Page 36 of Code Violation

Forrest thought. “Not really. He started working the mail route when Oliver’s back got fucked up and he couldn’t deal with big packages and stuff anymore. Ned would complain about people leaving their dogs out or having attack geese. Stuff like that. People thought he was odd—like they think I’m odd—but no enemies that I know of.”

“Would Rufus know more?” Nero asked.

“Probably.”

“So, after you and Lani—er, after your grandfather—how did he come to have custody of you anyway? I mean, did he know where his son and grandchildren were living the whole time?”

Forrest blew a puff of air out. He’d never really learned this part of the story.

“You don’t have to talk about it. It probably doesn’t matter. I just don’t like coincidences. I’ve done a little research and found some information about your grandfather already, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

“Yeah, alright.” Forrest stood up and ran a hand through his already unruly hair.

“You were the one who found your grandfather, right?”

“I did. Worst fucking day of my life. I’d gone to visit Xav where he’d ended up moving after high school. I can’t even remember what we were doing anymore, probably been entirely too stupid. Street racing or sneaking into abandoned buildings somewhere. Being assholes for sure. Neither of us were in good head spaces. Anyway, I dragged my ass home around four in the morning and found him outside.”

Forrest remembered it like it had been only yesterday. Parking his car and walking toward the house, confused at first by the odd shape in the semidarkness. When he’d realized it was his grandpa, he’d collapsed to his knees in the gravel, thinking Ernst had fallen, but when Forrest had touched his skin, it had been cold. Too cold.

“Stupid me, thinking he’d live forever. That someday he’d have time to tell me all the stories I wanted to hear. But you asked about custody. To be honest, I don’t know if he officially had it. You don’t know what a pain it was to just get birth certificates. But Grandpa was a Cooper, so no one in town questioned him. And no one in town liked Dina. What I remember is that—look, this is a crazy-ass story.”

“I need to hear everything,” Nero said, his eyes practically boring into Forrest.

“Okay. So we lived up there with some other people. Maybe six or seven adults besides Dina and Witt? Honestly, I don’t know. Deep Dwellers, that’s what Rufus always called them anyway. My folks were self-sufficient and lived off the land. Like I said, survivalists.”

“Were you both born up there?”

Forrest nodded. “As far as I know.”

“Jesus. I mean, I know women have been giving birth for millions of years, but modern medical care is pretty cool.”

They were both quiet for a moment, imagining what it was like to give birth in the middle of the woods.

“I think I was around five when Lani was born,” Forrest continued. “My memories are fractured, but I do remember that night. Talk about terrifying. Learned some new curse words too.” He smiled. “Don’t ever tell her or she’ll get a big head, but I loved Lani from the minute I got to hold her. Which is funny because kids really aren’t my thing. I don’t think they were Dina’s either,” he added thoughtfully.

“It wasn’t like we starved, or that she actually hit us. There were threats though. The first time I met Wanda Stone, I didn’t know how to react to a woman who wanted to actually hug me. My dad hugged us all the time, wrestled with me, carried Lani around. But Dina.” He twitched.

Talking about Dina made Forrest anxious.

“I wonder why she had kids, then?” Nero asked. “Not that I’m sad you’re here.”

“No, I’ve wondered that myself. Maybe it was Witt who wanted kids? Maybe it was a lack of birth control? Although she was rumored to be a witch, but not the nice kind. I’ve heard that people used to go to her mother and her for potions and shit like that. I’d be surprised if Dina hadn’t known about some natural herb to remedy an accidental pregnancy.”

“That’s not creepy at all.” Forrest caught the slight shiver that went through Nero. “I’m assuming you don’t mean love potions?”

“Nope. Anyway, I think the homestead must have been falling apart? Like I said, I was around seven when we came to live with Grandpa. I remember a lot of fighting, loud voices. On one particularly bad night, Witt took us for a walk. We went to a special place, a cave, and he told me it was my job to keep Lani safe. If I heard anything, I was to stay put and keep quiet, that someone was going to come for us. He kissed me on the forehead and that was the last time I remember seeing him.”

“And your grandpa came.”

Forrest nodded.

“So just to be clear—no sign of your parents since then? Or anyone else from up there?”

“Not that I know of. Look, I’ve never told anyone this before but—” Forrest paused, not sure what words to use that wouldn’t make it sound like he’d completely lost touch with reality. “Sometimes I dream they’re still alive, living up there in The Deep. Which can’t be true. What I think, for real, is that something very bad happened back then.”

“Do you know how Ernst found you? I know there are hundreds of square miles of forest that’ve basically never been touched.”

“Some lost hikers is what I’ve been told. They had to have veered way off course, but I remember strange voices that I’d never heard before. Like I said, everything is scrambled. I don’t even know if I’m remembering stuff in the right order.”

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