CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“I don’t understand,” frowned Katelyn. “You’re saying that they moved all the other girls out in the middle of the night. Where did they take them? Where are they now?”
“Jesus, were they drugging us every time they removed girls from the school?” asked Chelsea. “I remember girls suddenly gone, and they’d say that their parents picked them up and took them home, or they left for college or moved to another school. We’d always been told that none of us had parents.”
“I think you may have been brainwashed to some extent,” said Rachelle. “Ashley and I have been reading about some of these drugs, and they’re often used to plant suggestive thoughts into the brain.”
“But why leave all of that equipment, the files, everything?” asked Katelyn.
“They obviously had to leave in a hurry and thought that their security system would keep everything safe. That school was pretty damn remote. Even if someone had wanted to run away, you would have been traversing through some of the thickest forest areas in the state, encountering black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and who knows what else,” said Hex.
“I feel dirty and used,” said Katelyn. “I thought I went to this great, prestigious school, and it was nothing but an agency factory for their own use.”
“There are more,” said Chelsea. “We know there are more out there, and we have to find them.”
“We will, honey,” said Ashley. “Right now, we need to go through everything that was brought back and see what we can find, and we’ll need the help of all of you and the other kids to identify things.”
“Where is Mav?” asked Katelyn.
“He and the others stayed in Maine to try and ask some more questions. They should be home by tomorrow morning.” Katelyn nodded at the room of people. The boxes and crates were spread out across the floor of the Sugar Lodge, covered in dust, ready for exploration.
“Alright. Let’s figure this out.”
“Mr. Jeffers?” He looked into the dark room and scanned the small space. Turning, he signaled to the others to look inside as well, and they nodded.
“That’s me. Who are you?” he barked back. Mav just grinned at him.
“My name is Maverick Stanton, sir. I spoke with Mr. Richmond, and he said that you used to handle the grounds at the girls’ school on the lake.”
“What about it? They shut down overnight and didn’t even tell me,” he snapped.
“Yes, sir. We heard that as well. We just want to ask you some questions. Could we buy you some coffee or lunch?” asked Mav. That seemed to get the old man’s attention.
“Alright. Let’s go across the street. My place ain’t big enough for the four of you. What’d you eat for breakfast? A moose?”
The men chuckled, waiting on the old man to close his door. He wrapped a tattered coat around himself, and Mav frowned, looking at the others. When they walked into the diner, it was nearly empty since it was well past lunch.
“Can we still get some lunch, ma’am?” asked Saint.
“Of course you can, honey. Take a seat. Hey, Truck. How are you doin’, hun?”
“I’m makin’ it, Ruthie.”
“You seem to know everyone,” smiled Mav.
“We ain’t got seven hundred people in the whole area. I’d be an idiot not to know everyone. Order the moose burger or the bison burger. Better than any cow you’ve ever eaten.”
“Sounds great. Ma’am, five moose burgers, fries, and we’ll all have iced teas.” The old man nodded at him, grateful for the hot meal. Pax stood and walked to the waitress, whispering to her as the others started to talk.
“You asked about me mowing the lawns out there,” said the old man.
“Yes, sir. Was there ever anything strange happening out there?” asked Mav.
“Strange? The whole damn place was strange. Why put a girls’ school in the middle of nowhere? It wasn’t near a city or hospital in case the girls got sick. They couldn’t interact with the other children in the area. They never went into town and shopped. And there were no adults other than a dozen or so schoolteachers.”
“Did the girls appear sick or hurt in any way?” asked Mav. He pursed his lips and thought for a moment.
“I never saw bruises or anything. I can’t say that. But the girls always seemed, well, like robots. They were told to move and moved. They were told to eat, and they ate. It was all just strange.”
“Were you allowed to speak with the girls?” asked Saint.
“Never. I’m an old man. I wasn’t interested in nothing but to speak to them children. My children and grandchildren live in Florida now. I just wanted to know them,” he said with a sad expression. “They said if I tried to befriend them, they’d call police on me. I needed the money.”
“I’m sorry they did that to you,” said Mav. “Were you able to speak with the teachers?”
“You mean the wardens,” he said with disgust. “They weren’t teachers. Not like any teachers I ever knew. Those girls were teaching themselves. I think the adults were there just to be sure they didn’t mess up or run off. I told the sheriff I was worried, and he told me to shut up and mind my own business. Two weeks later, they were gone, and so was the sheriff.”
“I see,” said Saint.
Their food came out hot and delicious, and they had to admit the moose burger was better than they expected. When they got ready to leave, Pax handed the old man a large paper bag.
“What’s this?” he frowned.
“Looks like you need a better coat,” said Pax. “According to Ruthie, there’s at least another eight weeks of hard winter. This one should fit you, and there are a few warm long johns in there and some flannel shirts. We also sent some boys down to your place to fix the gap in the doors and windows and work on your heat.”
The old man stared at him, tilting his head.
“We noticed it was almost as cold inside as it was outside,” smirked Pax.
“You don’t owe me nothin’. You didn’t have to do that,” said the old man. “I didn’t do anything except talk to you.”
“You might have done more than you think,” said Mav. “See, my fiancée went to that school, and now, we believe that the men and women running it are after her for some reason. You just might have helped me stop them. This is the least we could do.”
They shook the old man’s hand and left him standing in the diner. Ruthie walked up to him, grinning.
“Boys bought you enough groceries for a whole month, Truck. Sam just called from the grocery and said he delivered it and put it all away for you. You gotta learn to lock your doors.” She kissed his cheek, handing him another sandwich and a piece of cake to take home. The note on the bag was simple.
Thank you for your service Sergeant Jeffers.