Eliot Strange and the Prince of the Resistance

41) Hunters

Underdeveloped brain? Well, what do you say to that?

I can think of something like: male brains don't fully develop either until age 25 or so, and besides, girls are more mature, but before I get into an argument that doesn't sound at all mature, we hear a gun shot. It's coming from the dugout.

By the time we get to the dugout where dad and Mr. Thomas are waiting, our disagreement is forgotten.

"What happened?" I ask when I see dad's rifle still in his hands and ready to fire again.

"Couple of guys, hunting."

"Hunting?" asks Torin, "in the city?"

My dad puts his rifle up and explains that the men saw them and came over to talk. They didn't get close before dad knew they might be trouble and warned them back. There were five of them, decked out in camo from top to bottom. I know my dad had no patience with that - he says camo gives some people a false bravado. Makes them do stupid things in the name of macho.

"They yelled at us. Said they wanted to show us a poster and see if we had seen someone. Said there was a reward. I told them I wasn't interested in talking to people who were hunting other people. They called me some names. I told them to git. When they didn't git, I gave them one warning shot. They skedaddled."

"The prince," says Mr. Thomas as if we didn't know already. "They were hunting the prince."

Torin and I exchange looks, and I say, "It was inevitable. Everyone doesn't want to fight the bad guys. Some just want the reward. Greedy bastards."

Dad raises an eyebrow of disapproval to my cussing but doesn't say anything.

"Well, a truckload of food is a lot," says Torin. "I'm thinking about turning myself in. Do you think there's Doritos? Maybe some Cokes. Or a Pepsi?"

We all laugh, and then Mr. Thomas says, "A Dr. Pepper. An ice cold, Dr. Pepper in a can. That's my dream." He sighs like he really means it.

"Mountain Dew for me," I say.

"Coke for me," says my dad and then adds, "So many uses for it because of the phosphoric acid in it. Makes it an ideal cleaner."

"Really dad?" I say.

"Well, if we're just drinking them, give me a Cheerwine. Made right here in North Carolina. Not far from here."

Our conversation has gone from hunting Torin to favorite drinks until dad brings us right back to the real world by stating the obvious:

"Not safe for you in this town, Prince Torin."

Torin looks at me and then turns to dad and says, "Agree."

"I think you need to get back to that base camp in Dobson," says Dad. "Eliot can go with you."

"No, I can't. We're going to get mom. I'm going with you. Let Mr. Thomas escort him back."

The coward speaks: "I'd love to, Eliot. I'd love to get out of Dodge, but your dad is not getting close to the Professor's camp without me. It's dangerous here for the Prince, if he doesn't go now, then One Nation will catch him."

"I thought they left town," I say.

"They did, but they'll be back. If the townspeople left here have a prince for them, then it's all over for this country." Mr. Thomas says this like he really means it and is on our side now.

I know they are right. I know they are, but I want to help get my mom too. Part of it is my stubbornness, and part of it is that I want to show her that I would never desert her. Family first.

Torin says, "I understand, Eliot. You want to help your mother. I can get back on my own. I just need to find some gas for that golf cart."

"I have some hidden in a warehouse in Westwood," says Mr. Thomas. "I can tell you where."

"That's too far from downtown. Didn't you say your cart stopped near downtown, Torin?" I ask.

"Yes, but I can walk to get the gas."

I come up with a plan:

"I know where it is. Let me ride my bike there, get the gas. Meet Torin downtown. Get you headed back to the camp and then meet back up with you two." I tell my dad, "Give me til dark, and I'll meet you back at my house. We can get some supplies there. You can clean up. Then we'll head out to rescue mom in the morning."

My dad looks at everyone and nods. I guess he really does believe in family first because he's going to let me go with him to rescue mom.

"Be safe," says Mr. Thomas.

Torin and I ride double on the bike which, I quickly learn, is not so easy. As we ride tandem on the bike, I hang on tight to Torin.  I think about him giving Carli a ride that day, right after he met her. Carli was hanging on to him for dear life. I was jealous of my cousin's good looks and mad at her for flirting with my prince.

That's just Carli though. I hope she is ok.

We reach a crossroads where he is going one way, and I am going the other, so we part. Torin gives me a quick hug and tells me he will see me shortly. 

As it turns out, not so shortly.