Awakening, 2nd edition (35 page)

“They come too late—they lose their right to vote!”

“Why don’t we just cut them short? You snooze —you l ose , you know?”

“Really, what kind of message does that convey ? We ’re too busy for you folks?”

“All right, let ’s get the ball rolling, ” summarized Chris. “Once they show up we ’ll decide what to do.”

“Wait,” Alex said firmly. “You ’re assuming that everything ’s all right. What if it isn ’t? What if something ’s happened?”

“Sure, something ’s happened, ” Paul snorted. “We even know what.”

“No,” Alex held up his palm in a warning gesture. “I ’m serious. What if something bad has happened? Who said they simply overslept or are too busy to show up?”

“What else could it be?” asked Brandon . “Bogeyman got them?”

The answer came from Michael, who had been silent for a while.

“For example, they may be not here at all.”

“What do you mean, not here?” Ross wondered. “If not here, then where?”

“That’s a different question, ” Alex replied. “First, it ’d be good to know if they ’re really missing. We should go and check.”

The proposal didn’t make Chris overly excited.

“There’s nothing to check, ” he said, knitting his thick eyebrows. “They ’re adults and are fully capable of deciding where their priorities lay. If they felt like taking a walk instead of being here, it ’s their choice. No one ’s going to twist their arms to stay here. Going up to their rooms and k nocking on the doors is a bit much. Now, really , let ’s get started. We ’ve wasted enough time already.”

Alex stood up abruptly.

“I don’t know about you, Chris, but for me some things are more important than this competition. We ’re in the middle of nowhere, after all. Bad things can happen in the woods. And if people are in danger , that tops our little game here, at least for me.”

“A little game?” Chris burst out with unexpected fierceness. “What exactly do you call a little game? Do you have any clue of what it means to be here?”

Alex gave him a heavy look.

“I do have a clue. Not sure about you though.”

“What’s your problem? Again, two adults—”

“Two adults are missing , ” Alex said, every word dropping like a stone. “Has anyone seen them since yesterday? Anyone? That’s what I ’m talking about. You ’re free to do whatever you wish, but I ’m going to check on them first. If you ’re so hell-bent on starting now, go ahead without me.”

He crossed the room in wide strides and disappeared behind the door.

Michael got to his feet.

“He’s right. I ’ll go check the cars.”

“You know which cars are theirs?” Joan asked in surprise.

“No. But it isn ’t too hard to figure out. The lodge staff seems to be gone. And Clark . . . I assume none of you have car -pooled here?”

Clark, who sat in the corner with his usual poker face, shrugged.

“Maybe yes, maybe no. We ’re but furniture. Furniture doesn ’t talk.”

Michael nodded, as he’d just heard what he’d been expecting to hear.

“Splendid. The furniture obviously wouldn ’t mind seeing its cars scratched accidently once we're done with this search . The furniture, I would presume, doesn ’t care much about cars and people, does it?”

He turned back to the tables.

“Sounds like we all have to go.”

“Three cars, ” Clark said dryly.

Michael nodded over the shoulder and a second later was gone.

“Someone tell me again, how did I e nd up in a nuthouse?” Paul said in the silence that followed Michael ’s rapid departure.

Chris sat still, his gaze fixed on the door.

“They’re gone, ” Alex informed everyone two minutes later. “The beds are fixed. If they left, they must ’ve used Rob ’s car. Stella ’s keys are on her desk.”

“You went into their rooms?” clarified Joan with an odd look.

“I had no choice. Besides, they were open anyway.”

“So what do we do now?” Ross ask ed.

“First—” Chris began.

“The cars are here, ” Michael said, appearing at the door. “Now we need to check the boats.”

“Boats!” Alex looked like Edison who had finally picked the right material for his electric bulb. “Of course! Rob rides these things day and—”

He broke off and walked to the balcony.

“That’s it , ” he said with some gloomy satisfaction , looking at the pier through the glass door. “One is missing. Mike, you ’re a genius.”

In response to this simple statement, everyone immediately gathered around Alex, as if peering at the empty spot that yesterday had been occupied by the missing boat could somehow help locat e it.

“Let’s go, ” Alex said, turning away from the balcony.

“Go where?” Chris enquir ed dryly.

“Down,” said Alex with a tint of surprise in his voice. “Where else? We have to split up and go look for them.”

“Look for them ?” said Joan. “What about the speeches?”

“Speeches will wait. Don ’t you think that now we have more serious problems to deal with?”

“Yeah, it’s show time, baby, ” Chris replied mockingly.

“Come again?”

“Forget it. Why do we need—why do all of us need to go?”

“People are missing, ” Alex explained patiently. “Nobody has seen them since yesterday, remember? I don ’t suppose you think it was their idea to spend a night out in the woods ?”

Chris scowled.

“I don’t know whose idea this was and , frankly, I don ’t care. Who said they need our help? A couple of adults went for a joyride, then decided to get to third base same evening. What ’s wrong with that? We ’re not their parents. We ’ve got better things to do than jump up, flush our plans down the drain and starting speeding across that lake back and forth while they may be still sleeping. This is not what I came here for and I doubt that ’s why you ’re here. Had I known for sure that something happened to them, I ’d be the first one to call this rescue our first priority. But now . . . no way.”

Alex sighed.

“When we know for sure, it may be too late.”

“Oh, give it a rest, would you?” grimaced Chris. “You know I can also deliver a great speech on friends who need our help being lost somewhere in the wild, blah, blah, blah. All right? Where ’s your proof? You ’ve got nothing. No proof whatsoever that says they ’re in trouble. So let ’s cut the crap and focus on what we all came here for. Something meaningful . And if they don ’t show up by this afternoon, we ’ll reevaluate the situation.”

“I think Alex ’s right, ” Brandon replied. “Better safe than sorry.”

“He’s a hundred percent right , ” Ross echoed . “Things happen in the woods.”

Chris gave them a long look.

“Are you nuts?” he asked in a suddenly quiet voice. “If you ’re so worried about them, why don ’t you just call 911? Let them send out a rescue mission and put the forest service on it.”

“The police are not going to act on this yet. They ’ll tell us to wait and call back the next morning. It ’s too soon.”

“Aha!” Chris lifted his index finger. “Precisely. Although last time I checked, looking for missing people is what they do for a living. But they ’ll tell you to wait, since , unlike us , they are sane. Now, we , on the other hand, have nothing better to do, so we ’ll give it a try anyway. We ’re all here on vacation, so why not take a leisure ride?”

“We have no right to ignore this, ” Alex rapped out. “I don ’t give a damn about official rules. People might ’ve gotten into some serious trouble and I ’m going to do something abou t it!”

“Serious trouble . . . What possibly could ’ve happened to them? You keep talking about woods, but they left on a boat.”

“Anything could ’ve happened. The boat could ’ve tipped over.”

“Have you ever tried riding one of them? It ’s impossible to tip them over! They could n ’t do that even if they wanted to! But even if they somehow managed to sink it , they surely know how to swim! At least Rob does .”

“And what if the engine went dead?” Brandon asked.

Chris had had enough.

“Then they would ’ve used the walkie-talkie!” he blew up. “This is a luxury hotel, for Pete ’s sake! Every single boat here has a walkie-talkie on board . Just turn it on and let the entire lake know where you ’re and what you need! And if they didn’t , it means they don ’t need anyone ’s help! They need privacy. What are you getting so worked up about? Who do you want to save? Rob? The guy can save all of you for breakfast.”

“You have a point, ” Michael said coolly. “Walkie-talkie. Let ’s try to get in touch with them. That will give us something to work with.”

They did not get in touch.

In fact, no one even tried to establish any sort of connection with Robert and Stella, even though everyone, including the triad of absolutely neutral observers , went down to the pier , following Michael. All attempts to establish a connection were halted before they had a chance to begin as soon as Brandon , with a surprised whistle , extracted two identical walkie-talkies from the nearest boat. Both devices were labeled with large white numbers —n umber two very obviously matching the number of the boat over which Brandon was towering , holding his findings up in the air. Number four , on the second walkie-talkie , was pointing wordlessly at the missing boat.

“Well,” Michael said slowly. “It seems that we ’ve just lost one of our options.”

Brandon weighted the black walkie-talkies thoughtfully in his palms.

“I wonder who moved it here. And why.”

Michael shrugged.

“This may take a while to find out. If we ever find out. Now it ’s time for something else.”

“Anyone got a map?” Alex demanded with an unfamiliar commanding tone in his voice.

It seemed that all of a sudden he had gained the right to demand and to expect immediate answers and obedience.

“I’ve got one, ” replied Kevin. “It ’s in the car.”

“Bring it here, would y ou? Without it we ’re stuck.”

No one argued anymore. The atmosphere immediately became businesslike. Even Chris kept silent and , as soon as Kevin brought the map, leaned over it with what seemed authentic attention. After a brief discu ssion , it was decided that one boat would go east into the shorter meandering part of the lake , and t wo other boats would cover the west part with its forks and bays. They agreed to check in every hour by walkie-talkie and to be back by sunset, regardless of the results.

Michael suddenly recalled that he had to pick something up in the lounge and went back to the house, Ed strolling alongside him. A minute later , they could be seen on the balcony, Michael explaining something to Ed, pointing alternately to the east and to the west. Ed seemed a little stunned and kept staring at Michael instead of following the direction of his finger. Then Michael came back, while Ed stayed on the balcony, apparently taking his time to digest this new information. Following Al an ’s suggestion , they loaded the boats with some food and warm clothes, made sure the tanks were full, and checked the map again. Now they were ready.

Alex, who for the last half hour had been confidently leading the preparations, looked at the faces, nodded with satisfaction and announced , “Mike and Ross will go east. Chris and Brandon , you guys will take the west part, the north branch of it. I ’ll go with Paul along the other one. Joan, Alan, Kevin—you ’re staying. We can ’t have more than two people on board , or the boats will get too slow. Now , let ’s go.”

“And your selection criteria was . . .” Chris enquir ed sourly.

“Fitness. Who knows what we ’ll need to do. More questions?”

“More answers , ” said Paul.

Alex gave him a questioning look.

“I don’t feel like going, ” elaborated Paul. “Plus, I don ’t swim. So thanks for your generosity, but no thanks. You ’ve got to look for another partner.”

“You won’t have to swim, ” Alex objected.

Paul wasn’t convinced.

“You just said it yourself, we might need to. Anyway, if I said I ’m not going, that should be enough, don ’t you think?”

“I’ll go, ” Alan said.

And without waiting for Alex to agree, he stepped towards the boat.