Chapter 49—Unexpected Ally

Devin leaned on his crutches and stared at a trail map of Scouter Mountain. He had been home for twenty-four hours and had spent most of the time in his map room, haunted by the full moon deadline and nervous about climbing back up Scouter. He remembered that Ranger had always arrived at the crater base from a different direction. Was there another way in? His injury was getting better, but he worried that hiking on the steep trail might reopen his wounds.

The door popped open and a shorter version of Devin rushed in. "Ricky," Devin said without looking up. "Haven't I told you not to bother me in the map room? What do you want?"

"Someone's here to see you...a girl." Ricky put a small hand to his mouth and giggled.

"Did she give a name?" Devin asked, still studying the map.

"Christie, or something."

Devin looked up. "Christina? Did she say 'Christina?'"

"Yeah, Christina. She's in the upstairs hall." Ricky let another sniggling sound slip out.

Devin turned to his brother. "Bring her down here. Where's Mom?"

"She's in the garden. Why?"

"Just wondering," Devin said nonchalantly. He liked his brother, but he could be a nosy pest and a tattletale.

"Well, go," Devin said, tapping his crutch on the floor. "Bring her down. I can't very well run up and down the stairs now, can I?"

Ricky backed toward the door. "Okay, I'll go get...your girlfriend." Devin heard his brother giggling all the way up the stairs. He smiled and thought, little brothers, geesh.

Ricky led Christina down the stairs and through the basement to the map room.

The door opened part way and Christina peeked in. "Hi Devin. Am I bothering you?"

Devin's heart flopped over once. "Yes. I mean no, no problem. Come in." Then he noticed his brother still lingering. "Ricky, go back upstairs and see if Mom needs help in the garden."

Christina stepped in and shut the door. Ricky climbed a few steps and upon hearing the door shut, turned around and trotted back. He put his ear to the door.

"What are you looking at?" Christina asked Devin. "Is that Scouter?"

"It is," Devin said. "I think I've found another way to the crater, one not so steep. Remember how we kept seeing Ranger come in from another direction?"

"Right," she said. "I forgot about that."

"I didn't. It's been on my mind ever since. It means there's another way in, and I think I've found it." He pointed to the map and ran his finger along a dotted line. Christina leaned forward and Devin breathed in her clean scent. Honey lemon, he thought.

"This one comes into the crater from the east side. We've been climbing in from the west, here." He pointed to several solid lines.

"Wow," Christina said. "This new one looks like half the distance."

"I know, and an easier hike. We could make it to the crater in less than half the time, if the trail is passable, that is."

Christina smiled. "That saves us from hiking in the day before."

"Exactly."

They heard a sound. Devin limped over, opened the door, and saw Ricky running toward the stairs. "Ricky! I thought I told you to go help Mom."

"I'm going!"

Upstairs, the screen door slammed and Ricky jumped off the deck and ran toward the garden. Deedee looked up from pulling weeds. "What's the rush, Ricky? Is Devin okay?"

"He's with a girl," Ricky said, and put his head back and giggled. "And they're talking about Scouter, and the crater, and she wants to see his leg."

"Ricky, leave your brother alone."

They looked up as Devin and Christina stepped out onto the deck. "Hello, Mrs. Duncan." Christina waved.

Deedee stood and walked toward the deck. "Hi Christina, how's our boy doing?"

Devin stiffened at being called a boy. "Mom, we're going to go meet with Jake and Nikki at the Java Cafe. Christina's mom is waiting out front to drive us. I'll be back later." He took the deck stairs one at a time and hobbled to Laurita's car.

Deedee followed and waved to Laurita as they drove away. Ricky tugged on his mother's shorts. "They're sneaking back to the crater—against the rules."