Unknown

by Wendy Higgins

  The room was already dimming with the setting sun. Soon we’d have to light the lantern. I had a feeling we’d be up for a while tonight, excited by Tater’s presence, and I was right.

  We talked for hours, oftentimes shouting over one another. There was seriousness, and talk of our fears, but there was also laughter. Around eleven, Tater talked Mom into putting one of her salsa CDs into the battery-operated player and moments later we were on our feet. Well, Mom, Tater, and I were on our feet. Then Tater pulled Abuela up and we all laughed and cheered as she moved her little hips in the most adorable way. After that, she was wiped out and went to bed. Grandpa had gone up at ten.

  I grabbed Remy by the hands and Tater snagged Livia up by her waist. She let out a squeal and I thought she’d protest, but to all of our shock she smiled bigger than we’d ever seen and she pressed her palms up against Tater’s, meeting him move-for-move. Rylen’s eyes got big and he laughed, clapping. Mom let out a “Woo!” then grabbed Remy by the hand and spun her. This wasn’t Remy’s first time dancing at the Tate house.

  Dad and Rylen kept their butts in their chairs, Dad with his hands behind his head and Rylen with his arms crossed now, but both of them were grinning. Rylen was watching Tater and Livia as if he was thoroughly entertained, and then his eyes slid to me and his grin softened a touch. I smiled back and spun with dramatic flare, feeling my hair whip out.

  “Ow!” Remy shouted. I turned and saw her holding her eye where my hair smacked her.

  “Sorry!”

  She gave her head a swoop to the side and whacked me with her wall of thick blond waves, stinging my face. We both fell over each other laughing.

  Through the blare of music I thought I heard something boom outside. Tater stopped and hit the CD player. “Did you hear that? Sounded like gun fire.”

  Rylen was out of the chair and through the door before anyone else could speak. Tater was right behind him.

  We all went for the door but Dad stopped us, whispering, “Turn off the light. Stay quiet. Lock the door.”

  He left with the guys and we did as he said. When the room was darkened, we ran to the window and the four of us watched through slats as the dark figures of Ry, Tater, and Dad sprinted through the potato field toward the Fite house.

  “I didn’t hear anything,” Remy whispered. “What was it?”

  “It sounded like a shot,” I whispered back. “Rylen said someone stole two of their chickens a couple days ago. I wonder if someone is there again.” My fingers were shaking on the blinds.

  “Wait,” Remy said. “So, where would the shot come from? What gun do they have?”

  “Um.” Oh, crap. “I’m sure everything’s fine.”

  On the end, Livia quietly whispered, “Papá Len no give gun.”

  Oh, dear. I wished she wouldn’t have said that.

  “He didn’t?” Remy asked. “They’ll think he’s an outlier.”

  I had no comeback. We watched in silence, but it was too dark out there. And then all of a sudden, it was way, way too bright.

  The four of us screamed as the sky lit up from a blast on the Fite property. It was on the side of the house.

  “Oh, my God!” I said. “The barn!” All of the gasoline he’d stored in there must have been somehow ignited. The boys!

  “Ry-len!” Livia cried.

  We moved for the door, but Mom sprinted past us and blocked it, her face pale with panic. “We can’t go out there!”

  “Mom, what if they’re hurt?”

  “What if there are DRI or robbers?” Mom asked.

  I ran back to the window and looked out. I couldn’t see anyone, just a massive fire, which I hoped would not spread to their house. God, my stomach was a bundle of nerves. Were they okay? Having been close to a bomb myself, I knew anyone in the proximity could be hurt, or even killed. I was going to give them one more minute to come back or I would grab my medical kit and run like hell no matter what Mom said. As I watched, with Livia pressed at my side watching too, I saw with horror as the trees between the barn and house began to flame. Every thing was so dry. They went up like flint.

  “La casa,” Livia whispered.

  “Mom, I’m sorry. I have to go.”

  Mom and Remy both called after me as I ran to my room for my pack. I snatched it up and pushed my feet into my shoes. I made it to the door and Mom was leaning against the wall, covering her mouth with both hands. Livia was quietly crying.

  “Please don’t go,” Remy begged me.

  “I’ll be careful,” I promised.

  “Mirame!” Livia said. Look!

  We rushed to the window and looked out. Our three men were crouching at the edge of the potato field near our property, edging their way back to us. The bundle of sharp nerves in my stomach loosened. As they slunk through the yard and up the stairs, Mom opened the door and closed it once they were all in. The men were breathing hard, covered in dirt from where they’d crawled. None of us could speak. We all looked to Rylen. His brow was so severely drawn it made a V between his eyes. His eyes were rimmed in dark red.

  “Did anyone see you?” Dad asked him.

  Ry shook his head. “I stayed low till they were gone.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “My dad set up tripwires to catch thieves.” He sucked in a sharp breath. “Those bastards were showing up in the middle of the night to take our livestock and gasoline. When I got close enough I heard one of them say something about community goods.”

  “Who?” I whispered.

  “DRPs,” Dad said. The new “cops.” He looked back at Rylen for him to continue.

  “They had their guns pointed at my dad. He must’ve given a warning shot when the wires were tripped, the damn fool. By the time I got there, he was unlocking the coop for them and they took all the chickens. Then they followed him to the barn, but he stopped at the tree and yanked a rope that was hanging there. He booby-trapped it and the whole damn thing went up, blew him and the man holding the gun straight back.”

  His dad blew up the barn. I held my breath. Remy had retreated and crumpled onto the couch.

  “One of the Derps was busy with the chickens and the other ran into the house, maybe looking to see if anyone else was there, or to see what they could take. I ran to Dad and checked his pulse.” His eyes. Oh, my heart, Rylen’s eyes were rimmed in tears. “He made it through that virus, only to be . . .”

  He let his head fall back, closing his eyes.

  “He’s gone?” Mom croaked.

  Rylen lowered his head and when he opened his eyes the remnant of threatening tears were gone, but his voice was thick. “Yeah. He’s dead. The DRI too.”

  My chest was so constricted, I could only take shallow breaths. Len Fite . . . Rylen’s dad . . . I couldn’t believe it.

  I stepped to Rylen’s side to comfort him, just as Livia did. She and I both looked at each other, and I moved back, feeling stupid.

  Livia went into his arms and he pulled her close, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

  Now Mom had to sit. Rylen raised his head from Livia’s, but kept an arm around her waist. She leaned her cheek against his chest.

  “It was definitely DRPs?” I asked. “No DRIs were there?”

  “No,” Rylen said hoarsely. “And it was definitely Derps, in uniform. They dragged their man’s body away and took our rifle.”

  Dad shook his head “He knew they were going to shoot him one way or the other. That’s why he blew up the barn. Didn’t want them getting his goods.”

  “This is such bullshit!” Tater yelled. “Why are the Drips giving these assholes guns and letting them have power over us?”

  “How did we get to this place?” Mom quietly cried. “How is it okay for government officials to take people’s property and kill people on the spot for any rule broken?”

  I felt so ill. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea of Len Fite being dead. What if Ry had been there? Would they have expected him to sit back and let them take al
l of their valuables? If he’d been there and tried to refuse them, he could have ended up dead, too. I slunk back and sat beside Remy. We grabbed one another’s hand at the same time.

  Both of us jumped at the sound of a key in the front door. The men spun to face Grandpa Tate, looking like they were ready to take him down. Grandpa didn’t even flinch at the sight of them. He was wearing a light blue pajama set that was too comfortable and cozy for the vicious look on his face. He turned to Rylen, looking up and slapping a hand to his shoulder.

  “I watched from my window with my binoculars when I heard the shot. I’ve been waiting for this day to come. Your father did exactly what I would have done. I’m sorry for your loss, son, but that man needs to be commended.” He looked around at the rest of us. “And now, we all need to pack as much as we can and get the hell out of town.”

  “I’m not running,” Rylen said. We all looked at him. His attention was respectfully on Grandpa. “I need to get to the bottom of what’s going on here. I need to find out if these were dirty cops or if the Drips are giving them permission to do this.”

  “Being his son will automatically put you on their suspicion list,” Grandpa told him. “He had an illegal gun. Even if the DRPs were dirty cops, the Drips won’t overlook the gun possession.”

  “I’ll act like I disagreed with my father, and that I didn’t know he’d hidden any guns. Whether they believe me or not is a chance I’ve got to take.”

  “Rylen,” Mom said. “This is not time to go vigilante. You’ve got a lot to live for.”

  They looked at one another and he responded, “I know. But something’s not right. Something is going on.”

  “Yeah,” Tater said. “And it’s not just one or two corrupt Derps. This is everywhere. And the Drips are weird as hell. Ever notice how they’re all good looking?”

  “Yes!” I pointed at him like he’d read my mind.

  His face lit up. “Right? It’s so creepy! Not a fat one in the bunch.”

  We gave each other another high five.

  “That doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” Mom said. “They’ve got more resources—the longer we go without showers, the nicer they look.”

  I shook my head. “Seriously, where are these resources? Where are they blow-drying and curling their hair? It kind of pisses me off to know they’re using some generator somewhere to primp. What crappy priorities.”

  Remy lifted her limp ponytail and mumbled, “How exactly does one become a DRI anyway?”

  Rylen walked to the window and stared out. Flames from his burning home lit his face with moving light. I wanted so badly to go to him. To hug him. But his wife was close behind him. She placed a small hand on his shoulder blade. I wondered how he could stand there, holding it together so well. I’d be a mess on the floor if I lost one of my parents and my home was in flames. My heart lurched just thinking about it. I knew he had to be dying on the inside. He shoved his hands deep in his jean pockets, locking his elbows. His jaw rocked back and forth as he grinded his teeth.

  Oh, yeah. He was feeling every bit of that loss.

  “I still say we should leave,” Grandpa grumbled.

  “Where to?” Tater asked. “It’s like this everywhere.”

  “Somewhere more remote,” Grandpa responded. “The mountains.”

  “Every road between towns has roadblocks. They’re taking names to keep track of people.”

  “What?” I asked. “They weren’t doing that when I was going into Clark County for work.”

  “They just started,” Tater said. “When I left Georgia there were no stops. By the time I got to Nevada there were stops between every major town on every major road.”

  Grandpa had gone ashen. “They’re out of control.”

  “They’re just searching for Outliers, right?” Remy asked.

  “That’s what they’re saying,” Tater said. Remy looked confused, so Tater expounded. “The problem is, they’re acting like everyone is their enemy.”

  “But they have to, because anyone could be one.” When he lifted an eyebrow at her, she shrugged and peered down at her nails. “I don’t know, it made sense when they told us.”

  Dad sighed and crossed his arms. “We need to come up with an exact exit plan then. First thing in the morning our priority is to fill the tanks with gas and get a few containers for spare. Then we should probably fill the trunks with a portion of our resources, have everything ready just in case we have to up and go. I’ll check out some of the back roads and abandoned private lanes that go up into the mountains.”

  This was so scary. I couldn’t even believe we were talking about leaving home.

  Rylen cleared his throat. “I’m gonna head to the police station now to let them know what I found when I got home. I think it’ll look suspicious if I wait until the morning. When I get back, I’m going to bury him.”

  “Want me to go with you?” Tater asked.

  “No.”

  “What are you going to tell them?” I asked.

  He turned from the window to face us. “I’m gonna bold face lie. Tell them my dad was acting weird.” He grabbed the back of his neck and looked down, like the thought of betraying his father’s memory hurt. Grandpa grunted and crossed his arms tightly.

  “I know it’s wrong,” Rylen said in a deep voice. “It goes against everything inside me, but I have to find out what’s going on, how deep this goes. I need to know if these were three corrupt Derps, or if they were ordered . . .” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know how I’ll react.”

  “Rylen,” Livia said. Her eyes were slightly bulgy as she reached for his hand.

  He took it and looked at her. “Please, don’t worry.”

  Mom stepped forward. “If you’re going to do this, you have to do it all the way. Don’t let them know you disagree. Don’t question them. Find out what you can, and come back to us safely. Promise me.”

  He grinded his teeth again and nodded, whispering, “I promise.”

  My stomach twisted itself into the tightest, most sickening knot. I wrapped my arms around my middle, unable to stand straight. Remy was chewing her thumbnail.

  “Dude,” Tater said. “Just let me come—”

  “No,” Rylen said again. “I’ll come straight back here. I swear.”

  “Fine,” Tater said. “But I need to be doing something. Maybe . . . maybe I can start digging.”

  Len’s death hit me in the chest again. His dead body was over there. It made me ill thinking about it. Rylen gave Tater a grateful nod, and said bye to everyone, getting hugs from each of us. I kept mine brief. He hugged Livia last, holding her longer. He kissed the top of her head and then he was gone.

  The room was ghostly quiet for half a minute until a sob issued from Livia and she covered her mouth. Mom put an arm around her, leading her to the couch where they sat. Remy looked at me and I saw the worry in her tight brow.

  “I should load the trunks while it’s dark,” Dad said. Grandpa followed him out, probably to unlock the door to his room, but he didn’t come back down. He had to be exhausted. Grandpa liked his sleep more than any of us.

  I looked at Tater’s worn face. “I’ll help you dig.” He nodded. Together we went to the garage and got shovels. When we came back out, Mom’s face was so worried she looked ten years older.

  “Please be careful. Hide if you hear or see anyone coming.”

  “We will,” I promised.

  Tater and I trudged through the silent, dark field. Even from afar I could feel the heat of the flames wafting toward us. The fire was like a raging, terrifying beast, reaching for the sky, wanting to obliterate anything that came near it. I could barely make out Len’s form on the ground in front of it.

  “Let’s dig on the side,” Tater said. He pointed to their small grove of citrus trees. We made our way over and began digging a Len-sized chasm in the earth until our arms were burning and our backs were sore.

  I tried not to worry about Rylen, or to think about a blas
t powerful enough to kill a large man like Len. Would I ever be brave enough to sacrifice my life to stop an injustice from happening? In that situation, I had no doubt I would have given them the chickens and gasoline and anything else they wanted. Did that make me a coward?

  Rylen was no coward. At the moment I kind of wished he was, but what were his other options? Stay at our house? They would find him right away if he were on the suspicion list.

  Dad came over forty minutes later when he was done packing the cars and got in on the digging rotation.

  “Both our cars are packed,” Dad said through panting breaths. “Food, water, flashlights with batteries, cooking equipment, propane, tents, sleeping bags, all of Grandpa’s guns. I think we’re good.”

  When we had about five feet in depth, we stopped and made our way silently back home.

  Mom was still sitting on the couch, rubbing Livia’s back. Remy was sitting against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. The three of us washed our hands and faces. Then Tater and I sat on the floor with Remy.

  Dad took the recliner, and once again we waited. The room was so quiet that the gurgling growl that came from Tater’s stomach seemed to echo off the wall. He patted his flat abs.

  “There’s food in the pantry,” Mom said quietly. “Just take it easy.”

  “I’m the picture of self-control, Ma.” Tater stood stiffly, appearing sore. She rolled her eyes, but grinned. I did the same, minus the grin.

  Tater strolled back in with two shiny, silver packages of PopTarts. When Mom gave him a glare he said, “It’s rude to eat in front of people. I brought this one in case anyone else wanted some.” When he opened his and I saw that it was chocolate, Remy and I shot out our hands at the same time. Of course he gave it to her. She ripped it open and handed me one. In the sadness of the past hour, that stupid thing was heavenly. We savored every crumb and then shared a bottle of water.

  I looked up and found Livia watching us. “Tater, get one for Livia.”

  “No, no,” she said shyly, but Tater was already on his feet. He brought a package and held it out. She shook her head. “No, I cannot.”

  “Go on.” He gave it a gentle shake. “Es chocolate. Rylen would want you to eat.”