Joss looked at me with big helpless-girl eyes, which almost made me laugh since I knew she was the least helpless chick I’d ever met.
“What are we going to do, Rafe?”
“I don’t know yet, okay?” I never snapped at her, and it felt foreign, even if it were just part of the act.
“Are you folks supposed to be some place tonight? Were you heading to Atlanta after your, uh, stop at the Gone With The Wind place?”
“No.” I tried to look sheepish. “We don’t have a real plan. We’re kind of wandering. Just traveling. Being gypsies.”
Billy nodded, wagging his head like one of those bobbing dolls. His forehead was wrinkled like he was working something out in his mind. Finally he spoke.
“You know...I live pretty close. There’s a guy who can probably fix your car.”
“Seriously, dude? That would be awesome.” It was also the opening I was looking for. “Money’s not a problem. I can pay him whatever he wants to charge.”
Billy’s eye twitched. “Here’s the thing, though. I’m not sure...I live with a bunch of people. It’s kind of different. We all live together in this sort of camp. I mean, we’re not like in trouble or anything. It’s just a way for us get back to being simpler. They’re all cool, but I know sometimes people don’t understand it. So if you’re not comfortable, tell me now. I don’t want to bring you there if you’re going to freak out.”
“Like a commune or something?” Joss spoke up. “Because I’ve read about those. My great-aunt lived on one of those in the sixties. She said it was, like, amazing. Everyone helping each other, sharing what they had and doing all the work together.”
Billy’s eyes lit up. “Yep! That’s it.”
I exchanged a look with Joss, just like a regular couple might. “Billy, we’d be really grateful if you could let us come with you, just to get the car fixed. We’re not going to judge. I mean, I’m all about live and let live.”
Billy’s face broke into a huge smile. “Okay. If you want to get in the truck, we’ll head over there.”
I helped Joss in first, and she held my hand just a second longer than she had to.
And here we go.
***
ABOUT THREE MILES ahead of where we’d gone off the highway, Billy turned down a dirt road that was nearly hidden by patch of trees. He took it slow, bumping us along and keeping a close eye on the Impala in the back.
We ended up in a clearing where a bunch of cars were parked in no particular semblance of order. Billy pulled up to the edge of the grass and turned to us.
“It’s on foot from here. If you come with me, we can talk to Ian about your car.”
We followed him down a narrow path. A few women passed us, greeting Billy by name. None of them seemed surprised to see us with him. I guess I had expected a little more hostility, a little resistance to strangers. But they only nodded, smiling as they stepped aside to let us pass.
A small wooden hut sat off to the left, and Billy walked up to it. There wasn’t a door, just a curtain hanging in the doorway, so he knocked on the side of the house.
“It’s me, Billy. Ian, you in there?” he hollered.
A gray-haired head appeared through the curtain. “Yes, I’m here.” He looked past Billy to Joss and me. “Oh, we have company?” He stepped outside the hut. He was, I would say, in his mid-to-late thirties. I imagined the hair was prematurely gray, because the rest of him was in good shape.
“Yeah. This is Joss and Rafe. They went off the road right up beyond our turn-off. I pulled them out of the ditch, but their car needs some work.” He paused as if to make sure Ian were really listening. “They can pay for it, they said.”
“Yeah, totally. Money is no object. Just want to get the car back on the road again, you know? It’s a classic. ’67 Impala.”
I guessed right in my angle, because whether it was the idea of money or of working on a rare gem like the Impala, I was obviously speaking Ian’s language. His face lit up.
“Really? Sure, man, I’ll take a look.” He rubbed his hands together. “How’d you end up in a ditch?”
I told him the story again as we all walked back to car. Ian hunkered down and began muttering to himself.
“So how bad does it look?” I asked after a few minutes.
“Well, sir, the good news is it looks like the axle is okay. That would have been a damn shame. I think you maybe bent the chassis and messed up your muffler. I’d like to get her up on a lift, check out the radiator, but those are the two big things I see.”
I sighed, trying to look pained, but inside I was fist pumping. This was the perfect excuse to hang out here on the commune while our car was getting fixed. If they’d let us, of course.
“How long do you think it’ll take to get her running again?” Joss had come up next to me and threaded her arm around my waist.
“Hard to say. Depends on what parts we need and how long it takes to get them. When we need to order stuff, we have to go to the nearest town that has Internet coverage.” He scratched his head. “I think you’re looking at a week, maybe two.”
I raked my hands through my hair. “God. Okay. So is there any place around here we can stay? Hotels, bed and breakfast?”
Behind us, Billy guffawed. “The nearest motel is about the same distance as that garage.”
Ian nodded. “’Fraid Billy’s right. But don’t you fret, folks. Let me talk to Nathan, but I’m pretty sure if you’re not picky about accommodations, we can put you up here.”
Joss’s face lit up. “Really? Oh, that would be amazing. Who’s Nathan?”
The other two men exchanged looks before Ian replied. “We don’t do government or leadership here, but Nathan is about the closest thing we have to someone in charge. He’s been here the longest, and we try to run anything new by him.”
“Oh, cool. Where is he? Should we go talk to him?”
Ian laid a hand on my arm. “No, Billy and I will take care of it. Why don’t you come on back to my house? You can wait there while we get everything set up.”
Ian’s hut was surprisingly civilized. There were a few chairs, a simple bed off in one corner and a bookshelf against one primitive wall. He told us to make ourselves at home and then ducked back through the curtain with Billy.
Joss and I sat down, and for a moment, we only stared at each other. And then she closed her eyes and began talking to me.
Ian’s got some kind of ability. I felt it on him before he even stuck his head out. Not sure what yet, but make sure you keep your blocks up good and tight, okay?
I nodded, wishing I had the power to talk back to her. Why had Lucie gotten the cool broadcasting power?
We need to say something, make small talk. If anyone is listening, it’ll be weird that we’re just sitting here looking at each other.
“So this place is kind of cool, right? You’ll be okay if we have to stay here for a while?”
Joss smiled a little, just enough that I could see. “Yeah, it seems all right. But do you think they have bathrooms? How do they take showers and everything?”
There’s other powers here, too. I don’t know where or what.
I shook my head. “Who knows, Joss? They’ve got to have something. It’ll be fine for a little while.”
“I guess.”
I leaned closer and ran my hand along her leg. “I’m more worried about whether we’ll have some place private to stay. I want to use those handcuffs again.”
She rolled her eyes, a totally legitimate Joss move. “Nice, Rafe. We’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, with people we don’t know, with a car that needs major work, and you’re worried about our sex life?”
“It’s all about priorities, baby.”
“Yeah. Hey, what do you think they do when it gets really cold? Right now it’s not bad, but it snows and everything here sometimes, doesn’t it?”
“I think so. I guess they have fires. Or maybe gas heaters. I don’t know. I was never much of a camper.”
> “Me, neither.”
We managed to keep up a decent run of chatter until Ian returned.
“Good news. Nathan says it’s okay for you to stay while your car is getting fixed. He wants to meet you, and then we’ll get you set up with a tent and show you the ropes. Come on.”
Ian led us down the path a little further to a wider clearing. A huge fire pit with a roaring blaze sat in the middle of the dirt, surrounded by lawn chairs, stools, stumps and large rocks. Just beyond it was the only real building we’d seen on the commune, a long rectangular log cabin on steroids.
A large man with jet-black hair tied back behind his shoulders sat on a folding chair, his hands on his knees. It was impossible to determine his age. He stared unblinking into the fire, his mouth a straight line. Joss slid her hand into mine, and I knew it wasn’t part of our effort to appear to be madly in love. Something about this guy was spooking her.
Power. Lots of it. Scary stuff.
I could hear the panic in her thoughts within my head. I tightened my hold on her hand.
“Nathan, this is Rafe and Joss. Sorry, I didn’t get last names.”
Nathan’s eyes flickered up to meet mine, and I almost stumbled into the fire as I leaned forward to offer my hand. His eyes were completely black, or nearly so. I felt like I was being sucked in, and I checked again to make sure everything in me was blocked.
“Rafe Brooks, and this is Jocelyn Pennell.”
He didn’t move at all for another breath of time. And then his mouth stretched into a smile.
“Nathan Crow. I’m happy to meet you both.” He shook my hand and then Joss’s. “Sorry about your breakdown, but glad it brought you here. Nothing happens without a reason, you know. We believe that here. That’s how we live.” He looked around as if aware of his surroundings for the first time.
“Well, we were sure glad Billy came by when he did. It was that fox’s lucky day, but it could have been a bad one for us.”
“All is well that ends well. We want you to make yourselves at home here, for as long as you need to stay. We don’t really have rules, but we have a way of life. If you’ll respect that, we’ll all enjoy our time together.”
His voice was almost musical, I realized, and I had to force myself not to fall into its rhythm. Joss still stood silent next to me, her fingers clenching mine.
“We don’t do conflict. We ask if someone has wronged you, you go to them in peace and ask them to make it right. If you wrong someone, and they come to you the same way, we expect you to make it right. We share chores, and we share food.” He glanced over me at Ian. “We allow private possessions—Ian here has his books, and others keep electronics or mementos. Clothes, of course. But we never deny another member access to anything. We all know that if we want to read one of Ian’s books, he’ll gladly hand it over.”
“Electronics?” I looked around us. “Doesn’t seem like much need for them here.”
Nathan smiled. “The lodge is the building just behind you. It is the only place in the community that has a generator. Anyone can go there and charge their computers, music players, what have you. It’s also heated, so when we have a serious cold snap that our sleeping bags and blankets can’t handle, everyone camps out at the lodge. Our community kitchen is there, too.”
“Do you eat there, then?” Joss finally spoke.
“In bad weather, yes. When it’s not raining or too cold, we try to eat outside in the fire circle. Meals are three times a day, and we have a rotation of who cooks. Someone will talk to you about that over the next few days. But for tonight, we hope you’ll just be our guests.”
The door to the lodge opened, and Nathan turned. “Oh, good. Perfect timing. Cara, can you show our new friends to their tent?”
I stood, shocked for the second time in three days by the unexpected appearance of Cara Pryce.
***
“RAFE? WHAT ARE you doing here?” Cara strode over to where we stood with Nathan, irritation clear on her face.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Nathan looked from one of us to the other, frowning. “You know each other? Cara, you’ve met Rafe before?”
She nodded. “We went to school together in Florida. For a little while, anyway. And then I ran into him and his girlfriend in Savannah earlier this week. When I went in to meet--” She glanced up at Nathan. “For that meeting.”
“This is a quite a coincidence.” Nathan’s tone was suspicious.
“Yeah, I’ll say.” I turned to face Cara. “You never told us you were living on a commune. What are you doing here?”
Cara’s lip curled. “I told you I lived outside town. Well, I do. Here it is. This is where I live. I know it’s a step down from the home of the privileged Brooks family, but it works for me.”
“Hey, hey.” I held up my hands. “Don’t get defensive. I like it here. I’m just surprised you didn’t say anything to us when we saw you.”
“It wasn’t any of your business.”
“Cara.” Nathan laid a hand on her shoulder. “Whatever your history with them, Rafe and Jocelyn are our guests now. An unfortunate accident brought them to us, and we want to make them feel at home. Would you please show them to the Fletchers’ old tent? That’s where they’ll be staying.”
He turned back to us. “Ron Fletcher and his wife just built a hut not too far from Ian’s. But they left their tent up for whoever the next newcomer might be. Providential, wouldn’t you say?”
“Totally.” Joss tried to smile.
“Wonderful. Cara, go ahead now, and help them with anything they might need. Bedding, towels...oh, and Billy will help you carry your bags from the car. Once you’ve unloaded, Ian’s going to move it into our little garage, get it up on the lift. With any luck, he should be able to fix it and get you back on the road.”
“Thanks.” I nodded to Nathan. “We appreciate your hospitality. This could have been real disaster for us. I hate to think of being stuck in that ditch overnight.”
“Don’t even mention it.” Nathan sat back down and resumed his staring-into-the-fire position, which I assumed was the signal for us to leave.
Cara stalked down a second path leading off the clearing. I followed, pulling Joss by the hand.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re playing at here, Rafe, but it’s no good. Wait.” She stopped abruptly and swung on me. “Did my father send you here? To bring me home? Because I’m not going back. Not ever.”
“Cara!” I held up my hands. “Whoa. No, I’m not here for your dad. I didn’t know you were in Georgia until we ran into you the other day. Why would your father send me to bring you home?”
Cara glared at me, biting her lip. “Because he can’t stand the fact that I got away. He wants me to come back to Pennsylvania and be his nursemaid. And he’ll do anything to get me there.”
“Well, Cara, your father barely knew me. I don’t see him tracking me down and asking me to talk you into going back. I’m sorry you’re upset about us being here, but it really was an accident. And we can’t go anywhere until our car is fixed.”
“Give me a break, Rafe. With all your money, you can’t get someone to come out here and tow you to a real garage? I find that hard to believe.”
I shook my head. “We couldn’t get service to call for a tow. And then Billy came along and helped us. For the love of God, Cara, do you really think I’m stalking you? No offense, but you haven’t crossed my mind since you left town last year.”
“Rafe.” Joss took my arm. “Stop. Don’t be mean.”
Cara looked at her and then back at me. Without another word, she turned and kept walking down the path.
The tent was not bad. It looked sturdy enough, and it didn’t smell musty. Joss looked at it with a resigned expression.
“Cara, can I ask you, are there, um, facilities here? You know, bathrooms, showers?”
“Of course there are. The bathhouse is attached to the lodge. There are showers there and bathroom stalls. And I’
ll have someone bring you sleeping bags and towels. I assume you didn’t bring your own.”
“Nope, we expected to be sleeping in a hotel tonight, not a tent.” It had been hard not bring supplies I knew we’d need, but that would have been pretty suspicious.
“Whatever. Dinner is at six.” She turned to leave, tossing one last barb over her shoulder. “Everyone works here. Don’t think you can just sit around and be served.”
“Geez. Hostile much?”
“Yeah. That’s Cara.” I rubbed Joss’s back and leaned in to check out the inside of the tent. “So what do you think? Can you deal with this tent?”
“Well, clearly it’s not up to my princess standards, but I’ll live. Do we sleep on the ground? No cot or anything?”
“Looks like it. Let’s hope the sleeping bags are decent.”
Joss shivered and chafed her arms. “Let’s hope they’re warm.”
I pulled her against my chest and held her tight. “That’s not a problem. You have me for that. We’ll zip the bags together and make our own heat.”
“You’re so chivalrous.”
“That’s me.”
Joss sighed. “Well, we should get the bags out of the car. And then we need to talk.”
By the time we came back to the tent with our bags, helped by the accommodating Billy, someone had left the bedding and towels in our tent. We spent the next hour trying to organize our clothes and Joss’s girl-crap so that we could fit in the tent, too.
Rafe, that Nathan guy is seriously creepy. The power drips off him, and he feels...wrong. Like that girl in New Orleans, only worse. I felt sick the whole time we were near him.
I sighed but didn’t answer. It wasn’t safe to talk out loud about any of this here and now. At some point, Joss would try to cast a parameter to give us some privacy, but it was too dangerous until we knew who might be able to perceive our powers or pick up on that casting.
I don’t know why they didn’t send a mind hearer on this mission. What good are we going to do? We can’t find out who’s planning what. It’s useless.
Undeniable Page 17
