Mania Read online

  “Remember, you can’t turn on his windshield wipers and blinker at the same time or his engine will start on fire!” The corner of Finn’s mouth jerked up in a wry smile.

  Addie groaned and said, “Can I talk to just Parker now?”

  Chuckling, Parker took the phone and turned off the speakerphone before saying hello. I focused my attention on the road ahead of me. He and his friends were kind of a mystery to me. I could see how much they meant to each other, but I’d never been close to anyone quite like that.

  Actually, maybe that wasn’t true. My relationship with Libby was probably close, although I always thought of her more like a sister than anything else. My mouth curved up at just the idea of seeing her again. I needed her kind of optimism right now.

  Parker hung up the phone and then turned to face me. “So, who is this Randall, and why is it so important we go to this trailer park?

  “Cypress Crest isn’t just a trailer park. It’s a rebel camp full of Night Walkers who are fighting against the Takers.” I turned on my blinker and headed toward the highway. “Randall is the Builder currently leading them. He’s an old friend of Dad’s. Hopefully he’ll be able to provide us with some answers about this formula.”

  Cypress Crest looked pretty run down from the outside, but it still felt more like home to me than anywhere else. The front half was a normal trailer park; no Night Walkers, just average people—Dreamers like Finn, Mia, and Mrs. Chipp. The back half was filled with Night Walker rebels. Some of the group meetings and security we’d organized had made the Dreamers in the park start to believe we were some kind of cult. They quickly learned to keep out of our business and look the other way whenever possible. That suited the rebels just fine.

  I’d lived here for years before Dad came back for me. Even after we’d left, and during our years on the run, Dad and I visited the camp often. It was where my mom had lived and where she’d died. It was where Dad had first found out that I existed.

  I drove the big van carefully down the narrow, winding road between the trailers, being careful not to run over anything or anyone. It was just before noon and a beautiful day. People were out chatting and working in their tiny patches of garden. I parked all the way in the back near a big field of tall grass. Parker, Finn, and I opened our doors. Even as I climbed out of the van, I could feel eyes on me.

  I smiled to myself. Good. They’d finally taken my advice and tightened up security around here. Before this they’d been too vulnerable, as evidenced by the times people had disappeared in the middle of the night, or worse, when the whole camp had been attacked.

  I stopped just short of shutting my door when I realized Chloe was frozen in place, ducked low in the back of the van.

  “Are you staying here?”

  “I think getting out and walking around here would be a very bad idea for me.” She peered over the seat and gave me a hard look. “Don’t you agree?”

  I nodded, glad she’d been the one to bring it up instead of me insisting on it. Even if she truly was on our side now and trying to help us, ours wasn’t an easy situation to explain.

  “Agreed.” I gave her a grim nod. “I’ll try to hurry.”

  I joined Parker and Finn in front of the van.

  “Everything okay?” Parker tilted his head toward Chloe.

  “Yeah.” I didn’t elaborate, just started walking. Parker and Finn kept pace with me immediately.

  “I’m still thinking … what about Wormhole?” Finn rubbed his hands together, seeming determined to solve the only problem he might actually be able to help with.

  Parker nearly choked. “You want to name the drug Wormhole?”

  “Too simple?” Finn frowned and then suggested, “Wormhole 3000!”

  “Nothing with the word hole in it … or worm, actually,” I said as I sped up a bit. A group of rebels, led by a smiling Randall, had just turned a corner thirty feet ahead and were walking out to greet us.

  “So the Takers had a massive base … and the rebels have a trailer park?” Parker asked quietly. When I didn’t respond, he said, “No wonder our side has been losing.”

  My spine stiffened and I stopped. I took a slow breath before responding so he wouldn’t hear my anger. “It’s more complicated than that. Our side was being hunted. Our side was trying not to abuse the power we have. Our side wasn’t out to destroy every Taker on the planet.”

  “Right.” Parker swallowed, giving a sad shake of his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I know.” My eyes searched the group approaching us for Libby, but she wasn’t there. “This is part of why I agreed to let you come. You need to see what the rest of the Night Walkers have been dealing with. You need to know that Dad really was doing what was best for you.”

  Parker seemed surprised, but I saw something different behind his eyes now, something closer to sadness than disdain. Good. That was what he needed to feel. He needed that feeling to understand why Dad’s new formula was so important, why all this had to change.

  Randall walked up, his grin even wider than before. He was in his fifties and had been close to my mom, keeping an eye on me when I was younger. He had black hair that was balding on top behind a rather severe forehead, but his face was softened by the smile lines around his eyes. When he got close I moved to shake his hand, but instead he pulled me into a tight hug.

  “I’m so sorry to hear what happened to Danny, son. He was a good man, and we all miss him.”

  Randall’s embrace shook loose a piece of my shell, leaving me feeling vulnerable and exposed. It was difficult for me to get a grip on my emotions again.

  “Thank you,” was all I could say, knowing even one more word could break me.

  After a moment Randall released me, staring into my eyes as he backed away. Intentional eye contact meant something here. It was the true symbol of trust in a rebel camp.

  “This is Danny’s son Parker.” I gestured over my shoulder. “And his friend, Finn.”

  Randall nodded and reached past me to shake Parker’s and Finn’s hands. I watched as he looked at the air just above their heads. They hadn’t earned that trust yet. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Parker. I’ve heard all about you, of course, from your father. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  Parker shook Randall’s hand, murmured a thank you, and nodded, but I could feel his gaze on me. None of these people knew that Danny was my dad. They thought he was my mentor, and they knew we were close … but they didn’t know the depth of our relationship. My mom had told them my dad rode a Harley and died in a crash before I was born. As Dad had instructed, I never corrected her story.

  Most of the time, truth was an inconvenient nuisance. At times it could set you free, but more often it would ensnare you in a web with no hope for release. When you lied and it hurt people, you could always make amends with the truth. When it was the truth that caused pain, there was no escape. After all these years, now wasn’t the time to confess all the lies my parents had told these people in order to protect each other … and me.

  Marisol walked out from behind a nearby trailer. She smiled wide and a chuckle escaped my chest. She was a Watcher and had been my mom’s best friend. Though I lost my mom young, Libby had been even younger; she was only five when her mother was killed fighting the Takers. Marisol had taken care of the two of us like we were her own. It was just who she was. She’d been unable to have kids, so she became the mom of the whole camp.

  Randall smiled too and gestured to the rest of the group to go back to a large common area they’d set up in the middle of the trailers. Turning back to Marisol and me, he said, “We’ll let you two catch up, but come find me again before you leave.”

  I patted him on the shoulder. “Count on it. I have a question for you, anyway. I’ll see you in a minute.”

  Marisol wrapped her arms around me, led me a few steps to one si
de of the path, and whispered in my ear.

  “I’ve always kept your parents’ secret, but I know you mourn for more than a mentor right now, child.” Her dark eyes wrinkled around the edges and her slight Jamaican accent was so serene that her words caught me off-guard. She pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes with her piercing gaze. “The question is, does he know?” She inclined her head toward Parker and raised her eyebrows.

  My back stiffened and I couldn’t keep my eyes from widening. Marisol had known that Danny was my dad all this time? I had no idea, and I’m not sure if Dad even knew. Still, if my parents were going to trust someone, Marisol was without question the best choice. She’d certainly been trustworthy, and she’d always tried to watch out for me. She kept me safe.

  I nodded slowly. “He does.”

  She smiled and then hugged me again. “Good. This is the perfect time to cling to family.”

  “Marisol … ” I gave her one last hug and then pulled away. “This is Parker and his friend Finn.”

  “So nice to meet you, boys.” She smiled wide, again looking at the air over their heads. This time Parker glanced at me with a slightly amused expression. I gave him a small smile, not at all surprised that he’d noticed the custom. He was more perceptive than he gave himself credit for.

  Marisol gestured toward me. “You know, Jack’s mum and I go way back to when we were small. Just like Jack and Libby.”

  “Speaking of … ” I was tall enough to see over almost everyone, but I still hadn’t seen Libby’s dark curls in the group. “Where is she?”

  Marisol smiled at something over my shoulder, then gave a little wave and turned to follow Randall. In the next instant, someone jumped on my back and I heard Libby’s laughter in my ear. “At least you still come looking for me occasionally.”

  I chuckled and reached behind me for her waist, tugging her around to stand in front of me. “You’ve got better things to do than worry about where I’ve gone off to anyway.”

  She stopped laughing, but her brown eyes sparkled the way they had in her dreams when we were kids. “You know I always worry.”

  Then her eyes shifted to Finn and Parker and she smiled again, staring them straight in the eyes without hesitation. Same old Libby, always too trusting … she’d never been as cautious as she should’ve been. “You found other friends? Finally. I’ve been wondering when someone else would be able to put up with you.”

  I put my hand over her mouth and said with the straightest face I could manage, “Parker and Finn, this is Libby.”

  She spoke through my fingers as she reached out to shake their hands. “N-ice to m—feet, y-ouf.”

  I dropped my hand to my side but couldn’t help smiling. There was something infectious about Libby. You couldn’t be near her and not notice it.

  Parker and Finn were smiling back at her already. Parker said, “It’s nice to finally meet someone who can keep Jack in line.”

  Libby’s expression turned very serious and she said, “It isn’t easy, but I teach a class on Wednesdays and Thursdays at midnight. There might be some ritual sacrificing involved, but I promise results.”

  Finn shook his head and chuckled. “I like this girl already.”

  “Everybody does,” I said, draping an arm around Libby’s shoulders. “So, Lib, do you feel up for going on an adventure?”

  “With three hot guys?” She put her arm around my waist and grinned at Parker and Finn. “Always.”

  “Hot, huh?” It felt weird to have Libby calling my little brother hot.

  She swatted at my chest with her free hand. “Don’t act like you don’t know it.”

  I shook my head and decided to move on before she went any further.

  “We may be gone for a few days … maybe weeks.” I felt the smile fall from my face and watched Libby’s expression grow more serious in response to mine. “It’s going to be dangerous.”

  “With you, it always is.” The small smile that remained didn’t waver. “What kind of trouble are you stirring up this time?”

  I gave her the wickedest grin I could manage. “Chemistry trouble.”

  She froze in place, eyes widening as her back straightened. “Please tell me we get to melt something huge.”

  Finn burst out laughing. “Are you telling me that in the adopt-a-Night-Walker program, we picked Jack when we could’ve had this girl?”

  Libby giggled and then shook her head at Finn. “What a big mistake that was.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that.” Finn gave her a mockingly sad face and an exaggerated sigh. Parker just stood there laughing and watching me.

  “Too late now.” I shrugged with a half-smile and Libby linked her arm through mine. I didn’t care that they were teasing me. Everything felt so much lighter with Libby around that it didn’t bother me in the least. But with Libby, I’d learned a long time ago how to tease her back. “I should’ve known better than to let you around these two. You’re going to corrupt them.”

  “Who? Me?” She struck an angelic pose, her hands pressed together like a prayer, and winked at Parker.

  I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered low enough that only our group could hear. “You remember that he’s my little brother, right? Take it easy or I’ll feel duty-bound to protect him from your … charms.”

  Libby had been the only person I’d ever trusted enough to tell my family secrets to … until Parker. And with him, it wasn’t so much because I trusted him at the time as because he was one of the secrets.

  “You know no one is safe from my … charms.” Libby put one hand on her waist and repeated the word back to me exactly the way I’d said it. Parker’s eyes widened, and Finn looked like he was having the best day ever.

  “And of course I remember,” she continued. “You think I could forget a juicy bit of gossip like that?” Slipping out from under my arm, she backed toward her trailer. “I’ll grab my pack, and then we can say goodbye to Marisol and Randall together.”

  When I nodded, she turned and jogged away. We walked up to stand in the shade of a nearby double-wide and waited. The rebels had set up their trailers in something resembling a circle, which left a big open area in the middle. Dead center in the clearing was a huge fire pit that I’d sat by and roasted marshmallows over when I was little. Lawn chairs of all shapes and sizes sat in front of the trailers, some empty, some full.

  Many familiar faces gathered together, talking in low voices and watching us from those seats. When I caught their eyes they waved, but they watched Parker and Finn with undisguised curiosity and a little fear. If I didn’t have Parker and Finn with me, most of the rebels probably would’ve come over to say hello by now. But with strangers here, they kept their distance and watched us. This camp had learned to be less than welcoming, and to distrust new people.

  But it was good. They were safer this way. When I glanced back to see if Parker and Finn had noticed how much attention they were getting, I saw them both staring at me.

  “Wow … ” Parker said as he and Finn stepped up beside me. “Libby was … ”

  “Refreshing,” Finn filled in.

  “Yeah, she does that to you.” I stretched my neck to one side and shrugged.

  “No.” Parker’s smile widened. “She does that to you.”

  Finn laughed, but tried to smother it when I turned my gaze on him.

  “I’ve never seen you smile so much or be so … relaxed.” When I frowned at him, Parker turned to look in the direction Libby had run. “I don’t mean it in a bad way,” he added. “It’s a very good thing. It’s nice to see you have another mode besides drill sergeant.”

  Finn muttered under his breath, “Having some emotions didn’t kill you either.”

  I felt frustration flare up inside me. I didn’t know what Parker really wanted from me, but apparently what I was doing wasn’t enough. So in
stead of responding, I turned away and saw Libby step out of her trailer on the other side of the clearing.

  Just as she headed toward us, I heard the first gunshot. I watched as Marisol crumpled to the ground. Screams replaced laughter as the rebels ran. Chairs toppled over as they scrambled for cover behind the nearest protection they could find.

  My instincts kicked in. I leapt toward Finn and Parker, grabbing their arms and slamming them both into a safe spot behind the closest trailer. The instant I had them around the corner, I heard two more shots; one hit the tree behind where we’d been standing.

  “Stay here!” I shouted and peeked around the corner. Libby was bent over Marisol on the ground, and another man lay nearby. The rebels were quickly organizing to fight back, and I heard Randall shouting orders from somewhere on the other side of the clearing. There were already more guns firing, from inside and behind the trailers. The initial shots had come from my left, but now they came from everywhere. With everyone shooting, it was only a matter of time before someone hit Libby—on purpose or by accident.

  Either way, I couldn’t let that happen.

  Taking a breath, I stayed low and ran out after her. She had her hand over the wound on Marisol’s chest, but it was clear the shot had already done its job. Marisol’s lifeless eyes stared up at me and branded my soul. It was like I could hear her in my head: Get Libby out of here.

  Reaching out with my right hand, I closed Marisol’s eyes and then wrapped Libby in my left arm. She fought me, but she weighed so little there wasn’t much she could do to stop me. I felt the air move when a couple of bullets whizzed by, but we made it over to Parker and Finn safely.

  “No, Jack!” Libby shouted the instant I put her down. She started to run back out, but even in her grief, she was smart enough to stop. “Marisol can’t be … I can’t just leave her there … ”

  I pulled her against my chest and smoothed the back of her hair. I tried to swallow my own shocked pain as I looked for the safest path back to the van. I couldn’t help Marisol anymore. I needed to focus my attention on keeping Libby, Parker, and Finn alive.