Night Tide (5 page)

cards.!Everybody!got!along.!Well!enough,!anyway,!to!be!a!little!

more! trusting,! a! little! less! paranoid.! The! ’60s—Vietnam! War!

protests,! riots! in! Watts,! campus! shootings,! lynchings! of! civil!

rights!volunteers—were!ancient!history.!At!the!time,!the!Iron!

Curtain!was!about!to!succumb!to!the!onslaught!of!capitalism,!if!

not!democracy.!And!students!in!that!narcissistic!decade!of!the!

1980s! were! far! more! interested! in! crass! materialism! than!

making!social!statements!or!scoring!political!points.!

!

Finagling! our! way! into! a! chemistry! lab! proved! only!

moderately!more!difficult—keys!were!easy!enough!to!come!by!

if!you!knew!the!right!grad!students,!according!to!Wink.!Wink!

was! an! undergrad,! a! junior,! starting! his! third! year! of!

engineering,! but! with! a! minor! in! chemistry.! A! security! guard!

might!question!our!presence,!if!we!actually!ran!into!one!in!a!lab!

after! midnight,! but! Wink! could! probably! bluff! our! way! out! of!

trouble!if!it!came!to!that.!

!

The! chemical! supply! locker! had! been! the! most! difficult!

part! of! Wink’s! plan.! Not! even! graduate! students! would!

relinquish! a! key! unless! they! were! supervising! an! experiment.!

Wink! used! one! I! cut! for! him! in! my! father’s! hardware! store,!

from!a!duplicate!he’d!fashioned!out!of!a!soda!can.!That!made!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

30&

me!implicit,!an!accessory.!I!didn’t!ask!how!he’d!managed!to!get!

the!impression!of!the!original!key.!I!still!thought!of!myself!as!a!

passenger,!not!a!co6pilot.!!

!

We!got!in;!Wink!got!the!stuff;!we!got!out.!!

!

A!hot!breeze!stirred!the!leaves!in!the!campus!woods,!their!

rustling! canceling! out! the! loud! percussion! solo! my! heart!

thumped!against!my!ribs.!But!the!air!did!little!to!dry!the!sheen!

of!sweat!that!coated!my!skin,!plastering!my!shirt!to!my!chest.!

The! heavy! blanket! of! late! August! heat! and! humidity! pressed!

down!as!though!tucked!in!too!tight.!Not!even!the!breeze!could!

throw!it!off.!

!

“One!more!stop,”!Wink!said.!

!

I!looked!at!him!blankly.!

!

“Come!on,!Legs.”!Wink!said.!“Let’s!go.”!

!

I!hurried!to!catch!up,!falling!in!step!as!he!hustled!down!the!

walk.!Our!shadows!lengthened!and!melded!with!the!darkness!

as! we! moved! away! from! the! building.! We! crossed! the! road!

toward! another! large! classroom! building.! As! we! drew! closer,!

white! letters! engraved! in! a! stone! marker! announced! the!

engineering!building.!

!

I!slowed.!“What!do!you!need!here?”!

!

Wink! stopped! a! few! paces! ahead! and! turned.! “Tubing.”!

When! I! didn’t! move,! he! said,! “The! stuff! in! the! chem! lab! is! all!

rubber.!I!need!latex!tubing.!Surgical!tubing.”!

!

“From!engineering?”!

!

The!darkness!hid!his!face,!but!I!knew!perspicacity!painted!

it!with!disdain,!pity,!amusement.!I!felt!his!withering!gaze!even!

if! I! couldn’t! see! it.! With! Wink,! amusement! always! won! out.! I!

think!my!obtuseness!entertained!him.!

!

I!shook!my!head.!“You!go.”!

!

“Scared?”!

!

“Hey,!I!was!right!beside!you!back!there.”!!

!

He!smiled.!Watching!him!steal!a!few!yards!of!latex!tubing!

didn’t! frighten! me.! I! wasn’t! even! all! that! afraid! of! getting!

Night&Tide
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31&

caught.! I! feared! what! my! old! man! might! say! when! I! lost! my!

scholarship! if! we! did! get! caught.! He! couldn’t! actually! say!

anything,!of!course,!since!he’d!keeled!over!from!a!heart!attack!

two!years!earlier,!a!few!weeks!after!I’d!been!offered!a!near!full6

ride!basketball!scholarship!to!college.!That!didn’t!prevent!the!

sound! of! his! disappointment! from! reaching! for! me! from! the!

grave.!!

!

“I’ll!stay!out!here!and!keep!watch,”!I!said.!

!

He!shrugged.!“Suit!yourself.”!

!

Hooking! a! thumb! under! the! strap! on! his! backpack,! he!

hitched! it! up! higher! on! his! shoulder! and! strutted! down! the!

walk!to!the!entrance!as!if!going!to!class!at!two!in!the!morning!

was! customary.! The! brightly! lit! doorway! delineated! his! wiry!

figure! for! a! moment! before! he! disappeared! inside.! The! glass!

and! steel! door! closed! softly! behind! him! as! if! hermetically!

sealing!him!off!from!the!rest!of!the!world.!

!

I!melted!into!the!shadows!under!the!trees!lining!the!path,!

the! black! velvet! night! caressing! me.! I! felt! drawn! to! the! dark!

side! even! then.! Not! criminality,! though! the! adrenaline! rush!

caused!by!the!danger!Wink’s!foray!put!us!in!excited!me.!Rather,!

the! quiet! and! peacefulness! of! the! sleeping! world! and!

comforting!cloak!of!darkness!appealed!to!me.!Nighttime’s!lack!

of! sensory! input! stilled! the! thoughts! that! by! day! caromed!

around!the!inside!of!my!head!like!billiard!balls!on!a!break!shot.!

!

The!metronomic!chirp!of!crickets,!the!sweet!far6off!call!of!a!

whippoorwill!and!the!oppressive!heat!lulled!me!into!a!stupor.!I!

sank! onto! my! haunches! and! let! gravity! take! me! all! the! way!

down!until!I!sat!cross6legged!on!the!grass,!feathery!blades!cool!

under!my!fingers.!Pain!radiated!from!my!left!hip!down!my!leg.!I!

straightened!it!and!stretched.!The!pain!had!gotten!worse!and!

more!consistent!recently.!I!shrugged!it!off.!Stiff,!no!doubt,!from!

a!long!run!earlier.!

!

Headlights! in! the! distance! flashed! and! winked! out! as! a!

late6night!reveler!pulled!into!a!dorm!lot!and!parked.!One!of!the!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

32&

black!squares!on!the!third!floor!of!the!building!in!front!of!me!

turned! white,! spilling! light! from! within.! I! lifted! the! old! watch!

close!to!my!face,!one!of!the!few!things!handed!down!to!me!by!

my!father!that!I’d!had!any!interest!in!keeping.!The!luminescent!

green! tips! of! the! hands! glowed! dimly.! Two6seventeen! in! the!

morning.!

!

The!lighted!window!went!dark!again.!Nothing!stirred.!My!

shirt! stuck! to! me! damply.! Even! the! breeze! had! died,! another!

hint! that! most! of! the! world! blanketed! by! night! had! gone! to!

sleep.!Three!more!days!before!I!headed!to!Seattle!for!my!junior!

year!at!UW.!Killing!time!until!then!hanging!out!with!Wink.!

!

The!lights!in!the!entryway!suddenly!winked!out,!too.!Two!

dark!figures!emerged!a!moment!later,!paused!and!darted!away,!

disappearing! into! the! night.! I! blinked,! wondering! if! lack! of!

sleep!had!me!hallucinating.!A!third!figure!emerged!dressed!like!

the!first!two,!in!black!from!head!to!toe,!despite!the!heat.!A!man,!

from! his! size! and! build.! I! shrank! back! farther! into! shadow,!

fingers! and! toes! tingling,! blood! singing! in! my! ears.! Now! a!

fourth! man! appeared! and! conferred! with! the! one! already!

outside!the!building,!their!low!tones!barely!audible.!The!third!

man!trotted!up!the!path!toward!me,!the!opposite!direction!of!

the!first!two.!I!held!my!breath!as!he!passed!not!more!than!ten!

yards!away;!he!didn’t!pause.!!

!

I’d! told! Wink! I’d! keep! watch—for! campus! security,! not!

people!coming!
out
!of!the!building.!I!froze.!The!last!man!strolled!

a!few!yards!from!the!door!and!stopped.!He!turned!and!tipped!

his!head!back!as!if!inspecting!the!upper!floors.!Taking!a!quick!

glance! around,! he! raised! his! wrist! toward! his! face,! and!

suddenly!raced!back!to!the!entrance,!hugging!the!building.!

!

Seconds!later,!an!explosion!on!the!top!floor!shattered!the!

stillness,! lighting! the! night! with! a! blinding! flash.! It! ripped! a!

chunk!of!roof!off!the!building!and!blew!the!wall!apart,!the!blast!

spewing!chunks!of!brick!masonry,!mortar!and!broken!glass!all!

the! way! out! to! the! street.! Little! bits! of! building! whizzed! past!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

33&

like!angry!bees.!The!trees!protected!me!from!most!of!it,!but!a!

few! stung! me,! drawing! dots! of! blood,! black! against! my! skin.!

When!the!last!of!the!debris!rained!down,!the!night!fell!deathly!

silent! again,! insects! and! nocturnal! creatures! temporarily!

hushed.! For! a! moment,! I! heard! nothing! except! the! ringing! in!

my!ears.!

!

Sudden! screams! let! me! know! the! detonation! hadn’t!

deafened!me.!Long,!agonized!shrieks!of!a!human!in!mortal!pain!

rose! and! faded! to! a! moan.! The! black! shadow! detached! itself!

from!the!side!of!the!building!and!slipped!back!inside.!Numbed!

by!the!explosion,!I!sat!rooted!to!the!spot.!!

!

Where*was*Wink?
!

!

The! screaming! began! again,! shrill! and! high6pitched.! This!

time,! a! loud!
popHpop
! ended! it! abruptly.! Quiet! reigned! once!

more.!

!

The! figure! in! black! emerged! through! the! door! moments!

later,! running! now.! Stripping! off! the! mask! as! he! ran! through!

the!night,!he!gave!me!a!brief!glimpse!of!his!profile,!a!streetlamp!

carving!sharp!features!out!of!the!surrounding!ebony.!And!then!

he!was!gone.!

!

Where*the*hell*was*Wink?
!

!

A! siren! wailed! distantly.! Unsteadily,! I! got! to! my! feet! and!

took!a!few!tentative!steps!toward!the!building,!willing!the!door!

to!open.!But!it!remained!sealed.!Another!siren!joined!the!first!

from!across!campus!somewhere.!

!

I!turned!and!ran,!forgetting!the!pain!in!my!hip,!the!screams!

still!echoing!in!my!head.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

34&

!

!

Chapter&7
&

!

!

The!long!gravel!drive!meandered!through!a!quiver!of!old!

growth! Douglas! firs! aimed! at! a! cloudless! cerulean! sky,! then!

dipped! through! a! wash! and! climbed! a! gentle! rise.! Around! a!

short!bend,!crackling!tires!went!silent!as!the!surface!changed!

from!gravel!to!concrete,!the!drive!widening!and!spilling!into!a!

large! clearing! like! the! mouth! of! a! river.! A! modern! rambler!

spread! out! across! the! delta,! living! quarters! to! the! left! and! a!

four6bay!garage!flowing!off!to!the!right.!The!tailgate!of!Charlie’s!

pickup! peeked! from! behind! a! far! corner! of! the! house,! parked!

on!the!grass.!

!

I! pulled! up! in! front! of! one! of! the! garage! bays! next! to! a!

silver! Prius.! Stickers! on! the! back! bumper! supported! a! state!

referendum! (YES! TO! I61000!),! opposed! Big! Oil! (NO! ANWR!

DRILLING),! and! gave! a! nod! to! political! affiliation! (AL!

GORE/MOTHER! EARTH! ’12).! I! parked! and! walked! to! the! house.!

Rhododendrons! laden! with! pink! and! magenta! blossoms!

shielded! the! windows! from! prying! eyes.! Sunlight! dappled! the!

front!porch!through!the!branches!of!a!flowering!dogwood!and!

danced! across! the! door! in! ripples! of! light! and! shadow.! The!

sensation! of! reaching! for! the! knob! almost! felt! like! swimming!

underwater.!!

!

The!door!swung!open!before!my!hand!touched!it,!revealing!

a!handsome!woman!with!a!long!plait!of!gray!hair!wound!on!top!

of! her! head! and! a! broad! smile! on! her! round! face.! She! wore! a!

simple!white!peasant!blouse!with!flowers!embroidered!on!the!

lace! yoke.! A! teal! cotton! crepe! skirt! hung! below! her! knees.!

Dangling! from! a! thin! leather! cord! around! her! neck! a! small!

sterling!peace!symbol!rested!in!the!hollow!of!her!throat.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

35&

!

“Blake!”! She! pulled! me! inside! and! wrapped! her! arms!

around! my! waist! for! a! quick! hug.! “It’s! been! such! a! long! time.!

Good!to!see!you.”!

!

Holding!me!at!arm’s!length,!her!eyes!roved!from!my!feet!to!

my!face.!“Are!you!getting!enough!to!eat?!Big!boy!like!you.”!

!

I!laughed.!“Nice!to!see!you,!Mrs.!Jones.”!

!

“Connie,!please,”!she!said!firmly.!“How!many!times!have!I!

told!you?!Goodness,!I!feel!old!enough!as!it!is.”!

!

I!nodded.!“I!eat!just!fine,!thanks.!How!are!you?”!

!

“Good,! good.”! Her! head! bobbed.! “Come! in.! The! boys! are!

back!in!the!kitchen.”!

!

She! led! the! way,! bare! feet! softly! whisking! the! hardwood!

floor.! The! loose! fabric! of! the! skirt! swayed! from! side! to! side!

with!the!roll!of!matronly!hips.!She!followed!my!progress!with!a!

glance! over! her! shoulder.! “You! haven’t! been! out! since! we!

moved!here,!have!you?”!

!

“No.!First!time.!It’s!a!beautiful!property.”!

!

“You’ll!have!to!take!a!tour.!No!trouble!finding!us?”!

!

“Your!directions!were!perfect.!And!I!can’t!imagine!a!better!

day!to!take!the!ferry.”!

!

The! house! on! the! Kitsap! Peninsula! was! about! a! twenty6

minute! drive! from! the! Southworth! ferry! terminal,! a! forty6

minute! ride! across! Puget! Sound! from! West! Seattle.! Signs! of!