“What if he stuffed it high in a tree?”
“You think Simon’s the tree-climbing type?” She has to agree with that one. “And let’s try to do this fast,” I add. “Whoever he left it for-even if they’re not here now, they’re going to be here any minute.” Nora turns the flashlight toward the base of the nearest tree and we’re once again encased in underwater silence. As we move up the hill, my breathing gets heavier. I’m trying to look out for the envelope, but I can’t stop checking over my shoulder. And while I don’t believe in mental telepathy or other paranormal phenomena, I do believe in the human animal’s uncanny and unexplainable ability to know when it’s being watched. Racing to the top of the embankment, it’s a feeling I can’t shake. We’re not alone.
“What’s wrong with you?” Nora asks.
“I just want to get out of here. We can come back tomorrow with the proper-” Suddenly, I see it. There it is. My eyes go wide and Nora follows my gaze. Ten feet in front of us, at the base of a tree with a
“Son of a bitch,” she says, rushing forward. Her reaction is instantaneous. Pick it up and rip it open.
“No!” I shout. “Don’t touch… ” I’m too late. She’s got it open.
Nora shines the flashlight down into the envelope. “I don’t believe it,” she says.
“What? What’s in there?”
She turns it upside down and the contents fall to the ground. One. Two. Three. Four stacks of cash. Hundred dollar bills.
“Money?”
“Lots of it.”
I pick up a stack, remove the First of America billfold, and start counting. So does Nora. “How much?” I ask when she’s done.
“Ten thousand.”
“Me too,” I say. “Times two more stacks is forty thousand.” Noticing the crispness of the bills, I again flip through the stack. “All consecutively numbered.”
We nervously look at each other. We’re sharing the same thought.
“What should we do?” she finally asks. “Should we take it?”
I’m about to answer when I see something move in the large bush on my right. Nora shines the flashlight. No one’s there. Yet I can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched.
I pull the envelope from Nora’s hands and stuff the four stacks of bills back inside.
“What’re you doing?” she asks.
“Throw me the flashlight.”
“Tell me why-”
“Now!” I shout. She gives in, tossing it to me. I shine the light on the envelope, looking to see if there’s any writing on it. It’s blank. There’s a throbbing pain kicking at the back of my neck. My forehead’s soaked. Feeling like I’m about to pass out, I quickly return the envelope to the base of the tree. The late summer heat isn’t the only thing that’s got me sweating.
“You okay?” Nora asks, reading my expression.
I don’t answer. Instead, I reach up and pull some leaves from the tree. Putting the flashlight aside, I fold the leaves and scrub them against the edges of the envelope.
“Michael, you can’t wipe off fingerprints. It doesn’t work like that.”
Ignoring her, I keep scrubbing.
She kneels next to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. Her touch is strong, and even in the midst of it all, I have to admit it feels good. “You’re wasting your time,” she adds.
Naturally, she’s right. I toss the envelope back toward the tree. Behind us, a twig snaps and we both turn around. I don’t see anyone, but I can feel a stranger’s eyes on me.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say.
“But the people who’re going to pick up the package… ” I take another glance around the darkness. “To be honest, Nora, I think they’re already here.”
Looking around, Nora knows something’s wrong. It’s too quiet. The hairs on my arm stand on edge. They could be hiding behind any tree. On our left, another twig snaps. I grab Nora by the hand and we start walking down the embankment. It doesn’t take ten steps for our walk to turn into a jog. Then a run. When I almost trip on a wayward rock, I ask Nora to turn on the flashlight.
“I thought you had it,” she says.
Simultaneously, we look over our shoulders. Behind us, at the top of the embankment, is the faint glow of the flashlight. Exactly where I left it.
“You start the car; I’ll get the light,” Nora says.
“No, I’ll get the-”
Once again, though, she’s too fast. Before I can stop her, she’s headed back up the embankment. I’m about to yell something, but I’m worried we’re not alone. Watching her run up the hill, I keep my eyes on her long, lithe arms. Within seconds, though, she fades into the darkness. She said I should get the car, but there’s no way I’m leaving her. Slowly, I start heading up the embankment, walking just fast enough to make sure she’s in sight. As she gets farther away, I pick up speed. My jog again quickly turns into a run. As long as I can see her, she’ll be okay.
Next thing I know, I feel a sharp blow against my forehead. I fall backwards and hit the ground with an uneven thud. Feeling the dampness of the grass seep into the seat of my pants, I look for my attacker. As I prop myself up on an elbow, I feel a slick wetness on my forehead. I’m bleeding. Then I look up and see what put me down: a thick branch from a nearby oak tree. I’m tempted to laugh at my slapstick injury, but I quickly remember why I wasn’t looking where I was going. Squinting toward the top of the embankment, I climb to my feet and search for Nora.
I don’t see anything. The faint glow of the flashlight is in the same spot, but there’s no one moving toward it. I look for shadows, search for silhouettes, and listen for the quiet crunching of broken sticks and long-dead leaves. No one’s there. She’s gone. I’ve lost the President’s daughter.
My legs go weak as I try to fathom the consequences. Then, without warning, the light moves. Someone’s up there. And like a knight with a luminescent lance, the person turns around and barrels straight at me. As the figure approaches, I feel the piercing glow of the light blinding me. I turn away and stumble through the black woods, hands out in front, feeling for trees. I can hear him hopping through bushes, gaining on me. If I drop to the ground, maybe I can trip him up. Suddenly, I slam into a thicket as strong as a wall. I turn toward my enemy as the glaring light hits me in the eyes.
“What the hell happened to your forehead?” Nora asks.
All I can muster is a nervous laugh. The trees still surround us. “I’m fine,” I insist. I give her a reassuring nod and we head for my car.
“Maybe we should stay here and wait to see who picks it up.”
“No,” I say, holding her tightly by the hand. “We’re leaving.”
At full speed, we race out of the wooded area. When we emerge, I hurdle the guardrail and make a mad dash for my Jeep, which is up the road. If I were alone, I’d probably be there by now, but I refuse to let go of Nora. Slowing myself down, I swing her in front of me, just to make sure she’s safe.
The first one to reach the car, she jumps in and slams the door shut. A few seconds later, I join her. Simultaneously, we punch the switches to lock the doors. When I hear that click of solitude, I take an overdue deep breath.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” she says as I start the car. She sounds scared, but from the gleam in her eyes, you’d think it was a thrill ride.
I hit the gas, turn the wheel, and tear out of there. A sharp U-turn causes the wheels to scream and sends us back toward the Carter Barron/16th Street exit. As I fly forward, my eyes are glued to the rearview mirror. Nora’s staring at her sideview.
“No one’s there,” she says, sounding more wishful than confident. “We’re okay.”
I stare at the mirror, praying she’s right. Hoping to tip the odds in our favor, I give the gas another push. As we turn back onto 16th Street, we’re flying. Once again, D.C.’s rugged roads are tossing us around. This time, though, it doesn’t matter. We’re finally safe.
