Elemental (11 page)

CHAPTER 20

T
he first paddle strokes were the worst. Every muscle in my arms protested, but I blocked out the pain. I couldn't afford to be weak. Not with the others back in the shelter, waiting for news and reassurance. And not with Alice before me—her strokes barely a whisper, shoulders rocking back and forth, tunic shifting like the water beneath us.

We headed south and hugged the Roanoke Island shoreline before we set out across the sound. Then we paddled due east past the southern edge of Pond Island. The pirates were dangerously close here—a couple hundred yards away—and I imagined I could hear their voices carried on the breeze.

We paused just long enough to force down some nuts and drink some more water. I wanted to break the silence and tension, but we couldn't take that risk. Besides, what use would words be? Clouds still blanketed the sky, and the water still lapped against our canoe, and the pirates still had all the answers.

Alice pushed harder as we entered open water. Bonfires dotted the Hatteras Island shoreline less than a mile away, their angry orange flames contorted by the freshening breeze. Occasionally I saw pirates too—resting and waiting. I tried to make out their faces, but couldn't.

After several strokes, I realized I was looking for one in particular: the man with long dark hair and colorful arms. The one with the telescope. My mother's murderer.
Who is he?
I thought.
What does he want with us? What do we have that's worth sacrificing so much? Why hasn't he captured us already?

At Hatteras Island, Alice directed us toward one of the narrow channels through the marsh. We took fewer strokes now, just glided forward. Instead of running aground, we stopped a few yards short, where the canoe would be less likely to be found. Alice wrapped a length of rope around several blades of tall needlerush and tethered the canoe.

“Will it hold?” I whispered.

“Should. We're sheltered here. Not much swell to loosen the knot.” She sounded like she'd done it a hundred times before. “Have some nuts, and drink some more water. Remember, we carry nothing.”

I did as she said. By the time I was done, I felt sick to my stomach, but my mouth was still dry.

Alice closed her bag and stuffed it under her seat, so I did too. She removed her shoes and eased her legs over the side of the canoe, her feet sliding into the marsh. Again I followed her lead. Together we pressed onward until the marsh dried out and we felt solid ground beneath our bare feet.

Sitting on the dirt bank, I used the edge of my tunic to dry my feet, and put my shoes back on. Once we were ready, we kept low and sprinted toward a line of pine trees, where Alice dropped to a crouch on a bed of needles. Mosquitoes filled the air around us and feasted on every piece of uncovered skin.

We took several moments to scan the island and get our bearings. I knew this place well—the wooded area was narrow and sparse—and as we crept through it I made out the glow of bonfires to the north and east. I imagined I could feel the heat as sweat dripped down my forehead.

“Do you smell that?” whispered Alice urgently as we emerged the other side.

I sniffed the air. Sure enough, there was a faint odor of cooking meat blowing from the direction of one of the fires. “What is it?”

Alice looked horrified, but then she shook her head ambivalently. “I-I can't be sure.”

I waited for her to tell me what she suspected, but she wore her stoic face again.

“We'll head for the largest fire, over there,” she said, pointing to one just beyond the ridge of dunes.

“The one where the smell is coming from?”

“Yes. If they're cooking, they'll be distracted. They're probably not keeping watch either. Anyway, the fire's not close to the water's edge, so I don't think it's a lookout.”

That made sense, though I was still puzzled by
what
they were cooking. I'd never smelled anything like it before. It certainly wasn't fish, though what else could they have caught?

We dropped to all fours as pine needles and dirt gave way to sand. There wasn't much vegetation to hide us here, so we shuffled forward, one eye fixed on our surroundings. Finally we shimmied up one of the dunes and settled in behind a large clump of grass.

The bonfire was barely twenty yards in front of us. Through the grass fronds I counted eleven pirates. They sat around the perimeter of the fire and stared intently at a makeshift spit. Cooking slowly, its body severed and rearranged to fit on the spit, was one of Alice's beloved wild horses.

I turned to her instinctively. She closed her eyes, but she didn't seem shocked, just resigned. I wanted to tell her I was sorry, but we were too close to the pirates to risk speaking now.

I faced the fire again. Horse fat glistened in the flames, body parts spitting and crackling in the heat. The smell was powerful, pushed toward us by the ocean breeze. The sight was so horrific that it took me a while to tune in to the men's voices. Even then I struggled to hear them until their conversation became louder and more hostile.

“Well, I say we eat our fill while we're here,” complained one pirate, a strong-looking man perhaps ten years older than me.

“Forget it, Jossi,” replied a much older man. “There's a reason we've survived this long, and it isn't 'cause we eat everything in sight.”

“Then who we saving the other horses for, huh? I ain't sticking around here 'til I starve.”

This announcement was met by a murmur of agreement.

“How many of them kids are there, anyway?” demanded another pirate.

The old pirate produced a hacking cough. “Dare isn't sure.”

Jossi whistled through holes where his teeth should have been. “Ain't sure? Last I heard, this mission was
destined
. It don't exactly fill me with confidence that he ain't even sure how many of them there are.”

“He said it looked like four or five. Maybe six.”

Angry laughter rippled around the circle. Jossi spat into the fire. “You know what I say, old man? I say it looks like Dare's lost his edge. I think y'all know it too. We gave up a good life to follow him here. During hurricane season.”

“No one forced you.”

Everyone was muttering now, but Jossi shouted, “That ain't the point. We're trusting our lives to him. The way you say it, thirteen years ago Dare didn't need no damned telescope just to count kids on a beach.”

Alice tilted her head toward me. It was oddly comforting to discover they didn't know everything about us yet.

The old man was silent now, but another pirate spoke up. “If you're so smart, Jossi, how 'bout you explain what them kids is doing on Roanoke Island in the first place.”

Jossi shrugged. “Who cares? It's been two days. I say we grab 'em.”

“Well, someone's changed his tune, eh?” growled the old man. “Two days ago you called that girl a liar for saying the kids were on Roanoke. Beat her bad too, till she sent us south instead. Well, now look—damn, if she wasn't telling the truth all along. And you're ready to head over to Roanoke just as quick as you can.”

“Why not?”

“They may've been lucky, is why not. Or it hasn't taken effect yet. Plague can take days, remember?” He brushed sand from his hands. “Either way, we wait. You think them Guardians would've set up camp on this godforsaken sandbar if they could've lived safely in that town?”

“But them kids
are
living safely.”

“You sure about that? You volunteering to be first across the bridge?”

For a moment Jossi was silent. “Dare should've let me take that canoe we found. Get me within two hundred yards, I could've taken down every last one of 'em.”

“We need the kids alive. At first, anyway.”

“I wouldn't kill them, old man. Just a single shot to the leg. Something to slow 'em down. Instead, we're waiting to see who dies first: us or them.”

“Quit your whining. They can't hold out forever. Anyway, they won't
all
be dying, will they? Least, not until we get them. That's the whole point.”

Jossi let out a single laugh. “So says the mighty Dare. But what if he's wrong? What if they're just fine over there?”

The old man took his time before answering. “Then I'd say the solution is not only real, but more powerful than we ever imagined.”

“Pah! The other explanation is there ain't no Plague anymore. What if Dare's precious
solution
ain't even real . . . just something to distract us—”

Suddenly Alice drove my head against the dune. Sand scraped my face and crept into my open mouth. Terrified, she clenched her teeth and jammed a finger against her lips.

I didn't react because I didn't need to. I could hear the footsteps too now, the slow grinding of sand that grew closer every moment.

I closed my eyes and waited for the sound to die away, but it didn't. Whoever it was, was still headed our way. Clenching my fist, I made a decision right then: I'd fight back. If not for me, for our families. And my mother.

Finally, I opened an eye. A few yards behind Alice, illuminated by the distant fire, I glimpsed someone.

He had long dark hair and colorful arms.

CHAPTER 21

D
are.

He was no more than five yards away, breathing heavily. When he stopped moving, I was certain he'd seen us.

Instead he crouched down and eavesdropped on the pirates' conversation. A moment later he strode confidently around the dune, his footsteps finally, mercifully, growing quieter.

I looked at Alice as I stole several deep breaths. She mouthed the word
sorry
to me, but I shook my head. She didn't need to apologize. If not for her, we'd have been caught for sure.

I peered through the grass again and in the dancing firelight saw the man who had come so close to discovering us. He was as tall as I'd thought, though thin and wiry. His sinewy arms bore images I still couldn't make out, in a rainbow of colors—most of all red, like spilled blood that wouldn't wash off.

“Well, well, if it ain't Dare,” said the pirate named Jossi. “Thought we'd lost you.”

“I'm sure you missed me.” Dare's rich voice oozed sarcasm.

“Where you been?”

With exaggerated slowness, Dare removed something from his left trouser pocket. It was clear that he was used to having everyone's attention, and enjoyed the power. “I visited Bodie Lighthouse.”

“Why? We know the children ain't been there.”

“Agreed.”

“Anyways,” added the old man, “you and I went there thirteen years ago. The door was locked . . . hadn't been opened in years. Probably rusted shut by now.”

In his hand Dare held what looked like a piece of paper. “Actually, the door wasn't rusted shut. It opened easily. And the lantern room is filled with newspapers, photographs, and enough food and water for a siege.”

This announcement was met with silence. I turned to Alice to see if the words meant anything to her, but she shook her head. Beside the fire, Dare smiled at the pirates' stunned expressions.

“Oh, yes. Someone has been living there, all right. But there's only bedding for one person. And from the freshness of the water, I'd say whoever it is left when they saw us coming.” He allowed the silence to linger. When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with venom. “All of which gets me thinking those kids have themselves an ally now.”

“Dare, I—”

“Shut up! I gave an order to inspect the lighthouse. But none of you went, and now we've wasted a day.” He took a deep breath, struggling to remain calm. “You really think they'll surrender just 'cause we destroyed their miserable little colony once before? You think that seeing us on Pond Island is giving them nightmares? 'Cause I don't. I bet right now they're laughing at us.”

Another pirate spoke up, his voice shaky. “But . . . we questioned them older children. They swore they ain't seen or heard of no Guardians 'cept the ones we captured.”

Dare sat down and crossed his legs. “Then I'd say we have an even bigger problem. That lighthouse is only six miles away from their colony. But someone has been living there in secret. Now, who would be able to do that?”

The man rubbed his forehead. “You don't mean . . . the
seer
.”

“Who else?”

“But she'd been exiled last time we was here.”

“Yes, she had. And she'd left—just like they told her to. But what if she came back?”

“Why would she?”

“Why do you think? Homesickness. Maybe she wanted to watch her grandchildren grow. It doesn't exactly matter why.”

Jossi stood and brushed sand from his trousers. “Let me get this straight. She weren't around thirteen years ago, but now she's back?”

“So it would seem,” agreed Dare.

“Well, that's one explanation. Or it might just be these so-called visions of yours are make-believe.”

The men fell into complete silence. No one moved.

“My visions are more accurate than you can imagine. Thirteen years ago, I said the solution was here. Now it seems I was right. Believe me, the solution is on Roanoke Island.”

Jossi began to circle around the perimeter of the bonfire. “Ah, the
solution
. Course, you also said them kids would come to us.”

“And they did. Just not the
right
one.”

“Hmm. That must be mighty disappointing for you, Dare. To think you burned down their colony just to get them Guardians to talk, and they still lied.” Jossi laughed. “But I guess you missed that one, huh?”

Dare remained still, his face unreadable.

Jossi finally drew alongside him. “You know what I think? I think—”

There was a flash of movement, and a cry pierced the air.

I held my breath as I tried to work out what had happened, but an eternity passed before Jossi collapsed to his knees. Still screaming, he held his right hand in front of his face.

In the firelight that glowed behind him, I saw the space where his pointer finger used to be.

Dare was standing now, their positions reversed. “Yes, Jossi, I know
precisely
what you think. You think it's time for a new leader. You think I can't hear the click as you pull back the trigger on your gun. You think I didn't foresee this from the moment the plan crossed your tiny mind twelve days ago. You think I wouldn't notice you were supposed to be on the ship guarding the prisoners tonight.” Dare shook his head. “Even now, you're thinking it's pure coincidence that I waited for you to get within striking distance before I severed your trigger finger.”

Jossi was scrabbling around in the sand, presumably trying to find his finger. The thought was so sickening that it took me a moment to realize what Dare had just said: Someone was guarding the prisoners. Our families were
alive
. It was the news we had come to hear. I should have been relieved, but instead they seemed as far away as ever. I couldn't even make out the ship anchored offshore.

There was another sudden movement as Dare picked up the finger and tossed it into the fire. Jossi crawled after it on all fours. He stabbed a hand toward the flames, but he was tentative, afraid. When he sat back on his haunches, it was obvious he'd given up.

Dare grunted in disgust. He joined Jossi, and plunged his own hands into the fire. As he roared from the pain, I closed my eyes. I imagined I could hear his flesh crackling, smell the burning. When I opened my eyes again, Jossi's finger rested in his palm.

“This what you're looking for?” Dare dropped the finger contemptuously into Jossi's outstretched hand.

Jossi's whimpering twisted into something even more tortured.

“Now let me tell you what
I
think,” spat Dare. He removed something metal and shiny from Jossi's pocket and tossed it to the old pirate. “I think you're a snake, hissing ideas into weak men's minds when you think I can't hear.” He leaned closer. “But I don't need to
hear,
Jossi. I already
know
.”

“I'm sorry,” Jossi choked. “I'm sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Forgive you?” Dare laughed. “You should be begging for your
life,
not forgiveness.”

Jossi bowed his head. “I-I'm—” His voice cracked. “I'm sorry.”

“No, you're not. But I'm still not going to kill you. Unlike you, I see the value of keeping people alive. Everyone has a purpose. Yes, even the prisoners. Of course, once we have our solution, well . . . things change. But for now they live. Just like you.”

“Thank you,” mumbled Jossi.

Dare paused to wipe the blood from his blade. “Don't thank me yet. Your night has barely begun.”

Still kneeling, Jossi shivered violently. He pressed his shirt against the wound, the agony alive in his eyes.

“See this?” muttered Dare, thrusting the piece of paper before him. “This was in the lighthouse. And there's more. Much more. Best of all, there's a map. I left it spread out for you, so you couldn't miss it when you go there later. I think it's only fitting that my would-be assassin should be the first to see it.”

Jossi hesitated. “W-what's on—”

“No, no!” cried Dare. “I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. Go study it for yourself. When you're done, bring it back here along with everything you can carry. And be sure to return before daybreak. Tomorrow I plan to send a group across the bridge to Roanoke Island. Can you guess who'll be leading the way?”

Jossi didn't say anything, but his mangled hand trembled.

“Enough, Dare.” The old man's husky voice broke the silence. “No one should cross that bridge. We can't take the chance.”

“If that's what it takes to capture the boy, we have no choice,” replied Dare firmly. “Anyway, I have a hunch that when Jossi returns, he'll assure us that
chance
isn't involved at all.”

A murmur grew amongst the pirates, but no one dared ask what Dare meant. Clearly he was used to playing mind games. What's more, he was evidently used to winning.

“You're certain this boy is the solution?”

“Yes, I am. And if I'd been thinking clearly thirteen years ago, we'd have captured him then.”

The old man bowed his head. “How will you know when you find him?”

“Oh, I'll know.” Dare folded the blade back into the shaft of his knife. “And so will you, just as soon as I call his name.”

With some difficulty, the old man stood and approached the horse roasting on the spit. He stabbed the flesh with his knife and pulled a hunk away. He gobbled it up, still steaming, and chewed it with mouth wide open. A moment later he nodded, and the other pirates nudged closer and helped themselves. After that there was nothing in the air but the sound of chewing, and a rare smell of fresh-cooked animal that left me light-headed with hunger even as it broke my heart.

I rested my head against the dune. In the distance I heard the waves breaking, brushing a million tiny grains of sand up and down the beach. I wanted to believe that the familiar sound was the same as it had always been. But nothing felt the same anymore.

Finally I pointed back down the dune to signal that we should leave. Side by side, Alice and I crawled away until we were out of sight. Then we ran toward the cover of trees.

For once, I led the way, adrenaline coursing through my body. With each step my mind replayed what Dare had said. I tried to give his words a different meaning, but it was hopeless.

When we slowed down, I sensed that Alice's eyes were fixed on me. She knew as well as I did what those words meant: The boy Dare sought was still at large. But Dennis hadn't even been born thirteen years ago, so it couldn't be him. No, the pirates had returned to Hatteras, destroyed our homes, and decimated our lives for the chance to capture one specific boy.

Whatever the
solution
was, it could only be Griffin or me.