Splintered by Jon McGoran

Author:Jon McGoran
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 2019-05-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 31

Kiet watched us intently as we approached. Devon bent close to me and said, “Kiet has to get to work so they don’t suspect he’s involved with you two, but do me a favor. Give him this breather, tell him how to fill it, and send him over here to say goodbye to me properly.”

I ran across the clearing and gave Kiet the breather. He filled it, put it on and ran over to Devon for one last embrace.

“You’re sure you can fix the car?” I asked Claudia, as we turned away from them. I think we both wanted to give them some privacy, but for me, knowing what I now knew, it was also just too tragic to look at.

“Piece of cake,” she said lightly. Then she squinted at me, studying my face. “Are you okay?”

“No. I’m freaking out. I’m worried about Rex and Doc, and about the people here, and everybody in that damned mine.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I hear you.”

I glanced over at Kiet and Devon, standing with their foreheads touching, whispering to each other. I wasn’t going to rush them, especially since I knew they only had so many goodbyes left. But I could feel my anxiety growing to start doing something, anything, to help them and Rex and everyone else.

After one last, quick kiss, Kiet ran toward us and Devon turned and walked briskly back toward Centre Hollow.

“Okay, let’s go,” Kiet said without looking at us as he walked past us and into the woods. We followed him for a few minutes, until he stopped at a break in the trees. He looked to his left and right, his eyes wet and pained. “Devon said this is Main Street.”

I looked each way, too, the way you’re supposed to do when crossing a street, I guess. To our left was the WELCOME TO CENTRE HOLLOW sign where Devon and his friends had dragged Claudia, Rex, and me to safety. Across from it was the small cluster of houses that somehow hadn’t been claimed by the vegetation, and farther down was the wrecked VW.

“This should take us back to Bogen Road, where your car is,” Kiet said, pointing right. “When we get there, I’ll go back to OmniCare.”

He started walking along the road. We both hurried after him, but he made no effort to slow down. Claudia and I exchanged a glance, realizing he wanted to be alone. We stayed back, matching his pace but keeping our distance, taking turns carrying the toolbox.

After a while he slowed, almost to a stop. As we stepped up next to him, he said, “Sorry,” and resumed his pace.

“Nothing to apologize for,” I said.

“Absolutely,” Claudia said.

“I can carry that for a while,” he said, taking the toolbox from Claudia.

“Kiet,” I said. “Are you sure you want to go back to that place?”

He laughed. “I’m sure I don’t. But I have to. And I need to be there on time, too. There’s this one big delivery truck that arrives at ten every morning.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.