Page 57 of Leave No Trace
‘Still no word tonight in the missing persons case of Lucas Blackthorn. Blackthorn, who was rescued from the Boundary Waters after being presumed dead for the last ten years, was kidnapped from Congdon Psychiatric Facility where he had been recuperating since his now famous return to society.
‘Authorities believe this woman’ – my Congdon badge picture flashed on the screen, complete with extra spiky maroon hair and deadpan eyes – ‘is responsible for removing the patient in the middle of the night, injuring a guard and destroying some hospital property in the process.’
The screen flipped to the news anchor, but both our pictures hovered over her shoulder, refusing to fade away. ‘A substantial reward is being offered for any information that can lead to Lucas Blackthorn’s recovery. Please call this number at the bottom of the screen or contact your local authorities.’
They moved to the next story, which was the weather. They always opened with the weather. Why hadn’t they opened with the freaking weather? I could have reacted then – made Harry change the station before it was too late.
I felt Lucas looking at me, but my eyes were glued to Harry. He’d sat motionless through the whole thing, legs sprawled, fingers linked across his flannel shirt. Another story passed, then another. I kept waiting for him to say something, but he was like a statue –Hermit in Repose– and no hint of what he was thinking crossed his face. At the first commercial break, Harry finally broke his position and sat up tall, reaching his arms toward the ceiling in an exaggerated stretch. Was I crazy or was he refusing to make eye contact with us?
‘Well, I’m to bed.’
‘Harry—’ I started, not knowing what should come next.
He stood up and nodded vaguely toward us as we sat frozen on the couch, waiting for him to make a move.
‘Get some rest, Maya. You need your energy.’
I couldn’t tell if he was offering to protect us or trying to get out of the room so he could make that call, the call that would send us tumbling into the bowels of the world, Lucas back to the Congdon and me to prison.
‘Harry, it’s not what it looks like.’
He chuckled, flipping the TV off. To hear us better from his room? ‘Looks like a couple of nervous kids in trouble. I could have told you that when you staggered in here yesterday. Rest up, okay?’
And then he was gone, shuffling to his bedroom at the end of the hall. He shut the door, but his light stayed on.
I turned to Lucas, who looked as unsure as I felt. ‘We have to go. Now.’
26
We creptthroughHarry’s house as quietly as possible, folding the bedding and stacking it on the couch, getting our cold weather gear from the car and changing into it. Lucas filled up our water bottles while I retrieved all the bloody bandages from the trash and bagged up every other trace of our stay I could find. Right before we left, I laid three hundred dollars on the kitchen table. It was nowhere near the ‘substantial reward’ he would have received, but it was all I had and I wanted him to know I was grateful for his help, no matter what he thought of us now.
When everything was ready I climbed into the car and put it in neutral so Lucas could push us out of the driveway. He threw his weight into it and we started rolling, crunching quietly over the gravel, until Lucas snapped upright and shouted a warning. I whipped around and saw a figure standing directly in our path. Slamming on the brakes, I stopped the car inches before we collided.
Our brake lights illuminated the person’s face. It was Harry.
I shifted into park and gave Lucas a warning look before sliding out and bracing my weight against the door panel. Harry wore a dark robe and slippers and held something in his hands. He wasn’t smiling or moving out of our way.
‘You might need this.’
‘What is it?’ I didn’t move, either.
‘Something for a journey.’
Lucas stepped up to my side and we both scanned the black horizon, listening. The snow was powdery enough to muffle any footsteps, anyone approaching from the sides or stationed behind the house.
‘Stay here,’ I whispered and walked to the end of the car where Harry stood holding a knife.
The gun was still tucked in my boot, but before I could decide whether to pull it out Lucas cut in front of me, shielding me from Harry.
‘Hey!’ Harry held his hands up and retreated a step. ‘If I meant harm, I would’ve done it when you were sleeping, right?’
‘You didn’t know our situation until an hour ago,’ I remindedhim.
He laughed now, his deep, thoughtful Harry laugh. ‘I hate to disappoint you kids, but his mug’ – he waved at Lucas, who stepped back and scanned the edges of the clearing again – ‘has been on the news more times than tonight. And most people go to a hospital when they’ve been skewered, unless they’re running from something worse than a hole in the side.’
I forced a half smile as my fight-or-flight reflexes slowly relaxed. ‘I hoped you’d chalked it up to nostalgia.’
‘Yeah, lot of good memories here for you, Maya.’ He snorted and then switched his hold on the knife so it was lying flat in both his palms, pushing it toward us. An offering. ‘This’ll cut anything from rope to animal hide and it’s got a pliers, a carabiner, and a can opener on it, too. My father gave it to me just before he died. He built this place, you know. Anyway, maybe it’ll help you find your way to his dad. Reckon that’s where you’re headed.’
