Camp Driftwood

Chapter 9 - Compulsion

Chapter 9 – Compulsion

"I can't find her," Henry Buscador said quietly into the phone's receiver, pacing back and forth in his apartment above the studio where he held his classes. "I need help."

"You have some nerve, contacting us after so long," a cold voice said on the other line, icy and female, maybe in her mid-forties. "After you ran with the pendant, we assumed you lost."

"We can discuss my sins later," he dismissed, "She's the priority now. Please, help me find her."

"We cannot. You know this."

"She's just a kid!" he snapped in disbelief, "More than that, she's one of them. If we don't find her quickly, gods know what'll happen."

"It's just as The Lady would say," the woman countered, "Fate will lead her to us, if she is truly the one you believe that she is."

"She is," Henry said firmly, "I've never been more certain of anything."

"Then these events are not of our concern. You must have faith, Henry. Think of the bigger picture."

"Big picture, fine, maybe she'll be okay," he said, his voice quivering with anger, "But do me a favour and think of the small picture for a second. She's a kid. She's been taken. She's frightened. For pity's sake, help me get her back!"

"We cannot expose ourselves, we have waited too long."

"Then at least tell me something useful! Do you have any idea where Hale could be? You won't need to lift a damn finger!"

There was a pause, and then the voice spoke again. "We've managed to pin down their movements to Maine, somewhere in the Hundred Mile Wilderness. There's nothing more specific than that. Whatever you do, you will have to do alone."

"Thank you," he said quickly walking over to a map he had spread out on a table. "Really, thank you."

"Find the child, if you can. When you are done, return to us. There is much we need to discuss in person."

"I will. Thank you."

He hung up the phone, placing it onto the table and looking down to the map. It wasn't much, but at least he knew where to start looking.

---

The pointed edge of the mattock dug into the hard earth as Kaylee brought it down, sinking halfway to the shaft. A bead of sweat ran dripped into her eye as she worked. She blinked it away in annoyance. Before today, she hadn't even heard of a mattock, let alone knew how to use it. She'd learned quickly.

Judie stood a few paces away, holding her own mattock, which was far too large for her to use properly. The two had already prepared the earth of the carrot and potato patches for replanting, and had now been set to work on readying an entirely new section of unbroken ground for more crops. Corn, maybe.

As they worked, Kaylee couldn't help but wonder if being paired with Judie was further punishment for her actions at breakfast. While the small girl never failed to make her smile, and was eternally optimistic, she was poorly suited to physical labour. Her barely muscled arms could barely lift the mattock, let alone use it to break up the ground at any efficient pace. So, for the afternoon's chores, Kaylee had done almost all of the work. Judie did her best to help, marking the outer edge of their assigned area and breaking up ground where she could, but Kaylee had to go over the smaller girl's work to properly prepare the soil.