"Dad," Farkas corrected Joe. "Relax Joe," he continued, smiling as he glanced over at Joe before starting the truck. "Your memory will return, but I am your father and there is no need to be scared."
"I'm not," denied Joe.
"All right, then," Farkas said, smiling. "Was there something you wanted?"
"There is this guy who works for you, a John Phipps," Joe said. "He was at Dr. Fairbanks's house last night. Why didn't he recognize me?"
"Because he's an employee," Farkas answered. "You stay around the house more when you're at home."
"When I'm at home?" Joe repeated, looking confused.
"You go to a boarding school in Maryland," Farkas informed him. "I don't see a lot of you which is why I didn't want you going to Fort Lauderdale with your friends."
"But you did," Joe said. "Let me go. Even if I didn't quite make it," he added ruefully.
"You're seventeen," Farkas stated matter-of-factly. "I can't hold onto you forever."
"When do I go back to boarding school?" asked Joe.
"I'm not sure I'm going to let you," Farkas told him. "For one thing, there is no way I'm going to let you go away until your memory has returned and second, after this coming year, you will be off to college and I'm sure I will see you even less."
"We aren't close, then?" Joe asked.
"No," admitted Farkas with a deep sigh. "But I would really like to change that if you are willing."
"I'd like that," Joe said, smiling. Getting closer to his father sounded like a very nice thing to do.
They arrived at the homestead a little later and Farkas immediately began giving Joe a tour of the house. "And this is your bedroom," Farkas told Joe, leading him into a spacious bedroom with a full size bed. Joe walked around the room, touching a few of the items and tying to will himself to get some sort of sense that would let him know he belonged here, but nothing came to him.
"Don't look so disappointed little brother," said Jerry Farkas, a twenty-year-old man with blond hair and green eyes. "Dad said the doc told you that your memory would come back if you didn't force it."
"Words to that effect," concurred Farkas. "Jerry, why don't you talk to your brother a bit while I go see about having an early dinner. Joe's had a long day and needs to get to bed early."
"It's not even dark," objected Joe.
"No sweat, bro," Jerry told him. "After dinner I will show you around the grounds before you hit the sack."
"Sounds like a plan," Joe agreed readily. His dad had shown him every room in the house and re-introduced him to the staff but he still hadn't seen the mill or anything outside except the front entrance.
"Do you help dad out at work?" asked Joe, sitting down on the bed and watching Jerry closely.
Jerry stood up straight from where he had been leaning against the wall by the doorframe and came over and sat down beside Joe. "Ever since I finished high school," Jerry acknowledged. "You're the brainy one in the family," he continued. "You always wanted to go to Wake Forest for some reason."
"Wake Forest University? In North Carolina?" asked Joe, recognizing the name.
"That's right," Jerry said, smiling. "I guess it's true what they say about amnesia," he added.
"What do they say?" queried Joe curiously.
"You only forget the personal stuff," Jerry replied.
"I guess," shrugged Joe. "I certainly don't remember anything." he gave a short laugh. "I guess I'm just lucky that the name that popped into my head when I was asked what I wanted to be called was Joe. I had no idea that it was really my name."
"Yeah, you are lucky," agreed Jerry. "So, is there anything you want to ask me? Maybe if you have a girlfriend or something?"
Joe grinned. "Do I have a girlfriend"
After dinner Jerry took Joe outside and showed him the stables. "We moved here after you started your term," Jerry told Joe. "Dad went ballistic when he saw the stables and had to have horses even though none of us could ride."
"But I do get to learn?" asked Joe, patting the side of a brown gelding.
"Better wait until after your memory returns," Jerry said, noticing how comfortable Joe seemed around the horses. Obviously, this boy who had recently been poking into their business knew how to ride. Dumb! thought Jerry. Why did I have to say he couldn't ride? "What would you like to see next?" Jerry asked, deciding it might be prudent to get Joe away from the stables.
"How about the mill?" asked Joe.
"Why are you so interested in it?" asked Jerry curiously. "It's just the place where we process the trees."
"Dr. Fairbanks said people were dying because of what's going on up here," Joe said.
"He's a quack!" Jerry snorted derisively.
"He probably saved my life," Joe told him, scowling.
"And you feel obligated to foster his illusions?" parried Jerry. "Joe, do you honestly think Dad, or I, would be cutting trees or operating the mill if there were any danger?"
"No," Joe admitted but then asked a question that sent an icy chill down Jerry's back. "But what about the mine?"
"What mine?" Jerry asked, trying, but failing, to look innocent.
"The one the men are working in," said Joe. "Does Dad have another business operating here?"
"Where did you get an idea like that?" demanded Jerry.
"Is it a secret?" Joe asked. "Is that why you're pretending there isn't one? I'm your brother. Don't you trust me?"
"I...of course I do," Jerry declared. "It's just, well, we've been having problems with it and Dad didn't want you to worry. You've obviously been through a lot and don't need any more to deal with right now."
"The deaths," Joe said. "They are caused by radiation, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are," admitted Farkas, coming up behind the two. "Not by some mysterious malady that requires the presence of the CDC as Dr. Fairbanks seems to believe."
"Then why not tell him?" Joe asked in confusion. "Unless you're...we're..doing something illegal?"
"Of course not," denied Farkas empathetically. "But it is top-secret."
"Huh?"
"We're doing a project for the government," Farkas lied. "There was a problem but it has been taken care of now."
"If it's a government project then why do you need Dr. Fairbanks to sign off on the deaths?" Joe demanded.
"Because no one at the CDC has been cleared for information on this project," Farkas explained patiently.
"But was it necessary to threaten the Fairbanks?" Joe continued to argue. "Dr. Fairbanks seems to be a reasonable, honest man. Just explain it to him. I'm sure he would understand."
"I never threatened Fairbanks," Farkas denied heatedly.
"John Phipps did," Joe stated. "I heard him. He even tried to start a fight with me."
"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" demanded Farkas, acting shocked. "That wasn't why I sent Phipps to the Fairbanks. He was supposed to ask Roger to reconsider. Violence was not, and is not, an option."
"Maybe you could talk to Dr. Fairbanks personally?" suggested Joe, looking at his dad with raised eyebrows.
"I would like to do that," acknowledged Farkas. "I have even suggested we meet and discuss the matter, but he keeps refusing."
"I don't think he trusts you," stated Joe.
"Maybe he has something to hide," suggested Jerry, looking at his dad speculatively. "He could be the person behind the problems we have been having."
"What kind of problems?" asked Joe.
"Not now," Farkas told Joe. "You need to get back to the house and rest. If you insist, we will talk more about it tomorrow but I am limited in what I can tell you."
"I understand," Joe said, vaguely remembering several times that his curiosity had gone unsatisfied. If only the memories were more than feelings.
"I think you are wrong about Dr. Fairbanks," Joe told his dad and Jerry. "He, and his family, are nice people."
"Appearances can be deceiving, Son," Farkas said, wrapping an arm around Joe's shoulders. "Come on," he continued. "Inside. It's getting chilly."
"I'll be in after I feed the horses," Jerry said. He watched his dad, and the youth he had been ordered to treat as his younger brother, go back into the house before moving away from the stables and heading west toward the sawmill.
