The Registry

by Shannon Stoker

  “Of the seventeen stops, thirteen have security cameras. After reviewing tapes from all thirteen stations, we’ve determined that they didn’t get off at any of these stops,” Rex said.

  “Leaving four possible stops,” Ross said.

  “Thanks, Ross, good work. I forgot what seventeen minus thirteen was. Great thing you were here to fill me in.”

  Grant knew he was laying on the sarcasm pretty thick, but he needed to keep Ross in his place.

  “Tell me about these four stops, Rex.”

  “Small towns: Pryor Creek, Clifton, Grady, and Gila Bend, Southwest Area.”

  “Interesting.”

  Grant tapped his fingers as he turned back to face the sky.

  His mind was trying to process the list of cities, run different scenarios. It was difficult because he had never heard of any of the towns. He assumed two teens on the run would stop somewhere they’d heard of before. After his background check into Andrew he’d discovered the Southwest Area meant nothing to him. He’d expected to hear they were in Santa Fe, Mesa, or Tulsa. A stop large enough to hide in the crowd exiting the train. How would they know to leave at a stop that had no cameras? There was only one way.

  “They’re still getting help,” Grant said. “The Southeast Area was never the intended stop. He’s clever; he would have found a way to meet up at the rendezvous. Did this train go through there?”

  “No,” Rex said. “But you heard the boy say track five.”

  “I know what I heard,” Grant said. “Maybe he noticed me before he spoke and lied. This isn’t a case of two freaked-out fugitives getting on the first train possible. This is two travelers with tickets who made it to their intended destination. Get me everything you can on these four towns.”

  Rex and Ross left the room. Grant didn’t understand how that boy had managed to outsmart him like this, but he would pay. Grant licked his lips at the thought of bringing this treacherous thief to justice. Personal justice first.

  “Mr. Marsden, did you need someone to bounce ideas off of?” Leonard knocked on the door.

  “I don’t know what gave you that idea,” Grant said. The old man hadn’t proved much help. His main purpose was clearance. Then Grant had an idea. “Wait.”

  “Have you decided to release the boy’s picture?”

  This was Leonard’s go-to suggestion.

  “Not to the public, but to all RAG offices operating around the four towns I’ve narrowed their location down to. I still think there’s a chance he might not flee with her, but if we plaster his face everywhere we can kiss his reporting for duty good-bye,” Grant said. “Give her picture to every border station.”

  “But almost nobody who’s sneaking into a country goes through the front door; she’ll try to hop the fence.”

  It was obvious that years of being head of an office had driven Leonard to hate the exciting or unpredictable. Grant knew Leonard wished he wasn’t taking such an active role in the investigation, but he didn’t care; this was his wife and his fun.

  “I think she has professional help, and professionals have a way of accomplishing things,” Grant said. “I too am a professional, so why don’t you just do what I say and drop this little charade?”

  Grant turned back to looking out from his balcony. He heard Leonard get up and leave. Maybe the old man was right; releasing Andrew’s picture would allow the public to call it in if his face was sighted. But it would also keep him hidden. If the people helping them were willing to hide a girl, it would be just as easy to hide a boy. No, Grant was right. It was better to give them a sense of safety.

  Chapter 55

  Unmarried females are not allowed to leave the country; however, upon marriage it is at the discretion of the husband if he wishes to show his wife other parts of the world. She may travel to beautiful beaches, swim in exotic oceans, and experience other cultures, all under the protection of her husband.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  Dinner was more processed takeout food. Mia wished she could cook a real meal for everyone, but Rod never wanted her upstairs alone. She gobbled the greasy burger down and focused on the conversation. It was light and whimsical, with Rod retelling stories about silly things Carter had done as a baby. All four of them were in hysterics by the end of the meal. As the laughter died, Rod’s soft expression went hard.

  “I hate to bring the evening down to a sour note,” Rod said.

  “Then don’t!” Carter said. His voice was filled with cheer.

  Mia and Andrew said nothing but looked at Rod with focus. Mia knew that what he was about to say related to their journey. Carter seemed to pick up on the fact that no one wanted to keep joking and sank down in his chair.

  “We should be good to head down in three weeks. The weather patterns are breaking a little so it shouldn’t be too hot. I’m working on having some fake papers drawn up for all of us. Mia and I will head down in the roadster. She’ll be playing the role of the happy new wife I’m taking on a honeymoon.”

  Mia thought about the Sam’s Spot ads she had seen earlier that day. It made perfect sense to go under that cover.

  “Carter and Andrew will follow in the truck. They’ll be recently released soldiers looking to let off some steam,” Rod said.

  “You’re crossing?” Mia asked.

  She shot her eyes toward Andrew. He had always been so adamant about service. It was a bit much to take that he had changed his mind. She’d wished so hard that he would cross with her, but now Mia wondered why; she didn’t dare think it could be for her.

  “It’s too dangerous for me now. I don’t have any other choice.”

  Any hope Mia had for Andrew to return her feelings went right out the door. This was no grand gesture. This was just another reminder of how she’d ruined his life.

  “It’s important you play the part. We are going to spend a lot of time going over the things a soldier should know. If they doubt you for a second they might check your papers. It is important you are convincing enough that they let you stroll right through,” Rod said.

  “What if they check the papers?” Mia asked.

  “Best-case scenario, they think the scanner is broken and send them through anyway. Worst-case scenario, Andrew and Carter are arrested and tried for treason.”

  “What about us?” Mia asked again.

  “They’ll never check us. We’re each playing a role we’re familiar with, and that fancy red car screams rich man with a young wife. I’m not worried about getting through at all.”

  “What happens once we’re on the other side?” Andrew asked. “Where will you take us?”

  “I’ve been doing some thinking on that. I wanted to bring it up to Carter alone, but maybe this is better. We used to help a lot of people across, but the last several years it has slowed down. You two are the first in a couple years. I think we should relocate down south, too. Maybe the four of us can stick together for a while, till we figure out where we’re going.”

  “So now there are four of us living dangerously in Mexico? I heard they don’t like Americans too much,” Andrew said.

  “Well, they’re fine with vacationers. We just couldn’t try to get jobs or set up shop. We’d get deported right back up here,” Rod said. “I don’t have everything worked out yet, but I will before we leave, and everything will be okay. I promise.”

  Mia tried to read the expressions around the table. Carter looked thrilled with the idea. Rod was smiling at his son’s obvious acceptance of the plan. Andrew’s face remained blank, unmoving, and emotionless, like normal. She sighed and smiled, showing Rod and Carter she backed the idea. It was always safer in a group.

  “When should Carter and I start learning about acting the part of the soldier?” Andrew asked. His voice remained monotone.

  “I’m all good,” Carter said.

  He pushed his chair away from the table and placed his arms behind his head.

  Andrew glowered at his arrogance. Mia was shocked Carter was able to
get a rise out of him at all.

  “I’ve been training Carter for years,” Rod said.

  Without missing a beat, Carter dropped all expression from his face, rose and made his body as still as possible, sat back down with perfect posture, and began eating his food, back straight, head up the entire time. It was clear he had a lot of discipline. Mia was impressed.

  “Now, I’ve only got a couple of weeks to teach you some tricks, so we won’t cover eating like a serviceman,” Rod said. He laughed a little and slapped his son on the back. “But from here on out we will spend most of our free time working on this stuff. Starting tonight.”

  “I’d like to learn too,” Mia said. “I mean, not the formal stuff; I just want to know how to defend myself a little better.”

  “Sorry, it’s not that kind of training; more like how to talk or answer questions like a serviceman. A newly released one has a different outlook on life, older, more mature,” Rod said.

  “Like finishing school?”

  Carter tried to choke back a laugh, while Andrew’s eyes were on fire. It seemed like Mia had struck a nerve.

  “How about I go over some basic defense moves with you? While Andrew brushes up on his etiquette,” Carter said.

  Mia was nervous about spending time with him after this afternoon. He was so forward. But happiness spewed forth from him, and it was infectious. She nodded, reminding herself to take Andrew off her brain.

  “Great. You two go in the basement. Andrew and I will start work up here.” Rod was pleased with the arrangement.

  It took only a glimpse for Mia to see Andrew did not share Rod’s sentiment.

  The shorts were too small; Mia found herself trying to pull them down. They felt more like underwear. The shirt was too baggy. It fell lower than the shorts. She knew she looked ridiculous, but Carter had demanded she change into something she could move more easily in, and his mother had not enjoyed sweatpants the way Mia did.

  She pushed open the bedroom door to see Carter waiting. He had already moved the pool table to the side and laid down some mats. She could feel his eyes running up and down her body.

  “You should just dress like that all the time. You’d stop any attacker dead in his tracks.”

  Mia felt her face flush. She wasn’t used to receiving such open compliments and wanted to say something clever back, but her mind couldn’t leave the afternoon kiss.

  “I mean, what a stunning woman you are,” Carter said, giving himself a bit of an accent.

  “Are we going to chitchat all night or are you going to teach me something?”

  Mia thought she sounded like Andrew.

  “Fair enough, fair enough. Don’t want to keep the princess waiting,” Carter said. “Rule number one when it comes to fighting is never attack first.”

  Carter went on explaining how important it was to duck and avoid contact with the other person. Not to let them grab you. It seemed to Mia he was telling her to run rather than defend, but she was eager for the information. After several more moments of driving this home he rose to his feet.

  “I want you to try to hit me.”

  Mia cracked her knuckles and made fists. The smile never left Carter’s face, making it hard for her to concentrate. She wanted to show him how serious she was about learning to defend herself, so she pulled back as far as she could and drove her fist straight toward his stomach, ready to knock him to the ground. Her fist never connected; he moved out of the way. He stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and hoisted her up. She was glad he’d caught her, because the force of the punch would have made her fall.

  “You’ve got some might.” He set her down. “Again.”

  She decided to play his game; instead of aiming for where he was, she aimed for where he was moving and pulled her arm back as fast as possible. Her fist never connected and the same thing happened again. Carter held her up in the air.

  “Better, but it’s always easier for me to read you. You’re the attacker, but I’m the one with the advantage. Again.”

  This time Carter was bouncing up and down. Mia had no clue which way he was going to run or how to hit him, so she came up with a better idea. Lifting her arm in an exaggerated movement, Mia punched, aiming at nothing and anticipating Carter’s arms around her waist. Before he could lift her in the air she pushed off, throwing herself into him, knocking them both to the floor. Mia was lying on top of him; she rolled to the side and was about to stand when he pulled her back down.

  “Very impressive, princess. Maybe I don’t need to move so slow with you.”

  He moved a lock of her hair away from her face.

  Mia interpreted this as an invitation and bent down over his face, pushing her lips against his. He returned her kiss, his lips soft and barely parted. On the inside Mia was squealing in delight. Carter raised his hand and placed it on her hip. She could feel him sliding it up the curve of her waist. This was too much. She pulled away. Hoping to avoid any obvious questions, Mia decided to ask her own.

  “How come you’re not afraid of me? I’m a girl. Most boys your age would be too scared to even look at me. It’s illegal for us to behave this way.”

  “I didn’t grow up like most boys,” Carter said. “We’ve always helped young women escape, for as long as I can remember. Some stayed with us for a while, too. It was like having an older sister. I just don’t see you as much different from me.”

  “What were the other runaways like? Where did you take them?” Mia couldn’t hide her intrigue.

  “There hasn’t been one in years,” Carter said. “Most of them were smuggled to us by their parents. We’d hide whole families and my dad would figure out a way to get them over. It was like a trail of big sisters.”

  Mia felt anger and jealousy rising in her, that her own parents had offered her no help but others did help their children. She quickly felt the anger wash away. She didn’t focus on herself; instead she decided it was nice to know that some parents did love their children.

  “None of them were quite like you,” Carter said.

  “You don’t even know me,” Mia responded playfully.

  “I know that you’re brave, that you’re strong, and I wouldn’t want to get in your way. It takes a lot of courage to escape, and I am completely enamored with you.”

  Carter’s words were so refreshing. She went back in for another kiss. This one was short and sweet. Once it was over she moved her head to his shoulder and lay down next to him on the mats.

  “I thought boys were raised by the government for the most part, like Andrew. How’d you get so lucky?”

  Mia knew she would get some cryptic response but felt like pushing her luck.

  “Not all boys. There were a couple guys in town whose parents kept them. Most didn’t, though. I think home-raised boys are less than three percent of the population or something like that,” Carter said. “My dad was raised like Andrew. Part of me thinks that’s why he is so eager to help the kid. He thinks he’s a young Rod.”

  “I’m pretty sure your father worships the ground you walk on.” Mia was surprised by the male jealousy.

  “And I feel the same about him. We’re all we’ve got,” Carter said. “Or we were until now.”

  He moved his hand lower and linked it with Mia’s, then pulled himself over so he was on top of her. He went in for a deep kiss, which she was glad to return. If she had known kissing would be so nice she would have run years ago.

  Chapter 56

  The most important day in an American home is the wedding anniversary. This day is marked in a number of ways but always comes with elegant gifts. A wife can expect jewels, fine fabrics, and an array of other presents showcasing her husband’s love.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  Mia lay in bed. It was pitch-black in her room. She had forgotten to ask for a watch and wasn’t sure whether it was the middle of the night or the middle of the morning. It was hard to sleep. Her thoughts were too focused on Carter’s kisses. />
  Unable to guess what time it was, Mia decided she needed to find out. She switched on her lantern and pushed open her door. The rest of the basement was in total darkness. Andrew’s door was closed. She made her way to the bar and pulled open the laptop. It came to life and showed the time as 3:07 A.M.

  She laughed to herself. Carter made her feel so alert and happy it might as well have been midday. She was about to close the lid and head to bed when a notification caught her eye. A little exclamation point sat on top of the Internet icon. Mia double-clicked it and the Web shot up. It took her straight to Sam’s Spot. The Guatemalan Way had responded. Mia opened the message.

  Glad to catch your interest.

  Travel to our little corner of paradise is easiest through Mexico. Lots of people get stung going by sea. Too many jellyfish. Our neighbors The Relaxation are a false front, don’t vacation there. Some people say TGW was a hoax just to create TR. Americans are always winners and we are happy to have them. Some Americans were so tired they came down to Guatemala to relax. They have gone to sleep by now but they had some great bedtime stories. Please let me know if you have any more questions. We’d love to have you join us.

  -S-

  Mia read the response several times. Guatemala was a country on the other side of Mexico? The Great War was a hoax just to create the Registry? Was it planned to get the men out of the country, to keep them safe? Mia wanted to know more. She typed her response.

  S,

  I would love to hear those bedtime stories. When I get to Guatemala how can I find you?

  -M-

  Mia’s heart raced in her chest. She’d actually made contact with a legitimate source. Between Carter and S there was no way she was sleeping tonight. It appeared S wasn’t faring any better. There was already a response.

  M,

  We will find you. It is Sandy, Airy, Fun, and Excellent down here! Don’t forget to pack your swim trunks.