“Protect me.I don’t know.Dosomething.”And then, her voice breaking, she said, “They’re going to kill me, and I didn’t evendoanything.”
“Nobody’s going to kill you,” Tean said.“And of course we’ll do whatever we can to help.But right now, there’s nothing to do except make smart choices.That means staying near other people, especially the lodge staff, in public areas.”
“Find somewhere to sit,” Jem said, “where lots of people can see you, and don’t move.”
River gave a helpless shake of her head.But then, after a moment, she nodded.
“You’ve got your phone?”Tean said.When she nodded again, he said, “We seem to have cell service—for the time being, at least—so I’m going to give you my number.If you notice something strange, call me.”
She rubbed her eyes.“Yes.Okay.”
Tean gave her his and Jem’s numbers, and she entered them into her phone.When she finished, Jem said, “They’re only people.If they grab you, scream, kick, fight.Go for the eyes.Hit them in the nuts.You’re smart.Use that.”
Her color didn’t improve, but there wassomethingdifferent in her face after Jem’s words—a ghost of resolve.They left her at the entrance to Afterski; she was gripping the phone with both hands and staring around the bar like someone might jump out and grab her.
“I’m going to ask if Francisca will let me borrow the phone again,” Jem said.“I know Vaughan’s already told everyone to keep an eye out for Maeve and Milo, but I’ve got to do something.I guess I could run around like a cartoon character—you know, so fast the carpet bunches up under me.”And then he laughed.
“Jem,” Tean said.
But then he stopped.
A hint of a smile lingered on Jem’s face, but it was a disconnected expression, at odds with the heaviness that lurked at the back of his eyes.The blond man scratched his nose.
“I was thinking,” Tean said carefully.
“About this psycho pack of killers that somehow followed us up into the mountains?God, you don’t think they’ve got the kids, do you?”
“No.No, I don’t think so.But something was missing from Maeve and Milo’s room.”
“Yeah, their luggage.”
But Tean shook his head.“No, something else: there was no sign of a struggle.”
Jem started to say something and then stopped.
“Maeve and Milo are old enough to know not to go with a stranger,” Tean said.“They’re obviously smart children, and they’re also clearly wary of adults.If someone had broken into the chalet and abducted them, they would have tried to run.If that hadn’t worked, well, I don’t think they would have gone easily.Maeve is big enough that she could have made it difficult for a kidnapper to take her—or, at least, created some sign of a disturbance.Milo is smaller, but he’s not so small that someone could have taken him easily against his will.”
Jem considered this for a moment.“He looks like a biter.Okay.I get it.If the wolves had broken in there and taken them, we would have seen some sign of it.They sure as hell wouldn’t have neatly packed their bags and left the room spotless.Plus, my mom would have heard them, and she would have tried to stop them.”
“Yes,” Tean said.He didn’t add, Maybe.He continued, “To me, that suggests they either left on their own, or they went with someone they trusted.”
Jem nodded slowly.“They would have gone with Stephen,” Jem said sourly.“And that fucker is still in the wind.”
“Stephen is only part of this, though.I think we need to talk to the group again.”Tean drew a deep breath.“I know this feels like we’re not looking for Maeve and Milo.I know it feels like we’re—we’re losing sight of what’s important.But I honestly think that Vaughan is already doing everything he can to search the lodge.We can try to help, but it’s going to be like what you said—we’ll be like cartoon characters running so fast the rug bunches up underfoot, and I don’t think two more sets of eyes will help, not in a place this big.I think the best way we can help them—the fastest way to find them—is to try to figure out who took them, and why.”
Jem rubbed his eyes.He wobbled again, and Tean caught himself reaching out to steady the blond man before hesitating.He let his hand fall.“Fuck it,” Jem said.When he opened his eyes, they looked like glass.“Let’s see what they have to say.”
27
Aiden wouldn’t let them into Nora’s chalet.
“What do you want?”The wiry man glowered at them from under his mousey mop top.
“We wanted to talk—” Tean began.
Jem pushed past him, ignoring Aiden’s squawk as he pressed through the doorway.
“You can’t do that!”Aiden shouted after him.
