Dally stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched Johnny go into his room. He felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach.
Tom came into the room and put a hand on Dally's shoulder. "Let him cool off a minute and-"
Dally turned on him and swore. "I ain't listening to any more advice from any of you! I'm getting him out of here and you can all go to hell!"
"Dally, stop it," Tom said with an authority that actually made Dally pause long enough to hear what he had to say. No other adult would have been able to talk to him that way and actually get him to listen, but Tom...he knew the score. And right now, as furious as he was, Dally really didn't know what to do. This was a situation that he absoloutely could not handle on his own. Earlier, he had found himself wishing that Darry was there, but for now, Tom would have to do.
"Now listen," Tom continued. "You're right, we have to get Johnny out of here. Right now. Will, call the police. Just let them know what's going on-"
"What is going on?" Will asked, frustrated that he had missed something that was obviously pretty important.
"The police!" Dally interrupted. "What, are you crazy? They'll give Johnny back to that asshole and-"
"This is a small town, Dally. We're pretty close with the chief, and right now I think it's safer if we have them involved. Wendy, take Grandma over to Matt's house and you two stay there until you hear from us. I'll have Carl send a patrol car around to keep an eye on things-"
Wendy practically flew out of the chair she'd been sitting in and grabbed Toms shirt. "NO! Do you hear me? No, I won't leave him alone! I won't let this happen again, not while there's a breath in me, I-"
"Wendy! Darling, you need to do this for Johnny. We need to get him away from Robert and we can't be traveling with too many people."
And you're a hysterical mess, Dally thought, watching Wendy with condern.
"Where are you taking him?" she demanded.
"Honestly, I don't know yet, just away from here."
"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Will asked angrily.
Everyone turned to look at him. He really has no idea, Dally thought in disbelief. The only one who can actually shed positive proof on this thing has no idea what is going on.
Dally's eyes narrowed. Screw being tactful. Johnny didn't get the news broken to him gently, so niether would Will. "Congratulations," Dally said, glaring at him. "It's a boy."
Will just looked blankly at him. Tom groaned and rubbed his forhead.
"You don't get it, do you?" Dally continued. "Turns out that Johnny ain't Robert's kid... He's yours!"
The look on Will's face was exactly what Dally had been going for, but strangely, it didn't make him feel any better. He didn't dislike Will. He was just so angry...
Will sank into a chair, and just stared straight ahead.
"Wendy, let's go dear," Grandma Cade took her by the arm. She looked sadly at her son, knowing right now there was nothing she could do to help but get out of the way.
Wendy touched her brother's arm as she walked by him, her eyes full of tears.
"We'll call the police from Matt's house," Grandma Cade said to Tom as she and Wendy headed for the front door.
"Wait, I'm going to walk you out, " Tom said. "Dally, go get Johnny." Tom put his arm around Wendy and talking softly to her, lead her out the door.
Grandma Cade paused in front of Dally on her way out. Dally wouldn't meet her gaze. He was so angry about how everything had happened, but he couldn't be angry at her because they had both been keeping the same secret. There wasn't much to say, but there was a question burning in the back of his mind that all their little "church discussions" was making him think about. He wanted her to know that stuff like this was why he wouldn't go to church... why he didn't believe in God. So, without looking directly at her, he asked, "God's everywhere, huh?" he chewed at his lip wondering how she would answer this one. "Where do you think he is right now?"
Without missing a beat, she answered quietly, "Waiting for you to ask for help." And with that, she headed quietly for the front door as Dally stared after her.
Now Dally was alone in the room with Will. Dally glanced at him. He had never looked more like Johnny than he did at that moment. His eyes were full of worry, fear, and guilt. Dally felt a sudden urge to say soemthing to him. Anything. He had been so angry, and he still was, but he felt this whole family trying to protect Johnny with everything they had. They loved him. They all loved him and would very obviously go to great lengths to look out for his best interests. And because of that, Dally couldn't stay mad at any of them.
But he didn't know what to say to Will, so he just turned around and headed up the stairs.
He stopped at Johnny's closed door. "Johnny,"
There was no answer. He didn't have time for this. He tried the knob and was not surprised to find it locked.
Dally swore. He thought about kicking the door down, but he knew it would take a lot to get through the construction of the old Federal Style framework. "Johnny, knock it off! We've got to get you out of here! You don't know the whole story yet..."
Dally let that sink in. Johnny didn't know the whole story. Johnny had no idea what kind of danger he was in. Johnny didn't know...
With a sinking feeling of premonition, Dally ran down the hall to Wendy and Tom's room.
He poked his head out the window and he saw Wendy's car turning onto the road.
And he could just faintly make out a figure running across the front yard in the opposite direction.
Dally swore loudly and smaked his head against the window by accident, which made him swear again.
He went running back downstairs and through the front door, not sure if anyone saw him or not.
He ran in the direction he'd seen Johnny going and spotted him heading for the road. Johnny hadn't seen him yet so Dally cut diagonally through the front yard and intercepted Johnny at the neighbor's mailbox, several yards down the street.
He jumped out and grabbed Johnny by the shirt. Johnny was startled at first, but then Dally saw the anger flare up again and he thought for a moment that Johnny might actually try to hit him. Dally set his jaw and looked Johnny straight in the eye.
Johnny backed down, but the look of anger still burned in the usually gentle brown eyes.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To find my parents."
"What! Are you crazy? Johnny, what are you thinking?"
"I ain't gonna live with a bunch of liars! I'm going home."
"You'd rather live with a couple of drunks, one of which beats the tar out of you every time you turn around?"
"I heard what he said," Johnny said, ignoring Dally's comment. "He ain't taking me anywhere, I'm going home!" Johnny turned and started walking away.
"Johnny, get back to the house!"
"Leave me alone, Dal. You can't tell me what to do anymore." Johnny's voice had lost it's edge now. He just sounded really sad.
"Johnny, I ain't lettin' you do this!"
"What are you gonna do?" he turned around and looked tiredly at Dally. "I don't care what you say any more. You lied to me just like the rest of them. My parents came back for me because they want me to come home."
"Bullshit! Johnny-" Dally was furious.
"You don't get it. Just because your old man don't even care where you are doesn't mean-"
Dally took Johnny by both arms and got right in his face. "My old man never killed anyone!"
Johnny's jaw dropped, but Dally kept going, his voice desperate and insistant. "I swear to God, Johnny, if you don't come back to the house right now, I will knock you out and drag you there- I am NOT letting you near him, you don't have any idea how much trouble you're in right now! He'll kill you, do you understand me?"
"What are you talking about?" Johnny stepped back, his eyes haunted and hurt. "How many more secrets are you keeping?"
"Johnny," Dally rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Just come on back to the house and I'll tell you everything I know... Please!"
But Johnny's attention was drawn elsewhere. Even from a distance, they could both hear the horses whineying in distress. Johnny's eyes widened in horror.
Dally whirled around to see smoke rising from one of the barns.
The two boys took off at a dead sprint.