Zeroes

Chapter 5: Scam

"YOU PART OF THAT SCENE?" THE CRAIG HOOKED a thumb over his shoulder, back at Ivy Street.

Ethan answered for himself, without the voice. "Me? Not really. Too loud."

"Yeah, I hate doof-doof music." Craig drummed on the steering wheel, hissing like a techno high hat. "No wonder they all have to get high. Well, the Craig is here to help with that."

Ethan didn't answer, just glanced over his shoulder at the duffel bag in the backseat. The Ford's windows were open, letting in lashes of wind that set the green vinyl of the bag shimmering.

"Relax, kid," the Craig said. "That stuff stays in the club. We just move the profits."

"So that's money, huh?" Ethan asked in his own voice.

"Course. Taylor told you that, right?"

"He was kinda light on details."

Craig chuckled. "That's Taylor for you."

Ethan made a noncommittal hmming noise and kept his jaw clamped against the voice. At least they were headed toward his neighborhood on the outskirts of Cambria. Maybe this wasn't a total disaster.

But the Craig was looking at him now. His too-blue eyes glittered in the reflections of the headlights from the occasional traffic shooting past. "Say, what unit's your sister with?"

Ethan tensed. Direct questions were easiest for the voice to answer, but they were the most dangerous, too. "Hundred-and-First Airborne, Three-Twentieth Field Artillery, Second Battalion."

Yup. That was the damn truth again.

Craig smiled, satisfied. "A girl in the artillery? That's badass. Those shells are heavy."

Ethan agreed. It was true: His sister was hard-core. Even if she was a Humvee mechanic and never went near any ordnance.

Jess had shipped out a month ago, leaving him alone with Mom. His mother worked pretty much all the time. Which was great during the summer. It meant he could stay out as late as he wanted. Still, Ethan would've preferred to have Jess around.

"Hey, that's . . ." Ethan almost raised a hand to point at the end of his street, but stopped himself just in time. The last thing he wanted was a guy like Craig knowing where he lived. He figured he could walk back from wherever Craig was taking him.

"That's what?"

Ethan shook his head. "Thought I saw somebody I knew at the turnoff back there."

"You must have good eyes, kid." Craig frowned at the rear-view mirror.

Ethan stayed quiet.

The Craig went back to drumming on the wheel, humming some formless tune. They were leaving Cambria now. On one side of the car was a row of suburban houses, spaced far apart. On the other side it was just trees. They hadn't gotten on the highway, though, so at least they were headed someplace local.

But the walk home was getting longer with every mile.

Ethan opened his mouth again, hoping the voice had something up its sleeve, some perfect story that would get Craig to stop the car and let him out.

Nothing. No sound came out. The voice was on mute again, which meant there were no words to get him what he wanted. Ethan had learned to hate the quiet.

Five minutes later the car began to slow.

They pulled onto a dirt road that led into the trees. Craig turned off the headlights, taking the winding turns carefully.