by Lee Hollis
Dustin glanced out the window, and as it hit him what we were about to do, he yelled, “Mom! Put the car in reverse! Let’s get the H out of here!”
Gemma whipped her head around in the passenger seat and hissed, “You better behave today!”
And then she jumped out of the car, all smiles, and waved as Sean bounded up to greet us. A short distance behind him was Dave, who was a far cry from Mark Harmon. He was actually more handsome! In fact, he took my breath away, like that old ’80s song from the cute shaggy-haired crooner Rex Smith!
Both father and son were tanned, had toothy white smiles, and were dressed exactly alike in crewneck T-shirts, cargo shorts, and boat shoes.
After the introductions, Dave led us down to the river where our raft awaited. I led Dustin by the arm, squeezing it tight to make sure he didn’t make a run for it. Dave helped us on with our life vests, and as he smiled at me, and strapped me into my vest, my heart was racing and I thought to myself, How bad could this be?
Well, as it turns out, bad. Really bad.
In fact, it was a horror show! We had barely set off from the river’s edge before we found ourselves being knocked around, tossed up in the air, drenched in water as the raft crested over the raging white-water rapids. Gemma, who had been holding hands with “Hot Sean,” bolted away from him and scrambled over to hug me tightly. We were both terrified as we screamed at the top of our lungs, praying to make it out of this whole ordeal alive!
Dave, who looked exhilarated, sat in the back of the raft with a paddle in one hand and fist-pumping the air with the other, loving every minute of it.
He shouted to us, “This trip is well known for its eleven rapids that are classified as IV and V rapids! Isn’t it awesome? What a rush!”
I hated him.
He was no Mark Harmon.
Mark Harmon would have known I was not enjoying this, and found some way to get me and my kids off this hair-raising hell ride!
Gemma felt the same about “Hot Sean” as he was a carbon copy of his dad, waving the paddle and fist-pumping, laughing and whooping as we careened down the rapids.
Then I had a horrible thought.
Dustin.
What happened to Dustin?
Had he fallen overboard?
I looked around and saw him holding on to the ropes on the side of the boat completely soaked, screaming and shouting with joy, having the time of his life as the waves completely washed over him, the video games awaiting him on his phone the furthest thing from his mind!
After thirty more of the scariest minutes of my life, the rafting nightmare came to a merciful end. As did Gemma’s budding romance with “Hot Sean.” We were both sore, soaked, and shivering and threw ourselves on the ground, thankful to finally be on dry land.
Dustin, on the other hand, was jumping up and down, begging Dave to let us do it again. I politely declined with a tight smile on my face. Gemma waved good-bye to “Hot Sean” without even a quick peck on the cheek, and I could tell from the disappointed look on his face that he knew his short-lived weekend romance was definitely over.
We hightailed it out of there and back to the hotel while Gemma lamented that she should probably give her eighth-grade suitor Stewie another chance because he had brains, and was captain of the Chess Club, and wanted to do whatever she wanted to do. Gemma was officially over her jock phase.
Dustin was disappointed we wouldn’t be going back out on the rapids that weekend, so we tried to make up for it with some more Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms at our favorite nearby eatery, which I have to admit I chased down with a couple of Mountain Sunset Cocktails in order to recover from my recent near-death experience.
Mountain Sunset Cocktail
Ingredients
12 ounces orange juice
3 ounces light rum
2 tablespoons grenadine
Lime slice for garnishing (optional)
Combine your orange juice and rum. Set aside 1/3 of the mixture and pour the rest into two glasses.
Add the grenadine to the saved orange juice and rum mixture, then slowly pour into your glasses, letting it settle to the bottom.
Hopefully, it will look like a sunset, but not to worry if it doesn’t because it tastes delicious either way!
Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 lobster tails, cooked and chopped into
small pieces
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces mushrooms, stems removed
(chop up the stems and set aside)
⅓ cup gouda cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chives, diced
In a skillet heat the two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add your shallots and sauté until caramelized.
Add the chopped lobster meat, cream cheese, chopped mushroom stems, and Old Bay seasoning, and turn the heat to medium low. Stir until all the cheese is melted and everything is combined.
Place your mushrooms on a baking sheet open side up and spoon your cheese mixture into the mushroom.
Sprinkle your gouda over the tops of the mushrooms.
Heat your oven broiler to high heat, then put your mushrooms in the oven and broil until cheese is melted hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and garnish with the chives and serve and get ready for a lobster inspired treat!
Chapter 30
After leaving the police station, Hayley called Mona, who was back at the cabin waiting for her. Mona confirmed that Liddy still had not returned, which just fueled Hayley’s growing sense of dread.
She quickly filled in Mona on what she and Sue had found at Rufus’s house.
There was silence on the other end of the phone when she finished.
“Mona? Are you still there?”
“I’m here,” she said, exhaling. “Man, oh man! That is one whopper of a story! And I always thought growing up that Salmon Cove was the most boring place on earth!”
“I know, I’m still trying to process it all! But the good news is, Sheriff Wilkes is finally taking Liddy’s disappearance seriously, and she is calling in some state troopers to help find her. We also have a couple of FBI agents in town who might also lend a hand.”
“I’m scared, Hayley,” Mona said, her voice cracking.
It was rare for Mona to show much emotion other than anger or annoyance. And it was unheard of for her to show fear. But despite her protestations to the contrary, she cared deeply for Liddy. They had been bickering and insulting each other ever since they became friends in the second grade, and that’s quite a long history.
“I know, Mona, me too,” Hayley said solemnly.
“Where are you now?”
“I’m in town. Liddy’s Mercedes is still parked where she left it, and wherever she is, she has the keys with her. I’m going to call a cab to take me back to the cabin.”
“Okay, but hurry back. I’m climbing the walls here all alone!”
“I’ll be there as fast as I can. In the meantime, why don’t you call Corey and see if he’ll come over with his truck? We’re not going to want to sit around the rest of the day just waiting. I think we should go out again and keep looking.”
“I’ll call him right now,” Mona said, hanging up.
Hayley knew there was just one cab driver in town because he was usually hanging outside the Starfish Lounge around closing time to drive any inebriated patrons who might stagger out of the bar safely to their homes. She looked up his number on her phone, and then called him.
“Ryan’s Taxi, this is Ryan,” a man said, distracted.
“Yes, I need a pickup in downtown Salmon Cove.”
“Sorry, I’ve got an airport run to Bangor. I won’t be back until late this afternoon,” he said.
“Okay, thank you.”
She ended the call, sighed, and then pressed Mona’s number again.
“Hi, what’s up?” Mona said.
“I can’t get a taxi. Do you think Corey would mind swi
nging into town and picking me up on his way out to the cabin?”
“I haven’t been able to reach him. I got his voice mail and just left a message,” Mona said.
“Well, I guess I’m going to just have to walk,” Hayley groaned.
“But it’s something like three miles! It’ll take you over an hour!”
“Well, I’m always saying how I need to exercise more. Here is my chance,” Hayley said, shuffling off down the road that led out of town. “See you when I get there.”
It was midday, the sun was blazing, and Hayley wasn’t wearing a hat. She felt the intense heat against her cheeks, and worried she would suffer from a case of sunburn, but she trudged along, picking up her pace. Drops of sweat formed above her brow and she wiped them away with her hand. She forgot to pick up a bottle of water at the general store to keep hydrated, which was dumb. But she was determined to get back to the cabin. There was no way she was going to turn back now. She could replenish her fluids when she got there.
A couple of cars sped by, and Hayley thought about sticking her thumb out and hitching a ride, but she decided against it. If she kept pushing and making good time, she just might power walk her way back to the cabin in an hour flat.
She heard another vehicle approaching from behind. She glanced back to see a pickup truck speeding along the road toward her. At first she thought it might be Corey, and felt relief that Mona had finally gotten through to him, but as the truck got closer, she noticed it was red. Corey’s truck was white. It slowed down as it pulled up next to Hayley.
Boyd sat behind the wheel. He was in a white tank top scuffed with dirt marks and wore a Boston Red Sox baseball cap on his head. He lowered his cheap sunglasses to the bridge of his nose. “What are you doing all the way out here?”
“Just walking back to the cabin where we’re staying,” Hayley said.
“Walking? But it’s so dang hot! I mean, it’s so hot out, the chickens at my daddy’s farm are laying hard-boiled eggs!”
He laughed heartily at his own joke.
Hayley forced a smile, and said, “Good one.”
“Why don’t you hop in and I’ll give you a ride the rest of the way?”
Hayley thought about it for a moment. Her feet were tired and she was sweaty and uncomfortable, but her gut told her to say no.
She should just stick to her original plan.
“That’s awfully kind of you, Boyd, but I’ll be fine.”
“Are you crazy? I’m offering you a free ride! My truck has air conditioning!”
“I know, but I’m almost there and the walk will do me good,” she said politely.
“You’re not almost there. I know where the cabin is. You’re still about two miles out.”
“Thank you, Boyd, but I’m good.”
She started walking.
At this point, she just wanted to get away from him.
He pulled his truck forward and drove alongside her.
“You’re not fooling me, you know,” he said.
He was no longer smiling. He looked grim, suspicious, and wary.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Boyd,” Hayley said, still walking.
“Yes, you do. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
“One of what?”
“Them!”
He was talking about the aliens he was reading about in his comic books, the ones he was so immersed in during his breaks at the Starfish Lounge. At first she thought it was harmless, but then when he kept suspecting actual real people like Liddy of being among their ranks, she was slightly disturbed. But now, on the side of the road, all alone with him and his wild machinations, suddenly she felt a sharp sense of danger.
“Boyd, you’re not making any sense!”
“It makes perfect sense! You and your friends show up here in town, strangers I’ve never seen before, scouting the area, taking notes on our habits and behavior, reporting back to the mother ship!”
Hayley had heard enough. “Get real, Boyd! If we were aliens planning an invasion, why would we bother coming here of all places? Why wouldn’t we go to Washington, DC, and take over the White House?”
“Because you want to start with the small communities and spread out from there so by the time you do reach the power centers, you’re too big to stop!”
Damn, the kid had it all figured out.
But she wasn’t going to indulge him any longer.
“Leave me alone, Boyd.”
She started walking again, eyes straight ahead, hoping another car might come along at any moment that she could flag down to get her the hell out of here.
Boyd pulled his truck up next to her again.
“I won’t let you do it! I’m going to do whatever it takes to stop you!”
She refused to look at him.
She just kept walking.
And he kept driving alongside her.
“Please, don’t make me do this,” Boyd said, in a grave tone.
That’s when she heard a click, like a gun cocking.
Hayley whipped her head around to see Boyd leveling a shotgun at her out of the driver’s-side window.
She instinctively threw her hands up. “Boyd, no! Please, don’t shoot!”
“Then get in the truck.”
Hayley did as she was told.
At this point, she just wanted to stay alive.
Chapter 31
Boyd kept his shotgun resting in his lap, the barrel pointing right at Hayley, as he drove his truck several miles out of town, pulling off the main road onto a dirt path that led through the woods. It was a bumpy ride, and the shotgun kept rattling up and down, and Hayley feared it might accidentally discharge and blow her head off!
Boyd gripped the steering wheel with one hand, his fingers wrapped around it so tight his knuckles were white. His other hand was around the shotgun, his finger gently resting on the trigger.
They pulled up in front of a dilapidated, rickety old farm house. The paint on the walls was peeling, a couple of windows were cracked, part of the roof was missing and covered with a blue tarp, there was some rusty farm equipment in the yard that was overgrown with weeds.
Boyd jammed the truck into park and then lifted the gun, edging it closer to Hayley, who leaned back as far away as she could from the end of the barrel that lightly touched her nose.
“Don’t you dare try anything! I don’t want to have to shoot you, and get your slimy green alien blood all over my upholstery!”
“Boyd, how many times do I have to tell you, I am not an alien—!”
“You’re lying! I know the truth! I know everything! Now get out!”
Hayley hesitated, not wanting to find out what he was going to do with her, but left with no choice, she carefully reached over and opened the passenger’s-side door. She slowly slid out and stepped down to the ground, clasping her hands behind the back of her head.
Boyd hustled out the driver’s side, keeping his eyes fixed on her, and his gun raised. He motioned for her to turn and walk toward the house. Hayley did what she was told. He ordered her to stay right and walk over to some metal sloping outside cellar doors. A crowbar had been wedged between the handles to keep anything, or anyone, from getting out.
Hayley turned back to face Boyd.
“What’s down there?”
“The other one,” Boyd said.
“The other what?”
“Alien! Like you! I captured it! I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep you monsters from destroying us! I’m going to save the world!”
Hayley gasped.
Was he talking about Liddy?
Boyd raised his gun, jabbing it toward Hayley, who flinched. “Now get down there! Now!”
Hayley knelt down and removed the crowbar, and then opened one of the cellar doors. She walked down the wobbly wooden steps. She shivered as she reached the bottom of the dark, damp, and moldy basement. She stopped for a moment to try to adjust her eyes to the dimness, but Boyd poked her in the back with the barrel of his gun,
prodding her to keep going. Once they reached the other end of the cellar, Hayley could see something balled up in the corner. She squinted to get a closer look. Somebody was sitting on the ground, back against the cement wall, knees up with arms hugging them, head down.
“Liddy, is that you?”
The head suddenly popped up, and Liddy, her face smudged with dirt, her curly black hair sticking out in all directions, eyes wide with hopeful relief, choked back tears.
“Hayley?”
She sprang to her feet, arms out, and ran to hug Hayley.
“Stay where you are, alien queen!”
Liddy stopped short and sighed. “He’s a crazy loon, Hayley! He thinks he’s living the sequel to Independence Day, and we all know what a sucky movie that was!”
“Just stay calm, Liddy, we’ll be all right,” Hayley said softly.
“You two lizards will remain my prisoners until I can gather an army of rebels to fight back and foil your diabolical plot to colonize Earth!” Boyd spit out.
“Lizards? Do we look like lizards?” Hayley asked, insulted.
“He thinks we’re wearing human suits,” Liddy said, shaking her head. “Oh, he’s a real character, let me tell you.”
Boyd walked over to Hayley, a menacing look on his face, and he held out his free hand, while holding his shotgun in the other, pressing the barrel against Hayley’s rib cage. “Give me your phone. I don’t want you down here sending a signal to the mother ship with your location!”
Hayley sighed, reached into her back pocket, and pulled out her phone. She held it out, but dropped it before Boyd could grab it. He instantly had his finger back on the trigger of his gun.
“You did that on purpose! Pick it up!”
Hayley slowly, deliberately bent down to get her phone. She felt around in the dark for it briefly and then found it. When she touched the screen, the light came on, momentarily blinding Boyd, who covered his eyes, giving her the chance to speed-dial Mona. She quickly pressed a button on the side to make the light go out.
