Book Excerpt
Celtic Run
©
Sean Vogel
Chapter
1
Jake clenched his fists. Zach was
sauntering down the airplane aisle as if he were the best thing since the iPod.
Everyone has an archenemy, Jake thought. Luke Skywalker has Darth
Vader. Harry Potter has Voldemort. Me? I have Zach.
Zach plopped into the seat in front
of Jake and poked his head around to talk.
“Hey, twerp, having a good flight?”
Just my luck. Five and a half hours
to Ireland behind the goon of the eighth grade. “I’d be having a better flight if you’d test the emergency
exit.”
Zach’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, Spanky,
you’ll pay for that with your leg room.” He stuffed his duffle under his own
seat until it infringed on Jake’s space. “Oh, wait, you’re only three feet
tall, so my bag won’t bother you.” Zach chuckled and turned back around to
watch a movie on his LCD television screen.
Instinctively, Jake stretched his
legs to see if he could reach the duffle with his feet. Shorter than the
average student, he felt like a dwarf compared to Zach’s football-player
physique. He glanced at Zach’s seatmate, Julie. Why doesn’t she ever see
this?
Jake’s heart pinched as Julie
adjusted her position to rest her head on Zach’s shoulder. Her blonde hair lay
draped between the seats, its strong berry scent sending a slight tingle
through Jake’s body.
Jake and Julie had grown up
together. They’d been friends from hide-and-seek to Guitar Hero, which made it
the ultimate blow when she started going out with Zach. Why can’t she see
him for the jerk he is? Jake kicked Zach’s bag out of anger. Good thing
no one’s sitting next to me. Then, grinning, he bent forward and slowly
opened the zipper.
The first thing he found was a stack
of papers. A cover sheet said “The Visitors, by Zachary Maguire.” Laughing
inwardly at his good fortune, Jake tucked the manuscript into the seat pocket
in front of him for future retrieval. Never pass up good blackmail material.
Next, he found Zach’s
security-compliant bag of liquids. Jackpot! All that bragging about being
the only eighth grader to shave is going to haunt him. He pulled out the
travel-sized can of shaving cream and some dental floss and then pried the tab
off his empty soda can.
He knew Julie wouldn’t approve of
what he was about to do. Like a referee who flags the guy returning a punch,
she had a knack for seeing only Jake’s retaliations and not Zach’s instigating
offenses.
After jamming the metal tab into the
tight gap behind the button, he gingerly pulled forward on the makeshift lever.
Mint-scented goo dribbled out. Perfect. Next, he strategically placed a
couple of airline blankets inside the duffle to hold the shaving cream can up
toward the opening of the bag. He zipped it closed as far as he could, leaving
just a little access for his fingers. Using a fisherman’s knot, he tied the
floss to the metal tab, pulled the slack out, and tied the other end to the
zipper.
He bit his lower lip as he pulled
the knot tight. Probably the last time I’ll tie that knot since we no longer
have a boat. The feeling of loss that he experienced on the day his dad
sold their sailboat to pay the medical bills had been monumental. He slid the
duffle back under the seat and glanced up at the movie. Seen it. With
his dad laid up, watching movies was about all they could do together now.
*
* *
Hours later, the pilot announced
their descent into Ireland. Jake finished scanning the “Trace Your Heritage”
homework instructions and folded them into his backpack. He hadn’t wanted to
leave New York for the entire summer, but his dad had urged him to go on this
school trip, saying it would be good for him to see where their family came
from.
Jake tossed his backpack onto the
empty seat next to him and peered between the seats as Zach wrapped up the
cords of his expensive headphones. Showtime. Pretending to sleep, Jake
watched through slits in his eyes as Zach pulled out his bag.
Zach tugged at the zipper. It didn’t
budge. He grunted, tightened his grip, and yanked again. A greenish geyser of
minty foam erupted from the bag, lathering Zach from head to waist.
“Argh!” Zach’s arms flailed as he
struggled to wipe the slime from his face. He stopped and blinked several
times. Then he stood up, turned, and fixated on Jake.
Uh-oh. At ten thousand feet, options for escape were slim.
An attendant spoke into the
intercom. “Sir, please sit down. We’re making our descent.”
Temporarily thwarted, Zach pointed
at Jake before making a fist and smacking it into his other palm.
“Zach!” Julie scolded.
“But look at what he did!” Zach
removed the cream from his face with the last dry part of his shirt.
“Well, what did you think he’d do if
you put your bag there? You know he can’t resist a practical joke!”
Jake’s heart pounded. She
noticed. There is hope.
“And Jake, you’ve got to stop with
the pranks.” Jake looked down, not wanting to gaze into her disapproving blue
eyes. She’d once confided to Jake that Zach had some insecurities and issues
with his dad, but Jake didn’t think that gave him the right to be a bully.
Once the plane landed in Shannon,
the group of ten students made their way through customs and baggage claim.
They purchased some cookies and drinks at the café and then walked outside into
the mid-morning sun to eagerly await their sponsors. Although most of the
students would be going to different villages, such as Ballyferriter and
Castlegregory, Jake knew that Zach, Julie, and he would be staying in the town
of Dingle.
He remembered the glint in Julie’s
eyes when she talked about her dad pulling strings to keep them all close to
each other. She wants me to be friends with her boyfriend? No way.
Jake’s name was called. He turned to
see a man in faded pants and a colorful sweater
bounding toward him. The powerful energy in his trim frame was clearly evident.
bounding toward him. The powerful energy in his trim frame was clearly evident.
“Dia daoibh, Jake. Mo ainm
Gerald O’Connell,” he said, warmly extending his hand.
Zach stopped dabbing the shaving
cream from his clothes. “Whoa, I thought they spoke English here.”
“We do.” A girl with long red curls
and a china-white complexion stepped out from behind the man. “Hello. My name
is Maggie O’Connell, and this is my ‘da,’” she said with a charming brogue.
Jake recognized her from the photo
she’d sent when they exchanged introductory e-mails. He remembered she was
fifteen, only a year older than he was.
Mr. O’Connell inclined his head.
“Welcome to Ireland.”
Not wanting to pass up the
opportunity to upstage Zach, Jake said to Maggie, “That was Irish that your
dad—uh, da—was speaking, right?”
Maggie beamed. “That’s impressive.
Most Americans would have called it Gaelic.”
“My dad drilled me on Irish knowledge.
He didn’t want me to bring shame on the McGreevy name.”
Maggie smiled in appreciation.
“Speaking of names, remember you wrote to ask if there were any McGreevys
listed in our area? Well, I was able to find a few near Killorglin—just about
an hour away.”
“Go raibh mile maith agat.”
Jake hoped he’d pronounced the Irish translation for “thank you” correctly.
“Nice.”
“’Fraid that’s all I’ve learned so
far,” Jake grinned.
When Julie’s and Zach’s names were
called, two well-dressed couples approached them. Jake noticed that as each
person shook Zach’s hand, his or her nose twitched, probably trying to figure
out where the minty smell was coming from. Jake snickered and Zach mouthed a
threat at him.
In the parking lot, the O’Connells
led Jake to a beat-up hatchback. Mr. O’Connell pounded on the latch to open it
and began loading Jake’s bags. As Zach’s and Julie’s sponsors packed their
luggage into their respective luxury cars, Zach called to Jake, “Hey, twerp.
Want me to upgrade you to a donkey cart?”
Maggie squinted at Zach, as if to
better understand what he’d just said.
Jake turned to her. “What’s Irish
for caveman?”
She giggled, mischief sparkling in
her eyes. “Try fear pluaise.”
“Catch you later, fear pluaise!”
All the sponsors laughed. And when
Zach’s face deepened to a dark shade of red, Jake could barely conceal his
pleasure. I am definitely going to like it here.
The car’s exterior may have been
dilapidated, but its engine fired right up. Jake struggled to keep his stomach
steady as Mr. O’Connell sped along the highway for the two-and-a-half-hour trip
south. Their lively conversation made the time fly. It didn’t take long for
Jake to get used to their accents, but much to his embarrassment, a few times
he found himself unconsciously mimicking their inflections.
“When we get home, you can call your
mum and da and tell them you’re here,” Maggie said.
Jake stared out the passenger
window. “Just my dad. My mom died when I was young.”
Maggie twisted in her seat to reach
out and touch his arm, hesitated, and then put her hand back by her side. “Tá
brón orainn. I mean, I’m so sorry.”
“So this is your first time in
Ireland, right, Jake?” Mr. O’Connell said, gently changing the subject.
“Yes. My dad and I have sailed to a
few places on our schooner, but we’ve never made it this far.”
“Where have you been?” Maggie asked.
“Caribbean mostly. The sea down
there is amazing.”
“I’ll bet. Well, my da and the other
sponsors thought you might enjoy seeing a bit of scenery before settling in.
We’re now on Slea Head Drive. Very soon you’ll be able to get your first
glimpse of Blasket Sound, okay?”
“Of course.” Jake inched forward in
his seat for a better view.
As they rounded the next corner,
Maggie stretched her arm out the window and said, “Welcome to Dingle.”
Jake’s jaw dropped as the infinite
ocean unfolded before him. Soaring cliffs hugged the coastline to stand guard
over white-capped waves racing toward the shore like wild horses.
“It’s awesome,” Jake said, hoping he
didn’t sound too corny.
“The National Geographic Traveller
guidebook proclaimed it ‘the most beautiful place on earth,’” Maggie
added with pride.
“I can see why.”
Thankfully, Mr. O’Connell slowed
down a bit to make the curvy ride more enjoyable. Jake glanced back and
saw that Zach’s and Julie’s sponsors were managing to keep pace with Mr.
O’Connell. After twenty minutes, everyone pulled into a small parking lot on
the western tip of the peninsula.
Several families were gathered at
the overlook, all taking pictures of the breathtaking view. The sight of the water
overwhelmed Jake, and he swallowed hard, suppressing memories of his father’s
sailboat and better days. Maggie guided the group to the best vantage point.
Unlike some of the spectacular cliffs they had passed on the way, this section
of the peninsula was only fifteen feet above the ocean. The water appeared
calm, but Jake recalled his dad’s many lectures on strong currents and sudden
waves.
He looked around at the other
tourists and caught sight of a toddler dressed in a thick pink sweater and
matching pants. She tottered after a butterfly, swinging her arms in an attempt
to catch it. The insect fluttered away from the throngs of people, toward the
edge of the cliff, with the child still in pursuit.
Jake swiveled his head around. Nobody
is paying attention to her. He took off toward the girl, screaming for
somebody to stop her, but before anyone could move, the child vanished over the
edge. At full speed, Jake shed his shoes and plunged off the cliff.
About Sean Vogel
Growing up in a small town in
Michigan during the 1980s, Sean was provided with an excellent garden for
cultivating his writing career. With only a few simplistic video games and
three television channels, he became an accomplished daydreamer and a creative
outside adventurer.
A son of a garbage truck driver,
Sean often received “gently used” items from his father’s route. With a bit of
imagination and a little tinkering, these items were reborn as tools for
battles against backyard bandits. These childhood experiences would later serve
as the foundation and inspiration for Jake McGreevy’s gadgetry expertise.
Seeking his own adventures, Sean
joined the Army via an ROTC scholarship at Colorado State University. Living in
Germany for several years gave him the opportunity to travel extensively in
Europe. During his time in the Army, he served in the Field Artillery and
Signal Corp, rising to the rank of Captain and receiving the Bronze Star Medal for
his service in Iraq.
Sean started drafting novels out of
boredom during long deployments in the military; a pen is easier to carry than
a guitar. But he soon fell in love with the frustrating, yet satisfying science
called writing and has been hard at work ever since.
When he’s not helping his main
character Jake get out of tangles, Sean is a department manager for a large
aerospace company. He lives in Denver with his wife and their two dachshunds.
