Storm Season (22 page)

T
HE
streets glistened under the early morning sun. The storms had stopped sometime around sunrise, waking Jasper with the sudden silence. He’d lain in bed, listening to the town wake up, until the alarm went off an hour later. Tobias had slept through it all, or at least seemed to, not stirring until the tiny clock had started making noise, but once he was awake, he’d practically dragged Jasper from bed in his haste to get back on the road.

It had taken every bit of Jasper’s persuasive powers to convince him that they at least needed to stop for supplies first. Once he had, Tobias had taken to that with enthusiasm as well, and had goaded Jasper down the street toward the shops clustered around Haversdon’s town square.

“Easy,” Jasper said, digging in his heels a little when the pace got too fast. “We don’t need to run.”

We need to get on the road,
Tobias protested, tugging on Jasper’s arm again.
We need to get to Shaleton while we still can.

Travel would be hard with the worsening storms, but it wasn’t impossible, and likely wouldn’t be until after they’d reached Shaleton. “We need to make sure we don’t forget anything, either. I don’t want to be stranded without something we need.”

Tobias sighed, but let Jasper lead him into the first shop at a more sedate pace.
Fine, but then we’re going, right? There’s nothing else we need to do?

“Nothing else,” Jasper said with a laugh. “Now calm down. We don’t want to attract attention again.”

Tobias immediately straightened and stepped away from Jasper, breaking contact with him and obviously trying to look like a normal shopper on a normal day. He did an all right job, mimicking Jasper’s walk and even managing to nod at the other people in the store as they passed by, but they still managed to attract attention. It was impossible not to as the only visitors in a small town and the fact that they were traveling in the wet season just added to the curiosity the townsfolk had about them.

They made it through the hardware store without being stopped and talked to the gas station owner without interruption. Halfway through the grocery store an old woman―likely one of the town gossips―touched Jasper lightly on the arm. He was so used to Tobias touching him that way that he only noticed someone else was nearby when Tobias bumped against his other shoulder.
Jasper. Company.

“Sorry,” Jasper said, flashing an insincere smile at the woman. “Can I help you with something?”

“I just wanted to welcome you to town. See if there’s anything I can do to help you out.” She patted Jasper’s arm. “Most people have been hiding because of the weather, but we do like seeing new folk around here, and I wanted to make sure you knew you were welcome.”

Jasper’s smile became even more strained. “Thanks, but we’re just passing through.”

“Oh? Really?” She titled her head curiously. “Where are you headed to?”

“Shaleton. We’re hoping to get there before the weather gets too bad.”

The woman took a step back, her welcoming expression fading to wary as she eyed both Jasper and Tobias suspiciously. “Shaleton? Really? What for?”

“His sister is there,” Jasper tilted his head toward Tobias. “We’re going to see her, try to get her to come back with us to Brightam’s Ford.” And beyond, if they were successful, but Jasper wasn’t going to tell her that, not when he didn’t want to think about it himself.

“Oh.” The woman relaxed visibly. “Well, good luck then. I hope you can beat the storms and find a safe place to stay this wet season.” The way she said it implied that Shaleton wouldn’t be safe. Jasper couldn’t disagree.

“Thank you,” he said, stepping around her to continue on his way. Tobias was getting antsy beside him, pressing close though not saying anything, and the encounter just illustrated what a bad idea it was to try to get Tobias to pass as normal in a small town. There was too much else on his mind and too many prying eyes to make it work.

The rest of the shopping trip was uneventful, with Jasper quickly grabbing the items they needed off the shelves and dropping them in the basket Tobias was carrying. They made it all the way to the register without anyone else stopping them―a small miracle considering the number of townspeople who were in the store, presumably stocking up after the storms yesterday―and Jasper breathed a sigh of relief as Tobias swung the basket up onto the counter.

The girl behind it smiled at them and flipped her hair as she looked at Tobias. “How are you doing today?”

The question was clearly directed at Tobias, but for the first time, Jasper was glad that he couldn’t answer aloud. Jealousy wasn’t like him, but as the cashier continued to look straight at Tobias while punching the register keys slowly, a bit of it curled in the pit of Jasper’s stomach. “We’re good,” he said, attempting to keep his tone normal. “Just getting supplies so we can get on our way while the weather is still good.”

“Oh. You’re leaving?” The girl blinked and started punching their purchases into the cash register a little faster. “We don’t usually get people traveling out this time of year.”

She was clearly fishing for information, a thought shared by Tobias as he bumped his shoulder against Jasper’s.
She can’t really think we’re anything but travelers.

Jasper nodded. “We’re just passing through. Headed toward Shaleton.”

The girl stopped punching the register. “Really? You’re the second group I’ve checked out today who’s headed there.” She leaned in, looked between Jasper and Tobias, and lowered her voice. “The other group looked like they belonged there, though, if you know what I mean. You two look like you could belong here, but those men, they were dressed crazy. All sorts of fancy green and purple.”

They’re here!
Tobias clenched his hand hard around Jasper’s arm.
Come on! We have to go or they’ll see us!
He stepped toward the door, trying to drag Jasper along with him, but Jasper held his ground.

“Hold on!” Jasper tensed his arm and yanked Tobias back. “You don’t want the whole town coming after us because we didn’t pay, do you? We don’t need that kind of attention when we’re just trying to get on our way.”

Tobias kept tugging.
We need to go. Now!

“Hold on.” Jasper looked at the stuff on the counter, figured that the girl had rung up everything that they absolutely needed, and pulled out his wallet. “We don’t want to cause a scene.”

That got Tobias to calm down and step back toward Jasper.
Sorry.
He flashed a sheepish smile as he tucked his hands in his pocket and shifted so his elbow was against Jasper’s.
I wasn’t thinking.

There was a lot Jasper could say to that, but they were in public, and the last thing he needed at the moment was to give the people of Haversdon further clues about the strange way Tobias communicated. Instead, he waited with as much patience as he could muster while the girl behind the counter finished ringing up the last few items, and paid her as quickly as he could while Tobias stuffed their purchases into bags. “Thanks,” he said, once they had everything, and he grabbed one of the bags and placed his hand on Tobias’s back, hoping that they could both stay calm long enough to get back to the inn and pack the truck.

T
HE
town square was bustling, people strolling between the shops and children darting around, laughing as they played, so Jasper felt fairly safe as they stepped out of the grocer and headed back toward the inn. The men after them had already shopped for food, after all, and they clearly hadn’t been staying in the inn or the van would have been in the parking lot along with Jasper’s truck. The only other vehicle had been a run-down station wagon that probably belonged to George, the proprietor, and couldn’t possibly have made it between towns, even in the dry season.

Jasper glanced over the square as they walked through it, taking in all the people just in case, but no one stood out the way men in emerald trench coats would have. “Maybe they already left,” he offered quietly as they stepped away from the noise of the square onto the quieter side street that lead to their inn. “If they thought we were ahead of them, then―”

No.

The fear that accompanied the word was enough to chill Jasper’s bones. He shuddered as he slowly turned his head, intending to look at Tobias but stopping halfway when he realized what Tobias must be staring at. “Sleet!”

Two men in bright emerald green were moving around a van parked in an alley between two houses. It was a narrow area, practically covered by the overhanging roofs of the houses on either side, and though it wouldn’t have been ideal to survive the storms, it would have sufficed in the windowless van as long as the windshield was protected. Their backs were to Jasper and Tobias, fortunately, but based on the position of the stuff they were loading into the van, it likely wouldn’t stay that way for long.

Jasper grabbed Tobias’s shirt. “Just keep walking,” he said as he steered Tobias toward the inn. They had to pass the men, there was no way around that, but they were on the opposite side of the street, and if they moved quickly and quietly, they had a chance. “Stay quiet.”

No.
We need to go back to the town square. Circle around.
He spun, his shoes scraping against some loose gravel as his shirt pulled free of Jasper’s grip, and grabbed Jasper’s wrist.
Hurry! They’re going to turn and then—

It was too late.

The taller of the two men turned and froze as his gaze landed on Jasper and Tobias, and then time seemed to slow. The bag the man had picked up fell to the ground, its contents spilling everywhere as the man turned and grabbed his companion by the shoulder. He said something that Jasper couldn’t hear, and they both lunged forward. Their hands slipped into the pockets of their coats as they dashed across the street, their gazes narrowed and their feet hit the pavement with unnaturally loud thuds.

It was only when they pulled their hands back out of their pockets, revealing the same guns they’d held earlier, that Jasper was able to move again, his brain suddenly kick-started by a surge of adrenaline. “Sleet, hail, and fog!” he cursed, spitting the words out with venom as he tried to direct Tobias toward the hotel. The only chance they had was to get away from the men long enough to get to their hotel―and that would be easier if they were closer―but he couldn’t take the time to explain that, not with the men moving toward them guns at the ready and angry yells coming out of their mouths.

No!
Tobias tugged his hand free of Jasper’s grip.
This way!
He took off the way they had come, leaving Jasper no choice but to follow.

It was hard to keep up. Tobias was fast, his panic lending him speed that Jasper couldn’t match. He didn’t dare yell, didn’t dare do anything but try to keep up, but the men were gaining on them and Tobias was racing ahead, swinging around corners faster than Jasper could track. His lungs burned and his feet ached as he ran, unaware of where he was or where he was going or anything other than the fleeting presence of Tobias in front of him and the ever-looming presence of men and guns at his back.

He stumbled, not quite falling, but slowing enough that he lost Tobias around another corner and had to blindly guess which direction Tobias had taken as he rounded the bend. The men were still close behind him―closer now that he’d tripped―and though he knew they were still too far away for it to be possible, he imagined he could feel their hot breath on the back of his neck.

Jasper put on a burst of speed, calling forth every reserve of energy he had left, and took two corners in quick succession. The second led him into an alley with no way out, but there were trash cans in it, clustered close together near the back, and Jasper slipped behind them and crouched down as low as he could. The moment he ducked, the two men who had been chasing him came running past without so much as glancing his way.

Jasper let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Before he could stand up, the men came back, walking this time, and they stopped just outside the alley, their guns held loosely in their hands as they looked around. Jasper trembled in place, struggling to control his loud breathing and doing his best to focus on what they were saying. He couldn’t hear more than snippets―mostly curses, though he did catch something about their van and Shaleton and time―but he didn’t dare creep any closer. The knowledge wouldn’t do him any good if they spotted him and captured him, or worse.

By the time they left, still cursing loudly and kicking at the loose rocks on the wet pavement, Jasper had almost caught his breath. He stood slowly, ready to duck down again at the first sign of anyone coming by, but when he gathered the courage to approach the end of the alley, there was no one there. The street he’d turned off was deserted, as was the one before that, and Jasper had no hope of tracing his route back any further than that. He didn’t know where he was, where Tobias was, or where the men were, and he didn’t dare search for anyone out of fear that he’d find the wrong group.