“Do we ever get computer access?” Oliver asked.
Reef snorted.
“What about letters?” Oliver said. “Are we allowed to send letters?”
“Some of us. Those with good behavior,” Reef said.
Oliver’s pulse jumped. “Are you?”
Reef glared at him for a long moment. “Depends on what you’re offering.”
* * * * *
Carrie walked into the Trenton’s front room, clutching Greg’s hand. At his suggestion, they’d headed directly home instead of swinging back by way of the clearing. She’d been thrilled with how things had gone with the Sprucewood clan, but now she felt tense and anxious. According to Niels Ziegler, Jamansky had already come and left, and it hadn’t gone well.
Richard sat on May’s couch, rubbing the back of his neck. A small group gathered, waiting to hear the full report. Ashlee stood next to Richard, looking more distraught than the others. She chewed her poor red nails to bits.
Richard’s head lifted when he saw Carrie and Greg enter. “How did it go?” Richard asked.
“You first,” Greg said.
Nodding, Richard recounted the visit and Jamansky’s reaction. Carrie’s stomach knotted. She looked Richard over to assure herself that Jamansky hadn’t hurt him. After Jamansky’s grand show of friendship yesterday, how could he have been so combative with the sick, older man? At least he still thought Greg was dead. That was one bit of good news, but Greg looked like he wanted to punch something.
“The guy brought dinner, wine, and a gun,” Greg said. “Just what kind of night was he planning?”
Carrie refused to let anyone answer that question and quickly said, “What about Oliver? Were you able to find out anything?”
“Jamansky said Oliver has a message for us,” Richard said. At Greg’s grunt, he quickly amended, “I’m just relating what he said. Unfortunately, he said the message is for Carrie and Carrie alone, so he’s coming back Wednesday to see her.” Richard’s gaze locked on his stepson. “I don’t think there’s any way around it this time. It’s as close as he came to an outright threat. If we want to hear Oliver’s supposed message, Carrie needs to be home when the patrol chief returns.”
Greg closed his eyes, anger rolling off him in droves. Ashlee Lyon chewed a few more nails. Carrie hugged herself as she tried to figure out what to say to Jamansky next—or how to give him clearer signals. And boundaries. Dinner and wine. The guy thought he was coming for a date.
“There is one bright spot, however,” Richard went on. He waited until he made sure he had everyone’s attention. “I think Oliver might actually be in Virginia.”
Carrie’s head lifted.
Richard nodded. “Jamansky claimed that Oliver called him this morning. The way he said it…” He rubbed his goatee. “I don’t know. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but he seemed so certain, like Oliver had actually called him from training.”
Hope flooded inside of Carrie. She turned to Ashlee. “Is it possible?”
“I…I don’t know,” Ashlee said. “Technically, there is patrol training in Virginia, but it’s mostly for federal patrolmen.”
“A few of my fellow trainees were sent there,” Greg said with a nod.
Oliver might be in Virginia, alive and in one piece. If he had called, if that part was true, what had he wanted to tell Carrie? She had no idea, but there had to be a way to contact him. Oliver once tried to get Greg a letter while in training. Maybe she could do the same.
For a long minute, everyone in the room tried to piece things together. The shadows slid across the floor, stealing the last bit of daylight until Greg finally pushed away from the wall.
“It’s gettin’ late,” he said. “We better get people settled in the houses before it’s full-on dark.”
Those staying at Carrie’s house started shuffling out the front door. The others staying at May’s went to set up their sleeping items.
Carrie stepped over to the couch and gave Richard a brief hug. “Thank you, Richard. I’m sorry Jamansky was so angry.”
“Don’t be,” Richard said. “In fact, I’ve been thinking I should be there again when he returns. Not that he likes me much, but the more people we have around the better. What do you think? Would you like me there with you on Wednesday?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Greg begging her with his eyes. He didn’t have to ask though. With Jamansky so unstable, she would have asked Richard to stay with her anyway.
“Would you mind terribly?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Richard said.
“We can come, too,” May said from the kitchen. “Right, CJ? We’ll make it a big family affair so this patrol chief sees us as a united group.”
A family affair. Carrie liked the sound of that.
“Thank you,” she said. “How about I make lunch for everyone? We’ll just hang out until he shows up. Maybe we can even play some cards.”
She stole a glance at Greg who was the only member of his family without citizenship—and thus, not invited. His body stayed rigid, but the others seemed to like the plan.
Carrie rubbed her tired muscles. “Well, I should get home and help get everyone settled. Thanks again, Richard. I’ll head into town with Amber and Zach early enough on Wednesday to be back in plenty of time.”
She started for the door to follow behind the others staying at her house.
“Hold up, Carrie,” Greg said, striding toward her. “What if you go into town tomorrow? Jamansky said he’s gone for the day, so he won’t be there to pester you. Just take Richard with you.”
“Tomorrow?” She thought of her mile-long list of to-dos, everything she hadn’t done today. Plus, all the walking tonight had worn her out more than she cared to admit.
“I really need to catch up on my laundry and garden and—”
“I’ll do it all,” Greg cut in. “Laundry. Weeding. Mop your floors. Whatever. I’ll do it.”
Picturing him scrubbing her clothes made her roll her eyes. “Don’t you have your own projects? I thought Dylan wanted you to hunt in the morning, and aren’t you on guard duty again tomorrow?”
“Not until later,” Greg said, “and Dylan can hunt by himself.”
His eagerness—and torture—was enough to sway her. Jamansky wasn’t in Shelton tomorrow, so she would be. That meant Zach and Amber would be full citizens in just twelve short hours.
She smiled. “Okay. We’ll go in the morning, but don’t worry about my projects. They can wait.”
She looked over her shoulder. Richard looked so exhausted she hated to even ask, but she did anyway.
“Hey, Richard, can I ask one more favor?”
sixteen
AS IF THE HEAVENS POPPED, the rain poured, hard and heavy. Carrie lowered her head, water streaming down her face as they plodded toward Shelton. She’d had enough foresight to bring her coat, but Amber and Zach had refused to bring anything, insisting the rain would stop. Now they huddled under her coat while she trudged forward, drenched and miserable.
Typical.
“Ah! I can’t see!” Amber cried as a gust of wind blew the coat up and sent sheets of rain sideways at them.
“Can’t we wait under a tree until it slows down?” Zach said. “My ankle hurts.”
Her siblings weren’t making the trip into town any easier. Then again, even her mood had grown soggy. The last time she’d been in Downtown Shelton had been in the safety of Oliver’s car, admiring the rows of flowering pear trees. Now her mom’s blue blouse clung to her and her shoes sloshed in the cold mud, leaving her skin in a constant state of chills.
“Fine,” she said. “Over there.”
The three of them sprinted to a thick tree with low enough branches to block the worst of the storm. They clung together near the tree trunk to warm up as the wind howled.
“This is so stupid,” Zach said. “Why did we have to come today?”
Carrie didn’t say because he wouldn’t understand. Frankly, the w
etter she became, the less important Jamansky’s absence in town seemed. Amber and Zach were going to end up with citizenship pictures worse than hers. Maybe not worse, but their hair hung in their faces.
“You know what Dad always said,” Carrie said, trying to lighten the mood. “Easy come, easy go. This storm will be gone soon.”
But the minutes ticked by and the rain wasn’t going anywhere. At least under the safety of the low branches they only got a few drops here and there instead of the full torrent.
Carrie was glad Richard hadn’t come with them after all. When she had knocked on the Trenton’s front door first thing, no one had answered. She had slipped quietly inside and spotted Richard snoring on the couch. Richard was a morning person like she was, the reason they had agreed to leave after first light, but with the rain, she decided to spare him a long, cold, miserable walk. He needed another day to recover anyway.
“Stop rubbing your ear,” Amber said, slapping her hand. “It’s annoying.”
Carrie hadn’t been aware she’d been doing it. The rain just sounded off, like her left ear was clogged after swimming. It made her feel lopsided.
“Can we please focus on the positive?” she said. “Isn’t there anything you guys are happy about? What about being legal? How cool is that?”
Zach grunted.
“Hey,” Amber said with a sudden smile, “have I told you my theory about Ashlee and Oliver?”
Carrie shivered. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Amber said, pushing her wet hair out of her face, “I think Ashlee Lyon has a crush on our little Oliver.”
“Really?”
Excitedly, Amber told Carrie about the night she’d come into town with Oliver, and how, when the two of them thought Amber was sleeping in the back seat, Ashlee Lyon had leaned over and kissed Oliver on the cheek. According to Amber, Oliver had blushed like crazy.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Carrie said. “Ashlee is a flirty person.”
Amber tossed her dark hair around to dry it out. “You should have seen them together. They’re cute.”
Carrie tried to picture red-nailed Ashlee and painfully shy Oliver. “But they’re so different.”
“Oh, nobody cares!” Zach said. “Look. The rain stopped. Let’s go!”
They took off, sprinting the rest of the way into town before the rain could start again. Downtown Shelton came into view with the backs of boarded-up buildings and rain-soaked streets.
When they rounded the corner and saw all the patrol cars in front of the township office, trepidation filled Carrie. She wondered if the anxiety would ever leave her completely, regardless of how long she and her siblings were legal. Already she dreaded coming every month for the required check-ins—although they could come when May, CJ, and Richard did. Another group effort.
Amber and Zach cowered behind her as they neared the township office. Carrie tried to paste on a big smile. Today was a day to celebrate. Six years in the making.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get you two legal.”
She pulled open the glass door and a blast of cold air flew out, causing a new round of goose bumps to ripple across her wet skin. Air conditioning. She ignored it to focus on the older woman behind a waist-high counter.
Ellen. The woman looked every bit as grumpy as Ashlee had described. Her eyes lifted, taking in Carrie and her siblings’ shabby clothes and drenched hair with a look of disdain.
The older clerk held out her hand. “Cards.”
Carrie was glad Ashlee had prepared her for this. “Actually, that’s why we’re here. We recently acquired a home in Shelton. I got my yellow card last weekend, but my siblings haven’t had a chance to get theirs yet.”
“What’s the last name?” the woman asked.
“Ashworth,” Carrie said. “This is the deed to our house and their birth certificates.” She stepped forward and unfolded the papers she’d stuffed under her mom’s blouse. They were slightly damp, but not damaged. As she handed them over, she caught a glimpse of Oliver’s signature on the bottom of the deed, giving her a quick pang of sadness.
Ellen took the paperwork to a file cabinet in a corner of the office. Shuffling through several drawers, she found what she was looking for and pulled out a small stack. She studied the papers side by side, eyes narrowed.
“Where is your citizenship card?” she asked, bringing both sets back to the counter.
Carrie handed over her card.
Ellen held it up, comparing Carrie to her horrid picture. Based on the growing frown, Carrie decided to forgo asking to retake her picture. It wasn’t important.
Part of her—a small part—wished Ashlee Lyon still worked here. She would have been a lot nicer.
Once Ellen decided Carrie was indeed the same as the nearly dead woman in the picture, she swiped the yellow card through a small machine. The machine beeped and turned red. Ellen muttered something under her breath and reached over to press a button on the counter.
“Your request for citizenship has been denied,” she said.
“Denied?” Carrie stole a quick glance at Amber and Zach. “Why?”
Ellen lifted the two sets of papers. They were identical, a copy of the deed to Carrie’s home. But unlike Carrie’s version, someone had scribbled red handwriting across the top of the office version. Before Carrie could read the scribbles, Ellen snatched them back.
“This states that your proof of residency has been revoked,” Ellen said.
“Revoked?” Fear crawled up Carrie’s spine.
“What the heck does that mean?” Amber snapped.
Carrie shot her a warning look. Getting angry wouldn’t help. Taking a slow breath, she forced another smile.
“I’m sorry, but there must be a mistake,” she said. “Our home was just purchased. I’ve already been issued my card, so maybe the paperwork hasn’t been fully processed yet?”
The older woman grunted. “Let me check one more place.”
Gathering up the paperwork, the clerk went searching in a different file cabinet.
Zach leaned over and whispered, “What does this mean?”
Carrie’s heart pounded in her chest. Revoked. Oliver and Ashlee had rushed her paperwork through. How long did it take to clear?
“Sometimes governments are slow with paperwork. Don’t worry,” she said, sounding more confident than she felt. “It probably means that we’ll have to come back another day.” Maybe even when Jamansky was in the office and could vouch for her.
Greg would love that.
“You mean we have to walk all the way back here again?” Zach whined.
Carrie shushed him as three patrolmen entered the lobby from a side hallway. They were dressed in their standard green uniforms and beige ties. Two looked about Carrie’s age, but the third was middle-aged, a huge guy who looked as grumpy as Ellen. Carrie tried not to tense at the sight of them. She didn’t have to worry anymore. She and her siblings were legal now. Almost.
The patrolmen looked directly at the Ashworths before the huge one turned to the government clerk.
“Hey, Ellen,” he said. “You called?”
Ellen shut the drawer. “Yes. Those three there.”
The large patrolman eyed Carrie and her siblings. “All three?”
“Yes.” Ellen turned to Carrie. “Sorry.”
It took Carrie a second to realize what she meant—who she meant.
Those three there.
Three.
Her stomach dropped.
The patrolmen started heavy-footed towards her at the same time she fit the pieces together. Proof of residency revoked. Her house. Ellen had pushed a button, a light flashed red, and patrolmen had come.
Those three.
Three.
Suddenly Carrie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.
No!
But everything around her screamed, Yes!—her yellow card no longer in hand, Ellen’s curt apology, and three patrolmen headed their way.
C
arrie threw an arm in front of her siblings.
“What’s going on?” she demanded in a voice half as loud as it needed to be.
The huge patrolman grabbed her left wrist and pinned it behind her back. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be…” His words blurred as he twisted her other wrist painfully behind her. She heard a click of metal as he cuffed her hands behind her.
Carrie gasped for air.
Arrest.
They were arresting her.
Zach screamed as a second patrolman grabbed him. Amber stood wide-eyed, staring as the last one clamped his hand on her arm.
Carrie thrashed. Sheer terror rushed out of her in a shout. “No, wait! Wait!”
“Let’s go.” The huge officer’s fingers dug into Carrie’s arm as he dragged her toward the glass doors.
He was arresting her. Her life was about to be sucked away from her—away from them. Amber and Zach would be taken.
“Stop!” Carrie screamed, digging in her heels. “Let me explain! Wait!”
A flash of a red t-shirt suddenly darted through her vision. Zach, ducking low, charged forward, fists swinging for Carrie’s patrolman. He only made it a few feet before one of the younger patrolmen caught him and threw him to the ground.
Zach slammed onto the tile. Air whooshed out of him. The young patrolman ground his knee into Zach’s stomach to keep him down. Zach gasped, choked, and turned red.
“Stop!” Carrie shouted. “You’re hurting him! STOP!”
She kicked and flailed against her huge officer but couldn’t find leverage.
They were twelve feet from the doors.
Ten feet.
Eight.
“Zach!”
The last officer held Amber tightly by the arms, leaving her rooted in spot. Amber looked white as a sheet, staring as Carrie’s patrolman dragged her away forever.
Forever…
The word shattered her.
“Please!” Carrie twisted back to the township clerk, handcuffs digging into her wrists. “You have my card! You know I’m legal. Tell them!”
“Your citizenship has been revoked,” the older woman said flatly.
Citizens of Logan Pond Box Set Page 99
