The Repossession (25 page)

‘Tunis was his best friend,’ Genie said to him. ‘Helped break me out of the house.’

Miller suddenly made the connection. ‘Red truck, black kid. I got the description, didn’t make the link. Poor guy. I’m so sorry, Rian.’

Rian shook his head, didn’t want to talk about it. ‘We found a dog in the forest near the farm. Its legs were fused together. Your dad believes it was part of a transmission from the Fortress that went wrong.’

‘There was a storm last night,’ Genie interjected.

‘We brought the dog back and he got real excited.

Made us show him where it came from and . . . We think he called someone at Fortransco,’ Rian told him. ‘Next thing we knew three Fortress cars turned up, there was shooting and they torched the barn. We ran. We found your dad by the burned-out barn at first light.’

Miller digested this, frowning. ‘Dad said he shot at someone. I’ve got no reports of any gunshot injuries though. A dog isn’t any kind of proof, but I can see that my dad might think it would be.’

‘And we’ve been talking to some of the missing kids from Spurlake,’ Genie said softly. ‘I don’t think you’re ready to hear it though.’

Miller looked at her with a puzzled expression. They were exactly the same words his father used to say, ‘
I don’t think you’re ready to hear this, Max
.’

‘I’m trying to keep an open mind. I really am.’

‘Renée Cullins,’ Rian said. ‘Turns out she’s my half-sister.

She says Reverend Schneider drove her there, tricked her.

Genie saw him at Synchro. He’s definitely involved.’

Miller twiddled a spoon on the table, not sure what to make of this information.

‘Denis Malone,’ Genie added. ‘He still looks thirteen, not grown a centimetre in two years.’

Miller looked away a moment. Second time Denis Malone’s name had come up recently.

‘Kid’s dead, guys. I was at his funeral.’

‘Cary Harrison,’ Rian told him. ‘Said he went to Reverend Schneider for advice and wound up at the Fortress. He doesn’t even remember how.’

That got Miller’s attention. ‘Harrison? His dad still roams the mountains looking for his body every weekend. You were talking to these kids? You know where they are?’

Genie was wishing they hadn’t mentioned this.

‘They’re in the Fortress. They aren’t like us any more.

They’ve been—’

Miller signalled them to keep quiet. A man and woman walked by and he said good evening to them. They took the booth at the end of the restaurant. He waited a moment before talking again.

‘I know what you were going to say. It’s something my father was working on, right?’

Genie nodded. ‘You could look for them, but you’d never find them. I don’t think we could give you proof

like “evidence”, it’s not like that. More like a magic trick.

Makes no sense until they show you how it’s done. Even then you can’t really understand it.’

The check arrived and he picked it up. ‘I want you guys back on the road the moment he’s spoken to his mom. We clear on this?’ He took some folded banknotes out of his pocket and discreetly slid them over to Rian.

‘Buy clothes and food, stuff for Moucher, whatever you need. But don’t do it in this town. Gas up at Ferryman’s by Cedarville. Ferry’s OK. You can trust him. All right?’

They nodded.

‘Don’t use the phone at the farm. If there’s an emergency, go to the next farm or to the general store by the mailboxes.

Y’know, in case anyone’s listening. Do nothing stupid.

Don’t go near the Fortress or Synchro, don’t be part of that madness. Understood?’

‘Understood,’ Rian and Genie repeated.

‘I’ll be up there in about ten days. Get the apples in, or at least as many as you can, and store them in the back of the house in the cold store. It’s a windowless room behind the stairs. There’s a brick floor and concrete walls in there to keep the room cool. Should be boxes and tissue paper in there as well. Keep them separated with the paper between each layer and keep yourselves to yourselves. There are powerful people around here who

think they can do pretty much as they please.’

Genie knew that already.

‘Thanks,’ she said.

‘You can say thanks when it all works out. And kids . . .’

he looked at them both very keenly. ‘This is all between us. As far as anyone knows I asked you to go back to your folks and that’s what you agreed to do.’ He checked his watch. ‘It’ll be dark in three hours. Don’t leave town till then. End of story. Now go.’

Miller watched them leave. He stayed in his seat a while thinking about what he’d just done, how much trouble he could get into and the rights and wrongs of it all.

Rian pulled up beside a white clapboard home, its roof covered in blue plastic. He reverse parked into a space between two cars. They both heard the clunk.

‘Oops,’ Genie said, trying to see what they’d hit.

Rian pulled a face, embarrassed.

He got out to take a look as Genie surveyed the storm damage in the street. Trees were torn down, roofs ripped open, garages demolished and smashed vehicles abandoned. Someone was going to get rich fixing them up.

Rian opened the door, climbed back in and tossed the bent licence plate behind his seat. ‘There’s a damn wheelbarrow full of metal junk left here. Have to get that fixed back on tomorrow first thing. Don’t need to give the cops a reason to stop us.’

‘That’s all? You could put the one from the front on the back maybe?’

‘Uh-uh, doesn’t have one. At least it didn’t damage the tail lights. You OK? You look spooked.’

‘No. I’m fine.’ She was looking at the old-fashioned

wreck of a house they were parked in front of. ‘You live here?’ It didn’t seem right somehow, smaller than she remembered. Not that she’d ever been inside.

Rian shook his head. ‘I didn’t want to park outside mine. She’d only fret I’m driving without a licence and . . . y’know.’

She understood.

Genie could see that Ri was reluctant to go. They sat there in silence for several minutes, only Moucher making a fuss, wanting to go outside.

She knew that seeing his mother wasn’t the only problem – he didn’t know what to do with her.

Rian sighed and stroked the dog a moment, trying to find the words he needed.

‘It’s OK,’ Genie whispered. ‘I’ll take the dog for a walk.

You go see her. You should do it alone. She will have missed you, Ri. She loves you, remember.’

‘It’s not the going in, it’s the leaving,’ he said finally.

‘She’s going to be double mad at me. You don’t know what she’s like.’

Genie looked away. She was thinking that if she were ever a mother herself she would make it her business that no kid of hers would be afraid of her. She hoped it would be a promise she could keep.

‘Take the dog for a walk. Don’t go further than

this block and don’t lose sight of the truck, OK? I’ll be as fast as I can.’

Genie put a hand out to his and squeezed it. ‘Take as long as you like, Ri. Mouch and me will be here.’

Rian took a deep breath and opened the door. He looked back at Genie and she gave him an encouraging smile, even though she feared the worst for him and wondered if he’d really come back. She grabbed the dog and realized that she hated losing sight of Ri, even for a minute.

‘Let’s go for a walk, Mouch.’

The dog was out of the truck in a flash and Genie followed. It was twilight now. She didn’t think anyone would recognize her. She stayed close to the houses and let Moucher sniff around to his heart’s content. Half of her wished Rian had taken her with him, the other half was glad he hadn’t. Either way she wasn’t going to be happy until he returned.

Rian stared through the window at his mother working on business accounts in her office. She looked well and there was no sign of Mr Yates. For that he was grateful. He stirred himself and went to the front door. It was open.

No one locked their front doors in Spurlake until they went to bed. It was one of the things most people boasted

about, how safe the town was compared to the big city.

Rian had wondered for hours as to what to say, but when it came to it, he said what he always said.

‘Ma. I’m home.’

‘Rian? RIAN!’

His mother rolled out of her office, confusion and surprise on her face. Rian entered and she rolled the wheelchair up to him in the hallway and stopped short.

She didn’t put her arms out to him and he didn’t put his arms out to her. That kind of stuff had ended years before.

Rian could see his mother was crying and struggling to say something but was fighting with herself somehow.

‘I saw the posters today,’ Rian told her. ‘I’m sorry. You must have worried.’

His mother still couldn’t talk.

‘The flood, caught us by surprise. Nearly drowned.

Got lucky I guess. I . . . we . . . were ill for weeks. Picked up something in the water. A farmer looked after us but there wasn’t any power or even a phone.’

His mother took out a handkerchief and blew her nose.

‘The things I wanted to say to you . . .’ she began. ‘You just left. You just went off with that girl . . .’

Rian could see the anger rising, the familiar face of his mother.

‘Genie. She’s called Genie. She nursed me, Ma. Wouldn’t

be here now if she hadn’t got me through it.’

‘You wouldn’t have left this house if it wasn’t for her.’

‘I did. I had to. There’s things you have to do and I had to free her.’

Mrs Tulane looked up at the ceiling, as if looking for inspiration. ‘And where is she now?’

Rian felt his gut twisting. He hated this.

‘She’s waiting for me. Outside.’

‘Too ashamed to show her to me?’

‘Too scared. Look, Ma . . .’

‘Don’t “Look, Ma” me. I had people searching for you.

I have looked at,’ she shuddered, ‘many dead bodies, Rian Tulane. I cared enough about you to look for you. Prayed for you. Did you think about me even once? Did you ever think about your responsibilities to me? Or school? Or that you are a minor and have no right to—’

‘Ma, don’t start. I came to see you. Tell you I’m OK.

Make sure you’re OK but I’m not coming back. I’m with Genie now.’

His mother blinked. Clearly she hadn’t expected this.

‘What do you mean you aren’t coming back? You –you’re just a kid; you’re not
with
anyone. Understand? You have an obligation to finish school. You’re an A-grade student, Rian Tulane. You’re going to throw that all away on a Munby girl? A girl possessed by God knows

what? What has she done to you? Are you so bewitched by that little bitch you don’t know what a laughing stock you’ve become?’

Rian began to edge towards the door. This was the part he’d been dreading.

‘She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. She loves me. I love her, Ma, and you can shout and scream and hate me, but I made a choice.’

‘A choice? You call that a choice? She pregnant already?

You think life will be great when you are on minimum wage and trying to raise barefoot Munby brats?’

Rian stared at her, disliking the way her mouth twisted with hate when she was angry. He had reached the door, making a decision to bring something she wouldn’t like to the conversation.

‘Dad ever tell you about my sister, Ma? Or did he keep Renée secret from you too?’

His mother was caught off-guard. Rian could see from her face that she knew about Renée. He briefly wondered what other family secrets there were.

‘Renée was a nice kid, Ma. Dead now. Seems no one quite loved her enough. Well I’m not going to let that happen to Genie. We have each other and we will find a way to survive. She’s mine and I’m taking care of her.’

‘How did you find out about Renée?’

‘Not important, Ma. Look, I’m leaving. You can stop looking for me. I’m fine and I can take care of myself. You take care now. OK?’

His mother suddenly realized that he was leaving again.

‘Rian. No. Don’t go. I need you here. Rian. I’m sorry.

I was angry, I—’

‘Got to go. Be well, Ma. I hope Mr Yates is good to you.’

Rian walked out and closed the door behind him. He realized that he wished he’d run upstairs and grabbed some clothes and sneakers but he was out now and it was too embarrassing to go back.

Mrs Tulane stared at the front door, tears streaming down her face. She’d made a complete mess of that somehow and he’d gone again. She felt a wrenching pain in her heart. She’d lost her son. Really truly lost her son.

And to a dreaded Munby girl. It was a tragedy. He couldn’t see it and she couldn’t stop it.

‘You want me to go after him?’

Mrs Tulane looked at Mr Yates hiding in the shadow of the dining room doorway and she shook her head. She turned her wheelchair around and headed back to her office without another word.

‘I’ll make some peppermint tea,’ Mr Yates called after her.

‘Genie?’

Rian was running towards the truck. It was dark now and he was still shaking from his encounter with his mother. He didn’t know what he had really expected. He was the one who had run off, he was the guilty party, and she had every right to be mad at him. He knew that. It was just . . .

‘Genie?’

He came to a halt three metres from the truck.

The cabin was empty. There was no response to his call. Not even Moucher barked. ‘Genie? Come on out, this isn’t funny.’

She still didn’t answer. A Mercedes sedan went by, the headlights briefly touching Rian as he stared around him at the houses and the open ground opposite. It was unlike Genie to play games. He began to feel very worried.

‘Genie?’ He heard the desperation in his voice. Perhaps she’d gone? He knew she was worried that he’d stay with his mother and she’d be left out in the cold. Genie was full of doubts and perhaps she’d just feared the worst and taken off. But didn’t she know he’d made a promise?

Surely she knew he kept his promises.

‘Genie?’ he called, louder this time.

He thought he got a response. Whimpering. It came from the empty lot across the road. He ran to the clearing.

‘Genie? Moucher?’ He’d disturb the neighbours shouting but didn’t care. ‘Genie?’