The Rampart Guards, page 17
part #1 of The Rampart Guards Series
“Sadie, I caused this. Me.”
“Get over yourself, Jason. Your mom caused this. All of it. She left you guys, she hurt you all when she did that, and she’s still hurting you. And you’re letting her.”
“What? What am I supposed to do about her? I’m fourteen. She’s my mom.”
“So you just give up? You don’t even try to stop her?”
Jason ran his hands through his hair. “She’s my mom . . . ”
“She’s not going to stop, Jason, and a whole lot of other people are going to get hurt next, including your dad and Della, and me and Mamo.” Sadie sighed. “And just because she’s your mom by birth doesn’t mean she’s a good mom. Or a good person.”
“I . . . ” Jason sank to the ground. He grabbed a fistful of leaves and crushed them. He watched the crumbles fall from his hand, grabbed another fistful and crushed them, too. “You’re right.” He swallowed hard. “I can’t just do nothing.”
“Correction—we can’t do nothing.” Sadie wiped her hands on her shorts and stood.
“Okay, but I have no idea what to do next.”
“Maybe we talk to your dad?”
Jason pulled himself up to standing. “Yeah, we can try. And maybe Grandma Lena.” Jason sucked in a breath. “But wait—Della.”
“You want to talk to her about all of this?”
“No, I mean, what if Mom wants to hurt her? Dad won’t know she’s in danger. And maybe he is, too. I’ve got to get to them.” He hurried to the cove entrance and Sadie followed.
They worked their way to the spot behind the Lex house and prepared to climb over the fence. The plan was to first check the house and make sure no one was there then grab bikes from the garage to ride to the hospital. But a deputy stood in the front yard, just on the other side of the backyard gate. Jason and Sadie crouched in the thick tangle of bushes and grass.
“Why is he here? Do you think they’re looking for me or something?” Jason kept his voice low.
“Probably just want to ask you questions.” Sadie pushed at a branch that poked her ear.
“Not good timing. And what would I say anyway? I need to get to my dad and Della.” Jason shifted his position to see more of the front yard but the path alongside the house didn’t reveal much. “I think I can climb the tree to my bedroom, but I wish I knew if anyone else was around.” His phone vibrated in his pocket again, and again Jason ignored it.
“I’ll go to the house and see what’s going on. I’ll text you if it’s clear.”
“Okay.” Jason nodded once.
Sadie made her way out and was gone. Jason waited for what seemed like forever. It was too long. He needed to get in there.
Another moment passed. Still no signal from Sadie. Jason decided not to wait any longer. He’d make a run to the house. He was about to go when his phone vibrated. A text had arrived. Not yet.
He held firm. How long can this take?
The back door opened and Jason hunched deep in the thicket. Two officers came into the yard. One was Sheriff Gunderson. Jason didn’t recognize the second man.
“Scared kids hide. You check that storage shed over there.” The sheriff pointed across the yard. “I’ll do a perimeter sweep.”
The other officer nodded and moved away. The sheriff placed his right hand on his hip and started walking the fence between Jason’s yard and the neighbor’s. Jason pushed himself as low as he could and prayed it was enough.
Sheriff Gunderson walked slowly, peering behind lilac and evergreen bushes, roses and snapdragons.
Seriously? He thinks I can hide behind snapdragons? Jason rolled his eyes and stilled his lungs.
The sheriff turned the corner and walked along the back fence, approaching Jason’s cover. He inched closer.
Jason’s heart hard-knocked on the inside of his chest. Air forced its way through his nose, fluttering leaves in front of him.
Sheriff Gunderson stopped.
Seven feet separated them, seven feet filled with thick bushes on Jason’s side, a pine tree on the sheriff’s side, and a chain link fence in between. The sheriff took out his flashlight and ducked his head under the low branches of the tree. He scanned the ground around it and the thinnest edge of the light skimmed the front of Jason’s shoe. The sheriff shined his light into the pine branches above, weaving the beam back and forth, working to see every spot. He switched it off and stood.
“Adam-one, come in.” The radio’s sudden noise whipped a shot of adrenaline into Jason’s system.
“Go ahead.” Sheriff Gunderson answered.
“The girl says she doesn’t know where the boy is. She came here looking for him.”
“Alright. She’s free to go.”
“Roger that.”
Sadie.
The sheriff dropped his hand from the radio mic and continued his sweep. Soon he was ten feet away from Jason, then twenty, then forty, until he finally went back into the house.
The door shut and two big breaths forced their way into Jason, releasing the tight muscles, and tendons, and ligaments. His jaw cracked when he relaxed his bite.
Another text message arrived. Everyone out front.
Jason didn’t hesitate. He pushed out of the cover and leaped the fence. He sprinted to the tree by his window and monkeyed up it as if he’d climbed it a thousand times before. He leaned over, opened the window, and pulled himself through.
Finn tackled him on the other side. She pinned him and gave him three big licks, covering every spot on his face.
Jason hugged her hard, pressing his face into her shoulder. “You have no idea how much I needed that, Finn.” He pulled back and stood. He winced at the sight of the room where he’d seen Kyle yesterday.
Both doors, one to the hallway, the other the adjoining bathroom, were shut. “They locked you in?” Jason asked Finn.
She walked to the door and scratched. She pressed her nose to the crack between the door and the frame and took a deep sniff. She looked at Jason and scratched again.
He rubbed behind her ears. “I’ll get you out of here, Finn, but I can’t let you out now or they’ll know something’s up.”
Finn sat.
Sadie texted again. Where are you?
My room.
Coming up.
A few seconds later the door to the hallway opened and Sadie slipped inside.
Finn tried to push past her but Jason grabbed her collar. “Not yet, Finn.” She gave a little whine and sat again.
“Did you see Della?” Jason asked.
“No, she’s not here. Neither is your dad. He’s at the hospital and he gave the sheriff a key to come look for you, and meet Della when her carpool drops her off after dance class.”
“That’s good. She’ll be safe with a deputy.” He swallowed. “But they are looking for me.”
“Yeah, but mostly just to ask you some questions about what happened, and make sure you’re okay. Everyone’s worried about you.”
Jason thought about his bolt from the football field. “Running away probably wasn’t my best move.”
“No, but understandable.” Sadie sat on the floor next to Finn and stroked her neck. “And Finn’s in here because she’s been acting weird and trying to get out the front door. She wouldn’t stop barking at one of the deputies.”
Jason laughed and sat down next to both of them. “Well if you don’t like him, neither do I, Finn.” She licked Jason’s face.
“So now what?” Sadie asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll call my dad. Not sure we can get the bikes out with a deputy sitting out front.” He looked at his phone. “Dad’s already called me six times.”
“He’s probably freaking out.”
Jason stood and walked over to the window.
“It would help if he knew you were okay.” Sadie grabbed a tissue from a nearby box and dabbed her eyes.
“What do I even say? It was Mom? And don’t let Mom, who’s actually alive and well and living in Salton, hurt you or Della?” He turned back into the room, his fists clenched. He raised them to punch the wall, to punch the dresser, to punch something then threw them to his sides.
He dropped to the floor and held his face in his hands. “I wish I had listened to you. I wish she wasn’t my mother.” He looked at Sadie. “And I know it’s horrible but I really, really wish she’d stayed missing.”
Sadie put her arm over Finn’s back and leaned into her.
Jason’s phone vibrated in his pocket. “God, it’s probably my dad again.” He glanced at the screen. “Not Dad. It’s my uncle.” Jason answered his phone. “Uncle Alexander?”
“Where are you?” Uncle Alexander was panting.
“At home.”
“Get out of there. They’ll look for you there.”
“The police? They didn’t find me.”
“Not the police.” His voice was high and his words rapid. “Them. Your mother. The Kappas. Get out of there.”
Jason jumped to his feet. “Okay. Right.” He scooped at the air signaling Sadie to her feet. “We’ll go. Somewhere.”
“Where?” Sadie mouthed the word.
Jason shrugged, shook his head.
“Go to my house,” Uncle Alexander said.
“But they know—”
“Do you have Finn?”
“Yes.”
“She’ll lead you to a safe place,” he wheezed. “We’ll talk . . .” He hissed “. . . later.” The call ended.
Jason slipped the phone back in his pocket. “Go outside with Finn. Tell the deputy you’re taking her for a walk.” He scanned the sky outside his window. “I’ll meet you at the bridge.”
“Okay.” She grabbed her bag and hung it across her body. “And then where? Your Uncle’s house?”
“Yeah. But you should go home.”
“No.” She dropped her phone into a pocket.
“It’s not safe.”
Sadie planted herself and put her hands on her hips. “It’s not safe because maybe she’s trying to kill you. It’s not safe because she is trying to destroy the Rampart.” She opened the door and Finn bolted. She stepped into the hall. “I’ll see you at the bridge.”
Jason climbed down the tree and arrived at the bridge a moment before Sadie and Finn. Finn was pulling Sadie along as fast as Sadie could go, like a sled dog dragging a loaded sleigh. They stopped next to Jason.
“She’s in a hurry.” Sadie bent forward, gulping air.
A familiar crackle rose in his ears. “And I think I know why. We gotta move.” He unclipped Finn’s leash, grabbed Sadie’s arm and they ran.
They were clear on each side. He didn’t dare check behind them. They had to keep moving.
The crackle engulfed him, the heat on his neck mounted. “Keep running. Skyfish. Not sure which ones.”
They were almost at Uncle Alexander’s when Jason spotted the Skyfish, a golden mass flying a short distance above. The good guys. Never in his life had Jason liked something sparkly as much as he did right now.
Finn, Sadie and Jason rounded the corner of the lonely street that led to Uncle Alexander’s house. They pushed hard and sped into the yard when an ear-splitting boom forced them to the ground. Jason rolled on his back, hands up and ready. They were hot. Blue. Fiery.
Above him, the golden Skyfish were battling silvers, cracking the sky, burning into each other. “Get inside,” he yelled to Sadie.
She scrambled onto the porch. A silver Skyfish zoomed toward her.
“Duck!” Jason swung his arm and zapped Sadie’s assailant. She sprung up, opened the unlocked door and rushed inside. Finn waited outside, rigid, watching Jason.
Jason jumped, a silver Skyfish lasered toward him. He thrust out his right hand and blue bolts incinerated the attacker. He used both hands, aimed, and one Skyfish after another sizzled to ash. Three headed for Finn on Jason’s left. He fired, stopped them, but wailed when one hit his forearm. Another buckled his leg and five more headed for Jason from his right.
Jason fought until the goldens outnumbered silvers. He raced inside, Finn tightly in step.
“Wow.” Sadie’s eyes were wide.
“You saw them?” Jason shook his hands.
Sadie nodded, her mouth gaping.
Finn ran down the hall to a door. Using both front paws, she scratched hard and fast. Jason opened it.
It was a walk-in closet. One side was lined with a variety of coats, the other was shelves holding board games and vacuum bags and bottles of water. Finn trotted in, turned around and sat in front of the back wall. They followed her inside and stood, glancing at each other.
“We’re supposed to be hiding in a closet?” Sadie wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve.
Finn barked once. They waited.
Nothing happened.
“Great. That must have been the deranged and drugged uncle on the phone instead of the I-have-a-clue uncle.”
Finn nudged the door shut. She sat again and barked once.
The floor dropped and Sadie grabbed at a coat to steady herself. But the coats were staying. Finn and Sadie and Jason were descending. Rails rose and surrounded them on three sides. As soon as they’d cleared the bottom of the closet, a new floor closed above their heads.
They dropped about thirty feet and the platform stopped. They followed Finn into a tunnel and through strips of heavy plastic hanging from the ceiling, separating the tunnel from the next space. They found themselves in a huge, high-tech lab, almost identical to the one Uncle Alexander showed them before. They moved through the lab to a second set of plastic partitions and stepped through.
They entered a living room. A plush couch sat in the center, a red leather recliner next to it. In the recliner, hooked to oxygen, was Uncle Alexander.
Finn trotted to him and put her front legs on the arm of the chair. She licked him and sniffed him and licked him some more, her tail wagging in a blur.
“Good girl, good girl, Finn.” Uncle Alexander’s arms were around her neck and he ducked his head into her scruff, trying to avoid some of her kisses. “Oh yes, I’ve missed you, too. You’re such a good girl.”
Finn moved to climb onto the chair with him. “No, no. Off please. Not quite ready for you as a lap dog, my dear.” She stopped and licked his face again. He laughed. “Okay, that’s enough. All the way off, please.” Finn dropped to a sit next to the chair, her head resting on the arm.
“Uncle Alexander.” Jason bent down and hugged him. Finn’s dog-breath lingered on Uncle Alexander’s skin. “How are you? You didn’t sound so good on the phone.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine. I was a little taxed from the move. The doc wasn’t too happy about the early release, but it needed to be done. It’s good to see you.” He looked at Sadie. “And you too, young lady.”
“Thanks.” She gave a little wave. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“All thanks to you three, according to Grandma Lena.” He scratched Finn behind the ears then gestured toward the couch. “Have a seat. We’re safe here.” He noticed the burn on Jason’s arm. “Sadie, there’s a first aid kit in the closet over there, top shelf.”
Sadie grabbed the kit and bandaged Jason’s arm. After she was finished, Jason and Sadie sat on the couch. Sadie slipped off her shoes and crossed her legs underneath her.
“So, your mom . . . ”
“She hurt Kyle . . . ” A hiccup of air hung on the end of Kyle’s name. Jason held his breath for a second then relayed the story of the Skyfish attack.
Uncle Alexander shook his head, clenching and unclenching his jaw. “I heard about Kyle at the hospital. I never thought . . . I never thought she was this far gone. But once I heard that, I knew you were in danger, too.”
“You knew she was behind this?” Jason asked.
“I didn’t know for certain. I didn’t want to believe it. I searched for every other possible explanation. And then they took me.”
“Why did they do that?” Sadie asked.
He sighed. “Lots of reasons, apparently. That arrogant-piece-of-disgrace-to-all-Kappas Mizu was happy to fill me in on the details. Perhaps he thought I wouldn’t remember any of it. Or that I’d never get out of there . . . ” He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. “But apparently we were getting too close.”
“Too close? How?” Jason leaned forward.
“Because you, and your brother and sister, are like booster stations for the connection between your mom and me. While I noticed some additional connection to Adrienne, she must have felt a lot more, especially when you and I started spending more time together.” He took a deep draw on his oxygen.
“Why didn’t you notice it?” Jason asked.
“Ah, well, it seems your mother has become quite the pharmacologist. She’s been dosing me with Jimsonweed. Started in high school.”
“Oh my God.” Sadie picked up a throw pillow and clutched it.
“Well, she did stop for a while, after I bowed out of the Guards. But she started again after she disappeared so I’d be less able to connect with her.”
“How did she . . . ” Sadie pressed her fingertips to her lips.
“She planted it in my drinks—my Kool-Aid, my tea. It gave me hallucinations, headaches, dizziness—all things that affected my behavior, made me seem crazy. Hell, it made me feel crazy.” He sucked in oxygen through the tubes in his nose.
“Why would she do that? Why do any of this?” Jason slapped the couch cushion.
“I don’t know, Jason. It may be that everyone had the wrong sibling pegged for mental illness.” He breathed deep.
“But . . . so . . . so she was mental, or whatever, even when she seemed like herself? When she was home with us?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe she was better for a while. Maybe she’ll get better again. But right now she sees you as a threat.”
“I’m fourteen, and I’m her son. How am I a threat?”
Sadie shifted toward them. “Because Jason is a Guard.”
“It’s not entirely certain yet, but yes,” Uncle Alexander nodded.
“No, Kyle is the . . . she was training him. Not me. Him.”
“She couldn’t have known that for certain. You saw the book—none of your names were in gold. I think she was just making an educated guess.” He gestured to Jason’s hands. “But then you surprised her at the sugar mill and things changed.”
