Page 26

Cali

I have no reason to believe the road we travel through the night will lead us to the rebels. For two months, we’ve chased after clues and hunches that have gotten us no closer to finding them, but that’s the nature of a heart in flames--it burns long after the first spark. I can’t bring myself to give up on Valdys, even if every road ends in disappointment and heartache.

Because I know he’d never give up on me.

It’s been two days of driving, and at the first flicker of light off in the distance, Titus slows the truck and kills the headlights. The trembles of excitement build low in my stomach, humming beneath my skin, as I peer across the open desert toward where a camp lies at the foot of a mountain. “It’s them?”

“Unless the bastard in Ceniza was lying, I would guess.”

It’s likely only because he didn’t realize Titus and Cadmus shared the same blood as the Alpha who leads them that the man back in Ceniza divulged such a thing. I wouldn’t have considered a regular man much of a threat against an Alpha, either. He swore the truth again, when Cadmus suggested tying him to the front of the truck and bringing him along for the ride, so I’m willing to gamble on his words being truth.

We exit the truck and make our way to the back, gathering ammunition and guns. I hope we don’t need to use them, as killing isn’t the intended outcome, but we’ve encountered enough hostiles out in the Deadlands to make us fools for not arming ourselves. Our goal is to find Kenny, the one responsible for the computer system at Calico. The same guy, I suspect, was responsible for sealing the doors in the first place. I watched him escape with the rebels that same night, and I’ve been praying ever since that he’s still alive.

Slipping a pair of binoculars over my head, I look back at Brandon, whose uniform, even tattered and frayed, might forge an attack. “Perhaps you should stay here and guard the truck.”

“And if they attack?”

“Better that you’re not caught in the fray.” Hand to his cheek, I give a tight-lipped smile. “Hopefully, we’ll be in and out.”

“And I’ll soon see my brother again.”

“You will.” A promise that may seem void of sincerity, but I wouldn’t have lasted two months in these harsh lands, if I didn’t carry a small sliver of hope that Valdys is alive. I’d be a hypocrite to deny him peace of mind.

Offering a quick peck on the cheek, I step past him and follow Cadmus and Titus down the dark path that’s hardly discernible in the moon’s light.

“We’ll take the high ground there.” Titus points toward a hill ahead of us. “Find Kenny first, then make our move.”

“No fight?” Cadmus pauses to slip behind me and bring up the rear of our group.

“Not if we can help it, so don’t do anything stupid,” I say over my shoulder, noticing Cadmus’s eyes on me. Ever since the estrus thing, he’s been watching me closer than before, his eyes never wavering from me.

“I’ve done many foolish things, but fighting certainly hasn’t been one of them.”

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Spoken like a true Alpha from S-Block.”

“And this Alpha we’re expected to stumble upon here in the camp,” he continues, strolling casually behind me like a man who isn’t troubled that we’re about to raid a rebel camp. “Do you think he’ll greet us with open arms?”

“Not likely. Which is why it’s imperative that you avoid making a spectacle.’

“A man can’t help what comes natural.” The air of amusement in his voice is the old Cadmus clawing for the surface, but it’s tamped down by the somber tone that consistently shadows his words.

Thankfully, the peyote I gave him was the last of it, and given the rarity of the plant, it’s not likely he’ll have much opportunity to lose himself to hallucinations for a while again.

We reach the hill’s peak and hide out in the creosote bushes scattered about. From our vantage point, the entire camp stands in plain view, and binoculars in hand, I sweep over the tents and bonfire, searching for the familiar face that I hope is still present among their group. Titus points toward somewhere beyond a massive pyre, and I follow the path of his finger to where Kenny sleeps. At the camp’s perimeter, two men pace with guns strapped at their backs. Formidable, but easy targets for Cadmus and Titus. At least twenty people lie sleeping around the campire, with a couple of dozen tents scattered around them. Assuming they’re all armed, it’s not exactly a walk through the meadows. If we were so ambitious to fight, we’d be well-outnumbered.

At a glance, it doesn’t seem that we stand much chance of extracting Kenny, but the tent behind him offers some small measure of opportunity. If we can round the perimeter unnoticed, and slip behind the tent, we can potentially drag him from the camp without much incident.

“The tent seems like the best odds.” I lower the binoculars, taking in the size of their group, which I’m guessing is around sixty, or so, maybe slightly more.

“Agreed. Unless the Alpha is among those guarding. It’ll be impossible to go unseen then.” Titus stands beside me, still holding the binoculars to his eyes. “If they catch us, it’ll be one hell of a fight.”

“A slaughter. One I hope to avoid,” I correct. “We’re only here for Kenny. Nothing else.”

“Then, lets get our asses in gear and get this shit over with.” Cadmus pushes to his feet, the irritation of this mission clear on his face.

“You have reservations about this, Cadmus?”

His lack of response prods my frustration, and I shake my head.