Paranoia (2 page)

I grab the bags and start to hustle Raine out of the store. ―I can‘t believe you did that,‖ I say.

―I can‘t believe you didn‘t.‖ She eats another gummy bear. ―Have you even used your

powers since that night at the dance?‖

―That‘s none of your business.‖

―You haven‘t!‖ She shakes her head, like she can‘t believe how naïve I am.

―Well , whatever.‖ She shrugs. ―You might think it‘s wrong to control people now. But just wait.‖

―For what?‖ I ask. We‘re at the car now, and I pull out the key ring and hit the button, unlocking the doors.

―For them to take the only thing that means anything to you.‖ She opens the door and

climbs in. I get in after her, and I‘m about to ask her what the hell she‘s talking about. But when I look over at her, she‘s staring out the window, and suddenly, I have a feeling it‘s better if I don‘t know. So after a moment, I start the car and pull back onto the road, heading toward I-95.

Chapter Two

Campbell

Hadley and I are driving deep into Maine, heading towards Bangor. I had to stop for gas again. We‘re still on 95, but the highway‘s deserted except for the occasional tractor-trailer hauling past. The latest is an eighteen-wheeler with the words ―Wonder Bread‖

painted in giant red letters on the side. Something about it fills me with a sense of loneliness and deep sadness. My mom used to make me peanut butter and fluff sandwiches on Wonder Bread after long summer days of swimming and playing outside.

―Why can‘t you at least tell me what city we‘re going to?‖ I ask her, a variation on the same question I‘ve been asking since we left Boston.

―Because the name of the city isn‘t important.‖

―It is to me. I‘d like to at least have an idea of where we‘re headed.‖

―You do have an idea.‖ She points to a sign that says Bangor, Maine: 100 miles.

―Bangor?‖

She shrugs. ―Close enough.‖

I sigh and shove another piece of gum in my mouth.

I‘ve been popping pieces of gum like it‘s fucking Xanax or something. I probably look like a baseball player with a big wad of chew in my cheek. I glance at Hadley. She seems tired.

And what else?

Maybe a little bit scared.

She keeps checking the rearview and side mirrors.

She thinks she‘s being slick, but I‘ve noticed her doing it every so often. She‘s still afraid we‘re being fol owed even though there haven‘t been any cars behind us for hours now.

―Do you love her?‖ she asks me out of the blue.

The question startles me. ―Do I love who—Raine?‖

―No. Natalia.‖

I consider the question. I think of me and Natalia eating burgers and laughing at some dumb joke. I picture her smile, her eyes. Maybe I do love her. But then I remember her telling me that Brody was the only person she could talk to about this stuff, lying to me about meeting him. ―I don‘t know how I feel about Natalia anymore,‖ I say, final y.

―Why?‖

―She lied to me.‖

―About what?‖

I switch to the middle lane for lack of anything better to do. The Wonder Bread truck is just ahead of me on the right. I wish it would go with us all the way to Bangor.

Something about its bright and happy logo is comforting.

―It sounds stupid,‖ I say. ―But she told me she was going to lunch with a friend and

instead she met Brody.‖

―That doesn‘t sound stupid. But maybe she had a good reason.‖

―Like what?‖

―I don‘t know. Did you ask her?‖

I think about it and realize I didn‘t ask her. I didn‘t give her a chance to explain herself.

But then again, why should I? Just to hear more lies?

Hadley is watching me closely with a tiny smile playing on her lips.

―What‘s so funny?‖ I ask.

―Young love,‖ she sighs. ―It‘s kind of cute, real y. Or it would be. If it didn‘t impact everyone.‖

I wave at her like I‘m swatting an annoying mosquito.

―I don‘t want to hear that shit.‖

―What shit?‖

―You know what shit. About how me and Natalia and Raine are going to determine the

fate of the universe.‖

―Not the universe,‖ she says. ―Just the world.‖

We drive on.

***

We go past Bangor, past Orono even, and my back aches from staying in one position for too long. Eventual y we switch off, and I fall into an uneasy sleep as Hadley takes over driving duties.

When I wake up, we‘re still driving. The highway is black and we‘re surrounded by

dense forest on either side. Hadley‘s got the high beams on and we‘re going eighty miles an hour. Apparently to nowhere.

―This is never going to end, is it?‖ I say, sitting up and blinking my eyes blearily.

―You‘re taking me to fucking Canada.‖

―Actual y, we‘re close now.‖ She takes the next exit and soon we‘re on a tree-lined street that‘s occasional y graced with a small house or two.

We pass a sign that says Welcome to Lakeville e, ME, Pop: 902

―Lakeville e?‖ I say. ―Is this it?‖

Hadley opts not to reply. She turns onto a narrow road that‘s not even paved, and the trees appear to be encroaching on us now, branches sometimes whipping across the sides and front of my car.

And the ride is getting bumpy.

Hadley‘s face is a mask of concentration. We start up a large, steep hill . At the very top, she suddenly pulls over as far as possible and turns off the car.

―Where the hell are we?‖ I say, looking around for a house or any signs of life.

Hadley takes the keys and pockets them, then opens her door. As I start to open the

passenger side, she puts her hand on my shoulder. ―Stay here.‖

―Where are you going?‖

―I need to let them know we‘ve arrived.‖

―Let who know? Why can‘t I come with you?‖

―Look, it‘ll just be a few more minutes. Stay here and I‘ll be back to get you.

And there might be some other people with me when I come back.‖

―Your friends?‖

―Sort of. Just keep your mouth shut and don‘t them give any attitude. Fol ow my lead, okay?‖

―I don‘t know, Hadley.‖ This is sounding shadier and shadier by the second.

―Trust me,‖ she says, ―You can‘t afford to play your whole ‗tough guy with a chip on his shoulder‘ act around these people.‖

―I don‘t have a chip on my shoulder.‖

―Good.‖

―And I don‘t like being left in the middle of nowhere.

At least leave the keys so I can listen to the radio?‖

She shakes her head, gets out and slams her door shut. Unbelievable, this chick.

She won‘t even give me the keys to my own car.

Moments later she disappears into the forest.

The car is incredibly quiet. And dark. And creepy.

This would be the perfect place to have me killed.

The thought chills me. If Hadley wanted me dead, I reason, she could have done it before now. She could have cast a spell on me anytime she wanted.

But still . I‘m getting a very, very bad vibe from all of this. My nerves are jangling and I‘m jittery, like I‘ve just had eight cups of coffee.

She was smart to snag the keys, I decide. Otherwise I probably would have taken off.

The minutes tick by and I‘m excruciatingly aware of each second as it passes.

Eventual y I roll down the window. I can hear the chirping of crickets and the rustling of animals in the thick underbrush beside the road. This is Maine, after all . The country.

I‘m used to it from going to my dad‘s every summer.

Funny that I told my mom I was going to my dad‘s and then ended up probably an hour

or so from his place on the lake. Maybe when this whole thing is over I real y will go see him.

We‘ll have a beer in the canoe and then maybe he‘ll take me with him on a job or two. He‘d like that. He‘s always telling me to drop by during the school year, and I never do.

I check the time. It‘s been over half an hour and still no Hadley. The eeriness is getting stronger, along with the strong sense that I‘m in danger.

But she told me to wait, and what choice do I real y have?

And then I hear a loud, high-pitched sound, like a whistle, that pierces the night air in a short burst. It‘s like nothing I‘ve ever heard before. Is it some sort of animal, a person, an alarm?

My heart is beating rapidly and I look around at the road, the forest.

Nothing stands out. I wait for the sound to recur and it doesn‘t.

Maybe Hadley‘s in trouble, I think. Maybe I should go look for her. But she said to stay put. So I wait. More minutes drag by. My instincts tell me it‘s been too long, that something‘s happened. My phone gets no service, but maybe if I get to a different location it will start working again.

Before I can decide whether or not to move, there‘s another high-pitched whine, a bit louder and closer than the last. I still have no idea what it is. Al I know is that I can‘t sit here any longer.

So I get out of the car and start walking in the general direction of where the sound came from.

Maybe Hadley‘s in trouble and she‘s signaling me. I take a few steps into the woods, but I can hardly see.

Leaves and branches are smacking me in the face. I keep going though, and after a few minutes, I can make out a light up ahead. It‘s a flashlight. The beam is bouncing around, scanning the tree line.

I crouch down and try to be still .

Whoever has the flashlight stops moving and says something into a phone or walkie

talkie.

―Zero, zero, copy.‖ It‘s a man‘s voice. ―Nothing so far,‖ he says. ―Should I continue?‖

He spins in a circle, shining the light just over my head. Suddenly the light is bright, hitting my eyes. ―Subject is on the perimeter!‖ the man shouts. I‘ve been found.

I start running in the opposite direction. My pursuer‘s right behind me, gaining ground, which should be impossible. I run the forty-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, which is almost the speed of a pro football player.

I‘m damn fast when I need to be, and yet whoever‘s behind me is even faster.

Fine, I decide. If I‘m going to be caught, I‘m going to least put up a fight. And if this guy is some kind of witch like Raine and Hadley, I‘m going to need every advantage I can get.

Including the element of surprise. So I go from a full out sprint to completely stopping, pivoting around so that I‘m facing my attacker.

It works. He‘s surprised, and so close that he can‘t stop in time. I drop down like I‘m putting a low block on a big defensive lineman.

Boom.

I time it perfectly, hitting him right at the legs so that he flips over the top of me, ass over teakettle. Then I jump on the guy and start punching him. Hit first and ask questions later, I decide. If you don‘t want to get hit, don‘t chase strangers in the woods at night.

I‘m pummeling him pretty good. Eventual y I stop and grab him by the throat.

―Who the fuck are you?‖ I say, breathing heavily, gasping for air between words.

He gurgles.

I let up just a notch.

―Get…off…me…‖

―Where‘s Hadley?‖

Suddenly there‘s a deep laugh from nearby. ―Okay, boys, false alarm--I think we‘ve

located Hadley‘s stray pup.‖ I turn and look over my shoulder to see who‘s talking.

When I do this, the man beneath me takes the chance to toss me off of him. I fall to the side and then he‘s rushing at me again. I get up to defend myself, but the fight is broken up by three other people.

I can‘t real y see any of them clearly because it‘s so dark in the forest, but I think they‘re all men. Two of them grab my arms and hold me so I can‘t do any more damage.

The other is keeping the guy I hit at bay, as he tries to get at me, yelling threats.

―Does he know who I am?‖ the guy shouts.

Someone chuckles. ―Maybe he‘s just got good intuition, Phelps,‖ he says, and the others laugh.

―Oh, you‘re a riot,‖ the man who must be Phelps replies. ―Al of you think this is funny?

We‘ll just see what Reed says about it then.‖ He turns and leaves the area.

They begin to drag me forward.

―Where‘s Hadley?‖ I ask. ―She‘ll explain why I‘m here.‖

―We know why you‘re here, Campbell ,‖ the man on my left says. ―And you might have

been better off staying home.‖

―Let me go then!‖ I say. ―I‘m happy to leave.‖

―It‘s a bit late for that now,‖ he says.

I try to break free and make a run for it.

―Okay,‖ the man says regretful y, ―I guess you‘re going to make us do this the hard way.‖

And then everything goes dark.

Chapter Three

Natalia

The whole car smells like candy and fast food.

Raine‘s been eating nonstop ever since we left the drugstore. First she destroyed the whole bag of gummy bears. Then she made me stop at a McDonald‘s, where she ordered a

Quarter Pounder, chicken nuggets, and a strawberry shake. When we gassed up at a rest stop, she bought herself a soft pretzel, which was gone before we got to the car, and a bag of chips. I made her pay for everything herself, without using mind control, even though she rolled her eyes and acted like it was ridiculous.

I wonder if that‘s how she affords al her manicures and expensive-looking haircuts – she probably just goes into the salon, and mind control the stylists into thinking she paid for them.

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She takes a sip of orange soda from the drink she got at McDonald‘s. The light from the dashboard illuminates her face. You can hardly see her bruises -

- we used the pancake makeup in the bathroom of the rest stop, before we bought the

food and gassed up the car. I wanted her to put the makeup on in the car, because I was afraid that the people at the rest stop would take one look at her and call the cops (people at rest stops are notoriously suspicious – all you have to do is look at any of those cases where people have been kidnapped and then found – the police always find them because they‘ve gotten tipped off by some well -meaning person at a rest stop.) But Raine insisted that the lighting in the car was bad, and that she wanted to make sure her face was flawless.

―I don‘t understand why we have to do it in here,‖ I‘d grumbled once we were under the bright lights of the bathroom.