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“How’s it looking out there?” his father asks.
“Like we’re in the middle of the wilderness.”
“Did you see any lakes or rivers?”
Cade shakes his head. “Sorry, I didn’t go that far, but there’s a woodshed around the back of the property. It’s got a decent amount in it, but we’ll get through it quickly enough. I think it makes sense to replenish what we use and even stock up.”
“You think we’re going to be here that long?” I dare say.
He shrugs. “It’s better to be safe than sorry. There was an axe embedded into one of the tree stumps, which will come in useful, but we need to explore farther afield.”
Reed goes to his bag. “Let’s eat first. We need our strength.”
Does Reed have any idea that he had a hard-on this morning and that he was pressing it against me? I sneak a glance at him. He doesn’t seem to be acting any differently this morning, but then what do I have it to compare to?
We share out some of the food we’d scavenged from the plane. It doesn’t seem like much to me, and I assume it must feel like even less to the men.
“We’ve got enough to last us a few days, if we ration it,” Reed says, “but we’re going to need to find more food.”
Darius nods. “We’re incredibly lucky to have a roof over our heads. Imagine if we hadn’t found this place. We’d be screwed.”
“I think one of us needs to keep an eye out for any signs of a plane during daylight hours.” Cade looks to Darius. “Sorry, bro. You’ll need to sit out of this one.”
Darius scowls. “I might not be able to see a plane, but I’ll guarantee I’ll hear one before any of you lot spot one.”
“Yes, he will,” Reed agrees. “We can take it in a couple of hours stint until it gets dark. Darius can go first, then Cade, then me, and then we’ll start again.”
I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin. “Hey, what about me? I’m perfectly capable of taking a slot, too.”
“There might be wild animals out there,” Reed says.
A raised an eyebrow. “What, on the porch?”
“If they’re hungry, they might come up on the porch.”
“So, you’re saying you or Cade or Darius would be able to fight off a bear, but I wouldn’t?”
To be fair, looking at Cade, I suspect he probably can fight off a bear. He’s certainly big enough.
“I’m supposed to be taking care of you, Laney,” Reed says, irritated.
I can’t help my sarcasm. “You’re doing a great job so far.”
He winces with pain at my words, and I instantly feel guilty.
I soften my tone. “I’ve been looking after myself for as long as I can remember. If I can survive Los Angeles as a kid practically on my own, I’m sure I can sit on a porch for a couple of hours. If I see a bear or cougar or anything, I’ll shout. It’s not like you’re going to be far.”
“Okay, fine,” he relents. “You can take a shift, too.”
The authorities will definitely know that we’re missing by now, and that the plane never made it to its final location. There will be teams of people searching for us. They’re bound to find us soon.
Darius gets up to take the first shift and crosses the cabin to the door.
He appears to have already mapped out the locations of the various items in the room, and where the door is. It amazes me how quickly he learns his surroundings, but I guess he’s used toit. He’s spent months, if not years, traveling from place to place, staying in different hotel rooms. He’s had to adapt.
I notice how he always keeps his violin close. Is it a kind of security blanket for him? He hasn’t played it since we’ve been here, though. He’s taken it from its case and smoothed his fingers across the polished wood and strings but hasn’t tried to coax a sound from them. He’s so different from his brother. Is it because of his disability? Or is it because he’s a musician? Or is it simply his personality? Where Cade is all pent-up rage and sarcasm, Darius is calm and introspective. He’s only a few years my senior, but he seems a decade older.
No matter how Cade is treating me, these men are my family now. I don’t have anyone else.
