69. Investigating

There is a small area in the library at Harrington High that has a computer area attached to it. It’s laughable compared to the computer lab back at my old high school. I’m on a computer a little older than my laptop searching for something on the Internet.

I’m doing it here because I don’t trust my computer. Someone already seems to know my every move, including any type of communication done on my laptop. If I start doing searches on it, that someone might find out.

I start my list with the following words: missing people Solitary, North Carolina. I narrow the search and use other words, like students and children and disappeared. After spending most of the study hall searching random news blurbs and articles, I’ve come up with a list.

Suddenly I feel nervous. I glance behind me.

Big Brother watches and always will, Chris.

If they did watch, they certainly wouldn’t be able to read my scribbles on the piece of paper. That I’m sure of.

I look at the list.

STUART ALGIERS (17)—MISSING DURING CHRISTMAS BREAK

LUCY PENNER (13)—WENT MISSING DECEMBER 29 YEAR EARLIER

HARRY MARSHALL (16)—DISAPPEARED ON CHRISTMAS DAY TWO YEARS AGO

There are others, too, but none directly related to Solitary. At least not in bold letters. A guy who dies in a hunting accident. A man found frozen in his car after it broke down during a winter storm. An elderly woman shot by a burglar.

Three missing students in three years.

All between the ages of thirteen and seventeen.

All disappearing around the Christmas holidays.

The list looks way too long to me. Way too long to be coincidental.

If I knew someone to go to, I would.

How about Mom?

I fold the sheet of paper up and put it in my jacket pocket. Maybe I’ll tell her about it, but she’ll probably just tell me to stay out of it and be careful and all that. Or she might go to the police and spill the beans and get us into even more hot water.

I’m trying to avoid the hot water.

 

I slip a note to Jocelyn on the way to lunch, though I don’t sit with her:

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT LUCY PENNER AND HARRY MARSHALL?

At the end of lunch, she hands me her response:

People said Lucy ran away from home. Never believed it. Don’t know anything much about Harry Marshall. People said he was messed up. Maybe they fall into the Stuart category. Do you think?

As our class together begins, I shoot Jocelyn a look and nod at her. I can see the paleness of her skin, the blankness in her eyes.

That’s fear, Chris. And it’s something you probably smack of too.

All throughout that class and the rest of the day, I try to figure out what to do.

Who to tell.

Where to go.

Something’s wrong with all of this. And Jocelyn might be next.

It sounds absurd, but so do many things that happen every single day. They’re absurd until they show up on your doorstep knocking.

What about telling Dad?

The voice comes out of nowhere, and I squelch it quickly. If I could punch whoever said it, I would. There’s no way I’d ask my dad for anything. Mom could be going to a Turkish prison and I still wouldn’t reach out for his help.

Well, maybe if it was Turkish I would, but only then.

After last-period PE, I’m changing my clothes in the locker room, absorbed in thoughts. I don’t even hear the guys behind me until it’s too late. One second I’m by my locker staring into it, and then the next I feel arms grab me at both sides and something go over my head, and for a second I think it’s a plastic bag that someone’s going to suffocate me with. The room goes dark.

My arms are pulled and my hands are tied behind my back. I wrangle and wrestle and thrash, but whoever is holding me down is too strong. My scream is stifled by someone’s big hand.

It’s Gus. It’s gotta be Gus.

Then I hear something tear and realize it’s tape. They’re tying my legs together now.

I manage to break my mouth away from the hold and howl out, “Stop it! Somebody help me! Somebody!”

But then I cough and choke as the hand cups something else around my nose and mouth. I inhale something strong, bitter, gagging. I cough more and then suddenly feel light and groggy.

In seconds, I’m out.