Page 29 of Captured on Film
Everything was suddenly too much to explain. “Yeah.Congrats.”
“You okay?” Josheb was gripping his side. He was too pale,and a sheen of sweat had risen on his forehead.
Caleb dredged up a smile. “Don’t worry about me. You’re theone who took on a landslide and lost.”
His brother grimaced. “Broken leg. Bruised ribs. But that’snot important right now. I have questions. I mean, this ishuge.”
“Bigger than both of us,” Caleb acknowledged. “Seems likethere’s a whole society living in hiding. It boggles the mind.”
Josheb’s jaw dropped. “You understand them?”
“Not the guys, no. But they brought in a translator.”
Hesper turned and waved, “Wait your turn, scruff-bucket.”
When she turned back to Andor, Caleb seized his opportunity.“We’re safe, but I think we’re in trouble. They won’t let us leave.”
“But that’s perfect!” Far from concerned, Josheb rallied asmile. “If they don’t kick us out, I can get the whole story.”
“It’s not a big scoop if you never get to tell it.” Calebpushed his brother back onto his pillows. “We’re prisoners.”
Josheb waved that off. “We’rehere. Hard part done.Leave the rest to me!”
Caleb wanted to argue. A real shout-and-throttle tiff. But heforced himself onto a more reasonable course. Even if he and Josheb had seeneye-to-eye, they were effectively stranded by bruised ribs, a broken leg, andbare feet.
Turning his brother’s order around, Caleb said, “Rest. Wecan talk about leaving later.”
Recluse Code
Caleb was beginning to feel invisible.
As usual, Josheb was at the center of everything,monopolizing Hesper as he asked questions … and asked her to ask questions forhim. Andor wasn’t the most cooperative interviewee; in fact, he disappeared forhours on end.
After one such absence, the big guy returned with a bundlecontaining their abandoned gear. Caleb’s heart sank. It was the only clue totheir location,ifanyone bothered to come looking for them. With agrumble Andor held out Caleb’s field journal.
“I left it under my pillow,” he said reaching for it.
Andor pressed a thick finger to the open page, where Calebhad sketched one of the pom-pom birds. Mister Big spoke at considerablelength—for him—but it wasn’t any use.
“They follow me.” He shrugged uncertainly. “Figments usuallydo. Not lately, though.”
His captor grimaced, sighed, and surrendered the book.
Giving up was apparently preferable to interrupting Josheb’scheery inquisition in order to borrow their translator. With little else to do,Caleb located his pencils and settled in to bring his journal up to date.
It’s what he was there for.
Documentation.
Hours passed before the smell of cooking distractedCaleb from his task. Tucking the journal under his pillow, he padded along thepassage to Josheb’s room, where a table had been set up. Apparently, sharedmealtimes were important to Hesper, who assumed that Caleb would want to bewith Josheb. She wasn’t wrong.
More surprising was Andor’s arrival. Josheb had to bethrilled, sharing a family-style meal with bigfoot.
Caleb focused on taking one bite at a time. And slippingtidbits to Nessie under the table.
Suddenly, Hesper waved a hand in his face, then jerked herthumb at Josheb, who was propped up in bed, eating off a tray. “You’re beingpaged.”
“Hey, what’s up with you?” Josheb asked. “You seem down.”
