Grim Hill: Forest of Secrets

by Linda DeMeulemeester

  But when I turned to flee, I saw a line of yellow flames dancing between us and the cabin door.

  CHAPTER 21 - A Dark Despair

  FLAMES QUICKLY ENGULFED the cabin, trapping Sookie and me inside. I felt as if I’d been sunburned and I coughed as hot air seared my lungs. “Sookie, cover yourself with this,” I rasped.

  My eyes streamed with tears in the thick, black smoke while I yanked off my pack and unzipped my windbreaker. I bundled Sookie in my jacket, making sure it covered her face. The dry, dust-tattered curtains had burst into flames and hot ashes drifted down, biting into my skin. I slammed my backpack through the window, breaking the glass. Burning air rushed toward us and long flames stretched like arms.

  I was about to kick out the rest of the glass when the window exploded, its dagger-like shards narrowly missing Sookie and me. But the broken glass had cleared enough room for us to escape. I grabbed my sister and jumped out, landing on top of Clive.

  “Ugh,” he said as I knocked the wind out of him.

  “We were pulling away the broken glass to get you out,” said Jasper.

  I jumped up and brushed shards of glass off my jeans. “Is everyone else okay?”

  Jasper wiped a smear of soot off his face. With a cough, he said, “Yes.”

  “Sookie, are you all right?” She nodded.

  “Uh, you’re welcome,” Clive said, taking a deep breath and standing up.

  “Thanks, Clive,” I said. “It was a very soft landing.”

  “Let’s get out of here,” said Jasper.

  The cabin was burning up like a torch and a series of explosions sent parts of the roof flying. Smoking shingles littered the ground. One narrowly missed my head as it flew by.

  “Run!” shouted Mitch.

  It wasn’t until we were away from the cabin that I looked around to see where we had stopped. Great. We were standing in the center of the medicine circle – the place of power. In the dawn light it had lost some of its eerie glow, but I felt as if I were standing below a transmission tower. A steady high-pitched whine buzzed in my ears, accompanying the haunting rhythm of the relentless wind.

  “Did either of you get burned?” asked Mia. Then her face crumpled. “Oh no, the first aid kit got left behind.” Her face fell even more. “Everything got left behind.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, breaking into a fit of coughing. “Sookie?”

  My sister rubbed her eyes, which gave her soot-streaked face the appearance of a raccoon. In a shaky voice, she answered. “Yes, Cat, I’m okay.”

  It was then I noticed that she was clutching my backpack to her chest. Was that all we had left – my pack and that stupid mirror? “Did anybody get anything out of the cabin?”

  Everyone shook their head. “When you were trapped, we ran around to the other side of the cabin to get you out,” said Clive. “There wasn’t time to get our stuff.”

  I nodded. So that was it: we were stranded in the far north, we were lost, and we had no food, water, or blankets. Not to mention we were already half-starved.

  Pink light streaked the sky as the sun began to rise. The air was frigid, and despite the searing heat of the cabin, we all began to shiver.

  “I’m cold and I’m hungry. Clive,” said Skeeter, “can we build another shelter?”

  “Good idea,” said Clive.

  Then Skeeter rubbed his stomach. “We need to find some breakfast first.”

  Clive patted his brother’s shoulder. “I don’t think we’ll find a pancake place around here,” he said quietly

  “Berries don’t cut it,” Skeeter grumbled. “All I can think about is real food.” Then he gave up and sat down in the dirt. No one had the energy to move let alone cheer each other on. Our despair was contagious.

  But the most dangerous thing I could do was sit down and give up. “Come on,” I said. “The explosions have stopped. We can all move closer to the cabin and at least stay warm.”

  Even though we never said anything to each other, it was easy to tell nobody liked staying inside the stone circle. Despite our exhaustion, we returned to the front of the cabin. Most of the flames had died down, leaving only a pile of smoldering wood and ash.

  The warmth cheered us up a little. “I think those are salmonberry bushes over there. We can gather some for breakfast,” Amanda said eventually. She nudged Skeeter. “Come on, it will be better than nothing.”

  “If you can find any of those roots we had before, I’ll cook them on the hot ashes,” Mitch said.

  “But I’m so thirsty.” Skeeter’s voice quavered.

  “The berries will help your thirst,” Amanda replied. Slowly we all got moving, and doing something felt better than doing nothing at all. Still, nobody mentioned hiking out of here. Nobody mentioned anything about what we should do next. Including me. I just didn’t know what we could do – should we wait to be rescued or strike out and hope for the best?

  I wiped salmonberry juice from my mouth. It had soothed my aching throat, but I swear I would need to devour all the leaves on the bush before I would feel full. Every muscle in my body ached and my skin stung. If only I could get my brain to work, but it was as if a fog had taken hold of it. No clear thoughts were coming through. A sense of urgency rose inside me. We needed a plan – and we needed it soon.

  “We should try hiking back to the road, maybe?” suggested Mia. “This place gives me the creeps.”

  “And if we don’t find the bus? What if we end up even deeper inside this forest?” Anxiety edged into Clive’s voice.

  “Everyone thought it was a good idea yesterday,” Mia protested.

  I wanted to get out of here myself. Except … “What if someone spotted the flames from the cabin? They’d come and check, wouldn’t they?” “There was a thunderstorm last night, remember?” Clive argued. “They’d assume lightning hit a tree.” “Make up your mind, Clive. Do you want to stay or

  go,” Mia said petulantly. “It’s not that easy,” Clive grumbled. “It’s also pointless now,” Jasper said. “What do you mean?” His tone unnerved me. Jasper pointed over my shoulder. “We’ve got

  company.”

  I turned and followed his gaze. The bus driver, the pilot, and the thug strode out of the bushes. Each of them was carrying a gun, which they pointed at us, and each of their faces broke into identical evil grins.

  CHAPTER 22 - Sookie’s Mistake

  THE MEN HERDED us into a tight group. They pointed their guns straight at us – except when Sookie broke into a sob, the driver lowered his gun and stared at her apologetically. That’s when I had my brilliant idea.

  I caught Jasper’s attention and pointed to the ground. Shards of window glass were at our feet. “Ah,” I groaned. “Those berries hurt my stomach.” I doubled over and screamed. At least that’s what the criminals saw and heard. Meanwhile, Jasper had scooped up two pieces of glass.

  “Shut up,” ordered the pilot.

  For good measure, I groaned and screamed again.

  “I said shut up.” The pilot strode toward me and for a panicked second I thought he was going to hit me with the butt of his rifle. It was one thing to see violence on TV, another to actually face it. My stomach really did cramp up while my heart pounded in my chest.

  “Don’t you touch her.” Clive grabbed the pilot’s arm, which was probably an insane thing to do. For a heart-stopping moment I thought he might shoot Clive, but instead the pilot shoved him to the ground.

  “Where are the diamonds?” he asked as he yanked Clive back off the ground.

  “Leave my brother alone or I’ll …” Skeeter raised his fists, but Amarjeet quickly swept Skeeter into her arms, holding him back.

  “I’m done with chasing you kids around,” spat the pilot. “I’m going to ask you one last time – where are the diamonds?”

  The brutish thug hovered over Mia and glared at us with menace, while the pilot jammed a gun into Clive’s chest. The driver held his gun just above our heads, but his arm shook badly.

  “The
diamonds were inside,” I said, pointing to the cabin.

  “There was a fire,” said Jasper, stating the obvious. “We didn’t get them out in time.”

  “What?” roared the pilot. “Tie these brats up,” he ordered the other two. “I don’t need them wandering away while we wait for the ashes to cool.”

  The driver and the thug pulled out a long stretch of rope from their pack. They made us sit back to back in a circle and wove the rope in and out, tying our hands behind us.

  My plan couldn’t have worked out better.

  *

  While the men huddled us together, Jasper slipped a piece of glass to me. I shoved part of the glass into my back pocket, enough so that it wouldn’t jab me, and so that I could grasp the part that was poking out even though my hands were tied. I just hadn’t counted on being so nervous that my hands would sweat. I hoped Clive didn’t mind me drying my damp palms on the back of his shirt.

  As soon as the ashes had cooled enough for the men to sift through them, Jasper and I got to work. With a slow, deep breath, I slid the glass shard out of my pocket and angled it so I could saw through the rope. I felt the rope fray and within a few seconds, strands began to break. But I couldn’t slice too far into the rope or I’d slash my own skin. Better to keep pulling at the rope and feel the give. Soon I was able to tug my hands free and I immediately set to work sawing through Clive’s knot. I passed the glass to Clive and he began freeing Mia, while Jasper handed his shard of glass to Amarjeet. Soon we were all untied.

  Now all we had to do was sneak into the forest while the outlaws sifted through the ashes. We quietly crept into the bushes, first Skeeter and Sookie, then Mia and Mitch. Sweat beaded on my forehead even though we were sitting away from the smoldering cabin, while wind sliced through the chilly air. But we didn’t dare leave together – the noise might alert the criminals.

  Finally, Amarjeet and I crawled into the brush, with Jasper and Clive directly behind us. We’d made it. I stretched and let out another slow, silent breath. We had to get moving – as to where, I had no idea.

  “My mirror,” Sookie cried out. “I forgot the backpack.”

  Before I could grab her, Sookie ran to where we’d been tied up. I took off after her but Amarjeet grabbed my arm, signaling with her finger for me to stay super quiet. I moved toward my sister and watched with slow horror as she brushed off a pile of rope and picked up my backpack.

  Sookie turned, ready to join us. But by then it was too late. “Come out at once or the girl’s dead.” The pilot turned away from the ashes and pointed his gun at my sister.

  CHAPTER 23 - A Grave Plan

  I COULDN’T BELIEVE that the pilot, however horrid he was, would actually shoot a kid. The problem was I couldn’t disbelieve it either – not after what we’d heard on the two-way radio. My friends felt the same way and we all filed out of the bushes. The outlaws herded us back into the clearing. We’d almost gotten away, but because of my little sister we were captured again. Why hadn’t she just left the stupid pack behind?

  Sookie must have seen the outrage on my face because she mumbled, “I’m sorry, Cat.”

  “It’s not just me,” I whispered harshly. “You’ve put everyone in jeopardy.” Sookie hung her head.

  “Just what’s so important about this pack, little missy,” said the pilot, grabbing it from my sister’s hands.

  I flinched when he said that. Mom called Sookie “missy” when she lectured her. Coming from him, that word sounded foul.

  The pilot unzipped the pack and said, “Maybe there’s something very important in here. The diamonds, perhaps?”

  The outlaw began yanking out the cowboy pajamas I’d packed. Mom had bought them for me on sale, as a joke – it had been a fun idea for a sleepover, but it wasn’t so funny right now. It seemed years since I’d planned to have a sleepover at Mia’s. Then he yanked Lea’s mirror out of the bag. The mirror sparkled in the sun and gave off its usual greenish light. The pilot didn’t seem to notice. He threw it down and Sookie cried out when the mirror cracked.

  Then my sister said in that strange hollow voice she sometimes used, “You’ve done it now, breaking that mirror. Your luck will be cursed.”

  It wasn’t so much what she said, but the effect it had. Her words raised the hair on the back of my neck. Even the pilot paused for a second and stared at my sister.

  “You brats had too much time on your hands before,” he said angrily. “No more sitting around making trouble.”

  He pointed his rifle at us and gestured that we move toward the smoldering ashes. There wasn’t much else left of the cabin. “You search for the diamonds. I’m taking a break.”

  Rubbing his chin, he said, “Come to think of it, this is a much better idea. All of you can look through the ashes while me and my buddies stand guard.”

  His voice dropped into an even more menacing tone. “And you’d better find those diamonds fast.”

  We waded into the ashes. As we moved closer, I saw that, bizarrely enough, the loft door was still intact. The heat seared through my sneakers – we weren’t wearing heavy hiking boots like the men. I hopped from foot to foot, then dug a burnt stick out of the ashes. I waved the stick around, cooling it, and then handed it to my sister. “Use this to dig around for the diamonds.” Sookie took the stick and began to poke halfheartedly at the ashes.

  It was slow, hot work. My back ached and the soles of my feet blistered. Part of me knew we had to draw this out as long as possible, so we’d have a better chance of being rescued. Another part of me wanted to give up, dig up the diamonds, and get it over with. Don’t even think it, I said to myself.

  “Aah!” screamed Amanda. The crooks jumped up and ran toward her. But she hadn’t stumbled on diamonds – it was the charred rib of the headless skeleton. Her nerves just about had it when they forced her to dig through the rest of the ashes, which were mixed with pieces of bone. Tears streaked down her soot-smeared face.

  Their cruelty made my blood boil. I edged my way through the sooty remains to help Amanda. When I passed Clive, he leaned forward and whispered, “We’re in deep.”

  Like I didn’t know. Then Clive went on to say, “As soon as somebody finds the diamonds, we’re goners. We have to be super-alert and seize the first opportunity to escape again.”

  I had to hand it to Clive. Like any good team player, he never called it quits. As long as the game was in play, he’d give it his all. He played soccer that way as well and had even scored tying goals in the last three seconds of a game. A sharp pang rose inside me – I sure hoped I’d be able to play soccer again. Don’t go there, Cat, that voice in my head advised me. Focus on the moment.

  The pilot had made himself nice and comfortable. He sat on a log, slurping from a water bottle and munching on a power bar. As I watched him, my stomach grumbled and my throat ached. He definitely wasn’t paying close attention. His muscle-bound accomplice had his gun pointed at us, but his head was turned toward the pilot. They were having a lively conversation about how rich they would soon become.

  Only the bus driver was watching us closely. His quivering hands still shook his rifle as he kept guard over us, and his eyes darted nervously back and forth from the other two men to us. I’d already figured out he was their lackey, the lowest crook on the totem pole. Maybe at this moment he was wondering why his buddies weren’t including him in the conversation about how to spend all the money. I realized he was the weakest link – and our best chance at getting out of here.

  Maybe we couldn’t wait for the first opportunity. Maybe we had to create one. Even though I thought my very soul might split apart, I knew what I had to do. No matter how I figured it, there was no other way out.

  It’s okay, Cat, I consoled myself. Sookie won’t be using her magic for evil – this will be for the good of us all …

  Slowly, as nonchalantly as my pounding heart allowed, I paid all of the others a quick visit while pretending to search for the diamonds. It was time for us to act as a socce
r team. In a whisper, I explained my plan to deke and dodge, and as I walked around, the tension among us became as thick as syrup.

  I made my way toward the bus driver. I checked to make sure the other two men were still lost in conversation. They were. I whispered, “What if I could show you where the diamonds are first, before I tell those guys?”

  The driver stared at me, and when he didn’t say anything, I took that as encouragement. My throat felt like sandpaper when I swallowed. “What if, say, you had time to slip a couple of diamonds in your own pocket before we called out to them?” I tilted my head toward the other crooks.

  The driver still said nothing, but he was looking at me intently. “All we ask for in return is when we run off, you shoot over our heads,” I finished.

  This time the driver gave the slightest nod.

  CHAPTER 24 - Mirror Madness

  EVEN IF THE driver shot over our heads, I wasn’t sure he’d miss with his hands shaking so much. Not that it mattered. We only wanted him to think we were going to escape. My goal was to buy us time to carry out my plan. Driving a wedge between the bus driver and his partners would also help at the critical moment.

  “The little kids get to go first,” I instructed the driver. ”You have to let them slip out before we show you where the diamonds are. They need a head start.”

  The driver didn’t move a muscle, but sweat beaded on his forehead. He wanted those diamonds and he didn’t want to shoot us, but he was still afraid the other men would be on to him – could we trust him?

  Taking a deep breath, I decided we had to take that chance. I edged over to Sookie. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t see any other way. This will be our only chance … are you sure it will work?”

  Sookie nodded solemnly, her face calm and confident. “It will work, Cat.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was about to do. But our time had run out. Even if the driver let all of us escape, and I doubted he would, we wouldn’t get far. We were dead lost with no food or water, all of us starved and thirsty.