Ell Sadem

TWELVE: RIGHT HERE

—Cowell—

How far did these kids walk? I take a moment to survey the area as Robbie pushes on through the underbrush. There are some signs that someone recently came through, broken branches and the like, but of the three different sets of prints all of them are from the boys. That or Miss Mercy is secretly Bigfoot Birtha.

I know this part of the woods; my friends and I used to run around this place, bunch of punk kids running around looking for trouble... But unlike us, Mark and his friends actually found it. My stomach turns just at the thought. Somehow every time that thing pops up someone goes missing.

"You can't actually believe him," the gray-suit stops beside me and wipes at the sweat that beads over his forehead. "He's in shock, it's just an urban legend."

I eye him wearily, not quite liking the way the air coming off him seems cool despite the heat. He's either stupid, or he's been out of town a bit too long. One way or another it's never a good idea to let anyone know how much you know or what you do or don't believe."Even if the kid is in shock, there are plenty of old mines and caves around here. If Mark fell in one, it's best we get to him sooner rather than later."

"It was right here, I swear it was right here!" Up ahead Robbie turns in slow circles, head down staring at the dirt. He looks up at me, his breaths short and fast. "I'm not lying, Mr. Cowell, I promise I'm not."

"You're not in trouble, kid." I cast a quick look behind at the officer as he leans against a tree, pretending not to watch. When I reach him I make sure to lower my voice as I ask, "Where was Mercy when it happened?"

His eyes dart back--his cheekbone starting to turn a little blue--but he doesn't turn to stare. "She was over there, she didn't want to go in at first." He points a few feet away to the foot of a knoll.

Though the space is more open than the undergrowth we've tracked through, the tracks are still jumbled, and it's hard to read with so much movement... I kneel beside a partial footprint and brush a few leaves away. I look up at him for a moment. This is not any of the boys'. "She stayed outside?"

"I mean, she did at first."

"So she went in later?" Could she have known someone else was out here?

He nods, brows knit.

A grunt slips as I push to my feet, scanning the ground for any other clue it can offer. Maybe an imprint, shadow, anything really. "Let me see your watch."

He nods quickly and pulls it off.

A static shock buzzes from the tips of my fingers to my palm as I hold it. It's running late.

I walk closer to the knoll, watching the watch's face as it steadily ticks.

Tick tick tock. Tick tick tock, then, as I reach the cut-off print, the hands snap forward, frozen at 2:48.

I turn my hand and compare the new time to the one on my watch. Another step and the arms start swinging like the needle of a compass; Great. Something in my chest squeezes tighter and the pit in my stomach gets deeper, "Kid, I've got good news and bad news."

"Bad news first."

My intestines squirm, and I grimace. "Wherever that dugout went, Mark went with it."

He stares at me, his eyes filled with the sort of panic one would see in a wild stallion, "And the good news?"

I toss his watch back to him. "That thing appeared my senior year in highschool, someone went in and didn't come out till I'd already gotten my badge. We're gonna see him again, but it'll be a while." The words almost taste bitter, if words can taste, but they certainly sting. I can't help him. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep, shaky breath just to try to push down the rising emotions if not keep control. "Tell me something, Robbie. How did you get that bruise?"

His face flushes and he looks away, muttering something I can't quite make out.

"Speak up," I step closer, no small part of me starting to run away. A kidnapper--no, an attacker?

"I got sucker-punched." His scowl melts into a concerned frown. "I think she thought we were going to hurt her or something... She nailed Evan pretty good too."

What on earth were these idiots doing? Better yet, where was her security detail?

"I know it sounds suspicious, but we weren't doing anything. Just ask her, she'll tell you." He loosely gestures back the way we came, most of the earlier panic ebbed for now.

"I think I will."

AN/ okay, so I normally like to have two perspectives per chapter but the second one isn't finished and this one is a decent length soo... I mean kinda just wanna get this out, not that it really matters