were you going in the cart, Tyler?” Jonathan pressed.
From behind: “I guess this means it’s safe to come out?” Apparently, it had been too long since Hunter had heard the sound of his own voice.
Jonathan ignored the other man as he kept his eyes focused on Tyler.
“So, there are more of us?” Tyler said, noting the approach of the Edwardses. At least he said “us.” Jonathan took that as a good sign.
“I imagine there will be a few more, too,” Jonathan said. “People don’t like to be caged.”
“You don’t understand,” Tyler said. “They’ve separated kids from adults. If anyone tries to get away, not only will they shoot the one who’s running, but they’ll shoot the whole family.”
“Oh, my God,” Lori said.
Jonathan looked to Gail, who winced.
“That sounds like a bluff to me,” Hunter said.
“And to me, it sounds like a damned clever strategy,” Jonathan countered.
“We don’t need a smart enemy,” Gail said.
“Any clue what any of this is all about?” Jonathan asked Tyler.
“No. But if it has something to do with my stepfather, they’re gonna be pretty pissed. He’s not here.”
Jonathan waited for the rest.
“He’s over on the mainland. Some overnight business meeting that came up suddenly.”
Jonathan’s inner warning bell dinged. “What kind of business, and how suddenly?” As a rule, Jonathan didn’t believe in coincidences. When said coincidences happened in concert with bad events, he presumed them to be intentional acts.
“I have no idea,” Tyler said. “We don’t talk about business very much. Actually, we don’t talk about anything very much. We don’t talk about business at all.”
“You’re the owner’s kid!” Hunter exclaimed.
Welcome to the show, Jonathan didn’t say.
“How did you get away?” Gail asked.
“I slipped out when they weren’t looking,” Tyler said. “I know stuff that regular guests don’t know.”
“Like how to slip out when people aren’t looking,” Jonathan said, drawing a smile.
“I figured that once they figured out who I was, and where my stepfather isn’t, I’d wish I was somewhere else.”
“Weren’t you with a young lady?” Lori asked. Her voice was heavy with disdain.
“Annie,” he said.
“But didn’t I hear you say that if one part of a couple ran away—”
“The others would be killed, yeah.”
Tyler’s words sort of sucked the air out of the jungle for a second or two.
“Look,” he said, “I’m not proud that I left, okay? I asked her to come with me. Begged her, but she wanted to stay.”
Jonathan cleared his throat. He got where the kid was coming from, but he wondered how he was going to feel about the decision later if something bad happened to his girlfriend.
“And besides, it’s not like we’re an actual couple,” Tyler pressed. “There’s no record of her being here, either. And even if they connect us, my last name is different than my stepfather’s. So, even if they puzzle out who I am, what are the chances they’ll figure out my relationship with her?”
“All it would take is for one of the other hostages to want a favor at her expense,” Hunter said.
“Moving along,” Jonathan said. “What’s done is done, and it’s not our job to judge you or anyone else. Chances are, this whole thing will take care of itself quickly, and there’ll be no more loss of life.” That last part was total bullshit. In fact, Jonathan fully expected this to get much, much worse before it even began to turn the corner.
He changed the subject. “You were going to tell us where you were going.”
* * *
When the kid talked about a shantytown, Jonathan had wondered if he knew what that meant. It was clear that he did. There were ten of them in all, constructed of tar paper and two-by-fours and arranged in parallel rows straddling the overgrown remains of what had once been a road. The structures had not aged well. Windows were mostly broken, and relentless water and humidity had inflicted brutal damage to the roofs and floors in particular.
“Are you sure it’s safe to use a flashlight here?” Hunter asked. “Aren’t we going to attract attention?”
“It’s a big jungle,” Jonathan said, “and we’re on the other side of the mountain. There are no guarantees, but rest assured that if I thought it was a bad idea, I wouldn’t do it.”
“How long ago were these abandoned?” Gail asked.
“At least twelve, maybe fifteen years,” Tyler said. He pointed to the shack that was farthest down on the right. “That last one down there isn’t in too bad shape. Me and a buddy sort of keep it up. We don’t have glass for the windows, but there’s that roll-up plastic stuff for the bad storms. We cover the windows when we’re not here, and the roof is in pretty good shape.”
Lori cleared her throat. “Are the outhouses . . .”
“They work, and we even have toilet paper,” Tyler said, earning a smile from Lori. “But this is still the jungle. I wouldn’t sit without checking first.”
“Thanks for the safety tip,” Gail said.
Jonathan held up his hand, a signal for all of them to stop. “Do you smell anything?” he asked Gail.
She sniffed the air. “Weed?”
“That’s what I got.” Jonathan thumbed the safety switch to FIRE and brought the M4 to his shoulder. “Y’all stay here,” he said. Maybe the bright white light hadn’t been a good idea, after all.
“Wait!” Tyler said, racing ahead. “Jaime, is that you?” he whisper-shouted.
“Who the hell is Jaime?” Hunter asked.
“Dude, if you’re there hiding, step out. It’s me. It’s Ty.”
“Hold where you are,” Jonathan said. “I don’t know who Jaime is, but if that’s not—”
“It’s him,” Tyler insisted. “I know it is.”
“Stop, goddammit!” Jonathan shouted. No whisper to it. “Jaime, if that’s you and you’re hiding, this is the only chance you will have to present yourself.” He opened his muzzle light to its widest
