“That’s your answer? Come on, Danni. I know what it is and where you got it from. Stop stalling. I want to know what’s going on here.”
“It is the pouch,” Cody said. “It’s a magic pouch.”
“Cody! You want to get out and walk?”
“Well, it is,” he muttered, but he sat back and shut up.
“You’re kidding, right?” Rick said, turning around to face Cody directly.
“Code. Not another word, unless I say.” Then I swung on Rick. “If I tell you, you have to promise not to interrupt until I’m through.”
“Agreed. Just don’t stop before you’re done. I want to know everything.”
“Okay, okay.” I leaned forward, hunching over the steering wheel, feeling a headache coming on. “Grandpère gave me the pouch three years ago. You were there. He never said anything about it being strange or enchanted in any way.”
“You think it’s enchanted?”
I shot him a dirty look.
“Sorry. Go on.”
“You know it’s called Le Gardien in French—the Guardian in English.”
“Yeah, but I just thought it was kind of a family name. Are you saying that’s what it does? It guards you?”
“That’s what Mom thinks. That’s why I fought her about taking it with me everywhere. I resented the idea of having some weird, invisible escort watching my every move. It was like having a nanny, and I didn’t like it. Then when everyone started giving me a hard time about it—calling it ‘The Nanny Pouch’—I really didn’t like it. I came to hate it, actually. So it’s just hung there in my room for years, gathering dust. It never did anything strange.”
Except when it told Cody to build a fort in the hay two weeks ago—a fort that kept us out of El Cobra’s clutches.
I debated whether I should tell Rick about that but decided I had enough to explain right now. Maybe later.
“Go on.”
“Then suddenly, these last three days, strange things have started to happen. Like the speed limit sign.”
“That was the pouch?” he yelped.
“I think so. Uh . . . I’m not sure.” I sounded like an idiot. “Probably.”
“But—”
I held up my finger. “Remember, in the Grand Gallery, when Grandpère said I had a gift? He said I could feel things, like danger, or evil.”
“I remember.”
“I’m not sure how the two things are related. Or even if they are related. But sometimes they do seem to work together.”
And so I told him everything I could remember. The speed limit sign. The eerie feeling I had up at the mine when I thought we were being watched. The premonition that Mom and Cody were in danger. Several times I could tell he wanted to ask questions, but he held his tongue, listening carefully. However, when I described what happened up to me and Cody in the attic, it was too much for him to contain.
“Wait!” he cried. “You’re telling me you became invisible?”
“Yes,” Cody exclaimed.
“No,” I said at the same time. “We weren’t invisible—not in the strict sense of the word. Mom and Dad could see us, and so could Grandpère. But the bad guys couldn’t see us. Maybe a better way to say it is that their eyes were blinded momentarily.”
“But that’s impossible.”
“Yeah, that’s what Cody said too. But if you think that’s hard to swallow, hang on.”
To his credit, he did remember his vow. Though I could see him visibly become more and more incredulous, he held back any further questions. As I talked quietly, Cody confirmed what I was saying, even adding details I had forgotten. And even as I listened to myself, I couldn’t believe it: The attic lights suddenly not working. The garage lights exploding. My sudden, sporadic understanding of Spanish. The loss of our invisibility even though we were still in danger. A toy gun with no barrel that fired real bullets and continued firing even after the magazine should have been empty. A voice in my head telling me what to do. A truck alarm that wouldn’t shut off until we were away safely.
When I stopped, Rick was staring straight ahead. He murmured something, but I couldn’t tell what it was. “Say that again?”
“Two thousand dollars in cash appearing out of nowhere. A bumper sticker that rewrites itself. Ghostwriting on the inside of a woman’s windshield.”
“Yeah, that too,” I said glumly. By this time, I wasn’t sure I believed any more of it either. It was simply too fantastic.
“There was actually writing on that woman’s windshield?” Cody broke in, awed. “Awesome! Dad would love that. He’s always talking to other drivers, making comments about their driving and stuff.”
I glanced at Rick. He put his face in his hands and started massaging his temples with his thumbs. I smiled sadly. It seemed I wasn’t the only one with a headache.
No one spoke for about five more miles. Finally, I looked at Rick. “So, that’s the whole story.”
Straightening, Rick laid back against the headrest. Then, to my surprise, he reached out, took the pouch, and handed it to me. “Can you make it do something right now?”
I took it, shaking my head. “What?”
There was a fleeting grin. “Another couple thousand would be nice.”
I sighed. “You don’t believe me, do you?” I knew it. Not that I blamed him.
“Actually,” he said after a couple of moments, “what’s giving me a headache is that I can’t not believe you. And yet how could anyone believe a story like that?”
“El Cobra did,” Cody said quietly.
Rick’s head whipped up. “Say that again.”
“El Cobra. He knows there’s something strange about the pouch. He almost took it away from Danni.”
Rick looked to me. I nodded. “While we were hiding in the barn, he told his men to be sure they got the pouch when they caught us.”
Rick’s sigh was a long-drawn-out expulsion of air. Then he put his head down again. “Sorry,” he finally said. “I need some time to process this.”
Chapter 37
None of us spoke again until we entered the town of Wellington, just six miles south of Price. Like hundreds of other communities founded by the Mormon Pioneers back in the 1800s, Wellington, Utah, is mostly a farming community with fewer than a thousand people.
When I saw the reduced speed limit sign, I let off the gas. It was then, from the back, a meek little voice finally spoke. “I gotta go.”
I glanced at Cody. “Okay.” Then to Rick. “I wouldn’t mind a stop either.”
He nodded, but said nothing.
I pulled into the next service station and took one of the parking places up front by the convenience store entrance. “Want a drink or a snack or something?” I asked Cody.
“Yeah, in a minute.”
I laughed. As he headed for the restroom door, I noticed he was doing a little dance as he walked. “Hurry,” I called after him.
Reluctant to get underway again, the three of us stood in the shade of the convenience store, munching on our snacks. Rick’s cell phone rang. “That’ll be Dad,” he said. But as he looked at the number, he reared back. Giving me a puzzled look, he put the phone to his ear.
“Hello?”
I could hear the tinny voice of a man, but couldn’t make out any of the words.
“Yes, I’m Ricardo Ramirez.”
More tinny voice.
Rick’s eyes shot to me, and suddenly they were tinged with fear. “Yes, she’s right here.” Slowly, he extended the phone to me.
“Who is it?” I whispered.
He hesitated, then in a low voice said, “It’s El Cobra.”
I recoiled as if I’d been struck.
“He says he wants to let you talk to your parents,” Rick said.
I knew I had to do it, but I was paralyzed for a moment. Then a thought came to me. I looked at Cody. “Get me the pouch.” As he raced to the truck and yanked open the door, I took the phone. But I waited until Cody had placed the pouch in my hand befo
re I punched the speaker phone icon so Rick and Cody could hear. “Hello?”
“Hola, chiquita. How is my little friend?”
“Let me talk to my parents.”
“All in good time, señorita. You’ve been a busy girl since we last talked. Where are you now?”
“Do you want an exact address, or just the general neighborhood?”
There was a bark of laughter. “Ah, señorita, you are a cool one, I’ll grant you that.”
“I want to talk to my parents.”
“But of course,” he said expansively, “of course. Actually, I’ve been trying to call you all day so you could talk to them. Why did you turn off your phone? That was foolish of you.” He had to know that we had not just turned off the phone, but taken out the battery too, otherwise he would be tracking us right now.
“I dropped it when we were getting away. I’ve done something to the battery. It’s not working.”
Rick’s eyebrows went up, then he nodded and gave me a thumbs up.
“So you took it out of the phone, of course,” he said, the sarcasm heavy in his voice.
“Had to,” I shot right back. “It was leaking gasoline, or whatever it is that batteries have in them.”
Again he laughed. “Very good, chiquita, very good. Here’s your father.”
I clasped the phone more tightly as Dad’s voice came on the line. “Danni?”
“Dad! Are you all right?”
“Yes. We’re fine. All of us are fine.”
“Where are you?”
I heard a sound, then El Cobra’s voice. He must have his phone on speaker as well. “Would you like the exact address or just the general neighborhood?” Another laugh. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. But immediately Dad spoke again.
“Are you and Cody all right?”
“Yes. We’re good. What about Mom and Grandpère?”
“We’re all okay.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. Here’s Mom.”
A moment later, Mom was on the line. Her voice was strained, but filled with relief. “Carruthers, are you really all right?”
“Yes, Mom. We’re with Rick. He’s helping us. We’re doing fine. Really.” Cody was waving at me. “Here’s Code,” I said, and handed him the phone. As he started to talk, I stepped closer to Rick. “He knows we took out the battery. And why.”
“Of course he does. What we have to do is make absolutely certain he hasn’t put anything on my phone too.”
“How do we do that?”
“If we can find a phone store in Price, we’ll have them check both phones.” Seeing my look, he quickly added, “I’m almost positive he hasn’t tampered with my phone, but let’s be sure.”
“You’re right,” I said, surprised at my certainty. “If your phone was bugged, they’d have us by now.”
“Bye, Mom,” Cody said. He handed me the phone.
“Mom, are you okay? Have they hurt you?”
“No, Danni, we’re all right. They’re treating us well.”
Danni? She must be in a bit of shock to have used my nickname like that.
“Grandpère wants to talk to you. Bye, my love. Be safe.”
“I will, Mom,” I whispered, my eyes suddenly burning.
“Danny Boy, is that you?”
“Hi, Grandpère.” My voice caught. “Are you all right? I saw them hit you.”
“I’m fine. El Cobra hurt his hand though. You don’t hit solid rock without doing some damage.” I heard a bark of laughter in the background.
“Oh, Grandpère,” I cried, laughing through my tears. “You’re wonderful.”
“Danni, listen—” he started. I heard Doc’s voice cut in over the phone, a low hiss. “Don’t try to be cute, Old Man.”
“I’m a long ways past cute,” Grandpère replied, then he was talking to me again. “Listen, Danni. I meant to tell you this before, but in the excitement of finding the rhodium and all that followed, I completely forgot.”
“Forgot what?”
“I put a little something for your birthday in the bottom of your overnight bag before we left. It’s a manila envelope with some papers in it.”
“An envelope?” I had opened that bag while we were camping and again this morning, but I hadn’t seen an envelope.
“Yes, it’s not much. Just some papers I thought you’d enjoy.”
“Okay.” It seemed strange that under the present circumstances he was worried about an envelope.
“There’s one more thing, Danni.”
“What?”
“Il est un menteur, Danni. Don’t forget that. Be very—”
“No French.” I couldn’t tell if it was El Cobra or Doc who shouted it, but the words were followed instantly by the sound of a hard slap across skin. Grandpère grunted in pain. The phone cracked loudly as it dropped onto something hard. In the background, I heard Mom shout something.
I closed my eyes, gripping the phone so hard it felt like my knuckles would break. “Grandpère?” I cried. “Grandpère!”
A moment later El Cobra was on the phone again. He was breathing hard. “What did he say?”
“I don’t know. I don’t speak French.”
“What did you say, old man?” he shouted.
I was straining to hear, trying to picture what was happening. I heard heavy footsteps moving across the room. There was another sharp slapping sound, and I heard Grandpère grunt again. And again.
“What did you say?” screamed Doc.
For a moment, I could hear only Mom’s sobbing and Grandpère’s heavy breathing. Then, in a low voice, Grandpère answered, “I told her that you are a liar.”
Several seconds passed. I heard voices talking in Spanish. Then El Cobra’s voice came on again. He was breathing hard too. “Your grandfather is a foolish and stubborn old man. He is very lucky that we need him for what is going to happen next week. But understand one thing, señorita. If you do not do exactly as I say, you will never see your family again. In this, I do not lie.”
“And if I do?”
“On Tuesday, you will be reunited with them, and we shall simply disappear.”
Grandpère’s voice was suddenly in my mind again: “Il est un menteur.”
“So listen, and listen good. To make this work, we need your father and grandfather back in Hanksville immediately so no one gets suspicious. We need them to meet the Canadians in Moab on Saturday afternoon and take them up to the mine. We also need them to be in Salt Lake City on Tuesday for the closing.”
I saw what was coming. “I understand. You want to trade me and Cody for them.”
“Exactamente.” His voice was like the whisper of a knife blade across silk. “And I am out of patience.” He paused. “Are you familiar with the Temple of the Moon and the Temple of the Sun?”
“In Capitol Reef National Park?”
“Sí. The same.”
“Yes, I know where they are. We’ve been there many times.”
“That’s what your father said. Here’s what you’re going to do. You, your friend Rick, and your little brother are going to—”
“Rick stays out of this,” I cut in. “He’s just giving us a ride.”
Rick shook his head at me.
“Oh, I think he’s doing much more than that, but that’s fine. As long as he keeps his mouth shut, he’s free of this. If he doesn’t, tell him we know where his Aunt Shauna lives in Moab.”
Rick’s face registered shock and then horror.
“You and your brother will go to the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. Enter at the Cainsville turnoff, not the river crossing road. ¿Comprendes?”
“Yes, I understand. I’m not four, you know.”
He ignored me. “Come alone. Just the two of you. We will see to it that no one else will be around. Go past the Temple of the Sun to the Temple of the Moon. Stop in the turnaround circle and get out of the car. If we’re satisfied you’re playing it straight, we will appear a short time later. We wil
l have your father and grandfather with us and will park next to the Temple of the Sun.”
“But not my mother?”
“Oh no, she’s enjoying herself here and doesn’t want to leave. She’s working on her tan. Polishing her nails.” He laughed at his own joke. “She is anxious to see you again. And by the way, Luke,” he added, turning away from the phone for a moment, “just so you and Grandpa don’t get any ideas, you’ll be accompanied by a couple of my men who will be your ‘employees’ while you are with the Canadians. Wouldn’t want you tempted to do anything foolish.”
Dad murmured something I couldn’t hear. My mind was racing. The Temple of the Moon and the Sun were in Cathedral Valley in the north end of Capitol Reef National Park. It was a spectacular area of high, red sandstone cliffs that were sculpted into fantastic spires and battlements. But the formation is isolated and, despite being in a National Park, visited by relatively few people. That part of the valley held pretty much only the two monoliths he had named, sand dunes, and scattered low brush. Once we turned off the highway at Cainsville, El Cobra would know if anyone was following us. As with everything El Cobra seemed to do, it was brilliant. He could easily keep control of the situation.
He came back on the phone. “When you see your father and grandfather coming with their escorts, then you and Cody will start walking toward us. You’ll get in our car, they’ll get in your SUV, and everything’s muy bien once again. ¿Comprendes?”
“When?”
“How soon can you get there?”
“Saturday morning. Nine o’clock.”
He swore. “You think we are playing a game, chiquita? Tomorrow morning, nine o’clock.”
“Sorry.” I was hugging the Guardian like I was suffocating and it was my oxygen mask. And it was working. Rick, who was hearing both sides of the conversation, was watching me with growing alarm, but my mind was racing with that same marvelous clarity I had felt earlier.
“Do you understand me, Danni?” El Cobra shouted. “Tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, I understand you all right, I just don’t trust you. I have no guarantee that you won’t hurt them or us anyway.”
“Ah, but you have twenty million guarantees, señorita. Don’t forget that.”