Eliot Strange and the Prince of the People

25) Searching the Traitor's House

We park the red jeep on a street behind my own house so that we can sneak up on Mr. Thomas. It is a waste of time because no one is at home.

"Where do you think they have gone?" asks Torin.

"I don't know. I don't think Gus would have gone back to Stuart without me."

"Oh?"

I explain to him Gus's plan to save my mother and the world. "He has to have me." Now, saying it out loud to someone else makes our plan sound stupid. What use would I be? I don't think I can change the mind of my mother. She seems hell bent on doing things her way, and up to now, she hasn't proven to me that I matter at all in her plans. I guess Torin feels the same way because he says:

"Decent plan, but your mother's plans seem to have twists and turns that we can not anticipate." Torin holds up his hand to prove his point. She did whack it pretty good with a heavy metal pan. Torin just confirms what I've already been thinking.

I don't want to talk about my mother, but Torin continues. "Eliot, your mother is an amazing woman. I forgive her for what she did to my hand because I believe, I really believe that she has a plan. It might not be something we would favor, but she has survived so far."

"On the arm of a monster," I say.

"Yes, but how difficult that would be. I believe what Gus has said about her. I believe your mother has been working to stop this madness."

I don't know. "Well, why did she not go ahead and finish him off then. My dad hit him, hurt him. He shot the professor."

Torin shakes his head. "I don't know, but we have got to trust that she has a plan. Otherwise, this terrible shite just goes on forever."

"Shit, it's shit, in America, not shite."

"You say potato, I say po-ta-toe."

We both laugh.

"I don't want to talk about my mother any longer."

"Me either. Did we leave any of that spaghetti in your house?"

"I hope so," I say. "Let's go check, but we can't stay long. My house is not safe." I take hold of his hand. "But first, let's search here. Maybe Mr. Thomas got some more supplies in after we raided him."

We search, but Mr. Thomas's house is as empty as I left it, thoroughly ransacked with not so much as an empty box left behind. Though I've been here before, Mr. Thomas's house gives me the creeps. Lying traitor, living right next door all the time. Just like my mom, I think, but don't hold that thought too long because it makes me feel like a traitor myself. Still, I'm on edge and I almost shoot an empty plastic bag when I swing a door open, and it flys to the ceiling.

We split up to cover more ground so we can get the heck out of here. I go to the basement and Torin checks the bathrooms because he says he wants to brush his teeth, he hopes to find toothpaste.

"Good luck with that," I say. Toothpaste and other toiletries, like lotion and shampoo, are as rare these days as a canned ham. Thieves, looking for drugs, take all the contents of medicine cabinets for trade later. A tube of toothpaste is a valuable commodity on the black market in hometowns everywhere.

I have no luck in the basement, but as I start back up the stairs, I hear a whoop from Torin.

"Did you find some?" I yell.

"Yes, I got just what I needed," Torin yells back. "Did you find anything?"

"No, Let's go get some spaghetti."