“Crazy stuff. Didn’t really make sense, most of it. Said he had something on the loggers, some secret. Said they were going to pay for what they’d done.” She looked up abruptly. “He was consumed with hate. The same hatred I saw in the eyes of the loggers standing outside the barricade, calling us names, spitting on us.” She drew in her breath. “I’m worried that Al is going to try something … dangerous. He’s been staying out late at night, wandering in the forest, not telling anyone what he’s doing. I’m just afraid.” She peered up at Ben. “And I really couldn’t stand to lose another member. I just-couldn’t-” Her voice broke off.
Ben laid his hand gently on her shoulder. “Well, try not to worry about it.”
“I have to worry about it. The only experienced members I’ve still got are Deirdre and Al, and Al is-” She couldn’t complete her sentence. All at once she pressed herself into Ben’s arms. “My God, Ben, we can’t afford to lose anyone else.”
Ben raised his hand and gently stroked her hair. “I know.”
“You wouldn’t think it would be so hard. All we want is to preserve what little is left. To keep some remnant of the natural world for our children.”
“I know.”
Her face turned up, and Ben saw tears trickling down her cheeks. They paused, the two of them, frozen for a moment, feeling the distance between them.
“You know, Ben,” she said quietly, “the trial is all but over now, and we said that when the trial was over we might … spend some time together. You remember?”
“I remember,” Ben said, gazing into her eyes. “Very well.”
Their two faces moved closer together, lips parted, each inexorably inching toward the other …
“Now this is a cozy scene, ain’t it?”
Ben and Maureen broke apart. On the side of the street, a large black sedan had pulled up next to them. Two men jumped out the side doors. Ben didn’t recognize either of them, but they had a distinctly thuggish appearance.
Ben pushed himself in front of Maureen. “What do you want?”
“Want to have us a little powwow,” the first man said. He grabbed Bens arm and jerked him toward the car.
“Leave me alone!” Ben shouted. He tried to break away, but the man held him tight with a viselike grip. An instant later, the other man was behind him, shoving him forward. He fell headfirst into the backseat of the sedan.
“Stop!” Ben shouted, but before he could say another word, the first man brought his fist around and cuffed Ben on the side of the face. His head slammed backward against the car door.
“Let go of me!” Maureen screamed. Ben saw the other man grabbing her, forcing her into the front seat. “
Maureen gave the scream her best, but there was no one close enough to hear. Within moments she was strapped and belted into the front seat and the door was locked behind her.
“You can’t do this,” Ben said.
“Do you want another one?” the man beside him said, raising his fist in the air.
Ben saw he was in no position to argue. Pinned down, isolated from anyone who could help-more chatter would only serve to loosen his teeth.
The doors were closed and locked. The car began to creep forward.
“You bastards,” Maureen spat out. “Haven’t you done enough already?”
“Evidently not,” said the voice behind the driver’s wheel. That was when Ben noticed for the first time who was driving.
“It’s
A thin smile curled on the driver’s lips. “That was an accident, remember?”
“What are you planning to do with us?” Ben asked.
“You’ll know soon enough,” the man grunted. “What’s your rush?”
Ben’s jaw tightened. “I’d just like to know, you-”
“Sorry. We’re not supposed to say.”
“Can’t you tell me anything?”
The man’s face twitched. “I can tell you this. You ain’t gonna like it.”
Ben spent the next forty-five minutes or so with a paper bag over his head. It seemed they didn’t want him to know where he was going. He could tell they had left town, had probably gone into the forest. But beyond that, he was clueless. All he could do was wait.
“Are you all right, Maureen?” he shouted at one point. His voice reverberated inside the paper bag.
“I’m fine. Given the circumstances.”
The man beside Ben grunted. “Worried about your little lady, chump?”
“Don’t hurt her. There’s no reason to hurt her.”
Ben felt a sharp jab in the ribs. “You ain’t in a position to argue, chump.”
They drove the rest of the distance in silence. Eventually Ben felt the car slow.
“We’re here.”
The man removed the bag over Ben’s head. He was right-they were in the forest. Deep, deep in the thick of it.
Just behind the car, Ben saw a cabin. More of an outsized shack, really-wood planks forming most of the walls, faded from rain and sunlight.
“So this is it,” he heard Maureen murmur. “The Holy Grail.”
Ben frowned. “What?”
“Their headquarters,” Maureen explained. “We knew the Cabal had a camp out in the woods somewhere. But we’ve never been able to find it.”
Surveying the scenery, Ben could imagine why. They were at the peak of what appeared to be a small mountain, utterly isolated from everything below. There was only one road leading to the cabin, and nothing else in sight.
“Come on,” the man beside Ben grunted. “Move your butt. You’re wanted inside.”
A few minutes later, Ben and Maureen were inside, both tied securely to upright chairs taken from an ancient dinner table. The chairs were old and not very sturdy. Ben suspected that, given half a chance, they could probably free themselves. Unfortunately, their captors didn’t appear likely to give them half a chance.
Ben felt cold beads of sweat dripping down the side of his face. He didn’t want to be a coward, but he was scared, and he knew it. They were alone, isolated-totally at the mercy of these men. Bad enough that he was in this situation-but Maureen was stuck here, too. He didn’t like that a bit. The looks on those men’s faces told him they were capable of anything. Anything at all.
“Now,” the driver said, “let’s talk. I’m Carl. You’re Ben, right? And the lady with the sexy legs is Maureen.”
“Go to hell,” Maureen answered.
“Why have you brought us here?” Ben asked, straining against his bonds. They weren’t tied that tightly. If he could just get rid of these jerks for a few minutes …
“Well, Ben,” Carl answered, “to tell you the truth, we didn’t want
Ben felt an empty aching in his chest. He’d been afraid of this.
“What do you want with me?” Maureen asked.
“Well, I thought we ought to have a little talk. After all, you’re in charge now, right?”
“Only because you loggers have killed everyone else!”
“Maureen, calm down. I think you have the wrong idea. Although maybe I shouldn’t tell you. I think you’re very sexy when you’re angry.” He smiled, a toothy smile Ben would’ve enjoyed rendering toothless. “We’re not loggers. I’ve never cut a tree in my life.”
Ben surveyed the four faces in the room. “These assholes don’t care about eco-politics, Maureen. They’re just hired thugs. They work for Slade. Where is he anyway?”
