Kwan looked at him. “Now?”
Sebastian wasn’t sure he could say it out loud. He wasn’t 100 percent sure he actually truly believed it. After all, there were still many things about being a brain surgeon that excited him. But none could hold a candle to the other thing.
To exploring.
Saying it out loud would make it real. Would make everything he’d ever wanted in his life vanish in one pronouncement. And he wasn’t ready. Not for that. Not for the scary vastness of unknown dreams that lay ahead.
“Now I’m not sure,” concluded Sebastian. “Anyway. The point is, you’ve tried the K-pop thing, you gave it a fair shot. Maybe it’s time for something new?”
Kwan shook his head. “I can’t. I have fans. I don’t want to let people down.”
“You’re just a teenager. You’re not a grown-up or anything,” replied Sebastian, shocked that so much heavy responsibility lay on Kwan’s shoulders. Except of course it wasn’t like Sebastian didn’t have his own share. He and Evie, that is.
“Yeah, well…I still have responsibilities. I mean, maybe, if they could find a replacement…” Kwan stopped talking and sighed. He looked up, and then, realizing maybe he’d gotten a bit too personal, he smiled that big smile of his. Then quite theatrically he stretched his arms way above his head and yawned. When he’d finished, he said, “Anyway, you can take the bed if you want. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“No, the sofa is fine,” Sebastian replied.
“You sure? You’re the guest.”
“Yes. I’m also totally exhausted. I could sleep on the dining room table, I’m so tired.” It was true. He was fading fast. The weight of everything that had happened to him up until this moment was suddenly overpowering.
“Okay, good night!” Kwan called out, and in one swift motion he tucked himself into the giant bed, virtually disappearing under a mass of covers and pillows.
“Good night,” Sebastian replied, and lay back on the comfortable sofa.
In a few short minutes he could hear rhythmic breathing coming from the bed. It seemed Kwan had already fallen asleep. It had all happened rather quickly and abruptly.
Sebastian lay there staring at the dark shiny ceiling above him. Despite his exhaustion, he just couldn’t follow Kwan’s example. His brain just would not shut off. He wondered where the men in black were, if they were just outside somewhere, trying to find a way into the headquarters of the Lost Boys. Sebastian shuddered thinking about it, and then he realized that this place had to have been created so that no paparazzi or fans could find their way in. For now, he had to assume, logically, that he was safe.
Sebastian glanced over at Kwan’s back. He felt pretty bad for him. For all the responsibilities he had. For not wanting to disappoint so many people. Sebastian understood the feeling. He’d always wanted to make his parents proud. So far he’d succeeded. But someday…someday he might not.
Sebastian sat up in a sudden rush of adrenaline. Today was not going to be that day. He wasn’t going to give up that easily. Sebastian quickly climbed off the sofa and looked around the room one more time for some way to communicate with the outside world. But of course Kwan hadn’t been lying to him. It would have been strange if he had. Still, it really was weird that Kwan didn’t have a phone. It was something every teenager had these days. Heck, most kids Sebastian’s age had one. Except for him. He’d never really known why it was necessary, and neither had his parents. Of course now—after having been kidnapped—was probably exactly the right time to have a phone.
Sebastian made his way over to the door of the room. Just as he went to reach for it, it swung wide open. Standing in the bright hallway light was Suwon.
He announced something loudly, then noticed Sebastian standing right there and looked down at him, confused. Then he said, “Lights-out!” by way of explanation.
“Okay,” replied Sebastian. There was something a little intimidating about Suwon. Sebastian had no reason to think this way, but there was something about him Sebastian just didn’t entirely trust. Which was illogical and a gut feeling, and while he was disappointed in himself, he knew Evie would be proud. “So I was just wondering if I could borrow a phone.”
“Not tonight. We discussed this,” replied Suwon, looking at him suspiciously.
“But I really should call my parents. They must be very worried about me.”
“Parents.”
“Yes.” And because it seemed like the man didn’t understand him, for some reason he explained, “You know, the people who raise you and stuff?”
“I know what parents are, Opera Boy,” said Suwon, shaking his head. “Though I wouldn’t necessarily agree with your definition. In all cases, that is.”
“I suppose not,” replied Sebastian, not certain he wanted to get into a philosophical conversation about parenting at the moment. “Uh, can I call mine?”
Suwon thought about it for a moment. “Call them tomorrow. Now it’s lights-out. Time for sleeping.” Suwon reached around the door and flipped a switch, throwing Sebastian into darkness. With one last look, Suwon closed the door firmly, and Sebastian just stared at it.
Slowly he wandered back to his couch and lay down reluctantly. His mind was swirling with thoughts. No, worse than that, fears. He feared what would happen to him if the men in black found him. He feared what would happen if he didn’t get in touch with someone soon—his parents, anyone. Would they panic? Would they be really upset? He didn’t want to upset anyone. He wondered if Evie was coming after him as she’d promised, and he feared both that she was and that she wasn’t. He didn’t want her to get in trouble, to get hurt, but he didn’t want her to abandon him either. He knew how brave she was and that she could do anything she set her mind to, but he still felt terrible that she had to do this. Had to rescue him. Had to rescue her grandfather. Had to really save the day in so many ways. Talk about responsibilities.
If only he hadn’t been in her room at the society. If only he had gone home.
If only.
No. Sebastian put aside such thoughts in a brusque manner. No. These men were determined. They knew he was the key. They would have found him one way or another. And it wasn’t his fault. None of this was Evie and Sebastian’s fault.
He rolled over onto his side. He should sleep. If he slept, time would move faster and then it would be morning, and then he could call his parents, and then he wouldn’t feel like this anymore. Sleeping was the most logical thing to do in this moment.
And so, he slept.
It was the second time Evie awoke with a start. But this time it wasn’t because of some loud, mysterious thud, but because of a thought: Breakfast.
She rolled over and looked at the clock on the bedside table: 8:30 a.m. Shoot. She whipped the covers off her body and got changed as quickly as she could, then practically flew out the door and down the stairs. She stopped then when she realized she had no idea where she was supposed to meet Catherine.
“Good morning!” said a happy voice, and Evie turned to see a tall man with bright orange hair and a face ruddy from the sun emerging from a small door just beyond the check-in desk.
“Good morning!” replied Evie.
“Hey, wanna see something neat?” he asked.
Evie wasn’t sure if she did or didn’t. Right now she needed to get to breakfast. “Uh…”
“Come, look at this!” said the man, and he beckoned to Evie. He looked so excited that she didn’t have the heart to refuse. As she approached, Evie marveled at his tan lines. Or rather, burn lines. He was wearing a tank top but clearly had been out in a T-shirt the previous day. His shoulders were pale white, but from above his elbows down, his arms were a blistering red. They were painful just to look at. He had a similar red ring around his neck where the T-shirt’s collar had been.
When she arrived at the desk, he pulled out a small
fishbowl with a brilliantly colored purple-and-pink fish inside. “Isn’t she beautiful? I found her yesterday.”
“She is.” Evie leaned in closer to look at the creature’s delicate wispy fins, paper-thin. Up this close Evie could see a subtle black outline around the fish’s eyes and along its back, almost like the creature had been outlined and then colored in.
“Adding it to my aquarium. It’s just perfect.” The man gazed at it fondly and sighed. He was clearly proud of it, and Evie could see why. She’d never seen a fish so beautiful before. But of course, she really didn’t have the time to just stare at a fish like this. She was on a rescue mission, after all.
The man seemed to sense that she was getting impatient, and he smiled again. “Looking for breakfast?”
“I am, yes,” replied Evie.
“You have to go outside and around the corner of the building to the left. Need help finding it?” asked the man.
“Oh, no! No, I’ll find it, thanks,” she said, and jogged to the front door. “And thanks for showing me the fish!” she called over her shoulder.
“No problem!”
In a rush she flung open the door, prepared to dash around the corner and apologize profusely to Catherine for being late. But instead she was stopped in her tracks. It was as if she’d been slapped hard in the face, though she wasn’t entirely sure she knew what that would feel like. But the feeling she’d had at the view that greeted her had so taken her aback, her reaction felt physical.
The brilliant blue sea stretched out vast and wide before her, the caps of the waves sparkling in the morning sun. The white sand that came up to a bleached wooden boardwalk across the street was almost too bright to look at, but her eye was soothed by the emerald-green trees to her far left and right that curved along both distant sides of the cove emerging from the dense foliage.
The inn was located at the perfect center of the curving cove. It was a flawless view. The air was warm already and the water inviting. And the waves seemed the perfect kind for surfing, not that she really knew what kind of wave that was. And yet.
And yet.
No! No view admiring! Only rescue missions for now.
Evie walked purposefully down the steps and looked left, then right. The street she was on was full of brightly painted shops and cafés running parallel to the beach, with nothing on the other side of the road, for obvious reasons. But the whole town seemed deserted. There was only a handful of people out and about, and, Evie acknowledged, though it was still relatively early, the emptiness seemed off.
Well, she didn’t have time to think about it at the moment. She was already late. Quickly she made her way around the side of the inn and came to a little street-level outdoor café that was pretty much empty except for one gray-haired couple and Catherine, who was sitting toward the front of the patio, with a view of the water, and was looking quite intently at a piece of paper. She didn’t even notice as Evie waved, passed through the gate, and came to sit opposite her. Only when Evie sat down did Catherine look up, surprised, seeing her for the first time.
“You’re late,” said Catherine.
“I am. I’m sorry. I had an…odd night.” Evie decided to say nothing further. It wasn’t really like the mysterious figure mattered, and ultimately, in the warm light of day, it seemed far less creepy to think about. In fact, she felt a little silly. It was probably just some local coming home late from work. With a wagon.
Because people often brought wagons to work.
For…reasons…
“What’s that?” asked Evie, shaking the thought out of her brain.
“Alistair’s letter to me,” replied Catherine, taking a sip of coffee.
“Oh, of course!” She had been so wrapped up in the events of the night before that she had completely forgotten about her grandfather’s clue. “Have you figured it out yet?”
Catherine shook her head. “No. Not yet. Do you want to read it?”
Evie nodded, and Catherine spun the letter to face her. For a moment Evie just took in the sight of her grandfather’s handwriting, traced it with her fingers. Then she focused on the actual words:
Dear Catherine,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I am myself living, as always, day to day.
The weather is getting colder and the north wind blows harshly.
But I’ve always liked a bit of a chill.
It makes me think.
And I always can put on different layers if I must.
I hope you’re still having adventures. Though don’t just do so at my request.
I hope this letter helps.
As ever yours,
Alistair
“It’s definitely an odd-sounding letter,” said Evie.
“It is. A combination of normal- and strange-sounding, direct and indirect. Which makes it all the more weird, I think. Any thoughts?” asked Catherine.
Evie wanted to say yes, wanted to have some kind of deep connection with her grandfather that made it all so obvious. But the fact was, she was just as clueless as Catherine. It was her turn to shake her head.
“Okay.” Catherine picked up the letter and pocketed it carefully. “Well, for now let’s keep thinking about it, and meanwhile, I think we should go find Thom,” she said, signaling for a waitress.
“Good idea. Do we have any idea where he might be?” asked Evie.
“No, but we can start by asking around. Seems like a small enough community.”
“Really small. In fact, almost-deserted small,” replied Evie.
“You noticed that too?”
Evie nodded just as Ruby came up to them. “Oh, hey! Are you our waitress?” asked Evie when she saw her.
Ruby smiled that great smile of hers again. “Your waitress, cook, housekeeper, tour guide, whatever you need! These days it’s just me and my friend Erik running the joint. What can I get you?”
Evie was both hungry and also not hungry. The time difference made her stomach a little queasy, but the hours spent traveling had made her famished. She eventually decided on a bacon-and-egg roll and some orange juice. She and Catherine sat in a pleasant silence looking at the waves crashing against the shore as they waited for her food, which was brought to her relatively quickly. Well, quickly enough, considering Ruby also had to cook it.
“Say,” Evie began as Ruby placed the dish in front of her, “how well do you know the people who live around here?”
Ruby laughed at the question. “Oh, I’d say pretty well. That is, if you want to know their shoe size and what grade they got in history when they were fifteen.” Evie was confused, and her expression must have shown that, because Ruby then said, “Lived here my whole life. I know everyone. I know them almost too well.”
“In that case,” said Catherine, “maybe you could help us out. We’re looking for a Thom Walker. Do you know him?”
“You could say that,” replied Ruby with a grin.
“Yeah?” asked Evie. How perfect! Things were already going their way.
“Yeah, he’s my dad.” Ruby pushed her bangs up off her face. “Man, it’s going to be a hot one today.”
“Your…dad?” asked Catherine, and she looked as surprised as Evie felt.
“Yeah, but I have to warn you guys. He’s stopped doing that.”
“Stopped doing what?” asked Evie.
“Taking people to that volcano town.”
Evie was startled. First at the fact that the man they’d been looking for would not be able to help them, and second that Ruby knew why they were looking for him in the first place. “How did you know that’s what we wanted to talk to him about?” asked Evie.
Ruby shrugged. “I’m used to it. My whole life, people have been coming to find him. Not many, but enough. It was worse when I was a teenager and these cute g
uys would come up to me and act nice to me, and they only wanted to talk to my dad.” She didn’t seem upset about it, though. She just laughed again. “I’m sorry if you came all this way to ask him. I guess it makes sense.”
“It does?” asked Catherine.
“No one has come here for the beach this season. It’s been rough. You can probably tell. So my dad’s as good a reason as any to come here instead.”
Evie felt flushed; she felt overwhelmed. Surely they hadn’t come all this way for nothing. Besides, it couldn’t be true, not if Thom had helped Benedict Barnes.
“I think you’re lying to us,” said Evie, maybe a little more meanly than she’d intended.
Ruby’s smile dropped, and she placed a hand on her hip. “I’m not, and that’s pretty rude of you to say.”
“But what you’re saying isn’t true. He helped Benedict, didn’t he?” Evie said, not willing to let the matter drop, and really not caring if she was sounding rude.
“You guys know Benedict?” asked Ruby, her eyebrows rising to the top of her forehead.
“In a manner of speaking,” answered Catherine quietly.
“Okay.” Ruby placed her other hand on her other hip. “Who are you guys?”
Catherine glanced carefully over her shoulder, and Evie wondered then what it was like to be her. To be a former member of the Filipendulous Five, to always wonder who was listening, to carry secret maps on one’s person, secret vials around one’s neck, and secret secrets in one’s mind.
“Maybe we should go for a walk,” suggested Catherine.
Ruby squinted at Catherine for a moment. And then she nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. I’ll get Erik to take over.” She untied the apron around her waist as she walked toward the building.
“But I haven’t eaten my breakfast yet,” said Evie quietly to Catherine. It was probably the least pressing issue at the moment, but she was hungry.
“Well, I’d guess you have about two minutes before she gets back,” replied Catherine.
Evie sighed and quickly took a couple of bites of her bacon-and-egg roll and downed the whole glass of orange juice in one gulp before Ruby returned.
The Reckless Rescue Page 7