Eliot Strange and the Prince of the People

5) Just Outside Dobson

We are making good time and soon we are near the former barricade and broken down refrigerator from our past travels this way. The desperate men we ran into the last time we were here are gone. Good. I hope they made it back to Pilot Mountain and their families. I hope they packed up and will head our way. More mouths to feed, but at least we'll add a few seasoned hunters and guns to our camp. I hope they're not mad when they find out we really do have the prince.

We stop to move the fridge farther off the road and check in the daylight this time to make sure there is no debris that will slit our tires. Before we embrace the fridge to push it out of our way, we check inside. Silly, but there is just something about a fridge that makes you want to open the door. Possibilities. So many. Food? Probably not, but still worth the peek, unless there is a Stephen King monster in there.

My Steven and I think a lot alike. Steven says, "I miss our Stephen King. I hope he is ok."

We both know the EMP was off the coast of Maine, and everything there is most certainly gone. But still, how could our hero of the human spirit be gone? We refuse to believe it.

"Maybe, he was on a book tour?" I say with little confidence.

The true believer in miracles says, "Yes, he was. I am sure of it. He and his wife. Probably in Europe right now."

"Maybe, he left us a surprise right here." I put my hand on the door of the fridge and smile at Steven.

Then Steven and I both discuss whether or not there might be a clown in the fridge with a red balloon. Now, we got to open the door.

We forgot about Cindy.

"Well, that is dumb. No clown would fit in there. Their hair and shoes is too big. You two are silly. Nothing to be afraid of. And balloons are all gone now." She jerks the door open as me and Steven both mockingly cover our eyes and squeal.

"Hmm," says Cindy, "Someone left us a note."

"Is it from Stephen King?" I ask.

"No, silly, Steven's right here."

"Well, what does it say?" Steven asks laughing because he thinks Cindy is joking.

Cindy looks at the piece of paper. "I dunno. I left my reader glasses at the house."

She hands the note to me. And, it really is a note to us. It says:

Dear kids:

Thanks for the information. We are not stupid. We got teenagers of our own, so we know when we been lied to. We saw you know who. We are headed home to get our familys. Will probably be you know where in two or three days. See you there.

Your new friends from Pilot Mountain

"Not stupid, but they misspelled families," says Steven. "I think. Good Lord, no school for six months, and I'm getting stupider. More stupider. More stupid?"

"What do you think this means?" I ask. "You think those guys are dangerous? How'd they know we'd be back through here?"

"Maybe, just wanted the last word, even if we wouldn't be back through here," says Steven. "They were looking for the prince."

"Yeah, but they didn't try to take him." I read the note again. "Maybe, they didn't realize he was the prince until after we drove off."

"Maybe," says Cindy.

I look back the way we came. Steven says, "No matter, we can't get distracted. We need to stick to the mission at hand. It'll take them a few days to get to Dobson."

I imagine a small army of gun wielding, camouflaged hunters capturing Torin. And, what about the kids?

Cindy must be thinking the same thing as she looks towards home. "They got kids of their own. They are daddies. They won't hurt out kids."

"We'll fly from here on out. We won't stop," says Steven. "Tommy."

Tommy. He must be beside himself worried about Tommy. What am I thinking? Torin is safe for now. We have to go forward. I say, "We'll fly. We stick to the mission. No distractions from here on out."

"No distractions," repeats Cindy.

And of course, no sooner than she says it, we see a distraction headed our way.