by Jeff Shelby
I opened my eyes again and this time the room finally steadied. “Who are you?”
She made a face. “Leave it alone. I need you to tell me everything you know about Aaron.”
“I already have,” I said, irritated. “Christ, maybe you guys should record it. Then you might not forget it. And it might help if you tell me exactly what you're looking for.”
“I want everything. Every bit of information you have.”
I took a deep breath and a sharp pain spiked in my ribs. I winced and wrapped my arms around my midsection.
“Theo kicked you after you went down,” she said. “I couldn't stop him.”
I grunted and tried to figure out where the pain-free zone was in taking breaths. After several failed attempts, I finally found it and set both hands on the floor, balancing myself and trying to find some semblance of feeling okay.
I glanced at the woman standing near me. She waited patiently, her arms crossed over her chest, as if she had all the time in the world.
I didn’t owe her anything. No explanations of what I knew about Aaron, no backstory, no history. But I was hurt and I needed an ally and she was the closest thing to it available to me. I didn’t know who she was or what she was doing there, but I decided right then that I needed to trust her. I was pretty sure my and Elizabeth’s lives depended on it.
“Aaron is my daughter's boyfriend,” I said. “They've been together just a few months. I don't think it's serious, but they're together.” I knew I was speaking slowly, the words thick and heavy on my tongue, but if Jillian noticed, she didn’t let on. “Don't know the kid's family other than they travel a bunch and aren't home a lot. His grades are okay from what I've been told. He's polite enough when he comes over, friendly enough. No warning bells of any kind for me other than he's a teenage boy dating my daughter.”
A thin smile spread across Jillian's face. “The worst kind of boy.”
“I've spent very little time with him,” I said, ignoring her attempt at humor. “I don't know him well. But he's treated Elizabeth well, he's been fine with me, and that's it. This is the first thing I've seen that hasn't been right.”
“And he was just here to camp?”
“That's what he told Elizabeth, yeah.” I didn’t share my own reservations and doubts, or the lines that I had begun to draw when I stumbled across the plants growing in the canyon. It had all just been speculation at that point.
“Assuming she's telling you the truth.”
“She's telling me the truth.”
Jillian raised a thin eyebrow. “Teenagers lie to their parents all the time.”
“Not her,” I said, shaking my head and instantly regretting it as pain stabbed my skull. “You don't know.”
“Maybe you don't know, either.”
It was possible. Elizabeth could've known about Aaron's involvement in growing weed or selling it or whatever he was entrenched in. He could've confided in her and told her to keep it a secret, and maybe she had. And maybe she'd known that the idea of a camping trip was just a cover to come up here for the weekend to do whatever he'd been doing. Maybe she'd known all that.
But I just didn't believe it. Elizabeth and I had been through too much together for her to start keeping those kinds of secrets from me. And I didn't think that she would've pushed me to drive two hours to go look for him if she knew she might get caught in some sort of lie. It didn't make sense. I trusted Elizabeth, and the only thing I thought she might be guilty of was having been fooled by a boy she liked.
“What about the friend?” Jillian asked. “What's his deal?”
“Never even met him until we got here today,” I told her. My voice was stronger now, my words clearer. “When I figured out what we walked into, I grilled him. He swore he didn't know anything. I pulled my daughter aside and asked her about him. She corroborated that. She doesn't think he knows of anything going on.”
“How'd you know you walked into anything?” she asked.
“I didn't until you pointed a gun at me,” I said. “But I saw the plants before you showed up, like I told you. Lots of them. Bells started going off and I asked them some questions. They don't know anything and they both were adamant that they have no idea what Aaron's involvement is. I tried to get them to leave because I didn't like it, but my daughter is stubborn and wouldn't go. Then you rolled up. And here we are.”
“Yeah,” she said, frowning. “Here we are.”
I shifted my weight against the floor. The pain in my head was lessening slightly. Whatever blood had been in my mouth was gone. I wasn’t back to normal, but I didn’t feel like I was ready to pass out anymore, either.
“Your turn,” I said.
“My turn?” she asked blankly.
“What the hell is this?” I asked, gesturing around the room. “And who are you?”
She frowned at me again and shook her head. “I'm the woman who nearly caved your skull in. Stop thinking I'm a good guy. That'll get you killed.”
I didn't believe her, but I left it alone for the moment. “Okay. Then what exactly is this, and what is Aaron into?”
She checked over her shoulder before answering. “I think you know what it is, based on what you saw in the canyon. I don't think I need to explain that to you.”
“So you're growing and selling,” I said. “Some kind of dealing operation.”
She shrugged.
“How's he fit in? Aaron, I mean.”
“He doesn't,” she said. “That's the problem. He isn't a part of this.”
“I don't understand.”
“He was stepping on the wrong turf,” she said. “And stealing our plants.”
I processed that. “So he was taking your plants and reselling?”
She nodded. “Far as I can tell, yeah. Stupid, stupid thing to do.” She paused. “And he'd been warned to knock it off.”
“Warned? How so?”
“He was brought here,” she explained. “And we told him to knock it the fuck off or they'd find pieces of him all over the canyon. Thought he bought it, but I guess he didn't. One of the guys spotted the truck up off the highway, then made visual confirmation that it was Aaron.”
“So they already ran into him? I don't get it.”
“Cameras,” she said. “Drones and a whole bunch of other crap. We can find nearly anything in that canyon.”
If they were using drones— and a whole bunch of other crap, as she put it—the growing operation was sophisticated. What I’d seen was probably only the tip of the iceberg. Which meant they were probably making good money. Which meant they had good reason to be pissed off if they thought someone was stealing or stepping into their territory.
“Nick and I went to go find him,” she said. “Instead, we found you.”
“So what's the play, then?” I asked. “Because Nick's idea of holding us for bait seems pretty dumb. You seem too smart to not agree with that.”
She shrugged again. “Maybe. Best we have at this point, though.”
I studied her. There was a certain confidence she radiated that didn't just come from being the person who had the upper hand. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but it didn't make me any less nervous.
“You don't talk like some sort of hired help for a weed ring,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed. “And you don't talk like some suburban dad in over his head.”
We stared at each other for a long moment.
Then there was a noise outside the cabin, near the front door. A shout and some scuffling.
She was on her feet, the rifle in firing position, already heading for the door by the time I realized I was hearing something.
Definitely not hired help.
TWENTY TWO
Jillian checked the window near the door, then slid over and pulled the door open.
Nick stepped through it, holding Aaron by the back of his shirt collar.
He shoved him forward and Aaron tumbled to the floor.
Nick grinned at Jillian. “I f
ucking told you he'd show up. He's an idiot. Idiots do idiotic things.”
Aaron was in a blue T-shirt and canvas hiking pants. His arms were covered with angry, red scratches and there was a hole in the hem of his shirt, like it had snagged on a branch or something. His dark hair was matted down from the rain and I couldn't tell if his face was red from exertion or embarrassment or both. His eyes met mine and he immediately moved them away.
“Dumbass was creeping along the side of the house, trying to get a look in the window,” Nick said, still smiling. “He had no idea I was even out there. Probably pissed himself when I grabbed him.”
Aaron got himself into a sitting position but kept his eyes downward.
“So we can let everyone else go,” Jillian said.
Nick made a face at her. “What? No. A little late for that.”
“Why?” she asked. “You said we were using them as bait.” She gestured at Aaron. “It worked. Their job is done.”
“Yeah and they've now been here and they know what's going on,” he said. He shook his head. “No. We'll wait.”
“For what?”
Nick tilted his head to the side, frowning at her like she should know the answer to that question. She shook her head and looked away.
Nick toed Aaron with his steel-toed boot. “Where've you been, pretty boy? How'd you know to come here?”
Aaron pushed the wet hair away from his eyes. “I was up near the campsite.”
“The campsite,” Nick said, chuckling. “Right. Because you're such an outdoorsman.”
Aaron blinked several times, then looked at Jillian. “I saw you show up and start talking to them. I was on my way back.”
“Where exactly were you?” I asked.
He licked his lips but didn't look at me. “I saw she had the gun out, so I waited.” He glanced at Nick. “Then when you got there, I waited. I followed you out and down here.”
Nick smiled smugly at him. “What a surprise.”
Aaron finally looked at me. “I was trying to figure out a way to help.”
He looked and sounded sincere, but I didn’t believe him. He hadn't answered my question about where he'd gone in the first place, he'd gone missing for a full 24 hours, and he was somehow tied into the drug-dealing operation. Jillian had said as much, confirming the suspicions I’d had ever since I’d found the plants. I was angry with everyone in the room, but Aaron was at the top of my list.
I looked at Nick. “So now what?”
Nick rolled his shoulders, his eyes still fixed on Aaron, the smug smile still cutting across his mouth. “Now we're gonna find out exactly what our buddy Aaron was up to.”
TWENTY THREE
Nick squatted down so he was at eye-level with Aaron. “What exactly did you not understand about not coming back?”
Aaron didn't say anything.
Not coming back.
It looked like Jillian had been telling me the truth. He'd been there before.
“Did you think you were gonna steal something that didn't belong to you?” Nick growled. “Maybe make a little more than you planned?”
“I wasn't going to steal anything,” Aaron said. “I told you that. I'm not a thief.”
“Hard to believe a liar about not being a thief,” Nick said.
Aaron's face colored.
I glanced at Jillian. She was studying the interaction intently.
“We told you not to come back,” Nick said. “To leave your shit in the canyon and get lost. We were pretty clear on that, I think. But you didn’t listen. So you're either really stupid or you were trying to steal.”
“I wasn't stealing,” Aaron insisted.
“Then you're just an idiot,” Nick said, nodding. “And we were pretty sympathetic the first time around to you being stupid. But this time?” He shook his head. “I don't give a shit how dumb you are. You're going to tell me what you're doing in the canyon, who you're doing it with, and turn over everything that you think is yours. And then we'll decide if you get to walk or crawl out of here.”
“Just talk, Aaron,” I said. I tried to sound supportive and reassuring but my voice sounded flat even to my own ears. “Tell him what he wants to know.”
Aaron glanced at me before going back to staring at the floor.
Nick reached out and flicked the toe of Aaron's shoe with his finger. “You need to start talking, pretty boy. The longer you wait, the worse it's gonna be. Because we'll get it out of you one way or the other.”
Jillian shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable. The gun was still propped next to her, her arms still folded over the black tank top she wore.
My head hurt and my ribs hurt and my jaw hurt, but I was past the point of caring. My patience was just about up.
“Let me talk to him,” I said.
Both Jillian and Nick turned in my direction.
“He'll talk to me,” I said. “I'll make sure of it.”
“Yeah, and then what?” Nick said. “How does that help me?”
“What possible reason would I have for not telling you whatever the hell he has to say?” I asked. “You think I want to be here? You screwed up by bringing us here and I'm trying to help you out. For once in the last couple of hours, don't be stupid. Let me talk to him, find out what's going on, and then you can do whatever the hell you need to with the info. But stop being a fake tough guy and stop making dumbass decisions.”
Nick stood slowly, staring at me. He stepped across Aaron toward me and walked slowly in my direction until he was about six inches from my face. He smelled like rain and cigarettes.
“You seem really sure I'm a fake tough guy,” he said.
I thought of all the people I’d run into looking for Elizabeth. There were some people who truly carried violence on their shoulders, ready to unstrap it and let it loose at a moment's notice. John Anchor was the embodiment of that.
Nick was no John Anchor.
“I think it's a good idea,” Jillian said. “Let him talk to him.”
Nick kept his eyes locked with mine. “Of course you do,” he muttered.
“What harm is there?” she said. “If he doesn't get anything from him, then it's fifteen minutes lost. Big deal. But he seems pretty sure he can crack him. Let him have a shot. We can figure out what we want to do with all of them while he's doing it.”
Nick tapped the barrel of the gun against my chest. “You can have ten minutes. That's it.” He smiled at me. “And I'll go check on your pretty little daughter to see—”
I grabbed the barrel of the gun and pushed it hard to the left, trying my hardest to ignore the searing pain in my side. I could've yanked him forward and disarmed him, but I wasn't sure what Jillian would do. I wanted him to know, though, that he was mistaken if he thought I was just going to let him threaten me or Elizabeth.
“Easy,” Jillian said, her rifle now up and at the ready in my direction.
Nick's nostrils flared and he pulled on the gun.
I kept my hand wrapped around the barrel. If he pulled the trigger, it would be deafening, but the bullet would find the wall of the cabin and not do any harm.
His face went red. “Let go.”
“Ask nicely,” I said.
He pursed his lips, set his feet, and jerked back as hard as he could. I'd already let go of the rifle and he stumbled backward, nearly falling into Jillian.
I stood still, looking at him. My head throbbed and my side ached and my jaw twitched with pain, but I stood my ground.
Jillian hooked an arm through his and whispered something into his ear.
Aaron sat on the ground, terrified, looking back and forth among the three of us.
Finally, Nick nodded and Jillian released his arm.
He walked back toward me, the skin tight around his jaw, his shoulders back. He looked me up and down, his chest heaving probably harder than he wanted.
Jillian came up next to him.
“You've got ten minutes,” she told me, putting a hand in th
e small of his back and urging him forward. “That's it.”
I nodded.
She maneuvered him to the door of the cabin and through it. He glanced back at me, his expression full of hate as he stepped outside.
Jillian stepped into my line of vision, her eyes trying to convey something else.
But I wasn't interested in a message from her.
I turned toward the only person I wanted information from.
TWENTY FOUR
The door to the cabin shut and Aaron and I were alone.
“Mr. Tyler, I am so sorry,” Aaron stuttered. “I didn't mean—”
“Shut up,” I said. “Just shut up. The only things I want from you are answers to my questions. Don't waste my time with apologies. Understood?”
He swallowed hard and nodded. His hair had started to dry a little, as had his clothes.
I moved closer to him so our voices would be harder to hear. “Are you working with them?”
“No.”
“Does Tim know what's going on?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Tell me why you came up here this weekend. And spare me the camping story.”
He looked less sure of himself and not certain where to start.
“You've got plants in the canyon,” I prompted. “That's my guess.”
He started, almost as if I'd poked him. But when I just watched him, my expression revealing nothing, he sighed.
I tried again. “So, what? You came up to check on them?”
He didn't say anything, chewing on his bottom lip.
“Aaron, look at me,” I said.
He forced his eyes upward.
“I'm not the school principal and I'm not a cop,” I said. “This isn't the time to start figuring out how to save your own ass. We're all here because of you. And the only way I can get us out of this mess is if I know what's going on. But if you don't?” I stared at him for a long moment. “I'll have no problem getting my daughter out of here and leaving you behind.”
He made a noise, almost like a choking sound, and cleared his throat. “Okay. Yeah, I have plants in the canyon.”
“What for?”
He squirmed on the floor, stretching his legs out. His shoes were caked with dirt. “I came up here one weekend to camp. For real. I was hiking and I saw some of the other plants. I didn't take them or anything. But it made me think.” He paused. “That I could grow my own. And sell.”