by Sarah Markel
Max’s glare deepened, and she huffed out a breath. “In my defense, I hadn’t been to Craters of the Moon since I was eleven. That’s why I used the GPS.”
“I know,” Dani giggled, “but it’s fun to tease you about it. And, it was a pretty unforgettable trip.”
Max’s glare softened, and she pulled Dani’s hand to her lips. “It was pretty romantic, if I do say so myself.”
Two-years earlier, Max had taken Dani on a surprise road trip. Dani hadn’t yet explored the natural attractions that Idaho had to offer, and Max thought taking her to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve would be a great excuse for a weekend getaway.
The Preserve was a tourist attraction that encompassed hundreds of miles of lava fields. Within the preserve were miles of paths that led through hollow caves formed by the flows of long extinct volcanoes. The vast, barren attraction was a childhood favorite of Max’s.
Unfortunately, despite her memory, Max relied on her GPS to get from Boise to the monument. That decision had taken the couple almost one-hundred miles to the west of their intended destination.
Instead of proposing to the most beautiful woman she’d ever met at the mouth of the most beautiful lava cave in all of Idaho, Max dropped to one knee on the side of a busy highway in mid-argument.
The couple were arguing about whether to backtrack and try to make the Monument before dark, or simply call the trip a bust and go home. Frustrated with Dani’s insistence on going home, Max went down and pulled a ring from her pocket.
“Daniela McKenna, will you marry me?”
Max’s unexpected question made Dani pause, mid-rant. She stared down at the usually confident woman before her and suddenly, Dani was speechless. The couple had been dating for a little over eighteen-months when Max proposed, and Dani could honestly say she was stunned by the move.
The discussion of marriage had never been shared between the two, but Dani had decided early in the relationship that if Max asked, she wouldn’t turn her down. Max was everything Dani wanted in a wife. She was kind, funny, caring, driven, and dedicated in all aspects of her life. And, she was head-over-heels in love with her.
With cars and trucks whizzing past at eighty-miles-an-hour, Dani’s eyes filled with tears. Her hands, which were covering her ears because of the traffic noise, flew to her mouth as she gasped at the sight of the pear-cut diamond set in a stunning white-gold band.
“Oh, yes, honey,” Dani giggled, “asking me to marry you, on the side of a busy highway, in the middle of a screaming match, was exactly how I envisioned it when I was a kid. Dreams really do come true,” she added, clasping her hands under her chin and sighing wistfully.
Max laughed heartily as she crossed the border into Oregon and took the exit for the travel station. After filling their tank and availing themselves of the facilities, the women got back on the road.
“When this is all over,” Dani said as she slid behind the wheel, “I want to go to the coast. Newport isn’t far from where we are going, and I want to see the Devil’s Punch Bowl. You’ll love it. You can stare down into it from the safety rails and watch the ocean swirl and churn, like someone carelessly carrying a punch bowl across a room. Sometimes, if the water is rough enough, it will gush up and spray out the top of the bowl like a geyser.”
Max smiled and nodded eagerly. She’d spent the night before researching attractions near Falls City. Their first wedding anniversary was only a week away, and she wanted to do something special to mark the occasion. She’d read about the Devil’s Punch bowl, and several other places along the Oregon Coast, and knew her wife would enjoy them.
Dani was the adventurous type, and Max hated that their job prevented them from going on many adventures. When she’d proposed, Max had no idea how busy their first year of marriage would be. She’d stupidly envisioned her and Dani doing all the things regular newlyweds did. Parties, outings with friends, romantic weekends just because, stuff like that were what Max thought married life would be.
Sadly, Max and Dani weren’t normal newlyweds. They were FBI agents, and they had a duty to their country, first and foremost.
As the hours passed, Max and Dani alternated the driving responsibilities each time they stopped for gas or a restroom. Max drove the last leg of their journey, a two-hour drive on I-5 South from Portland to Falls City.
Navigating the confusing and crowded highways through the state’s most populous city frayed Max’s nerves. Dani listened with amusement as Max shouted swear words and insults at the other cars. When they finally made it through the bustling city, Max sighed with relief.
“That was just unnecessary,” she grumbled, “Why the hell do they have three names for the same road?”
Dani bit her lips to keep from laughing at her frustrated wife. “I don’t know,” she answered carefully.
Max glanced over at the redhead and for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. In the fading, late summer light, Dani’s bright red hair seemed to glow against the backdrop of pale blue, deep pink, and bold orange outside her window.
“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered loudly, momentarily forgetting where her attention should have been.
“Max!” Dani cried, pointing out the windshield. Max’s attention snapped back to the road, and she swerved to avoid rear-ending a massive log truck. Horns blared as other drivers braked and swerved to avoid a collision.
“Shit!” Max exclaimed, once they were safely in the other lane. “Sorry, sweetheart. Are you alright?”
Dani nodded and willed her heart rate to return to normal. “I’m fine, honey, but for fuck’s sake. I’m glad you think I’m pretty, but please don’t get distracted by me. I’d never forgive myself if we caused an accident.”
Max nodded her agreement and kept her eyes dutifully on the traffic ahead of her. The rest of their trip was made in near silence. Instead of speaking, Max and Dani held hands across the center console.
They made their way easily through the cities of Salem and Marilynn, thanks to the abundance of signage pointing them in the right direction. As they maneuvered the tight curves of King’s Valley Highway, Dani became concerned that they might be lost.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Max assured, stroking the back of Dani’s hand with her thumb, “Frost said it would look like we were lost. She said to keep going and pay attention to the signs.”
Sure enough, less than a mile later Max saw the sign announcing the Falls City turn-off. She signaled her exit and squinted through her sunglasses as she slowed down to make the frequent, wide turns that led to their new home.
Fifteen-minutes later, Max took the soft left off Main Street and crossed a short bridge. She turned right onto the first street and followed it past the post office. Five houses down, Max turned right again, this time into the driveway of a two-story, pale yellow house.
“Honey,” Dani said as she opened her door, “I guess we’re home.”
Chapter 4
“Good morning, ladies. I’m Raymond Glick, the Principal here at Falls City High School.”
Max and Dani shook hands with the rotund man and took the seats he directed them to. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Principal Glick. The school is lovely.” Max crossed her legs and straightened the loose black floral cotton skirt.
Dani, dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans, a pink t-shirt, and high-top sneakers, stayed quiet. She kept her attention on the phone, but surreptitiously tucked her long red hair behind her ear.
“Thanks Dani, we’ve got a clear visual now,” Agent Young said. He and Agent Harrison were parked on the next street over, recording everything.
Dani listened to the principal explain to Max about the school’s motto and his expectations of her. She heard the question he posed to her, but pretended to be oblivious. Max bumped Dani’s arm with her elbow and spoke firmly.
“Daniela, Mr. Glick is speaking to you. Stop playing on your phone and be polite, please.”
Dani rolled her eyes and huffed
. “Mom, I’m not playing on it,” she whined, “I was reading what he said.”
“Daniela,” Mr. Glick said with forced gentility, “Our school has a strict policy about student cell phone use during school hours. Your phone will need to be turned off, except during lunch and free periods.”
Dani gave the man a blank look and scoffed. “According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, I am not required to turn off my phone, unless in a government building.”
“Daniela!” Max hissed, “Be nice. Mr. Glick obviously isn’t aware of your disability. Mr. Glick,” Max returned her attention to the principal.
“My daughter is deaf on the left side. She wears a hearing aid, as you can see, but still has trouble hearing words clearly. She has an app on her phone that transcribes conversations into text, so she can understand what is being said.”
Max pulled a piece of paper from her briefcase and handed it to the man. Mr. Glick scanned the document quickly, his posture stiffening when he read the fabricated diagnosis.
“I’ll send out a memo to the other teachers, informing them that she will be allowed to keep her phone on. But,” he added, looking to Dani as he spoke, “If it’s discovered that you are using the phone for anything other than the transcription, you’ll face disciplinary action for taking advantage of the exception.”
Dani shrugged and grunted her acknowledgement. Max smothered a grin at her wife’s antics. She’s doing great. I almost believe she’s a typical teen.
After their meeting with the Principal, Dani and Max met with the school secretary. They handed the elderly woman their fake IDs, and waited quietly as the woman printed out Dani’s class schedule. With their itineraries and newly printed school IDs, the two prepared to go their separate ways.
“Have a good day, sweetheart,” Max said enthusiastically as she gave Dani a one-armed hug. “Make lots of friends!” she called when Dani turned and walked down the hallway.
Dani stopped in her tracks and shot her wife a withering glare. Max snickered and waved, giving everyone around them the impression of a mother excitedly sending her daughter off for the first day of school.
***
“Hi, I’m Melissa.”
Dani looked up from the book she was pretending to read. A young girl stood before her with a wide, friendly smile on her face.
“Daniela,” Dani replied, returning the smile.
“You’re the new English teacher’s daughter, huh?” Melissa asked, claiming the empty chair beside Dani.
“How did you know?” Dani asked, closing her book and scrutinizing the girl more thoroughly.
Melissa was tall and gangly with stringy, shoulder-length brown hair. She wore a pair of oversized black framed glasses perched precariously on her long, crooked nose. Her face was dotted with small white blemishes and covered in a thin layer of oil. A small beauty mark was nestled beside her left nostril and a silver stud adorned the right.
Despite the mid-September heat, Melissa wore an oversized hooded sweatshirt with the school mascot emblazoned on the front.
“There are only sixty-eight students in this school,” Melissa laughed, “well, sixty-three now that those girls have disappeared. Okay, so sixty-four counting you. We all know each other. When we all of a sudden get a new teacher and a new student, at the same time, it’s a safe bet that they are related.”
Dani smiled and nodded. “Yes,” she confirmed with a roll of her eyes, “Ms. Willows is my mother.”
“Cool,” Melissa replied, “What does your dad do?”
Dani shrugged. She’d been given free reign for invention if the question were asked, but decided not to be extravagant with her fib.
“I don’t know,” she said, “I’ve never met him.”
“Oh, sorry.” Melissa seemed unsure of herself as she searched her mind for a topic of conversation. “Hey, that’s a neat earbud,” she said, her hand shooting toward Dani’s ear, “I’ve never seen one like that.”
Dani dodged the girl’s hand and covered her ear piece. “It’s not an ear bud,” she said quickly, “It’s a hearing aid. I’m deaf in that ear.”
Melissa dropped her hand and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said again, “I’ve never seen a hearing aid with rhinestones on it before.”
Dani relaxed slightly. She could see the girl was just trying to be friendly, but she wasn’t used to people being so handsy.
“What did you mean when you said that some girls disappeared?” she asked, trying to put the teenager at ease.
Melissa’s eyes brightened, and she practically danced in her seat at the chance to gossip. “Five girls have disappeared since school started last month. It’s pretty uncommon for kids to ditch school, what with everyone all up in everyone else’s business around here. But, the thing is, no one has seen or heard from any of them. It’s like they vanished off the face of the Earth.”
“Were you friends with any of them?” Dani asked, relaying the question Young whispered into her ear.
Melissa nodded. “All of them, actually. I’m pretty much the unofficial ‘ugly friend’ to everyone here,” she said, making air quotes around the words, “We’re a small school, and don’t really have much of a problem with cliques. Everyone is friends with everyone else, on some level.”
Dani nodded and made a note on her phone. Melissa was lying about something.
“You’re not ugly, Melissa,” Dani replied, “you really shouldn’t put yourself down like that.”
Melissa chuckled mirthlessly. “I have no misconceptions about my appearance, Daniela. I know I’m not likely to land any modeling contracts, but to be honest, it’s kind of a relief.”
Curiously, Dani cocked her head and met Melissa’s dark brown eyes. “What do you mean?”
“The pretty girls are the ones going missing,” she said with a nonchalant shrug, “the way I see it, that makes me safe from whatever is going on.”
“There you are, Misery,” a male voice said from behind Dani, “Glick is looking for you. Is this the new girl?” he asked as Dani turned to face the newcomer.
The boy let out a long, appreciative whistle and unashamedly ogled the redhead. Dani made sure she got a clear shot of his face before introducing herself.
“My name’s Daniela,” she replied flatly, crossing her arms over her chest when the boy’s eyes settled there.
The boy shook his head, as if to clear away a thought, and extended his hand. “Ezekiel Fisk,” he stated proudly, “but my friends call me Zeke. What’s a looker like you doing holed up in the library? This is Misery’s domain.”
Melissa avoided eye contact with Zeke, but kicked him in the calf as she departed. “Stop calling me Misery, Ezekiel. I’ll see you later, Daniela,” the girl added with a wave to her new friend.
Dani returned the gesture and stood to gather her backpack and book. Zeke stepped aside to allow her passage, but fell in step with her.
“So,” he said, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, “What’s your story?”
“My story?” Dani asked, cutting her eyes at the boy.
Zeke was tall and good looking, in that All-American boy next door kind of way. Dark blond hair and bright blue eyes enhanced a clear, youthful face. Zeke carried himself with confidence, but she could see that it was just a front.
There was something in his voice that intrigued Dani. His voice was boisterous and jovial, but there had been an underlying hesitation when he spoke to Melissa that was no longer present.
Dani had grown up fighting off the affections of dozens of boys just like Zeke, and she groaned internally when she realized boys hadn’t changed since she was in school.
“You first,” she countered, glancing at her class schedule, “Where’s room sixteen?”
“It’s upstairs,” Zeke replied, “That’s where I’m going. C’mon, I’ll walk you.” Zeke reached out and cupped Dani’s elbow to lead her around a corner.
Dani struggled not to physically cringe away from him. As intrigued as she
was by his vocal patterns, Dani hated being man-handled by anyone.
“I don’t have much of a story,” Zeke said as he led Dani to a staircase, “Was born over in Marilynn and have lived here my whole life. I play sports, hang out with my friends, do okay in school. The only thing I don’t like about my life is the standard I’m held to.”
Dani tucked herself closer to Zeke’s side, to avoid being trampled by a group of students coming down the stairs.
“What standard is that?” Dani asked, once the throng had passed.
Zeke’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he dropped his gaze. “My dad is a preacher here in town, and everyone expects me to be this God-fearing goody-two-shoes. I just want to be me.”
Before Dani could respond, Zeke pulled open the first door on the right at the top of the stairs. “You can tell me all about you at lunch. Don’t want to make a bad impression on the new teacher,” he said with a wink, holding the door for Dani.
***
Max stood beside the whiteboard with a smile on her face, watching as her next class filed in. The first three classes of the day had been full of bright-eyed, well-behaved kids, all eager to meet their newest teacher.
When Dani walked into the classroom, followed closely by a boy Max could swear had been in her last class, her smile widened. A few stragglers wandered in, barely beating the bell, and Max waited patiently until everyone had taken a seat.
“Good morning, class,” she greeted, stepping in front of her desk, “My name is Ms. Willows. As I’m sure you all know, this is my first day here, so we aren’t going to be doing too much in the way of actual work. Instead, I’d like to spend this period getting to know all of you.”
Cheers rounded the room and Max picked up the list of students. “Let’s start with roll-call. Instead of me calling out names, why don’t we start with you,” she said, pointing to a homely-looking girl in the first row, “and work our way through the rows.”
