Page 39 of The Chad Next Door
I need to up my game if that’s the case.
“Mmm,” I say. It’s about all I can manage right now.
Taking the coffee out of my hands, she takes a sip as she looks out over the yard. “Zelda’s getting pretty good at making that wall.”
I peek one eye open. Apparently the fight is over, which must mean I was asleep longer than I’d like. Zelda’s on her own, happily stacking bricks to turn her wall into a lopsided igloo. “Is Link inside?”
“I didn’t see him.”
I sit up straighter. Duke’s gone too, which makes me feel a little bit better, but there’s an unsettled feeling churning in my gut that I don’t like. I’d almost forgotten that someone was sneaking around the house the other night, but that knowledge comes flooding back as I stand up and whistle as loudly as I can. Hopefully Link wasn’t carried off by someone to use as blackmail against me, but I don’t like the alternative any better.
A bark echoes in the distance, barely audible through the thick trees.
I curse, lifting my foot up to tie my boot because I was too lazy to do it earlier.
“What’s going on?” Hope asks.
“I think Link went into the woods.”
“What?” The thermos mug slips from her fingers. “Why?”
“He’s looking for the badger.”
“The wolverine?”
“It’s a—” It doesn’t matter. As soon as both my boots are tied, I stumble down the stairs and shout, “Stay with Zelda!” before whistling again, ears peeled for the sound of Duke’s faint reply.
I get a few hundred yards into the trees before I finally find little footprints following a deeper trail made by an animal. Dog prints overlap Link’s steps, and all in all it’s easy to follow until I get deep enough into the trees that there’s hardly any snow anymore. I swear again, heart pounding as I whistle once more. This time, Duke barks several times, a lot more urgency in his bark than before. He’s no longer barking at me.
He’s barking at something else.
Fear washes over me, making me stumble as I scramble through the thick underbrush that hasn’t gotten the memo that winter is practically here. “Duke!” I shout, voice hoarse. “Link!” I keep following the sound of Duke’s warning until I catch sight of Link’s bright red coat. My relief is minimal because the dog is focused on something in the trees above him as he slowly forces Link backwards by backing into him.
I don’t want to know what’s up there.
“Link!” I shout again, but he doesn’t turn. He’s focused on the tree as well, his eyes wide and face pale. Instead of making a plan, I rush forward and scoop the kid up at a run, not stopping to look behind me even though a snarl cuts through the air over the sound of Duke’s barking. “Duke, go!” I shout, but I don’t bother checking to see if he obeys. I just run.
We’re almost within sight of the houses when excruciating pain shoots up my leg. I fall, Link tumbling from my arms. I’m sure I’ve just been mauled by a mountain lion until I turn to defend myself and instead find a metal bear trap locked around my leg. I collapse onto my back as the pain overwhelms me, gripping fistfuls of dirt. It’s not a big cat ready to eat me, but it’s close.
“Chad!” Link grabs my shoulder.
“Go back to the house,” I growl. “Go!”
“But what about Duke?”
“Go back. To. The house.” Dizziness washes over me, and I know I’m on the verge of passing out. I can’t breathe. Probably going into shock. Not sure if I’m bleeding. Does it matter? I’ll freeze to death first.
Little hands lift my head, knees sliding under like a pillow. “I wanted to make sure the wolverine was okay.”
Not the time, kid.“It’s a badger,” I growl through gritted teeth.
“No, it’s a wolverine.”
“It’s a stupid badger, and you could have gotten yourself killed. What were you thinking?”
“I thought—”
“No, you didn’t think! And now Duke might be dead because of you.”
