Harlan nodded, his face a picture of worry.
“Damn it. Now the witch has him too. We can’t leave him there. Come on, let’s go back.”
I think we need to go for help, Willa. I hate to say this, but we’re not sure Pops is even still alive. Candy Man isn’t a tough guy and we’re just three kids. We need Mama and Otis at least. Be smart. That’s what you do.
Harlan rarely defied her, but he had a point. Maybe this was one of those situations like in the story Mister Fergus had told them. She was being all damn-the-torpedoes and Harlan was being the cool voice of reason. For a half-second, she hated him for it.
“Fine,” she said out loud.
Harlan looked visibly relieved. He motioned for Cricket and the stranger to follow.
“This is the place where we played Peter Pan,” she said as the foursome began navigating through the forest.
“Yep,” Cricket replied from in front of her. “That’s partly how we knew how to get here, but another part was Harlan’s dream and my work with the compass.”
Willa heard the pride in the squeaky voice. If she hadn’t been so worried about her grandfather, she would have praised him. He’d earned it.
Instead, she glanced back at...George Clooney. That’s who it was. So this was the guy who’d been delivering candy and food to them. She could tell he hadn’t spent much time in the woods; he navigated the brush like someone who sat in front of a computer all day. Still, he wore a look of grim determination that took the edge off her annoyance. He’d been trying to help, after all. Maybe he’d even saved her life. Probably not, though. Her charm offensive had been working on the witch. No doubt about it.
“Thanks,” she tossed back at him. “For rescuing me. Sorry I was rude before. I’m worried about Mister Fergus. And now Pops.”
“No problem, Willadean.”
She noticed the rifle he carried. It was one of the two Pops kept hidden under the floorboards of his cabin. Mama didn’t have a clue about them.
“So Pops released one of the Krakens, I see. Is that what he brought instead of Josie?”
“Yes,” Cricket said. “I wanted to bring her, but your grandpa said she’d knock me on my backside.”
“He’s correct. You’re not big enough to handle Josie’s kick. You know how to use that thing, Mister Ray?” she said, glancing back.
There was the lopsided grin again, followed by a nod.
He was handsome for an older man, and she liked his self-deprecating smile. “You met my mama yet?” A sly thought began to percolate.
“Yes, indeed. She’s an incredible woman.”
Willa snorted. George Clooney already had it bad for Mama. That could mean easy access to Jolly Ranchers.
Just as she was about to ask another question, Harlan’s hand flew up, then three fingers pointed downward — the signal for HIDE! The problem was they were hiking through an open meadow. No clusters of juniper or thick blackberry bushes lay anywhere in sight, but a solitary Ponderosa pine towered thirty yards ahead. Both boys looked at her for guidance. She analyzed the tree’s branches and the overall situation, then with hand gestures, indicated to the boys what they would do.
Mister Ray wouldn’t know about the HIDE! signal, but he’d figure it out when he saw them hauling ass for the tree. She couldn’t take the time to explain it. The signal was only used in extreme situations when dangerous people or creatures were close by and immediate action was required.
Willa made it to the tree first, thinking thank goodness for the low branches. She began to climb. The boys followed close behind. The pine needles offered excellent cover, and most human predators wouldn’t think to look up.
Yes, they’d be trapped up there, but the calculated risk was the best decision under the circumstances. She perched twenty feet off the ground now. The boys took positions an arm’s length above and below her.
Where the hell was Mister Ray? Shielding her eyes from the mid-afternoon sun, she scanned the meadow and spotted him traveling in the opposite direction of their hiding place.
Damn it! Was he totally clueless?
She watched his diminishing backside, his rifle held at the ready, the salt-and-pepper head swiveling from side to side. She could hear his loud movements across the distance. He was headed back toward the cabin.
Idiot!
A light tap on her knee interrupted her thoughts. Harlan leaned against the tree’s rough trunk, legs encircling a branch just below her. He began to sign.
He’s not stupid, Willa. He’s leading the witch away from us.
Comprehension dawned. Yes, best to split up the group. The witch can’t go in two directions at once, and the man’s movements almost seemed intentionally awkward and loud. He was making sure the witch’s attention was drawn to him, not the children hiding in the tree.
She whispered, “He doesn’t stand a chance against her.”
Harlan nodded.
Seconds passed, then minutes. How long should they wait before climbing down and making a beeline for the village?
A single rifle shot split the air, reverberating from the direction of the cabin. She’d never heard Pops fire the Mossies, so she had no idea who had done the shooting.
Harlan tapped her again. We should go.
Instinctively, she wanted to wait and see if Mister Ray would come walking back through the meadow, but Harlan was right. Whatever was happening out there, it would distract from them and their escape. She nodded. Once they had scrambled out of the tree, Harlan pointed in a different direction.
“Why go that way? Isn’t the village over there?” She pointed.
Harlan nodded, then signed before taking off. Yes, but mama is coming from this way. Let’s go.
Willadean only had the psychic thing with Harlan, her twin. It
