We arrived at the launch site unopposed. One empty canoe was already there, tied to a tree with Winky standing beside it, waving us over frantically. I sighed in relief seeing her there.
“Come on,” she whispered loudly. “Fohi and Rob are already ahead of us. We’ve gotta go. They made a hell of a racket.”
I waved the guys to go in front of me. Ronald and Jamal both got in very carefully, panicking as the boat rocked from side to side. They held the edges of the canoe with white-knuckled grips, obviously worried they were going to be flipped out and drowned.
Winky got in last after having untied the rope that held the canoe to the tree. She picked up a pole that was nearby and stood at the back of the boat, using it to push us through the water. Her muscles strained as she battled the light current that was making our heavy load difficult to control.
I breathed a sigh of relief as we started coasting away at greater speed, Winky finding her rhythm. I felt a little guilty about not helping, but it was probably for the best; I’d likely have gotten us all turned around and headed in the wrong direction.
The trees and roots slid by, the sounds of animals moving away from us making rustling sounds on the banks. It was difficult to see anything in the meager moon and starlight, but it would have been impossible to miss the vision that greeted us as we turned a bend in the river.
***
Trip stood with one hand on a large spear and the other hanging at his side. His right cheek sported the long strip of black warpaint that I had come to associate with attacking canners and winning at all costs. Winky kept pushing the boat, even as his image grew larger and more sharp.
We were now merely feet away, and he hadn’t moved a muscle. Rob and Fohi were just ahead of us now, both of them sitting in their canoe stunned, staring at Trip, no longer pushing with their poles.
I turned to look at Peter. His chin was raised in defiance as he stared Trip down, gripping Buster to his chest. The dog struggled to be released, whining his displeasure, but Peter didn’t let go.
I thought for sure Trip was going to use that weapon or at least say something, but as we slipped by, he only had eyes for Peter.
Peter looked away as we drew parallel to Trip, keeping his gaze straight ahead, looking so badass I wanted to squeal and hug him for how awesome he was. But that would have ruined the whole effect, so I kept my cool, turned to face the front of the boat, and focused on trying not to panic over getting a spear tip in my backbone.
I couldn’t imagine riding by and leaving Bodo behind, so this had to be so hard for Peter. It made me mad at Trip and Kowi all over again for putting him and the rest of us in this situation.
As soon as Trip was out of sight, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Fohi was the first one to speak from up in front.
“What the hell, dude?” he said, looking back at us, leaving Rob to do all the navigating. “What was that all about? Did he just do some sick-ass voodoo curse on us, or what?”
“Is he serious?” asked Jamal.
“Shut up, Fohi,” whispered Rob. “Let’s just get the hell out of here. This whole thing is just creeping me out.”
Winky must have agreed, because our canoe surged forward enough to come into contact with theirs. Fohi gave us a dirty look, but joined in pushing his boat again.
Within half an hour we were at the canoe rental place, pulling up onto the sand. No one was there to greet us.
We all clambered out and grabbed our stuff, anxious to put as many miles between us and Trip - and whatever weird plan he had up his sleeve - as possible. I noticed the grenade suitcase in Rob’s boat. Ronald was pulling on it to get it out.
“Careful, Ronald. Those are explosives.” I looked at Rob. “You got the grenades, cool. Thanks.”
Ronald put them gingerly down in the sand and backed away from them, bumping into his brother who was standing there with his mouth hanging open.
“I left them some,” he said, glancing at me as he tied the canoes to the boat rack for others to retrieve later. “Don’t be mad.”
I shook my head. “I’m not mad. That’s fair. I’m not trying to leave anyone high and dry here.”
“I know,” he said, smiling, coming over and patting me on the shoulder. “That’s why I did it. It was the right thing to do, and that’s what you’re all about.”
“Which is why we’re here in the middle of the friggin night, I guess,” added Fohi, struggling under the weight of a backpack that was nearly half his size.
I smiled at him, covering my mouth with my upper arm so he wouldn’t see. “What’s in that bag, dude?” I asked, masking my laughter with as curious a tone as I could muster.
“All kinds-a shit I have no idea. Rob. Friggin buttwad packed it.”
“Shut up, Fohi, or I’ll make you carry the heavy one,” Rob said, throwing an even bigger pack over his own shoulder.
Fohi ignored him, struggling up the slope. We all followed, helping each other until we were all at the top of the bank looking down.
“So this is it,” said Winky, staring at the canoes and then the water. “We’re really leaving.”
Peter cleared his throat. “I’m going to miss this place.”
We all probably knew at this point that it wasn’t the only thing he was going to miss. Trip had made that clear, stupid, insensitive jerk.
“No shit,” said Fohi. “It was home for a long time.”
“We’re sorry, guys. That we made you have to leave,” said Ronald.
“It has nothing to do with you, really. Don’t worry about it,” I said, trying to reassure them. “Eventually it was going to happen, either with you guys or someone else. I’m just glad you thought of somewhere to go.”
“Nobody made us leave,” agreed Rob. “It was a good place after our parents died, but I’ve been ready for a change for a while.”
“You have?” asked Fohi, sounding offended. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
Rob shrugged turning around and answering into the night. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t see the point. But now I do. Come on, let’s go get the bikes.”
We followed Rob single file into the trees, none of us looking back.
Chapter Five
I WAS HAPPY TO GET the bike with the big-butt seat for the trip. It had our old trailer attached and was covered in pine needles and other grosser things I didn’t want to think about. I brushed the seat off and got on, waiting for my backpack to balance out and stop sliding around so its momentum wouldn’t throw me off. Peter deposited Buster into the basket on the front, and tied his leash to the handles.
“Now stay put, Buster,” he said. “We have a long way to go and you need to shut your yap the entire time.”
“Wishful thinking,” said Winky, riding by on a ten-speed that also looked like it had seen better days.
Fohi was next, pumping his legs like mad on a BMX bike that looked better-suited to an eight-year-old.
I smothered a laugh and focused instead on Rob, Peter, and the twins bringing up the rear. I held my hand out so Rob would wait for me, launching my bike forward to ride next to him. We were the last in line.
“I need to go find Bodo before we go to the prison.”
“Yeah, I know. What’s up with this prison thing, though? LaShay said something about it. She told everyone at the pool tonight.”
“There’s an abandoned prison south of here. Not far. At least that’s what Ronald and Jamal said. They were thinking it might be a good place to set up a new home, and it sounded good to me.”
Rob nodded his head as we rode over the bumpy path. “That could work. So long as it’s still abandoned and not full of canners.”
“I’m trying not to think about that possibility. Hopefully, it’s too far out of the way from their food supply to work for them. They’re better off in neighborhoods.”
“Yeah. Let’s hope.”
He pulled ahead to ride next to Winky in front. Together, they led the way out onto the main road and pointed us in the direction of Celia’s shell shop.
Buster stood with his front paws on the edge of the basket, his tongue hanging out and the bits of fuzz on his head blowing in the breeze. He looked back at me once in a while, and I could swear he was smiling.
The sound of Fohi’s tire treads on the ground were the only things competing with the buzzing of the cicadas, busy humming in the night, sounding like they were piled by the thousands in the groups of trees we were riding by on our way into town. It was both comforting in its familiarity and discomforting in what it meant. We were riding at a time when the canners were most likely to be awake, and we were heading directly into their territory.
The thought made me pull up short, as Celia’s shell shop appeared like a white beacon in front of us.
“Stop, everyone. Just wait a second.” The guys nearest me put on their brakes and walked their bikes back; Rob and Winky made u-turns and rode over to join us in a circle.
“What’s up?” asked Fohi, breathing hard and resting his foot up on the v-shaped crossbar of his bike, wiping his brow with the back of his forearm.
“We need a plan. I don’t want to go riding in there with all our stuff, making a big announcement that we’re there to kick ass.”
Jamal nodded. “Please … yes … let’s not do that.”
“Yeah. We stay alive by staying under the radar,” added Ronald, looking over at his brother.
I looked at each of them in turn. “None of you needs to do this thing with me. I have to go in and try to find Bodo before I got to the prison. You can either wait here or go ahead without me and I’ll catch up.”
“I’m with Bryn,” said Peter without hesitation.
“I’d rather you stayed back with Buster,” I said, sighing. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but Buster would blow my cover in a second, and Peter would likely get captured, just like before.
“But I can help,” he said, pouting a little.
“I know you can. And I appreciate your help, you know I do. But right now, being with Buster is huge for me. Please? I can’t go in there and risk having him bark like he does.”
“Fine,” he sighed. “But I’m not going ahead without you. I’ll stay in Celia’s shop.” He took off on his bike without waiting for my response, riding towards the building.
I looked at the rest of them. “You guys can stay or go to the prison. It’s no big deal to me at all. Everyone needs to stay safe, and I totally get that.”
“I’m with you, Bryn,” said Winky. “No question. But I’d like to leave my backpack with Peter so I can ride faster.”
“No problem. I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. And he has a gun, so he can stand watch.”
“We’re with you, too,” said Fohi. “A hundred percent, dude. I mean dudette.”
“No, man. You’re staying with Peter and the dog,” said Rob.
“Shut the hell up, Rob, I am not!” said Fohi.
“Yeah, you should,” agreed Winky. “Peter’s too vulnerable by himself. We need someone to watch him and all our supplies. Without that stuff, we’d be sunk.” Winky’s tone was sufficiently respectful to cause Fohi pause.
“You serious?” he asked, suspicion lacing his voice.
“Of course she is,” I said quickly. “Those grenades are the only thing we have to set up our defenses with when we get to our new place.”
Fohi nodded, looking up at the sky and rubbing his chin, considering my words. “I am the demolitions expert.”
“Yeah. So keep an eye on that stuff for us,” I said. “Come on. Let’s get our crap unloaded with Peter and Fohi.” I didn’t wait around for Fohi to argue anymore, making my way over to the shell shop and riding right through the spot where the front door used to be.
