“I don’t know.” James let the rope fall from his hand. What did he expect? For Derek to be standing here, waiting for him to show up?
“There’s got to be another clue or something,” Rocky said. “Maybe it’s buried.”
They began heaving the rocks under the branch to see if anything was buried beneath. After the sixth rock, which was so heavy it took both of them to lift, James sat back on his heels, panting. “I don’t think anything’s here.”
Rocky wiped sweat from his brow. “This could take hours.”
“This is stupid,” James said. “Maybe I was wrong.” And maybe the writing on the photo was nothing but an old phrase written years ago. Maybe he was seeing threads where there were none in an attempt to convince himself Derek hadn’t just disappeared without warning.
Rocky shook his head. “Nah, man, trust your intuition. Maybe we’re looking in the wrong spot.”
“This is where it happened. He saved me from falling on these rocks. Unless—”
His gaze drifted to a spot ten feet away. Too far for any normal person to jump.
He scrambled over the rocks, nearly falling in his haste. The spot was right at the edge of the lake, the grass giving way to water.
“This is where he jumped,” James said, standing on the exact spot.
“There’s nothing here. Do you think he buried something?”
The ground was hard and unbroken. It seemed unlikely. James sighed, exasperated.
He knelt, looking at his reflection in the water, remembering the moment of terror when the rope broke, followed by the flood of relief when he and Derek landed safely in the dirt. At the time, he had just accepted Derek’s explanation. Had his brother known? He tried to imagine the fear of doing these strange things, having no explanation, worrying that he was some kind of freak. But then Lychnus had come and explained everything. The day Derek learned he was a Super was probably the best day of his life. He wasn’t a freak—he was extraordinary. He would forever have the love of the world. At least until...
A glimmer in the water caught his eye. At first, James thought it was the sun reflecting off the lake, but he saw what looked like a cylindrical object resting at the bottom.
“There’s something in there!” he exclaimed.
“What?” Rocky said.
James lay on his stomach and plunged his arm into the cool water. Slimy rocks shifted lazily as he pushed through them. His grip closed around something round and hard. He pulled, and after a moment, the sand and rocks gave way. He heaved the object out of the water and placed it in the grass.
“There we go!” Rocky said.
It was some kind of metal container with a round handle. James clicked open the latches on its side, and it swung open.
Inside was two items: a single sheet of paper and a flower.
James reached for the piece of paper. On it, he was disappointed to see, was just a single sentence: Recognize our true friends, and always ask for help.
Rocky read it over James’s shoulder. “What does that mean?”
“No idea.” James had hoped for something more concrete, but the excitement in his stomach didn’t die. Derek was speaking to him through these riddles. He was helping him, even if he wasn’t here. He was leading James to something.
James picked up the flower. It had strange, thick leaves on the stem, with a bundle of red, horn-like pedals at the top. He had no idea what it meant. But if it was in the container, it was important. He stowed it carefully in his bag.
“Let’s head back to my place,” James said, standing up. “We can think this over.”
Rocky agreed, and they set off. The sun was touching the horizon when they exited the forest, bringing with it the first signs of night. The neighborhood was quiet as they climbed into Rocky’s car.
“I don’t get why he’s being so vague,” Rocky said, driving slowly down the street. A neighbor’s dog barked at them as they passed.
“He must’ve been worried about somebody finding it,” James said, thinking it through. “But who?”
“The police?”
“I guess, but—”
Rocky suddenly held up a hand, silencing James. He pulled over to the curb, bringing the car to a stop.
“What’re you—” James said. Then he saw it.
Farther down the street, his house was surrounded by black SUVs. Huge spotlights had been set up, bathing the lawn and the house in white light, and dozens of men wearing black suits were walking in and around the house like ants on a hill. They were all, James noticed with alarm, holding guns. His front door had been bashed open, and they were busy carrying out items from Derek’s old room.
“What the hell?” James said loudly. He made to open the door, but Rocky grabbed him.
“Whoa there,” Rocky said. “I think that’s SIA, James. And they don’t seem too friendly.”
“That’s my house!” James said with indignation, shrugging off Rocky’s hand. “My mom could be in there!”
“She’ll be okay, James. She doesn’t know anything. You do. And if they take your bag, they’ll find some very interesting notes written in your brother’s handwriting.”
James swore and hit the side of the car with his fist. “How can they do this? There’s no way it’s legal.”
“Uh, James,” Rocky said, his voice higher-pitched than normal. “We can debate the legality later. We’ve got to go.”
James looked up to see two of the men walking toward them, trying to appear casual despite carrying large weapons. James pulled his leg back into the car and closed the door as quietly as possible.
“Just go,” he said, his heart pounding. “Turn around. Act casual.”
Rocky pulled away from the curb. The street wasn’t quite wide enough, so he had to throw it in reverse and pull a Y-turn. James glanced in the side mirror and saw the men walking more quickly, closing in on them.
“C’mon,” Rocky said quietly as he threw it forward and inched toward the curb. The front tire just cleared it and they were fully turned around.
Suddenly, James’s
