CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Hey trouble,

Your little gift has caused quite the flurry of activity around here. Come see me first thing tomorrow.

—Crosby

“Well, my afternoon just opened up. Hello, bathtub.” I meander over to my closet in search of some extra-comfy clothes for lounging. Before committing to total couch potato-dom, I should really go in search of a good book. If only the cafeteria had to-go pints of Ben & Jerry’s, the afternoon would be about perfect. As perfect as dead can be, anyway.

“You so sure about that plan?” Hannah asks.

“Why? You have a better suggestion?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I already spent quite a bit of time in Jhana this morning, if that’s what you’re getting at. Speaking of which, I saw Pip. He seemed pretty mad I didn’t have anything for him.”

She laughs at the monster of her own creation. “He’s such a goober.”

“You’ve spoiled him rotten.”

“I know, I know. As to what I’m getting at, I have something else planned. I figured you must be getting a little bored around here, and I bet you don’t know about The Falls.”

“The what now?”

“The Falls. It’s this gorgeous spot southeast of here. There are four more parks and sets of towers out that way. Beyond that is this huge wilderness area, and in the middle of it is this beautiful series of waterfalls.”

“How have I not heard about this before now?” I ask.

“You’ve been a little preoccupied.”

“You have a point.” I flop onto my bed, torn between my interest in The Falls and my desire to be lazy as a slug.

“It’s a pretty long hike,” Hannah says. “Takes a couple of hours, but we have plenty of time before it gets dark if you’d like to go.”

I sit up, intrigue winning the war against laziness. “And they just let us take off like that? What about all the dangers lurking everywhere?”

“Well, for starters, it’s Saturday. We can take off for the whole day if we want, just as long as we’re back in time for DSR. As far as danger goes, there really isn’t any. It’s about as far removed from the city as you can get without a ticket out of here.” Hannah sits on the edge of her bed and laces up a pair of hiking boots. “So, you want to go?”

“Are you kidding? It sounds great. Just let me get changed into something a little more wildernessy.”

She finishes tying her boots. “You want to ask Charlie to come along?”

“Of course I do, but let’s make it a girls’ day.” I head for my closet and grab some jeans and a three-quarter sleeve top. “I was wondering why there were hiking boots in here,” I call out to Hannah.

“Yeah, this place makes sure to cover all the bases, even in our closets.”

“Too bad it doesn’t bother keeping crazy ladies from trying to lock us in dungeons.” I change in a hurry and pop back out like Superman. “Bug spray?”

“No need. No bugs. At least, none that bite.”

That’s one in the plus column for Atman, appreciated all the more by a girl from Wisconsin, home of mosquitoes the size of birds.

“I’m kind of glad it’s just you and me out here,” Hannah says as we emerge from the final park, which she informs me is called Shanti.

“Me, too. Charlie is, uh … ” I try to think of the right words.

“Hot?”

“Well, that and a lot of other things. But it’s nice to hang out, just the two of us.”

We’ve reached the outer edges of the wilderness area. The terrain between the forest and the park is beautiful, with low hills carpeted in vivid wildflowers that have attracted thousands of butterflies. We take our time walking through the sea of blossoms, marveling at the beauty. “This is amazing,” I say.

“I figured you could use something like this after the week you’ve had.” She sticks a daisy in her hair and offers me one, which I tuck behind my ear. Hannah picks a buttercup and puts it to her nose, inhaling the fresh scent. “Sounds like you and Bobby had a pretty big morning.”

“You heard?

She twirls the flower between her fingertips. “Are you kidding? Everyone knows.”

“You should have seen Crosby’s face. I brought Bobby down to his office, and he was all, ‘Uh, what do you mean?’ He was completely rattled.”

“Crosby? No way.”

“It’s true. He was at a total loss.”

“Wish I could have seen that.”

A butterfly lands on my shoulder and catches a ride with me.

“Aw, that’s so pretty,” Hannah says, admiring my hitchhiker.

“It’s a swallowtail. My mom’s flower garden is full of them every summer.” I put my hand up to my shoulder and the butterfly crawls over onto my fingers. “Aren’t you beautiful?” It beats its wings in slow motion like it’s showing off for us. It stays in my hand for several minutes, riding along as we walk toward the forest, before taking flight.

We climb a hill with a sharp incline, dotted with trees that get taller and taller as we advance toward the dense forest. The terrain gets steeper as we approach the tree line.

“Wow, this is quite the hike.”

“We’ll be getting to the big payoff in a minute. Hear the water? That’s the river and the first two falls. We’re coming up to the canyon, and the view is incredible.”

The roar of swift-moving water gets louder. Something about that sound has always sent my pulse racing. We pick up the pace.

The ground levels off as we walk among the evergreens. The light filters through the trees, sending soft rays to the ground and illuminating the carpet of dropped needles that cushions our steps. I spot a hawk in the lower branches a few yards away. It screeches a greeting as we pass.

“Do you have any Pips in here?” I ask.

“No, I don’t come here often enough. Plus, if Pip ever found out I had another bird in my afterlife, I’d be in big trouble.”

The trees give way to rocky terrain sloping gently downward, ending in an abrupt drop-off a hundred or so yards ahead. Hannah changes course, leading us toward a rope bridge spanning the chasm. It must be a quarter mile across, at least, and half a mile deep. We stop at the edge right before the bridge to take in the stunning view.

At the canyon’s floor is a rushing river. It’s sheer rock face all the way down from where we stand. Across the canyon is the real attraction, where two spectacular waterfalls bookend the bridge. The baffling thing is that the falls seem to have no source. They begin at the top of the ravine, but there is no lake, stream, river, or any other visible water source.

“How … ”

“No idea. It’s pretty amazing, though, right?”

“I have no words.”

“I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

“Thanks for bringing me here. It’s fantastic.”

“Thanks for coming with me.” Hannah walks over to a big boulder a couple of yards back from the edge. “Want to take a break for a few minutes?”

“Sounds good.” I take a seat next to her. “It’s so gorgeous here.” A rainbow has appeared across the canyon in the waterfall to the left of the bridge. A feeling of complete serenity passes over me, and I take a deep, grateful breath. “You were right, you know?”

Hannah turns to look at me. “About what?”

“On my first day. You asked if I died in a car crash. I don’t know if Charlie told you or not, but what Herc said about me hitting a semi was true.”

She shakes her head. “Charlie didn’t say anything. He’s very protective of you.”

Interesting.

“I was being an idiot. My phone rang, and then it fell on the floor when I was trying to get it out of my purse. I took off my seatbelt to grab it, and you can guess the rest.” I still feel queasy talking about it.

Hannah puts her arms around me and gives me a hug. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

“I guess you and I should have stuck to bikes,” Hannah says. The corners of her mouth turn up in the tiniest of smiles.

I laugh. Hard. Hard enough I almost fall off the boulder. We fall into a hopeless fit that leaves us both wheezing. “It would have been kind of hard to pedal across the Pacific,” I say, gasping and wiping away tears.

“Good point,” she says, still laughing.

It takes us a few minutes to regain control of ourselves, but the bridge beckons. My curiosity finally tempers our laughter.

“Want to go across?” Hannah asks. “There’s a trail that leads through the hills over there.”

Across the canyon are foothills I hadn’t even noticed.

“Lead the way.”

As we make our way to the bridge, we hear the sound of a twig snapping behind us. We both turn around, excited, hoping to see some wildlife.

If only.

Closing in on us are Herc and a man I recognize from Nero’s bar. The man who was watching Crosby and me from the corner table. The man who I realize looks exactly like Herc, just a few decades older.

Herc’s father.

My angry words from that night when Crosby found me in the pod come back to haunt me. I am nothing like Herc. He’s a hateful, cruel, manipulative little jerk.

They’re moving at a rapid, dangerous pace.

Hannah’s curiosity turns to alarm as they approach. “Herc?”

My defenses are up, and I take a step closer to Hannah so we’re standing shoulder to shoulder with our backs to the canyon. It’s clear we’re in trouble, but we have nowhere to go.

“So you’re Alonzo,” I say, a brash, icy edge to my voice pretending little regard for the precarious position Hannah and I are in. “You’re exactly what I pictured. A wife-beating, child-killing stereotype.”

He and Herc freeze with twin looks of shock on their faces. “Wh-what did you say to me?” Alonzo sputters.

“Oh, I know all about you, Alonzo. Even how you took the coward’s way out with your service revolver.” I put my hand up to my head, pointing my finger at my temple like a gun. I grab Hannah’s hand and inch forward, trying to gain a better defensive position.

“You shut up!” Herc screams. He takes a step forward, but Alonzo puts his arm out to stop him.

“I’ll handle this, since it’s clear you can’t.” He takes an aggressive step toward me. “You’re not so good at hiding, even in dark alleys.”

Dark alleys? I’m jolted by recognition. The man and the boy arguing in the shadows when Bobby and I sneaked into the city. “It was you two. Outside Nero’s.”

He claps his hands in mock applause. “Bravo. It was only a matter of time before even you put two and two together. It ain’t that hard. And I can’t have you sniffing around, spoiling my plans. My boy here was supposed to take care of you himself, but apparently that’s too much to ask.”

“But she was with Charlie and Hannah the next time,” Herc says. “It never would have worked.”

“All you had to do was bring her to me,” he roars. He backhands Herc across the cheek and looks up at the sky. “God forgive me for raising such a little codardo.”

Herc wimpers, which draws a hard look from his father.

Hannah and I take advantage of the distraction and begin to creep forward, away from the edge of the canyon and its perilous drop. The sandy ground makes for unsure footing, and we have precious little space to maneuver.

“How can you defend him, Herc?” I ask. “I know what he did to you. I know what he did to your mom, too. He broke her arm with the same flashlight he killed you with. Then he killed himself, leaving her to make the decision to take you off life support all by herself.”

I’ve said too much. Alonzo charges up to me with remarkable speed and delivers a crushing blow to my cheek with a well-placed right hook. Stars explode into my vision and I drop to the ground. He follows up his punch with a vicious kick in the ribs. These are practiced moves, learned from years of too much power and too little oversight. I can only imagine the amount of damage this man did in his lifetime, and for the first time since my arrival, I feel genuine, unreserved sympathy for Herc. I’m getting a glimpse of what must have been his daily reality: abuse and fear.

The crunch of my breaking bones makes both me and Hannah scream. The pain is immediate and profound, leaving me desperate for Charlie’s ability to overcome injury. This isn’t real. I’m not really hurt, I tell myself, but it’s no use. The pain is blinding.

“Leave her alone!” Hannah screams.

I try to tell her to stay quiet, to stay still, but the words won’t come out. My lungs scream for air as I fight to stay conscious, struggling against the black.

“Shut your mouth,” Alonzo commands Hannah, his hand raised.

She cringes in anticipation of the blow, but his hand stops inches from her face. “Go ahead,” she says. “Big man, beating up some girls he followed out in the woods.”

He chuckles. “My son can’t even handle the likes of these two.” Disgust gleams in his eyes like a disease, and he marches back toward Herc. “Is this what I raised you to be?” he demands. “How hard was it to follow them into the city and tell me where they were? What, you afraid you were going to get caught?”

Herc hangs his head.

“You look at me when I talk to you!” Alonzo screams. “I will not be disrespected like this!”

I struggle to my feet and stumble backward a few steps, queasy from the pain. Hannah puts her arm around my waist to steady me.

“It isn’t your fault, Herc. You didn’t stand a chance with a father like him.” My words are slow and painful. If I can get him on our side, three against one might be enough.

“You shut your damn mouth,” Alonzo says. “There’s nobody out here who will hear you scream. There’s nobody here to help you. My boy and I are leaving this place, and you can’t stop us.”

“You don’t have to be like him, Herc.” I try my best to hide the fear in my voice. “It’s not too late.” I stand up straight, gasping from the pain, and take a step away from Hannah. My proximity to the edge of the canyon is perilous. “Let’s go back to the dorms together, okay?”

“Go to hell.” Herc’s eyes are a mixture of hate and welling tears.

His loyalty to his father is fierce and inexplicable. He’ll never turn on him, especially not for Hannah and me, which leaves me with one last, desperate option. “No offense, Herc, but your dad is an asshole.”

Alonzo, blind with rage, charges at me like a lineman zeroing in on a running back. I wait until he is inches from me, then sidestep, placing my hands on his back and pushing him toward the canyon with all of my remaining strength. He tumbles over the edge, screaming as he makes the long plummet to the canyon floor.

Hannah carefully helps me away from the edge. “Dez, are you okay?”

“You crazy bitch!” Herc rushes along the edge of the canyon mouth, looking for a way down. “I have to go help him!”

“Don’t worry, he’s already dead,” Hannah says. “We won’t be lucky enough to have him die again.”

Herc runs a few hundred yards past the bridge and begins his slow descent down the canyon to rescue the man least deserving of his help.

“That ought to keep them busy for a while,” I say. “Let’s get out of here.”

It’s a long, painful trip back to civilization. We have to make frequent stops so I can rest, but after several hours of nervous backward glances, it seems Herc isn’t following us. I doubt Alonzo will be following anyone for a while.

“You must be getting tired, too,” I say. We stop in the low hills on the outer edge of the forest, both panting from the effort of our journey. “You’ve been practically carrying me the whole way.”

She studies my battered, swollen cheek. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s just work on getting you back where it’s safe.” She takes a deep, sad breath. “I’m so sorry, Dez.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. This should,” I gasp, wincing, “have been … a great time.” I close my eyes, trying to fight off the overwhelming pain and focus on getting back to our dorm.

“Maybe I should go ahead and get help. We could come back for you.”

“No. Please don’t leave me here alone.”

“Of course,” Hannah says. “You want to rest a little longer?”

“If I don’t get moving now, I’m not sure I’ll be able to.”

Our arduous journey back to safety comes to an end when we reach the edge of Shanti Park. Hannah plants me on the first bench we find. “Stay right here, Dez. I’m going to go get help. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I couldn’t move if I tried,” I whimper. Too drained and sore to remain upright, I lie flat, unable to think or move.

She takes off at a sprint, and for the first time in several torturous hours, I feel safe.