Page 90 of Healed
“That’s only a few miles from Olivia’s house. It’d make sense that he could have gone there.”
“If he found it, yes. If not, at least it’s another place to scratch off your list.”
Daniel and Cristie nodded at each other, guzzled the rest of their coffee, and stood in preparation of leaving.
“Thank you, Shaun. I think this may be where we find him,” Cristie said.
“You’re welcome. Might help if you do find him, you don’t tell him it was me that thought of where to look,” Shaun said. He watched as Daniel and Cristie hurried out of the coffee shop. Daniel turned around at the last minute and made eye contact with him. “How did you know this place was there?” Daniel asked.
Shaun shrugged sheepishly. “We didn’t always have somebody like Brandt to take a chance on us. We just did the best we could. I’ve been thankful for a place like that many times in my life. I’m in a better place now, but I always make sure to find out where the people who are struggling are taking shelter no matter where I am. Even if all I do is take them a little food when I can, and coats and blankets in the wintertime, I do it. Most of the people there didn’t do anything to end up there, life just sucks sometimes.”
Daniel nodded slowly. “Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Was a time we were more aware of the goings on in our town. I figure it’s time we made sure to be like that again, and to offer a hand, too.”
Shaun nodded.
“I’m glad you and your family found us,” Daniel said.
“Thank you, sir.”
Daniel gave him a single nod of his head, then hurried out to join Cristie.
~~~
Daniel led the way through the woods, but both he and Cristie were focused on the sounds and scents wafting to them on the air. As they got closer, they finally got a look at the encampment. There were a couple of tents, small ones for just one person or two. There were ropes strung between trees with blankets hung across them that offered at least some type of shelter. Broken and bent chairs were scattered here and there, and everywhere you looked was somebody watching them suspiciously, while others slept on the ground blissfully unaware of the fact that outsiders had found them.
A couple of people quietly disappeared into the shadows, obviously not wanting to be found for one reason or another, and others who were so high they couldn’t even focus, waved and called them over to come share in whatever it was they’d managed to get their hands on to feed their habits that day. As they moved through the camp, they came across a couple of well maintained camp sites set away from the rest, and very little kids were hurriedly ushered into a tent while their mother, who couldn’t have been more than 20 or 21 herself stood outside it, daring them to come closer with no more than the strength in her eyes.
“Why didn’t we know this was here?” Cristie whispered. At first she thought Daniel wasn’t going to answer, and when he did, she almost wished he hadn’t.
“Blissful ignorance,” he said softly. He stopped far enough from the campsite that belonged to the mother and kids that she wouldn’t feel that he was intruding too terribly much, andoffered her a smile. “Hi, I don’t mean to bother you, but I’m looking for my son. He’s a little taller than me, a little thinner, shorter dark hair and brown eyes. He’s most likely drinking — a lot.”
The woman eyed him suspiciously, obviously weighing her answer. Finally, she shook her head. “Haven’t seen anyone like that.”
Daniel nodded, sensing the lie she told him. “If he happens to turn up, please tell him that his father is looking for him. Tell him we love him, and we just want him home. If he doesn’t want to come, that’s fine. But we want to help him, whatever it is that he might see as help.”
The woman looked at him silently, until Daniel and Cristie started walking again.
The woman cleared her throat and Daniel looked back at her. She pointed to their right, then went into the tent with her kids.
Daniel and Cristie changed direction and walked through the woods littered with old rusted tin cans, broken bottles, and fire barrels that had been used to build fires so many times they’d rusted out and collapsed onto themselves. Eventually they heard voices and laughter. A few minutes later they walked up on three men leaning against an old fallen tree trunk, each holding a bottle, telling each other wild tales. One of them was Remi.
“I’m telling you, just ‘cause it looks human, don’t mean it is!” Remi said.
“Here, trade bottles with me, boy. I need some of whatever it is you’re drinking,” one old man said.
The other man laughed and offered his bottle, too. “Yeah, me, too. But on second thought, maybe not. Whatever you got in yours has you imagining all kinds of crazy shit.”
Remi laughed, and so did the two old men.
Daniel stepped back and gestured for Cristie to proceed. He went far enough back into the woods that none of them, maybe not even Remi in his condition, would notice him, but he could still be there in less than a heartbeat if Cristie needed him for backup.
Cristie circled around to the side so they’d see her approaching, rather than walking up behind them. Common sense said it was safer not to surprise somebody. Her presence alone would be surprise enough.
When she stepped into the small clearing they were in, Remi’s head swiveled unsteadily toward her. “Like her! See her? She’s a puma. You see a woman, but not me. I see a puma.” He nodded to emphasize his point. “And a heart breaker.”
“I don’t know about a puma, but that’s a mighty fine little lady. She can break my heart. I volunteer as tribute,” one of them said, which sent them all into cackling laughter, which died down only long enough for them to take another swig from their bottles.
Cristie smiled and chuckled a little with them. When their laughter finally tapered off, and their comments stopped, she focused on Remi. “Hello, Remi.”
