Road of Stars

by Ariel Bonin

  Resigning, Andrew let out an audible sigh, then pressed his lips together. Finally, he said, "Okay, we'll stay…"

  Zoey squealed again.

  "For one night, and then we're leaving!" he finished.

  She didn't answer him.

  Pete removed Daisy from his lap and watched her run off to do some more haphazard cleaning. He gestured toward the staircase along the far wall. "Let me show you where you'll be sleeping. Dinner is in about thirty minutes. You'll have some time to wash up before we eat."

  _____

  Andrew and Lindsey sat next to each other on the flannel bedspread and stared out their back window. Waning sunlight flickered between the tall pines as they rustled in a gentle breeze.

  "Something's off here," Andrew said quietly, not trusting that they were truly alone.

  "What makes you think that?" Lindsey asked. She continued to stare straight ahead, hypnotized by the swaying trees.

  "That kid is way too happy to be here."

  "Which one?"

  "Exactly! They're all kids!"

  Lindsey dropped her eyes, appearing to think about it.

  "Don't tell me you haven't noticed," he said.

  She looked at him now. "They are a…bit on the young side."

  "Thank you—"

  "But does it matter?" she asked, shaking her head.

  He scoffed and stuttered for a moment. "I-I guess not. It's just really strange, that's all."

  "What did you and Zoey talk about?"

  "The fact that this Pete seems to have pulled the wool over her eyes. He sat outside our campsite and waited to get her alone so he could bring her here!"

  Lindsey's brow twitched. "That is kind of sketchy…"

  "Yeah, it is."

  "But he didn't hurt any of us. He could have done anything while we were sleeping—and he didn't."

  "He kidnapped my daughter!"

  "Well, he didn't exactly kidnap her…"

  "Dammit, Lindsey, whose side are you on?"

  Her dark eyes flashed at him. "Yours, of course. But we need to be careful with how this plays out, because if you don't handle it the right way, you're going to lose her, Andy."

  Andrew hung his head and ran a hand through his hair, which was growing out and starting to curl at the ends.

  "I know…" he whispered.

  _____

  Everyone in Bear Creek sat on benches around the long dining table as platters of barbecued meat and the usual sides were brought out and placed before them. The smoky smell, mixed with the aroma of freshly baked biscuits, made Andrew's mouth water like crazy. Lindsey sat between him and Charlie, with Nicholas and Kat just beyond them. Zoey sat to his left, but paid him no attention. On her opposite side, Pete whispered something to her and she giggled.

  Andrew wanted to throttle him.

  Underneath the table, Lindsey squeezed Andrew's hand. He blew out a breath and met her watchful gaze. Her eyes pleaded with him to remain calm. Somehow, he did.

  Once they had filled their plates, Pete made a toast.

  As he spoke, he grinned pointedly at Zoey. Andrew had to pin down his anger once more. Glancing to his right, he saw that Charlie had the same expression of frustration. They swapped a look that said, Would you like to kill him, or shall I?

  When Pete finished, everyone dug in. Andrew speared a piece of meat with his fork and ate it. The meat was tender, somewhat fatty and sweet.

  "Do you raise your own livestock?" Charlie asked Pete.

  "No, we don't—just some chickens. We have good huntin' around here."

  Something about Pete's statement unsettled Andrew. Like a memory that couldn't resurface in the murky depths of his mind.

  "What kind of meat is this?" Lindsey asked now.

  "Wild boar," Pete stated.

  "I've never had boar that was this sweet," Charlie said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

  Pete's smile stiffened for a brief second. No one may have seen it, but Andrew did. "It's the rub we use. We add sugar."

  Charlie nodded. Andrew could tell he still didn't believe the young man.

  "Well I think it's delicious!" Zoey said between bites. Sauce clung to the corners of her mouth.

  Andrew had to agree. It was pretty good. Nevertheless, he chose to eat more potatoes than meat. He reached for his cup and took a sip. Fiery liquid torched the back of his throat. Coughing, he put down his glass.

  Pete chuckled. "Like it? It's my grandfather's recipe."

  Lindsey tasted her drink and puckered her mouth. "Moonshine?"

  "The best in the world," he replied.

  "Ain't bad," Charlie said, finishing off his glass.

  Lindsey slid hers over to him. He smiled and took it.

  "Your loss."

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, Andrew dressed and made his way down the hall to Charlie's room. He went to knock, but the door was already open. Stepping into the room, he said, "Hey, man, I'm coming in…"

  No answer.

  The bed was a messy platform of sheets and an empty jar of moonshine sat on the bedside table.

  "Charlie?" he called out, but knew the man wasn't in here.

  He moved back into the hallway and saw Nicholas coming out of his own room.

  "Hey, have you seen Charlie?"

  Nicholas shook his head.

  "Oh, he left early this morning," a voice said from behind them. Andrew turned around to see Pete leaving the bathroom. "Said he was anxious to get back to the group. He talked about bringing them this way."

  Huh? "Wait a minute, bringing them back? We're leaving."

  "Why leave? We've got plenty of space. The walls keep us safe. And Zoey fits right in here."

  Andrew tensed as Pete struck a nerve. This boy didn't know what was best for Zoey—he didn't know anything about her.

  "Listen," Pete said, his voice holding a slight nervous edge, "why don't you take the day and think it over? Feel free to walk around and see what we do here. Then, when Charlie gets back, you can decide."

  Clenching his jaw, Andrew forced a smile, but it still didn't meet his eyes. "Sure."

  "Awesome. Breakfast is ready downstairs. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

  Andrew nodded and Pete continued on downstairs. Nicholas stayed by Andrew until the young man was gone.

  "Why the hell would Charlie leave by himself?" Nicholas asked.

  "I'm sure he's thinking of his own family, but there's no way I want them tromping through the woods with Jake. They'd be lucky to make it here alive."

  "Do you want Kat and I to catch up and tell them to stay there?"

  Andrew thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, actually, I do. I hate to ask that of you…"

  Nicholas laughed. "Well, you didn't. I offered."

  "And I'll be sure to write that on your grave marker," he joked darkly.

  Nicholas mirrored his smirk and gave him a clap on the back. "We'll see you tonight."

  _____

  Lindsey awoke when Andrew closed their bedroom door behind him. She didn't even realize he had left the room. He came over and sat on her side of the bed, bracing his arms on either side of her hips.

  "Good morning," she whispered.

  "Morning…"

  She sat up and pressed her lips to his. His heart may have been in the kiss, but his head wasn't.

  "What's wrong?" she asked, trying to meet his troubled gaze.

  "Pete said that Charlie left to go back and get the rest of the group."

  She frowned. "Why would he do that?"

  Andrew chuckled. "I don't know. It doesn't sound like him."

  "Maybe he's worried about Caren and Robert. Nadie, too…"

  "Maybe. Either way, Nicholas and Kat are leaving to catch up with him."

  "Do you think that's wise? We're kind of getting stretched thin here," she said.

  He shrugged. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

  "Okay, well, we should find Zoey."

  "That's what I was abo
ut to do," he said, shifting to let Lindsey get up.

  "If you wait for me, I'll go with you," she said as she pulled on her jeans.

  "Oh, I'm not letting you out of my sight. This place is getting stranger by the hour."

  She rolled her eyes. "I think we'll be just fine. I know I've said this, but if they meant us any harm, we'd probably already be dead."

  Andrew sighed. "I know, I know…"

  Once Lindsey finished getting dressed, they walked downstairs. Like the evening before, Zoey and Pete sat together at one end of the dining table. Her giggles echoed off the high ceilings and Lindsey watched Andrew to see what he would do. He glared daggers at the young man and walked a little faster toward the table. Lindsey reached for his hand and pulled him back so they were next to each other.

  "Just play it cool, Andy. Remember?" she whispered. If you don't, you'll push her away.

  Pursing his lips, he shot her a look of annoyance. She held her breath as they approached the teenagers. Andrew planted himself right next to Zoey on the bench and the girl jumped. Her forehead wrinkled and her mouth dropped open at his intrusion. Lindsey wanted to shake her head. At least he hadn't forced himself between them—that would have been only slightly more awkward.

  Ignoring the quiet bickering to her left, Lindsey took a seat next to him and reached for a plate. Scrambled eggs and some strange-looking bacon occupied the center of the table. She loaded up the plate and pushed it in front of Andrew. It distracted him long enough to stop arguing with his daughter. Pete took the opportunity to excuse himself and Zoey followed him out.

  "That went well," Lindsey said as she put food on her own plate.

  Andrew glared at her and kept eating, his fork stabbing the eggs repeatedly.

  When they were done eating, they wandered outside. Zoey wasn't far away, watching a girl younger than her sew a quilt by hand. Pete stood across the road and talked to a couple of young boys who were in the process of trading something.

  "You have to give them some credit. This is pretty amazing," Lindsey said. "Everyone's getting along, surviving."

  Andrew mumbled, "Yeah, I guess so."

  They descended the steps and strolled down the road. Lindsey took in the colors, the smells. Bear Creek had its odd moments, but its youthfulness overshadowed them. She could feel the life here, almost taste it.

  As they passed one tent, a familiar, skunky scent wafted past their noses. Underneath the tie-dye canopy, a teenage boy sat with a joint between his lips.

  "You think it's for his glaucoma?" Lindsey asked once they were out of earshot.

  Andrew gave her a flat look. She snorted.

  When they reached the gate, Lindsey made it a point to check for their weapons. She could see hers and Andrew's right away. She was only slightly relieved to see that Charlie's rifle was gone, along with Nicholas's and Kat's weapons. Scanning their surroundings, she stopped to study a young woman guarding the gate. Something in her arms made Lindsey pause.

  "That girl has Charlie's gun," she whispered to Andrew.

  "What?" His head snapped around. "Where?"

  She looked away from the wall and then stretched her head to the side, indicating where. He took in as much information as possible in one glance.

  "It's his. I'd know it anywhere."

  "We need to confront Pete."

  "No. That's not going to get us anywhere. He'll just give us the runaround like he's been doing this whole time. We need someone else to tell us what's really going on here…"

  Andrew and Lindsey began to walk back to the lodge, trying to appear casual in the process. They checked on Zoey one more time and she was still talking amongst a group of teenagers.

  "Should we take her with us?" Lindsey asked him.

  Andrew shook his head. "I don't want her involved in this. It could get messy…"

  Great, she thought with a sigh.

  Once inside the lodge, they went into their room and closed the door. Lindsey reached under her shirt and passed Andrew a sheathed knife.

  "Where the hell did you get that?" he asked, taking it.

  "Kat gave it to me right before we came through the gates…just in case."

  Andrew smirked. "You ladies are always prepared."

  Lindsey smiled. "We try."

  "All right, stay back. I think I hear someone coming…" He opened the door by an inch and waited until the footsteps got closer. Reaching out, he grabbed someone by their shirt and yanked them into the room.

  Lindsey shut the door and watched Andrew drag an unfamiliar boy over to their bed. He covered the boy's mouth with his hand, stifling squeals of alarm. The boy couldn't have been older than ten.

  "Listen," Andrew hissed as the kid fought him, "I'm going to remove my hand, but if you don't shut up, it'll be the last sound you ever make. Got it?"

  The boy's eyes widened, but he nodded. Lindsey's heart pounded in fear of what would happen next. She'd never heard Andrew threaten a child before. Unfortunately, the situation called for it.

  When Andrew lifted his hand, the boy kept his mouth sealed tight. "Good. Now, I need you to tell us where we can find a friend of ours. His name is Charlie—older, blondish hair, looks angry most of the time…"

  The kid gulped and remained silent.

  Andrew gave him a little shake and said, "He's the oldest guy here—not hard to miss."

  The boy pressed his lips together and stared back at Andrew. Andrew grunted in frustration and pulled the knife from where he'd tucked it into his pants. He pressed it against the boy's throat, but before he could speak, Lindsey stepped forward and got the kid's attention.

  "Hey, we really need your help. We just want our friend, and then we'll leave. No one has to get hurt," she said as gently as possible, perhaps more so to Andrew than the kid. "What's your name?"

  "Daniel," he whispered.

  His name, the same name she'd given to her unborn child two years before, made her take pause. She knew this wasn't the time to reflect or read into it though, so she pushed ahead. He'd talked to her—that was something.

  "Daniel…please, we're just worried about our friend. He was at dinner with us last night and disappeared this morning. Do you know where we can find him?" she asked.

  Daniel shook his head. "He left."

  "We know he's here, so don't lie!" Andrew said, keeping the blade in place.

  "I can't tell you…" he whimpered.

  Andrew grabbed one of Daniel's fingers and placed the tip of the knife under his fingernail. "You can and you will. Lindsey, hold him down."

  "God, Andrew, no!" she said as the two males struggled.

  Just as the blade began to move, Daniel cried, "The storm shelter! Don't hurt me, please! Please…!"

  Lindsey stepped back and clutched her chest, running the other hand over her hair. She couldn't believe Andrew had almost tortured a little kid. Yes, she'd given him the knife, but just for their protection against other armed people. She hadn't meant for things to escalate like this. The moment Andrew lowered the weapon, she snatched it from him and slid it under her belt.

  "Where's the storm shelter, Daniel?" she asked, desperate to keep the situation under control.

  "It's under the lodge. The doors are out back."

  "Are they locked?" Andrew asked now.

  "There's a bolt lock on the outside, but you don't need a key."

  Andrew scoffed. "What's the point of that?"

  "It's so we can get in, but they can't get out…"

  Lindsey and Andrew exchanged a look. "'They'?"

  Daniel stared at both of them, his brown eyes begging. "I've already told you too much. Please, just let me go."

  Lindsey saw Andrew clench his jaw and she reached over to squeeze his shoulder. "We should let him go."

  "Are you crazy? He'll go running straight to Pete."

  "I won't, I swear!" Daniel screeched. "He'd kill me!"

  "Quiet!" Andrew said, covering the boy's mouth. He glanced at the knife on Lindsey's belt.


  "No," she said and placed her hand over it. "Hell no."

  "Just trust me on this…okay, Linds?"

  After sliding him a tortured glance, she let him take the knife. She closed her eyes and turned away. She heard cutting, but no muffled screams. Peeking over her shoulder, she watched Andrew remove the last of the blinds' thin ropes and tie them around Daniel's wrists. He then secured them to a bottom bedpost. Ripping off a strip from the sheets, he used it to gag the boy.

  Andrew knelt down to Daniel's level and held up the knife. "If I find out that you lied to me, I'm going to come back up here without her and kill you myself."

  The terrified boy closed his eyes and tried to move away from Andrew.

  Standing up quickly, Andrew walked past Lindsey and said, "Come on."

  _____

  Andrew tried to shake off his encounter with Daniel as he and Lindsey waited to sneak behind the lodge. He knew she was upset with him. Hell, he was upset with himself. He'd envisioned grabbing someone older—especially not a child—but this place didn't seem to have anyone but children. At least Daniel had broken easily; no need to follow through with any sort of torture. He probably wouldn't have forgiven himself if it'd come to that. He hoped Lindsey would forgive him for what he had done.

  When no one was looking, they slipped around the corner and stayed low to avoid the lodge's windows. Finally they came across two metal doors, locked by a deadbolt—just as Daniel said they would be. Andrew slid the lock open and lifted the door on one side. He started down the steps first, clutching the knife at his side. The cellar smelled musty and somewhat metallic, like old coins. Daylight from the open door illuminated a single bulb hanging from the low ceiling. Andrew pulled on the string and the bulb came to life with blinding intensity.

  Blood-spattered tools lay strewn about on the table to their right. Lindsey looked around with wide eyes and lifted her boot to reveal a crimson puddle beneath her foot.

  "Dear God…Andrew, what the hell's been going on down here?" she wondered aloud.

  "I don't know, but it's obviously not good…"

  "What's that?" she asked, pointing to a lump on the opposite side of the room.

  They crossed the uneven dirt floor and Andrew crouched down next to the unknown object.