The Missing Mortals, page 33
Gratefully, Doug accepted Bobby’s offer of help and realized that it was Bobby’s way of agreeing to the truce. When Doug was upright once again, the two boys walked down the hallway side by side and entered the lounge together. Before they parted ways, Doug said quietly so that only Bobby could hear, “Thanks.”
Bobby’s only reply was a nod.
Bobby walked away wondering why in the world he had agreed to a truce with Doug. In an effort to figure it out, he thought back over recent events. There was no doubt about it: Harwood had gotten in over his head this time. Doug was involved in something dangerous, and Bobby wanted nothing to do with it. If he continued to follow Doug around, he could be putting himself at risk. Bobby told himself that he had agreed to the truce as a matter of self-preservation. That might have been part of the reason, but if Bobby was being honest with himself, it wasn’t the whole reason. Bobby had seen the look on Doug’s face as he lay there gasping for breath, unaware of his presence. He had looked genuinely scared. That look had ignited a tiny spark of compassion in Bobby. In that moment, he had no longer envied Doug. He had felt sorry for him.
By the time Doug returned to his seat at the table, the others had finished eating. Although they looked at him curiously, he didn’t tell them anything about what had happened. They would only give him a hard time for going off by himself, and he was in no mood for a scolding. No longer hungry, Doug told them that he was ready to go.
Emma knew that something was wrong, but she didn’t want to question him in front of the others. Doug was back with them and he was safe. For now, that would have to be enough.
Later that afternoon, Doug got a chance to talk with Mr. Munsen without Bobby or his goons around. Bobby seemed to have given up on his quest to catch Doug doing something that would get him expelled from school. Emma didn’t understand Bobby’s sudden change in strategy, but she was grateful for it. While Doug talked with Mr. Munsen in the bookstore’s back room, Emma, Martha, and Sebastian browsed the bookshelves.
The first thing Doug did was tell Mr. Munsen about the dark-haired man and what had happened when he’d followed him to his room at the inn.
“Boy, didn’t I tell ya not to put yerself in harm’s way?” Mr. Munsen began when Doug had finished. “Ya could’ve gotten yerself killed.”
“I know it was stupid,” Doug conceded. “I just wanted to find out his room number. I had no idea he knew he was being followed.”
“Those kinda folks are real sly like. They pretend they don’t see ya when all the while they know exactly what yer up to. That fellow sounds like a professional, a hired hand. I doubt he was the buyer. Most likely he works for him. I reckon he’s long gone by now.”
“That’s what I figured,” Doug agreed. “That’s why I didn’t rush right over here to find you. The guy probably skipped out right after he tossed me out of his room.” Doug stopped talking for a moment and let the events in the motel replay in his mind. Then with a sigh, he told Mr. Munsen what he was thinking. “You know, that guy might not have had anything to do with the Mortals, but he sure acted like he was up to no good.”
“We’ll never know for sure, but I’m guessin’ he’s part of this mess. Listen, son. This here is gettin’ mighty dangerous. I’ll only help ya if ya promise to stop doin’ stupid stuff,” Mr. Munsen admonished.
“I’ve learned my lesson,” Doug said quietly.
“Your job is ta find the rest of the Mortals. Let me take care of the bad guys. Okay?” Mr. Munsen smiled then and clapped Doug on the back with a big meaty hand.
“Okay,” Doug said when he could breathe again.
Satisfied that Doug would do as he promised, Mr. Munsen’s expression grew serious once again. “I was waitin’ for ya ta come by and see me. I think I’ve figured out how the Reaper is gettin’ the Mortals out of the castle. Not only that, but I think I know where he’s storing them until he can find a buyer.”
“That’s great!” Doug began.
“Hold yer horses there, boy. I said I think I know. We need to be sure before we try ta spring our trap. That’s why I need ya ta call me when you deliver the next Mortal. I’ll be watchin’ the castle, and I’ll know for certain then. Can you do that?”
“Yes, sir, but I’ve only got one sculpture left,” Doug answered uncertainly. What if he couldn’t find the last two Mortals? He’d need at least one more to spring the trap.
Mr. Munsen must have understood Doug’s dilemma.
“There are two more sculptures out there, son. Have a little faith that you’ll find them. Seems like the Lord’s been with ya so far. He’s not gonna quit ya now. Remember you’ve got me ta help ya. I’ll take ya anywhere ya need ta go.”
After the day he’d had, Mr. Munsen’s kind words of encouragement were almost Doug’s undoing. Doug felt the sting of tears at the back of his eyes, but he was determined not to give in to them.
Mr. Munsen waited quietly as Doug struggled to get a hold of himself. He could only imagine how hard this was for Doug, and it wasn’t over yet.
“Thank you, sir,” Doug finally managed. “You don’t know how much I appreciate your help.”
“I think I do,” Mr. Munsen replied. Then he put an arm around Doug’s shoulders and led him out of the storage room and back into the store where his friends waited.
“Well, what did Mr. Munsen say?” Sebastian asked when Doug came over to join them. Emma, Martha, and Sebastian had gotten tired of wandering around the store and were now seated around the table in the bookstore’s front window.
“I’ll tell you when we get back to the school,” Doug answered hastily. Without waiting for the others, he headed for the door. Doug didn’t mean to be rude, but he was still trying to pull himself together. He was afraid that if he stayed to talk, he might break down completely and start blubbering like a baby.
Martha raised her eyebrows at Doug’s curtness but didn’t say anything. It was obvious from his behavior that he was not in the mood for conversation. Without comment, the others followed Doug out into the frosty air.
A look at their watches revealed that the buses would be leaving to return to the school in fifteen minutes, so they made their way to the inn’s parking lot. Hunkered down in their coats in an attempt to protect themselves from the icy wind, no one spoke. The first flakes of snow began to fall as they boarded the bus. Normally, Emma would have been delighted, but at the moment she was too worried about Doug to enjoy the first snow of the season.
Once on board, Emma and Martha sat toward the front again, and Doug and Sebastian took the seat directly behind them. As soon as all of the buses were loaded and the dorm advisors had checked their lists to verify that each of their charges were present, the buses pulled out of the parking lot and began the thirty-minute trip to the academy. The bus was fairly quiet on the ride back to the school. It had been a long day, and most of the students were content to sit back and watch the snow falling outside their windows.
Emma glanced back at Doug every now and then with a worried expression. Doug had his head leaned against the back of his seat with his eyes closed. He didn’t look relaxed though. His face was unusually pale, and the lines around his mouth were drawn tight. There was no doubt about it; something was very wrong. Emma closed her own eyes and began to pray for her friend.
All Doug could think about on the ride back to the academy was how stupid he’d been to deliver that last sculpture without first talking to Mr. Munsen. Now the pressure was on to find at least one of the two remaining Mortals. He’d need one sculpture so that Mr. Munsen could check out his theory about how the Reaper was getting the sculptures out of the castle, and he’d need another one to actually spring the trap that would hopefully capture the creep. Doug’s stomach tightened into a hard knot every time he thought about what would happen if he couldn’t find either of the last two Mortals. Images of his dad and Lord Dinswood kept floating across his mind. He worried so much that soon he began to feel physically sick. Afraid that he would embarrass himself by vomiting right there on the bus, he laid his head on the back of his seat, closed his eyes, and tried to breathe deeply through his nose. Suddenly into his troubled mind came the words of Mr. Munsen. Have a little faith. The Lord’s been with you so far. He’s not going to quit you now. Unaccountably, Doug felt himself begin to relax. A moment later, he was sound asleep.
When they arrived back at the school, Doug gave them a brief recap of his conversation with Mr. Munsen. Emma immediately understood why Doug was so worried. In order for Mr. Munsen’s plan to work, they had to find another sculpture, and they were running out of places to look. Emma knew that for the last several weeks Doug had worried that they wouldn’t be able to find the last two. He had been hoping that, with Mr. Munsen’s help, they would be able to catch the Reaper before the deadline. Then it wouldn’t have been necessary to find any of the other sculptures. Of course, they intended to continue to search, but the pressure to actually find one would have been off their shoulders. More importantly, with the Reaper in jail, Doug’s dad and Lord Dinswood would have been safe from harm.
“Don’t worry, Doug. We’ll find another Mortal,” Sebastian said in an attempt to ease his friend’s obvious worry. It seemed even Sebastian had understood the ramifications of Doug’s words.
“Yeah, Doug. We can start looking again over Christmas break,” Martha chimed in. She could see now why Doug had seemed so curt back in the bookstore. He had been sick with worry. Her heart went out to him.
Doug said nothing but stood with his head bent in a posture of defeat, his gaze focused on the floor. While he appreciated his friends’ attempts to console him, it didn’t change anything. The lives of two people were in his unsteady hands.
Emma looked at Doug’s pale face and found herself getting angry. It was all so unfair. Doug had done nothing to deserve the situation in which he now found himself. For the hundredth time, Emma hoped that someday the Reaper would get what he deserved for putting Doug through this torment, and the sooner the better. As these thoughts passed through her mind, Emma felt her resolve growing along with her anger. They were at the mercy of a madman, and it was time to take matters into their own hands. In a strong and determined tone, Emma said, “We can do it, Doug. We can do it and we will.”
Surprised at the certainty in her voice, Doug looked up at Emma. He could see the light of determination in her eyes, and he drew strength from it. He realized that he’d been on the brink of giving up, and it was much too soon for that. Besides it wasn’t like him. He was a fighter. Emma’s words had reminded him of that. Grateful for the reminder, Doug straightened his shoulders and nodded.
THE WEEKS BEFORE Christmas flew by in a blur. The weather remained dry and uncharacteristically cold. The temperature never rose above freezing even during the day. The light dusting of snow they’d had the day of their trip to Windland remained on the ground—the temperature never warming sufficiently to melt it.
The end of the semester was approaching, and every evening the library, lounge, and even the dining hall were filled with students studying for the upcoming final exams. An almost audible sigh of relief could be heard at the conclusion of the last day of school before Christmas break. The somber atmosphere that had characterized the castle for the past two weeks lifted, and the castle became a frenzy of activity as students prepared to head home for the holidays.
The next day, Emma and Martha watched from the ballroom windows as the last bus, filled with departing students, left for the airport. Bobby, along with his girlfriend Natalie, had been the last to board.
“I’m glad to see the back of Bobby Wilcox,” Martha commented. “At least we won’t have him to worry about when we go looking for another Mortal.”
“I don’t know,” Emma replied. “Ever since we got back from that last trip to Windland, Bobby doesn’t seem to be as interested in what Doug is doing.”
“I guess I didn’t notice,” Martha said thoughtfully as she pursed her lips. “But now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him hanging around the last couple of weeks. What do you suppose it means?”
“I have no idea, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“Maybe he’s been spending more time with his girlfriend,” Martha conjectured.
Emma shrugged her shoulders. She had a feeling that there was more to it than that. She suspected that Doug knew the reason behind Bobby’s sudden disinterest, but Doug wasn’t talking, and she hated to bring it up. It didn’t really matter now anyway. Bobby was gone, and they had two weeks to find another sculpture.
The day before Christmas was spent making plans for their next hunting expedition. They looked over their dwindling list of locations and tried to brainstorm spots within walking distance of the castle where they might look. Satisfied that they had done all they could for the time being, they enjoyed their supper and spent Christmas Eve playing games in the lounge.
That evening while everyone slept, volunteers from the senior class delivered the presents that had been sent by the parents of those students staying at the academy over the holiday. Each student’s presents were stacked neatly outside his or her door, waiting to be opened on Christmas morning. As was the tradition at the academy, the senior volunteers were then treated to a party in the lounge.
Emma and Martha awakened early, too excited to sleep any longer. Opening the door to their room, they discovered two stacks of brightly wrapped boxes. They made quick work of transporting their gifts to their beds, and when both girls had completed the task and were sitting on their beds, they tore in and began unwrapping with gusto.
Emma’s gifts included some much-needed clothes along with a new winter coat. In her last box, she found a pair of gloves and earmuffs to match. Considering the cold winter they were having, Emma was thrilled. At least, she would be able to stay warm while they searched for the remaining sculptures.
Martha opened all of her smaller boxes first. As with Emma, her gifts were mostly clothes—a couple of pairs of jeans and some new sweaters. Emma noticed that Martha was saving her biggest box for last. Having finished with her own gifts, Emma watched as Martha eagerly tore the wrapping away from her last and largest present. Martha removed the lid with a flourish, and both girls laughed when they saw what was inside. The box contained a winter coat very similar to the one Emma had received.
“I think our parents must have gotten together to buy our Christmas presents,” Martha said with another laugh.
“I think you’re right,” Emma agreed. “Or maybe they just know what a cold winter we’re having around here. Anyway, considering that we’re going to be spending a lot of time outside this next week, I’m glad to get a warm coat.”
“Me too,” Martha agreed.
After cleaning up the scattered wrapping paper and piling their new clothes neatly on their beds, the two girls got dressed. A little later, they met up with the boys in the dining hall for breakfast. As had become their tradition, the four of them planned to open their presents to each other after breakfast in the lounge. When they were seated comfortably in a semicircle around the lounge’s fireplace, Sebastian began nagging the others to let him go first. For their own peace of mind, they quickly agreed. Once he was given the go-ahead, Sebastian wasted no time. He opened his present from Martha first.
“Thanks, Martha. I can’t wait to read it!” he exclaimed upon seeing the cookbook. “There’s a third book in the series too,” he added, laying in a hint for next year.
Martha raised an eyebrow and said, “Maybe if you’re good, Santa will get it for you.”
Sebastian’s only response was a laugh. He was too eager to open his other presents to delay long.
When he opened Emma’s present, he told her that he’d been hoping she’d get him chocolates again. Then he proceeded to select one from the box and pop it into his mouth. He offered some to the others, but they each declined. Sebastian then eyed the box that contained his present from Doug.
“What is it, Doug?” he asked curiously as he shook the box.
“Open it and find out,” Doug answered with a grin.
Sebastian tore the wrapping away and opened the box. With a smile of pleasure, he lifted the contents out so everyone could see. Doug had gotten him a jersey with the name of his favorite hockey player written on the back.
“Thanks, Doug. It’s just what I wanted.”
“I know,” Doug said, laughing. “You’ve been hinting for the last three months.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you were paying attention,” Sebastian said sheepishly. Then with another thank you to everyone, Sebastian sat back with a satisfied smile and prepared to watch his friends open their presents.
They talked Doug into going next. The girls had hidden his hockey stick behind the curtains of the nearest window. While he opened Sebastian’s present, they went over to get it. When they got back to where the boys were sitting, Doug was holding up a hockey jersey similar to the one he had given Sebastian.
“Thanks, Sebastian. I really like it,” Doug said sincerely. When he saw the hockey stick, he exclaimed, “This is great! Dad got me a new pair of hockey skates. Now with this jersey and the new hockey stick, I’m all set. I can’t wait to give everything a try!”
“That pond you told us about has to be frozen solid by now,” Sebastian said eagerly. “Maybe we can go skating this afternoon.”
Emma didn’t want to ruin the moment by pointing out that she and Martha didn’t have any skates, so she remained silent.
Martha went next. The boys had gone together to get her an easel and canvas. She liked the sketch pad and colored pencils Emma had gotten her, but she let out a cry of pleasure when she opened the box containing the picture frame.
“I love it, Emma,” she exclaimed. “We’ll have to get a picture of the two of us to put in it.”
“Okay now, Emma. It’s your turn,” Doug said with a conspiratorial wink at the others. It seemed as if they had intentionally planned it so that Emma would go last. Her curiosity was piqued when only one box was brought out and placed before her. The box was larger than a shoebox but smaller than the box that had contained her winter coat.
