I shudder.
Outside, I see a bit of a commotion. I stand on my toes to be able to see better and notice that the car that always parks near the fire hydrant is now surrounded by three men. They pull the driver out of the car and hold him up against the rear door. His back is to me, but he looks vaguely familiar though I don’t recognize the other two men. I know I’ve never been able to see the driver’s face through the tinted car windows, but I feel like I’ve seen him before.
A van, also black, drives up beside the car next to the fire hydrant, and the man is ushered into the back while one of the other men gets into the car next to the hydrant. Both vehicles are driven off rapidly.
What did I just witness?
I hadn’t been able to hear anything through the window, but this obviously isn’t right. Was that man just abducted? I glance at my phone, wondering if I should report it.
If Nate is a gangster, does that mean the police are in on it, too? Are they on his…payroll or whatever? Is Nate somehow involved in this?
“It’s the east side,” I whisper aloud. “The Orso side. That means he has to know about it.” My throat tightens up, and I have to swallow past the lump. “What’s happening, Vee? What have I gotten myself into?”
I sit down slowly and reach for my phone though I have no idea what I’m going to do with it—call 911 and report suspicious activity? What will I even say? When I give them my name, will they immediately know who I am and that I’m dating Nate? Will that make them more likely to show up or less likely?
I shiver. My hands are starting to sweat. None of my muscles want to obey any commands, and I can’t move at all. I just sit there and sit there until my phone suddenly dings in my hand, startling me from my trance.
Nate O: Sorry I haven’t managed to call today. Working late tonight. I’ll have to get back to you after work tomorrow. Hope you’ve had a wonderful day!
My hands shake as I try to reply. I have no idea what to say. I’d have to understand my own thoughts to form any kind of words to go with them, and I simply don’t.
“Stick with the basics.”
I’ve hand an intersting day. I’ll tak to you tomorrow. Gnight Nate.
I can’t even manage to fix the typos before I hit send.
The following morning, I get up like a zombie. I shower and dress, try to force coffee and a bagel down my throat, and head to my car, still in a daze. I pull out of the parking lot, immediately noticing the absence of the black car that had been sitting there for quite some time now. The fire hydrant is clear of obstructions, and the firefighters of Cascade Falls can continue their fine work, should they be needed.
Does the fire department service both the east and west side of Cascade Falls, or do they let one side of it burn?
I shudder for the hundredth time since yesterday’s chat with Jessie.
I continue to work in a fugue state, checking the tapped trees for any sign of distress and marking with chalk all those that are no longer producing sap so the tap can be removed. I finish at the top of the hill overlooking the sugar shack. I see a couple of workers nearby, checking the fires and cleaning up a bit of trash left over from the weekend.
Closing my eyes, I remember Nate’s gentle touch on my arm as we walked over these trails, both this past weekend and previously. I remember his warm lips on mine and the taste of maple sugar in his mouth as his tongue caressed mine. I remember the dark, intense look in his eyes when our bodies came together.
Another shudder runs through me, but it is not of the same kind.
“I don’t care,” I whisper aloud. “I don’t care what his business is.”
All my muscles relax at the thought, and I can breathe normally again. My steps are lighter as I head back down the hillside, checking the last few trees. I’m even smiling when I head back to the office to turn in my paperwork and clock out.
“Hello, Cherry.”
I jump, startled by my boss’s voice.
“Oh! Hi, Melissa! I didn’t see you there.”
I hadn’t seen much of Melissa at all, really, and I’d been glad of that. After hearing Nora’s account of their ordeal, I was afraid I’d say something about it accidentally.
“It is my office,” she says curtly. “Did you finish the trees on the hill today?”
“I did. I should be able to knock out the rest before the end of the day tomorrow.”
“Good. When you do, come see me. We need to figure out a plan for you the rest of the spring so you can still get enough hours in here.”
I’ll spend the whole time biting my tongue.