“I asked you a question,” Mr. Martin said to me.
“And I told you to burn in hell.”
“You won. How do you feel?”
“I feel fucking amazing.”
“So, Curtis, I’m going to share a fact about my personal life with you, and I’m going to let you take as long as you need for it to sink in. This fact won’t mean anything to your friends. I’m directing it right at you. Are you ready?”
“Sure.”
“Both of my parents are dead.”
“Okay. So?”
“Like I said. Take as long as you need.”
I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Was he trying to play mind games with me? If he thought he could get out of this by messing with my head, he was sorely—
Then I understood. Right before hanging up the phone, he’d said “Tell Mom I love her.”
“I see from your face that you figured it out. Do you want to share it with the others?”
“He was on the phone when I went into the basement,” I said. “He said to tell his mom that he loved her, then he hung up.”
“And you assumed that I was talking to a relative. A brother. A sister. An aunt or uncle. Any of those. That’s what you assumed, right?”
“Right.”
“So, Curtis, have you known me to bluff?”
“No.”
“Correct. When I told you that I had a very dangerous friend, that turned out to be absolutely true, right? I wasn’t making him up, was I? He paid you a scary little visit.”
“Yes.” I’m sure I was imagining it, but it felt like the wound on my head was suddenly leaking fresh, warm blood.
“Good. We’re on the same page. So when I tell you that ‘Tell Mom I love her’ was a code phrase, do you think I’m pulling your leg? Or do you think my buddy went straight into action? We’ve been out here for a long time. Hours. Plenty of time for my pal to go get your mommy and daddy and bring them to a secret spot.”
“You’re lying,” I said.
“Didn’t we just establish that I don’t bluff? You’re more than welcome to believe that I’m lying. You can hurry back to the car, and stop at the first house you find. Borrow their phone. Call home. Nobody will answer.”
I believed him. I fucking believed him.
I picked up the shovel. “Take me to them or I’ll break your neck.”
“You don’t have to threaten me. I was going to take you to them anyway.” Mr. Martin pointed to Tina. “You get to come with us, too. I feel like you two may be lovebirds. The rest of you aren’t going anywhere. I can’t force you to stay right here by the corpse, but I can say that if I see you following us, your friend’s parents will be skinned alive. Tell them I’m serious, Curtis.”
“He’s serious,” I said.
“You can keep the shovels, but hand over the flashlights. All of them. Give them to the girl.”
“No way,” said Ed. “Screw that.”
“Curtis just got finished telling you that I’m serious. I mean, he literally just finished saying that. Let me explain this clearly, okay? You lose. You. Have. Lost. Your friend was in a no-win situation as soon as I hung up that phone. So give the girl your flashlights. I’m not trying to make you freeze to death out here. I’m just slowing you down. And somebody untie my fucking hands, okay?”
While I cut the rope binding Mr. Martin’s hands, the others reluctantly handed their flashlights to Tina. She shoved them into the pockets of her jacket.
“Let her stay,” I said.
Mr. Martin shook his head. “No.”
“C’mon. She’s not part of this.”
“Of course she’s part of this. We just dug up your dead friend.”
“I will cooperate with whatever you want if you let her stay here.”
“You will cooperate with whatever I want either way. You have no power right now, Curtis. None. Zero. When you argue with me like this, all you’re doing is making me a little bit angrier, and trust me, I’m a bubbling fucking cauldron of rage.”
“Let’s just go,” said Tina. “We don’t want anything to happen to your parents.”
“See?” said Mr. Martin. “She’s way more practical than you are.”
“Leave us one flashlight,” said Ed.
“No. And if you ask me again, I’ll take your jackets, too.” He gestured to Mick. “Oh, hey, I almost forgot. Give me my car keys.”
Mick, giving him a look of raw hatred, took the keys out of his pocket and handed them over.
“Let’s go,” said Mr. Martin. “I’d better not see the rest of you in the rearview mirror.”
We left, abandoning the people who’d risked their lives to help me.
Since we could follow the trail we made on the way there, the way back went significantly faster. I tried not to think about Mom and Dad, but blood-soaked images kept flashing through my mind.
What if it was already too late? What if Mr. Martin had been bluffing, but the bluff was him saying that my parents were still alive. His friend might have slashed their throats while they slept.
We walked in silence. I wanted to apologize to Tina. And I wanted to reassure her that everything would be all right, but I didn’t want to lie to her, and I didn’t want to give Mr. Martin something to ridicule. I’d save the apology for when this was over. I’d make it up to her.
The car was still there, which honestly surprised me a bit because with the way things were going I’d kind of expected it to be stolen or vandalized.
“You’re driving,” Mr. Martin said to me.
“I can’t drive.”
“You’re old enough for a learner’s permit, at least.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have one.”
“That’s insane. What kind of kid doesn’t get their learner’s permit on their fourteenth birthday?”
“The kind whose best friend had just disappeared.”
“Okay, okay, fair enough.” He looked over at Tina. “What about you?”
“I don’t turn fourteen until next month.”
“Well, fuck. I guess it doesn’t matter if I drive. You try
