Matt Archer: Monster Hunter (Matt Archer #1) (12 page)

“You look great, Mom,” Mamie said.

She was right; Mom did look nice. She had on this blue dress
that wrapped around in front, and she was pretty skinny these days—her latest
diet had worked. Her brown hair was spiked up in all the right places. It was
meant to look like she ran her fingers through it, a feat that took her ten
minutes and a handful of gel. Mamie was all dressed up, too, wearing a light
blue sweater over a short, beige skirt. She’d even lost the pigtails, letting
her hair hang down her back. I wasn’t sure I liked it—she looked eighteen. Good
thing that shy kid in her Latin class wasn’t around. I might’ve had to glue his
eyelids shut.

While they gushed about the party, I got sick to my stomach
for the tenth time that day. It was bad enough sending Mike off without having
to make small talk with Colonel Black while I pretended not to know him. If I
made it through the night without going insane, I planned to drink a gallon of
milk when we got home then sleep until noon on Sunday.

Brent shuffled into the living room, looking uncomfortable
in a navy blazer that strained across his shoulders and dress pants he hadn’t
worn in months. He’d been really subdued since Jada dumped him. Funny thing
about that, though—he was nicer because of it. After sweeping back a lock of
freshly gelled hair that had gotten stuck to his forehead, he waved me over.

“Dude, come here. Your tie is all crooked.”

A week ago I would’ve told him to shove off and fixed it myself.
Tonight, both of us were messed up enough that a little brotherly affection
didn’t seem stupid. I let him straighten out the knot.

“You know,” I said, “ if you just buzzed your hair like
mine, you wouldn’t have to mess with gel and stuff.”

Brent pushed me into the wall. “Maybe, but then I’d look as
geeky as you.”

I shoved him back. “At least I don’t look like a greased up
gorilla.”

Mom broke it up and hurried us out to our minivan. We got to
Brownstone in plenty of time for her to fret over the last minute details.
Brownstone was this fancy old restaurant downtown, with cloth napkins and
candles and waiters for every little thing. One waiter for the water glasses,
one for the food, and one that walked around the room asking if the meal was
okay.

Mom had reserved their back room for the party. The walls
were dark brick and the lights were dim, for “atmosphere.” Two long tables ran
down the middle, each covered with white tablecloths and centerpieces with real
flowers and little American flags stuck in them. I wrinkled my nose. Uncle Mike
was a beer and pizza guy. None of this really seemed like
him
.

“Do you think Mike will care about color-coordinated
napkins?” I asked Brent while Mamie and Mom buzzed around the room. “Heck, as
long as they feed me, I’ll sit on the floor.”

I pulled one of the little flags out of a centerpiece and
stuck it in pocket of my dress shirt. It looked better there than lost in all
the flowers.

“Women are like that. Details matter. But I’m with you; who
gives a crap? Bring on the steaks.” Brent dropped onto one of the spindly
little chairs set up around the table, fingers twitching at his pocket. Cell
phone withdrawal.

People, and then more people, arrived. Friends from the
Army, friends from his civilian job at the bank, friends from...well,
everywhere. I didn’t think the back room at Brownstone could hold a crowd this
size. Colonel Black arrived a few minutes before Mike was due. He scanned the
room, and his eyes went right over me, like we’d never met. But I knew he’d
seen me.

Mamie squealed. “He’s here!”

I stood in the doorway to the back room with Mamie. The
other thirty or so people shushed and hid behind the wall, but I could tell
Mike knew what waited for him. He winked at me and sighed, like he was steeling
himself for combat. After he stepped through the door and I heard all the
screaming, I realized he was.

It took three hours for poor Mike to shake hands and talk
with every single person there. Except us. I was beginning to feel like this
wasn’t my farewell at all. He’d fly out at noon tomorrow and I’d hardly seen
him all night.

While I watched Mike work the room, Colonel Black sat down
next to me. “So, you must be Matt. Your uncle talks about you all the time.”

I bit my lip to keep from busting up. “Yes, sir.”

“Seen any good monster movies lately?” He raised one
eyebrow.

“Yes, sir. About, what was it that Mike called it? A
eight-foot Wookiee.”

After a glance to make sure Mom wasn’t watching us, the
colonel leaned in. “We picked up your kill; took it back to base for autopsy.
You stabbed it in the heart—fatal blow right off the bat. Good work.”

“Beginner’s luck,” I said, pretending to be modest while
giving myself a mental high-five.

He got serious then. “The major told me about your desire to
add your friend, Cruessan, to the team. I don’t think this is a good idea,
son.”

I crossed my arms. I’d counted on the arguments. Mike had
given up on talking us out of it; the colonel would have to get over it, too.
“Will wants to help. And from what I’ve heard, you haven’t found anyone
available at Fort Carson that’s ‘right’ for the job. Will is.”

The colonel’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t mean I
won’t
find someone.
I’ve expanded the search to other bases. It’s not safe for two teenagers to
hunt these things alone.”

“Colonel Black, Will’s the only person I trust enough, other
than Uncle Mike,” I said, trying to keep my voice down even though I was
totally frustrated. “If the Army won’t let Mike stay home, then Will’s my next
choice. You want me to fight, you have to let me do it my way. With Will, I
start with a leg up. He knows the woods, he’s fast, strong and has plenty of
equipment.” I glared at him. “And, besides, how are you going to stop him?”

“I could tell his parents,” the colonel growled.

I shook my head. “But you won’t. Because then I’d tell my
mom, and the game would be up for everyone.” Blackmail sucked, but sometimes
you had to do it. “Will’s my partner, no exceptions. I won’t fight without him.
Period.”

He sat quiet for a while, a silent struggle playing across
his face. “I’ll give you a month. If you convert a hunt successfully, then
we’ll talk about a longer-term solution.” He sounded resigned. “Still no
sightings, but there was a mysterious disappearance in the woods a few days
ago. You’re on alert, okay? I may call soon.”

“Yes, sir. I have the sat-phone hidden in my backpack at all
times. If possible, though, don’t call between eight and three-fifteen. If my
teachers catch me with that thing, they’ll confiscate it, thinking it’s a fancy
cell phone.”

Colonel Black chuckled. “Right. We won’t call you during
school hours. Oops, your mom’s looking this way. Better move on.” The colonel
clapped me on the back and got up.

After another ten minutes, I decided I couldn’t take the
party anymore. I pushed my way through the crowd and wandered out front. Brent
was already out there, sitting on the bench next to the valet stand under the
restaurant’s green awning. It was colder than Hades, but he didn’t have his
coat. Neither did I; getting away from the crowd was more important than being
warm. I plunked down next to him.

“Doesn’t seem real that he’s leaving, does it?” Brent asked.

“No.” I shifted on the bench. “You know, I just realized
something. Mamie didn’t get her birthday card from Dad. She’s been
‘sweet-sixteen’ eleven whole days, and not a word.”

“Bastard,” Brent said. “I hate the man. Seriously.” His face
had a pinched look, bitter and angry to the core. “Didn’t call when I signed
with Washington State, either. His kid’s gonna play football at a Pac-12 school
and he didn’t bother to say congrats. I’m glad he left us.”

Suddenly, Brent’s break-up with Jada had a lot more meaning.
A girl had dumped him and his father didn’t give a crap. My chest burned. The
only man who did give a crap was being taken away. How were we going to make
it?

Mike must’ve sensed we were thinking about him, because he
came looking for us. “Guys, it’s twenty below out here. I know the party’s a
beating, but I’ve been waiting for you two to liven things up a little.” He
leaned down and put a hand on my shoulder, mischief in his eyes. “Please, I’m
begging you. Juggle dishes, I don’t care. If we stay buttoned down one more
minute I’m going to lose it.”

Brent and I glanced at each other, sly smiles stretching
across our faces. We trooped inside intending to give Mike the going-away
present he wanted most, not caring what price we’d pay with Mom later.

A full-sized sheet cake—vanilla and chocolate with “Godspeed
Mike” written in blue on the white frosting—was set up on a little table at the
head of the room. Brent pinched my arm and winked. I nodded. Bingo.

Mom, with a smile too bright to be real, stood to make her
goodbye speech, quavering voice, unshed tears and all. I watched Mike. He stood
behind her, staring at nothing, his face drawn. Brent kicked my foot under the
table. We got up and inched our way through the chairs toward Mom, Mike and the
cake. Mom went on and on, but the only words I heard were “going to miss him,”
“keep yourself safe,” and “back in a year.” By the time she wrapped up, Brent
and I stood beside her, a few feet away from the cake.

“Mom? How about Matt and I help serve,” Brent said, his true
purpose carefully covered up by his sincere voice.

Mom beamed. “Oh, honey, how sweet.” She handed him the cake
spatula and the other guests watched as Brent cut a huge corner piece.

“Uncle Mike,” he said, a laugh barely contained, “this is
for you.”

Now, I thought he was going to shove it in Mike’s face. But
I was wrong and next thing I knew, I was cleaning frosting out of my nostrils.

“Oh, that’s so uncool, dude,” I said. “It’s on.”

After wiping cake out of my eyes, I grabbed a hunk from the
other end and aimed for Brent. He ducked and the cake plastered Mike on the
side of the head. From then on, it was pandemonium. Even Mamie got splattered.
We were all laughing so hard we tuned out Mom’s feeble attempts to get us to
behave. I’m sure the other guests thought we’d gone crazy and Brownstone
probably wouldn’t ever get the blue icing stains out of their white
tablecloths, but the huge grin on Mike’s face made the mess worth it.

The Monday after Thanksgiving break was bleak. The skies
were dark gray with thick, low clouds and the air smelled like frozen iron. A
big snow seemed imminent, and I kept waiting for the blizzard to come, hating
this feeling of limbo. At home, we all went through the motions, trying not to
think about Mike doing a ten-mile run at Fort Carson. In a month, he’d be in
Afghanistan, but he was as gone now as he would be then.

When I trudged into algebra, my heart got heavier. Ella was
the only person in the classroom. She had on jeans and a kelly-green Notre Dame
sweatshirt, with her hair in a twist. The new hair style made her look older,
and I liked it. But something seemed wrong. Her eyes were red and she was
breathing hard, like she was trying not to cry. I put my books down, walked
around to the front of her desk and knelt so I could see her face better. As
soon as I did, she started bawling like crazy.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry…I, uh.” Oh, crap. What did I do to
upset her? “Look, I’m sorry. For whatever I did. Really…sorry.”

I probably would’ve kept on babbling apologies, but three
girls came in. I groaned—the Ponytail Gang. Will and I called them that because
they dressed alike and did their hair in bouncy ponytails every day. Today they
had on mini-skirts and leggings, never mind the cold. They were all cute,
various shades of blond and popular. They were also mean as a nest of
rattlesnakes. No one had been able to explain that to me yet, why rude people
were always popular.

Ella quickly turned her head and swiped at her eyes with the
back of her hand. I hurried to my desk…but not fast enough.

“Wow, Ella,” Caitlin said, an ugly streak in her tone. “That
was quick.” She tossed her dirty blond ponytail over her shoulder and flopped
down at her desk two rows over from us. Tara and Jenna hung in the doorway,
identical mocking smiles on their faces.

Ella kept her back to them, turned sideways in her chair. I
could see the tear tracks on her face. In that moment, I wanted nothing more
than to give her a tissue and offer the Ponytail Gang up as bait for my next
hunt, but something in the way Ella held herself convinced me to keep still.
Jenna plopped her books down on the desk behind Caitlin’s and walked over to
Ella with a spring in her step.

“Oh, poor Ella. What a tough morning.” Jenna glanced at me,
smirking. “At least you have someone’s shoulder to cry on.”

Ella didn’t acknowledge Jenna at all, but I saw her fists
clench in her lap.

Jenna leaned on Ella’s desktop. “This is for the best, you
know. You need someone easier to manage. I hear some guys in Chess Club are
looking for girlfriends.”

What was Jenna talking about? Did she mean…?

Before I could complete that thought, Tara giggled. The only
true blond, she wasn’t the brains in the outfit. She just came along for the
ride and added the laugh-track to Jenna and Caitlin’s cruelty. I had no idea
why they were going after Ella while she was upset, but man, slamming Carter
into a locker seemed nice compared to this.

“Ladies, something going on here?”

I had never been so thankful to see Mrs. Burns in my life.
She was like a gray-haired guardian angel in a wool sweater, marching to her
desk with her laptop bag and a grim expression.

“No ma’am. Just asking Ella about her weekend,” Jenna said,
cocking her head like “I’m pretending to be thoughtful, so I can be a witch.”

Mrs. Burns watched, eyes narrowed, as Jenna pranced across
the room to sit behind Caitlin. She glanced back at Ella then scrawled out a
note. “Ella, would you mind taking this to the office? The copier in the
teacher’s workroom was jammed, and I need to hand it out today. Thirty copies
should do it.”

Ella jumped to her feet, grabbed the paper from Mrs. Burns’
hand without looking at it and fled from the room. Other students, including
Will, filed in as the passing bell rang. Over the din of homeroom chaos, Jenna
and Caitlin had a loud conversation. Tara, who sat next to Jenna, hung on every
word.

“Oh yeah, he totally dumped her. Too boring, you know,”
Caitlin said. “Can’t believe he picked her over…”

My heart leapt into my throat. That
was
what they meant—Carter dumped Ella!
Was he stupid? Wait…yes, yes he was. I couldn’t decide whether to jump onto
Mrs. Burns’ desk and shout for joy that Ella was available, or to punch Carter
in the head for hurting her feelings.

Stupid Tara put in her two cents. “I heard it was ‘cause she
wouldn’t let him do anything but kiss her…too prude for second base.”

Half the class laughed behind their hands at that announcement.
Mrs. Burns stopped writing problems on the white board, scowling at the
Ponytail Gang. None of them noticed.

I sat up straighter, my insides boiling. Carter dumped Ella
then talked trash about her? He was definitely getting a punch in the head. My
face burned hotter every second that passed.

Jenna preened a little. “I heard that too. I mean, come on,
how middle school can you get? And it’s not like she’s that cute, no matter
what everyone says. Maybe Carter will wise up this time and go for someone more
mature.”

The classroom got way too small for me and my temper.

Before I could stop myself, I jumped to my feet and shouted,
“Someone like you, maybe? That’s what you mean, right?” I looked her up and
down, hoping she could see the disrespect in my eyes. “Carter can have
you—you’re a perfect match. And neither of you are worth a damn.”

There was a ringing silence. Oh...what had I just done?

Mrs. Burns cleared her throat loudly and pointed at my desk.
“Mr. Archer, kindly take your seat.”

Jenna made that little “uh” noise girls make when peeved and
not getting their way. “Mrs. Burns, he should have to apologize for being
rude.”

“And for cursing,” Caitlin added, with a whine.

Mrs. Burns, wearing a very odd smile, walked to Jenna’s desk
and whispered something to her. After that, Jenna was quiet for the rest of
class.

Ella didn’t come back.

* * *

At lunch, I kept an eye out for Ella. After my stunt in
math, I didn’t know if I was in for a big “my hero” moment or a kick in the
pants.

Will kept laughing and shaking his head every so often.
“It’s not like the whole freshman class doesn’t know you like her, but, dude!
You might as well have rented one of those advertising planes to fly a banner
that said ‘Matt loves Ella’ with a big heart around it.”

I picked at my lunch. For once, my appetite was all but
gone. “I know. Stupid!” I banged my head against the table. “I couldn’t let
them talk about her like that, though. You didn’t see her before she ran out of
class. Dude, she was wrecked. Crying, the whole bit.”

Will swallowed a ginormous bite of pizza. “No, I guess you
couldn’t help yourself. And Carter’s a moron.”

“Yeah,” I said, prodding my half-eaten pizza with my fork.
“I hope Ella’s not too mad at me.”

He whistled softly. “Looks like you won’t have to wait long
to find out.”

I followed his gaze. Ella was gliding across the cafeteria,
regal as a queen, heading straight for me.

“Will, what do I do?” I put my napkin down and ran my tongue
over my teeth, just in case pepperoni had gotten stuck in them.

“Don’t look at me, dude. You’re the Prince Charming in this
situation. I’m just the big guy in the background–you know, the one who holds
the spear and grunts every so often.”

She stopped at our table. Behind her, a hundred and twenty
people watched. “Hi, Will.”

Will jumped, looking startled to be noticed. “Um, hey,
uh…Ella.”

She turned back to me. Before I knew it, those green eyes
had me hypnotized. Who cared if everyone was watching? If she asked me to do a
swan dive off the table smack onto the floor, I’d do it, pronto.

“Matt, I need to talk to you. Can you meet me after school?”

“Um, sure,” I said.

She nodded briskly, then walked away, furious whispers and
stares following.

“Any idea what that means?” I asked, hating to hear my voice
shake. I hunted monsters! Real-life, honest-to-God monsters! How was it that a
girl terrified me worse than that?

“No clue, dude,” Will said. “You want the rest of that
pizza?”

I pushed my whole tray over to him and glanced at the
basketball table. Carter was looking my way. He gave me a jackass smile as
Jenna came over. She draped herself across the back of his chair, her lips
close to his ear. Carter turned to face her, tugging her into his lap just as
Ella walked past them. They laughed when Ella bolted through the doors at the
opposite end of the cafeteria.

I’d make this right if it killed me.

* * *

While the rest of the students in history class stared at
us, Ella and I ignored each other. The clock moved one click at a time, and Mr.
Anderson’s lecture on the “Roaring Twenties” roared right through my brain into
space. When the bell finally rang, several people lingered, waiting to see what
we’d do.

“Class dismissed, people,” Mr. Anderson said as he sorted
essays on his desk. When no one moved, he said, “I don’t know what the deal is,
but skedaddle…go catch your rides home.”

The room cleared. I was glad I didn’t have to run for the
bus. Will had done me a favor and called Millicent at lunch, telling her we
needed to stay after and asking her to pick us up. I texted Mamie so she wouldn’t
worry that I’d missed the bus. The words “girl trouble” got a response of
“understand” and that was all there was to it.

Ella picked up her bag and stuffed her books inside. “I need
to go get my coat.”

“Me, too.” I followed her out, wondering if I should offer
to carry her books, but decided that was too old-fashioned. On the way there,
my phone buzzed.

“Go ahead and answer that if you need to. I’ll be at my
locker,” Ella said, continuing on down the hall.

When I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, it didn’t show
an incoming call. I closed my eyes and groaned. Not now. The ring sounded
again, and I wrestled the sat-phone out of my backpack, glad they’d gotten me
one only slightly larger than a regular cell phone. It would’ve been hard to
hide a big, clunky box with a separate antenna.

The display lit up as it trilled another quiet ring. The ID
said “Black.”

I stared longingly at Ella, who was doing the combination to
her locker, then pressed the talk button with a frustrated sigh. “Archer here.”

“Sorry to call you this soon after school, but park rangers
discovered the remains of four bodies this morning. We’ve triangulated the
locations of the remains in an attempt to pinpoint the Bear’s den. I’m sending
coordinates to you now. You and Cruessan are on alert tonight. Call me once
you’re at his place and ready to be briefed. Say, thirty minutes…you can make
that, right?”

The fact that other people had to come first really hit me
over the head right then. I watched Ella put on her coat. This sucked. “Yeah. I
can make it.”

After I rang off, I went to her, my feet feeling too big and
heavy to make the trip. “Ella, I’m really sorry, but something’s come up. I
have to head out, um, right now.”

The look on her face made me want to fall on my knees to beg
forgiveness for upsetting her again. She managed a teary smile. “Sure, I
understand. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” Feeling braver, I brushed her wrist with my
fingers. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I left by the side door without looking back at her. I
couldn’t do it.

* * *

“Lock and load!” Will said. He scurried around the garage,
making sure the ATV would start and that all the gear was packed up.

“This is it, man, we’re really going! Hey, I dug out some of
my heavy-duty winter coveralls.” He held them up. They were camo-print, with a
bunch of zippered pockets on the chest and legs. “These are my old ones, from
when I was ten. They should fit you.”

“Gee, thanks, dude. Nice of you to remind me that I’m a
shrimp,” I grumbled.

“You
will
thank me,” Will said, grinning. “They’re made out of GOR-TEX, so the coveralls
aren’t bulky and you can move fast in them. Perfect for stalking monsters.
Those crap BDUs the Army gave you have nothing on these.”

I nodded, unable to muster up much excitement. Ella’s hurt
expression kept tapping me on the shoulder, begging me to relive it until
Colonel Black called to give us our briefing. I put the sat-phone on speaker so
Will could hear.

“The remains were found about three miles east of where you
got the last kill,” the colonel said. “Program these numbers into your GPS.”

I punched in the longitude and latitude as instructed.
“That’s an eight-mile hike from Will’s. Think we can use the ATV for part of
it, sir?”

“Probably, but at the first track you find, cut the engine
and go on foot. Mike told me about your less than stealthy attack last time.
Try to do it like you were taught—by the book. Got it?”

“Sir, yes, sir.” I rolled my eyes at Will, who was laughing.
I pushed the mute button. “This from the guy who called a monster ‘good bear?’”

Will made a face at me as I unmuted the phone. “Anything
else, sir?”

“Yes. Sunset in Billings is at four-thirty today. With the
hike and the tracking, you’ll be out late. Is that an issue?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Will said. “My folks are in Aspen
and Millicent has her ‘programs’ to watch.”

I cleared my throat—it had constricted. Our first solo
hunt…this was it. “I can talk my Mom into letting me stay over at Will’s. I’ll
tell her we have a school project or something.”

“Then saddle up, boys,” the colonel said. “You’re going
hunting tonight.”