“It was on the news. All the customers have been talking about it. A couple people said they already called the school to check on their kids. I didn’t think I needed to, of course, because I didn’t sign a permission slip.”
Thanks, Mom. Just keep twisting that dagger.
“Garrett,” Cristina said. “You okay, honey? Are you hurt?”
Yes Mom, I’m hurt. Hurt that you think I might have blown up a shark tank. Garrett looked at both Ms. Morgan and the sheriff. “No…”
“Then why is the school contacting me if you’re fine? Oh, Garrett, they haven’t thrown you in jail have they? Because if they have—”
“Mom! Do you honestly think I’d do something to get thrown in jail?”
“Well, I don’t know,” said Cristina. “You tell me. Were you involved in any of that mess at the zoo today?”
“No—”
The shark-man did it.
“Well,” said Garrett. “I was at the zoo when it happened, but I didn’t do anything.”
“Honey,” Cristina said. “If you had anything to do with this, now is the time to tell me.”
“I didn’t do anything, Mom. I swear to—”
“I believe you.”
“You do?”
“Mmm-hmm. Because Garrett Lee Weaver if you’re lying to me, I’ll be on the news tonight for strangling my son. You get me, young man?”
Garrett tried not to grin. “Yeah, Mom. I get you.”
“Good. Now you come home straight away and—”
“’Fraid I have to step in here,” Sheriff Hullinger interrupted. “That’s why I’m at the school. Seems this is all a bit more complicated than Garrett’s letting you know. I got a call from a federal marshal about twenty minutes ago. Said he saw a boy wearing a Tiber High wrestling T-shirt on the security cameras. Had the name Weaver on the back. Anyhow, this marshal would like to question Garrett in person down at the station.”
“Oh, Garrett—”
“Now don’t get yourself all worked up, Cristina,” Sheriff Hullinger cut her off again. “This here marshal just wants to show Garrett some pictures and ask a few questions is all. I can drop him back off at your house later this evening once we’re finished, if you’d like.”
Yeah, I’ll bet you’d love that, Hullinger. You and all the other cops would kill for an excuse to stop by and flirt with my Mom, wouldn’t you?
“A couple questions?” Cristina asked. “So, he’s not in any kind of trouble?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Hullinger said. “Just wants to ask him if he recognizes any of the pictures. I’ll be there the whole time so don’t you worry your pretty self.”
“All right then. And you say you’ll drop him off at home after, Dick?”
“Yes, ma’am. But only if you promise to bring a piece of that apple pie you make for me to take home,” Hullinger said with a laugh.
“Deal,” Cristina said. “Thanks for calling and letting me know. Garrett, honey?”
“Yeah, Mom?”
“I love you.”
Garrett mumbled a reply back. His mom hung up her end of the phone.
Ms. Morgan’s used a single skeletal finger to hang up. “So…you were in the room when the tank burst. Why didn’t you mention that before?”
“I—”
“Don’t bother lying. Hickey already said you wanted to see the shark tank,” Ms. Morgan continued. “He mentioned you were adamant about it, even when he suggested you go back to the bus like a good student ought to.” She cocked an eyebrow. “What piqued your curiosity?”
Sheriff Hullinger cleared his throat. “Apologies, Ms. Morgan, but I got it from the marshal that Garrett here didn’t do anything wrong. Now if you’ll excuse us, we best get going. The marshal will be arriving at the station anytime now, I’d expect. Come on, Garrett.”
“What’s his name?” Ms. Morgan snapped.
“Pardon?”
“This marshal you’re so eager to run off and impress,” Ms. Morgan said. “What’s his name?”
Hullinger smirked. “That’s confidential…” He turned to Garrett. “All right, son, let’s get outta here.”
Garrett lifted his bag from the floor. He dared a glance at his vice principal before leaving, hoping to see a bit of anger, or the slightest frustration. He saw neither. Garrett followed the sheriff out of her office.
A new girl Garrett had never seen before stood near Mrs. Boyd’s reception desk. She looked like she could have just stepped off a runway despite the cheesy T-shirt she wore. Across her chest, it read I my Shedd Aquarium! with a sea lion picture underneath it.
The girl caught Garrett staring and bashfully turned away.
“Come on, Weaver,” Sheriff Hullinger said from the outer office doorway. “We ain’t got all day.”
The girl gave Garrett a lingering look-over, studied his face.
Great first impression on the hot new girl, Weaves. Garrett sauntered past her.
“I’m sorry, dear,” Mrs. Boyd asked the new girl. “What did you say your name was again?”
“Chidi…” the girl said. “My name is Chidi.”
LENNY
Lenny cursed when he saw the heavyset sheriff lead Garrett Weaver out of school. He did remember to toss up a silent prayer to the Ancients that he had at least picked up the trail again, however.
Neither looked particularly happy as they got in the sheriff’s car.
Chidi, at least, had the sense to wait until the car pulled out of the lot to exit the school. She ran for their mini-van, ignoring a group of teens in their truck bed catcalling to her, got in the driver’s side, and waited for Lenny’s order.
“Follow ’em,” Lenny said.
Chidi obeyed.
They drove without speaking, much like they had the forty-five minute drive from the zoo to Lavere. Lenny’s fingers danced against his windowpane. Come on, Cheeds. Say something, he thought to himself. Let’s make an argument outta this. Least it’ll make the time go by fasta.
She didn't.
Traveling on a two-lane state highway with barely any traffic, it did not take Chidi long to catch up to the sheriff’s car.
“Not too close.” Lenny warned. “Don’t wanna make ’em suspicious.”
Chidi tapped the squealing brakes to drop them back two car lengths.
Ten miles later, they passed an abandoned gas station near the I-65 interstate on-ramp. Lenny noticed all the windows had been shattered out, and chains hung from the door. Several pumps hung free from their stations, left to clang against the sides at any gust of wind. The major sign had few letters remaining. Those that hadn’t fallen or been stolen read: U lead $2.05/gal. Another read: Dies $2.9 / al.
Lenny made a mental note of the landmark like Declan had taught him to do in new surroundings. He turned to look out Chidi’s window. Her sharp eyes never left the sheriff’s car.
She’s a good girl. His conscience nagged. Just scared. Ya know what it’s like to be scared, don’t ya? Lenny turned back to watch the farmlands roll by. Nothin’ scares me.
As if desiring to prove him wrong, his conscience recalled the memory of the two marshals chasing him earlier. Lenny relived their footsteps closing in on him. The hairs stood up on his arms.
Now who’s lyin’?
He turned on the radio. A country crooner sang about the ex-girlfriend he needed back more than anything else in the world, including his house and dog. Lenny continued scanning until he found a station playing ‘80s rock-n-roll. He cranked up the volume.
Chidi winced at the onslaught to her eardrums but said nothing of it.
Five minutes later, they reached the town of Lavere.
“Slow down,” Lenny ordered as he watched a vacated series of run-down, abandoned buildings roll by. At first, he thought they headed for the courthouse at the center of town. He had seen the top of its greenish dome just outside the city limits. Atop it, a statue pointed its arm eastward.
The sheriff turned into the parking lot of a newer
building just across the street. He parked near several navy police cars with white stripes and a man who tipped his black cowboy hat.
Lenny felt the car slow.
“The Silkstealer,” Chidi said.
“Don’t stop! Keep drivin’ like normal.”
Lenny scooted low in his seat as Chidi sped back up. Only after they passed the jailhouse did he raise his head to look out the passenger-side mirror.
Two men had exited either side of the SUV; one of them led Marisa Bourgeois in handcuffs. Lenny couldn’t make out either man’s face, but he had a sneaking suspicion he had met both already.
“Lenny…what am I supposed to do now? Where do you want me to go?”
Could the Silksteala be after Weava too?
“Drive back to that old gas station we passed earlier. Ya crystals workin’?”
“Yes.”
“Tell the others to get here,” Lenny said, leaning forward to turn up the radio louder. “And let Oscar know I got what he wants.”
Chidi’s earrings flashed. She remained quiet as they drove back through town.
Lenny kept his eyes on the steering wheel when she drove back across the interstate overpass. If she don’t wanna be taken back, all she’s gotta do is drive ova the edge.
Chidi never wavered. She did, however, fishtail the back of the car when turning into the loose gravel near the gas station. After righting it and parking, she promptly turned off the car. The quiet returned, now without even the car engine for Lenny to distract himself with.
He shifted uneasily.
Ya know this is wrong. And ya know betta than most what August will do if he gets the kid.
Chidi’s earrings sparkled. She nodded to the unheard voice and turned to Lenny. “Ellie says Oscar and Henry came back not long after we left. They had to hide because of all the cops around before they could slip away. I guess Ellie told them what you wanted. They left the zoo a while ago. She says they should be here in the next twenty minutes.”
“Anything else?”
Chidi nodded. “Oscar says—he says you better have found the boy or he’ll have August sell you to the nearest Nomad when we go back.”
“Do me a favor,” Lenny said. “Ask Oscar why he’s gotta be such a jerk.”
Chidi chuckled. “What do you really want me to tell them?”
Lenny nearly laughed with her. That is, until he remembered the reason he brought her in the first place. He scowled. “Just tell him to get here quick.”
“Okay…”
She coulda’ shot ya any time back there with Zymon. Lenny could almost hear his father rationalize. Just like she coulda’ driven ya both off the bridge a minute ago.
Lenny squirmed in his seat and looked out the window. She lied to me.
The grass had grown up through the cracks in what little blacktop remained by the pumping stations. A bean field had been planted almost up to where the pavement ended.
Near the ditch line, a farmer worked on his red tractor. A younger version of the man stood nearby, watching. The farmer handed the wrench to his son, pointed where to place it on the engine. The boy jumped at the chance to help.
“I wasn’t going to run, you know,” Chidi said.
“Maybe ya should’ve.”
“Maybe…Henry would come for me though.”
“We all got problems.”
Chidi turned in her seat. “Lenny…why are you such a jerk?”
Lenny sat up. “Wha-what’d ya say?”
“You said we all have problems and you’re right. We do. We’re both slaves, in case you forgot. Our owners can beat, sell, even ra—” Chidi looked away. “They can do anything they want to us. So with all we have to deal with, how in the depths can you be such a jerk when I’m trying to apologize?”
Where’s this girl been the whole time? “Guess I’m a jerk, just like you’re a fighta. It’s who we are, Cheeds.”
“I’m no fighter.”
“Oh no?” Lenny barked a laugh. “Where’d that fire come from then, sparkplug? Ya got it in ya. I dunno know what all Henry’s done, but ya wouldn’t have made it this far if ya weren’t a fighta.”
Chidi looked down. “I used to be…I fought for a long time.”
“My Pop says there’s no such thing as used to be. Ya either are something or ya not. People don’t change.”
“Yes, they do,” said Chidi. “I used to be naïve.”
Lenny gave her a long look. “Ya not anymore.”
“No…I changed. You could too, right now.”
“How’s that?”
“You could stop being a jerk.”
Lenny smirked. “Then I wouldn’t be me, sista. See? Can’t change who I am. Don’t got a choice.”
“Daar is altyd 'n keuse…”
“Cheeds—”
“It’s what Marisa said to me at the Shedd Aquarium yesterday.” Chidi said quickly. “It means there is always a choice…”
Lenny shook his head and looked out the window. The farmer and his son had their tractor working. Both had climbed into its cab to continue their work in the field.
Could we have that, Pop? Swallow the anchor, and find a patch a land to work on in the middle of nowhere? Lenny wondered. Far from the sea and free?
Chidi removed her crystal-studded earrings. She handed them to Lenny. “It’s Ellie. She wants to talk you.”
Lenny’s ear lobes screamed at the notion of putting new studs in. He took them anyway. The crystals took a second to recognize their new wearer and mold to his raw nerve endings. After they settled, he pictured Ellie in his mind and directed his thoughts to her.
Elle, it’s me. Where ya at?
About five minutes away, she answered. Len…can I ask why we’re doing this? You really think this kid we’re going after is a runner? I mean, why are we after him? Marisa is the one the Crayfish wants. She’s the one he sent us to bring back, not some innocent kid.
Lenny thought back on Oscar’s words at the zoo. You catch him for me, Lenny! Catch him and I’ll free you!
Oscar wants him, said Lenny.
What doesn’t he want? Ellie countered. You know it can’t be for any good—
I know what it means, Elle. Just get here already.
Lenny saw their bus turn off the exit ramp a few minutes later. It wheezed into the gas station lot. The top swayed dangerously when Ellie drove it over a gaping pothole. The doors swung open even before she could put it in park.
Oscar exited first, his white hood catching air as he leaped down the steps. Henry descended not far behind, already glowering.
Paulo and Racer followed them out. Both stayed close to the bus.
Lenny’s earrings flashed as he exited the car. Paulie, what’s goin’ on?
Something you’re not going to like.
Lenny didn’t have time to ask anything more.
Henry ran toward him, grabbed Lenny by the suit, and shoved him against the car. “You stole my property!”
“I didn’t steal nothin’,” Lenny said, his hand slipping into his Selkie pocket. He fingered his hidden dagger. “Someone had to drive.”
“You could ‘ave ‘ad one of zem drive you.” Henry pointed back at the bus.
“I coulda’—” Lenny smirked. “But I didn’t.”
Henry punched him in the face. Then he lifted Lenny off the ground and slammed him against the car window, shattering the glass.
Lenny drew his dagger. He swiped at Henry’s face before he could be slammed again.
Henry caught him by the wrist, twisted it, and forced Lenny to hold the blade at his own throat.
“Henry!” Oscar yelled. “Put…him…down!”
Henry disregarded the order. His earrings flashed. You weel die for zis, nipperkin!
Do that and the Crayfish will take Cheeds from ya. Compensation for his loss of property.
Henry sneered. Maybe I would keel ‘im too.
“Henry!”
Henry wrenched Lenny’s dagger away and dropped him amidst th
e glass. He turned to face the other crewmates. “Do you all see ‘im?” He pointed at Lenny. “’E eez your warning! Ze next time anyone takes ze girl from me zey weel die!”
Henry threw the blade into the dirt. He strode to the passenger side, tried to open the door that Chidi fought to keep closed. Henry punched the window, yanked Chidi out by her hair. She screamed and kicked to no avail.
Lenny brushed off the glass shards stuck in his Selkie hide. A gun barrel shoved against his temple.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Oscar gloated. “You’re not going anywhere without my permission ever again. Where is he, Lenny?”
Lenny seethed as he watched Henry drag Chidi to the bus, her struggling to regain footing the entire way.
“Hey! She's not even puttin' up a fight!”
“Stop.” Oscar pressed the gun barrel deeper. “Henry can do as he pleases. That’s his right. She belongs to him, like you all belong to me. You do remember that, don’t you, nipperkin?”
Henry grinned at Lenny from across the lot. He slapped Chidi open-handed. When she didn’t get up as fast as he ordered her to, Henry slapped her again.
Lenny’s fists clenched. “I rememba…”
“There’s a good lad,” Oscar said. “Now this business about the Orc calf…what did you say his name is again?”
“Garrett Weava.”
“Weaver, yes. The crown jewel of all the gifts I mean to present my father upon our return.”
Gifts? Lenny put a finger to the right side of his nose. He blew the blood seeping out of his nostril onto the pavement. “Whattaya mean gifts?"
“Ah, I almost forgot,” said Oscar. “You weren’t with us then, were you? It seems I’m becoming quite the catcher. Come! I’ll show you.”
Oscar took the gun away from Lenny’s head. In his excitement, he even offered to help Lenny stand.
“Come along, come along.” Oscar hustled him toward the bus. “It really is a grand surprise! My father will love it.”
Lenny felt his stomach churn.
“You two—” Oscar motioned to Paulo and Racer. “Open it up. It’s high time Lenny learned he’s not the most capable catcher in this crew!”
Reluctantly, they each unlocked and lifted a hold door.
“Ellie!” Oscar called up the steps. “Be a dear and brighten the insides.”
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