“Just don‟t like people throwing rocks at my friends.”
She kept looking at him. “We are friends, aren‟t we.”
“We are. Old friends.”
“I like that.”
The fading rage was replaced by a warm glow that hung on until they found the lost man.
6
Eddie had sped on ahead, racing back to town while Jack and Weezy took their time,
talking. Or rather, Jack listening to her rattle on about the two pyramids and wonder how they fit into the Secret History. She glowed with excitement and vindication. She started talking about finding a way into the Lodge to retrieve their little pyramid. He might have said that they didn‟t even know if it was in there, but didn‟t want to interrupt her flow. She seemed happy just fantasizing about it.
Something else stopped her—a voice shouting from a distance.
“Help! Help! Don‟t leave! Please don‟t leave!”
They stopped their bikes and saw a disheveled man stumbling their way out of
the trees, waving his arms. “Please!” he cried in a dry, cracked voice. “I‟m lost! I‟ve been wandering around in circles for three days.”
Jack looked at Weezy. “What do we do?”
“Do? We help him back to town. What else?”
Good question. That pyramid and the tracks, plus the piney, had left him jumpy. Now this stranger wandering out of nowhere. He didn‟t like it.
And the guy was getting closer.
“What happened, mister?” he called.
“Lost. I‟ve got a Land Rover somewhere. Came out to do some bird-watching and got turned around and couldn‟t find my car.”
Bird-watcher? Yeah, a lot of bird-watchers in the Pines, but usually in groups. No binoculars around his neck. He could have lost them, but …
Jack was liking this less and less. He studied the man, closer now, and could see he looked maybe forty, fifty tops. He needed a shave, his shirt was torn, and his pants were filthy. His longish brown hair was all tangled.
Jack looked at Weezy. “Be ready to ride.”
“What‟s the matter, Jack? You‟re acting all strange.”
“Just being careful is all.”
Her expression turned concerned as he unlocked his bike chain and unwound it from the seat pole.
“He‟s in trouble, Jack. We‟ve got to help him.”
“We will. But of all people, you, the Queen of Conspiracies, should know things aren‟t always what they seem.”
The man stumbled onto the firebreak trail. He had a wild look in his blue eyes.
“Thank God! You don‟t know what I‟ve been through!”
Keeping a tight grip on the chain, Jack said, “You must be thirsty.”
“Like you wouldn‟t believe. Found a pond of cedar water yesterday but nothing since. You kids got anything—a soda, maybe? Anything?”
“Sorry. Come on. We‟ll lead you back.”
“Where?”
“Johnson.”
“Never heard of it. Far?”
“Couple of miles that way,” Weezy said, pointing west.
He looked at her. “I don‟t know if I can make it. Think one of you could ride into town and send a cop or an ambulance back?”
Dream on, Jack thought.
“We‟ll both go. You just wait here and—”
He waved his hands and began walking. “No-no. I don‟t want to even think about being left alone again. I‟ll make it. Besides …” He looked around. “I don‟t want to run into that thing again. Ever.”
“What thing?” Weezy said as they began to push their bikes, pacing him.
Jack positioned himself between the guy and Weezy. If he went for her, he‟d have to go through Jack. And Jack had his chain.
“I don‟t know. I heard something pushing through the brush last night and thought it was another human. I was about to give it a shout when I heard it make a sound like a hiss. Right then I knew it wasn‟t human. Or if it was, not any human I wanted anything to do with. Suddenly it seemed to catch on that I was there. It let out this ungodly screech and started charging my way.”
Jack saw Weezy‟s eyes widen—she lived for this stuff—and he knew she was thinking about the tracks around the pyramid.
“What did it look like?” she said.
“I didn‟t wait to see. I ran.”
“Obviously you won the race,” Jack said. Otherwise he wouldn‟t be here to tell his tale.
He shook his head. “I might have in my college days, but I‟m way out of shape. No, I got smart and climbed a tree.”
“And the thing couldn‟t climb?” Jack was having trouble buying into this.
“Unfortunately it could.”