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Within the hour,they were dressed and driving on Daisy’s motorcycle down to the south end of Cardinal City. Before they’d left, Axel had quickly checked in on Elena, only to find her having the time of her life gaming with the boy she’d met on the first night, Alek. Elena actually looked at Axel like he was cramping her style, so he quickly left. He tried not to think about the dark circles that had been under her eyes and hoped she wasn’t just putting on a brave face.
Despite being mid-afternoon, the further they drove down to the tail end of the city, the worse the conditions were. Looting in broad daylight. Muggings in the street. Bodies laid on the side of the road in the gutter. Axel’s stomach clenched when he saw one of the CCFD trucks trying to get through to an accident, but an angry mob was pulling the hose down. He should be out there with them, but he was needed just as much here.
Helping Daisy could end all this chaos.
He forced himself to keep his head down and focused on the road ahead as Daisy weaved the motorcycle through debris and garbage and people wandering the streets. The smell of shit and piss grew stronger the closer they got to the riverside banks. Unlike the center of the city, where the debris from broken bridges was being cleared, here it was left to fester like a pustule on a dying man.
Daisy stopped the bike when she couldn’t get any further beyond the chunks of pitchmen and asphalt. She parked and they got off.
“I wish you’d stayed with your sister.” She glowered at him as she checked her weapons. A pistol at her hip and a katana buckled across her body and sitting over her shoulder. She’d left the baseball bat at home. But she wasn’t wearing a battle suit, like her siblings. She wore a sweater and jeans. Her long silver hair was tied back in a ponytail.
He had his own gun in the waistband of his jeans. He knew how to use it. He would be fine.
“Daze,” he said, an eyebrow arching. “The rest of your family might be okay with you going off on your own, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting you scout a potential hideaway of a mad man without back up.”
“They’re not exactly okay with it,” she mumbled. “But they have no choice. We’re stretched thin.”
Most of them had been out searching the city, but Wyatt had been in the basement with his baby and Mary and Flint. They’d said to report back immediately on what Daisy found. Griffin still wasn’t doing so good. They were worried and didn’t want to leave him, but they would come running if Daisy’s hunch proved correct. They would take down Julius together.
“I would have preferred not to tell them at all,” she admitted.
“But I’m sure you’re glad you did.”
“I didn’t want to get their hopes up.” Her teeth ground. Her nostrils flared. “I suppose it’s too late to complain now.”
“Damn straight.” His lips curved on one side. “Remember what I said about making mistakes together? I’m here with you, whatever happens.”
For a moment, her eyes softened, then she hardened them and jerked her chin toward the crumbled bridge. He followed her gaze to where seagulls jumped over the rocky rubble. Cable wires and metal poles stuck out at odd angles.
“Flint arranged for a boat to be hidden somewhere behind there,” she said.
“Careful. There could be live wires.”
“There it is.” She pointed to where a speed boat sat moored on the riverside dock.
They jogged over with a wary eye along the coast. A boat would be precious cargo right now. That or a helicopter was the only way out of the crime-riddled city but those with access to an inflight vehicle had made a mass exodus once the bridges were blown.
Axel felt the unnatural weight of eyes on them as they approached the empty boat.
“Was the skipper meant to meet us?” he asked.
“Yeah. Flint said to meet him here and pay him.”
“With what?”
“Safe passage.”
Axel’s brows went up, but he shrugged. He supposed if the skipper wanted off the island city, and Daisy could provide an escort, then at least it wasn’t costing them cash. Then again… what would the man need an escort for? The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he surveyed the shore. No one was in sight. Seagulls squawked under the overcast mid-afternoon sky. After a few moments of eerie silence, he turned to Daisy.
“Maybe we should just go,” Daisy suggested, scrutinizing the boat. “I’m sure I’ll figure out how to hot-wire it in no time.”
“Maybe you should practice.”
“What?”
“Your gift.” He pointed at the water. “You moved the shower water. Maybe try something with that.”
She gave him a dubious look. “A few droplets of water is different to a river.”
