pauses. “Probably dangerous.”
Again, the note of concern. And why do I find that so very annoying?
“I know. That’s why I’m going after her.” Instead of sounding brave and sisterly, my voice sounds peevish.
“You can’t go into the woods. That’s against the rules.” Parker smirks at me. I realize I’ve said too much. Now, Parker will head straight to Headmaster B and rat me out.
“I don’t care. She’s my sister and I have to help her,” I say.
“I’m going with you,” Ryan says, jumping up from the library steps. Again, he sure is eager to find my sister.
“That’s not necessary.”
“It is,” Ryan says, determined.
“You can’t!” Parker exclaims. Because if he goes, she can’t tell. She doesn’t want to get her golden boy in trouble.
Above my head, the clock tower tolls, signaling the end of free period. That’s my sign. I should be in the woods by now.
“You coming or not? I’m late,” I say, pulling up the straps of my backpack and heading off in the direction of the woods.
“I’m going,” Ryan says, slinging on his backpack.
Parker looks from Ryan to me and back again. “Then I’m going, too.”
“You can’t go,” I say.
“Why not?” Parker says.
“Because this is all your fault,” I hiss.
Ryan frowns at Parker.
“She’s crazy,” Parker tells Ryan. “I have no idea what she’s talking about, but Lindsay was my…uh, friend.” Parker says the word as if it leaves a bad taste in her mouth. “The least I can do is help look for her.”
I know Parker is lying. She would rather chew off her own arm than help me or Lindsay. There’s only one reason on earth she would be willing to go on this little expedition and that’s to keep a close eye on Ryan.
“Look, I’ve got to go,” I say, turning.
“Then we’re both going with you,” Ryan says as he and Parker follow me.
After narrowly avoiding being caught by two Guardians on patrol, the three of us manage to meet up with the others by the river. As I could’ve predicted, no one is happy to see Parker.
“What is she doing here?” Hana exclaims when I show up with Parker and Ryan in tow.
Heathcliff just looks at Ryan and then at Parker and scowls. His feelings are written all over his face. I feel a pang of guilt. I hadn’t thought about how this might hurt Heathcliff. The last person he’d want to deal with is my ex. Not that I had a choice in the matter, but still. Honestly, the last person I want to deal with right now is my ex. Especially since he seems to have a thing for my sister.
“Did you also invite the entire marching band?” Samir asks.
“As if I’d be caught dead in the marching band,” Parker sniffs.
“It’s a long story. Parker and Ryan say they want to help,” I say.
“Since when does Parker care about anything but Parker?” Blade asks me, not even bothering to lower her voice.
“I’m right here, you know. I can hear you,” Parker says.
“Oh really?” Blade says in mock surprise. “Because I don’t care.”
The two give each other hostile stares.
Samir takes the opportunity to lean over and whisper in my ear. “Just so you know, I’m still hanging on to my eighty percent of the treasure,” he says, face serious. “I’m not splitting it with either of them.”
“Um, Miranda? Can I talk to you a minute?” Hana asks me, a worried look on her face. She tugs me aside, out of earshot near a large tree, and whispers, “You know you can’t trust Parker. What is she doing here?”
“If I’d left her behind she probably would’ve told on us. At least this way she’s an accomplice.”
“Yeah, or maybe she just wants to come along so she can kill you and not have to worry about disposing of the body.”
“Hana, there are six of us and one of her. I doubt she can kill all of us.”
“I’m just saying that we ought to keep an eye on her.”
When we return to the group, Heathcliff and Ryan are eyeing each other warily. Heathcliff is slightly taller and definitely broader, but Ryan looks determined not to blink first.
This is so not good. I feel tiny pricks in my stomach, and I realize they’re nerves. I don’t know what to do—stick close to Heathcliff? Ignore Ryan? My stomach is a tangle of knots. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, that Heathcliff was the one for me, suddenly I’m not so sure. Which one do I like more? I haven’t felt this confused since the first day of trig.
After the two boys have their little stare-down contest, Ryan talks first.
“Do you have a problem?” he says to Heathcliff, his voice tight.
Oh no. Don’t provoke him, I think. Heathcliff is strong, really strong, and knows how to fight.
Hana sends me a knowing look, as if to say, see the mess you’ve made?
Heathcliff scowls at Ryan, a look that should’ve scared him, but Ryan holds his ground and doesn’t look away. Everyone, even Parker, seems to be holding their breath, waiting for what happens next. Heathcliff is anything but predictable.
I must look worried because Heathcliff glances over at me and holds my gaze for a long second. Then, as if deciding to take the peaceful way out, Heathcliff scoffs at Ryan, as if my ex acting like a tough guy is really funny, and shakes his head. I exhale, relieved. The last thing I want is a fight. But I don’t know whether it’s because I want to protect Ryan or because I don’t want Heathcliff to be the kind of guy who can’t control his temper, the kind of bad guy that Ms. W is always warning me about.
Heathcliff meets my eye and then nods toward the forest. I take the cue and follow him.
“Uh, wait, we’re going? Already?” Samir asks, fumbling to get his backpack on.
“Come on, slow poke,” Blade says, nudging him as she passes by.
“Hang on one second,” Ryan says, running up by my side and grabbing me by the elbow. “Heathcliff is leading us?”
“Yeah, why?” I ask Ryan, trying not to get sucked into his blue, blue eyes.
“I mean, you trust him? I thought he was a thug,” Ryan says, his voice little more than a whisper. I don’t know if Heathcliff can hear him or not.
“He’s the only one who really knows his way around the forest. We have to trust him.”
“But, Miranda…” Ryan starts.
Heathcliff, realizing I’m not right behind him, slows and turns and sees that Ryan is holding me up. He doesn’t like that one bit. He glares at Ryan. And I’m starting to get annoyed with Ryan, too. I know he doesn’t like Heathcliff, but picking a fight with a guy twice his size isn’t going to do anyone any good. Is he just suicidal or what?
/>
“I’m following Heathcliff,” I say. “If you have a problem with that, then turn back now.”
Ryan’s face falls a little and, out of the corner of my eye, I see Heathcliff smile smugly. Score one for Heathcliff.
“I’m not going back,” Ryan says, clearly not happy about it, but stubbornly keeping to his promise.
Heathcliff leans back and grabs my hand, pulling me forward. I let him, and Ryan doesn’t like that too much, either, but he doesn’t say anything. He just follows a few steps behind.
Behind us, the bell tolls in rapid succession.
“Um, does that mean what I think it means?” Samir asks us. It sounds like the runaway bell. And that means Guardians will be headed into the woods after us.
“Parker!” Blade shouts. “You did this.”
“How did I do this?” Parker cries. “I’m here, aren’t I? Why would I turn myself in?”
Seconds after the bell tolls, I hear dogs in the distance. They’re the search dogs and the Guardians won’t be far behind.
“Run!” Heathcliff shouts to us, even as the frantic sound of dogs barking grows louder in our ears.
Fourteen
Branches whip at my face, even as I’m sure the dogs are getting closer.
“I hate dogs! Did I mention I hate dogs?” Samir pants behind me.
“Shut up and run!” Blade says, pushing on Samir’s back.
“What do you think I’m doing? This is me running!” Samir shouts.
“Would you two love birds shut up!” Hana shouts, running past both of them.
Parker and Ryan veer off to the right, just as Heathcliff goes left. He’s still holding my hand and I can barely keep up with him. My chest burns and I’m out of breath from running, and it feels like I might throw up. Heathcliff lets go of my hand as the forest gets thicker, and he tries to use both his arms to clear a path for us through the brush.
But pretty soon he’s pulling away from me. First a few steps, and then a few yards. I can’t even catch my breath enough to tell him to slow down, and before I know it, my foot snags on a branch lying on the ground, and I fall, headfirst, into the forest floor of leaves.
“Miranda!” cries Blade, the closest to me. Hana and Samir, already ahead of us, didn’t see me fall.
Blade helps me up. My elbows and knees are throbbing. I’m sure I’ve done some damage. I don’t have time to think about that because suddenly, poking its head out into the clearing, is one of the search dogs. It’s huge, and snarling, and it’s got drool dripping off its front fangs.
“Nice doggie?” Blade says, putting her hands up. The dog just snarls. “Don’t make any sudden movements,” Blade tells me. “If it’s just the one, we can probably take it.”
Two more dogs walk tentatively out of the brush, on our left and right sides. They also have their fangs bared and look like they might pounce at any moment.
“You were saying?” I whisper to Blade.
“I was saying we’re totally screwed,” Blade says.
I am not a dog person. Not that I have anything against dogs per se, but my family never had one, and so I don’t exactly feel comfortable around them. Especially when they’re three very ticked-off mutts who look very much like they’re going to go for my jugular. I don’t know what kind they are, but they’re big, and they’re clearly mean, and at any second they’re going to jump for us.
Blade and I take a tentative step backward.
“I think we’re supposed to put up our hands and make ourselves look bigger,” Blade whispers.
“I thought that was for bears and cougars.”
“Same difference,” Blade says. “Aren’t they all carnivores?”
“Wait, these dogs can’t be all that bad,” I say. “I mean, they’re trained to go after Bard students, but surely not eat them, right?”
“Oh yeah, sure,” Blade says, nodding. “You want to test that theory?”
“Nice puppy? Nice boy?” I say, offering up my hand to the nearest dog. He just growls and snaps his jaws at me. “Okay, okay—I get the message.”
The dog closest to Blade decides to make a move. It leaps in the air, jaws open, eyes mean and wild. Blade throws up her hand to protect her face, and just before the dog reaches her, a flat gray rock hits it in the snout, causing it to fall back, landing on the ground with a whimper.
“What the…?” I say.
A stone whistles by my head and hits the other dog, square in the head, causing it to yelp in pain and bury its snout in its paws. A third stone zigs in and hits the last dog in the stomach. Then there’s a hail of rocks and the dogs back off, one by one. Heathcliff walks out of the brush, juggling two more rocks.
“You okay?” he asks me.
“I am now,” I say, relief running over me.
“That’s animal cruelty,” Blade points out. Heathcliff gives her a dirty look. “Not, of course, that I’m complaining, exactly,” she’s quick to add.
“Hey, uh, guys? Can you give us a hand?” Hana asks. I glance up and she and Samir are hanging precariously from a tree limb a few yards from us. Apparently, they scrambled up to avoid the dogs and now can’t quite get down.
Heathcliff helps them down.
“Where are the others?” I ask them when they’re safely on the ground.
“Here we are,” Ryan says, stepping out of the brush. Parker, who is still winded from running, bends over and puts her hands on her knees.
“I…am…so…going…to…sue…Bard,” she sputters, breathing hard. “When my dad finds out about the attack dogs, he’s going to have someone’s ass on a platter.”
“Do they serve ass on platters?” Samir asks, quirking an eyebrow.
“In Parker’s family, I’m sure they’re silver platters,” Blade says. The two of them share a laugh.
Parker frowns at both of them, but they don’t seem too perturbed. I notice that Samir and Blade seem to be getting along. And Hana doesn’t even seem to mind too much. Hmmm. Interesting.
Heathcliff ignores the banter and focuses on me. “We should go,” he tells me, and starts off to the right.
“You sure you want to go that way, tough guy?” Ryan says as Heathcliff passes in front of him. Heathcliff pauses and looks up. He doesn’t say anything, just gives Ryan a look like he might squash him like a bug. “That way is west,” Ryan says, smugly, pointing the direction in which Heathcliff is headed. “And we need to go east. That way.” Ryan nods in the other direction. “I go camping with my dad a lot,” Ryan adds. “I know my way around the woods.”
For a second, everyone looks at Heathcliff for an explanation. He sighs, weary of having to explain himself, and annoyed Ryan is questioning him.
“Feel free to follow Ryan,” he tells the group. “If you want to run into more dogs.”
We all exchange glances.
“You see, they’ll be sending more dogs after us, and they’ll be able to track us on the ground,” Heathcliff says. “But if we cross the White River that way,” he adds, nodding to the west, “then they’ll lose the scent and we’ll be free of them. You run into killer tracking dogs much on your little camping trips with Dad?”
Heathcliff can’t help but gloat. Ryan turns red.
“Thought not,” Heathcliff says, and continues on his way. I follow him, not meeting Ryan’s eye.
“I, for one, am for the dog-free path,” Samir volunteers, scurrying after us. “You said there’s a river? It’s not deep, right?”
Heathcliff just glances at him and says nothing.
“I mean, we’re talking a stream, here, yeah? Maybe something a little bigger than a puddle?”
After a ten-minute walk, we make it to the banks of the White River. It’s apparently a larger branch of the same river the crew team practices on, but this section isn’t nearly as calm or as shallow. And it is most definitely not a puddle. Or a stream. Try a raging, rapids-filled, roaring river. The surface is churning so quickly it’s almost entirely white caps, and it becomes pretty obvious prett
y quickly why they call it white.
“No way, nuh-uh,” Parker says, shaking her head. “No way are we crossing that.”
“Wow, for once I agree with Parker,” Samir says. “What are the odds? Quick. Someone go buy a Lotto ticket.”
“Why don’t we go back? We can cross where it isn’t so rough,” Ryan suggests.
“Be my guest if you want to run into the dogs on your way there,” Heathcliff says evenly. Ryan doesn’t respond.
“There’s a rope—there,” Hana says, pointing. Heathcliff is naturally already headed for it. The rope is tied to a rock on either end, and stretches across the fast-moving water.
“What? We’re supposed to use a tightrope to get across?” Ryan asks, skeptical.
“It doesn’t look too tight,” Blade points out. It’s true. The rope isn’t very taut. We couldn’t walk on it even if we wanted to. Heathcliff wades into the water and grabs the rope. It becomes clear to us all instantly that we’re supposed to walk across the raging rapids holding on to the rope.
“No way is that even possible,” Ryan says, shaking his head. “We’re not strong enough to pull ourselves against that water.”
“Speak for yourself,” Heathcliff says, grabbing on. He slips off his backpack and uses it as a kind of harness, strapping himself to the rope with it. Then he offers his hand to me to help me with mine. I climb onto a rock and turn as Heathcliff straps me in.
“That’s crazy—no way,” Samir says, shaking his head. “Besides, did I mention I can’t swim and that I’m totally scared of water?”
“No, but we just assumed you were,” Blade says, giving Samir a playful smile. “Come on, it won’t be that bad. And you don’t have to swim, there’s a rope.”
“No way am I going in there,” Parker says, shaking her head. “You guys can go on without me.”
“Maybe I’ll stay with Parker. You know, for her protection,” Samir offers. Even Parker gives him a dubious look.
Before she can reply, the wind brings us the sounds of dogs barking.
“Did I say ‘stay’? I meant I am totally going. Drowning is a great alternative to becoming kibble,” he adds, scrambling into the water after us.
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