by Dawn, M. K.
“People are going to flip the fuck out when they find out what happened,” Axel said after the four kids left. “What are we going to tell them? We can’t blame the kids. Juliet won’t be able to handle it. I’m assuming she’s the one who was responsible for all this?”
Britney blew out a breath. “Not once has she ever forgotten to latch the pens. Out of all of them, she has always been the most responsible. I just don’t get it.”
“A teenage crush can make kids do stupid things,” Archer said.
“And I get that.” Britney leaned against the barn. “I do. But she swears she checked the latches last night. You saw her, saw how upset she is.”
“You think someone unlatched the barn and gate last night after she left?” Archer asked. “Why would someone do that? I mean, this affects everyone here. We’re really going to have to ration this winter, or we’re not going to have enough to get us through.”
Britney tensed her shoulders. “It makes no sense.”
“Fuck.” Shifter’s voice caught Britney by surprise. “Diego said it was bad, but fuck, I never imagined. Looks like a damn tornado went through here.”
“Pigs,” Britney said.
Shifter furrowed his brow. “They break out or something?”
Axel shook his head. “Barn wasn’t latched, and the gate to the greenhouse was left open.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Shifter said. “I mean, I don’t know about the barn, but this gate was closed.”
Britney pushed off the wall. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. Or, at least, it was when Angie and I left here about eleven last night.”
“You and Angie came to the greenhouse last night?” Archer asked.
Shifter nodded. “She needed some herbs and vegetables for the stew she’s making today. I helped her carry the stuff back to the house. We went through the front gate, but I checked this one before heading back. You know, just in case.”
Britney’s head throbbed. “I don’t get it. How the hell did the gate get opened?”
“We’re alone, right?” Shifter made a show out of scanning the area.
Archer narrowed his eyes. “Yes, why?”
“I don’t want to cause any more problems, or accuse people of doing something that I didn’t see them do, but, while I was making my rounds last night, I did see the twins out heading in this direction.”
Britney clenched her jaw. “After you and Angie went to the greenhouse?”
“Yep.”
Axel dropped his head back. “I think it’s about time we have a chat with those two.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Sloan.” The sound of Archer’s voice dragged her out of a deep sleep.
She reached out for him across their queen size bed and patted the empty space. “Archer?”
“Sloan, are you there?”
She sat up confused. His voice sounded distant, which made no sense considering the small size of their camper. “Archer, where are you?”
When he didn’t answer, she slipped out of bed and bundled up in her robe, the new-fallen snow leaving a chill in the air.
The walkie-talkie on the counter cracked, and Archer’s voice came through. “Sloan?”
She rubbed her eyes, the sleep haze fogging her mind clearing. Picking up the walkie-talkie, she called him back. “Archer, where are you?”
“At the house. Come over. We’ve called an emergency council meeting.”
Sloan’s stomach flipped. “What’s happened?”
“I’ll explain when you get here. Don’t want to say too much since this line isn’t secure.”
“Okay.” Whatever happened overnight must be serious. “I’ll get dressed and should be there soon.”
“See you then.”
Sloan dressed quickly and headed for the main house, making it there in just under ten minutes. She was the last of the council members to arrive; the others sat at the dining room table, each with a grim expression on their face.
“How bad is it?” Sloan took her seat beside Archer.
Britney met her eyes. “You’ve heard?”
“No.” Sloan’s eyes danced around the room. “Another death?”
Archer leaned back in his chair. “The greenhouse was destroyed last night. The pigs got in somehow.”
Sloan sucked in a sharp breath. “How much damage did they cause?”
Britney dropped her head in her hands. “Shifter put together a group who are cleanin’ up right now, but from what I could tell, there’s not much that can be salvaged.”
“How did this happen?” Sloan knew how destructive pigs could be, but this seemed a bit extreme.
“The barn door to the pig pen was left open,” Britney said. “As was the latch on the gate that leads into the greenhouse from the pigs outside pen.”
“One of your kids did this?” Sloan asked.
Britney looked to Axel before replying. “Ensuring all the gates and pens are locked is Juliet’s responsibility. She swears they were locked when she left for the night.”
“Obviously they weren’t,” Terrance said. “I understand accidents happen, but this is just plain negligence.”
Makayla patted his hand. “But I can’t imagine it was done intentionally.”
“That’s why we called the emergency meeting,” Archer said. “Shifter claims he checked the locks after he and Angie gathered some stuff for her stew today. Swears they were locked when he left.”
Terrance narrowed his eyes. “And this was after Juliet left for the night?”
Archer nodded. “Yep. Hours after.”
“You think someone did this on purpose?” Makayla asked. “Who? I’m pretty sure no one here wants to starve this winter.”
Axel dragged a hand through his hair. “There’s more. Shifter saw the twins wandering around last night, heading in the direction of the barn.”
“Shit.” Terrance groaned. “Has anyone else noticed that since those two have arrived, a lot of shit has been happening around here?”
“That’s why we called this meeting.” Archer made his way to the door. “We’re going to have a little chat with the twins.”
“When?” Sloan asked.
“They should be here any minute.” Archer peeked out the door and closed it.
Britney tapped her pen on the table. “Do you think we should split them up and talk to them separately? That way, we compare their stories, see if they’re lying or not.”
Archer crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to talk to them together. See how they interact. There’s something about them that I don’t trust. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
“It’s that Eli kid,” Makayla said. “He gives me the creeps. Always smiling that condensing smile. Mia seems nice enough. Genuine.”
A knock on the door halted the conversation.
Before Archer saw them in, he addressed the Council. “Let’s try not to accuse them of anything. I want it to seem like we are just trying to get some answers. And don’t mention Shifter.”
Everyone nodded.
“Come on in and take a seat.” Archer guided them to the two open chairs at the table. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“Did we have a choice?” Eli asked, his teeth clenched.
“Now, now.” Mia stroked his back. “A horrible thing has happened in the area we’re responsible for. We have to expected they will want to talk to us and everyone else involved. It’s not like they are accusing us of anything, right?”
“Of course not,” Archer said. “We just wanted to ask you a few questions, if that’s okay?”
Mia smiled. “Fire away. We’re an open book.”
“First of all,” Britney tilted forward, “how’s Juliet doing?”
“Poor thing.” Mia’s eyes softened. “She’s taking this all really hard. I tried to tell her it was an accident, that people will understand she made a mistake, but she’s afraid everyone will hate her for what she has done.”
Sloan couldn’t be sure, but even
though Mia appeared to be genuinely concerned about Juliet, there was something about her eyes that made Sloan second guess her initial reaction. “You seem convinced this was Juliet’s mistake. Why? She’s been working in the barns for a while and this has never happened before.”
“Juliet has been distracted lately,” Mia said. “Not herself.”
“Why do you think that is?” Britney asked.
“Well,” Mia looked to Eli, “I believe she has a crush on my brother.”
Eli grinned. “Yeah, she does.”
Britney cocked her head. “And what about you, Eli? Do you have a crush on her? Are you and she dating? Sleeping together?”
“Um,” Eli’s mouth hung open, no doubt surprised at Britney’s bluntness. “We hang out sometimes.”
“Care to be more specific?” Britney glared. “Are you leading her on?”
“I haven’t done anything wrong.” Eli’s confident demeanor faded. “I thought you brought us in here to talk about the greenhouse! Not some silly girl who follows me around like some lost puppy.”
Mia grasped his hand. “I think what Eli is trying to say is that even though he realizes Juliet has a crush on him and he does what he can to be nice to her, she’s a bit young for him.”
That’s not at all what Sloan heard, but she kept her opinion to herself.
Britney kept her eyes trained on Eli. “Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“She’s a sweet, pretty, funny girl, and I like hanging out with her, but there’s nothing else going on between the two of us.”
“What does this have to do with the greenhouse?” Mia asked. “You didn’t bring us in just to talk about my brother’s relationship with Juliet, did you?”
Britney rested her chin on her propped-up hand. “You said you noticed that Juliet has been distracted lately. We’re trying to figure out if that’s because of your brother or if there’s another reason.”
“So, if it is because of me,” Eli said, “then the whole greenhouse thing is partly my fault? How is that fair?”
Sloan thought Britney would entertain Eli’s outburst but instead, she ignored him.
“Tell me, Mia,” Britney said, “what have you noticed about Juliet lately that seems out of the ordinary? Considering you’ve only just met her.”
Mia didn’t flinch at Britney’s small jab. “When we first started in the barn, Juliet was on top of everything. Always double checking her work and that of everyone else’s. She never left before anyone else. Made a final round around the barns while the rest of us gathered our things to leave. But lately, after Nathaniel’s death, she stopped caring as much. She didn’t check up on everyone. Would leave early or not show up at all. Several times, I found a pen or two unlatched after she’d left for the day.”
Archer clicked his tongue. “Sounds like what you’re saying is that this isn’t the first time this has happened?”
“No animals ever got out,” Mia said quickly. “And I don’t even think she realized how bad she’d gotten.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all this before?” Britney asked.
Mia lowered her eyes. “Juliet has such a kind heart and is so sweet to everyone. She was the first who accepted Eli and me into the community. Never treated us like outsiders. And I know that probably is because she has a crush on Eli, but still. I didn’t want to get her in trouble. Nathaniel’s death had already caused so much pain in her life.”
“You think she’s suffering from depression?” Sloan asked, now more concerned with Juliet’s mental wellbeing than what happened at the greenhouse.
Mia played with the necklace that hung around her neck. “I wouldn’t dare make such an assumption about someone. But I don’t think it would hurt if someone spoke to her about it.”
“I’ll do that.” Sloan turned to Britney. “Sorry, please continue.”
“There’s more?” Mia asked.
Axel scratched at his chin. “You said you knew Juliet wasn’t always checking to make sure the latches on the pen had been secured. Did you not think to check them before you left?”
“That’s not her job,” Eli said. “Plus, Juliet said she checked them before we all left together. What were we supposed to do? Call her a liar and re-check them all in front of her?”
“Maybe with a bit more tact,” Britney snapped. “You do know what that means, don’t—”
Archer cleared his throat, interrupting her. “Back to the latches. What would you say if I told you that someone else did check the latches later that evening and they were secured?”
Mia and Eli sat there silently, neither making a move to speak.
“No response?” Archer got up and started to pace in front of the closed window. “What if I told you someone saw the both of you heading towards the barn after they confirmed the gates were latched?”
Eli’s face flushed. “What are you trying to say? That we went back and let the pigs into the greenhouse? How stupid do you think we are?”
“We don’t think you’re stupid,” Axel said. “We just find it odd that so many bad things have happened since the two of you arrived.”
Mia sniffled as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I knew this was going to come up eventually.”
Archer handed her a tissue. “Why’s that?”
She dabbed the corner of her eyes. “Because that’s what people do when bad things happen. They look for a scapegoat, and who better to blame than the new people?”
“What were the two of you doing wandering around so late at night?” Axel asked.
Eli snorted. “I didn’t realize we were confined to our camper at night. Or that we had a curfew.”
“Being argumentative isn’t helping,” Sloan said in an attempt to defuse the situation. “No one is accusing you of anything.”
“That’s not what it sounds like.” Eli jutted his chin.
Mia picked at her fingernails. “We went for a walk to get some fresh air. The RV park has been very smoky since they started lighting the fire pits at night. I, for one, enjoy the smell of the air before a snow shower.”
“So, to get fresh air, you went toward the barns?” Britney asked. “Because nothing says fresh air like animal manure.”
Mia grasped her chest. “Is sarcasm really necessary? I’m explaining why we were out. I’m not sure how we ended up near the barns. We were talking as we walked, not really paying much attention to where we were going.”
“Did you enter the barns?” Archer asked.
Eli threw his head back. “Why? Did Shifter say we did that, too?”
Sloan’s head tilted backward. The Council kept to what Archer asked of them earlier and hadn’t mentioned Shifter at all.
Archer leaned against the table next to Eli. “Who said it was Shifter that told us you were wandering around last night?”
“Yo...you did.” Eli stuttered.
“Nope.” Archer shook his head.
Eli looked to Mia for help. “Didn’t they say that?”
Mia burst into tears, surprising everyone. “Of course, it was Shifter. We saw him making his rounds last night. You should have seen the way he glared at us. He’s hated us ever since the day you saved us in town. Why is he doing this to us? We haven’t done anything wrong. We haven’t. I swear to God, we haven’t.”
Archer cocked an eyebrow. “Um. Does anyone else have any questions for them?”
No one answered, not even Britney who appeared to be a little taken aback by Mia’s sudden hysterics.
“All right.” Archer held open the door. “You two are free to go.”
Eli wrapped an arm around Mia and helped her up from the chair. “I know this world has gone to shit but we really thought this place would be different. But you guys are just as crazy as the group we escaped from.”
Mia continued to sob as Eli led them out.
Archer closed the door behind them and dropped into the nearest chair. “Well, that sucked. And got us absolutely nowhere.”
Britney sighed. “Do y
ou think Mia’s right? Do you really think that Shifter could be setting them up as these evil kids who are trying to destroy the farm?”
“He’s never liked them,” Sloan said, “but I can’t imagine he would do anything malicious to make it look like they’ve done something wrong.”
“He wouldn’t,” Axel said. “I’ve known Shifter for more years than I can recall. He might be a distrusting bastard but he’s not liar. And he’s not a cheat. He wouldn’t have told us that he saw those two lurking about unless he had a good reason.”
“Lurking?” Britney cocked an eyebrow and grinned. “Now they were lurking? Before they were just wandering.”
The corner of Axel’s mouth twitched. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
Britney chuckled. “I don’t know what to think. Makayla, Terrance. You’ve been awful quiet, what do you think? I mean, Terrance, you worked with them before Nathaniel’s death. Did anythin’ about them strike you as odd?”
Terrance furrowed his brow. “I think it’s like everyone else has said before, Mia seems fine and genuine, but there’s something about Eli that I don’t like, don’t trust. But that could just be because he’s a cocky kid. I can’t speak for everyone, but I was a lot like him at his age. Thought I was bigger, badder than everyone else. Couldn’t keep my mouth shut to save my life.”
“I think it’s more than that,” Makayla added. “He was getting pretty defensive. Could mean he’s trying to hide something.”
“So, what do we do?” Britney pinched the bridge of her nose. “People are going to want to know what happened. And I hate for Juliet to take the brunt of all this. She might technically be responsible, but it was just an accident.”
“Then that’s what we tell people,” Archer said. “We say that the pigs broke the latch and found their way into the greenhouse. Nobody’s fault, don’t give them anyone to blame.”
“After everything that’s happened these past weeks,” Sloan said, “people are going to be distraught. We need to give them something that they can celebrate, be happy about. To get their minds off all of this chaos.”
“What about a wedding?” Axel asked.
Sloan straightened in her seat. “A wedding? Is someone getting married.”
