"Okay, so here's what we do," Cassie began as Gray unrolled a huge chart of the Thousand Islands. "Gray, pin up the chart and pin where you know someone who'll give us a hand." Gray nodded. "Max," Cassie said, turning to him, "Call your agency and have them give us permission to cross the border freely. I don't want to have to deal with Border Patrol or the Coast Guard whenever we jump the line." Max nodded and pulled off his shoe phone. He dialed CONTROL's number and stepped outside.
"Hello?" The Chief answered on the first ring.
"Chief? It's agent 86 here."
"Max! Any sign of 99?"
"No, not yet. She's not in the town of Clayton."
"We haven't had any transmissions, nothing from KAOS." The Chief sounded disappointed "Have you searched the surrounding areas, Max?"
"I'm getting to it. I've got help."
"Really? Who?"
"Two girls; Cassie Raye and Gray O'Connor."
"Gray?"
"Her full name is Jennifer Grace. Trust me, Gray suits her better."
"I see… and they're helping you how?"
"They know their way around the islands. They're 1750 islands within a fifteen mile-radius, Chief."
"They're your guides?"
"Yeah, and we need your help. Call the Coast Guard and Canadian Border Patrol- we want customs-free access to all the islands."
"I'll do that, Max- What's the name of the boat you'll be using?"
"Uhh… Seaway Osprey, registration number NY1209."
"Okay, Max, I'll call you when you're clear."
"Thanks Chief."
Max hung up his hoe and went back into the house. Gray's map was hung up on the far wall, a thumbtack every island or so, marking places where she had friends. Cassie had taken the liberty to make a chart on the nearby black chalkboard, listing the names of groups of islands. "There's six different groups, " she said. "I counted Wolfe and Wellesley as separate ones since they're the biggest ones and'll take more time to search."
"Hell yeah." Gray nodded. Wolfe barked in agreement.
"That gives us nine days of planned searching."
"And after fourteen?" Max asked.
"We keep looking, but you don't pay us."
"And if you do find her within the two weeks?"
Gray cleared her throat.
"$1500." She said. Max nodded in agreement.
"I'm good with that."
The next morning, Max was bouncing up and down in Gray's prized Seaway Osprey, navigating the waters behind Canadian Wolfe Island, the largest of the Thousand Islands and the biggest obstacle. Cassie sat in front of him, Wolfe sat by Gray, and Gray was behind him at the wheel (or in the case of the Seaway Osprey, the handle that controlled the position of the outboard engine) The Chief had called earlier that morning; the Coast Guard and Border Patrol both gave the Osprey clearance through the border. After that, only obstacle was the cooperation of Gray's friends, most of which were retied fishermen or boys from school. Max was unsure if they'd cooperate. The first house changed all that. The Perring family owned a huge waterfront house on Wolfe, and was happy to help Gray and sympathized with Max. They quickly sent search parties throughout the island, looking in houses and areas without waterfront access. They sent the Osprey on its way, promising to call the marina office that night. The same reaction took place at most of the other houses, being so enthusiastic to help Gray. During a break to eat lunch at the Cavanaugh's, Gray was eating out on the porch and Max ate with Thomas Cavanaugh in the kitchen.
"Hey, uh, Tom?" he asked. Tom looked up from his turkey club. "Why do you want to help Gray so much?"
"She's a whiz with boats- actually engines in general, she's willing to give us a hand when the boat sounds funny. Plus, she's a good friend, even if she's dead quiet and packs a lethal right hook. You see how much she cares for Cassie. The two met three years ago and they're inseparable. They aren't lesbians, just roommates. She never breaks a promise, and she helps me in school. It's the right thing to do." Max nodded.
"Thanks a lot- I was curious." Tom nodded.
"No problem, Max. Good luck."
Every day the pressure to find 99 rose higher and higher. The monster inside of Max began to stir, and some days he felt like punching whoever came up to him and said they were sorry that 99 was gone. He didn't want them to be standing there saying they're sorry, he wanted them to be out there looking for 99. The monster came out once too. After Cassie said that they shouldn't check for 99 on Tom Thumb Island, Max punched her hard enough in the stomach to make her keel over, gasping for air. The next thing he knew, he was in the water; Gray had scoffed him so hard in the head that the force knocked him out and into the water. Gray then pulled him out.
"Sorry 'bout tha'." She muttered. "Saw ya' nail Cassie. Hate seein' her 'n pain tha' I din' do."
"I'm sorry too. It's just that, when she said that we shouldn't check Tom Thumb, I got mad, and I just had to hit her. I love 99 too much to let Cassie joke like that."
"She waddn' jokin' Tom Thumb's 'bout two feet 'round, ain' no way she could be there."
"Oh." Driving by Tom Thumb proved Cassie and Gray right- there was barely enough room for the juniper tree to be there. After that, Max knew to trust Cassie and Gray whenever they mentioned an island.
"I don't get it." Max said the next evening. He sat in the easy chair in Gray and Cassie's house.
Gray was wrapping yarn around the thumbtacks on the chart, registering where they had searched, while Cassie was reading the newspaper.
"Don't get what?" Cassie asked looking up.
"Today we passed by this huge old stone house, and it was a complete mess. Why build a house that big if you can't afford to keep it that way?"
Cassie looked over at Gray.
"Boldt's Castle." She said.
Cassie nodded in understanding.
"What's Boldt's Castle?" Max asked.
"Boldt's Castle is a summer house this guy, George Boldt, starting building for his wife in 1900. He owned the Waldorf in NYC, and he was really rich, and he loved his wife. She died in 1904, before the castle was finished, and Boldt was so depressed, he ordered everyone to stop working and they all just left. You can still find tools and stuff there. That place's been empty for almost 65 years."
"D'y' think?" Gray asked. Cassie looked over at her.
"Oh, my…" Cassie started. She glanced up at the clock. It was only eight-thirty. She looked over at Max, who was completely oblivious to the whole conversation.
"Oh my what?" Max asked.
"I think we may have found 99." Cassie said. Max leapt up out of the chair. Gray went into the closet and pulled out sweatshirts and blankets, as well as a few towels- just in case. Max grabbed his sweatshirt and put it on. Cassie handed him a windbreaker.
"It gets cold at night with all the wind." She said. Max nodded and put on the windbreaker as well. Gray also pulled out a pair of CB radios, and set them all to an empty channel. She then pulled out three flashlights and made sure they all had good batteries.
"We're goin'." She muttered. Max followed them out onto the dock and leapt into the boat. Wolfe followed. Gray had pinned a flashlight underneath his collar. Gray started the Osprey, and headed out onto the chilly river. Cassie was right- Max's teeth were chattering, it was so cold. They passed underneath the bridge and came up to the myriad pf lights that were the town of Alexandria Bay. Gray slowed the boat to a crawl, the engine purring like a content cat. She circled the island twice, before pulling in underneath an old arch and into a small bay. The docks were old and creaky; Gray tied the boat to several broken boards, then pulled Max and Cassie out. Max stared up at the castle in awe. The docks were overlooked by the tallest tower, which rose up like a black shadow above him. Gray led them across the docks, using Wolfe to test the boards' ability to support weight. They finally came to the front porch.
"Sniff it." Gray told Wolfe, who pressed his nose against the door. He shook his head.
"Din' use 'ere." Gray said, and Wolfe sniffed the front porch. Once again, he stopped and shook his head.
"Din' go 'ere" Gray concluded, and stepped off the front porch. Cassie scanned the castle grounds. A long passageway led one side of the castle.
"Gray, look!" she whispered, pointing. Gray turned and faced her.
"Nice."
"They must've used it for servants or something. C'mon!" Cassie led them to the passage and through one of the glassless windows. The entire passage smelled like moldy raincoats. They followed the passageway, their footsteps creating deafening echoes and the wind whistling through holes in the mortar. The finally stepped up a flight of stairs and came to the castle's main hall. Gray and Wolfe trudged up a small set of stairs while Cassie and Max walked to the main staircase. The boards creaked with every step. The endless empty rooms were all deserted. They searched for what seemed like hours, shining the flashlight into separate rooms, searching for any sign of life. Mice sere startled by the bright light, and their endless squeaking started to get on Max's nerves. After ascending the tower, Cassie touched Max on the shoulder. His yell echoed through the empty halls.
"Jesus, Max, you look like you saw a ghost." She whispered.
"Ha. What's the matter?"
"No sign of 99. I thought we might've had her. I'm thinkin' we go and meet Gray."
Max nodded and yawned.
"You tired?" Cassie asked.
"Me? No." Max replied. Cassie rolled her eyes. They came to a landing.
"I'm gonna call Gray." she said, and walked off. Max sat down and closed his eyes, resting for a minute.
He got up and started walking through the castle, trying to find Cassie. He came to a room with a closed door, and the stench of blood and rotting flesh drafting in. He opened the door, and looked in, shining the flashlight. In the far corner lay a heap covered by a sheet. Blood dribbled from underneath the sheet. Max's heart performed a beautiful triple twist into his stomach as he walked into the room. A human hand poked out from under the sheet, clenched into a tight fist. Max's hand began to tremble. The light caught a glint of something on their ring finger. A diamond ring. Max bent down. It looked just like 99's wedding ring. He grabbed a corner of the sheet, and yanked it off. There lay 99, the knife handle still poking out of her chest.
"99! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Max yelled as he fell to his knees. 99 was paler than the sheet, blood dried to her clothes. Max curled into a fetal position, rocking back and fourth uncontrollably. 99 couldn't be gone, she just couldn't. Max felt empty, and the monster was scared off by the screams. He reached out to touch 99, and his cheek caught on fire.
"Wake up, you bastard!"
Max opened his eyes. He was bathed in sweat, Wolfe, Cassie and Gray standing over him. He lay on the castle floor, curled in a fetal position. He touched his hand to his cheek, which was tingling and burning.
"What the hell?" he began.
"You fell asleep, and had a nightmare. Gray and I heard you scream from two floors up. We ran down here thinking you'd found her, and you were shaking like a dog. Gray slapped you and you woke up." Cassie explained as Gray handed him a towel.
"I saw 99- she had been stabbed. The- the knife was still in her and everything."
"She ain' 'ere." Gray said as she helped him up.
"Now what?" Max asked. He wanted to back to the house.
"We go back." Gray said, to Max's relief, and they all walked back through the castle, Cassie supporting Max.
The trip back to the house was silent, Max was jumpy, Cassie was tired, and Gray was being her usual self. They entered the house, which was hot compared to the frigid river wind.
"Jeez!" Max exclaimed, "It's like an oven in here!"
Gray's face brightened.
"Tha's it!" She yelled out
"What's it?" Cassie yawned.
"Devil's Oven!" Gray yelled out, and pointed at the map.
"Huh?" Max asked. Cassie's face brightened as well
"Devil's Oven! If she wasn't at Boldt's castle, she'd be in Devil's Oven!"
"Of course, Devil's Oven! How could she be anywhere but Devil's Oven! Why didn't w think of Devil's Oven! Say, What is Devil's Oven?" Max asked.
"Devil's Oven is a cave just outside of A-Bay," Cassie explained, "on Devil's Island. According to legend, pirate Bill Johnston hid in the cave from 1838 to 1839 to avoid capture. Gray's been in there before."
Max looked over at Gray, who nodded.
"S' a nice, big cave wi' an un'erwa'er en'rnce, but air c'n git in." Max nodded.
"Tomorrow night, we go get her." Cassie said.