Through the Mountains Read online

  "I would guess they get so little traffic up this road that when they decide to go fishing or something, they just close up and go."

  He looked toward the corner and saw a phone booth and headed toward it.

  "A real, live phone booth," said Lizzie.

  "Yeah, you don’t see these much anymore."

  When they got there they could see it was not going to be of much use. There was no phone in the booth.

  "Hey, check your signal now," said Lizzie.

  Danny pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it on and saw the same thing he saw back at the van. No signal. Lizzie’s phone was the same.

  "Now what do we do?" she asked.

  "Well, obviously we are going to head back to the van, but let’s go sit in those chairs over there," he said pointing to a couple of chairs in the shade of a tree.

  "We’re going to just sit?"

  "Not just sit. We’re going to wait a little bit before heading back and see if someone else comes up this road. If we don’t see anyone in half an hour or so, we start back."

  As they took their seats, the cool, late afternoon breeze flowed over them and they just let it soak into their hot bodies.

  "Can I ask you something, Danny?"

  "Sure."

  "What kind of life has Clark had? I know it’s been rough, but he seems to be closed off to just about everyone about it."

  Danny looked at her and wondered just how much he should tell her. It really wasn’t his story to tell and Clark might not appreciate it if he did.

  "Let’s just say he had an abusive father as he was growing up and this new guy his mother is hooked up with isn’t much better."

  "But, he doesn’t say anything about it and he always seems to be making jokes about everything."

  "I think that’s how he deals with it. Trying to laugh is his way passed it."

  "I’d really like to be able to help him get through it."

  "Lizzie, I would say be very careful when you go treading around the problems in his life. He keeps it hidden down deep because he doesn’t want to be thought of as weak and if you poke into that, you can set him off. He has a very light trigger and it doesn’t take much for him to explode. I’ve seen it and it ain’t pretty."

  "Is that why he’s always talking about those movies and carrying that knife?"

  "I think so. I think it’s so he can feel like he’s a little more in control than his life would show."

  "It’s sad," she said.

  "It is, but it’s not something you or I know anything about. We’ve come from good homes, as does Ali. The best thing we can do is to just let him come along on this trip and be his friend. If he ever wants to talk about it, he will. He’s talked to me a few times about it, but only because I’ve seen the abuse first hand."

  "You have?"

  "Yes, and that’s why I say, don’t say anything to him about this. It will embarrass him to find out you know and then he will get angry about the whole thing. Just let it be, Liz."

  "Okay."

  About twenty minutes later, Danny stood up and said it was time to head back. Leaving the safety of the store, they headed off into the gloom of the late afternoon, not knowing what they were going to do.

  2

  "There was no one there?"

  "No Clark, just like I said the first time. The store is closed and there was no outside phone."

  "You should have broken a window."

  "Well," said Danny, "that really isn't my style."

  "Style or no style, you should have broken a window. I would have if I was there."

  Lizzie walked over and sat down next to Ali and held her hand. They both looked up at the guys to see if there was any kind of plan in the works.

  "Look, it's obvious we aren't going anywhere tonight," said Danny, "so I would say we should plan on sleeping in the van. First thing in the morning, I'll head back to the store and see if I have better luck."

  "I'll go with you next time," said Ali.

  "Sure, if you want."

  Clark spoke up and said, "I could go in the morning. Give you a chance to rest."

  "I don't think so, Clark. I don't want to hear of you busting windows and getting hauled off to jail."

  Danny climbed into the van and started laying the rear seats back, turning them into beds. Clark stood outside the van and watched and then looked at the girls.

  "So, who gets to sleep with who?"

  "Clark!" yelled Danny as he looked out the door of the van at the girls. Their eyes were wide as saucers at Clark's question.

  "I'm just saying."

  "The girls are going to get the two seats I've just folded down. You and I will be sleeping on the floor of the van."

  Clark didn't look like he cared for that idea, but he knew better than to open his mouth and say anymore.

  Lizzie and Ali stood up and walked over to the van and looked in. After they exchanged looks, Lizzie said, "Ali and I can share one of the seats."

  Ali giggled and said, "And you two guys can cuddle up together on the other."

  Clark's jaw dropped open and then he said, "I'd rather sleep on the floor."

  "Cool," said Danny. "That leaves more bed for me."

  Clark reached in and grabbed his sleeping bag and said, "On second thought, I think I'll find a nice spot out here under the stars."

  He turned and walked away from the van, giving the three of them the finger.

  "Oh, come on. I'll take the floor and you can have the seat as long as you promise to leave the girls alone."

  Clark didn't stop walking until he stepped over the fallen log and started kicking rocks and pinecones out of the way.

  "No, I'll be just fine right here."

  Three faces looked out the door of the van at him wondering why they even brought him.

  By then, the darkness had settled in and the cool breeze was beginning to get a little cooler. Being it was the first part of June, meant it wouldn't get too cold, but there was still going to be the cool night air of the mountains.

  They heard Clark getting himself settled into his sleeping bag, so they went about doing the same thing. After the girls had laid out their sleeping bags next to each other, they made Danny turn around so they could get out of their pants and crawl into the bags.

  Once they were safely covered up, they said he could turn around and get himself set up for the night. He reached over and pulled the door of the van closed, but left it slightly ajar in case Clark decided to grow up and join them.

  Rolling out his sleeping bag, he sat down and took off his boots and then his jeans. As he laid them over the back of the driver seat, looked over and saw both girls looking at him in his boxers.

  "Hey, no looking at the merchandise."

  Both girls burst out laughing and he climbed into his sleeping bag and zipped it up.

  "Bet you never thought you'd get to sleep with two girls on this trip."

  Danny raised up and looked at Ali and she started laughing again.

  "Oh yeah, it's a dream come true," he said.

  After they finished laughing, he laid his head back down and stared at the roof of the van. All his best laid plans for the weekend had come to a screeching halt on the side of a mountain road.

  "So, two more months and you're out of here, right?"

  Danny looked over and saw the girls were laying on their sides, looking at him. Lizzie was behind Ali and she had an arm draped over Ali's midsection and was resting her chin on her shoulder.

  "Yeah, Lizzie," he said as he rolled onto his side facing them. "Actually only about six weeks. The freshmen players need to show up a couple of weeks before the rest of the team."

  "Must be nice finding a way out of the city," said Ali.

  They could both tell what she meant was he was one of the lucky ones. Most of the kids from their high school class were destined to work in the three factories on the edge of town or on the farms of their families.

  "Ali, there's nothing stopping you fro
m heading to school, like Lizzie and I. Your grades were top notch and you'd have no trouble getting into college."

  Lizzie hugged Ali to her and said, "It's not grades that's keeping her here, Danny."

  He thought about that for a second and then nodded his head.

  "That's right, I forgot."

  He looked into Ali's eyes and could see the desire to leave was as strong as it was in his own eyes.

  "You could just say you're going, whether he likes it or not."

  Ali looked at him and there was a bit of fire in her eyes and he knew he might have stepped over a line.

  "I can't just say that," she said. "If I leave, that leaves mama alone with him and I can't let that happen."

  Lizzie ran her hand down Ali's arm and found her hand. She intertwined her fingers with Ali's and held her hand.

  "He knows, sweetie. We both know it has to be tough on you and your mama."

  "I've tried to convince her that we could both leave. I could go to school and get a part-time job and she could find a job and we'd start a new life without him in it."

  Danny looked at her and said, "And she doesn't think she can do that."

  "No," said Ali, as she wiped a tear away from her eye.

  "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have even brought it up."

  "It's okay. I know you're right, but convincing mama of that isn't going to happen anytime soon."

  Ali laid down on her back and Lizzie snuggled up next to her and draped an arm over her. Danny laid back and berated himself for dampening the spirits that had been in the van just a few minutes earlier.

  Silence fell over the three of them and they all felt like it was better if they just went to sleep. They could hear the night critters starting their evening symphony of chirping and scuttling about.

  3

  About half an hour later, the quiet of the night was assaulted by the sound of a large engine coming down the road.

  "What's that?" asked both girls at the same time.

  Danny sat up and looked through the windshield. He could see a glow from some lights coming down the road, but they were still hidden by the trees.

  It took a full minute for the headlights of the vehicle to come into sight around a curve. Danny could tell it was a large truck of some kind.

  As the headlights washed over the van, they could hear the engine of the truck cough as the driver lifted off the gas and began slowing down.

  "You girls stay down," said Danny as he threw off the top of his sleeping bag and grabbed his pants. He was just slipping into his boots when the truck came to a stop across the road from the van.

  Climbing out of the van, he looked toward the log and could see Clark had gotten out of his bag and was crouched down behind a tree. For a brief second, Danny caught sight of the large knife in his friend's hand and prayed it wouldn't become necessary to use it.

  Walking around the front of the van, his laces clicked on the pavement as he looked at the truck. It was a rattle-trap tow truck, looking like it was about to fall apart just sitting there.

  "Looks like you need some help," came a voice from inside the truck. It took Danny about one second to recognize the voice as one of the Morgan brothers.

  "Yeah, we've had a bit of trouble with the engine," said Danny as he kept his distance from the truck.

  The door of the truck opened and one of the Morgan brothers climbed out.

  "Guess it's lucky I make this run every night to check for stranded motorists."

  "That happens a lot around here?"

  "No, not a lot, but often enough to want to lend a hand if needed."

  The guy walked across the road and started moving toward the side of the van and Danny stepped in front of him.

  "If you don't mind, the ladies are sleeping in there and probably don't want some strange guy looking in their bedroom window."

  The man put his hands up and said, "Hey, no problem. So, what appears to be wrong with the engine?"

  "We seemed to have picked up a chunk of metal in the radiator and lost all the coolant."

  "Yeah, that'll do it," said the guy as he moved to the front of the van. "Mind if I take a look?"

  "Sure."

  The guy pulled a flashlight out of his jacket pocket and lifted the hood of the van. Shining the light down in front, he could see the hole in the radiator.

  "Well, this vehicle ain't going anywhere soon. What were your plans?"

  "Walking back to the store in the morning and calling my insurance company and having them send a truck to take us back to town."

  He lowered the hood and glanced through the windshield, catching sight of the two ladies looking at him from the back of the van.

  "I'll tell you what. I can haul this van to my shop about five miles up the road and get started on it tonight. I can call for a new radiator in the morning and probably have you back on the road before noon."

  He was still looking through the windshield giving Danny the heebie-jeebies and he knew the girls were probably feeling it worse.

  "Hey, stop worrying the ladies. Any idea about how much that will cost?"

  "Sorry about that. Don't get many pretty ladies up here. Anyway, probably not nearly as much as having it towed back to the city and then getting it worked on. I won't be charging you for the tow, just the parts and labor."

  Then the guy looked around.

  "I thought there were four of you earlier."

  "He's around," said Danny.

  "The big, ugly one," smiled the guy. "Smart."

  "What do you think, Clark?" asked Danny without taking his eyes off the guy.

  "Well, being big and ugly, I'm not sure I have much to say."

  The guy turned around and saw Clark standing about ten feet from him.

  "Hey, no offense, man. As you can see, I ain't gonna be winning any beauty contests either. By the way, my name is Zeke Morgan," he said as he held out his hand to Danny. Danny shook his hand, but could think of a million things he’d rather do.

  "You can get us on the road by noon?" asked Clark.

  "Sure thing. I'll call the parts place first thing in the morning and they will have the new radiator up here within an hour or so. Not only that, but we have a motel right next door. Sure would beat sleeping in the van tonight."

  Clark looked over at Danny and then shrugged his shoulders.

  "It would get us on the road and not let this trip be a total loss."

  Danny thought about it for a second and then agreed. While the guy walked across the road to get the truck turned around, Danny walked to the side of the van and leaned in.

  "You girls get dressed quickly."

  They didn't have to be asked twice. As soon as he ducked back out of the van they were jumping into their pants and shoes.

  Danny could hear Lizzie whisper to Ali, "I don't like that guy at all."

  "Me neither, Liz. Let's keep an eye on him and each other."

  In less than ten minutes, the guy had the tow truck backed up and the front wheels of the van off the ground. As he wiped his hands on a dirty rag, he checked all the connections and safety chains and said he was ready to go.

  He looked the group over and said, "I really only have room for two in the cab of this truck and can’t have anyone riding in the van. Why don’t the ladies come with me and they won’t have to walk."

  Danny could feel Lizzie tighten up next to him and he shook his head.

  "Tell you what, Clark, why don’t you go with him and get a couple of rooms set up and the girls and I will start walking. How far did you say your place was?"

  "We’re about five miles up the road," said Zeke. "You sure the ladies wouldn’t feel better riding in the truck?"

  Ali spoke up and said, "We’ve been cooped up in the van all day, Zeke. Lizzie and I would like to walk just to stretch our legs."

  "Okay, suit yourselves. Let’s go, Clark. We’ll be there in less than ten minutes."

  "We’ll be right behind you, Clark," said Danny.

&nb
sp; "I’ll get the two best rooms they got," he said over his shoulder as he walked around the truck to the passenger door.

  With a cough and sputter, the tow truck engine roared to life and in a couple of seconds, the two vehicles began moving slowly away from the edge of the road and up the hill. Within a minute the lights disappeared around the bend in the road and the three walkers were left in the dark.

  "Well, shall we, ladies?"

  "We shall, kind sir," said Lizzie.

  As they began walking up the road, Ali started laughing.

  "What’s so funny?" asked Lizzie.

  "I was just thinking, when Danny thought he was going to get to sleep with two pretty, young ladies, he didn’t imagine he’d end up walking up the road like this."

  Lizzie and Danny laughed at that and they settled into a nice, even pace. Danny being taller than either of them, had to keep his pace down slightly. He didn’t want to wear them out over the next hour that it would take to get to the motel.

  The full moon was shining down on stretches of the road and they could see quite a long ways up the road.

  "If he comes back or sends his brother back down here to pick us up," asked Danny, "what do you want to do?"

  The girls stopped their chatter and went silent for a moment.

  "I hope that doesn’t happen," said Lizzie.

  "Me neither," replied Ali.

  "Okay, I know this will sound a little childish, but if we hear a vehicle coming down the road or see lights, we get off the road and into the trees."

  "Sounds good to me," said Lizzie.

  Ali just nodded her agreement.

  For the next twenty minutes, no one said anything, just waiting for that sound they didn’t want to hear. It never came.

  "Maybe Zeke decided we were serious," said Ali.

  "Could be," said Danny. "I can’t believe it though. I would have thought he would send his brother back down here, but maybe not."

  At the forty-five minute mark, they could see some lights up ahead and Lizzie put a hand on Danny’s arm. He could hear her breathing speed up and then Ali did the same thing.

  "Relax ladies. I think those are the lights of the motel and garage."

  After a couple more minutes they could see he was right and they let go of his arms. Not that he wanted them to. He didn’t mind having them holding on to him. He kind of felt like a knight in medieval times, looking after his fair ladies.