Salted (9781310785696)

by Galvin, Aaron

  “Shuddup, Paulie.”

  “How did you get here, Allambee?” Chidi asked. “Why did you come to the United States?”

  Allambee blushed. “I never knew my fatha, but I am told he was a great man. My mutha say he did some bad things and dat is why he went away. One day I came home from school and found my mutha waiting for me with a girl I did not know. She told me de time to find my fatha had come, and de person beside her could help me.”

  “Lemme guess,” said Lenny. “Marisa.”

  “Yes,” said Allambee. “She said I must come with her because my fatha would need my help soon. She gave me a drink to help me sleep, and den I awoke in a building filled with fish. Marisa said I must wait in de washrooms while she spoke with a man who had tools that could help me.”

  Paulo nudged Zymon forward. “She tell you this guy could forge fakes for you?”

  “I do not know him,” Allambee said.

  He has an honest face. She had learned to sniff out a lie in her years since being taken and heard no telltale signs in Allambee’s answer.

  “Forget it, Paulo,” Ellie said. “He’s not a Selkie. What he’s wearing…it’s a sweatshirt she dolled up to look like a sealskin.”

  “Selkie…” Zymon spit the word. “The boy doesn’t even know what that word means. My contact…Cole…she found me and said if I didn’t give her the suit, sh-she would let others know wh-where to find me. Sh-she offered to buy it from me.”

  “So she could give it to a pup who didn’t know any better?” Paulo asked. “What if she meant to Salt him with it?”

  Chidi watched the ex-slave fall to his knees. Zymon trembled as he wept.

  “Somebody get Henry,” Lenny said. “This guy would let some pup take his place in a world chock full of monstas. Fine. I’ll show him one. Henry!”

  Chidi bit her tongue to keep from calling out again. You don’t know what you’re asking for, Lenny.

  Henry appeared in the doorway seconds later.

  “Take Zymon to the back and do what ya do best,” Lenny said. “I wanna know all his secrets.”

  Paulo reluctantly handed his prisoner over.

  “No! No!” Zymon fought as Henry drug him up the steps. “Please! Let me go home! Don’t make me go back!”

  “Henry!” Lenny said.

  “Oui?”

  “I want secrets, not a corpse. And don’t cut anything off this time, either.”

  Henry frowned. “But, monsieur, zat ‘ees ze easiest way to get secrets.”

  Chidi shut her ears of Zymon’s begging, even as Henry dragged the older man up the steps. He closed the door to deafen the screams to come.

  Paulo shook his head. “You should have let me take a go at him first, Len. Henry will—”

  “Get answers fasta. Speakin’ of…”

  Lenny’s eyes danced across the black notebook’s contents. He flipped through its pages. One in the middle caught his eye. He came back to it. Studied it. His earrings flashed.

  Cheeds, Lenny’s voice crept inside her mind. Henry wouldn’t really cut anything off, would he?

  There’s no guessing what he might or might not do. Chidi kept the thought back. That’s what makes him so dangerous. She debated telling Lenny just that. In the end, she only shrugged.

  Lenny sighed. “Paulie.”

  “Yeah, Cap?”

  “We’re gonna head out soon.” He looked up. “Get the pup outta the water.”

  Chidi marveled how quickly the biggest and strongest amongst their crew obeyed the smallest. He respects Lenny. They all do, even Ellie…in her own way.

  Ellie stroked her chunky cheeks as she watched Paulo head out. She motioned to the notebook Lenny reviewed. “Guessing you saw his name too, huh?”

  Lenny raised an eyebrow. “I heard he’d been killed in the war. He’s been gone, what, twenty years?”

  “The Selkie Strife ended in ’95…that sounds about right,” Ellie said.

  “Could be anotha trick,” said Lenny. “The decoy act she pulled, the way she acted on the ledge…I dunno. Don’t feel right. For all we know, these books are just a dummy trail. Something to keep us lookin’ everywhere except the one place we should.”

  “I don’t think so…” Chidi blurted. What are you doing? Keep your mouth shut! If Henry heard you—

  “Why not?” Ellie asked.

  Now you’ve done it. Chidi looked away and hoped Lenny would speak for her.

  “Go on, Cheeds,” he said.

  Chidi licked her suddenly dry lips. “Well, the way she taunted us, she just seemed so—sure of herself. I’ve never seen a runner do that before. She didn’t seem scared at all.”

  Lenny closed the notebook. “She will be next time.”

  “Marisa already tricked us into thinking we had her once,” Chidi said. “If she had other business at the Shedd, she could have waited for us to leave and doubled back. She wanted us to see her out on that ledge.”

  She wants us to keep chasing her…why?

  Lenny said nothing for a long while. Then he rubbed his fist in his eyes and yawned. “I think Cheeds is right…Marisa finished whateva she needed here. We gotta figure out which aquarium’s next on the list and keep trackin’.”

  “That picture says the Indianapolis Zoo,” Ellie hinted. “It’s just a few hours south of here.”

  Lenny tapped the notebook. He fluttered its pages several times, almost like he hoped the pages would speak to him. “Get her fired up.”

  Ellie shoved the bus door open.

  Chidi winced. She expected screams, but heard silence. She exhaled as the heavyset girl thundered up the bus, shaking it in her wake.

  “What’re they doin’?” Lenny said. “I told him to talk Racer outta the water, not get in with him!” He rolled the notebook and stuffed it in his front Selkie pocket, near his belly. “Cheeds, get this pup on the bus, will ya? He looks harmless enough.”

  It took Chidi a minute to realize he meant Marisa’s decoy. The boy had remained quiet, sitting within the hold, alone and nearly forgotten.

  The bus engine roared to life. Diesel exhaust stained the air.

  Chidi coughed and stared into the fading daylight.

  The colors of this sunset lacked the vibrancy of those she remembered back home. Here the skies turned purple and blue, rather than the blood red and pale oranges she grew up loving.

  If I never saw blue again it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. She turned her back on it and took a seat next to Allambee.

  “I’m sorry they put you in there.”

  “It is okay,” he said. “Your friend Ellie promised she would let me out soon.”

  Chidi didn’t bother pointing out she considered none of her crewmates as friends. How is he smiling with everything he’s been through? She answered her own question just as fast. He doesn’t know what’s happening. Doesn’t know it any better than I did.

  Allambee scooted close enough for their shoulders to touch. He put his left hand in his front pocket and took out a handful of pretzels. “Look what Ellie gave me. Dey taste pretty good, but too salty for me. Would you like some?”

  Tears welled behind Chidi’s eyes the moment their skin rubbed against one another. Why do you cry, stupid girl? She willed them from falling. It doesn’t do any good. Haven’t you learned that yet? Chidi slid away from him.

  Undeterred, Allambee scooted with her. “You come from Africa also, yes?”

  “How can you tell?”

  “I see Her light in your eyes.”

  Chidi vainly tried to ignore the boy who reminded her so much of home. “We’ll be leaving soon.”

  He grinned again. “Good. I think dat I will sit with you. You are all good people, except for dat man, Henry.”

  Even a boy sees evil for what it is.

  “They joked about him. You know, hurting that other man...” Chidi said. Her conscience immediately scolded her for the lie. He would learn better soon enough when Salted.

  “I mean, Henry won’t kill him, or cut anyt
h—”

  “It is okay,” said Allambee. “I have seen many worse things and am not afraid. My mutha said dat my fatha was a great warrior, and he only feared someone hurting us to get to him. I like to think dat is why he went away. But she also told me he trusted no one, and dat is no way to live.”

  “Trust is a hard thing to have,” Chidi admitted. Especially in the Salt.

  “My mutha said we must all learn to trust in others to find peace,” Allambee paused. He reached into his pocket again and produced another handful of pretzels. He placed them in Chidi’s open palm, closed her fingers around them, and held her fist with hands that felt afire.

  “I think you and your friends have come to help me.”

  Tell him to run, Chidi—Now, while the others are distracted! “Allambee—” she started.

  The boy’s unwavering grin stopped her. “I see you fear Henry, like I would if my mutha had not told me to be brave for her. So I will be brave for you also, and den you will learn to run from fear no longer.”

  Hot tears streaked down Chidi’s cheek at his convictions.

  “Why do you cry?” Allambee asked.

  For your innocence. Chidi wiped her tears away. And what the Salt will do with it.

  KELLEN

  “Hey, lady,” Kellen whispered to the woman bringing him dinner. “Hey, when am I allowed out of here?”

  Like the nurses, she ignored him.

  Why isn’t anyone talking to me?

  Kellen pulled the plastic top off the tray; baked liver, carrots, and applesauce. He yacked into the bin by his bed. Kellen covered the food tray, pushed the cart away, and rubbed the rawness from his throat. He glanced up at the clock.

  8:30 already? Where’s Dad?

  Kellen sighed. He had been in this stupid room over half the day now with no one but a couple old nurses and the food tray lady in to visit. They had even taken the phone from his room and posted a security officer outside the closed door.

  Stupid. It was just a prank. Why do they need some guard to watch me?

  Kellen had a fleeting image of Garrett Weaver sitting across the pool with his feet in the water. He remembered seeing Ms. Morgan, one of her lazy eyes marbling around as she yelled for him to wake up. Then the darkness had come for him again. When he awoke, he found himself in this tiny cell the hospital called a patient room.

  The other image of Garrett, though, that one he remembered clear. Kellen had spent half the afternoon trying to convince himself what he saw underwater could not have been real. None of it made sense. Still, Kellen remained certain he had seen it.

  He overheard a nursing code over the intercom, and the door to his room opened. Kellen recognized the portly sheriff immediately.

  “Hey, Dick.”

  Sheriff Hullinger cocked an eyebrow at Kellen’s familiar tone. He looked out the door. “Is he ready to go yet? You girls get him discharged already?”

  The sheriff nodded when they gave him the okay. One of them handed him some paperwork. He scribbled a signature and gave it back. “All right, then.” He looked at Kellen. “I’ma need you to come with me, Kell.”

  Kellen rose off the bed. “My dad ask you to pick me up or something? I thought you guys only played poker on Wednesdays.”

  “I’m not here to take you home, and your dad’s not coming, son. I need you to turn around for me, put your hands behind your back.”

  Kellen laughed. “What?”

  “Turn around, put your hands behind your back,” the sheriff said, sterner this time.

  “Is this some kind of joke?”

  Sheriff Hullinger stepped forward. “Kellen Winstel, you have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand?”

  Gimme a break, Hullinger.

  “Yeah, I get it.” Kellen turned around. “Is my dad putting you up to this?”

  The sheriff took one of Kellen’s wrists in hand. “Anything you do or say may be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand?”

  Kellen felt the pinch of cold metal on his wrist. Heard the handcuff click as it tightened flush against his skin. Oh, Dad. You must think is real funny. “You gonna do this all day, Dick? I got it.”

  The sheriff tightened the final cuff. “You have the right to an attorney—”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Kellen popped his shoulders. He tugged at the cuffs to test the resistance. “I understand all my rights, and yada yada. Just skip to the end where you escort me out in handcuffs to embarrass me in front of everyone so my dad can get his laugh in.”

  Sheriff Hullinger turned Kellen to face him. His expression seemed too serious for Kellen to believe this anything but a joke. The sheriff continued reading Kellen his Miranda rights and quickly arrived at the end of his spiel. “Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?”

  Kellen snorted. “If this were real, you know I would tell you my dad is my attorney. Call him to meet us at the station. I’ll answer your questions there.”

  Sheriff Hullinger nodded. He took Kellen by the elbow and led him out of his room.

  Kellen noticed the nurses look away when he made eye contact with them. It happened again when they reached the elevator and went down with a couple old farts. Kellen smirked at every one of them. Go tell this around town, folks. It’ll do wonders for my image at school. Chicks dig the bad boys, haven’t you heard?

  Sheriff Hullinger escorted him out of the hospital and to his parked car near the exit. He opened the rear door.

  Kellen laughed and scooted in without help. “Hey, Dick. Can you play the siren on our way? I’d just love that.”

  Sheriff Hullinger slammed the door. A second later, he got in the driver’s seat and started up the car. He did not play the siren.

  Kellen leaned forward to the metal gate installed between the front and back seats. “So what’d my old man have to say, huh?”

  “Sit back, inmate.”

  “Inmate, whoo.” Kellen shivered. “Sounds kinda catchy. Seriously though. What’d my dad say? He waiting on us at the station to film me getting out in handcuffs?”

  Sheriff Hullinger glanced up at the rearview mirror. “I said sit back.”

  “Oookay.” Kellen leaned back. “Whatever you say, Hullinger.”

  Kellen watched the town his dad forced him to live in roll by. They passed Gracin’s Grille, the only real restaurant in a thirty-mile radius with food worth eating. Then the used car dealership that never made a sale but somehow stayed in business. Just the sight of them made Kellen sick with boredom.

  By the time they reached the jail, his arms had begun to ache. He tried slipping his handcuffs underneath his butt, but the short links prevented it.

  Sheriff Hullinger parked near the jail’s side entrance marked for officers only. A minute later, he escorted Kellen through the door and down the barren hall.

  Kellen felt like he just entered a tomb. “No reason to hold onto me so tight, Hullinger.” He clacked his cuffs together. “Clearly I’m not going anywhere. I mean that’s the point of all this, right?”

  The sheriff said nothing and led him through another door marked as booking.

  “Hey, Campbell,” Kellen said to the officer behind the desk. “What’s new?”

  Like the sheriff, Campbell didn’t seem his normal jokey self either. He took custody of Kellen and led him to a different room. “You have any weapons or contraband on you?”

  Kellen laughed. “Oh yeah. I’m always packing heat. Never know when I might have to bust a cap in this neighborhood.”

  Campbell muttered a reply and continued his pat down search. Satisfied, he uncuffed Kellen, and directed him to pose for a mug shot.

  Kellen cheesed throughout the process.

  Campbell refused to take the bait. He next guided Kellen to a desk countertop where he took his fingerprints.

  “You’re taking this the whole nine yards too, huh?” said Kellen, pressing his finger
tips down onto the computer pad for scanning. “Campbell, be serious with me. How much is my dad paying you guys to do this?”

  “Not my place,” Campbell said. “I need your personal information. Name, address—”

  “Are you kidding?” Kellen asked. “You’ve known me since I could walk. We swam on the same relay team. I was a freshman, you were a senior, remember? You took me around to knock over mailboxes before you wound up a cop.”

  “Shut up, Winstel!” Campbell said.

  “Whoa. What’s your prob—”

  “You’re my problem.” Campbell folded his arms. “What were you thinking today? Twelving?”

  “What’s the big deal?” Kellen asked. “It’s just a little hazing. Just a prank.”

  “You almost drowned Garrett Weaver.”

  “That’s the point of twelving,” said Kellen. “Or don’t you remember? You’re the one who told me about it!”

  Campbell shoved Kellen into the wall. He leaned in close enough for Kellen to notice the veins in his neck pulsing. “You keep your mouth shut about that, you hear?” Campbell seethed. “Everyone knows that’s just a dumb story to scare freshman. Nobody ever took it serious until you.”

  Kellen sneered. “Maybe that’s 'cause I’m not a pussy like the rest of you.”

  Campbell raised his fist.

  “Do it,” Kellen said. “In case you didn’t notice, I’m not some little freshman anymore.”

  “No.” Campbell lowered his fist. “But here soon you’re gonna wish you could be.” Campbell smoothed the creases of his shirt and tucked in the loose parts. “Take a seat.”

  Kellen obeyed as Campbell returned to the desk, and scribbled some notes down.

  “What’s that you’re writing?”

  “Explanation of the charges against you.” Campbell tore out the paper. “You do want to know what you’re being held for, don’t you?”

  “I know why. Daddy wants to teach me a lesson.”

  Campbell walked over and handed Kellen the note. “This has nothing to do with your dad. Here.”

  Kellen took the paper and crumpled it into a ball. He tossed it at the trashcan. He thought Campbell wanted to hit him then. Kellen would have welcomed it. Instead, Campbell grabbed him roughly by the arm and led him to a phone.