Hunter nodded. “That’s got potential. Any idea what you’ll be doing?”
“Nah,” Reed shrugged, “I’m just winging it.” Also true. He really didn’t know where he was going or what the others had in mind for tonight. Reed congratulated himself on his clever answers but took the opportunity to change the subject. “I haven’t seen you on the hall all week. Where’ve you been keeping yourself?”
It was Hunter’s turn to shrug. “I’ve been really busy. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to come up to the hall anymore with all the stupid new security junk. They might think I was spying.” He spat in disgust.
Reed grimaced. “Surely it won’t be that bad. They just put the card swipes on the doors like they’d always threatened… and a few other things.”
Hunter snorted. “You’d be surprised. Have you ever thought about what card swipes have to do with gun control? I’ll tell you: nothing. They’re just trying to squeeze more of our freedom out of us. They’re always looking for ways to take a little. Anyway, I’ve gotta go get some things done. I’ll see ya ’round, maybe later tonight.”
“Sure, if we’re not all under lock and key by then.”
Hunter smirked as they parted.
Chapter 26
The sun was still well above the horizon when Reed met Nathan at the bottom of the East Stairs. The daylight forced them to be extra cautious. They cut back behind the Mushroom and came out on a sidewalk that ran down toward the city. The street was quiet; a soft breeze carried the far-off echo of honking horns and rumbling traffic up from the bustling town below.
Reed decided it was finally safe enough to speak. “Whose place are we going to?”
“Well,” Nathan paused and checked the road over his shoulder, “right now we’re going to Cody and Elijah’s, but that’s not where the meeting’s supposed to be. We’ve actually changed to meeting outside the city in the last week or two. It’s warm enough now and safer than staying on the Hill. I’m going to drop you off with the other guys and go back for the girls at the Dorms.”
“Oh.” Reed stepped around a fire hydrant. “But why couldn’t the girls have just come with us? It would save you a trip.”
Nathan shot him a sidelong glance. “Don’t take this the wrong way but, ’cause of you. You’re too well known. Chances are somebody would recognize you in the daylight, leaving the city with me and a bunch of girls. That would be bad for everybody.”
Reed hadn’t thought of that. He didn’t ask any more questions until they arrived at the boys’ apartment. It was just like any other apartment on the quiet side street—flat-front, red brick, green shutters framing the windows. Cody, still dressed in slacks and a plaid dress shirt, let them in through the white front door.
“Just getting away from the office?” asked Nathan as they stepped into the cool interior.
“Yeah, we had to work a full day today,” Cody replied, closing the door after checking the street both ways. “The boss needed some overtime.”
“’Lijah still there?”
“Nope, he’s gone already. I’m supposed to wait at the Gorge till you bring the girls.”
“Awesome.” Nathan put his hand on the doorknob. “Then I’m out of here. See you later.” He slipped out but then poked his head back in. “Oh, and Cody, try not to talk his ear off.” With a wink in Reed’s direction, he was gone.
Cody kicked off his shoes and began unbuttoning his shirt. “Make yourself at home,” he told Reed with a casual motion around the room. “I’ll be back in a sec.” He disappeared down a hallway as he peeled off his shirt. Reed was left to study his surroundings.
The room was a comfortably furnished den, definitely belonging to Texan bachelors, but neater than Reed expected. A five-pointed metal star over two feet in diameter hung on the wall above an overstuffed, brown leather couch. A matching loveseat and a couple of recliners formed a semicircle around the metal and glass coffee table. Floor lamps, chests, bookshelves, carpet—everything was in the same family of beige, brown, and stained wood. Reed thought it was relaxing and homey. He settled himself on the couch and sank into the cool leather with a sigh, propping his elbow on its ample arm. He was just beginning to get really comfortable when Cody reappeared, looking much more at ease in a black T-shirt and jeans. He dropped the window shades and opened the door as Reed regretfully stood up.
“If you’re ready,” was all Cody said.
Reed quickly came to understand the irony of Nathan’s earlier remark; Cody was a man of few words. On their entire walk, any conversation was started by Reed. The other boy wasn’t unfriendly. On the contrary, it was the most genial silence Reed had ever experienced; Cody just didn’t talk. Reed tried several different approaches, but finally gave it up. He wondered how different the situation would be if Katy were present.
They left the city by the road that led to the Shellys’ farm, and Reed wondered if that was where the meeting would be. But, halfway to the farm, the other boy turned off the road into the trees, and they struck out through the woods.
The trees were thick, but the undergrowth did not impede their pace. Walking was easy and pleasant. The woods were beautiful, wrapped in fresh green and dotted with an occasional snowy dogwood or wild cherry. The late afternoon songs of wild birds resonated under the leafy canopy and echoed off the sun-sprinkled floor of the forest.
The boys tramped for some time, stepping over logs and under branches, until Reed began to hear the sound of running water. Then, unexpectedly, they broke out of the trees into a good-sized clearing, spread with a thick carpet of rich grass. Before them, the ground sloped up, rising toward the center of the open space and then falling gently away to the other side. The sound of the water was barely audible now.
Cody stopped and spoke. “This is what we call ‘the Gorge.’ It’s kind of a landmark for finding your way around here. You can follow the stream down from where it crosses the road by the Shellys’ farm and it brings you right here.”
Though amazed at this lengthy speech, Reed noted the valuable information.
His announcement made, Cody dropped down without another word, leaned his back against a tree, and closed his eyes. Apparently, there was nothing to do now but wait.
Reed wandered out into the clearing and up the little slope, stooping to pluck a dandelion as he went. But, at the top, he jerked to a halt and stared down, completely unprepared for what lay before him. The ground vanished at his feet and dropped straight down into a narrow gorge perhaps ten or twelve feet wide, but completely hidden by the rise of the land. A stream surged through the perpendicular, gray walls over thirty feet below in a rapid but deceivingly smooth current. The water was dark, thrown into shadow by the cliffs on either side.
Cautiously, Reed dropped the dandelion over the edge. It fell, spinning slowly, to the surface below. Instantly, the current swept it away, the bright yellow crown bobbing for a second on top before it was sucked beneath the black water. Reed stared in fascination. It was strangely beautiful, this deadly and relentless flow. Anything in its grasp would be lost forever in the dark, rushing water. Reed felt almost guilty for dropping the sweet yellow flower, but something about its fall moved him strangely.
He tore his eyes from the mesmerizing stream and turned from the gorge. Voices and footsteps were coming through the trees behind him. Cody rose, stretching, just as Nathan and the girls entered the clearing with Gabe close behind.
“Hello, Reed!” Lucy called cheerfully. “How do you like the view?”
“Breathtaking, especially when you’re not expecting it.”
Gabe was not so genial. “I didn’t know he was coming,” he said, eyeing Reed. “Does he know how to get out here?”
“I don’t know, but he’s here now,” replied Nathan, slapping Gabe on the back. “And what’s it matter anyway?”
Gabe regarded Reed sourly, but said no more.
Without further delay, they left the clearing together and turned deeper into the woods. Reed slipped into a
spot next to Lucy at the back of the line. They tried to carry on a conversation, but it lagged quickly. It was obvious to both of them that he had something on his mind. Everyone else was talking quietly in pairs, but Reed still lowered his voice until only she could hear him. “Lucy, why does Gabe hate me?”
She didn’t seem surprised at his question. “I don’t think he dislikes you, Reed; he’s just suspicious.” She plucked a new leaf from a young oak and ran it through her fingers. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did like you deep down. But you know he’s our protector, and he takes that seriously.”
“But I’ve been coming for months. Doesn’t he trust me yet?”
“I don’t know. He’s hard to understand sometimes. Alec’s his roommate, and he knows him best. You should ask him.”
At the sound of his name, Alec dropped back to join them. “Talking about me?”
“Reed was just asking me why Gabe doesn’t trust him,” Lucy told him. “I said I didn’t know, but that you probably understand him best.”
“Oh.”
“What’s really weird is how it changes!” Reed exclaimed, hardly noticing Alec’s half-hearted response. “I thought he was softening, but tonight, it’s like I’m a crook or something.”
“Sorry about that,” Alec apologized, sticking his hands into his pockets. “He picked up some news today that worried him. That’s why we’re out here now. They seem to be moving toward something, and he’s afraid they might be on our trail. The tightened security isn’t helping, either.”
Reed didn’t need to ask who “they” were, but he wasn’t sure how this involved him. “So?”
Alec took his hands out of his pockets and began popping his fingers one by one. “He’s nervous about what they’re doing, what they know, and how they know it. He’s keeping any possibility under suspicion.”
“Wait.” Reed stopped walking. “Any possibility? You don’t mean that he suspects me? He thinks I’m the ringer?”
Alec dropped his eyes and reluctantly nodded.
Reed exploded in a choked whisper. “What? That’s ridiculous! Do you really think I…”
“Reed!” Lucy broke in sharply, looking him in the face, “Alec didn’t say the rest of us thought that. We don’t! Remember, Gabe is just suspicious of everyone right now. It’s nothing against you. He’ll probably get over it in the next week or so.”
Reed was not reassured. It took the rest of the walk for the other two to calm him down. They finally succeeded in cooling him off, and Lucy promised she would talk to Gabe when they reached their destination.
This turned out to be a clear glade the size of a large room, spread with short grass, but it was unlike any place Reed had ever seen. The floor of the clearing sank down into the earth five or six feet, deep enough for a grown man to stand in and still keep his head below ground level. The forest trees stopped just shy of the edge and spread their branches high above the sloping green walls. The floor was perfectly smooth. It might have been a crater or a pond ages ago.
None of the others had arrived yet. The group climbed down the bank and spread out on the grass in the bottom to wait. Reed noticed that Lucy sought Gabe out and began talking with him earnestly on the other side of the little basin.
Reed settled down alone on the clearing floor and leaned back against the slanted side, staring into the sky. Above him, branches swayed in an evening breeze. Rays from the setting sun struck them, turning each fluttering leaf into a drop of vivid green gold.
Reed studied them, hands clasped behind his head, and began to reason over what Alec had just told him. Why shouldn’t Gabe suspect him? After all, he was their only link to the outside world. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized how suspicious he might have looked at times. For one thing, he was always asking questions. He knew this was only because of his bothersome curiosity, but would they understand that? And he always knew everything that was going on in the Dorms. That came from being part of Reagan’s social web, but it certainly could appear questionable.
Someone sat down beside him. Reed brought his eyes down and found it was Gabe. The other young man said nothing. Neither did Reed. After a moment, Gabe spoke. “Did your week go all right?”
Reed relaxed and smiled inwardly. Lucy had gotten through. “Sure,” he replied. “But everything’s still kinda crazy around the Dorms.”
Gabe agreed, and silence fell again. A bird sang somewhere in the treetops. “I guess we really haven’t talked very much, have we?” Gabe kept his eyes fixed across the clearing. “Sorry. I’ve been way too edgy lately. Well, not just lately.”
“It’s fine,” Reed answered, his gaze also far away. “I understand. Looking back, I probably seemed pretty suspicious sometimes.”
“I still didn’t handle it right. There’s no excuse, and I’m sorry.”
The others were right; Gabe was a nice guy when you got to know him.
The rest of the group arrived, breaking up the conversation. Alec voluntarily set off to keep watch while everyone else got comfortable in a circle on the basin floor. Reed, cross-legged between Nathan and Courtney, was grateful the grass was soft.
Once everyone else was settled, Wilson opened his Bible and spread it on his knee. “Well,” he began. But he never got the chance to finish his sentence.
A clear sound cut through the silence of the surrounding woods. They all heard it: a steady, thumping beat from deep in the heart of the forest. They froze, hardly daring to breathe. Gabe stiffened and snapped into watchdog mode.
The sound became recognizable; it was hoof beats pounding over the forest floor. In a moment, a rider came into view, ducking under the low branches at a swift trot. It was Marielle, and she was mounted bareback on Patton, the Shellys’ silver gelding. A general sigh of relief went up as she reined in at the edge of the dell.
“Marielle!” exclaimed Sarah, getting up. “What brings you here? Is something wrong? Is your mother okay?”
The girl did not dismount. “You have to get out of here now!” she cried, pointing toward the encircling woods. “Matt just came back from town and passed a bunch of men coming this way. It’s the police and the Council, and they have dogs! Mother sent me straight out to find you. There’s not much time!”
She was breathing hard, and Patton danced under her.
“How did they…”
“I don’t know!” Marielle exclaimed, looking like she might cry. “But they’re after you guys!”
Alec dashed out of the woods on the opposite side and came sliding down the bank. “They’re coming!” he gasped. “At least twenty of them. They’re less than half a mile out, and they brought the K-9 unit!”
Gabe spun around and fixed his eyes on Reed. No words were necessary. Reed knew exactly what he was thinking. Before he could say anything, Wilson turned to the group. “We all know what to do. Now, we just pray like it’s our job and do it. Reed, you stick with Nathan.” He turned back to Marielle as everyone else hurriedly got ready to leave. “Will you be all right?”
She nodded and wiped her eyes. “I haven’t gotten off since I left the farm, so they can’t trace me. There’s nothing wrong with riding in the woods. I’ll pray for you guys.”
She wheeled Patton and galloped away into the trees, her dark hair drifting out behind her as she disappeared through the gathering dusk. Everyone else scattered into the woods. In less than ten seconds, the basin was empty with no sign that anyone had ever been there.
Chapter 27
Reed stuck to Nathan without asking questions. They darted through the woods, dodging and twisting between the trees at an all-out sprint. No one else was in sight.
For Reed, everything had become surreal. He was running for his life, hunted by the police and a pack of dogs. In the back of his mind, he saw the black figure from that night in the alley—the clear shape of the rifle and that cruel, curving magazine. This isn’t supposed to be happening. If I get caught… He didn’t want to think about it.
He followed Nathan closely, hoping he knew where to go. They leapt over logs and briars and ducked under branches but never slowed from their full run.
Why was he doing this? Why had he decided to come tonight of all nights? Why had he ever started coming in the first place? “I knew my stupid curiosity would get me into trouble,” he moaned to himself.
On they ran—jumping, ducking, dodging, circling until Reed thought his lungs would burst. Once, they even took to a brook and waded through it for a hundred yards.
How cheesy, thought Reed. That’s the oldest trick in the movies. It had better work this time.
How long they ran, he had no idea. The sun’s glow faded from the sky into a gray twilight under the trees. He had a terrible stitch in his side and was beginning to stumble. He didn’t know how much farther he could go.
At last, they burst out of the trees onto a clear downhill slope and ran full speed toward the bottom. It took Reed a moment to realize they were running straight toward a woodland lake, several acres in size but, even when he did, it was too late to stop.
They reached the edge and plunged in without even pausing for breath. The cold water struck him in the face and knocked the precious air from his lungs. He struggled to breathe and then struck out across the lake, swimming. It was agony after running so far, but he pressed on, mostly because he would drown if he didn’t. Breathe, stroke, breathe, stroke, breathe—the cycle was endless. Darkening water and gray sky blended together before his blurry eyes.
At last, Reed felt the bottom rising beneath him. Sand and rocks met his clawing fingertips, and he struggled to his feet and staggered out onto the shore, heaving like an asthma patient.
The others were wading out of the water as well, dripping and out of breath, to draw together on the dry land. Reed joined the growing circle and realized they were not on the opposite shore. They were on an island in the middle of the lake. Apparently, he was one of the last to arrive. He bent over double, still struggling to catch his breath.
When Stars Go Out Page 17