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The Girl Introduces Herself as Ember
Ronan crouched so he could speak to her at eye level.
Her name was Ember.
Her mother had died the previous winter.
When Luis asked who was caring for her now, Ember gave an answer that made the entire table tense.
Her father had been taking care of her.
Until three nights earlier.
Jonah Had Been Alive All Along
Ember explained that she and Jonah had lived in a remote cabin near Black Pine Road.
He had been sick for a long time.
He coughed frequently and spent increasing amounts of time sleeping.
During that period, he told Ember stories about the Iron Lanterns.
He called the men his brothers.
He also gave her specific instructions in case something happened to him.
She was to go to Maple Ridge Diner on a Sunday.
Jonah Knew They Would Still Be There
Ember said Jonah believed the five men would still be meeting at the diner.
That detail hit Ronan especially hard.
Jonah had disappeared from their lives, but he had somehow continued remembering their rituals.
He knew exactly where Ember could find them.
When Mack asked why Jonah had never returned himself, the girl gave a painful answer.
“Because he said you all buried him once already,” she replied. “And he didn’t know if you’d forgive him for still being alive.”
The Five Men Leave Immediately
Ronan decided there was nothing more to discuss inside the diner.
Within minutes, the group was heading toward Black Pine Road.
Ember rode with them.
The diner waitress packed sandwiches, pie, and a blanket for the child before they left.
Black Pine Road was isolated and surrounded by dense forest.
Cell service disappeared as they traveled farther from town.
Eventually, Ember pointed toward a small cabin hidden among the trees.
The Cabin Looked Almost Abandoned
The porch sagged.
A window had been boarded over.
No smoke rose from the chimney.
Ronan approached cautiously and pushed open the door.
The interior smelled of cold coffee, woodsmoke, and illness.
Medicine bottles sat near a couch.
A child’s drawing hung on the wall.
In one corner was an old duffel bag marked with the faded Iron Lanterns emblem.
Then they saw the bed.
Jonah Was There
Jonah Creed lay motionless near the fireplace.
He was thin, aged, and almost unrecognizable compared with the man they remembered.
But there was no doubt about his identity.
It was Jonah.
The man they had mourned for seven years had survived the crash.
And now, before they could see him alive again, he was gone.