Dastardly Bastard(59)

Mark winced.

With a softer tone, Donald said, “We’re trying to find your chick. We’re here to help.”

“You guys lost her? Where? Where was the last place you saw her?”

“We’ll fill you in on the way. It’s a long story.” Mark gestured toward the cave. “What’s in there?”

“Fuck if I know. I came back stumbling out of the thing. Everything else is… is…”

“Memories? Bad ones? Yeah. We know.” Donald finished for the shaken man.

“Well, not exactly,” Trevor said, rubbing at a bloody knot on his forehead. “Damn, that fucking hurts.”

“So where were you? Some horrible BDSM memory gone all screwy? A little demonic gimp action?” Donald joked. Mark could sense the tension behind the levity, knew Donald was covering for his fear.

“We were running… the trail… the kid’s mom was… shit. I don’t know, man. Everything’s just gone. Or see-through, you know? After that, it was like an episode of It’s Your Life. Only—”

“This Is Your Life, not it’s.” Donald corrected. Mark gave him a look, furrowing his brow. “Sorry. Go on.”

“I got picked on a lot in junior high. I was kinda geeky, and the other kids homed in on it, but not too bad. I seemed to spend a little time there, you know, and some kids were calling me names. But it was all just trivial BS. Not scary in the least. Everything else is a blur.” Trevor stood up and dusted off his bare knees.

“Where the hell are your pants?” Mark asked. He couldn’t contain the burst of laughter that erupted after his statement.

Trevor’s cheeks went red. “I don’t know.”

“Wait,” Donald said. “Go back for a minute. Forget you’re standing there in your boxers. I wanna know if you got any horrifying visions. Broken, disturbed, surreal dream-like, night-terror type of stuff.”

“Not that I can remember.”

Mark acted on a new thought. “What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you? Don’t think. Just answer.”

Trevor shrugged. “That crap in junior high. Some light bullying in seventh grade. Then I got contacts and started working out. Made the track team. Everyone left me alone after that. What’s with the twenty questions?”

“You’re telling us that the worst thing that has ever happened to you is getting picked on in school?” Donald slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Lucky bastard.”

“Excuse me,” Lyle said, his voice meek. The comment was directed at Trevor.

“Yeah, little man?”

“Did you happen to see my mother in there?”

Trevor eyed Mark, and Mark shook his head.

“No. I’m sorry.”

Mark knelt in front of Lyle and put his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Justine said she didn’t make it, Lyle. I don’t think she would have said that if she wasn’t sure.”

“I know… I just… I was just hoping. You know? I saw Trevor… and I wished… I… I…” Lyle sniffled, drying his eyes on the backs of his hands.

Mark couldn’t stand to look in the boy’s eyes. The pain coming off of him was palpable. Mark had never known loss like this child was going through. He’d seen plenty of death and destruction, but was outside of the action for the most part. A spectator. He looked to Trevor for support. Mark was amazed when Donald was the one to respond.

“I gotcha, kid.” Donald walked over and patted the boy on the back. “It’s going to be a long road. But you can’t let it eat away at you. I know what it’s like to lose someone close. You just have to remember them for what they meant to you. Not how they left you.”

As far as Mark was concerned, the new Donald was far superior to the old model.

“Anybody happen to have any spare pants in their pocket?” Trevor asked.

When he saw Lyle actually laugh through his tears, Mark eased up, letting go of the boy’s shoulders.

Donald nodded toward the cave. “Guess we should see what’s in there, huh?”

“I’m scared,” Lyle said.

“Whoa. Hold up.” Trevor squinted at Mark. “I saw you fall off a cliff. I remember that. How the—”

Mark grinned. “Long story. I’ll tell you when you can explain why you’re missing your pants.”





46


JUSTINE LOOKED DOWN AT HERSELF. She wore a paisley blue dress with white socks and cute little slip-on flats with bows. Her chest was undeveloped, flat as a board. Justine figured she was around ten years old. The limousine ride seemed to quell the emotions building up in the back of her throat. The fact that Nana Penance was there soothed her even more. Her parents were in a car up ahead at the request of Justine’s grandmother. Nana Penance had wanted Justine riding with her, wanted some time alone. Justine had no idea why until her grandmother began talking.

“Watchin’ someone die, Just, is ne’er easy. Whether it be in pain, or in peace, the livin’ are left with the mem’ries the dead can’t carry with ‘em.” Nana Penance looked down at her lap, fighting tears.

“Did you watch Papa die, Nana?”

Her grandmother sat in silence as the limo took a hard curve that led to the cemetery. Justine rocked with the sway of the insanely long vehicle. The experience was awesome and morose at the same time. She’d never been in a fancy limo before. Then again, she’d never been to a funeral, either.