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He holds that somber expression with an iron will. “They’re back,” he finally says.
“Who’s back?”
“Them.”
He turns the laptop in my direction. I instantly recognize the layout of the warehouse we checked out weeks ago.
“The convoy?” I ask.
He nods. “I’ve been watching this place like a damn hawk. No one has come anywhere near it since we left it until about ten minutes ago. One car drove up and two guys got out. It’s gotta be the ones who brought me here, I can just feel it…”
“I thought you were going to let this go, Boxcar.”
“Would you?” he asks. “Be honest, Caleb. If these people dragged you down here and tried to kill you, wouldn’t you want to know why? It couldn’t have all been for nothing.”
I bite my inner cheek. The last thing I want to do is fuel this obsession, but I don’t want to lie to him either. “Okay, fine,” I answer, “but there’s nothing you can do about it. Command told us to ignore it, so—”
“Command told the military to ignore it. Not me. I can go. They haven’t been there long, there’s still time to get there before they disappear again.”
I blink. “And do what? Ask them politely why they almost executed you? It’s stupid, not to mention suicidal.”
He turns the laptop away from me. “I might not get another chance.”
“Is that really the worst thing in the world?” I ask. “You’ve already escaped, Boxcar. As your bodyguard, I strongly deny this request for you to leave camp.”
“I’m not asking permission,” he says. “Just a blind eye.”
“Box…” I inhale a deep breath. “If you really want to go out there then be smart about it. Tell Rhys.”
“I’m not bringing other people into this.” He shakes his head. “No way.”
I push out of my seat. “Then, I will.”
“Caleb—” Boxcar reaches across the table and grabs my hand, drawing the eyes of most everyone around us. “No. Please.”
“Boxcar, there’s not a single person here who will condemn you for what you did,” I say. “Gun to the head, I’m pretty sure most of us would have made the same choice.” His grip relaxes, but it doesn’t fall. “If you want to find out what’s going on in that warehouse then this is your best chance. You don’t have to trust them but trust me.”
He drops my hand. “All right…”
There’s betrayal in his tone but I can’t just let him wander out there and get killed. I feel a connection to Boxcar, one I’m not entirely sure how to describe, but one thing is certain: I’m not ready to let it go yet.
Not until I know for sure what it means.
Chapter 18
Caleb
Now
“Does this look better in green or blue?”
I raise my head. Lilah stands in front of a mirror in the corner with two expensive cocktail dresses in either hand hanging from padded hangers. She stares at me with expectation, like we’re just best friends out for a day of shopping and caramel lattes.
However, in my experience, one friend usually isn’t duct-taped to a chair and pumped full of a rather extreme sedative.
My tongue feels weak and heavy but at least I’ve stopped slurring. “No idea,” I say.
She scoffs and tosses the blue one down before sliding the green one off its hanger. “You know, you’re making this whole thing way more unpleasant than it needs to be.”
