“Why, because I’m a girl?”
“Well—” Derek paused, trying to think of a good explanation. “Yeah, that’s exactly why.”
Sam remembered Caitlin surprising him with her back dive at the pool. He wouldn’t put anything past her, although he didn’t think she could out-throw Derek.
“Don’t bet on it,” said Caitlin.
“Okay…watch this. I bet that I can make it half way to Belle Isle.” Derek stepped back, dramatically stretching his arm like he was getting all limbered up.
“Oh, brother,” moaned Sam. “Get on with it already.”
Derek wound up, took two quick steps, and hurled the stone far out into the river. He stood, holding his arm extended in his follow through, as if anticipating a roar from the crowd.
“Where’d it go?” asked Sam. “I didn’t hear a splash. Maybe you missed the river.”
“It’s too dark. We can’t see it,” said Caitlin.
“It must have hit Belle Isle,” said Derek. “That means I’m the automatic winner!”
“You couldn’t hit the island. Nobody could throw it that far,” said Sam.
A shower of pebbles came from out of nowhere, raining down on them and the bench.
“Ouch!” screamed Caitlin.
“What the—,” shouted Derek, turning around to see what was happening. “Oh no…” His expression sank.
“Hey Jackson, whatcha doing over here in the dark?” a familiar voice called.
It was Cameron and his sidekick, Sean.
“Oh, and look, it’s Sammy and his little lady. Do your mommies know you’re over here?”
Caitlin turned and stepped back toward the gala. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Not so fast, girlie,” Cameron yelled, grabbing Caitlin by the wrist and pushing her down onto the park bench.
“Ow, stop it! That hurts, you jerk!” She tried to elbow him in the stomach, but he was too strong and pushed her back down by the shoulders.
“Just sit tight for a second. We want to talk to your friend here,” said Cameron, looking at Derek.
Derek walked right up to the bully’s face. “Knock it off, Cameron. What do you want?”
Sam stood next to his brother. “Let go of her,” he yelled.
“Oh, did we make you mad, Little Jackson?” Cameron cackled, raising his hands in the air. “Fine, stay with your girlfriend. It’s your brother that we want to talk to anyway.”
Caitlin jumped up and moved behind Sam and Derek. “Let’s go back. Our parents are waiting for us right over there.”
“Oh, I don’t think they can hear you from here,” said Sean with a grin. “Not with all that music playing and the people talking.”
“What are you even doing here, Cameron?” asked Derek, nodding toward the big tent and the lights. “I didn’t know you cared about history.”
“I don’t,” Cameron laughed. “But my parents are big donors to the museum, so they made me come along. I thought it would be lame, but things just got a lot more fun!”
Cameron put his arm around Derek’s shoulder. “So Jackson, I have this little problem that I need your help with.”
Sean let out another of his hyena laughs, nodding his head. “Yeah, we need your help.”
“My bud, Sean, here, left his favorite hat over by the hydro plant on the island yesterday, and he really wants it back.” He pointed across the water to Belle Isle’s dark outline.
“That’s a real shame,” answered Derek, “but I’m sure you can find it.”
“The thing is, Sean’s kind of tired today, so he doesn’t feel like going all the way across the bridge to get it.”
Sean hung his head. “I don’t think I got enough sleep last night.”
“That’s where you come in, Jackson,” said Cameron, glancing at Sam and Caitlin to make sure they were paying attention. “All you have to do is walk across the bridge, go over to the hydro plant, fetch his hat, and bring it back to us. After that, we’ll leave you alone for the whole year at school. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“Gee, thanks,” said Derek, “but I think I’ll take my chances at school. Good luck with your hat.” He started walking past the teenagers toward the party. “Come on, guys.”
Sam and Caitlin to follow him, but Cameron and Sean stepped in front, grabbing them both by the wrists.
“Hey, cut it out!” yelled Sam, as Cameron’s hands squeezed his forearm tightly. He tried to wriggle loose, but Cameron was too strong.
“I don’t think you’re hearing me, Jackson. Do it, or else your brother and his girlfriend are going to go for a little swim in the river.” His face broke into an evil grin. “I hear it’s really hard to see the rocks coming in the rapids in the dark. It would be a real shame if one of them banged their head.”
Sam pulled some more at Cameron’s grasp but wasn’t getting anywhere. He tried to think about what to do. Why had they moved away from the party?
“Alright, I’ll do it,” blurted Derek. “Just let them go, will you?”
Sam shook his head at his brother.
“I thought you’d see it my way,” said Cameron, easing his grip on Sam’s arms and nodding to Sean to do the same with Caitlin.
“Don’t do it, Derek. They’re just trying to get you mad,” said Caitlin.
Derek shook his head. “I have to stand up to them sometime. Besides, I just have to go over to the island and get Sean’s stupid hat. We were just there the other day. I know the way. I’ll come right back.”
Derek stepped forward, toward the bridge. “Okay, let’s get this over with.” He pointed at Sam and Caitlin. “But leave them alone. Give me your word.”
Cameron’s word wouldn’t mean a whole lot since he was a big liar, thought Sam. He wished Derek wasn’t doing this.
Cameron raised his hands up in the air again like he was innocent. “I swear. We won’t touch them.” He motioned toward the bridge. “Now get going.”
Derek looked up at Sam and Caitlin. “You guys stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Derek, that’s a really bad idea,” said Caitlin. “You don’t even have a flashlight. It’s really dark up there.”
“I’ll tell you what, Jackson,” said Cameron. “Since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll let you borrow my flashlight just this once so your little friend here doesn’t cry, okay?” He pulled a thin flashlight out of his pocket and handed it to Derek.
Derek took the light, flicked its narrow beam on to make sure it worked, and, without another word, sprinted out of sight toward the stairs to the bridge.
Sam turned and stared at Cameron and Sean. “What’s the matter with you guys? Don’t you have anything better to do than bother us?”
Cameron and Sean started cracking up even more than usual.
“What’s so funny?” asked Caitlin.
Sean pulled a hat out of his back pocket. “He’s going to have a hard time finding this over there!”
“Derek! Come back. It’s a trick!” yelled Sam, turning back to the bridge, but he was too late. Derek’s dim light was already bouncing along the concrete bridge as he ran toward Belle Isle, too far away to hear Sam’s voice.
“You’re such a jerk!” yelled Caitlin, socking Cameron in the stomach.
“Ooph,” Cameron moaned at Caitlin’s surprisingly strong punch. He stepped forward to retaliate when Sean interrupted him.
“Dude, look over there!” Sean pointed across the river to Belle Isle.
Everyone turned and looked across the water. “What is it?” asked Cameron.
“Right there,” insisted Sean. “A light. There’s no way that can be Jackson. He couldn’t be over there already, and it’s too bright for his flashlight.”
Sam stared harder at the island until a flash of light caught his eye. Before he could focus on it, the light was gone. Was it coming from the island or just a reflection off the water? He thought of Mr. Haskins’ ghosts battling over the rapids and gulped.
He counted two beats before he saw it again
, moving across the island. Was it a flashlight? It would have to be a pretty strong beam to shine that brightly. Sean was right—Derek was a fast runner, but there was no way he could have gotten that far already. Maybe it was a reflection.
“There’s another one!” shouted Caitlin. “And another. See them?”
Sam watched two more lights follow the first slowly through the trees. “They’re moving—like headlights.” He looked at Caitlin. “Motorcycle headlights!”
“The Confederate Ghosts!” she exclaimed.
“Ghosts?” laughed Cameron. “You two are way too gullible.” He turned to Sean and motioned toward the party. “I don’t know what that is, but it’s Jackson’s problem now. Come on, Sean, let’s get out of here.”
They walked up toward the gala. “Good luck, Sammy. Oh, and tell your chicken brother that we found Sean’s hat so the deal is off.” They laughed as they raced off toward the party.
Sam had the sinking feeling in his stomach that he got whenever he was in trouble. He thought he might puke. He pictured Mad Dog Dewitt riding around the island in the dark. “They must be heading to their hideout by the hydro plant. See how the headlights are all moving in that direction?”
“Isn’t the island closed at night?” asked Caitlin. “How would they even get over there?”
“I think there’s an access road on the other end. You’re not supposed to, but I’ll bet they drove over from that side.”
“I wonder if Derek will see them from the bridge,” said Caitlin.
Sam watched the lights move across the darkness. He remembered the ceremony at Jefferson Davis’ grave—the blood ceremony. “Let’s get back to the party and tell my mom and dad.”
“What? No, we have to go after him,” said Caitlin.
Sam looked at her to see if she was kidding. She must be. That was a terrible idea. “Are you crazy? I hated that bridge in the daylight. I’m not going over it at night.”
“What if something happens to him, Sam? You can’t just leave him there.”
“That’s why we need to get my parents. It’s too dark to go ourselves, and we don’t even have a flashlight.”
“Hang on, wait right here,” said Caitlin, running toward the gala before he could object.
Sam stood alone, wondering what to do. He couldn’t see Derek’s light on the bridge anymore. It was like he’d been sucked up by the island’s darkness. The ghost island. Why were they even considering going after him alone? He imagined what the Ghosts could be doing on the island. As he pictured the worst in his mind, he saw Caitlin running back toward him.
“Ta-da,” she announced, pulling a flashlight from behind her back.
“Where did you get that?”
“I saw it sitting on the waiters’ stand by the food table before we walked out here. I grabbed it when no one was looking.”
“You stole it?”
“No, just borrowed,” said Caitlin. “This is an emergency. I’ll give it back when we’re done.”
She started walking toward the stairs to the bridge, following the way Derek had gone. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Sam hesitated for a moment then groaned loudly. “Hold up,” he called, jogging behind her. “Wait for me.”
TWENTY-TWO
The concrete path wound upwards as they moved closer to the bridge, like the hallway ramps in a baseball stadium. After the last corner, they came to a metal gate with bars running top to bottom, like in a prison cell. A chain was wrapped around the gate and held together with a padlock.
“It’s locked,” said Sam, tugging on the bars. The doors pulled a few inches toward him until they were caught by the chain. “How did Derek get across? It’s too high to climb.”
He stared over the side of the bridge, listening to the water speed through the rapids below. He wondered if Cameron would have really tried to throw them in the river. He was probably just bluffing, but Sam was glad that he didn’t have to find out for sure.
“Like this,” said Caitlin.
Sam turned back to the gate only to see Caitlin standing on the other side. She held the chain over her head with her hand. “It’s loose enough to squeeze through. Come on!”
“Oh…I knew that,” Sam said, sheepishly. “But I think they have the chain there for a reason, you know.”
“Just come on, Sam. We have to help Derek.”
Sam hoped he hadn’t eaten too many shrimp earlier. Sucking in his stomach, he squeezed between the metal bars. “I’m going to send a complaint letter to the mayor about this gate,” he muttered.
“Come on,” Caitlin called, already running ahead.
The walking bridge was creepy. Despite Caitlin’s flashlight, it was still dark. It was like a mini-bridge, hanging from huge cables beneath the highway bridge, which loomed above them like a roof without walls.
Sam reminded himself that the bridge was made of concrete, so it should be sturdy enough. But at the same time, concrete was very heavy, so it might be too much for the cables to hold. He shuddered at the thought of the cables snapping and falling to his doom into the river below.
It was probably his imagination, but it seemed like the bridge was swaying in the breeze. The flow of the river below and the echoes of the traffic above created an eerie symphony that faded in and out with the breeze.
Sam felt like he was exploring some strange underworld, like in the movie The Lord of the Rings. He hoped they wouldn’t encounter any awful creatures like the ones he sometimes dreamed about from that movie.
Finally, they reached the end of the bridge, zigzagging through another ramp and onto Belle Isle. They stood perfectly still for a few moments, listening to the sounds of the island. The roar of the traffic on the bridge was further away now, but the river’s noise was still all around. The only light to be seen was from their flashlight, which suddenly went dark.
“Hey!” shouted Sam.
“Sorry,” said Caitlin, flicking it back on. “My finger slipped on the switch.” She giggled. “Did you think the ghosts had got us?”
“No,” said Sam, although he may have thought that for a second. He looked around him in the darkness. “Where did Derek go?”
“He was heading for the hydro plant. So, which way is that?”
Sam tried to remember from their bike ride the other day, but he felt turned around in the dark. “I think it’s this way,” he said, hesitantly. “Let’s go toward those trees to see if we can spot the trail.” They jogged to the tree line until Caitlin grabbed his arm.
“Look, over there!” she whispered.
Sam turned and saw a light moving between the trees and then disappear. Was it Derek? A motorcycle headlight? Or something else? It didn’t matter. They had to keep going now. “Come on, he’s got to be this way.”
The flashlight beam landed on the old brick wall that Sam had explored with Derek. Sam led Caitlin through the rugged archway to the hidden trail behind, walking softly to keep their arrival secret.
“We have to be close to the hydro plant now,” said Sam. “Stay quiet.”
They crept forward and spied the dark shadows of the hydro plant building against the night sky. A dim light glowed through the trees. It looked like a fire. Were the woods burning down? They had to get closer.
Voices echoed through the walls of the building. Sam and Caitlin crept up to one of the barred windows. He didn’t know what they were doing there. They should have told his mom and dad. They would have known what to do. Now he and Caitlin were in danger too, with no idea where Derek was.
Seconds later, Sam found out.
TWENTY-THREE
“Look,” whispered Caitlin, peering through the metal bars in the window. Three burly men in leather vests were huddled around a campfire, talking quietly.
Bikers.
The Confederate Ghosts!
The ghost mural seemed to dance through the dim shadows from the flames. When one of the men bent down to poke the logs in the campfire with a stick, Sam muffled a groan. Sitting in
the corner of the room was Derek. He’d been captured by the Ghosts! Sam hadn’t seen him until the big man moved.
Caitlin’s eyes opened wide as she saw Derek too. Her mouth opened but made no sound. Were they holding him hostage? From their distance, Sam couldn’t tell if Derek was hurt, but he must be scared.
It wasn’t hard to imagine what must have happened. Derek had run into the hydro plant to retrieve Sean’s stupid hat. The bikers must have already been there or had run into him along the way. Then they grabbed him. But what could they possibly want with a kid? Sam remembered the blood ceremony by Jefferson Davis’ grave and how he had predicted the Ghosts would be looking for Northern kids to sacrifice.
“We have to do something,” he whispered, right into Caitlin’s ear. He couldn’t just stand there and let Derek die.
“I know, but what?”
Sam stared at his big brother beyond the fire, then up at the haunting ghost mural. He remembered how they’d been in tight spots before—they’d run from a bear near the mines in the woods, even outsmarted a bad guy in a dark colonial garden.
Then it came to him. They needed a distraction! But what?
“Follow me,” he whispered to Caitlin, crouching low under the window and stepping around the outside of the building. Together they turned the corner and went down a slope to where the basement level of the hydro plant backed up to the edge of the river.
He stopped short as three large, low shadows came into view.
“What is that?” whispered Caitlin.
Sam froze, studying the shadows, worried they might be more men. The shadows weren’t moving, and they were too big to be rocks. Then he realized what they were—motorcycles! Three big Harleys were parked along the lower level of the building a few yards from the river. He remembered hearing the voices from below the first time he and Derek had explored the hydro plant. This must be where the bikers had gotten in, through the lower entrance.
In a flash, he knew what the distraction would be. “What do bikers care about more than anything?” he whispered to Caitlin.
“What?”
The Virginia Mysteries Collection: Books 1-3 Page 26