Untraceable (13 page)

It’s impossible to relax because all my senses seem heightened. Every strand of hair tickles my face. The smell of wet leaves fills my nose, and I can hear bickering squirrels as they reemerge from their dry hideouts. All the fear from earlier pumps through my veins at a quickened pace.

Mo brushes up against my arm. When he touches me, I can almost hear the sizzle between us. A look of concern skims across his face. “You sure you’re all right?”

I roll my shoulder. “I’m fine, really.”

Mo drops his hand, taking my hint. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you. Where do you need to go?”

I check my watch for a location and point north. “My bike’s only about a mile away.”

We hike all the way back to Luci in total silence, pointing and signaling. Every now and then, we signal which way to go with our hands. As if we both know it’s not the best time to talk. Or maybe because there’s a certain comfort level between us. Who knows.

As soon as I spot my bike, I signal to him while keeping silent. He scans the dirt road to be sure we’re alone.

Al’s truck is still there.

Mo steps out of the trees and stands in the open. “Told you they wouldn’t get out of those ropes.”

“You sure they aren’t just hiding and waiting for us?”

“Positive.” He grabs my hand and leads me to Luci. His skin feels rough yet his grasp is soft. I follow him, relishing in the heat of his grasp until he stops in front of my bike and faces me. “Do you plan on telling anyone what happened?”

When I shake my head, my thoughts clink around like ice cubes in a glass. “I don’t know, why?”

Mo shoves his hands into his pockets as if searching for money and studies his boots. “Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be left out of it. I knifed that bloke back there and don’t want any trouble.”

I ponder his request. “Sure. No problem.”

“I appreciate it.” Mo flashes his crooked smile. I watch his irises pulse in the changing light. He steps to the side, allowing me to pass. “Do you need any help?”

“Thanks, but I got it.” I swing my leg over Luci’s seat. Risking total humiliation, I wrestle with asking him one last question. “I’ll probably go fishing tomorrow if you wanna join me. To thank you and all. I mean, you don’t have to if you’re busy. But you’re welcome to … if you want to. But you don’t have to.” My words trail off when I realize I’m rambling.

Mo’s reaction isn’t what I expect. He wrinkles his face. “Fishing? Bit daft, considering what you just went through. Maybe you should stay clear of this place for a while.”

My body stiffens at the thought of seeing Al again in the woods. But I won’t let Mo know I’m afraid. “I can’t hide out in my house just because of a couple of jerks. Besides, Bear Creek is miles from here.”

He gawks at me for a second before looking away and off into the woods. “Well, suit yourself. Thanks for the invite, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

 
“Okay. Whatever. I understand. No big deal really. I was just asking. Trying to be polite and all…” I lock my jaws to stop from droning on any longer and making a fool of myself. Hoping to conceal any changing colors revealing my total embarrassment, I slip on my helmet and attempt to start Luci.

No such luck.

This guy must think I’m a total loser.

He points to the bike. “You sure this is yours?”

My cheeks heat up. “Positive. She’s just stubborn.”

“I know how she feels.” He winks.

“Very funny.” On the fourth try, Luci growls to life. I mumble through the thick, plastic shield, wanting a quick exit from my visit to Awkwardville. “I better go. Thanks for everything. You saved my life back there.”

Mo pauses for a moment as if he’s going to say something spectacular. “No worries. Stay safe, Grace.”

~~~~

All the way home, I can’t shake the feeling I’m being followed and constantly glance over my shoulder to be sure. Luckily, when I pull into the driveway, Mom’s still not home. Good, I can only imagine how I look.

After locking myself in the house, I get ready for bed, wishing I wasn’t alone but there’s no one to call. Looking in the mirror, I study the cut on my neck and poke the bruise on my cheek.

Man, I’m lucky Mo showed up when he did. Can’t believe how close I was to something awful. I guess I never expected them to turn on me like that.

What caused such a viseral reaction? Was it me, or was he just nuts?

Then I remember what happened right before he went all Christian Bale on me.

Al found my fishing tin and recognized my dad’s picture.

That means he’s seen Dad somewhere before.

The next day, I head into town for work. After parking Luci in the back alley, I slink down the alleyway to the store’s rear entrance, just in case Al and Billy are hanging around again. I hurry inside, letting the door slam shut behind me.

Tommy snaps his head up, and his fishing hat falls off on the floor. “Good heavens, you scared me, Elu.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know you’d be back here.”

He picks up his cap and puts it back on his head. “Hey, what happened to you yesterday? In case you’re confused, your break is only thirty
minutes
, not twenty-four
hours
.”

I slump against the wall for fear my legs will buckle underneath me. “Sorry, Chief.”

He leans back in his desk chair and crosses his arms. “Sorry? You left me high and dry without any notice. I don’t appreciate it, Elu. Not one bit.”

Dr. Head always says that you can tell a lot by someone’s body language. According to his rules, Tommy is shutting himself off to me. I drop my eyes to avoid his disappointing gaze. “Something came up. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Tommy glances at the clock and frowns. “Wait a minute. Why are you on time, and why are you sneaking in the back door?”

Wringing my hands together, I shuffle over to him. “I’m not
always
late. Besides, I come in the back sometimes.”

His scowl intensifies. “Since when? What’s going on with you?” He approaches me and holds my chin, looking at my face into the light. “What the hell happened to your cheek?”

I step to the side and push a stack of unmarked shirts off the tweed chair before plopping down. “Okay, listen, I need to tell you something, but you have to promise to keep it a secret.”

Deep-set wrinkles burrow into his tan forehead. “You’ve got one red cheek, a gash on the other, and a cut on your lip. This can’t be good.” I stare at him until he unfolds his arms. “Fine. Who am I to say anything anyway? It’s none of my business.”

That’s good enough for me, so I explain everything. Well,
almost
everything. About overhearing the two men at the diner, following them to the campsite, and getting busted. I skim over the really, really bad parts, like being tied up, threatened, and almost sliced to death by a limited edition knife I sold him. No use worrying Tommy any more than I have to. When it comes time to explain Mo’s part in the situation, I skip it all together. One of the few promises I’ve kept lately.

Tommy rubs his face. “What were you thinking?”

I massage my head. “I know, it was stupid, but they were talking about bear hunting. And I think they know something about my dad. When Al found his picture in my stuff, he went ballistic.”

Tommy widens his eyes. “And they let you leave? Just like that?”

I shrug and avoid his dissecting gaze. “Yup. That was it.”

Tommy rubs his hands together, as if he’s washing them. “Jesus, Elu. You need to talk to Captain.”

“What? No way! He’ll kill me for following them.”

“Maybe he should.” Tommy stands and paces around the room with his hand cupped behind his neck. “I know you’re going through a lot, but this is getting out of control.”

“You said you wouldn’t get mad.”

“I’m not
mad
, I’m worried. These guys sound dangerous. We can’t keep this to ourselves.”

“You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

He balls up his hands on his hips. “I won’t
if
you promise me you will.”

I surrender. “Okay, fine, but I can’t talk to Carl. He’ll totally freak. He’s already warned me.”

Tommy stops and raises his eyebrows. “How about Les? If you tell him what these guys might be doing on his turf, as a park ranger, he has to do something. Right?”

I get what Tommy’s suggesting. “If Les can find them, he’ll at least bring them in. Then Carl will have to question them about Dad.”

The wrinkles on Tommy’s forehead fade in relief. “When does Les get back from his ranger meeting in Colorado?”

My knees bounce up and down. “Today or tomorrow, I think.”

He nods emphatically. “Great, then it’s settled. You’ll talk to Les?”

My body slumps further down into the chair. “Yes. But I can handle this on my own. Trust me.”

Tommy straddles a chair in front of me and cups my pale hands with his tan ones. His voice softens. “You don’t have to sacrifice yourself like this.”

My chin quivers, but I bite my lip. “I’m not trying to. Why do you say that?”

“Because you can’t help your dad if you get hurt. And you don’t have to get hurt in order to help him.” Tommy grabs a picture frame off his desk and hands it to me. “Look at this.”

Gripping the picture, I rub my thumbs across the dusty glass and study the man’s strong face. I can tell just by looking he’s someone important because he’s got that air about him. “Who is this?”

“My great-great grandfather, Tsali. He was a simple farmer. Until the Trail of Tears.”

It’s easy to tell the man in the photo is related to Tommy. They have the same eyes, the same wise look. As if they’ve both witnessed a lot in their lives, more than most. “Why, what happened?”

Tommy sucks in air before jumping into his story, telling me it is probably a long one. “During that time, Tsali and his family were taken from their home. When Tsali’s wife stumbled along a mountain trail, probably out of sheer exhaustion, one of the guards prodded her with a bayonet. Tsali got so angry that he and some others made a plan to overtake the soldiers. During the attack, they accidentally killed a guard. Tsali and his family fled here to the Smoky Mountains.”

I stare at the man’s eyes in the photo and can almost sense his zest for life. “What happened to him?”

Tommy walks around the room, motioning with his hands as he talks. “Since a soldier was killed during the escape, Tsali became a hunted man.”

I lean forward on the edge of my seat. “Did they ever find him?”

His eyes take on a distant look. Then he shakes his head. “Not at first. They searched these mountains and killed many Cherokees looking for him. Eventually, General Scott in the U.S. Army offered the Cherokee Indians a deal. If Tsali turned himself in, Scott would give the Cherokee people some mountain land to rebuild their lives.”

“Did Tsali go in?”

Tommy pauses before answering. I watch his Adam’s apple bob, as he swallows his emotion. But I can’t tell what he’s feeling. Or hiding. “He turned himself in and was sentenced to death. Only as a last wish, Tsali requested to be shot by his own people.”

I cover my mouth. “Surely, they said no. I mean, how could they kill him after everything he’d done for them?”

“Because he wanted to die for them. To help them live on in peace. A hero dies for something, a fool dies for nothing.”

I twirl the end of my ponytail. “Did the general give them the land he promised?”

He leans forward, and his voice drops lower. “Yes. The remaining Cherokees, the Eastern Band, still live in these mountains.”

I recall my history class lesson on the region. “I remember, the Qualla Boundary.”

Tommy nods. “That’s right.”

“So what happened to Tsali?”