The brilliant light of sunset began to settle across the parking lot as more and more volunteers arrived on foot and by car. They carried flashlights, lanterns, torches, and even glowsticks as they milled through the lot and found the Trent parents, offering their hugs and words of encouragement. Nora watched the volunteers orbit the Trents like they were some center of gravity, clustering and flowing around that central nexus. All told, it seemed they had over 100 volunteers, an impressive assembly on such short notice. She then looked over to the only group keeping a short distance from the Trents: the five boys. They chatted quietly amongst themselves and glanced at the woods, clearly eager to begin.
"All right everybody," Nora shouted in her most authoritative voice, "we're just about ready to get started. You all remember the rules… keep in sightline with a buddy at all times. Open-flame torches are forbidden during the summer. If, God forbid, you find something, wait for an evidence team before disturbing the scene. Jackson Trent Senior will be waiting here in the lot, directing any latecomers to our line. Everyone ready? We're gonna go out to our starting point before it gets too dark."
As they processed out into the woods, the boys led the way to Castle Rock. They then passed the landmark and continued on until the blue light of dusk threatened to smother the woods in dark. At that point, they began.
"Spread out left or right until you can just barely see one man to your left, and one man to your right. The idea is to make a wall of people. Then we're gonna begin walking back towards town. If anyone sees anything, call it out."
They formed into their wide, horizontal line and began working their way backwards. It wasn't a perfect formation, with friends and relatives seeming to clump together, but it was likely effective enough for their purposes. As they walked, the line of flashlights and lanterns advanced through the woods, accompanied by the echoing calls of "Jackson!" or "Skinny!"
None answered back.
As they walked among the line formation, the boys took the opportunity to gossip about their interviews and what they'd told the police. "Good call, Parker, on the alibi thing," Shaun said. "I didn't expect it to be so easy to lie to them like that."
"I had my device on me when they did the interview," Logan said.
"Me too," Wade replied.
"Me too," Parker added.
"Well a watch is hardly suspect," Wade said.
"Neither is a rock," Shaun countered.
"We're going to have to be more careful with where we bring these things if future run-ins with police are possible," Ronnie advised. "They didn't search us because they didn't arrest us, and there was no reason to do either yet… but maybe it's better to be safe."
The boys glanced around at the darkening woods and the line of lantern-holders advancing through. Their eyes scanned over the foliage-covered floor for some kind of clue, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Four out of the five began to dread finding some evidence of harm that befell their friend… the fifth began to dread that every flashlight and lantern would turn on him, and that their glow would illuminate the dark deeds he'd committed to further his own ambitions.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Do you really think…" Shaun began, fearful of his own words, "that it's… the owner?"
"What do you mean?" Logan asked.
"The owner of these devices. That he got to Skinny? That he'd be coming for us next?"
Silence fell across the group of boys, save for the crunching of their steps on loose leaves and the drifting, echoing calls of "Skinny!" that rang through the woods empty and ever-more desperate with each successive cry.
"We have to acknowledge that risk," Ronnie said finally.
"What if we came clean to the police? Admitted everything?" Shaun asked, tears welling in his eyes.
"They'd take these from us, for starters," Wade replied.
"And so? At least they'd be able to protect us," Shaun said.
"I think it's up to us to protect ourselves," Logan said. "With these things in our hands, we've got the best shot."
* * *
Further down the line, a balding man hoisted a lantern and called out "Jackson!" whenever the timing felt right, though he wasn't actually searching for the boy. He was keeping an eye on persons of interest, primarily the ones he'd read about in the cripple's instructions. The timeline of events outlined in his letter was very specific, but the moment of permitted action was drawing near. He thought back to the deer struck by his car… an innocent creature of God struck dead solely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, unwittingly in the path of great work. He remembered the words of his hunting prayer, and hoped that no others would die unnecessarily before his business in Boone was concluded. "Jackson!" he cried, knowing fully well no one would answer back.
* * *
The boys turned their lights leftwards in the darkening woods as they heard the approach of footsteps. A lone figure walked towards them with a quickened pace: Michelle Trent.
"Hey ma'am," Wade said.
"We're so, so sorry," Shaun added, not sure if he should take on a tone of condolence or consolation or pity or what.
"What would you have to be sorry for?" Michelle asked, hugging each one of the boys in turn. "Thank you all for coming out here to help."
"We're more than happy to help," Ronnie replied. "We're sure he's fine… maybe just a little lost."
"I know you boys talked to the police earlier today," she said. "They said you were very helpful, so thank you again."
"Of course… we want to see him back home as much as you do," said Ronnie.
"That being said, I'm not police," Michelle said, gesturing at herself. "If there's something you know about, or something you wanted to say but couldn't because they were police… you can tell me." She said the words with a smile that was hard to read in the dark of the woods… was that a friendly, open smile, or was it a forced rictus of desperation?
"We told them everything there was to tell," Wade replied, unsure if he should feel indignant or not.
"Of course you did, sweetie. Of course you did." Her words actually seemed genuine, not bitingly sarcastic as they might have been construed. She now spoke to Shaun directly. "But the police mentioned that you guys might have been trying some silly vigilante thing with that robbery… I'm just saying that if you were, I'd understand why you lied to the police. It'd make sense to lie to them. But not to me. I want you all to look at me and promise me you'd tell me if that's what happened. Promise me you'd say it."
Shaun reflexively looked down in guilt, something that Michelle noticed immediately. "Well," he began, but Logan interjected forcefully.
"We promise," he said. "We were raised better than to lie to the police. What we told them is what happened," he said. "Now, please, we'd like to keep looking before it gets pitch-black dark out here and we lose all hope of finding some clue tonight."
"Of course," Michelle breathed, her voice nearly a whisper. "Of course." She clasped her hands together and stopped walking at pace with the boys, disappearing into the wall of dark that crept just out of their lights' ranges. And the boys trudged onwards, Logan increasingly certain that a new adversary of sorts had just been set down on the chessboard.