Part 7 (1/2)
”You're going to be fine!” he said, trying to sound cheerful. ”What hurts? We'll fix it!” His hands roved his brother's body, seeking out injuries. It was then that he saw the wound in Tank's lower back and side. It had been concealed by the way he'd been lying, but it was grievous. Chase felt the gorge rise in his throat and leaned over to let it out.
”Chase, focus!” Tank commanded, his voice weak but determined. His skin was very white. ”The kids need you. I need you to promise me you'll look after them. You're all they have now.”
”But... I can't!” Chase cried, his life flas.h.i.+ng before his eyes. ”I can't take care of them. I can barely take care of myself. Look what happened to Tara! I couldn't save her!”
”No, you couldn't save Tara. But you can save these children. Do it for Tara. And for me.”
”But I'm not like you. I can't lead them,” Chase said.
His brother's face twisted in a combination of anger and frustration. ”Grow the fleck up, man,” he growled. ”There's no one else.”
Chase paused, anguished. Then he swallowed. ”I promise,” he said. ”But G.o.d, Tank, what will I do?”
”You'll manage.” Tank's eyes rolled up in his head for a moment, then he drew a deep breath and forced himself to focus on Chase. ”You're stronger than you think. You're not a screw-up-or you don't have to be. I have faith in you. And... I love you.”
”I... I love you, too.”
But he'd said it too late. His brother's eyes were closed, and Tank's final breath had just escaped in a long, torturous wheeze. He was dead.
Chase threw back his head and screamed.
Chapter Eleven.
Chris followed Peyton down the stairs.
”Dad, this is Chris. Chris, this is my dad,” Peyton called as they entered the bas.e.m.e.nt. Her father was sitting in a lab off to one side, working on some kind of metal gizmo. He set the device down, came out of the workshop, and shut and locked the door behind him. Off-limits to tourists, Chris guessed.
”Ian Anderson,” Peyton's dad introduced himself, putting out a hand. The guy looked like a mad scientist with his shock of graying hair and wild blue eyes. Hard to believe he was Peyton's father. ”It's nice to meet you, son. I saw you two playing basketball outside. It's great to see kids enjoying real sports in this day and age. Everyone's always inside on their sims twenty-four-seven. Missing out on what the great outdoors has to offer.”
”I thought it was stellar,” Chris agreed. ”I'd never played before. Of course, I'm kind of sweaty and gross now.” He sniffed his armpit and made a face.
Ian slapped him on the back. ”Nothing wrong with a little sweat,” he proclaimed. ”It'll put hair on your chest. Now, what can I do for you kids? I'm kind of busy at the moment.”
”I know, Dad, I know. But I figured you'd be interested in this.” Peyton paused. ”I should have come to you before, but... well, I wasn't sure if it was important and didn't want to bother you. Have you heard anything about weird disappearances related to illness? Anything to do with the government? A few days ago Chris and I came across Mrs. McCormick from down the street. She was acting all sick, coughing up blood. We called for an ambulance, but instead this strange brown van showed up. It had a government seal. They took her away.”
Chris noticed she didn't add anything about them being chased. He guessed she just didn't want to worry him.
”That was a few days ago, and she hasn't been back to her house since,” Peyton said. ”I figured she might have died, but-”
”I called all the nearby hospitals,” Chris spoke up. ”They said they were taking her to Mt. Holyoke, but the guys in the van didn't really even know where it was-and no one there's heard of her. And when I went searching some of the internet forums about this, I found similar things are happening other places.” He crossed his fingers that he wouldn't get the usual lectures about accessing unauthorized sites; adults seemed to think that what the government banned really shouldn't be talked about. He figured Peyton's dad, if anyone, would feel differently. After all, he was about as anti-establishment as anyone could get. ”Peyton thought maybe you would have read or heard something else.”
Ian looked distracted. ”Sorry,” he said, shaking his head. ”No, I haven't heard anything.”
”Is there... is there any way you could take a look?” Chris pressed. He didn't want to be rude, but he was worried about Mrs. McCormick, and Peyton's dad seemed the only option for information. Rumor had it that he knew all sorts of people in high places, although not all of them were friendly. ”That woman was like a grandmother to me,” he added. ”I'm worried something really bad might have happened to her, and she's got no one else who'd care.”
Peyton's father sighed. ”What did the van look like again?”
”Brown,” Peyton replied. ”And like I said, there was a government seal on the side.”
”The men had brown uniforms, too?”
”Yes,” Chris said, remembering. ”They did.”
”Cleaners,” Mr. Anderson said. ”Government cleaners. They're called the DNP, the Department of Natural Progressions, but basically they get paid to get rid of messes.”
”Messes? What mess could an old lady like Mrs. McCormick be in?” Peyton spoke up. ”That doesn't make any sense.”
”Look, our government has its own agenda that we can't even try to understand. You two are very lucky they didn't come after you,” her father said sternly. He waggled a finger at Peyton and Chris. ”The next time you see a van like that, leave the area immediately. I don't care who they're taking away. Do not get involved, whatever you do.”
”But-” Chris started.
Mr. Anderson glowered at him. ”No buts,” he said. ”It's dangerous and stupid for you to mess with government operations. They don't care that you're just kids. If they think you know something, they'll remove you without a second thought.”
For the first time, Chris felt true fear crawl through his stomach. He'd been nervous when he and Peyton were chased, but that had just felt like something from a Smart TV show or a sim. Was this guy right? Would the government actually do something like ”remove” him? It was tough to credit.
Of course, they had given chase, and Mrs. McCormick really had disappeared.
”Okay, Dad, we got it,” Peyton said, grabbing Chris's hand. She began to drag him upstairs. ”Government agents are bad. We'll stay away.”
”Mock me if you will, daughter!” Ian called after them. ”But mark my words. This is the End of Days we're living in. Many will fall. Only a few will rise again like phoenixes from the ashes. And they will create a new Heaven and a new Earth.”
Wow, the rumors were right, Chris marveled as they reached the top of the stairs. Peyton's father was out of his d.a.m.ned mind. End of Days, indeed! How ridiculous was that?
They stepped out into the living room, and Peyton closed the door behind them. Chris noticed her face was flushed. Was she embarra.s.sed by what her dad had just said? She shouldn't be. He didn't judge her by her parents. He tried to avoid judging anyone by anyone else.
”Hey, kids, come in here!” cried a woman's voice from the kitchen. ”I want you to try out my new cookies.” Chris raised an eyebrow. Wow. It was like jumping from an Operation: Terror sim into a Mrs. Rogers's Kiddietime sim around Peyton's house.
They entered the kitchen to find Peyton's mother setting down a plate full of delicious-looking cookies. The room was warm and smelled like chocolate. The creepy feeling Chris had felt down in the bas.e.m.e.nt started to dissipate. At least one member of Peyton's family was normal.
”I need your opinion,” Peyton's mother told them. ”Are these good enough to sell at the church bake sale this Sunday?”
They obediently tried the cookies. ”Mmmmm,” Chris said. ”These are delicious.” And he wasn't exaggerating to get into her good graces; he hadn't tasted such a wonderful cookie in forever. ”Thanks, Mrs. Anderson. Can I have another?”
Peyton's mother beamed at him. ”Of course,” she said. Then she turned to her daughter. ”I like him,” she mouthed, but Chris caught it.
Motherly approval? Nice.
Peyton didn't know what was more embarra.s.sing: her crazy father talking about the end of the world or her matchmaking mother. Her mom had never liked Drew; she was going to be thrilled when Peyton informed her of the breakup.
First she had to get rid of Chris, though. Grabbing another cookie and motioning for him to follow her outside, she hoped he'd take the hint and go home. Not that she minded his company; it'd been good to have someone to play basketball with today. But now she was ready to wallow again in the pain of the whole Drew situation. Why hadn't she walked away when she'd had a chance? Why hadn't she broken up with him before this? And why had she thought it was a good idea to break his nose? Now everyone in school was going to think she was crazy like her father. That was just the reputation she'd been trying to avoid.