A Hero's Secret

twenty nine

Inside the cabin, one large room filled the center with a set of bedrooms and bathrooms on either side. A modest kitchen lined the back wall.

Nash tossed his keys on a rolling island pushed out to separate the living area from the dining area. "We should be safe here for now." He pointed across the cabin. "You two can take the room over there."

Dray muttered a thanks and followed the retreating Wells to their new room. The opposite of Lucy's home, it held only a wooden dresser and bed frame. An ill-fitting mattress lay thin across the bed with homemade quilts and full pillows on top.

Wells dropped the bag onto the bed and Dray set her purse on the dresser. They looked to each other, standing still for a few moments. Dray urged herself to say something, anything, but couldn't string together anything coherent. She felt foolish for thinking the situation wouldn't get any worse from their original plan.

In one step, Wells caught Dray's hand and they went back to the living room.

The sun disappeared behind the horizon and left behind an icy chill. It snuck into the cabin, making every surface cold to the touch. A dewey smell lingered, twisting with the fresh air.

Cliff stacked small pieces of splintered wood into a fireplace on the wall of the front door. He shoved crumbled strips of newspaper in the spaces between the logs and lit them with a match. The heat instantly flooded the room.

The vibrant orange of the flames drew Dray's eye and she wandered closer, pulling her sweatshirt tight to her body.

A couple couches and a chair surrounded the fireplace. Dray snuggled into the fluffiest looking one and curled her legs up to her chest. Wells followed and rested his arm behind her on the back of the couch. They sunk into the worn leather.

"Here," Lucy brought over two mugs of steaming liquid, "take this. It's tea. Help warm you up." She smiled.

Dray immediately grabbed one of the mugs to warm up her hands. The steam pushed the smell of lemons, ginger, and honey. She held it close to her chest and relaxed.

Soon everyone settled into the furniture and the silence broke.

Nash shifted his weight forward, leaning his elbows on his knees and weaving his hands together. "Your father," he said towards Wells, who sat directly across from him.

Meeting his gaze, Wells' stare narrowed and he barely nodded. "My father."

An eerie tension landed in the room. Dray zoned out into the fire, her vision blurring as her eyes tired. She scooted closer to Wells.

Wells ended the staring contest and dropped his head on the back cushion, using both hands to comb back his hair and look at the ceiling. "So, I guess this really did start with my parents' disappearance." He swung his arms forward and into a similar position as Nash. "At least I was right about something."

Dray blinked and moved her gaze away from the fire. She grabbed Wells' hand in both of her own. "What do you know about him?" She scanned the others.

"Nothing really." Lucy brushed her hair over one shoulder. "That was the first time we have actually seen him." She glanced at Nash as he put a hand on her knee.

He nodded, connecting eyes wth his girlfriend. "Usually it's a phone call from him or he goes through the Mayor." He looked back at Dray and Wells. "This was the first time he wanted to meet."

"Why?" Dray's eyebrows pulled together. "Because of us? He knew before," she muttered and answered her own question before anyone else could.

Cliff spoke up. He stretched out in an old armchair off to the side. "Yes, but more specifically, Wells. You two found out a lot more than he let most and we can only assume now it's because Wells is his son." He crossed his arms and let his head fall slightly to the side. "If it were anyone else, you'd both be dead." A grim look swamped his face.