Far from Done: Far Series Book Six, page 29
Near the end of the hall, we reached a closed door and finally stopped. The sign next to it said Biology Lab, and even though it was as dark as all the others we’d passed, I knew we’d reached the right place. Not because the door was closed, but because a deadbolt had been installed on the outside.
Jace waved to the lock. “Looks like we found the right place.”
“Looks like it,” I agreed.
I undid the lock, and the sound echoed down the hallway. Looking over my shoulder, I glanced back the way we’d come, half expecting to see someone charging toward us. It was as deserted as it had been, but I wasn’t about to take chances. This group was smart. We knew that firsthand.
Jace was opening the door by the time I turned back. It swung inward, and I lifted my flashlight, my gun up and ready in case there was trouble. I relaxed a second later, though. About a dozen kids between the ages of thirteen and fifteen stared back at me from cots just like the ones in the gym.
“What’s going on?” a girl asked.
“We’re here to help,” I said.
“Help?” someone repeated.
Jace stepped into the room. “We’re here to set you free and burn this motherfucker down.”
Silence followed the statement, broken a second later when someone laughed. More laughter followed, then a cheer. Someone started crying, and someone else wanted to know where we were taking them, while another kid asked if we knew where his sister was.
“There are other kids,” I said, waving toward the door. “Down the hall.”
Tentatively, the kids began to get to their feet. One here, another there, then more and more until everyone was up. I stepped out of the room backward, my focus on the kids. Something slammed into me a second later, and we both went down.
My body throbbed from the impact, but my shoulder screamed. Before I could figure out what was going on, though, a fist smashed into my face. Pain exploded across my cheekbone, and I grunted. My head hit the floor, and my vision went black while my leg somehow got twisted under me at an angle that didn’t seem at all possible. My ears were ringing, but I fought back as best as I could, bringing the knee of my free leg up, swinging my fists even though I couldn’t see enough to aim. The person on top of me grunted, and I became aware of shouting, but I couldn’t focus enough to figure out what was happening. At least not until the man was ripped off me and tossed aside.
A thud and a grunt followed, and Jace appeared above me. “You okay?”
I massaged my shoulder even as I nodded. “Yeah. I think so.”
He held his hand out, and I took it without thinking. It wasn’t until I was on my feet that I thought about how strange it was to have Jace rushing to my aid. Strange and surreal.
“What the hell was that?” I asked.
Jace jerked his head to his left. “Asshole jumped you.”
I turned to find Adam sprawled on the floor, his nose bloody, his eyes wild looking as he stared up at Jace and me. “Look who it is! My good friend Doug!”
“Shit,” I muttered, then looked around. “Thiago with you?”
“Dead.” Adam pushed himself to a sitting position and spit, and a glob of bloody saliva landed at my feet. “At least that’s what I’m assuming. I probably would be too if I hadn’t been smart enough to run. Not like those other idiots. They all should have known what was going down the second the fire alarms went off.”
“Just like I should have realized who you were the second you mentioned going to other settlements.”
Adam’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. “That wasn’t what tipped you off?”
“No.” I took a step closer to him. “Mike did.”
“Mike.” He repeated the name like he’d never heard it.
“You know, the little kid who went to the West Milton settlement with Roberta. He was with us. You stole him from us after you took everything. Killed our people, destroyed our home, stole all our belongings.”
“It’s just business, brother. Nothing personal,” Adam’s mouth twisted into an amused grin. “We had to do whatever we could to survive. It’s the way of the world now.”
I lifted my gun, aiming it at his head. “Well, this is personal. Very, very personal.”
I didn’t give him a chance to respond before pulling the trigger.
The gunshot bounced off the walls, echoing through the hall and making my ears ring, but I didn’t care. It was worth it if it meant there was one less piece of scum in the world.
“Doug!” Kiaya’s voice boomed down the hall, cutting through the ringing in my ears.
I turned my back to Adam’s body. “I’m okay. We’re okay.”
Silence followed, stretching out longer than I would have liked, then she called. “You scared the shit out of me. What’s going on?”
I shook my head. “We’re coming. All of us.”
35
Mike
The other kids were scared when the fire alarms went off, but not me. I knew it was Devon. Had been expecting it. I’d done my best to make everyone feel better. Had promised we’d be safe. Had told them people were coming to help us. I didn’t think they believed me at first, but they did now.
“What now?” Max asked Kiaya.
She looked around the gym, frowning. “There are a lot more than I thought there would be.”
“No shit,” Max said. “What the hell are we supposed to do with all of them?”
“We have the bus,” Kiaya replied. “We’ll take that back to Elizabethtown and figure it out from there.”
“Maybe they should bring their pillows and blankets?” Max said, but he didn’t sound very sure. “I mean, they’re going to be tired, and I don’t know where we’d get that many in the middle of the night.”
“Good idea,” Kiaya replied.
I listened but said nothing. Usually, I didn’t like being a kid. I got overlooked a lot just because I was young. But right now, I was happy to let the adults figure everything out, and Max’s idea sounded good to me. I was tired, and everyone else would be, too.
“Listen up,” Kiaya said loudly so all the kids could hear her. “We’re going to—”
Footsteps pounded down the hall, and she spun around as Doug and the kid who went with him stepped in the room. The teenagers with them looked almost excited. Not like the kids in this room. The little ones still weren’t sure what was going on, and they were scared. They’d get over it once they realized these people weren’t like the ones who lived here.
“Everything okay?” Doug asked.
“Just wrapping up.” Kiaya turned back to the kids. “We’re going to take you somewhere safe, okay?”
Some looked at each other like they weren’t sure they believed her, but others nodded. Some just stared at her.
“We need everyone to get their blankets and pillows and follow us,” Kiaya said.
A few kids moved, but most didn’t.
I stepped forward. “They’re nice. I promise. They won’t lock us up or hit us or make us work in the fields. They have school, and we can take showers.” I looked at Kiaya. “I think.”
“We’re working on getting the electricity back where we live, but yes. You can take showers.”
I looked back at the other kids. “See. They’re nice. They even have a movie theater where they live.”
More started moving, and then others, and soon everyone was grabbing their blankets and pillows.
Kiaya put her hand on my shoulder. “Thanks, Mike.”
“They’re scared.”
“Understandable,” Doug said.
When everyone was ready, I led the kids out of the gym and down the hall, following Kiaya, Doug, and the other adults. I wanted to see Devon and Rowan and Zara and Lexi and everyone else. I wanted to get out of here and be somewhere better. I even missed school. Which was crazy.
We were almost to the front door when someone yelled, “Kiaya!”
I stopped and turned because I recognized the voice. Devon, Gabe, Lisa, and Eden were jogging toward us.
“We need to—” Devon started to say but stopped when he saw me. “Mike!”
“Devon!” I said, smiling. “You got my note.”
When he knelt in front of me, he looked sad even though he was smiling. “You did a great job, Mike. Really.”
He put his hand on my shoulder, and I thought he might hug me, but he didn’t. Probably he didn’t know if I wanted him to.
“Mike!” Lisa cried.
She did hug me, and Gabe patted my back while Eden winked.
“I knew you’d be okay,” she said. “You’re a tough kid.”
“I tried to be strong for the other kids. Just like I did with Lexi after Mom died.”
“You did great,” Gabe said, and the others nodded.
They all looked toward Kiaya when she said, “What’s going on?”
Devon stood and shook his head. “You’re not going to believe this, but Roberta is Peters’ sister. He’s not just in on this, he set it all up.”
“That son of a bitch,” Doug said.
I looked between the adults as they talked about some guy I didn’t know. It was like they’d forgotten about me, but that was okay because they’d come for me just like I knew they would. And now I was going home to Lexi.
36
Rowan
It was way after midnight, but Peters still hadn’t left. The bottle of wine was nearly empty—he drank most of it—and I was exhausted. I wouldn’t be able to sleep until Devon was home, but I still wished Elizabeth and I could go up to our room. Trying to read a book or magazine would at least take my mind off things, but sitting here, all I could do was think because Peters wasn’t talking.
He alternated between looking at the clock on the mantel and staring at me as he drank his wine. The heavy silence surrounding us was unnerving, but since I didn’t want to talk to him, I didn’t really want to break it. I just kept hoping he’d get the hint and leave. Why would he want to sit here for more than two hours in near silence, anyway? And why had he even come to begin with?
It was the second question that nagged at me more than even the unwelcome company or the late hour. Why was Peters here? He’d never visited us before, had never seemed interested in getting to know us, and as far as I knew, he never went to anyone else’s house either. He lived alone, but if he did get together with someone outside the office, it was at his house. When he and Daphne weren’t on the outs, she slept at his house. When he managed to convince another woman to sleep with him, it was at his house. So why had he decided to come here?
I knew about his proclivities and couldn’t help wondering if he was here for me. Maybe he was bored of whoever he was sleeping with right now and had decided to see if I was game? I wouldn’t put it past him—he threw himself at women shamelessly—but it still seemed far-fetched. He knew I was with Devon and couldn’t possibly think I’d cheat on my husband with a man much older and much less attractive. Not only that, but Peters had never acted like he liked me all that much. He was bitter about the settlement being named after my daughter instead of him, and he didn’t seem to think my position as the only new mother we knew of was any kind of real honor. Still, it was the only thing I could think of. He was here to hit on me.
That was something I did not want to happen.
I got to my feet. “It’s late.”
“It is.” Peters took a sip of his wine but didn’t stand.
I waited a second, but when he still didn’t move, said, “If you don’t mind leaving, I’d really like to go to bed.”
“Sit down, Mrs. Parks.”
His tone wasn’t harsh, but it was commanding, and I found myself sitting without even considering what I was doing. Once I was back on the couch, though, I started to get mad. Who did this man think he was? This was my house, and I wanted him to leave.
“Mr. Peters,” I said, trying to stay calm even though I was seeing red at this point, “this is my house, and I’m asking you to leave. I’m tired, and it’s late.”
“It’s my house,” he replied evenly. “I gave it to you just like I gave your husband his job. Just like I gave you the safety of these walls to live behind. You are alive because of me. You had medical treatment when your daughter was born because of me. All of this is because of me.” He leaned closer, his eyes narrowed on my face. “If I want to stay, I will.”
For a moment, I found it impossible to respond, but I snapped out of it fast and spit out, “We worked for the things we have. All of us. And as far as medical treatment, my daughter was delivered by Lisa. Not you. You might think you’re some kind of all-powerful leader, but you’re not. And this is my house. It’s where I live. And I want you to leave.”
“No.” He took another drink, not looking away from me. “I will stay here until Devon and your friends come back. I want to be here when they do.”
That was when the real reason he was here hit me. It had something to do with this mission, with the vultures. It was the only thing that made sense. But what? I didn’t have a clue. Even worse, I didn’t know what to do or if I was in any kind of danger. I’d never thought Peters was dangerous before, but now we were alone in the house, and he refused to leave, and I wasn’t so sure.
Thank God I’d had the foresight to hide weapons around the room. The knife stashed under the cushion of the chair Peters was sitting in was out of reach, as was the one on the mantel. The one I’d hidden inside the basket of the diapers, I could get to pretty quickly. Would I need to, though? Peters was an asshole, we all knew that, but was he dangerous? I wasn’t sure. I also wasn’t sure how I’d respond if something did happen. Would I rise to the occasion the way I did in the square, acting on instinct before my fear had a chance to overcome me, or would I freeze? What if I had a panic attack? What if my anxiety put Elizabeth in danger?
I glanced toward the playpen where Elizabeth slept and prayed I wouldn’t have to find out.
37
Devon
It seemed to take twice as long to reach Elizabethtown as it had to make it to Minster, and I was anxious the entire time, my thoughts on Peters and what would happen next. The vultures were dead, but this thing wasn’t over until he paid for what he’d done. Knowing time was of the essence, getting to him had become my number one priority the second we were sure the school was secure. We’d loaded the kids onto the bus, putting some of the older ones in charge of the younger ones, and headed out. Just it and two trucks. The rest of our people would stay at the school until we could come back. The vultures’ supplies were a literal goldmine, and we couldn’t afford to leave them unguarded.
“You okay?” Gabe asked when he slowed to a stop outside the gate.
I shook my head, my jaw too tight to talk as I waited for the gate to open. I felt like a fool for not realizing what a weasel Peters was. It was all so far-fetched, though. He had his own settlement attacked on more than one occasion. Had given the order to have the people he was supposed to protect gunned down in the street. It wasn’t hard to understand his motivation. Power. He’d created this place, and he wanted people to think it was invincible. He was even more twisted than I’d imagined.
The gate opened, and Gabe drove through, the bus and second truck right behind us. As soon as he’d put it in park, I shoved my door open and hopped out, ready to get this next part taken care of.
Gavin and Debra were on duty. Clearly anxious for an update, they rushed over to meet us.
“You got them, didn’t you?” Debra asked.
“They must have.” Gavin waved at the kids filing off the bus. “Look at that.”
They looked shellshocked on top of being filthy, and most of them were too thin. More startling, though, were the expressions in their eyes. All of them had seen too much. Too much death, too much violence, too much hate. It disturbed me to know we’d added to that for some of them, but it couldn’t have been prevented. If we hadn’t stopped the vultures, these kids would have stayed prisoners and more people probably would have died. Not us, as it turned out, since Peters was the driving force behind the whole operation. No, those of us in Elizabethtown would have been safe as long as we were living within these walls. The whole thing was crazy.
It was the middle of the night, and the settlement was quiet when we stepped through the second gate. I was exhausted both physically and mentally and wished this was all over so I could go home and crawl into bed with my wife. That was something I couldn’t do until Peters had been taken into custody.
I turned to the people at my back, most of whom looked as exhausted as I felt, and focused on Kiaya. “Can you be in charge of making sure the kids get settled?”
We had no idea what their futures would look like, but we’d decided to set them up in the old bank for the time being. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable place, but it would have to do until more permanent accommodations could be arranged.
“I can do that.” Kiaya tilted her head, her eyebrows pulling together and emphasizing the scar on the left one. “What are you going to do with Peters?”
“Arrest him.” I focused on Gabe. “You with me?”
He patted the pistol at his hip. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“You and me both.”
I turned to Mike. “Stay with Kiaya, okay? She’ll get you home when she’s done.”
“Yeah, okay.” He glanced at the kids filing off the bus. “I want to make sure they’re all right, anyway.”
The kid was amazing. Totally unselfish and mature. A real hero for what he’d done.
I put my hand on his shoulder, and he focused on me.
“It’s good to have you back, Mike.”
“Thanks for coming to get me,” he said.
“I’m only sorry it wasn’t sooner.”
Mike’s shoulders rose and fell. “It’s okay. I understand.”
