The Registry (25 page)

“What time is it?” Mia asked.

“I’m not sure; I think it’s sometime in the afternoon, but tomorrow.”

“Huh?” Mia was confused.

“We’ve been on the train a long time. All you did was sleep. When you walked to the bathroom you looked like a shell.”

Mia didn’t even remember waking up to use the restroom. She still felt tired. She told herself it was probably from too much sleep.

The two walked down the steps and waited by the doors. There wasn’t anyone else in their train car. Mia stared at the ground, not wanting to deal with any feelings she had at the moment.

“I wasn’t going to leave you. I just . . . You . . .” Andrew struggled with his words. “It was just a dumb idea. I was mad.”

Mia was surprised to hear Andrew explain himself. That was something he did so rarely. She wondered if it was because she was a woman. He didn’t agree with her ideology and planned to use the Registry. She couldn’t tell if he saw her as a person or a possession.

“I told you to go,” Mia said. “But I’m glad you didn’t.”

She blushed as the words came out of her mouth. They were the truth. If Andrew hadn’t helped her, she would be dead or stuck with Grant.

“There’s something else—” he started to say, but the train came to a stop and the doors popped open. Mia walked past him and onto the platform. She was sure whatever Andrew had to say, she didn’t want to hear it. It would be about boundaries or being careful.

The station, if one could call it that, in Gila Bend was nothing like the one in Saint Louis. It resembled a fallen dream of a major hub. A giant concrete wall was the only structure. There was no roof or sister walls to match. The concrete slab stood about fifty feet high. No construction materials to finish anything were in sight, and it appeared the elements had already started to chip away at the single protector of the tracks.

“It looks like they were building a station and stopped,” Mia said. “Does it say what to do when we exit?”

“No. It just said to get off at this stop and wait for the car.”

Mia was happy Andrew had moved on from whatever he wanted to say. He sat down at a bench and pulled some food from his bag. Mia wasn’t hungry.

“Eat. You haven’t had anything in over a day.” He threw her a granola bar given to them by Frank and Alex. Mia looked at the wrapper and thought of the nice men. She hoped they were all right. There were already two deaths on her list and she didn’t want to add any more.

“Mia, I’m not good at this, but that night. I wanted to tell you—”

Andrew was cut off when a giant car pulled into the parking lot. It was boxy and looked like a tank. The car stopped right by them. The driver blared his horn three times in quick succession, then rolled down the window.

“Get in,” a low voice said before honking the horn several more times, making Mia jump. “Come on, I haven’t got all day.”

Andrew walked toward the open window and waved Mia behind him.

“He seems crazy,” Mia said. She hung close to Andrew.

“Yeah, but everything seems crazy,” Andrew said before holding open the door for Mia.

Chapter 49

All female physical desires will be satisfied with intense pleasure on a wife’s marriage night. Over the length of the marriage more pleasures will be afforded the wife, some so intense and glorious it would be unladylike to put them into words.

—The Registry Guide for Girls

T
he two comrades sat close to each other in the backseat. Mia was scared they had been tricked and this was the wrong car, but these feelings were familiar to her. She felt blind. It was hard to get a good look at the driver from the backseat. She tried to focus on their surroundings. The landscape looked flat, like the Midwest but with no green. Everything was brown and rocky. Mia began to miss her home. This area seemed so depressing.

“I thought there were three of you,” the mystery driver said. He didn’t wait for a response. “Doesn’t matter to me. I’m glad to help the two of you. What are your names?”

Mia felt a sharp pang over Whitney but then a warm sensation. She wasn’t sure why, but somehow she knew Whitney had found her peace, wherever that might be.

It had never occurred to Mia that the driver would know as little about them as they did about him. They were just two kids who needed help, and he was just someone willing to give it. She began to relax when she thought about how lucky she was that there was some good in the world.

“Amelia, but you can call me Mia.”

“Andrew.”

“Well, Mia and Andy, my name is Roderick Bernard Rowe. You can call me Rod.”

Mia inched away from Andrew and gave him some breathing room. She had a good feeling about Rod.

“Are you going to help me cross the border?”

“Why yes, I do believe I am.”

Relief filled Mia’s heart. Her journey was almost over. She glanced out the window again. She could see mountains off in the background. They looked spectacular, and the sun wasn’t so high anymore, causing purples and reds to appear throughout the landscape. Without noticing she did, Mia moved herself as far away from Andrew as she could get.

“Where are we going?” Mia asked, growing more confident.

“Theba; it’s about twenty minutes outside the Bend. I’m a carpenter, drive all over the area fixing things for people,” Rod said. He was cheery.

He turned off the main highway and onto a side street. Houses started appearing.

“It’s pretty quiet out here. About five years ago they wanted to make it a tourist spot or place for older people to settle in the warmth. Those plans went under when the developer realized it was too hot here for vacation. That’s why the station is here.”

Mia liked how chatty he was. It made her anxiety fade away.

“Did you find us on a message board?” Mia asked.

“Yes. The Internet is good for something,” Rod said.

“Was it about puppies and poetry?”

He let out a whooping laugh. Mia looked at Andrew, who shrugged. He knew as much as she did. When their driver finally stopped laughing he spoke.

“Are either of you familiar with Sam’s Spot?”

Mia looked at Andrew, who shook his head.

“No.”

“It’s a website. People sell their junk, services, pets, vacations. Really anything you could buy online. There are millions of postings. It makes it hard for the government to track them. You two were listed for sale under the pets section. I thought it sounded like people who needed help and not actual animals.”

“Is there a chance you could’ve shown up at the station and found dogs?” Mia asked.

“Yes. And there is a chance someone could’ve thought they’d be purchasing some pooches. It’s a roll of the dice. Really it’s dumb luck we found each other. I’m sure there are other places on the Internet to look, but you two were found on Sam’s Spot.”

As the drive continued Mia noticed the houses got farther and farther apart, giving the homes more privacy. They weren’t as far apart as farmhouses, though. Nothing would grow in this climate.

“Why do the houses get more spaced out?”

“Cattle land. Well, not so much anymore, but there were lots of ranches out here. Now people just like their space I guess.” Rod turned the wheel and pulled into a driveway.

Mia was used to mile-long driveways, but this was short, maybe twenty-five feet. The car pulled all the way into a garage. Rod did not unlock the doors till the garage door went all the way down. The garage held another car as well, a small, sporty convertible. Mia was getting the idea that carpentry did well for Rod.

Mia guessed Rod was just younger than her father, in his late forties. In the garage she got a better look at him. He had a slight belly and was shorter than Andrew. His frame was dusted with a bushy sandy-blond beard and thick hair down to his ears.

The garage was clean but bare except for the cars. Not even a workbench. The door opened into a large kitchen with clean, crisp black appliances and a freestanding island. A small dining area was attached. The whole floor was open; a midsize room with some mismatched couches and a television set was just to the right. Two doors were on the left and a set of stairs was visible in the corner next to the front door.

“Welcome to my abode.” Rod dropped his keys on the table.

“Did you just move in?” Mia asked. She noticed how empty the place looked; there wasn’t a bit of warmth or a personal touch anywhere.

“Nope, lived here for about seven years now.” Rod walked over to the stairs. “Upstairs, two bedrooms and a bathroom; here’s the first floor, and here is the basement.” Rod signaled to one of the two doors on their left. “I’ll give you the grand tour later.”

The house was clean, cozy, and plain. Mia thought it shared these traits with its owner.

Just when Mia was starting to settle in, the unmistakable sound of shoes against the pavement and whistling came from the front door. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Andrew stepped in front of her and raised his fists, placing himself between her and whoever was coming in.

“Whoa, whoa, it’s okay.” Rod lowered Andrew’s arms as the intruder entered.

It was a young man, about Mia’s age. He had shaggy blond hair and an overly prominent nose. He was maybe six feet tall but had a strong build. He was dressed in jeans and a yellow T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing tanned skin. His smile was beautiful. His white teeth glistened in a perfect line as he walked toward them holding a white bag.

“These the new guys? Hi, I’m Roderick Carter Rowe, but you can call me Carter.” He stuck his hand out toward Andrew, who didn’t respond. Mia made no effort to reveal herself to the new young man.

“Okay then. Not the friendliest, I get it. What about you?” Carter leaned over, looking at Mia. Andrew moved his body to block Carter’s view.

“It’s fine, no need to worry; this is my son, Carter.” Rod put his arm around the teen and grabbed the white bag. “I sent him for dinner; figured you two would be starving and I’m not much of a chef.”

Andrew didn’t back down, even after Rod tried to reassure him. Mia didn’t think they were making the best impression on their new hosts.

“Sorry.” She walked out from behind Andrew. “We’ve just had a rough trip so far. People were hunting us.”

“Were?” Carter asked with a raised eyebrow.

“He died,” Mia said. “Remember, Andrew?”

Mia hoped he would start talking.

“How could I forget? It was just yesterday,” Andrew said. He lifted his hand and shook Carter’s. Mia could tell he was uncomfortable.

“I should have mentioned my son earlier, but it’s just the two of us. No more surprises. Now, let’s sit and eat.”

Rod tossed some paper plates down on the table.

“How many cars do you have?” Mia asked, trying to ease the tension. “I mean, I saw the two in the garage, and if your son was out . . .”

“Carter. If Carter was out.” The young blond man gave her a huge smile.

“If Carter was out.”

“You’re observant,” Rod said. “That’s good. The Hummer I picked you up in, the sports car, and a dirty old pickup truck. The two in the garage are my special-occasion vehicles.”

Nobody continued the conversation. Mia felt overwhelmed by the testosterone.

“Where is your wife?” Mia asked, noticing Rod’s wedding band.

“Don’t have one,” he said.

Mia was surprised a man like Rod wasn’t married and wondered why he wore a ring. It wasn’t any less surprising than hearing he had a son. She had a million questions, but before she could begin asking, Andrew spoke up.

“When will we be going across the border?”

“We’ll get to that all in good time; just for now let’s have a nice meal together, get to know each other,” Rod said.

It surprised Mia that Andrew had used the word “we,” but now wasn’t the time to ask. She was tired and the food smelled good. She pulled out a chair and sat. Andrew chose the seat to her right and Carter sat straight across from her. She looked up. Carter was staring at her. Each eye was a different color, one brown, one green. She hadn’t noticed at first, but she found him handsome. She broke into a smile, which he returned with a wink. She was looking forward to a conversation that didn’t involve her runaway adventures or problems.

Chapter 50

It is the responsibility of the man to work hard and provide for, feed, and shelter his family. It is the wife’s duty to follow her husband’s wishes. Without the support of a woman, a man will not be able to fully complete his tasks.

—The Registry Guide for Girls

T
he dinner was greasy chicken. Mia gulped it down hungrily and Andrew ate like he’d been starved. She didn’t think the quality compared to the chickens she was used to on the farm or the recipe was as good as the one she could prepare, but she still appreciated the hot food.

“One time, I had to install a slide in place of stairs!” Rod was telling a story involving crazy work requests. “Now, what use would that do anyone?”

“I’m sure I would’ve loved it when I was five.” Carter grinned at his father.

“There were a lot of things you would’ve enjoyed at five. You remember when you were sure you wanted to grow up and be a tap dancer? You danced around the whole place! Wore out the floors!” Rod said before breaking out in laughter.

Mia joined them in laughing. She found their dynamic fun and welcoming. Even crabby Andrew managed to smile once or twice. It was nice to see such a close relationship. She wondered what it felt like for the two of them, father and son. They loved each other without a single thought of money; the Rowes were worth more to each other than any price. She smiled at the idea.

After dinner Rod decided it was time for the tour. He opened the door to the basement and Carter flipped on the light, leading the way down. Mia was led into a giant open room, much like the first floor but twice as large. The entire area was painted white, with a black checkered floor. There was a bar, a pool table, a dartboard, and two couches. The walls were decorated with music posters and Americana. Mia understood why the upstairs looked un-lived-in; this was where Rod and Carter spent the majority of their time.