Chapter 5: Secrets
The ranger circled around behind us like a sheepdog afraid of strays. “You heard me. Move!”
We started up the path again. “What’s going on?” I asked, turning a little toward Tony.
He took a deep breath. “I guess you deserve an explanation, since it’s gotten this bad.”
“It’s never been this bad before?” I asked, attempting some humor to hide my terror.
The fear that sparkled in his black eyes caused my stomach to churn. For a moment, I thought I would vomit again. So far, he had been the perfect picture of composure. Under gunfire, he took control of the plane; under water, he had unbuckled me and led us to safety; and his presence of mind in covering our wet tracks by the lake had probably deceived the helicopter. If he loses it, I’m doomed, I thought. I cleared my throat. “How bad is bad?”
“I can’t see a way out,” he said. “That’s never happened before.”
I waited for him to explain. He was so quiet that I had to step carefully so the crunching leaves and snapping twigs wouldn’t drown his words, which were so measured and calm that it sounded like he was reciting a speech.
“A couple years ago, I saw a violent murder. See, my dad’s a locksmith and it was summer so I was at his office. He got a call from one of his regular clients about a safe being stuck. So we drove over to unlock the safe. It was in a mansion, real nice. I had never been there before. Anyway, Dad unlocked the safe.”
“Let me guess,” I said, “there were drugs inside. Cocaine or something. No, wait - stolen guns, right?”
“You watch too many movies.”
“Sorry. Go on.”
Well, the safe was pretty big, more of a vault, really. Dad’s policy is to unlock but never to open. But he thought he heard somebody inside the vault, so he opened it. Turns out it was...”
“A kidnapped child,” I broke in, trying to keep my excitement quiet.
“A kitten,” he said, “his wife’s kitten. It sitting on piles of wild ginseng roots.”
“Okay,” I said, waiting for the punch line. “Was it a stolen kitten, at least?”
He half-smiled. “Hard as it is to believe, the ginseng is what’s illegal.”
“We’re talking about the stuff that’s in tea, right?”
“Wild ginseng. It turns out that Minnesotan ginseng is the some of the most potent in the entire world.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Me, neither. But I guess people want it enough to pay five thousand dollars a pound. Did you know there was a ginseng rush right here in Minnesota back in the 1860’s, so bad that they had to pass laws to preserve it? Quit gawking at me. I’m not making this up.”
I had so many questions - how did the kitten get in there in the first place, were the roots in bags or boxes or just loose, why did anyone keep ginseng in a safe... Tony shook his head before I could ask any of them.
“The point is,” he said, “Dad wasn’t supposed to open the safe. But he did, and he got a good glimpse of what was inside. And Mr. Drosnin knew it. He told us that if we mentioned it to anyone, he’d have us killed. The entire family, Mom included. Dad promised not to tell, of course, and we almost got away. But one of Mr. Drosnin’s men got nervous as we were driving away. He pulled his gun as a friendly reminder as we passed through the gate. Well, one of the guards at the gate was actually an undercover cop and he thought we were in trouble. So he pulled out his gun and told the guy to put it down. Well, that started a gunfight. The cop was hurt but not killed, and we drove away as fast as we could. You with me so far?”
I nodded, a bit confused, but it sounded like he had told this story dozens of times.
“Anyway, we made it to a police station. They were so excited. They told us that they’d been trying to nail Drosnin for years but nothing would stick, and that our testimony would open the door for them to prosecute. They didn’t even let us go home; they picked Mom up from work in a squad car. We didn’t get to pack any clothes or books or anything. We were put in the Witness Protection Program that night. Spent the night in a safehouse, and then another week rehearsing our new identities until they figured out where to hide us until the trial. It’s been run, run, run ever since.”
“But why? I thought protection programs were safe.”
He shook his head. “There were leaks. Drosnin’s a really big fish in the smuggling pond - not just ginseng, but everything black market, from jewels to baby tigers to medicines. He has money and power, and he wants us dead. Right now he’s in a comfortable jail cell, waiting his trial, but he’s already managed to find out where we were twice in the past five years. Talk about connected...” His smile was wry and sad. “That’s why I didn’t call for help when the plane was going down. That’s why I didn’t want to come to the ranger’s station.”
I felt a twinge of guilt when he said that. I was, after all, the one who suggested it. “But what does that have to do with our favorite ranger back there?”
“Wild ginseng grows right here in our national parks. Rangers are supposed to protect it... well, now I guess we know who’s been arranging the harvests.”
“I didn’t know,” I whispered.
He shrugged. “Not your fault. But I’m scared. They found me today, which means they must know where my parents are. Did they kill them, and then come after me? I wish I knew.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“The worst part is that we actually rehearse for things like this. Wilderness survival, self-defense, home school... My family agreed that if we were ever separated, we’d stay separated until the trial was over, for safety’s sake. I promised not to look for them, and they won’t look for me. So I won’t know if they’re safe or not until after the trial!”
I turned back to check on Nelson, who still had his gun trained on Tony’s back. He scowled at me. “When will that be?” I whispered.
“Four more days,” he spat. “Wednesday. And here I am, in the middle of nowhere, and as soon as we get to that ranger’s station, we’re dead.” He looked me straight in the eyes. “I’m sorry you had to suffer because of me. I’m as helpless as you are.”
I gulped.
“Enough chatting, you two,” Nelson called. “Step away from each other. No planning or plotting or whatever you’re doing.”
“She doesn’t know anything,” Tony replied over his shoulder. “She’s an innocent bystander.”
“I’ll leave that decision to someone else.”
Tony looked at me, desperation written all over his face. “Run,” he said. Then he pushed me. “Run!”
He darted one way, I went the other. Nelson went after Tony. I glanced back and saw them wrestling, and then a shot echoed through the forest. Birds shook the treetops as they flew away in one frightened flurry.
“Don’t make me shoot you!” Nelson shouted at Tony.
I was so scared that I nearly ran into a tree trunk. I hid behind it instead.
“You’re supposed to be dead,” Nelson continued. “It doesn’t matter to me when or where. Get up!” He pulled Tony to his feet and jabbed the gun in his back. Then he turned in my direction. “I see you behind that tree. If you don’t get your butt over here, I’ll kill him and come after you.”
“Run, Alana,” Tony called.
“Shut up, hero.” Nelson cuffed Tony on the head. “What will it be, princess?”
What was I supposed to do? Running into the forest and hoping to find help would have been pointless; I’d have gotten lost and then starved to death anyway. “Don’t hurt him,” I said, stepping away from my tree.
“Good choice,” Nelson snarled. “One mile left. March.”