Tuck shook his head.
“No, even her mother called her Mee-aaaaa. On second thoughts, it was more like Mia, or was it Meeee-a?”
Kaden was getting impatient.
“Cut it out, Tuck, I’m serious. Describe both of them to me.”
This he did in great detail with his eyes closed - the memory still fresh in his head. When he looked up Kaden had disappeared.
“Hey, where’s Teach,” he asked the others.
Harley, who was standing up, pointed towards reception.
“One minute he was lying flat on his back, the next he was racing past the office over there. He’s gone right into the middle of the camp site. What did you say to him?”
******
Kaden tried not to run, he didn’t want to look suspicious, but one or two people did ask him if he was looking for someone. When he came across the motor-home section of the site, a couple who were getting ready to drive off noticed he seemed a bit lost. The man opened his window and shouted out to him.
“Hey there, son, can we help you?”
Kaden decided to be honest.
“I’m supposed to meet my parents and sister, I’ve just arrived, but maybe they’re not here yet. I’m with some friends, I’ll go back and wait a bit longer. Thanks for asking”
As he was turning to leave, the woman jumped down from motor home and ran up to the young man, catching him by the arm.
“Wait, I think I know who you’re looking for.” She took a deep breath.
“I haven’t moved that fast in years. Sorry, just give me a second.”
It was the longest second in Kaden’s life. She eventually pointed to a line of motor-homes, parked neatly beside each other.
“Check out the fifth or sixth one on that row. There’s a couple down there with their teenage daughter, heading for Costa Rica. They told us they were expecting to meet up with their son here, I bet that’s them.”
Kaden took off like a greyhound. The woman and her husband watched him as he ran. They saw him stop suddenly as the man they had been talking to earlier came running towards him. He threw his arms around the young man. Kaden fell to his knees, his father, still holding on, falling with him. They were joined by Estelle and Amelia, who knelt down, embracing both of them. All four were crying and laughing at the same time.
Sam turned to his wife, who had climbed back into the passenger seat.
“Well, that was some reunion, they sure are a real close family, don’t see much of that these days.”
He drove off to the city, later than intended, feeling privileged to have been part of such a warm display of emotion.
It was Lloyd who suggested they go inside before a crowd gathered. They climbed in through the narrow door, still holding onto each other. Finally separating, the four of them sat around the table and shared some of their stories. Kaden wasn’t ready to tell his family everything he had been through. They, in turn, didn’t want to burden him with their own problems, not for a while anyway. He did tell them that he had some friends with him, and wanted to help them whatever way he could.
“I’d better get back now, they’ll be worried about me. I sort of left them in a hurry with no explanation.”
Amelia grabbed his hand.
“Take me with you, please Kaden. I don’t want to let you out of my sight, not just yet.”
Her grip was so tight, he couldn’t say no. Estelle was shaking her head and about to speak when Lloyd put his hand over hers.
“I think they are safe enough here, don’t you?” He smiled reassuringly at his wife.
She still looked worried, but nodded in agreement.
“I’ll make your favourite meal for supper, Kaden, chilli, with lots fresh bread,” Estelle said, opening the refrigerator.
“Better make a huge pot, Mom, I’ll be bringing a crowd back with me.”
Kaden and Amelia left their parents in the kitchen preparing the meal together.
“Since when does Dad cook?” Kaden asked his sister.
She laughed and told him that was only one of many changes in their father’s personality.
“You should see him and Mom acting like a couple of love sick teenagers,” Amelia made a mock frown.
“I’m going to introduce you to the guys who were abducted with me, I think you’ve already met one of them,” said Kaden.
“I have?” asked Amelia, intrigued.
She was still holding her brother’s hand when they approached a group of young men standing beside a tent. Kaden introduced each one to her, Tuck being last. She held out her hand to him, smiling.
“I think we’ve already met, haven’t we?” she said.
Tuck had a strange look on his face as he shook hands with her. Stepping up close to Kaden, he whispered something in his ear. Whatever was said, made Kaden double up with laughter and that was when Tuck pushed him over. Harley moved in between the two young men, warning them not to make a scene, but he needn’t have worried. Kaden was still laughing as he lay on the ground.
“Will someone please tell the rest of us what the big joke is” said Amelia standing over her brother, hands on her hips.
This made Kaden laugh so much, he couldn’t get up. Amelia turned to face Tuck, poking him in the chest.
“And you, who do you think you are, pushing my brother around like that?”
The look on Tuck’s face was priceless. It turned from shock to laughter and soon he had joined his friend on the ground. Kaden finally stood up, helping Tuck to do the same.
“This is Amelia, my sister, and don’t mess with her if you know what’s good for you. She’s like a bear with a sore head - on a good day.”
Amelia pushed her brother back down on the grass again, just as Duke arrived.
“Is this your way of keeping a low profile?” he asked, giving Kaden a hand up.
“Sorry, we were just having a laugh. This is my sister, Amelia.”
“You mean Mia, don’t you,” said Duke.
The girl looked at this strange man standing beside her. A deep scar etched into his face.
“How do you know my name?”
“I gave it to you, it was me who did the paperwork,” he expression stern and serious.
“Well, thank you. I quite like it.”
Amelia smiled up at him and saw a glint in his dark eyes. He wasn’t as tough as he looked, she decided.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Duke walked back to the motor-home with Kaden and Amelia, telling the rest of the boys to wait at the tent and stay out of trouble. Estelle saw them from the window as she was stirring a large pot of chilli.
“Lloyd, the kids are back and there’s a strange man with them. Do you think it means trouble?”
Her husband looked out, immediately recognizing their visitor. He went to meet them, putting an arm around Kaden while holding out his hand to Duke.
“I can never repay you for getting my son back to me. Please, come inside.”
The men shook hands and went in to Estelle. She also thanked Duke and insisted he stay for a meal.
“How could I refuse, it smells delicious. I don’t have a lot of time, though, and I would like to speak with you and Lloyd alone, if that’s okay.”
“Kaden and Amelia, can you both wait outside while we talk, please,” said Lloyd.
He took two plates of food from Estelle and sat at the table, opposite their guest.
“Kaden, I made enough to feed an army. Why don’t you and Amelia take it to your friends and eat with them. That should give us enough time,” Estelle looked at Duke and he nodded.
She gave Amelia a bag containing disposable cutlery, plates and beakers, then sat down beside Lloyd with her own dish.
“Okay, what’s the problem, are we still in danger?” Lloyd felt a knot tightening in his stomach.
Duke swallowed a mouthful of food and smiled at Estelle.
“That’s good chilli, ma’am.”
Then he turned to face Lloyd.
“Did y
ou know there is a $50,000 reward for the capture of your son alive?”
He knew by the look on their faces that it was news to them. Finishing off his food while the information sank in, Duke was trying to think what the best course of action should be, but before he said anything Lloyd spoke.
“I know why you helped Kaden, and believe me, what you have done for us beats anything I ever did for you, easily. You don’t owe us a thing, I understand if you want to go. You’ve done a great job.”
Duke took a few more forkfuls of food before answering, then wiped his mouth with a serviette.
“I’ve come to know your son very well on our journey here. Whatever help I give from now on is not because I feel obligated. I really do want to make sure you are all safe. I know Jake would want that too. So we need to talk about your plans, do you have any?”
The couple looked at each other, then shook their heads.
“We do like it here, from what we’ve seen and read about the place. I would like to stay if we can,” said Estelle.
Lloyd asked Duke if he felt they would be safe enough in Guadalajara or somewhere nearby, like Lake Chapala.
“A lot of foreigners have settled in this area, especially North Americans and Canadians. It would be quite easy to blend in as just another family moving here. Your papers are all good, so don’t worry about them,” Duke said.
He turned to look out through the window.
“We need to talk to Kaden about the boys. He wants to help them. I know at least one of them plans on going back to Chicago to find his younger brother.”
“How do we know he won’t try to claim the reward, when he gets to Chicago? Or any of the others, for that matter?” asked Lloyd.
“We don’t,” said Duke, “So we need to talk to them, can they come here?”
Estelle stood up saying, “Of course they can. I’ll go fetch them straight away.”
******
It was a bit of a squash, everyone sitting around the motor-home, some on the floor, and others on the couches. Duke and Lloyd sat on the driver and passenger seats, which had been turned around to face into the vehicle. The men had decided to be honest with the boys and not beat around the bush. Lloyd cleared his throat and spoke first.
“We want you all to know that you are more than welcome to stay with us, we are going to see about leasing a business and generating some income. There would be bed and board plus a small wage for anyone who is interested in joining us and helping out. Can we have a show of hands?”
Everyone put up their hand except Ash.
“It’s a very tempting offer,” he said “But I have to go back to Chicago and look for my brother. I don’t want him ending up a prisoner like I was.”
“That’s understandable, you can come back with me if you like. I’ll be heading off first thing in the morning,” Duke said, “But I have to ask you a question and I hope you will give me an honest answer. Would you betray a friend for a large amount of cash?”
“You mean the reward that was offered for Teach?” Ash said, smiling, “Don’t you think we have all had plenty of opportunity to do that over the last few days? Anyway, you’d find us and then what good would the money be? It’s not worth the risk, and besides,” the young man turned to Kaden and looked him in the eye, “We’re friends.”
“Ash’s brother helped me after I was mugged and knocked out,” Kaden said.
He looked at Tuck, who held his breath, waiting to hear his name mentioned. Nothing was said and he sighed with relief, grateful to be let off the hook once more.
“Is your brother’s name Jasper?” asked Lloyd.
This surprised Ash, “How did you know that? Is he in some sort of trouble?”
“Not at all, quite the opposite.”
Lloyd went on to explain how they came to meet Jasper and that he was in the care of a very kind woman and living in her home.
“So, you see there’s no need for you to go back, at least not for a while. You might draw attention to him and Martha, and get all three of you in serious trouble. Better to wait till it’s safe. Why not stay here. I promise you, the first opportunity we get, you and your brother will meet up.”
Ash thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Duke said he would get some papers and ID for the boys and have it sent to Lloyd.
It was getting late, so Estelle suggested they all get a good night’s sleep and in the morning have breakfast together. Kaden said he would like to stay in the tent with the boys, if that was okay with his parents. They said they understood and Estelle brought out a few blankets for them in case it got cold later on.
“I’ll come too,” Amelia smiled at Tuck, but Lloyd stood between them to open the door.
“I think, young lady, that you will need a good rest. You have a big crowd to cook breakfast for tomorrow. Good night boys,” he said, patting each one on the shoulder as they stepped out into the darkness.
Last one to leave was Tuck. He shook hands with Lloyd and Estelle, thanking them for their hospitality.
Smiling over at Amelia, he said, “I’ll be looking forward to breakfast.”
Kaden grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the motor-home, laughing at a display of manners that was totally out of character for Tuck.
Estelle called her son back inside. There was something she needed to ask him in private.
“What is it, Mom? You look so worried,” he said.
“I noticed a tattoo on some of the boys’ necks. I’m just a bit concerned they might be gang members. I know they are your friends but I have to think about Amelia and…” her voice trailed off as Kaden pulled his long, dark hair away from his neck to reveal his own “tattoo.”
“They never used our names. We were just numbers to them,” he said, solemnly.
Estelle, lost for words, pulled her son into her arms and held on tight. When she released him, they both had tears in their eyes.
“You go join your friends, Kaden. We’ll see you all tomorrow,” she said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Next morning Amelia and the boys were tucking into a hearty breakfast when a dust covered truck pulled up outside the motor-home. Kaden was surprised to see his parents emerge from it. His father was smiling and held his mother’s hand as they approached the door. Once inside, Lloyd put his arm around Estelle.
“You are now looking at the proud lease holders of a small vineyard and market garden,” he announced.
Lloyd went on to explain that the elderly couple who owned the business could no longer keep up with the work and wanted to retire. Their son lived in Canada and had no interest in moving back home.
“We have a five year lease with an option to buy, and we are going to need a lot of help. Anyone interested?”
There was a big cheer and lots of laughing and joking.
Over the next few weeks “The Lake Chapala Vineyard” became a hive of activity. The boys came to feel like they were part of a family and Estelle treated them like sons. Amelia felt like she had accumulated five extra brothers overnight. Well, maybe only four, as her feelings for Tuck could not be described as sisterly. Her father spotted this straight away and had a long talk with the young man about it. Tuck assured him he would respect his wishes and that there was nothing to worry about. Estelle also had words with Amelia.
Things were falling neatly into place. Duke had asked the Seagers to fill out postcards, which he arranged to be sent from Florida to the Brubakers and others back in Chicago. They told everyone that it was too painful for them to return home and they had decided to stay longer to give them time to come to terms with the loss of Kaden. There was even a postcard from Amelia to Ethan. Kaden felt bad that his best friend could not be told that he was safe but Duke warned him it would only put Ethan and themselves in danger if they were to contact him.
One evening, Lloyd and Kaden were working together repairing an old shed and Estelle came up to them with some juice. Finding himself alone with both of his parents, Kaden asked his mo
ther to stay for a few moments as there was something troubling him.
“What is it, son? You know you can tell us anything,” his father said.
“Please don’t think I’m ungrateful for everything that you’ve both done for me and the boys, but…” he seemed lost for words.
His mother voiced her concern.
“Kaden, just say what’s on your mind. I’ve noticed that you’ve seemed distant these last few days. Is there something we can do to help?”
The young man wiped his brow with a sleeve.
“I keep thinking about Paco and Radar. They helped us escape and I feel so bad that we left them there. I promised I would do everything in my power to get them out.”
Estelle looked at her husband.
“Lloyd, we have to tell him.”
“Tell me what?” asked Kaden.
Father and son stood facing each other, as they had done many times in the past. In those days it would have been with animosity. This was very different.
“Please, Dad, trust me. If you have something planned I need to know. I promise not to breathe a word to anyone, unless you say so.”
Lloyd put down his hammer and looked around, making sure they were alone.
“Duke and I have discussed some things that could lead to the release of your friends but it will take time and careful planning. You cannot mention this to a soul, Kaden. Do you understand how dangerous it is for us to go up against Henry Brubaker?”
Kaden’s face paled at the mention of that name.
“You don’t have to convince me of his power. I’ve been a victim of it, remember?”
“I can’t tell you any more son, but I will let you know when we are ready to put our plans into action. I’m asking you to be patient. If Brubaker and those involved with him get wind of anything suspicious, all of the boys in that base in Antarctica will disappear, for good. So, for now, we have to build a life for ourselves here and wait until the time is right to bring that tyrant and his cronies down. Do you understand, son?”
Kaden held out a hand to his father.
“Thank you for trusting me, Dad. I knew you would want justice, that’s why you were such a good politician. I promise not to say a word of this to anyone.”
Finding 01 Finding Kaden Page 19