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Zoe
“You know,” Zoe said to Jason. They’d just climbed back into the car.
Jason started the engine and cranked the heat. It was now full on dark, it was still raining, and it was very cold. “Yes, I know. We are pretty close to Kendall’s house.”
“Yes, we are.”
“Let’s do it. Seriously, Jason,” Derek said. “We’ve got to find this kid. It’s going to be cold out tonight.”
Jason nodded. “All right, but if things get weird, we bail.”
Zoe didn’t understand what the big deal was. Kendall was a creep, but he wasn’t anything to fear. At least, she didn’t think so.
Jason shut his lights off before he even pulled into the driveway.
“Are you trying to sneak up on him?” Zoe asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“No, I’m trying not to annoy his psycho father.”
Oh. Maybe that was something to fear. Zoe didn’t know Kendall had a psycho father. She climbed out of the warm car and followed Jason toward the house. Derek stepped up beside Jason, and Zoe looked back at Emma, who was carefully watching her feet as she tried to navigate the puddles. Zoe reached back and touched her arm, tucking the younger girl behind her. “Stay close,” she said.
A man, probably Kendall’s father, swung the door open before Jason had even knocked. He looked Jason up and down and then belted over his shoulder. “Kendall, friends are here.”
Zoe didn’t see Jason flinch, but she still knew he had.
The man wasn’t wearing a shirt, and Zoe didn’t understand how anybody could have that much hair on his chest. He took a drink from the beer can in his hand and then turned and walked away, leaving the door open. He hadn’t invited them to step inside, and none of them made a move to. Zoe thought they’d probably all rather stand outside in the rain.
They waited and waited, but Kendall never came. Eventually, someone inside shut the door. Zoe didn’t know if they’d forgotten they were outside or if they had meant to slam the door in their faces.
“I told you,” Jason said. “Waste of time.” He turned to walk away and nearly ran into Zoe.
But Derek stepped up to the door and pounded on it. Then, he hollered at them to open the door, using several colorful expletives to help convey the urgency of his request.
Jason looked horrified. Zoe was thrilled. Emma giggled. The door opened.
It was Kendall, looking worse for wear. Either he was drunk, or something was very very wrong. “What?”
“Where’s Levi?” Derek asked.
Kendall took a step back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Levi who?”
Derek stepped onto the threshold, and his posture was menacing. Zoe started to fear he really might hit the kid, and though she didn’t care one iota about Kendall, she wasn’t sure how that would turn out should Kendall’s father, or other people who might be nearby, get involved.
“Tell me where he is!” Derek thundered.
Zoe backed up, bumping into Emma. She didn’t have the wherewithal to apologize, though.
The shirtless man reappeared behind Kendall and swore. “What is this?” he shouted.
“We need to get out of here,” Zoe muttered to Jason.
“I know.” Jason sounded young and scared. He reached out to grab Derek’s sleeve, but Derek yanked his arm away from Jason’s touch.
Apparently, the shirtless man interpreted this motion as a coming blow, because he grabbed Kendall’s shoulder and threw him behind him like a ragdoll.
Derek widened his stance, and the shirtless man swung his fist.
Zoe looked away, bracing herself as if she were the one about to be hit. She heard skin on skin, but then nothing else. She forced herself to look and saw Derek standing right where he had been. He’d been punched, she was sure of it, but it hadn’t done much damage.
The shirtless man also appeared confused. Why hadn’t Derek hit him back?
“Dad, stop,” Kendall said weakly, finding his feet. “Just shut the door.”
“I’m not leaving till you tell me where Levi is, you little punk.”
Kendall’s dad looked back at his son. “Do you know where Levi is?”
“No.”
Kendall’s dad looked at Derek. “Is he missing or something?”
Derek nodded. “Since Wednesday.”
What? Had Derek just exaggerated for effect or did he really not know the days of the week? Zoe figured either was possible.
“No, Friday, you moron,” Kendall said.
Zoe’s breath caught. Had Derek just set that little trap on purpose? No way.
“And where was he on Friday?’ Derek asked levelly.
Not appearing to realize his mistake, Kendall again claimed to not know anything.
Derek turned his attention to the father. “Levi’s mom is worried sick. Your boy knows where that boy is. Why don’t we shut this door and give you a minute to let him tell you.” Derek’s words were loaded with extra meaning, but Zoe didn’t know if that extra meaning was getting through to Kendall’s dad.
“No need.” The dad turned to his son. “Tell me where he is right now. Or else.”
“I don’t know,” Kendall said slowly and convincingly. Then he called Levi a few choice words.
Zoe didn’t know Levi well, but she was pretty sure he didn’t deserve any of them. Before she knew what was happening, Kendall’s dad had backhanded him across the face. Then he straddled him, grabbed him by the front of his shirt and shook him.
Kendall let out a tirade of gibberish. He was obviously drunk. He was obviously scared. What he said made no sense.
“Derek,” Zoe said, but then didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to tell him to stop the man from hurting Kendall, but she didn’t know what words to use.
But then it was over as quickly as it started. The man let go of Kendall’s shirt, and Kendall flopped back onto the floor. His father straightened up, turned toward Derek, and grabbed the door. “He doesn’t know anything.” He swore again. “Get out of my house.”
Derek backed up a step. “Sorry to bother you.” He turned and stepped out of the house, and the door slammed behind him. Derek started toward the car, singing “Jingle Bells.”
Zoe looked at Jason with wide eyes.
“Yeah. Coming here was a great idea.” Jason started after Derek.
Zoe’s stomach churned. Great. It wasn’t bad enough looking for a kid who might be dead. It wasn’t bad enough being cold and scared and tired and hungry. Now Jason was mad at her too. She forced her feet to start walking and told herself that she could cry about that later. Again, Levi didn’t have time for her angst.
As soon as she shut the car door behind her, though, Jason apologized. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at everyone else. And I’m embarrassed.”
“What?” Zoe really wanted to understand.
Jason lowered his voice. “I can’t believe I couldn’t get my teammates to help. I haven’t been able to get anyone to help. And I haven’t been able to help myself. And now Derek has accomplished more than I have.” He sighed.
She wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how. So she busied herself checking her phone. “Uh, Jason? I don’t think your charger works. My phone is at one percent now.”
Jason groaned. “There’s no good service here, either, so that probably drained it even faster.”
“Oh no,” Emma said. “Mine’s almost dead too.”
“Jason, we need to get out of here,” Derek said.
“You’re right.” Jason started the car. “Wait.”
“Nahhh,” Derek said. “I don’t think we should wait here.”
Jason put the car in reverse and started backing up.
“What is it?” Zoe asked. She knew he’d thought of something.
“Probably nothing.”
“What’s probably nothing?”
“I think I know where Levi is.”
