CHAPTER THIRTY

Time froze, or at least it felt like it. Other than watching the moon’s glow move across the top of my tent, I wouldn’t know the minutes had passed. And just when I thought, heck with them all, I’ll go alone, the zipper on my tent slipped opened. I hoped for Kaden.

“You ready?” The moonlight framed Memphis’ head and for a brief moment, I imagined he was Kaden.

I let out a pent up breath and nodded. Getting a little shut-eye before the trek hadn’t happened as planned, so yes, I’d been ready for hours. I snagged my loaded down backpack and exited my tent. The beach was deserted. Would I return?

Dressed entirely in black, the two of us traversed the stone stairway with only the moonlight to guide our steps. As luck would have it, Van had had horse duty that night, making the horse-knapping part of our escape easy. But my thoughts kept returning to Kaden. All I wanted was to beg for him to forgive me.

“Where’s everyone else?” I whispered once we entered the basement of the old farmhouse.

Memphis put his finger to his lips, then checked the stairwell leading to the main floor before motioning I follow. We tiptoed through the house and slipped outside. Van stood on the lawn with three horses.

I crinkled my nose. “Wait. You said five guys were coming. Where’s everyone else?”

Memphis held up his hands. “I know… but, with everything, Van and I decided we couldn’t trust ‘em.”

“So you never had five guys?” My eyes zigzagged between them. “This isn’t enough people.”

“Well… Kaden went with just him and Jewels the last time. So how tough can it be? Besides, it’s better than going alone, Sugar,” he said with a convincing tone.

I pulled away from his comforting pat and frowned. Again, he’d said one thing and then did the complete opposite. Kaden had been right about his brother. But the thought of going alone, especially if I time jumped again, frightened me, let alone the fact I didn’t know how to get to Brighton.

“Fine, but once we’re inside the walls, we do things my way, understood?”

Memphis and Van nodded. My heart pounded in fear. The glittering excitement in their eyes, though, told me I was making a mistake.

~~|~~

After three hours of riding, I peeled myself off of Prince and hobbled over to the closest tree. I needed to pee, but squatting wasn’t going to be happening.

Memphis held out the torch and promised not to look.

“Man, I’d kill for a bathroom,” I mumbled, then shook my head at what I was actually saying. I was about to kill someone; the Vice President. Someone with a family who loved him. How could I even voice I’d kill for less?

“Abby?” I startled back to reality at Memphis’ voice. “Are you done yet?”

“No!” I called out, reminded of the last time. I unzipped my pants and managed to hang from a low-lying tree limb while I did my business. Then, somehow, I stood and hobbled around the tree.

He turned and squatted down (how in the heck?) next to Van, huddling over the map on the ground.

“I say we go this way.” Memphis traced a stick over what looked like mountains. “That’ll put us on the west side.”

“The terrain is too steep. She’ll never be able…”

“Yes, she can. She’s done great so far.”

“But this would be hard for even me and I’ve ridden a horse all—”

“Do what?” I asked.

Van snagged the map and rolled it up before shoving it in his pants. At the glistening metal that lay next to the map, I sucked in a breath.

“You have a gun?”

“As a precaution.” Memphis slipped between us. “Who knows what might happen. You ready?”

With the DOD watches, there wasn’t a need for civilians to carry guns. Any potential illegal activity would be tipped off ahead of time, which was the beauty of having the DOD’s.

“Do you have a gun, too?” I asked Memphis.

He looked directly into my eyes and lifted his chin. “No.”

I could sense the bitterness in his voice, like his father wouldn’t allow him to have one.

“So only Van has one?”

“Abby, it’s no big deal, really—” Van started to say.

I stepped around Memphis. “It is a big deal. We don’t need guns.” People could get hurt.

“Like I said,” Memphis caught my arm, “it’s just a precaution, and we need to get moving if we want to get there by tomorrow night.”

My thighs screamed in terror. How could we storm Brighton if I couldn’t even walk?

“Fine.” I forced a smile and hobbled over to Prince. He nudged my hand and I fed him a few sugar cubes I’d snatched from the pantry earlier. This plan wasn’t working.

~~|~~

By the time the sun peeked over the mountains, I could finally see why I was so cold. Prince’s breath fogged out of his mouth.

“Now we rest,” Memphis said as he tied the horses by the stream.

He didn’t have to tell me twice. I slid off Prince’s back and curled up next to a tree with my Sasquatch parka wrapped around me. Sleep overcame me within seconds.

Minutes later, I blinked my eyes open and stared into a fuzzy face. A gasp escaped from my lips and I struggled to sit up. Before I could focus, Jewels was gone.

I scanned the tree line, questioning if I’d really seen her or if I was dreaming. If only Kaden were here. I’d pick him over Memphis any day, even if we were fighting. I’d been stupid. I needed him.

The sun hung high in the sky, meaning we’d slept for hours. I reached over to get water from my pack, patting the bare ground.

“Memphis.” I crawled over to him. “Memphis!” He didn’t wake. I shook his shoulders. He grunted, but didn’t open his eyes. “Memphis, wake up.”

He moaned again, then reached forward, pulling me to his chest and rolled over. I struggled against him, my arms and legs aching with every move.

“Oh, Sugar,” he moaned as he moved in to kiss me. I turned my cheek and felt his lips traveling down my neck toward my chest. He dug his hips into me and trapped me underneath him. “I knew you wanted me.”

His other hand moved down my side and grazed the edge of my breast.

I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. “Memphis!”

He snorted and opened his eyes. “Whoa.”

“Get off me!” I said with gritted teeth. “Now!”

He rolled off and sat next to me, stunned.

Full of adrenaline, I popped to my feet. “Don’t ever do that again!”

Memphis chuckled and stood. “Looks like you were the one who started things.”

My mouth flew open. “What? No. I just…” I exhaled hard and brushed off my pants. “Someone stole my backpack.”

Memphis looked around and cursed under his breath. The horses were gone, too.

“Dammit, Kaden!”

~~|~~

“Now what?” I asked, wishing we had matches or flint to start a fire.

“We should go back,” Van suggested.

“No,” Memphis shook his head. “Kaden did this. He’s trying to prove I’ll quit.”

“We don’t have any food, or supplies, or transportation.” Van removed his cowboy hat and ran his hand through his hair.

“Supplies for what?” I asked.

Van’s eyes flicked to Memphis in concern. After seeing the gun, I wondered what else they’d brought. Explosives?

“Just stuff,” Memphis said quickly. “We’ll be fine. We don’t need it.”

Van let out a gust of air and cursed.

“For what?” I asked again, my tone harder.

Van dragged the toe of his boots in the dirt. “I don’t know ‘bout this anymore, man.”

“We don’t need it!” Memphis rose to his feet. “If my brother can get in and out with only his Sasquatch, then we can, too.”

“No we can’t.” Van stood and slid his hands in his pockets. “No rope, no knife, no weapons, no binoculars, no ammo, nothin’ but a Squatch coat. You know that’s not gonna work, especially hikin’ them mountains.”

Ammo? My glare swung to Memphis. So he did have a gun.

“So you’re going home?” Memphis barked.

Van shrugged. “I didn’t volunteer to be captured.”

“Fine.” Memphis held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”

Van shook his head. “No. You lost yours. This one’s mine.”

Memphis moved toward him and Van backed up. “What do you need it for?”

“Wild animals.”

“I’ll give you my bow.”

“No.”

“We’re going into Brighton. We had a deal.”

Van shrugged. “That was until it became a death sentence.”

Memphis groaned. “Fine, then. Go.”

Van looked to me and held out his hand. “Come with me, Abby. You can’t go blow up that office, not without our stuff.”

Part of me wanted to leave with Van. Part of me wanted to stay. But the biggest part of me wanted to find Kaden. He was out there, somewhere, and he had all of our stuff. He was whom we needed the most.

“Sorry, Van.” I shook my head. “I’m staying.”

He sighed and stormed off into the forest, and Memphis, too proud and stubborn, didn’t call after him.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 667