Apex

31 | controlled burn (part two)

AUGUST 7

MAUD

Aside from the drizzling of the rain and the distant crying of seagulls, the woods were quiet. I tried to keep my breathing steady, but my nerves were no longer just a prickle inside my chest that I could ignore. My entire body seemed to ache.

After continuing down the trail for ten minutes, the sound of waves beating against the rocky cliffside accompanied the sight of Cape Blue's lighthouse that peaked out from behind the pine trees. 

Beside me, Allix's expression was vacant and her complexion ghostly pale.  The dark circles beneath her eyes made them appear even bluer and more alert as she scanned the treeline.

Whenever a situation started to go downhill, Allix never resorted to externally freaking out because all of that transpired on the inside. At least that was how she handled her emotions until she reached her breaking point, and it was like lightning striking up a fire on the savannah during the dry season.

I needed to prevent that from happening.

"Should we call Wakeman?" I blurted out. "Or is there someone else we should call in case things go south?"

"I'd rather not cross paths with her again," Allix admitted wearily, toying with one of her gold rings as she walked. "You'd think that me being the one to call in the tip about the harpoon would cancel out the whole breaking into Conrad's trailer ordeal, but apparently not."

I schooled myself to refrain from issuing a terse response. "Listen, I think we need to trust the process or whatever the hell that sports mantra says about keeping the faith when things look bad."

When Allix didn't immediately reply, I heaved out a frustrated sigh. "The department is getting a lot of attention because of this. If people don't think Wakeman is handling the case well, she could be forced to step down."

Allix worked her jaw, grim-faced. "Let's just go stop the boys from doing anything else stupid."

I nodded, my vocal cords temporarily constricting. Anything that I wanted to say to her was worth more in the silence.

The rain continued to fall, soft enough that I couldn't detect the individual droplets. Pale light filtered through the spaces between the large branches tangling overhead, and the dewiness of the air enhances the thick smell of pine.

A few minutes later, Allix stopped in her tracks and rolled back her shoulder blades as she looked at me. "Something doesn't feel right."

"That's exactly why we are here." I grabbed Allix's thin forearm in an attempt to drag her down the trail. "Let's go."

Shaking her head, Allix tugged her arm away and took a definitive step back. The dirt scraped in protest beneath her Converse. "I think there's something that we aren't seeing. We should go back to get more help."

All of a sudden, it felt like May 16th all over again.

I felt my cheeks redden with anger, and I slowed my breathing as I stared at Allix. I was failing to understand her logic. On Friday Island, Allix had a reputation for being the eloquent and rational one, and I was apparently hostile and outwardly stubborn.

Allix and her silver tongue could effortlessly circumnavigate trouble, always managing to come out on the other side better than she'd started. She was the queen of self-preservation, and sure, she'd endured hardships, but so had the rest of us.

She didn't get to be let off the hook every damn time, and I was about to make sure of that.

"You can't be serious," I seethed, and Allix lifted her chin in quiet rebellion. The cold sea breeze rattled the trees around us. "Dakota and Syd could be in serious trouble. We can't just abandon them."