Chapter 2
Rumors in the Ranks

The fourth day of band camp began with one question.

Where was Ethan Parker?

Not:

How are your feet?

Not:

Did you remember sunscreen?

Not even:

How many sets are we learning today?

The only thing anyone wanted to talk about was the missing drum major.

Alyssa knew it before she even stepped onto campus.

Groups of students stood in circles across the parking lot.

Whispering.

Pointing.

Speculating.

And Ethan's silver Honda still sat beneath the same light pole.

Exactly where it had been yesterday.

Jake was already waiting outside the band room.

"Good news," he announced.

Alyssa sighed.

"Why do I feel like this isn't good news?"

"Because it isn't."

"What happened?"

Jake looked around dramatically.

Then lowered his voice.

"I've developed three new theories."

"Only three?"

"Four if you count aliens."

"Jake."

"Fine."

He held up a finger.

"Theory one. Ethan has been secretly recruited by the FBI."

"No."

"Theory two. Witness protection."

"No."

"Theory three—"

"No."

Jake frowned.

"You didn't even hear it."

"I don't need to."

Inside the band room, students were louder than usual.

Nobody was warming up.

Nobody was practicing.

Everybody was talking.

The mystery had become bigger than band camp.

It had become an obsession.

Director Barnes entered carrying his coffee.

The room immediately quieted.

The students waited.

Barnes looked tired.

Very tired.

He set down his coffee.

Then addressed the room.

"I spoke with Ethan's parents late last night."

The room became perfectly silent.

Alyssa felt her pulse quicken.

Barnes continued.

"They haven't heard from him."

The silence deepened.

Several students exchanged worried looks.

Tyler Brooks slowly sat forward.

That statement changed everything.

Before now, this had felt strange.

Now it felt serious.

Very serious.

Barnes forced a smile.

"Let's focus on rehearsal."

Nobody focused on rehearsal.

Not really.

The mystery followed them onto the field.

It followed them through fundamentals.

Through marching exercises.

Through music rehearsal.

Every water break became an investigation.

Every lunch table became a detective agency.

Every student had a theory.

None made sense.

By mid-afternoon, Tyler finally approached Alyssa.

"Can we talk?"

Something in his voice felt different.

More serious.

They walked toward the stadium bleachers.

Jake followed.

Nobody had invited him.

That had never stopped him before.

Tyler looked nervous.

"There's something I didn't mention."

Alyssa's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

Tyler hesitated.

Then spoke quietly.

"Three weeks ago, Ethan showed me something."

"What?"

"He found an old key."

Jake blinked.

"A key?"

Tyler nodded.

"He said it belonged to something nobody remembered."

Alyssa stared.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

"What did the key open?"

"He wouldn't tell me."

Jake suddenly looked interested.

"Wait."

Tyler nodded.

"It gets weirder."

"How?"

Tyler swallowed.

"The key had our school mascot engraved on it."

Nobody spoke.

The school's mascot.

The Thunderhawk.

A symbol that had been used for decades.

Jake sat upright.

For once, he wasn't joking.

"You're serious?"

Tyler nodded.

"I asked him where he got it."

"What did he say?"

Tyler looked toward the stadium.

"He said..."

He paused.

"...that some doors are meant to stay forgotten."

A breeze crossed the field.

Nobody spoke.

For the first time, Alyssa felt something she hadn't felt before.

A clue.

A real clue.

And somewhere in the distance—

faintly—

almost too faint to hear—

a trumpet played three notes.

Then stopped.

The three students turned.

But nobody was there.