by Carla Thorne
Deacon poked his phone as if he were newly afraid of it. “Does that make what happened a terrorist attack?”
Scout shrugged. “All I know is that the investigation got a whole lot more complex once the fire marshal took a look around. I believe they called in additional investigators. Federal. But don’t tell anyone that. It came from Mr. Silva.”
“We were right about there being an adult involved.” I considered what that meant as it related to Gavin. “But what was the end game? Gavin obviously has it in for Jacob, but why not try to kick the crap out of him after school or something like normal people do?”
Deacon reached for the popcorn. “Gavin’s jealous of Jacob and obsessed with you, but how did he get from that to a terrorist-like attack?”
I rubbed my forehead. “He may have made some stops along the way.”
“What do you mean?”
“There were some incidents before the gym fire. Jacob’s car was keyed—”
“No way. His new ride?” Deacon asked.
“Yes. He also had a tire slashed. And someone messed with his equipment, bashed in the family garage door, and trenched their yard.”
Scout’s face reddened. “How did we not know about this? It plays right in to what happened in the gym. Jacob was a target. He could have died. Shouldn’t we be telling some cop about this?”
“Look, I already feel bad enough about it. I literally found out the morning of the pep rally. Jacob didn’t guess for sure it was Gavin like we would have. He said he thought it was random and his dad was on it but it was hard to prove. And the whole time, I’d been getting secret gifts and rose petals in front of my locker and little stuffed animals on my doorstep. I’d told him to stop and my dad even talked to him, but I do wish I’d known about Jacob’s vandalism. Those are crimes.” I sagged into the couch. “I don’t know what to do. That’s not the Gavin I grew up with. What’s happened to him? What kind of kid gets with an adult and sets up something like what happened at school?”
Ivy picked up a piece of chocolate, but didn’t put it in her mouth. “Speaking of the navy jumpsuit guy, there’s more.”
“What?”
“There’s something about that guy. He’s familiar. Maybe I’ve seen him before? I don’t remember when or where, but he’s familiar. I don’t know if it’s a warning in my head, or if I saw him around campus, but keep your eyes open. I don’t think he’s going away.”
“But what do we do with that information?” Deacon asked. “This isn’t a graphic novel or a fantasy. That guy’s out there. In the real world. He needs to be in jail.”
“Yes,” Ivy said. “And I believe he’s dangerous and did every bit of what Scout thinks he did. But everybody in the room had their cell phones out recording something. What reason or proof do we actually have to tell anybody to go after that guy? Anyone could have triggered that explosion.”
Deacon leaned forward but stopped when it hurt. “But your gut feelings are your gift, Ivy. If you say navy jumpsuit guy is bad news, then he’s bad news. You were the first to say Gavin couldn’t be trusted.”
Scout held up his hands. “Let’s back up and think. Our assignment was to help with the fire, right?”
“Right.”
“And, in doing that, we uncovered problems at the school with the electrical. And, from what Ivy overheard, it looked like Gavin was trying to set Jacob up to take the blame for the fire. Like he caused it.”
“But it didn’t turn out that way,” I said. “It doesn’t look like Jacob did anything. It looks like Jacob was a victim.”
“Or maybe he wasn’t,” Scout said. “Ivy’s vision clearly indicated fire. We focused on fire. Jacob only came in as collateral damage because Gavin hates him and Ivy heard about it. Gavin’s not smart enough to have planned everything. Maybe he just did what navy jumpsuit guy told him to do. He was trying to prank Jacob and get him in trouble, but whoever was really pulling the strings made it so much worse.”
I used my good arm to rub the tired muscles in my neck. “I’m so confused. That makes Gavin a victim too.”
“Maybe,” Deacon said. “But that would still mean he went along with something he knew might hurt someone.”
“And where does that leave Jacob? He could have died.”
Scout shrugged. “Could he? You were there to save him, Mary. If the Destroyer’s master plan for that day was to kill one person or a hundred, it still all depended on what we did about the initial assignment—and that was the fire.”
“I’m beginning to think this whole thing was a trick,” Deacon said.
“Or a test,” Scout added.
“How could it be a test?”
“Bad people are going to do bad things whether we know about them or not. We can only help if we listen and use our abilities. We did. We showed up.”
“And Sebastian came to help like he said he would. We’re still learning, but the Creator gave us an assignment that was over our heads.”
“And now we know that can happen,” Ivy said. “But we still don’t know who the real good guys and bad guys are. Maybe it’s time we bring Jacob in and find out which side of the fence he falls on. He didn’t exactly appear to cause any problems on fire day, but then again, we didn’t have eyes on him.”
“Hate to admit it,” Scout said. “But he didn’t help, either.”
That didn’t sit right with me. “You’re really going to go there? His injury took him out of the fight.”
“Just making a point. Jacob came out neutral.”
I leaned my head back against the cushion and repositioned my arm. “I don’t think we should reveal anything to Jacob yet. I trust him. I really do. I think he’s on our side, but I also trusted Gavin, so what do I know?”
“For what it’s worth,” Scout said. “I’m undecided about Jacob.”
Deacon nodded his agreement.
“This is only an opinion,” Ivy said. “But I feel like Jacob’s a good guy. Don’t attribute that to my gut just yet. My intuition is much better about definitely saying who not to trust and Gavin and navy jumpsuit guy are in that category. My gut-jury is still out on Jacob.”
My elbow throbbed, and my shoulders ached from the fight and from readjusting my body movements to accommodate a sling. Jacob had become so much to me, and I questioned everything all over again. I couldn’t make another mistake like Gavin.
Deacon remained quiet. Too quiet.
“What is it, Deac?”
“I uh… have something important to tell you all.”
“Now’s the time,” Scout said.
He glanced at the others, but his gaze landed squarely on mine. “I’ve met Shanar, Mary. I’ve been where you’ve been. We had a conversation. He calls the people who work for him Agents. He asked me to be one. I think you know what I said.”
Disbelief slammed into me so hard it took a while to form words. “You found the other realm,” I whispered.
“More like it found me, but yes.”
“When?”
“In the gym.”
“During the pep rally?”
“Yes.”
“What are you saying, Deac?”
“I’m saying either Gavin or Jacob works directly for Shanar. One of them is a full-blown Agent of the Destroyer.”
Chapter 25
Deacon
The school was not the same when we arrived.
Mary and I showed up together to find the parking lot in chaos. The gym was blocked off with a temporary fence and flapping yellow caution tape. No cars could go that way, so everything took longer. Large thuds banged every minute or so as debris was dropped into big roll-off dumpsters.
I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread as I passed the site. I knew everyone was safe and we’d done our job, but the Destroyer himself had been right there in our midst. I’d experienced something dark, and though I came out all right, I couldn’t stop seeing the swirling mass of Shanar I’d met face-to-evil-face. I didn’t want to see or feel that ever agai
n, but somehow I knew I would. I wasn’t looking forward to it, and I didn’t like the new cloud of doom that seemed to hover over our school.
How had Mary done it all those years? How did she keep up the fight and stay so completely cool-headed about it? Her normal was everyone else’s worst nightmare.
“What a mess,” I said.
Mary paused and took a long look at the growing debris. “Could have been a lot worse. Just thinking about it kinda knocks the wind out of me and I feel it right here.” She pointed to her heart.
“I know.”
She protected her elbow and headed inside. I trudged along behind her, helping her hold one side of her heavy bag since we both had to get to Mr. Parrington’s office. Neither one of us were sure how we were going to get through the rest of the day after that. I couldn’t carry my backpack like normal with my jacked-up ribs and sore chest.
“Wait up!” Jacob skidded to a stop beside us. “I got that, Deacon,” he said and offered to take Mary’s bag.
“That’s OK,” Mary said. “We’re going to the same place for a meeting.”
“I’ll see you after first period then, and help you out today.”
“That’d be great,” she said.
Mary’s eyes lit all up like a flashing video game. I knew she and Ivy had been discussing every angle of Jacob’s sudden appearance in our lives. I wanted to believe he was one of the good guys, but I’d seen too much and was still rattled by my visit with Shanar. I couldn’t get close to someone who might be an Agent, and that made everything awkward. Things were off when all the Warriors didn’t agree, so Jacob was in that weird gray area between trust and no trust, and we were all conflicted about it.
“I have stuff for you and Ivy in my car,” Jacob said to her. “My mom sent all the ski clothes you can borrow for the trip.”
“Great news. At this point we need all the help we can get. I can’t exactly baby sit little kids with my arm like this.”
“Humph.” I rolled my eyes. “You think you have problems? Do you know what a beating me and Scout take with that pressure washer? We just had a five-day weekend and could have added a wad of cash to our pocket money, but we could only do so much with my ribs.”
Jacob looked disappointed. “I could have helped.”
“We thought you had a concussion. I’m pretty sure the only thing more dangerous than jarring ribs is jarring a brain.” I thumped the side of my head. “But you’re good for the game Friday?”
“Yeah. Three different doctors said I’m good to play ball.”
Mary blinked up at him with a sappy smile. “I was so relieved when you told me that last night. And you’re sure? You can’t take any chances with a head injury.”
“So, it was a mild concussion?” I asked.
Jacob shook his head. “It wasn’t a concussion at all, and I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
I glanced at each of them. Why did I feel like I was being ambushed? “Me? Why?”
“Look, Deacon, I did have a concussion. Believe me, I’ve had a concussion before, and I know I got clipped hard by something that fell. I was dizzy, disoriented…I had a brief loss of memory about the incident…” He paused to take a deep breath. “I’d be dead if not for Mary.”
“You don’t know that,” she whispered. “Don’t even say that.”
“It’s true and I know it. We all do. We all were there.” He turned to me and lowered his voice. “Now, look. I know this isn’t the best time, but I’d really like to ask you some questions. There’s been so much weirdness since we all met, but I’m tired of being confused about everything. We all know what happened that day. You picked me up and got me out of there, Deacon, and no offense, dude, but I’m at least twice your size and I don’t think you’ve ever been inside a gym.”
He had a point, but I didn’t like his tone. I didn’t remember everything clearly myself. “No offense taken. I have no idea what happened, and I’m sure I couldn’t do it again.”
He turned to Mary. “That thing that happened on the night of the pool party. You asked me if anything like that had ever happened to me before and it hadn’t. And I’ve never had a group of friends like you all. I was honest about all that. But I have had questions, and after all this, I know there are bigger things at work here. That day was insane. The things I’ve heard you guys say…”
“Let me stop you right there,” I said. “Yeah. It was a weird day. I wish I knew more.” I turned to leave. “I’m glad you’re OK, but we have to get to a meeting.”
“What did you do to my head?”
His question speared me to the core. I turned back too fast and felt the pull in my chest. Truth be told, I still didn’t remember everything. “What do you mean? Are you asking if I tried to hurt you?”
“No, of course not. The opposite. You helped me. I felt it, but I’d kinda like to know what happened to my concussion. I know I had one, but the last I remember of it is when you carried me to the corner and put your hands on my head. You told me I’d be all right, and I know I was injured. I’m tellin’ you I’ve had a concussion before and I know there was a hit and some blood. By the time I got to the hospital, I was fine. I felt something in your hands when you—”
“Let’s not get carried away.” I stepped forward. “If I was that dang talented, don’t you think I’d fix my own ribs or touch Mary’s cracked elbow?”
“I don’t know what happened in there, but I know something did. It’d be nice if someone would trust me enough to share it with me.”
“Yes,” I said. “That would be nice.”
Chapter 26
Mary
Deacon finally slowed down outside Mr. Parrington’s office.
We leaned against the wall and dropped our things. “You were too hard on him, don’t you think?” I asked.
“How so?”
“He only wants answers, Deac. He’s as confused as we get sometimes. He doesn’t understand this place we’ve found ourselves in.”
“I don’t understand it either, and I sure as heck don’t want to discuss it with someone I’m not sure I can trust.”
“Fair enough.” I offered him a bottle of juice from my bag.
He opened mine and then worked on his own. “It’s not that I’m not happy you’ve moved on and have something going with Jacob, but—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself. I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said and I want you to know I understand. That whole thing with Shanar…” I shivered.
“I’m not getting much sleep. I close my eyes and see myself looking down at us trying to crack those doors. How is that possible? How is any of this possible?”
“I don’t know. I wish I did. I can only trust the Creator and believe Sebastian has our backs.”
“Well, all I know is I’m mad. What supernatural being has the right to invade my mind and my thoughts? That can’t be right.”
“It shouldn’t be,” I agreed. “But yet, here we are.” I bumped my bottle of juice with his. “Here’s to us. A couple of oddballs who have to keep that angry edge and direct it toward those who would cause harm.” We took a drink. “I’m serious, Deac. One of the only ways I stay sane is knowing I’m on the right side of the battle. Don’t let fear and anger pull you down.”
“Easy for you to say. You’ve been at this a while. I only recently got manhandled by an evil force in the school gym.”
“Maybe, but you’ve had those hands your whole life and you sure figured out how to use them when you needed to. Everyone has a choice, Deacon. We both chose to live.”
“None of this seems real anymore.”
“What do you think happened with Jacob? Your hands were firing at maximum capacity at that pep rally. If you touched his head during all that, you likely fixed whatever was wrong in there.”
“How can he be so sure he had a head injury? He’s not a doctor. There was probably nothing wrong with him.”
Scout and Ivy arrived from another hallway.
/> “What’s it look like on that end?” Deacon asked.
“It stinks and made my eyes water,” Ivy said. “But it’s not too bad.” She nodded toward Mr. Parrington’s office. “What do we do in there?”
“The usual,” I said. “Always the truth.”
Scout leaned one shoulder on the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Within reason, I hope.”
Ivy laughed. “Can you imagine?”
Deacon remained stoic. “How can you laugh at a time like this?”
Ivy dipped her head. “Sorry. Just trying to stay positive.”
Scout stood straight. “You OK, Deacon? How’s the ribs?”
“They hurt.”
“Sorry, dude. Can I carry your stuff today? We go pretty much the same way all day.”
“No. I’m good.”
Deacon’s doubt and rage continued to grow on his face like a building storm. Who could blame him? He’d been put in a place he didn’t ask to be, and it scared him. He wanted out. Who wouldn’t? But after all he’d seen, I didn’t think he could be anything other than a Warrior. And being in the school didn’t help. He was right. The air had a sinister feel to it.
I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“Listen, Deac. You have to concentrate on the good part. Shanar can’t hurt you. This life is weird and we’d all rather not know what we know, but we do, and we have a responsibility.”
He closed his eyes and fought for a deep breath. I knew he was in pain.
Scout touched his arm and plucked his bag off the floor. “C’mon, buddy. None of us asked for this, but we have to stick together in there.”
Mr. Parrington rounded the corner and motioned for us to follow him inside. He was not his usual happy self. There was no skip in his step, no goofball comment as he stepped into his office and closed the door behind us.
Ivy shot me a concerned look. Leave it to her to catch a whiff of despair and want to help.
Scout too. His analytical but compassionate heart found the wounded animal every time.