Jake raced along the side of the river, heading for the footbridge. It was set up at the place where the slope of the bank was less steep. He felt a renewed interest in discovering answers, and if anyone in town could give them to him, it was Hawkins.
Are you sure about that Buddy?
'What?' He asked. 'This is the only way across right?'
He glanced up and realized he was once again in a different location. He was surrounded by houses and knew himself to be nearing the old Thompson place.
That should answer your first question, but that's not what I was asking you. What do you think this Hawkins guy would do if a complete stranger burst in, claiming to know him?
Jake stopped, almost laughing to himself. 'Right. So what now? Do I go introduce myself as the Green's long lost son? Welcome to the neighbourhood, a year later?'
You'll know what to do. I'm just reminding you to think about it.
'Great.' Jake was starting to feel apprehensive about what he might find behind Hawkins' door if he knocked. The last three encounters he'd had with old friends had really drained him.
He didn't see any signs of life as he approached the house. That wasn't unusual. Hawkins knew how to keep a low profile. After pausing for a second, he went up and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He waited for a few minutes, and still, there was no one. He walked around the side of the house, carefully. He remembered how he had broken into the house last time. He couldn't find any obvious protective measures Hawkins might have taken. He felt something compelling him to go up to the back door, even though his logic told him it could have a far worse outcome then trespassing at the Richmonds'. He knocked on the back door, waiting and listening. Nothing. He tried the door - it was unlocked.
He slowly entered the house, trying to be as silent as possible. Once he became accustomed to the darkness, he realized he probably didn't have to worry. The house was bare.
Some pieces of furniture remained, but most of the family's belongings seemed to be missing. It didn't seem like anyone had been there for a while. He wandered from room to room, finding only the items too big to move easily had been left behind.
'How long have they been gone?'
Hawkins took off when the army arrived. Only a couple of days ago.
'Hawkins knew they were looking for him?'
He should have. He saw that they were tracking him with his satellite feed.
Jake went down to the basement. Some of the boxes of household junk remained, but there wasn't a trace of the maps or clues of which Hawkins had been keeping track. 'He wasn't using it to watch New Bern this time, was he?'
He was looking for his family. They'd taken off on the migration trail. That's where he's gone now.
'Why would they do that? Darcy's smarter than that.'
She's smart enough to have kept them going so far. They're still alive. They left home after Sarah Mason held them hostage. They didn't have anywhere to go, so Darcy took the kids to stay at the shelter.
'I thought most of the refugees were turned away or forced to fend for themselves.'
They were allowed to stay at the shelter, but the town isn't giving away rations. They had to leave if they didn't want to starve. Darcy planned though - she brought food, and found ways to get it when they ran out. They stayed there until it was warm enough to go, and they started walking south. Hawkins spent a while trying to find them, and when he did, he went after them.
'And tipped off the government to come here in the process.'
Hey, you know his family means more to him than anything. He didn't feel the same way about this town.
Jake had climbed the stairs, and walked outside, crossing the backyard and entering the shed. There was no trace of the package in here either, just soft earth below his feet.
He took the bomb with him. Does that make you feel better?
'Well, the government won't be able to find it. But they'll tear apart the town looking for something that isn't here, won't they?'
Does that sound like something they would do?
'I don't know. These are different guys then Beck and the soldiers we have in town now.'
That's because they've been sent here on a slightly different mission. Beck was sent to you because he was good at coming into an organized place, where people were still standing on their own feet, able to fight back.
'And I never expected his men to do some of the things I've seen them do. They were at least pretending to help us. All that talk, Beck promising to put things back together, and look how that worked out. I don't know if I can tell what anyone would do anymore.'
Then this will really surprise you. Sneak around the side of the house, and make sure you're quiet.
Jake wanted to question him, but once again, followed Freddie's instructions. He kept close to the wall as he carefully stepped towards the front. As he rounded the corner, he could see a figure holding a can of spray paint, surveying the garage door. Freddie was right. He was surprised at who he saw, putting the finishing touches on her work - Skylar Stevens.
He stepped out of hiding, and she turned quickly, a surprised look on her face. She bolted, running across the driveway, but he called, “Hey! Stop!”
She stopped, turning towards him, a pained look on her face. When he was satisfied she wasn't moving, he turned to look at the garage door. It read “Mother, should I trust the government?”
“So it's you?” he asked. She nodded, her eyes wide, not stepping any closer.
“You're the one Gray's worrying about?” He almost laughed, but her face was twisted with worry so he didn't.
“Gray doesn't like it when people don't agree with him,” she said, watching to see how he would react. He didn't say anything, so she went on. “After Mayor Green died, Gray took over and started making all these rules, saying he was going to make it safe for everyone. We'd be better off. It wasn't true.”
Her eyes were bright and he remembered what had happened to Dale in this world. “He didn't protect everyone. He didn't keep everyone safe. He only cared about what was important to him - his salt mine. He told me I needed his help. I wouldn't know how to look after my part of the mine myself. He would take me in, teach me the business. Just like my parents would do if they were here.”
He recognized the look on her face. Not because it was like the looks they all wore here, though she had the same sadness in her. It was like the looks he'd seen much earlier, many days ago now. Looks he'd seen on their faces at that meeting at Bailey's, when they'd protested the new hold the ASA had on their lives.
She continued. “It took me a while to realize what he was doing. Why he got me to work for him, study all the manuals, move in with his family and babysit his bratty nephews from Topeka. He didn't want to help look after me because he was friends with my parents - he wanted to make sure he still had control over the mine. When I realized, it was too late. I saw what happened to people who disagreed with him. So I found my own way to do it - to stand up to him.”
She actually smiled now. “I wrote things about your father sometimes, because I wanted to remind people how different things used to be. Sometimes I drew pictures. I was the town's very own political cartoonist. I'd go home and sit at the dinner table with his niece and her kids, and listen to him complain about it. He still hasn't figured it out.”
Jake gave an understanding nod. “I thought you liked Main Street. Why are you all the way out here?”
“It finally got too difficult to hit Main Street without getting caught. You should've seen how it was before. I did the outside of Bailey's once while Bill Kohler was having a drink inside. I have to be more careful now.”
“Now that you've taken on a bigger target?” he asked. He was trying to hide how impressed he was. She was in way over her head, and in no way matched to stand up to the people she was targeting, but he couldn't help but enjoy speaking to the most sought-after thorn in Gray's side. It was strange that the only person who was ready to stand up to the A.S.A. in this world was Skylar Stevens.
“Someone's got to warn people,” she said, her voice getting passionate. “What do they think is happening? They aren't here to help us. We're probably going to have to stand up for ourselves or there won't be anything left for us to stand on.”
“You really think the people could take on the soldiers?” he asked.
“No. But I'd rather go down fighting,” she said, refusing to look away from his warning look. “I know you've got family here Jake. I don't have anything else to lose. I don't have anything but this.” She gestured at her work, her one defiant stand.
He couldn't argue. Dangerous and futile as her position was, her words seemed accurate enough. He could already anticipate the lecture he'd get on getting involved, but he had to try. “I know what you mean. You're right about the government. They aren't here to help. But if you need anything, my family will help you. Have you met my mom?”
“Yeah,” she said reluctantly.
“There are others. People in town you can trust. People in town you can help, if that's what you want. Think about that before you do something dangerous.”
She nodded. “When I saw it was you who came back, I knew it was a sign. Things are changing.”
He was slightly uncomfortable with the way she was smiling up at him now. He normally tried to avoid it when people called him a hero. After seeing Heather, Stanley, and Emily, and hearing what had happened to Bonnie, his family, and the kids on the bus, he really didn't want to think about it. “You're right, I have family here. I want to make sure they're safe. You can't expect me to lead some revolution, right after I finally get back to them.”
She was still smiling, an annoyingly knowing smile. “You don't like what you've seen here. There'll be a time when you can't stand it anymore. You'll see.”
He started to say something to contradict her, when a truck driving by startled him. He could see several armed men, patrolmen he guessed, riding in the back. He realized too slowly that he and Skylar were standing in front of the latest graffiti, Skylar with the spray paint still in her hands. The truck drove by them, speeding towards the centre of town. Another followed close behind.
Skylar was speechless. “Is that normal?” he asked.
“No,” she said quietly. “Something's happening.”
Everything seemed to be in slow motion suddenly. More danger was befalling his town, his friends, his family. He had come to see how it was without him, but he needed, once again, to become a part of it. He forced his mind to come into sharp focus again. He turned to Skylar, who was staring after the truck.
“Don't do anything stupid. We'll figure this out, okay? You can go find out what you can, but keep yourself safe, please.”
She looked like she would protest, but she pressed her lips into a smile. “Okay,” she breathed, and she took off running down the street.
He paused a moment, his mind racing, thinking. The late afternoon sun was waning. His mother and Eric might be home now, expecting dinner with him. He'd find them first.