365 Days At War

by Nancy Isaak

  Kieran joined me, leaning in close and speaking softly. “What’s up, Jacob?”

  “I need you and Pauly to ride on ahead. Go back to the house and up to my room. You know the Picasso I have on the wall there. I want you to put it in the closet.”

  “Sure…but, why?”

  “Um—I can’t really tell you why now,” I said, a little embarrassed. “Let’s just say that I have plans for it a little further down the road.”

  Kieran looked over my shoulder to where Kaylee and Jay were having their own private conversation. When he turned back to me, Kieran shook his head, grinning. “You two really need to just kiss and get it over with, bro.”

  Luckily, it was too dark for him to see me blushing.

  * * * *

  “You nervous?” I asked Kaylee, as we turned onto the Pacific Coast Highway. There were over thirty of us now and even more guys were coming toward us, riding bikes or simply running along the road.

  “A little,” she admitted. “How many guys did you say were at your camp?”

  “Somewhere around a hundred, last I was there.”

  “And there are five of us girls—six if we include this Hannah girl I haven’t met, yet. So…I guess you can see how that might make things uncomfortable.”

  “I understand,” I said. “But I’m going to have a talk with the guys. Make sure they mind their manners. It’ll be alright. You’ll see.”

  * * * *

  But—I wasn’t so sure.

  And, frankly, I could sense—neither was Kaylee.

  * * * *

  We heard the yells, the moment we hit Zuma Beach—an excited kid’s voice screaming two names.

  “CHERRY…SHAWNEE!” It was Wester—racing towards us at top speed on a small bicycle.

  Immediately Cherry kicked her horse into a gallop, ignoring Jay’s screeches of distress as she struggled to hold on behind her.

  “Here we go, Shawnee!” yelled Cammie, spurring her own horse into action. “Let’s go meet your little brother!”

  And they were off—whooping and hollering.

  * * * *

  “Do you want me to go after them?” I asked Kaylee. “We can go faster, too.”

  “No,” she said. “Let’s give them some family time together.”

  Frankly, I think that was a little white lie. Kaylee looked nervous, unsettled. I suspected the idea of reaching a compound filled with guys was taking its toll on her.

  Then, again—I was in no rush either.

  The longer it took me to reach the Point—as far as I was concerned—the better.

  I liked having Kaylee’s arms around my waist.

  * * * *

  When we finally did reach Cherry and Shawnee, they were already off of their horses, their arms around Wester—sobbing happy tears. The three of them kept holding each other back, marveling at the changes they’d each gone through this past year.

  A circle of guys was growing around them—some from our own small group, others who had come down from the Point. I imagined that they must have seemed a ragged bunch to Kaylee and the other girls; all lean muscles and tanned skin—with their tattoos and crazy hairstyles ranging from mohawks to braids to bald heads like Rhys’.

  Yes, my guys were a tough and hardened bunch.

  Who all had tears in their eyes at the moment.

  * * * *

  Eventually, Kaylee and I got off of the horse—joining the crowd. Once again, there were claps to my shoulders, cheers and congratulations for escaping the Crazies.

  A few of the guys reached out to touch Kaylee as she passed.

  Even though it was only to pat her hair or her arm, I could see that it bothered her and I moved in closer—grabbing her hand and drawing her nearer.

  “Stay with me.” I told her, quietly.

  She didn’t object.

  * * * *

  “Dude, you made it.”

  I let go of Kaylee to shake hands with Connor. “Thanks to your plan, bro. That was brilliant, by the way.”

  “Just math and angles,” he said, nonchalantly. Then, he turned to Kaylee. “I’m Connor,” he said, introducing himself.

  They shook hands, then Kaylee’s eyes rose up to the tall guy standing behind Connor. “Frank Gornman?!” she gasped. “But I thought…I thought…”

  “That I’d be with Brandon’s tribe.” Frank lowered his eyes to the ground, looking ashamed. “I guess I deserve that.”

  “I’m sorry, Frank,” said Kaylee. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  He looked up, grinning. “Worried about how I feel…Kaylee, you really are the sweetest girl, you know. I can see why guys like you so much.”

  Kaylee’s mouth dropped open—both surprised and a little embarrassed.

  “Look,” said Frank, “I know that I was a dick when I was friends with Brandon. I think we can all agree on that. So, if anybody needs to apologize for hurting feelings—it’s me.” He took Kaylee’s hand in his, holding it lightly. “Please…forgive me for all the crap I gave you in school. Forgive me for the time I picked you up like a football and ran you down the hall.”

  That was news to me.

  “And,” continued Frank, “please forgive me for each and every time I hurt your feelings or your pride. I’m so very, very sorry that I was such a douchebag.”

  Once again, Kaylee’s eyes filled with tears. She reached up, giving him a hug. “Hello, Frank,” she said, shyly. “I’m so very pleased to meet you at last.”

  * * * *

  While Frank continued his mea culpas—apologizing to Jay and then to Cherry—Connor and I moved to one side to talk privately. I kept my eye on Kaylee and the other girls, however, watching closely to make sure that no guy got too touchy-feely.

  “We lost two guys to the cage on their 18th birthday since you’ve been gone,” reported Connor. “But, other than that, we’ve had no one leave the tribe. Plus, we picked up seven more guys coming down the highway—two from Oregon, one from Idaho, and four from Canada.”

  “Canada?” That was news to me. I had been hoping that maybe the event was something that had only happened in the States. Having Canadians join us meant that the disappearances were most likely a world-wide occurrence.

  “All four traveled down from British Columbia, but they definitely said that they’ve met guys from all over Canada. Looks like they’re starting to come south to get away from the winters.”

  “We’ll have to keep a look out for them then,” I said. “If we’ve got a lot of guys coming down from Canada, it’ll be better to have them join the Locals than the Crazies.”

  “True that,” Connor nodded.

  * * * *

  Ian, Andrei, and Ethan came running down Westward Beach Road, as we were slowly making our way up the hill toward the compound. As before, we all dismounted, letting everyone gather together for another round of backslaps and bro-hugs.

  “Porter wouldn’t let us out of school early,” Andrei complained. “He said you wouldn’t be back, yet, anyway.”

  “Well, your education is important,” I teased.

  “We were learning how to tie fishing lures,” said Ethan. “It was boring.”

  I laughed, pulling him under my arm to give him a quick noogie. “Good to see you again, kid,” I told him. “And I’ve got some girls here I want you to meet.”

  While we had been talking, Cherry, Jay, Shawnee, and Kaylee had gathered around Ethan, looking down at him happily. They kept grinning—nudging each other in their pleasure at seeing Lily’s twin brother.

  “This is Kaylee,” I said to Ethan. “She’s the girl who used to live in our old house.”

  Ethan shook her hand. “You have a nice mansion.”

  “Thanks,” said Kaylee. “It’s actually my dad’s…I just visit sometimes.”

  “And this is Cherry and Jay and Shawnee,” I continued, pointing at the other three girls. While Ethan shook hands with them, I looked around for Cammie. I found her, still on her horse, leaning over to talk
quietly to Pauly while Kieran looked on, frowning.

  Oh-oh…

  When I turned back, Kaylee was facing Ethan and holding onto his hands.

  “Lily was with us until a few days ago,” she was telling him. “But now she’s with a girl named Sophia, who’s taking care of her. So, you don’t have to worry about your sister. Because—when things calm down—we’re going to go back and get her and bring her to the Point.”

  “I’m not worried,” said Ethan. “I feel Lily again—so that means that she feels me. And she’s getting nearer, which means that she’s already coming…Lily’s coming here!”

  Kaylee looked up at me, confused; I shrugged my shoulders.

  Cherry, meanwhile, just chuckled. “Twins!”

  * * * *

  While Ian and Kaylee shared a quick hug, Jay and Andrei stood across from each other, staring.

  “How old are you?” asked Andrei.

  “Sixteen,” said Jay.

  “You’re small for sixteen, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t think so,” said Jay. “I think I’m perfect.”

  Andrei grinned. “I think you’re perfect, too.”

  “How old are you?” Jay asked him.

  “Thirteen,” said Andrei. “And I like older women.”

  Jay frowned; then, she reached out and pushed Andrei to the ground. “Go away—you’re annoying me.”

  I stifled a laugh, reaching down to help Andrei up. “Dude, you’re moving too fast. Girls like to be finessed.”

  “But she’s so pretty,” said Andrei. “Don’t you think she’s pretty?”

  For the second time that morning, I thought—oh-oh.

  * * * *

  “I’m sorry about your mom,” Kaylee said to Ian. “And I’m sorry that you were all alone in the house for so long.”

  “It was scary at first,” Ian admitted. “But it got better after I met Andrei on the highway.”

  “I think I’ve seen you around,” Kaylee said, turning to Andrei. “Down at Trancas Market.”

  “Me and my mom shop there all the time,” Andrei told her.

  “Then, Jacob and the rest of the guys showed up about a month later,” Ian continued. “After that, it wasn’t too bad…except for the Brandon stuff, of course.”

  Kaylee looked over at me.

  “I’ll tell you all about it later,” I promised. “Let’s get back to the compound first. I desperately need something to eat and drink.”

  “And Porter’s made cookies!” cried Ethan, happily.

  * * * *

  I could see that the girls were shocked by the opulence and size of our compound.

  “Ohmigod,” gasped Kaylee. “I had heard rumors about a Saudi prince living on Point Dume, but I had always assumed it was just that—a rumor. I mean, I’ve spent most of my childhood on the Point and I never even knew this place was here.”

  “I think that was the idea,” I said, as we made our way through the outer gates. “By putting everything behind all these walls and shrubbery, not a lot of people probably knew the compound existed.”

  “But what’s weird is that I’ve seen these smaller houses from my dad’s rooftop. That there’s another bigger mansion behind those inner walls—I just never knew.”

  * * * *

  As we moved toward the center of the compound, more and more guys were coming forward. By the time we had reached the cage, we were completely surrounded and the girls instinctively grouped together—holding each other’s hands. They looked hesitant, uncertain—unsettled by both the existence of the cage and the amount of testosterone pushing in around them.

  “Frank, Kieran, Pauly!” I called. “The girls need more room!”

  Immediately, they moved forward, pushing at the guys, forcing them backwards, away from the girls. However, I saw hands snake out—even as they were pushed back—guys reaching out to touch female arms, shoulders, hair.

  I tried not to be alarmed but—from the look of fear in Kaylee’s eyes—I knew that something had to be done…and quickly.

  “Move back!” I yelled, loudly. “Every one of you—MOVE BACK!”

  * * * *

  It was rare for me to raise my voice. When the guys heard it, they immediately obeyed—hands dropping, moving back a safe distance from the girls.

  “Give me a hand up,” I said to Rhys. He laced his hands together and I used them to hoist myself up onto the top of the cage.

  “Now everyone—SIT!” I commanded.

  With the exception of the girls and my armed guards—who had finally re-established themselves at the base of the cage—everyone else sat on the ground. Their attention was divided, though—one eye on the girls, the other on me.

  Meanwhile, I paced the length and width of the cage—making certain that everyone could see me.

  “We are the Locals!” I began, loudly.

  A cheer went up from the guys.

  I let it go on for a few moments, then held my hands up for silence.

  “We are the Locals,” I said again. “We are not the Crazies. In this tribe everyone is equal, everyone is valued—everyone is safe!” Some of the guys looked down, obviously embarrassed by their behavior. “Now, while I understand that it’s been a year since any of us has seen a girl, that is no excuse for making them feel unsafe. These girls before you are to be protected. Because they are important to us—as fellow members of our tribe, as human beings. That means that you will not touch them without their permission, you will not follow them, you will not stare at them and make them feel uncomfortable. You will not refer to them as ho’s or bitches or other stupid words I will not repeat. Instead, you will treat them as your sisters and tribemates who should be respected.”

  Many of the guys were nodding, while others were looking down, trying to appear inconspicuous as they continued to peek at the girls huddled together—their backs against the cage.

  “If anyone bothers a girl…and I mean anyone, Pauly.” A laugh went up at this. Pauly hung his head, pretending to be offended. When he looked up, however, he was grinning—straight at Cammie.

  “If anyone bothers a girl,” I continued, “know that there will be drastic and immediate consequences for that person. And if anyone sees another guy bothering a girl and doesn’t report it, then there will be consequences for both guys.”

  There was some muttering at this.

  “Let me repeat—we are not Crazies! In this tribe, we respect and protect our own. And why is that? Because of who we are…and who are we?”

  “Locals!” a few of the guys yelled.

  Other voices began to take up the call, until every guy was chanting, “LOCALS, LOCALS, LOCALS!”

  * * * *

  I was surprised when Kaylee asked Kieran to give her a boost up onto the cage. Reaching down, I held out my hand, helping her the last few feet. She clambered up beside me, standing there, looking down at all the guys.

  The chanting stopped.

  Silence.

  The guys just stared at her—eyes wide.

  * * * *

  Kaylee gave a little wave.

  “Hello,” she began, her voice breaking along with her nerves. “My name is Kaylee Michelson and I used to live here on the Point.”

  Some of the guys in the crowd said hello back to her. Others just stared, their mouths open in awe at such a pretty girl looking down on them.

  “So, I wanted to introduce ‘my tribe’ to you—so you’d get to know us. That girl there—that’s Jay Sitipala. She might be the youngest and the smallest of us but—I want you to understand—she’s probably the most important.”

  Below us, Jay looked down at the ground, obviously embarrassed.

  “Jay’s been our doctor for most of the last year,” Kaylee said. “She’s saved lives and—if one of you gets sick or wounded—there’s a good chance she’ll save yours.”

  There was movement to the right.

  I looked over to see Porter standing at the back of the crowd. He was looking at Jay, his eyes wide with
wonder.

  “And this is Cherry and Shawnee Winslette. They’re sisters of Wester, who you guys all know.” There was laughter and some applause as Wester jumped up and gave a short bow. “Now, the thing you don’t know about Cherry and Shawnee is that they’re both warriors. Shawnee probably saved all of our lives up in the Arena—including Jacob’s.”

  I nodded at this, letting the guys know that I was in agreement with Kaylee’s words.

  “Shawnee’s young,” continued Kaylee, “but she’s also a sniper—just like Rhys. Only Shawnee is a sniper with a bow and arrow.”

  “And she’s joining my Raiders!” announced Rhys loudly. “So, you guys be nice to her or you’ll have all of my team to answer to.”

  Kaylee pointed to Cherry. “Now, Wester’s other sister has an amazing story to tell about how she saved the life of another member of our tribe—a girl who turned eighteen on the 31st and is no longer with us. But it’s a very personal story, so I’ll let Cherry decide who she wants to tell it to and when. What you guys need to know about Cherry, however, is that she’s extraordinary and tough and if there’s anyone you want by your side in a crisis—it’s her.”

  Then, Kaylee knelt down, whispering to Cammie. The conversation was quick, with Cammie giving a quick shrug, and then a nod of agreement.

  Kaylee stood back up. “And this girl here—this is Cammie. She was never a member of our tribe. She wasn’t even from Agoura Hills. Yet, when we needed her—when we were caged and about to be killed—it was Cammie who came back to rescue us. Even though—of all of us—Cammie had a good reason never to come back to Agoura, she did. And she did it to save us—because that’s who she is…show them, Cammie.”

  And Cammie turned around and lifted the back of her shirt—just enough to expose a vicious mass of scars on her back. My stomach clenched at the sight; I knew those scars well, because I had the same ones on my own back.