Brandon Enns - Islanders

His face was expressionless, his white eyebrows making a perfect line across his prominent brow ridge.

“Do you know where Stefan is?” Trevor asked, devoid of friendly notes.

Bruce scratched his chin and walked back inside. He came back with a hot cup of coffee, the warm steam rising from his cup. “Should be inside that damned place of his.”

“He’s not answering.”

“Maybe he’s sleeping. City kid probably needs his nap time.” He sipped his coffee.

Erin cut in, hoping he’d be more amicable with her. She used her exaggerated, quiet-Erin voice. “Our friend Ashton disappeared last night. We’re really worried.”

It was difficult to get a read on him, but he seemed to empathize with their situation.

“After my coffee I could help you look. It’s not good to wander around aimlessly.”

Trevor cut in. “Listen, we don’t want to be a part of this stupid game anymore.”

“Excuse me?”

“Mr…” Trevor fished for his last name, but Bruce just stared at him, waiting. Trevor shook his head; nevermind that. “We know you’re most likely involved with Trevor in this whole charade, but we aren’t finding any humor in this. We’d like our friend back.”

Bruce’s eyes narrowed and he sipped his coffee again, his eyes locked in on Erin’s.

“Please, sir,” she said, putting forth her best poor-victim look.

“I got no business with Stefan. I told you. This is my property here. It runs directly a hundred yards that way to the tree line, and this other way here to the kid’s property line. Out back I got another hundred yards to work with. The kid’s got part of his garden on my property, but you don’t hear me complain. So… I don’t know anything about your friend and I’ve not got a damn thing to do with your pretty-boy host. I had a deal of sorts with the previous owners and within that deal, my ass is staying put. Capiche?”

Erin looked over at Trevor. He never liked being told how it was. He was normally the one taking charge.

“You think I’m happy about this new arrangement? My way of living has been completed upended, and what can I do about it? Be a helpless victim, that’s what. While shithead parades his kiddie friends around what should be mine. He owes me yardage. The chips, they like to fall a certain way, don’t they?”

“We’re sorry for interrupting you. We will try and keep to ourselves. I’m—”

“Not going well so far, is it?”

“I’m Erin. This is Trevor, and Skye.”

He looked down on Erin and smiled, his dentures shimmering with a whole new definition of white. “Bruce. Pleasure,” he said with a slight grumble. They shook hands. He sipped his coffee once more, “Now, I suppose I could help look for your friend. I can push back my chores. Not a big deal.”

“Oh, we’d really appreciate that, sir.”

“I’ll just finish my coffee and grab my gun.” He slammed the door on their face.

“Did he just say gun?” asked Skye.

“That he did.”

Eighty-five acres was a decent amount of ground to cover, especially when considering the thickly wooded area clustered on the north end, and also the cliffs.

The sun was fierce again today, burning Erin’s skin. Trevor stuck close to her side, while Bruce flanked off to the right, almost out of sight, rifle in hand. They trekked on ahead into the trees toward the cliffs. They had agreed that Bruce would veer west. Trevor and Erin would cover the south end and follow the bend to the west beach. Skye was adamant that she check the rocky ridges again alone, and then she’d go back to Stefan’s to see if he had returned.

Erin found it oddly suspicious that Skye was so eager to venture off on her own again considering how upset she was this morning, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer, so she let her be.

Having separated from the others, Trevor lowered his head to speak to her quietly. “I don’t trust Bruce.”

“He’s helping us.”

“Or so he wants us to think.”

“That’s some heavy paranoia, if I’m being honest.”

“Let’s break into his cabin.”

“What? You’re crazy. Are you kidding me?”

“What’s the big deal? We take a peek. In and out. Worst-case scenario we find more information in there about what the hell is going on with Ashton.”

“I don’t know…”

“Erin, I don’t like any of this. We need to do something. You really think Ashton got lost? This is either part of the game or we got a serious problem here.”

His edgy tone frightened her, but he was right.

“Okay.” She couldn’t believe she was agreeing to such a risky maneuver. “Now?”

He nodded.

Bruce’s cabin’s musty smells were largely concealed by a heavy use of lemon Pledge and lemon air freshener. Deer antlers hung on the wall. Erin was surprised to find a brand new Samsung TV mounted in the corner of the room with a recliner lined up for viewing. The log cabin was pretty much exactly as expected; a square box made of logs, animal furs and mountings, and no sign of Ashton.

Erin leafed through some old newspapers, feeling terrifyingly out of place while doing so. “Okay, let’s go.”

“What? Wait a second. I need to look around here.”

“What are you expecting to find?”

“Something incriminating probably.”

“Come on. You sound ridiculous.”

“Tell me you haven’t noticed something weird.”

Trevor scampered about, flipping couch cushions and touching along the walls.

“What are you looking for exactly?”

No response. He looked outrageous frantically scattering about.

“We should go,” she said.

“There has to be something!” Trevor’s eyes were on fire with rage, beyond what she had ever witnessed. Yes, he could be ill-tempered from time to time, but it was like there was someone else behind those pretty dark eyes.

“Trevor. There’s nothing here to help.”

“You’re right. Ashton and the creepy puppet master go missing at the same time on an island the size of my apartment back home. But you know what? They’re probably just hanging out. Buddies.”

He dropped to the floor and pulled a throw rug out of its spot as he searched for some sort of an underground opening. He looked like a crazed lunatic. He continued to search on his hands and knees. It would have been more fitting if he was in a padded room.

“He’s in Stefan’s stupid place. There is no other place he could be. Let’s go there quickly. Before they get back.”

“Okay, but I need you to be calm first.” She waited for him to make eye contact.

Erin’s pocket started to vibrate against her leg. She slid her hand in and pulled out Trevor’s phone. How do I have his phone? She motioned to give it to him but stopped herself.

The vibrations continued to come in as Trevor carried on with his search for hidden clues that weren’t there. She tried a password but was locked out. She typed in another, 1-2-3-4, and was granted access. Erin tapped on the incoming texts that must have all been delayed from the lack of service.

Erin first examined the cabin for a moment, and then looked back to the phone. She had to do a double take, disbelieving what she was indeed seeing; nude photos of Skye, one after the other flooding in.

“Let’s leave, please.” He ignored her and kept digging through drawers. “Please!” She startled Trevor, his head jerking toward her.

“Okay. Okay. We’ll go to Stefan’s again.”

The door cracked open and her heart stopped. Bruce walked in with his rifle at his side, and she slid the phone back into her pocket.

After analyzing them, he walked over to his espresso machine and slid a cup with a flower pattern underneath.

He waited for it to finish filling without acknowledging them whatsoever.