Page 21 of Red River

"Yep. Turn around—there!" Archer pointed toward the silver surface visible not too far away. The patio was slightly elevated, offering a clear view of the lake below the slope.

"It’s only about two hundred yards away—a small path leads to it. But it’s too late to go down to the beach now. We’ll check it out tomorrow," Archer assured him as he slid open the glass doors.

"Okay, come on inside."

We all walked in, with Van trailing behind. He still seemed reserved, but at least not as hostile as Igor.

"This is the living room, connected to the kitchen. It’s pretty spacious. Oliver—he’s my helper—prepared dinner for you before he left. All we need to do is heat it up."

"What’s in the basement?" Aiden asked.

"We can check." Archer led the way downstairs, and we followed.

"Here’s my gym." He opened a door on the right. "It’s more of a mix between a gym and a training room."

Van peeked inside, and I did the same.

The space was spacious but slightly rugged, filled with some intimidating heavy-weight equipment. A treadmill stood near the wall, alongside machines I couldn’t even name. Several punching bags hung from the ceiling, and a few well-used mats were laid out on the floor.

"I set this part up soon after getting the keys to the house, toward the end of my sophomore year. My friend Gabriel used to come over on weekends, and we’d spar here. But later, he got into trouble with the law, and, well… now it’s just me."

"Do you still train?"

I was surprised to hear Van ask the question. Archer turned his head toward him and nodded.

"Yep. There’s a small club in Darton. I go there three times a week. Interested in joining me?"

Van looked a bit abashed, as if he wanted to explain something, but decided against it and lowered his head, his fingers briefly curling at his sides.

Meanwhile, Aiden tested a few punches on the nearest bag, making it swing slightly with each strike.

Archer, still standing in the doorway, motioned toward the hall. "Over here on the left is the laundry room, and down there"—he pointed—"are some utility rooms. Nothing too exciting."

Then he moved toward the stairs. "Now, let’s head to the second floor. I’m sure you’re eager to see your places."

The kids were practically buzzing with excitement as we climbed up. I tried to take it all in, feeling a little overwhelmed. This house felt so… grand, so far removed from the life we’d just left behind. I couldn’t shake the impression that there had to be some kind of catch to all of this. Nothing this good came without a cost. But I pushed those thoughts aside for now; there were more pressing issues to deal with. Like… Igor’s absence.

The first stop upstairs was Van’s room.

My third son stepped inside cautiously, his eyes widening as he took in the spacious room. It was larger than I expected, with clean, modern furniture and a huge poster of a famous climber on the wall. Van stared at it for a long moment before speaking.

"How did you know I love Harry Dowell?"

"Sam was my source."

"I’ve never had my own room before. I always had to share with Igor," he said quietly, glancing at Archer, almost like he was testing the waters.

"It’s a… nice room."

"I’m glad you like it," Archer replied simply. "By the way, I found out there’s a small climbing center in Darton. Maybe we can check it out on the weekends?"

Van’s dark blue eyes lit up, the joy on his face almost making me tear up. "Really? Do you know much about climbing?"

"Not much," Archer admitted, tilting his head. "I’m into martial arts. Though, as a teenager, I used to go rock climbing with friends from time to time, just for fun. But if you’re willing to teach me some techniques, I’d love to give it another shot."

Van’s cheeks flushed as he nodded. "Su—sure."

Meanwhile, Aiden and Lake were starting to get impatient.

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