by P. T. Hylton
And, today, having a kinda/sorta girlfriend with insider knowledge of the Beyond Academy didn’t hurt.
Chief Yates had his best men investigating the carving on the tree outside the Beyond Academy. Sean wasn’t one of them, so here he sat. At least he still had the book. It was the book that had brought them here. There was a rough map of Rook Mountain drawn on one of the pages, with an 'X' near the Post Office.
Wendy was paging through the book now.
The first half was filled with Regulation violations. Each Regulation had four pages dedicated to it, front and back, and the pages were filled with lists of names and descriptions of their violations.
The first page, devoted to Regulation 1, said simply: “Only the Zed Heads remain faithful.”
“They still consider the Regulations to be law,” Sean said. “And, from the looks of this, they won’t even leave town.”
“Hardliners,” Wendy said. “Nice to know Zed’s legacy isn’t dead. He succeeded in creating a weird new political party, if nothing else.”
She looked up from the book. “So what do we do? Should we tell Christine and Will they’re in danger?”
“No.” The word came to Sean’s lips quickly. “They’ve been through enough with Jake and now Frank. They need to concentrate on building a normal life together. They don’t need to get pulled into…” he gestured toward the book, “whatever this is.”
“I agree. But if they’re in danger—if Trevor’s in danger…”
“We’ll tell them if we have to. But not before.”
Wendy nodded. She leaned in close to him. “You’re cute when you’re protecting people.” She gave him a long, slow kiss.
He pulled away and grinned. “Serve and protect.”
She elbowed him in the ribs playfully and went back to paging through the book.
“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Wendy said. “There was a group at the Academy. Kind of a like an Honor Society, but less…”
“Honorable?” Sean asked.
“Yeah,” Wendy said. “Zed used to come talk to them every couple of weeks. He’d pull them out of class and take them into the auditorium for a private pow wow. The teachers were always welcome if it was during their free period. I went once.”
“What did they talk about?”
“It was about what you’d expect. Zed told them they were the next generation of leaders. That the future depended on them. That they’d be tested.”
“You’re right,” Sean said. “That’s what I expected.”
“Thing is, I’ve been noticing that a lot of the kids with the broken clock tattoos used to be in that group. Colt. Sam. Megan—all the leaders of the Zed Heads now.”
“What do you remember about Colt from the Academy?”
“He was always popular. I remember him being a leader even before he was in the Academy. Other kids looked up to him and followed him. He was a bit of a goody two-shoes though.”
“How do you mean?”
Wendy thought about that for a moment. “He was a stickler for the rules. He was always quick to turn in his friends for the smallest infractions.”
“I don’t hardly see how that would make him popular. Snitches wind up in ditches, and all that.”
“Rats get hit with bats.”
“Exactly. People who talk get outlined in chalk.”
“Tattlers get bit by rattlers.” Wendy smiled. “You’re thinking about it wrong. That’s how it worked when we were kids. But things were different for kids who went to school under the Regulations. Not turning someone in was seen as a truly shameful act.”
“Nobody likes a tattletale. That’s just human nature, right?”
“Maybe so,” Wendy said. “I’m sure some kids would have taken shit for doing the things Colt did. But everyone liked him. He was charismatic. I remember thinking he’d be able to run through as many girls as he wanted in high school.”
“Guess he’s decided to use his charisma for other things. Anyway, whatever he was like back then, he certainly has no problem breaking the rules now.”
“That’s not how he sees it,” Wendy said. “For us adults, the Regulations were a sudden seismic shift in our lives. Every man and woman in Rook Mountain knew the laws we were following were wrong, even if we didn’t want to admit it. But it was different for the kids.”
“They grew up with the Regulations.”
“Exactly. Colt would have been, what, eight years old on Regulation Day? His brain was still developing. The Regulations are buried in there, rooted deep. And now the world’s telling him the Regulations are wrong. It’s like if tomorrow morning someone suddenly told us it was okay to kill anyone we wanted, and our friends and neighbors started murdering random people in the streets. We’d probably push back too.”
“I would hope so,” Sean said. “So Colt’s a true believer. I saw that in his eyes when he came to my door the other night.” He thought for a moment. “You know, in a way, I kind of admire Colt and his friends.”
“Because they can throw a brick through a police car windshield with no consequences?”
He smiled. “Not exactly. It’s their resolve. They’re standing up for their beliefs.”
“That isn’t always a good thing. Look at terrorism. It’s generally motivated by strong beliefs.”
“Yeah. But if we would have had a little more resolve when Zed came to power, if we would have stood up to him like those kids are standing up to us, maybe none of this would have happened.” He rubbed his eyes. “Makes my head hurt just thinking about it. I guess everything has its possible positive and negative outcomes. And its gray areas.”
Wendy nodded. “That’s exactly what these kids are missing. An understanding of gray areas. Do you remember how black and white morality seemed when you were young?”
A chill went through him at the thought.
“Yeah. I do.”
She shifted in her seat to look at him. “Have you ever stopped to wonder what Zed really is? How he was able to do the things he could do?”
“Yeah. Of course.” He paused, trying to think of how to continue. “Whatever he was...is…I think we can agree he’s not human.”
“Exactly. So why should we assume he walked into town or drove into town like a human would? I think maybe this spot is more than just the place you ran into him. I think maybe he somehow entered the town here.”
He nodded slowly. “That would make sense. That could be why the Zed Heads have this place marked in their little book. Maybe they think if he entered the town here once—”
“This is where he’ll return,” she finished.
He suddenly sat up straighter in his seat. “Wait. That’s not right. When we first got the call about the naked man downtown, he was two blocks east of here. Over near the pawn shop. He had wandered over here by the time we arrived.”
She arched her eyebrows. “So, you gonna take me there or what?”
He shifted the car into drive and pulled onto the street. When they reached the pawn shop, he jumped out of the car. He stood and looked around. It seemed like any other street corner in this small downtown. A boy of no more than ten stood leaning against the brick wall outside the pawn shop.
“It would have been right around here,” Wendy said.
Her eyes landed on a tree near the corner. It was older than the other trees on the street. Almost inconveniently big for the downtown. Sean was surprised it hadn’t been taken down.
Wendy wandered toward it. She studied it for a long moment, then called Sean over.
There were a series of numbers carved into the tree. 730. 814. 1020. Each number had a check mark carved next to it.
Sean said, “I’ve seen something like this before. The way the bark’s dented outward around the letters. On a tree outside the old Beyond Academy. You know that Sophie Porter girl who disappeared? It was about her. Or to her. Or maybe from her. The chief has people looking into it.”
He ran his hand over the bark. Just like the tree h
e had seen near the Beyond Academy, it looked almost as if the numbers had been carved from the inside of the tree.
“What do you suppose the numbers mean?” Wendy asked.
Sean glanced back and noticed the boy who’d been leaning against the wall was gone.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s some kind of signal. Maybe someone’s leaving messages.”
Wendy’s hand moved over the carvings again. “These check marks were carved with a different knife. See how the numbers bulge outward? The check mark’s more like a normal carving. Like the bark was cut away.”
He rubbed his chin. “So maybe the number’s the message and the check mark means ‘message received’. What’s the date today?”
“The twentieth.”
“October twentieth.” He tapped the 1020 carved into the tree.
Wendy nodded slowly. “You think they’re dates.”
Sean shrugged. “It’s a theory.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Swiss Army knife.
“My boy scout,” she said. “What are you gonna do?”
He grinned. “On my honor, I will do my best. I don’t remember any more of it.” He flipped open the knife. “I’m gonna leave a little message of my own and see if anyone responds. I think I’ll try 1029.” He bent down and brought the blade to the face of the tree.
“Don’t!” someone behind him screamed.
Sean spun and saw a teenage boy, maybe fourteen years old. The boy’s fists were clenched and he was shaking with anger. “You don’t know what you’re doing. Don’t touch that tree.”
He stood up and made a show of closing his knife. “Okay. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me.”
The kid shook his head. Sean noticed the broken clock tattoo on his hand. The smaller boy, the one who’d been leaning against the building when they arrived, stood beside him.
“Alright. Why don’t you tell me what you know about this tree?”
The kid’s voice shook when he spoke. “I know if you cut a single line in that tree, bad things will happen to you. Things that’ll make a brick through your windshield look like nothing.”
Wendy put a hand on Sean’s shoulder. He brushed it off and stepped forward. “You trying to scare me, son?”
The kid’s face was beet red now. “You think we’re just a bunch of kids, don’t you? You have no idea. There are more people loyal to the Regulations than you would believe. You think because the feds showed up, this is over? It’s just getting started.”
“Grant,” Wendy said. “You know me, right? Ms. Caulfield? I’m sure you’ve seen me around school.”
He nodded.
“You want to be careful now. I understand you’re upset. If you don’t want us to cut the tree, we won’t. But Officer Lee isn’t your enemy.”
“The way I heard it, he’s everybody’s enemy. Everybody who cares about Rook Mountain, anyway.” With that, Grant grabbed the younger kid by the arm and dragged him into the pawn shop.
“Seems like a nice kid,” Sean said.
“A lot of them are like that these days. You still want to carve up the tree?”
He shrugged. “No point now. I wanted to see if they’d respond, but they’ll know it was me now. Seems pretty clear the Zed Heads are the ones doing this.”
Wendy paused for a moment. “But why? There are a million ways to communicate. This hardly seems like the most efficient.”
“Maybe they’re communicating with someone else.”
Her head snapped around suddenly. “Like someone who went through a mirror?”
His brow creased. “Come on. You don’t actually think they’re talking to Zed, do you?”
She didn’t answer. She kept staring at the tree. “I’ve seen something like this before, too.”
He smiled. “You gonna take me there or what?”
3. Sanctuary
Jake sat in a large wooden chair in the living room of his home. The chair had a high back and was a bit taller than any of the others in the room, giving it a throne-like appearance. Sophie sat on the couch next to the chair. She felt like a kid in the principal’s office.
Logan and Baldwin stood near the couch. They’d each finished sharing their versions of what had happened earlier in the night. It was still dark outside, but ten or so people Sophie had never met were gathered in the living room with them. Sophie was starting to realize the nocturnal nature of the society she was now living in.
“Maybe Frasier should be answering for this,” Baldwin said. “He’s the one who said she was ready.”
Jake frowned. “He’s a little busy tending to Carver. Anything else, Baldwin?”
The big man shook his head. “I’m ready.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Ready for what?”
“You’re kidding right?” He paused, but Jake said nothing. After a moment, Baldwin leaned closer to Jake. “I’m ready to hear your sentence.”
“Oh come on,” Logan said. “It was an accident.”
They’d left Carver with Frasier. Apparently he served as the doctor here as well as the orienter of newbies.
Frasier had made it clear how serious the situation was. He’d said he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to save the arm. Sophie felt sick when she heard those words. It hurt Sophie’s brain to even consider it; the idea was just too big. She’d caused this. It felt like a swarm of bees buzzing around in her head. She couldn’t think straight. So she listened and did what she was told.
Logan had yelled at Sophie plenty on the long walk back to the house. She’d told her they needed to explain the situation to Jake, and she’d warned her to expect the worst. But then Logan surprised her. When telling the story to Jake, Logan defended Sophie at every turn. She told the truth, but it was a version of the truth that painted Sophie in the best possible light. Baldwin fumed through the telling, and then told his version, a version that probably erased all the benefit of the doubt Logan had built.
Baldwin shook his head. “It wasn’t an accident. She disobeyed a direct order, and Carver might lose his arm because of it. That fits the definition of hurting someone. Hence she broke the rules. Hence she should be banished.”
“Are you kidding me?” Logan responded. “Was it a stupid move? Yes. I’d like to beat the shit out of her right now. If it wasn’t against the rules for me to do so, she’d be a walking bruise by sun-up.”
So much for the goodwill, Sophie thought.
Logan continued. “But it was in no way malicious. She didn’t know what she was doing.”
Jake turned to Sophie. She’d been quiet until now. “You got anything to add?”
“Just that I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t count for much, but it’s true.”
“You’re right,” a voice from the back of the room said. “It doesn’t mean much.” Murmurs of approval swept through the room.
I’m off to a great start here, Sophie thought.
“She loves the Larvae so much, maybe she should stay with them for good,” someone else said.
“You’re all forgetting something.” As soon as the man spoke, ice clutched Sophie’s chest. She recognized that voice, though the last time she’d heard it had been years ago in a courtroom. It was Taylor. Sophie hadn’t known he was here. “May I, Jake?”
Jake nodded. “Of course. Have your say.”
“You’re all forgetting the other part of the story. If what Logan and Baldwin are saying is true, she killed two of the Larvae. Not scared them off. Killed them dead. Think of what that means.”
Sophie was frozen, almost unable to move as she watched Taylor. The man moved like a snake. He put his mammoth hand on Sophie’s shoulder. It was all she could do to not vomit. Or break down in tears. Or grab his hand and break every finger. But she knew that wouldn’t go over well at this exact moment. Not now. But soon.
“It’s a damn tragedy,” Taylor continued. “No one here would argue with that. But let’s not condemn this woman. Today she brought us tears. But tomorrow...”
“Tomorrow wh
at?” Baldwin asked.
Taylor shrugged. “If she can do it again, if she can kill the Larvae and teach the rest of us to kill them, how many lives has she saved in the long run?”
“How about it, Sophie?” Jake asked. “Did you get lucky, or can you do it again?”
“I can do it again,” she said softly.
The room was silent now. Every eye was on her. A tension hung in the air, but it wasn’t the agitated tension that had been there a few moments ago.
Taylor took his hand off her shoulder, and Sophie felt a wave of relief. She hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been gritting her teeth.
After a long silence, Jake pointed at Sophie. “You learned a terrible lesson tonight about leaving the trail. Even in the dead of night. I take it you won’t do any such thing again?”
Sophie gave her head a quick shake.
“And you’ll listen to your walk leaders like their voices are the voice of God?”
She nodded.
“Good.” He turned to the group. “As far as I’m concerned, her mistake tonight counts as part of her past. That means it’s off limits. Don’t discuss it. Don’t hold a grudge. I know I’m asking the impossible, but the impossible is what we do here. Right?”
Sophie saw a few hesitant nods around the room.
“Good.” Jake pushed himself to his feet. Then he spoke softly in a voice meant only for her. “I’ll stop by the Welcome Wagon this afternoon. We need to talk.”
He marched into his office and shut the door.
4. Rook Mountain
Getting the key to the Beyond Academy hadn’t been simple, but nothing worthwhile ever was. Zed had told them that in one of their assemblies, and Colt believed it. The more difficult the challenges, the bigger the chance to prove yourself.
Colt’s mom had been branded as a Regulation 10 breaker back when he was eleven years old. She had been hoarding food. Hoarding wasn’t exactly the right term. Colt’s father was terribly allergic to shellfish. However, Colt’s mom had been taking her full, allowed ration of seafood and selling or trading the shellfish to friends. This had been going on since almost Regulation Day, and it probably would have continued until the end of the Zed era, if not for Clara Summers. Mrs. Summers was caught for an infraction of Regulation 6 and tried to avoid punishment by squealing about Colt’s mother’s black market fish operation. The police showed up at Colt’s door a couple hours later, and Colt’s mom was branded with the number 10 on her cheek right there in the living room. Colt, his father, and his sister had been spared because his mom swore they had no knowledge of the situation.