Forsaken Read Online Free Page A

thing somewhere else, son.”
    Will smiled. “You’re the one holding the knives, mister. And I’m not your son.” His eyes brightened. It was the first time I had seen any life in those eyes. His smile frightened me more than anything because it was the smile of someone doing something he enjoyed.
    Dad looked down at the utensils in his hands. “Oh, come on. These are what we ate dinner with. What do you think? I hid steak knives down by the lake in case someone showed up with a shotgun?”
    Chad lifted his hand, palm out. It was a huge hand, the size of an oven mitt. “Wait a minute, gentlemen. There’s no need to get testy. We’re just looking for some good conversation in inviting surroundings.”
    He looked at me with the same all-over look he’d given me in the gas station. I shivered and rubbed my bare arms. He cocked his head. “School’s out for the day, and we’re just looking to blow off some steam.” Another smile. “That’s all right with you, isn’t it, beautiful? That is what you said back there at the gas station, isn’t it? Something about school?”
    “My daughter’s name is Taylor.” The muscles in Dad’s neck worked as he spoke. He glanced around the campsite, and I knew he was mentally mapping the objects, the terrain. He was preparing. I tried to swallow, but my throat may as well have been coated with chalk.
    “She sometimes speaks before she thinks,” Dad continued. “We all do. I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it.”
    “Well, Taylor, as I told you back at the gas station, my name is Chad and this is Will. Will loves his shotgun as much as you love yours. You two should hit it off just fine.”
    Will dipped the barrel of the gun, as if he were tipping his cap, but his blank expression didn’t change.
    “If you want some food, we can get you something,” Dad said. “We just finished eating, but we’ve got some burgers in the cooler we could cook up for you.”
    “My, you’re suddenly very welcoming. Now that’s more like it. Why don’t we all sit down around the fire and get acquainted.”
    Will took a step toward the fire pit.
    Chad raised a hand. “Not you, Will. I think you’d better stand off a bit and keep an eye on things. I think you’ll be happy enough with your role as the evening’s events unfold.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “What role is that?”
    “I was wondering if you were ever going to speak for yourself, or if you were going to allow Daddy to do all of your talking for you. You certainly didn’t have any trouble expressing yourself at the gas station.”
    “Listen, you—”
    “Taylor, shut up,” Dad said.
    Chad ran his hand through his hair and smiled. “You’re really going to have to learn some manners,Taylor. Perhaps we can explore that theme further when we get down to business. First, let’s sit.”
    The three of us sat on the logs by the fire—Dad in the middle, flanked by Chad on his left and me on his right. Will stood a couple of steps behind me.
    “So you were planning on doing some fishing tomorrow?” Chad said.
    “Yes, we were.”
    I watched Dad’s eyes. He continued to scout our surroundings. After a few seconds he focused on the fire—a particular point at the nearest edge of the fire— but I couldn’t make out what had caught his eye.
    “Large mouth?”
    “Walleye. I understand this is one of the few walleye lakes in Texas.”
    Chad turned to me. “And you like to fish, too, beautiful?” His voice no longer sneered. It was detached, as though he had already recategorized us from humans to mere objects and was just going through the motions of completing the conversation he’d started.
    “I like to fish,” I said.
    He picked up a stick and absently poked at the fire. “Plastic worms? Crank bait? What do you use here?”
    “We’ve gotten some instructions from the locals.” Dad’s face brightened, perhaps hopeful that there might still be a safe resolution if he could engage Chad. “We’re supposed to