Chapter 51—The Crater

The next morning, everyone followed evasion and escape plans. Nikki had the simplest plan. She was invited to Christina's for the day, and when Laurita's car pulled in front of the house, she grabbed her pack and ran out. Adele waved them off from her office window without suspecting a thing.

Since the calamity on the mountain, Jake had been under the watchful eye of Lizzi. But today he got up, packed his gear, and stepped quietly onto the front stoop. Soon Laurita's car approached, and he climbed in, making his escape before his sister woke up.

Devin didn't have it so easy. Ricky had pestered him all evening and then appeared in his bedroom at daybreak. The only place his brother didn't follow him was into their bathroom. Once there, Devin pulled a compass out of his sock. He removed two sandwiches from a pocket in his cargo pants and three bottles of water from other pockets. The baseball hat slid off his head from the weight of his medications taped to the underside.

"Devin," Ricky whined. "You've been in there an awfully long time."

"What's it to you?"

"I have to goooo."

"Go downstairs."

"Mom's in there."

"Wait till she's done. I'm not finished."

"I'm going to tell Mom you're hogging the bathroom."

"You do that," Devin said, hoping his brother would leave. Sure enough, Ricky stomped down the stairs. Devin stretched his long arms up to the heating vent and removed the loose screws. The vent cover slid off and his pack fell out. The cover went back on with no trace of tampering. Now he had to fill his pack and get the bulging evidence outside without being seen.

Ricky pulled his eyes away from the bathroom keyhole and grinned. He tiptoed down the stairs and ran into his parents' bedroom.

"Daddy," Ricky said, barely able to contain himself. "Devin's sneaking out—back to the crater. I know it, I know it."

"And just how do you know that, Son?"

"Honey, hand me a towel please!" Deedee yelled.

"I'm coming, Dee." James walked to the linen closet, grabbed a bath towel, and handed it into the steamy bathroom. "Here you go."

"What's going on with Ricky?"

"Mom!" Ricky bolted into the bathroom. "He's doing it. Devin's going back to the crater. This morning, his pack, it's in the air vent, sandwiches, water and other stuff. I saw him take it all." He crossed his legs.

"Ricky, do you have to pee?" James asked.

"Yes, Daddy." Ricky grabbed himself.

"Well do it now, before we have an accident to clean up."

James left the bathroom followed by Deedee, who headed to the closet.

"What do you make of this?" James asked.

"I don't know, but I plan to get to the bottom of it."

"Good. I don't have time; meeting's in twenty minutes. Keep me informed."

"I will," Deedee said. They kissed and James left for the office.

Deedee got dressed and picked up her cell phone. She tapped in Laurita's number.

"Good morning," Laurita said.

"Laurita, this is Deedee. Sorry to bother you so early but I wanted to check on something."

"Sure."

Deedee took a deep breath. "Ricky seems to think Devin is going to climb the Scouter trail again. As a nurse, you know how dangerous that would be to his injuries. I know you're with the kids today, so what's going on?"

"We are driving to Scouter this morning, but they're not hiking that trail. We're going for a picnic on the other side. The kids wanted to go back and we found an easy trail. Christina and I tested it yesterday."

Deedee breathed a sigh of relief. "That makes sense, and if it helps them get over this trauma, all the better. Thanks for taking them."

Deedee put her phone down and noticed Ricky pulling a face. "Devin's fine Ricky. The kids are going on a picnic, that's all."

Ricky wailed, "No one ever believes me!" and ran to his room.

* * *

Laurita stopped at the road's edge near the animal trail, and the car doors flew open. Jake, Christina, and Nikki poured out of the backseat, followed by Ranger. Laurita popped the trunk, and everyone pulled out their packs except Devin, who had kept his on his lap in the front seat.

It was already 10:30 a.m., less than two hours to the full moon, with the big unknown—how long would it take Devin to hike in on this narrow, overgrown trail?

Jake tapped his foot while waiting at the opening. "I've changed the usual lineup," he said. "I'll go first, then Nikki comes behind me. Laurita and Christina will hike behind Devin. We have our crystals, right?" Everyone nodded and tapped their pockets protectively.

"Since we don't know if Chaz found his eight crystals, we're operating on faith that he did. At full moon time, we connect ours no matter what." Everyone nodded.

"All right then, team, onward." Jake looked at his watch and stepped into the lead. Ranger disappeared and his barks became faint and then inaudible.

Nikki glanced up at the thick, dark clouds gathering low and hoped the weather wouldn't interfere with the activation.

* * *

Devin made a pained face as he dropped onto a big rock. It had appeared at the perfect time, when he couldn't go one more step. He wiped the sweat from his brow, opened a bottle of water, and drank every drop.

Laurita moved close. "Devin, let me look at your leg."

"Not sure what difference it'll make," Devin snapped. "I'm finishing no matter what."

"I know that, honey, but we can limit the damage. Christina, please hold his leg up while I examine it."

"Guys, we're stopping," Christina called ahead.

Jake and Nikki doubled back, looking at their watches—twenty-two minutes left.

"Do you know how much farther it is?" Jake asked as Ranger came barreling back. The big dog ran back and forth, barking madly. He's more nervous than we are, Jake thought.

"More than half way, I think," Laurita said as she examined Devin's wounds.

"I hope so," Nikki said. "I'm afraid..."

"We know, Nikki," Devin said. "We're all afraid. No need to point out the obvious."

Nikki closed her mouth and looked up at the darkening sky.

"What's the verdict?" Devin looked at Laurita. "Will I live?"

"It looks okay," Laurita said, "but the leg has been traumatized, so any stress to the tissue is painful. And you're going to be tired, we all knew that going in." She had barely gotten the bandages back together when Devin stood up.

"I'm watered and revitalized," he said with false bravado. "Let's go."

* * *

Five agitated hikers arrived inside the crater with eight minutes to spare.

"Quick, put down the ground cover," Jake said as they raced to tunnel number seven.

As if participating in a Chinese fire drill, Christina grabbed the ground cover and, with her mom, spread it out in front of tunnel number seven. Everyone fell onto the cover and started fumbling for their crystals. The stones erupted from pockets, colorful and radiant. All systems go—in the nick of time.

At least that was the case in Happy Valley.