The Broken Lake (The Pace Series, Book 2)

  Jackson gave the clues and Dawn guessed. Jackson got buzzed so many times for saying a word on the card that Dawn gave up before their time was even up. The funny part about it was they were both laughing the whole time.

  Kerry and Rich got a zillion right. She practically knew the word he was talking about before he spit out the first clue. It put pressure on me and Wes. I figured our best chance was for Wes to give me the clues. He was quick-witted like that.

  Although we annihilated Dawn and Jackson’s round, we fell short of Kerry and Rich’s. Next, Dawn reached for the cards, determined to make a comeback. I was spotting her with the buzzer to make sure she didn’t cheat.

  Her first word was “Microwave.”

  She arched her back and said, “Square box.”

  Jackson guessed, “Soap?”

  “No! Um…heat.”

  BUZZZ! “Heat’s on the card.”

  “Damn it, this game sucks.”

  She threw the card like a Frisbee and we watched it fly and rotate like a helicopter until it hit the floor. I turned to look at the hourglass to see how much time she had. The sand was sifting quickly through. Frustrated, Dawn grabbed it and tilted it on its side. In the same instant, the lights went out.

  The golden reflection of the fireplace lit up the space around us. Six of us looked around, as if to find the culprit who flipped the switch.

  “Darn,” Kerry said. “That always happens whenever it storms here.”

  Wes looked at me for confirmation, but all he got was a shrug instead.

  Kerry got up. “I’ll get the candles.”

  Dawn was completely still, but her gaze moved from left to right and all around. “This is kind of creepy and cool.”

  Rich followed Kerry and helped gather the candles, while Dawn glued herself to Jackson. Wes and I stayed put. Not because I didn’t have an urge to move closer to him. I was just trying to make things seem normal.

  “So how long does it stay like this?” Dawn asked, looking to me for an answer that I didn’t have. I’d been to that mountain a few times in the snow, but nothing like this.

  “I don’t know. Never been here when it’s gone out.”

  Kerry answered from the kitchen. “Who knows? We’re at the top of the mountain, so it could last a couple of hours or a day or two.”

  Dawn picked up her cider, swirling it under her nose for any remnants of warmth. “A day or two? That could be all the way until we leave. How will we keep warm?”

  Jackson chimed in to calm her fears. “Dawn, it’s just the lights. The heat is gas. It’s working. See?”

  “Oh. So we’re good, then?” she replied, sounding relieved.

  We all nodded, me more hopeful than she could ever realize.

  Rich and Kerry came in with handfuls of candles, tall wide ones in glass holders. “We have more, but I think this is enough.” Kerry’s confidence further settled our anxiety.

  “This is actually romantic,” Dawn said.

  For some reason that made me roll my eyes. Not being afraid of the dark was one thing, but feeling romantic about the inconvenience was another.

  “Yeah, I suppose,” I said making my way over to the window. It was too dark to see the snow, but not too dark to see some houses lit farther down the mountain. “That’s strange. Come here, guys. Look, they have lights.”

  Kerry sucked her teeth. “That’s not cool.” Then she pressed her face against the cold glass. She looked to the left and then the right. “Well, I don’t see any lights this far up.”

  She shrugged, accepting the misfortune of the location chosen by her parents. We all went back to the sofas and started planning.

  It was Sunday evening and we were originally set to leave the next day. Our flight was scheduled out of Dulles International at 4:00. Our plan was to leave in the morning, but we knew that wasn’t possible.

  The snow was knee-deep and the roads weren’t plowed yet. The good news was that the snow was supposed to stop during the night. That meant a cold and icy morning, but we hoped for a warmup in the afternoon to help melt some snow. By then, the main roads would be cleared. That left us being able to leave Tuesday.

  Wes called in extra flight tickets, and then we all called our parents to tell them we might be snowed in for an extra day.

  Mom wasted no time being Mom. “Did you do all of your homework before you left?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, if you stay past Tuesday, you’d better get online and start your work for the week. You’re graduating in two months, and I don’t want you to get behind.”

  I promised her I wouldn’t, although deep down I knew it didn’t matter. I could fail for the rest of the year, and it wouldn’t pull my grades down enough to keep me from graduating. Plus my mom had already made me fill out an application for Berkeley last summer, so I was set.

  Dawn called home next. Her call went about the same as mine. Mr. Healey was just concerned about her safety and schoolwork, and the call was pretty brief. Jackson passed on calling his folks just yet. His plan was to call tomorrow with an imaginary flat tire that would push him back a day.

  With the folks and tickets taken care of, we went back to playing Taboo. We were on round three when a quick swoosh came from the fireplace. We all looked just in time to see the flame rise up into an orange-and-green flash and then dissipate.

  My heart froze in one instant and my gaze traveled to Wes. If I ever wondered what he looked like in that steep turn with his flight instructor, I was pretty sure I was seeing it now. There was a hint of fear in his eyes.

  “Kerry?” I said wearily.

  “Um,” was all she managed to say before going over to check the switch.

  “It’s not the switch, Kerry. The pilot is out.” I whipped my head around to Rich, who was leaning over trying to get a visual under the faux logs.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “Yeah, what does that mean?” Dawn repeated.

  Wes, who had remained relatively silent and still during the light fiasco, stood up quickly and went into the kitchen.

  “What?” I asked.

  He kept walking. I followed close behind until he stopped short in front of the stove. He tried to light the burner and I heard a tic-tic-tic sound.

  I peeked over his shoulder. “That’s good, right?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing’s coming out.”

  His shoulders dropped, he turned his back to the stove, and his eyes said the same thing his voice said. “This is not good.”

  “What does that mean?” I whispered, although I already knew.

  He just looked at me without commenting. His face was unchanged, although his eyes were different, something I wasn’t used to. Confusion, concern, and questions filled them. I stepped closer to him until our bodies were almost touching.

  “We don’t know anything yet. It could come back on. Maybe they have a backup.”

  A faint smile of comfort tried to make its way across his face, but we both knew it was forced. We could not deny the fear that was welling up in both of us. The heat going out was more than an inconvenience. It was simply not an option.

  I grabbed his hand and led him back into the great room. We sat down, leaning forward, elbows on our knees. “The stove’s not working either. Do your parents have a backup for the gas?” I asked.

  Kerry shook her head. “No. We’ve never had the heat go out.”

  Dawn and Jackson were looking like deer in headlights. “Are we going to die? Freeze to death?” she asked.

  “No.” Kerry answered quickly. “We just have to keep warm. I’ll call Mom and Dad and see what they say.”

  She chose to leave the room and call them from the bedroom. Probably because she didn’t want to show that she was worried as well. Silence took over while she was gone. Not a word was attempted until she returned.

  “What did they say?” Dawn asked.

  “They said they’re going to call the gas company and see what’s going on and cal
l me back.”

  That sounded reasonable. Strange how none of us thought to do that ourselves. Somehow, knowing parents were taking charge of the situation made me feel better.

  After about fifteen minutes, the phone rang. Kerry picked it up and took it back to the bedroom. It was at that point I noticed the room temperature had dropped. It wasn’t a big difference, but it was enough to prompt me to scoot closer to Wes.

  He placed his hand on my thigh, and I weaved my arm through his, leaning my head against his shoulder.

  Kerry returned with a slow shake of her head. “They said they don’t know what’s going on. The gas company doesn’t have reports of an outage.”

  My forehead creased. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “I know. She said to see if we can make it to the neighbors and ask them if their gas is working.”

  Dawn spoke up. “Can’t you just call?”

  “No. We’ve never had their phone number.” She looked at Rich. “Want to see if we can get down there?”

  He shook his head. “Not a chance. There’s no way we’re getting down that road without it being plowed.”

  Dawn was not afraid to show her increased concern. “So does that mean we’re trapped?” She surveyed all of us until Kerry’s voice prompted Dawn’s gaze to lock onto her.

  “It appears so,” she said.

  Chapter 20

  THE DIVIDE

  Once it was clear that there was no solution, I made a quick excuse to get me and Wes upstairs. We didn’t have the time nor the desire to mingle while we tried to think of ways to get him through this.

  The bottom line was we needed a plan. At a minimum, it looked like we were going to be here until Tuesday morning. If the gas didn’t come back on, that was almost forty-eight hours without heat. It was only a matter of time before the thirty-degree weather outside overran the temperature inside. The tension in my mind was taking over. My palms began to sweat.

  “Wes, tell me what to do?” I urged, holding back the fear in my voice.

  He pulled me close, wrapping me in his arms as if I was the vulnerable one. “I don’t know, Sophie. We just wait.” After a moment of comfort, he pulled away.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m getting out some underclothes. I’ll need layers.” He was calm, but his look of resolve told me that he was worried.

  An urge forced me to run over to him, blocking his way. “I’m so sorry, Wes. I knew this was a bad idea. I knew better.”

  Still managing to be strong for my sake, he replied softly, “Sophie, calm down. I’m going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen to me. We just have to figure out how to get through this without bringing attention to me.”

  He leaned over and kissed me on my forehead before stepping around to get more clothes. He was right. He always told me the cold wouldn’t kill him. Worse case, it would cause him to fall into a long, terrible sleep. He might be incapacitated and look like death, but he would pull through. All I needed to do was keep him as warm as possible until I could get him completely warm again, without anyone noticing something was wrong.

  My optimism started to swell, so I went over and helped him find his long johns. He dropped his jeans and started stepping into a pair when my cell phone rang from below. I looked over the balcony to see it lighting up on the coffee table.

  I hustled downstairs, leaving the candle behind with Wes. The screen guided me through the dark until I was standing right over it. It glowed, UNKNOWN NUMBER.

  “Hello?”

  A low, hoarse voice on the other end said, “Hello, Sophie.”

  I instinctively looked around, as if someone else was going to feed me information as to who was calling, but no one was there. They had all dispersed to their own rooms, and I was left in blackness.

  “Who is this?” I asked.

  “It’s not necessary for you to know that right now.”

  “What? Is this a joke? Chase, is that you?”

  “Oh, no. You’re dealing with men now. And you need to listen carefully.”

  Something in me wanted to protest, or even hang up, but I didn’t. My body stiffened, my mouth went on Mute, and my ears opened. Silence followed for a few seconds and still I wasn’t able to speak. I stood there listening to my own breath until he asked me to put Wes on the phone.

  “Who is this?”

  “I already told you, that’s not your concern. Go get Weston. Now. I know he’s there.”

  I went completely quiet again, other than the sounds of my breath escaping my flared nostrils.

  “No,” I finally stated firmly. “Not until you tell me who’s calling.”

  I heard a huff of breath on the other end. “Tell me something, Sophie. Do you like the cold?”

  My lips tightened as I went to the window, fearing someone might be watching me from the trees. “Who is this?”

  The man’s voice was still low, but sharp, and seemed more casual now. “You answer my question first,” he said.

  “And that was?” I asked, scanning the darkness.

  “Do you like the cold?”

  “No,” I hissed.

  “Well, if you want the heat turned back on, then I suggest you put Weston on the phone.”

  My brain spun around inside my skull and flipped a few times before coming up with the conclusion that I shouldn’t protest. Without responding, I turned toward the steps and felt my way upstairs.

  Wes could tell by my eyes that something was wrong. He met me halfway across the room, reading my every expression.

  “Someone wants to talk to you?” I whispered.

  He took the phone without hesitation. “Hello?”

  He listened for a few seconds then, with similar instincts, walked over to the window, scanning the landscape. I followed, staying close.

  “Yes. No.” He closed his eyes and lowered his head. He moved across the room and sank onto the foot of the bed. With his elbows on his knees, he held the phone in one hand and gripped his hair with the other.

  I sat on the floor in front of him, trying to see his face.

  “What do you want?” he asked quietly. Then, firmly, “I don’t have it.” After a long pause, he shook his head. “Why now? I’ll be home Tuesday. That’s good enough. You don’t have to do this. No. That’s not necessary. I’ll do what you ask. You just do what you said before I leave.” Without saying good-bye, he hit the End button and tossed the phone onto the bed.

  I was on my knees now, making room for myself between his knees. He was clenching his teeth and I could see the tension bursting within. “Wes, who was that?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, what do they want?” I asked quickly.

  With a blank stare he paused and looked toward the floor. “They want me to go with them.”

  “What? When?”

  “Tonight.”

  It didn’t make sense. We were snowed in. No one was going anywhere. “How?”

  “I don’t know. They said they’re coming and I have to leave with them.”

  “So tell them no. That’s ridiculous.”

  “I don’t have a choice, Sophie.”

  “Yes, you do. They can’t make you.”

  “They can.”

  “How?”

  “Because they’re the ones who shut off everything. They’re prepared to let us all freeze if I don’t.”

  I grabbed his face and made him look at me. “Then we all freeze. You’re not leaving with anyone.”

  His eyes were sad, defeated. “If I don’t go now, they’ll come in here and take me anyway. And they’ll wait until we’re vulnerable.”

  “I don’t understand. What do they want?”

  “They want information for a project they’re working on.”

  “That makes no sense. They can set up an appointment back home.”

  Wes chuckled a little. “Sophie, people like this don’t make appointments. They want something from me and they don’t want anyone else to know they
’re getting it.”

  I shook my head, adding to the spinning sensation already present. “Wes, they can’t just take you. You’ve worked too hard to let someone find out about you now.”

  He looked at me with more urgency. “That’s why I have to go now. They don’t know about me yet.”

  “You don’t know that. Why else would they want you?”

  He took my hands and placed them in his lap. “Our research. If they already know what I am, then they wouldn’t have threatened me with letting you freeze in here.”

  I growled another very clear, “No.”

  “Listen to me and listen carefully. If I don’t go with them now, they’ll wait until we’re all freezing, and if they see me like that, they’ll know something isn’t right. And then they will take me. So I have to go with them now, give them whatever information they want, and then I’ll meet you back home.”

  I pushed his chest back to wake him from his dream. “They don’t want to take you just so they can let you go. Don’t be stupid.”

  He took my face in his hands. “Listen! They want something, and they know killing me or you isn’t going to get it for them. If they think I have information they want, it’s in our favor. It’s all we have. We have to be sensible, Sophie. I’m useless in this cold. If I go, they’ll take me out of here to someplace warmer and let you guys go home where you belong.”

  “I belong with you. I don’t want you to go.” I couldn’t keep from crying. My tears collected where his hands still gripped my face.

  He pulled me to his chest and rocked me gently. The more he rocked, the colder it became. I could feel it all around us, no matter how much I wished for warmth. No matter how much I wished we hadn’t come.

  “I was so stupid to bring you here. You can’t even defend yourself.”

  He squeezed me, and I lifted my head so it fit in the nook between his collarbone and neck. His flesh was cool.

  “Sophie, stop. Whoever these people are, they’re serious enough to pull off something like this. If it didn’t happen here, then it would happen somewhere else. This is not a new concern of mine. People have been looking for information for years.”

  “But how did they even know you were here?”