"Once more I ask," Jack started, "what good is knowing the theme without knowing the location. What if they never mention it again, not while you're listening any ways."
Eddie leaned back in his seat. "Well, I got a Plan B."
Jordan clasped her hands together in mock relief. "Thank goodness, he has a Plan B. We're safe now."
"Do I dare ask what it is?" Jack questioned.
Without his usual drama, Eddie simply said, "Jason."
"Jason?" Jack asked. "As in, my brother, Jason?"
Eddie nodded. "He's a senior."
"So?" Jordan asked. "He's never going to tell us. No senior has ever given away the location. He sure as hell won't be the first one."
"Of course not if we just ask him," he replied, grinning. "But there are other methods. More covert ones."
Jack shook his head. "You want to spy on my brother?"
"'Spy' is such an ugly word," Eddie mused. "It sounds morally objectionable." He said the words slowly, but with as much fake sincerity as he could nonetheless.
"That's because it is," Liam said.
For a moment, neither one of them said another word, all occupied with their own thoughts. Then Gabriel slowly raised his hand as though asking for permission to speak, then asked, "I've got a question. Maybe it's silly, but there is something I don't understand."
Jack nodded. "What is it?"
"Well," he started. "You said the seniors have this party every year." Again Jack nodded. "And Kenton Woods is not really a big place," he phrased carefully. "How come no one knows where they are having it? I mean, there is bound to be lots of noise, music, teenagers in costumes. All of this goes unnoticed?"
"I get your point," Jack said. "Believe me. But yes, as strange as that sounds it's like they all disappear to an alternate universe for that night. They just vanish."
"Uh-huh," Gabriel mumbled as another thought occurred to him. "What about your parents? I mean, how long has this secret party thing been going on? Even back then?"
Jordan laughed. "Oh yeah, but they won't spill. Not a word. Believe me, we have tried. Again and again. It's like they swore an oath not to breathe a word."
"Wow," Gabriel said. "And Eddie's plan to follow Jason? Have you never tried anything like that?"
Jack shot Eddie an angry glance. "No, we haven't. So far we've not been that interested. And I'm not sure we should go to all that trouble just to find out where a stupid party is held."
Eddie's eyes widened in shock. "A stupid party? Seriously? C'mon, if we can pull this off, we'll be legends. People will bow to us and kiss our feet."
Jordan snorted, while everyone else just shook their head. "As appealing as that sounds," Jack started. "I'm fine not being a legend."
Shoulders slumping down, Eddie sank into the armchair. "Oh, c'mon," he whined. "It'll be fun, like solving the riddles in summer, just better. Without the stupid riddles."
For a moment Liam looked at him, then he shook his head and said, "Fine, I'm on board."
Instantly, Eddie jumped up, face beaming. "Awesome!" He slapped Liam on the shoulder, "Thanks, man!" then turned to the others. "So, what about the rest of you? Yea or Nay?"
Remembering their summer adventures, Gabriel smiled as he nodded his head. Maybe this would help him figure out what he wanted.
"Great!" Eddie's face grew wider as the corners of his mouth pulled farther and farther apart into a face-splitting grin. "Now only the Sharpes are left? What say you?"
Jordan shrugged. "Well, it does sound right up my alley. And besides, you'll never succeed without me."
Eddie nodded. "Sure, just go ahead and think that." He turned to Jack. "What about you? Will you take point, sir?"
At first Jack didn't say anything. His eyes seemed distant as he stared out the window. Then for a second they flickered to Liam before he nodded his head. "I will."
Chapter 7 – I Spy
Without so much as a hint as to where the location might be, the group decided to approach their mission before the night in question. If they lost Jason then, there would be no second try. So the day after their first meeting, Jack, Liam and Gabriel gathered outside the school building after class. Jordan was inside, tending to her cleaning duties, while Eddie, after much complaining, had agreed to continue his observation in the library.
According to Jack, his brother had told their parents that he would spend every afternoon of this week in a last-minute football practice. Eddie, however, with his powers of persuasion had found out that Coach Gruber was out of town for the afternoon. Keeping their fingers crossed that Jason's alibi was intended as a cover for Halloween party-related activities, they lay in wait.
A quiet buzz came from Jack's back pocket. Swiftly, he pulled out his phone. "It's Jordan," he said. "Jason's coming out the back entrance by the football field. Let's hurry."
As they grabbed their bikes and raced around the building, Gabriel wondered whether Jason had been telling the truth after all. Stopping behind the side wall that led down to the field, Jack got off his bike, carefully inching closer to the open field ahead. Trying not to reveal his presence, he peeked around the corner. "There they are," he whispered, as his eyes followed his brother and a group of seniors. They approached the field and then walked past it, disappearing behind the bleachers.
"C'mon," Jack called, jumping on his bike, closely followed by his two friends.
By the time they reached the bleachers, the seniors were nowhere to be seen. "Crap!" Jack cursed, hurrying on. Racing their bikes down the sidewalk behind school grounds, they approached the intersection. While trying to stay back to avoid being seen, they peered down each lane, hoping to catch a glimpse. "We're off to a good start, aren't we?" Liam commented.
Before Jack could answer, Gabriel stopped. "There," he said, pointing down Orchard Lane. As the others turned to look, they saw Jason and his friends making a right. Without so much as a second thought, they hurried after them.
Again the seniors turned a corner and were lost to the friends' eyes. When the three of them finally reached the spot where the group had vanished, they stopped once again, looking around. "This is getting old," Jack murmured. "Why did I agree to this?"
"There, on the stairs," Liam exclaimed, finger pointing at Rochester Hall. "They're going inside."
With eyes shifting over the tall, pillared manor house down the street from City Hall, Gabriel asked, "What is this place?"
Jack shrugged. "Just a big, old house with rooms large enough to host all kinds of boring events." Once Jason had disappeared inside, they approached the tall building. "Lectures, symposiums and the like. My dad dragged me here once to listen to people talk about battle sites and protection of historical monuments." He exhaled audibly. "Those were the longest two hours of my life." As they locked their bikes, he looked up the stairs and shook his head. "I'm not going in there."
Liam grabbed his arm and dragged him onward. "C'mon, we've come this far. Besides, Eddie will kill you if you flake on him."
Jack snorted.
"All right," Liam recanted. "It will kill Eddie, if we don't at least go in there." Jack's face lit up. "And as wonderful as that may sound right now, he's our friend."
"Fine," Jack relented, then took a deep breath before climbing the stairs.
Inside, the entrance hall led into various directions with signs pointing here and there. A low buzz hung in the air from people standing together in small groups, discussing various topics, at times even arguing. On the right, double-doors closed as another lecture began.
"This brings back bad memories," Jack moaned.
Looking down all the corridors, Liam craned his neck. "I don't see them." His forehead settled into a frown as he turned to look at his friends. "We can't ask at the reception which hall the Halloween party is in, can we?"
Jack shrugged. "We could try, but I'd think they got some kind of cover set up."
"Wait a second," Gabriel said as Jack and Liam started toward the reception desk. "You really th
ink they are having the party here?" He shook his head. "That is too easy. Plus, people would have noticed long ago, wouldn't they?"
Both nodded. "You're right," Jack said. "But if it's not here, why did Jason and the others come here?"
"Maybe it's a diversion," Liam suggested. "To throw people off. In case someone's looking."
"You could be right," Jack said. "With the party being that legendary, people must have thought of following a senior before. Looks like they are taking precautions."
Again Liam looked around. "But does that mean they are hiding in one of these rooms, listening to a boring lecture, just in case someone followed them? That sounds a bit far-fetched."
Suddenly Gabriel's face lit up. "The back door!" he called. "Maybe they are not even here anymore."
Jack nodded, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "That's it! In the back of the building there are extensive grounds with tall hedges running every which way. It's like a maze. That's how they ditch potential followers."
Hurrying down the corridor as fast as they dared without raising any suspicion, they pushed open the French doors leading out into the gardens of Rochester Hall. They saw beds of flowers, a humongous fountain, and hedges as far as the eye could see, but they saw neither Jason nor the other seniors.
"Crap!" Jack cursed for the second time that day. "We're too late."
***
Scouring the gardens of Rochester Hall, they found a dirt road in the very back. Ten years ago it had been used to reach the building as the street leading up to the front entrance had been dug up due to sewer work. Strangely enough, they found fresh tire tracks in great abundance.
"This is where they were picked up," Jack said beaming. "Tomorrow we'll come back and follow them."
Liam frowned. "Do you drive?" He pointed at the tracks. "I mean, we are fast on our bikes, but I doubt that we are a match for a car."
"You're right," Jack said, scratching his head. "We'll think of something."
When tomorrow came, Jack ordered Gabriel to stay hidden in the gardens of Rochester Hall while the others, Liam, Jack and Eddie, who had gotten a day off from the library, lay in wait a little down the road. They positioned themselves somewhat apart from one another waiting for Gabriel to inform them, which direction the cars that were to pick up Jason and the others would take.
For over an hour Gabriel hid behind the tall-standing hedges, thick and thorny, constantly afraid that either the seniors would spot him or that he'd miss them and be responsible for blowing his friends’ chance of finding the secret location. As time ticked by, Gabriel grew more and more agitated, eyes darting from the terrace overlooking the gardens to the small gate in the very back where they had found the tire tracks.
Finally, a little before three o'clock, Gabriel heard the sound of more than one car drive up to the back entrance. Barely five minutes later, Jason, followed by at least eight seniors, pushed open the French doors, crossed the terrace in long strides and walked down the path leading to the back entrance.
Hiding behind the hedge, Gabriel followed them. One eye he kept on the path before his feet, while the other peeked through the dense foliage, never losing track of its target.
With a back glance, Jason opened the gate, ushered his friends through, and they got into the waiting cars. From what Gabriel could see, one of the cars was a blue, somewhat run-down pickup with a "Honk if you love peace and quiet" sticker on the bumper. As it drove off, taking the lead, and turned, Gabriel quickly got out his cell and texted Eddie what kind of car to look out for. Then he informed Liam and Jack to return from their posts, so they could wait with him for Eddie's return.
As Liam and Jack arrived, Gabriel filled them in on the details, after which there was nothing left to do but wait. Sitting on the back porch at the Sharpes', they kept their fingers crossed that Eddie would have something valuable to report once he got back.
"Do you think he'll find out the location?" Gabriel asked, turning his cell phone from back to front and back again.
Jack shook his head. "I doubt it."
"Yeah, they could've gone anywhere," Liam agreed. "Maybe even far out of town. We've never considered this option before."
Gabriel frowned, thinking. Then he leaned forward. "But if Jason is back tonight, it can't be that far away. I mean wherever they meet, they are probably preparing the location, decoration-wise and such." The other two nodded. "When was Jason back last night?" he asked, looking at Jack.
"Around eleven."
"And he left here at around four," Liam said. "That's still a lot of time. Even if they only drove for about an hour, they'd still have about five hours to work on the party location."
"That's true," Gabriel agreed.
Sulking in their chairs, they kept an eye on the road, spotting Eddie from afar. Instantly, they jumped up to meet him half-way. His face was red from exertion, but instead of the delighted glee they had hoped to see, they found nothing but defeat on his features.
"You lost them," Jack said, and Eddie nodded.
With hanging shoulders, they returned to the house and sat down in the wicker chairs on the back porch.
"We expected as much," Liam said, staring into the distance. "And yet it's disappointing."
The others nodded.
As they continued sulking, another bike approached the house from the woods, a short-cut from town. Dropping it in the high grass, Jordan leaped up the stairs. "What's with all the gloomy faces?" she asked, grinning.
Eying her curiously, Eddie frowned. "What put you in such a good mood? Did you finally learn to appreciate manual labor?"
Leisurely leaning on the rail, Jordan smiled. "Today is my day, and there is nothing you can do to ruin this glorious feeling. Nothing!" she stressed.
"Why?" Liam asked, as the two opponents seemed to be ready to jump into another one of their conversational battles. "What happened?"
A victorious smile still on Jordan's face, she said, "I happened. I did it." Eyes shifting over them, she added, "And from the looks of it, you didn't."
"You did what?" Jack asked, leaning forward.
Taking her time, Jordan sat down, eyes sparkling. "I knew, you couldn't do it without me; while I could do it without you." Again she turned to Eddie. "All by myself."
"You did what?" Jack asked again, voice growing harsher. "In case you haven't noticed, you're turning into Eddie."
"Yuck," Jordan groaned, shaking herself. "We can't have that. Thanks for the heads-up!" Leaning forward in her chair, she looked from one to the other until her eyes rested on Eddie. Then with triumph clearly ringing in her voice, she said, "I found the location."
Chapter 8 – The Location
Stunned silence settled on the small circle of friends. Except for Jordan, their mouths hung slightly open while their eyes seemed to be on the verge of crawling out of their sockets.
Usually not at a loss for words, Eddie breathed only one, "How?"
"Well," Jordan hummed, leaning back comfortably. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Clearly enjoying the moment, she fixed Eddie with a victorious look in her eyes. "I guess I'm not the dumb hothead you thought I was."
Getting his facial expressions back in check, Eddie grinned good-naturedly. "I guess that depends on your answer. I'm not too big to admit that you might have your little talents, too. I am willing to–"
"Eddie, cut it out!" Jack ordered, his gaze shifting to his sister. "How did you do it?"
"Well," Jordan started again. "This is the age of technology, isn't it?" Less than understanding appeared on the others' faces, and Jordan laughed. "Oh, for crying out loud, I put a tracking app on my phone and then slipped it into Jason's bag. It's as simple as that." Her eyes turned to Eddie. "But I guess, not simple enough for you to think of it."
Grinning back, Eddie said, "Every moron has her day."
Before Jordan could even take offense, Jack jumped up, grabbed Eddie by the arm and pulled him to his feet. Eye to eye, he hissed at him. "That's enough! I've had it with yo
ur underlying insults. If you can't act like a human being, I'm not even talking about being a good friend here, then you need to leave." Pointing at Eddie's bike, Jack added, "Take some time and think about it–at home."
Once again Eddie's mouth hung slightly open as Jack's words sunk in. Then he took a deep breath, swallowed hard and turned away. Without hesitating, he walked down the steps, got on his bike and, without so much as a single look back, he rode out of sight.
Again, silence settled on the group, until Jack returned to his seat. His features became softer as he turned to look at his sister. "That was a good idea."
"Thanks," Jordan mumbled, eyes still fixed on her brother. "For everything."
***
"This time I get to take the lead!" Jordan declared, swinging her right leg over the saddle of her bike. "Move out!" she yelled and headed down the gravel path, leading into town.
Eddie shook his head, frowning at Jack, who got on his own bike and followed his sister. "Why?" was all he said. After the heated confrontation the day before, Eddie had rejoined their group that morning as though nothing had happened.
Jack just shrugged. "That's a question with a very obvious answer."
"Because she found the location," Liam explained, when Eddie's puzzled frown wouldn't leave his face. They raced down the path, approaching town.
"I know that," Eddie stated, calling over the wind. "But does that mean she gets to take the lead? She's only a mere foot soldier who happened to stumble on this by accident."
Jack laughed, shaking his head. "You just live in your own little world, don't you?"
Gabriel smiled. Following Jordan to the western part of town, they turned onto another gravel path leading them back into nature. Gabriel heard birds tweeting and grasshoppers chirping. The sun felt warm on his back, keeping out the chilly air of late October, and bathed the scene before him in a warm, green glow.
"How much farther?" Jack called to his sister.
Turning her head for a second, Jordan shrugged. "Not sure. This looks fairly secluded."