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Cole nods. “We should have opened our doors earlier, but I hadn’t expected the ragers to stick around for so long. Somehow, they’re still milling about, no hint of slowing.”
Knowing the writing is on the wall, I relent.
“Fine, parlay with the bastard, but at least do me the courtesy of running any potential deals through me. I deserve to know the fucking accommodations being made to the man who almost killed my girl.”
“Your girl?” Gabriel says with an upticked brow.
“Yeah,mygirl.”
“I can’t say you’ll like whatever deal has to be made,” Cole says, “but I promise you won’t be blindsided.”
“Anything else?”
“Nope. Go check on your girl.” Cole nods towards the door.
On my way back to get Suki, Gabriel catches up and walks with me.
“So, you’ve been out there a while and I was wondering if you stumbled upon any evidence of my sis.”
He’s relentless in his pursuit of her, insisting that she’s still alive, flashing her picture to anyone that will look.
No one has the heart to tell him the obvious.
“I haven’t seen her, but you better believe I’m looking.”
“I’m headed out tomorrow to check her old haunts. Gonna ask Cole to adjust the focus areas for me.”
“And afterward you’ll bring her back so she can be a Kept Woman?”
“So she can stay an Alive Woman, more like it. I’d rather her here, cared for, fat and happy with some little nieces and nephews for me on the way than her walking mindless.”
“I hear ya, man.”
“This talk of animal infection has me all spun up. If we close the Keep—”
“There’s no reason to close the Keep,” I insist. “The infected animal is contained, and the other outposts may not have the same capabilities as we do. Plus, the closest one is more than a day’s drive.”
“Still, we need to prepare.” Gabriel glowers, the muscles of his jaw and neck growing tense. “I think we should change up the message broadcasting.”
“That message helped clean up the streets.”
“Yeah, but more than gangs listen to the broadcasts. Women do too.”
“And we have people stationed around the exits from the city. If we catch any women or children trying to leave, we’ll intervene.”
“Oh, yeah—what about Blake? He left without issue.”
“He’s different. He knew where we’d look and that the scouts wouldn’t pay too much attention as long as he was a man.”
Nothing I’m saying gets through to him.
“Look, I get that you’re worried about your sis, but all you can do is search and pray.”
“Yeah, good luck with Suki,” he sneers, taking off down the hall.
I wish there was something I could do to put his mind at ease or to help him come to terms with the reality that his sister is probably a brain-dead meat bag, but he clings to the hope that she’ll turn up.
I guess I would too.
