F. Wilson - Secret Circles

If not now, when? He was feeling nearly invincible tonight. Now … it had to be now.

He headed back to USED for the lock-pick kit.

8

Thunder rumbled as they approached the rear of the Lodge.

“Why are we walking?”

Eddie whined. “That‟s why God gave us bikes—so we don‟t have to walk.”

“Did it ever occur to you,” Weezy said, “that we can‟t leave three bikes outside.”

“Oh, yeah. Duh on me.”

Jack led the way. He‟d been here only a little while ago to pick the lock. He hadn‟t said anything about that because he didn‟t want word of that particular skill getting around. He could have sneaked in and found the pyramid on his own—if it was still here—but he‟d made a deal with Weezy.

…we’ll do it together…

“See?” he said. “All the lights are off and the car‟s gone.”

“But how do we get in?”

“I don‟t know.” He pointed to the back door. “Maybe they forgot to lock up. You heard Mister Drexler: No alarm system because why would anyone want to rob the place? Didn‟t seem to worry much about a break-in. Try the door.”

Weezy grabbed the knob, twisted, and the door swung inward.

“What?”

Jack looked first at Eddie, then Weezy. He couldn‟t make out their faces in the darkness.

Then lightning flashed. Instinctively he jumped, but the flash illuminated their uncertain expressions.

“Hey,” he said as thunder followed. “We‟re here. We‟ve come this far. The least we should do is take a quick look to see if the pyramid‟s inside.”

“Okay,” Weezy said, her voice tight. “Let‟s do it.”

Jack turned to Eddie. “You with us?”

A long pause, then, “Okay, as long as you can guarantee we‟re not gonna see Gargamel in the white suit.”

“Mister Drexler?” Jack laughed. “I can pretty much guarantee it.”

“All right. But if I go in with you guys, it‟s just for a look because, I mean, I don‟t know any kid who‟s been inside the Lodge.”

“But you can‟t blab about it,” Weezy said. “This isn‟t legal. You could get us all in trouble.”

“I won‟t say a word. Just want to go inside so I can say—just to myself and nobody else, okay?—that I‟ve been inside. But when it comes time to snatch back your baby pyramid, I‟m outta here. Don‟t want anything to do with that.”

“Fine. Whatever. Let‟s get in and get out and get home.”

Jack stepped inside and turned on the flashlight from USED. He held the door for Weezy and Eddy, then closed it behind them. The other two each had flashlights of their own and turned them on.

“Keep the beams toward the floor,” Jack said. “We don‟t want anyone spotting the light.”

Lightning lit the windows as he started into the kitchen.

“That‟s it,” Eddie said. “I‟m done.”

Jack turned to him. “What?”

“I‟m here, I‟m inside, that‟s all I wanted. You two can go get your pyramid. I‟m history. See you at home.”

With that he turned and slipped out the back door. It had started to rain.

Weezy seemed to waver, then said, “Let‟s go.”

He led her to the front room where he swept his flash beam across the mantel, stopping when it found the pyramid.

Lightning lit the room as he heard Weezy gasp.

“They put it back! It‟s here! It‟s really here!”

“It sure is.” When Weezy didn‟t move, just stood there staring, he added, “Go ahead. Take it.

It‟s yours.”

She handed him her flashlight, and he stuck it in his back pocket. Then he watched as she took the pyramid from the mantel and cradled it in her arms like a baby. She gazed down at it a moment, then looked up at Jack. Were those tears in her eyes?

“I can‟t believe it,” she said in a hushed tone that seemed to teeter on the edge of a sob. “It‟s back … I‟ve got it back. And they‟re never taking it away again.”

Fine with Jack. The sooner they were out of the Lodge, the better.

“Let‟s go then.”

Feeling jubilant, he trained his flash beam on the floor and led Weezy toward the back door.

They‟d done it. No doubt about it—today was his day.

But as they were stepping into the kitchen, light flashed through the windows. But not lightning this time—headlights, swinging around to the rear of the Lodge.

“Oh no!” Weezy cried as a car pulled up to the back door. “Someone‟s here!”

Jack dashed to a window and peeked out. His knees wobbled when he saw the Bentley.

Mr. Drexler was back!

As Eggers stepped out into the rain, Jack rushed back to Weezy.

“We‟ve got to get out of here!”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the front room where he found the door locked. No time to pick the double-key dead bolt.

Trapped!

“Jack!” Weezy wailed. “What do we do?”

Only one option.

“Hide!”

He led her to the stairs but decided against the second floor. That might be just where Eggers was headed. He tugged on the door to the basement Weezy had opened the other day. Mr.

Drexler had mentioned it was used as a storage area.

“In here! Quick!”

They stepped onto a small landing and closed the door behind them. Weezy huddled against him. He could feel her trembling.

“I‟m scared, Jack.”

So was Jack, but he didn‟t say so.

“We‟ll be okay.” He was trying very hard to believe that. “What‟s the worst that could happen?

We‟re just trespassing. We‟re not vandals. We haven‟t hurt anything. And we haven‟t left yet, so no one can accuse us of stealing.” He forced a soft laugh. “We‟ll just be grounded for life.”

She squeezed his arm. “Don‟t you understand? We‟re not dealing with regular folks. This is the Septimus Order. They make their own rules.”

Jack heard the back door open. He recognized Eggers‟s voice, but he seemed to be speaking in German. No … it sounded like he was cursing in German.

Jack put his lips close to Weezy‟s ear. “Maybe we‟d be better off at the bottom of the steps.”

He turned on the flashlight and together they tiptoed down to the basement. Once they reached the floor he swept the beam around the big, windowless space and found it full of old furniture.

He couldn‟t help thinking how Mr. Rosen would have a field day down here.

“What do you mean about the Order making its own rules? How do you know?”

“I‟ve read a lot. You know that. No one‟s actually come out and said anything, but they‟ve hinted that the Septimus Order does not play nice with people who get in their way or ask too many questions.”

“What‟s that mean?”

“Troublemakers simply aren‟t seen anymore. They go away. They disappear.”

A chill rippled over Jack‟s skin, but he shook it off. Mr. Drexler wouldn‟t …

He realized he really didn‟t know what Mr. Drexler would do. He was soft-spoken and

mannerly, but he also seemed cold and unfeeling. He was the Order‟s “actuator.” He made things happen. If he saw Jack and Weezy as a threat, would he make them disappear?

He shook off another chill. That sounded crazy. Still … he didn‟t want to find out.

Just then, stomping footsteps rattled the ceiling. Eggers—or someone else up there—was mad about something. With a start Jack realized what it was.

“He might think someone‟s inside,” he whispered.

Weezy gripped his arm. “Why?”

“The back door was unlocked. And maybe he‟s noticed the pyramid‟s gone.”

Weezy‟s grip tightened. “What if he searches down here?”

Just what Jack was thinking.

“Let‟s find a hiding place.”

He pulled Weezy‟s flashlight from his back pocket and handed it to her. Together they started walking the narrow lanes between the stacks of furniture, searching for a secluded spot. Jack found a big armoire and pulled open the doors. He flashed his light around the empty interior.