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“I know, but if the DNA modifier and navigation module are not there, they are not anywhere I can find them. I am not yet ready to relinquish hope.”
“What are we waiting for?” Mere forced cheeriness and confidence into her voice. She was half ashamed of the thrill the thought of him not finding his gadgets gave her.
They tromped through the fields, keeping the flashlight and lantern off until well clear of the house and road. She was glad for her coat, as the autumn air had a nip to it once the sun went down. Ten minutes later, Anders nudged her shoulder and pointed at the lean-to.
The small structure had seen better days. Mr. Reed had sold off the livestock before his death and split the land between his children in his will. No one had any need to check the lean-to in decades. Some of the boards had rotted away and the roof sagged.
Mere swept her flashlight over the ground underneath the roof. A deep pile of leaves obscured any possible hiding spot. She glanced at Anders. He shrugged and swung the shovel he’d grabbed on the way from where it rested on his shoulder. Mere heaved a sigh and did the same with the hoe he’d given her.
About fifteen minutes later, Anders’s shovel hit something hard, and a sharp clang rewarded their efforts. She joined him in the corner of the lean-to and helped him clear the remaining leaves.
A large flat rock looked out of place in the midst of the leaves and other forest debris.
“Well?” Anders’s voice held notes of confusion and excitement.
“You lift it with your shovel. I’ll stand ready in case some creepy-crawly is hiding under there.”
Mere pointed her hoe at the stone and took a half step away. Who knew what was under there? With any luck, it would only be bugs, maybe a small rodent. But a rattler could have made a home under there for the cooler months and might not be happy to be disturbed.
Anders placed the lantern next to the rock and she pointed her flashlight directly at it. He lifted the rock, but it slipped off the shovel and crashed back to the ground. No snakes, at least, and Mere glimpsed a small metal box under the rock. She clicked off the flashlight and tossed it next to the lantern.
“Together.” She shoved her hoe under the edge of the rock.
“On three. One, two, three.”
They lifted and flipped the rock over, revealing a hole under it and a metal box lodged there like an egg in a nest. Anders knelt and pulled it out. A simple key lock kept it closed.
“How delicate are the gizmos you’re looking for?” she asked.
“Too delicate to risk breaking the lock with the tools we have out here.”
“Let’s head back to the house. I can probably pick the lock with a paper clip or a small screwdriver.”
“There are other tools out in the shed we can try if that fails.” His eyes glimmered strangely in the moonlight, like swimming pools on a summer’s day. How had she not seen he was different?
They replaced the rock and moved the debris around, attempting to disguise their visit. It was an amateurish effort at best, but nature would take care of the rest if they could delay the government agents for long enough.
14
PUT THE KETTLE ON
The return trip took far less time. Mere rushed to keep up with Anders, his long legs eating the distance quickly. The full moon had risen and lit their way with an eerie glow. They returned the tools to the shed and hurried inside. Anders placed the box on the kitchen table.
“Put the kettle on while I find…you said a paper clip or a small screwdriver?”
“Yes.” Mere lifted the kettle on the stove, and water sloshed around. She lit the burner and rummaged through cupboards, looking for tea.
Anders returned a long moment later, carrying a small toolbox. He tossed a handful of paper clips on the table and set the toolbox down with a metallic thud.
“I can’t find the tea,” Mere said.
“I will get it. You work on the lock.”
She abandoned her search, picked up a paper clip, and unbent it. Mere watched for a moment as Anders poured the water over the tea bags in two white mugs. The earthy scent filled the kitchen, and the steam from the kettle made the scene of domesticity fuzzy, almost out of focus. It would be nice to have more moments like this with Anders, but that wasn’t in the cards.
He turned around as though he could feel her gaze on his back. Mere resumed her task, twisting the paper clip in the lock until it clicked, and the lid cracked open. Something gleamed in the narrow gap.
Anders stood behind her, his breath stirring the hairs on her nape. All she had to do was take one little step to touch his firm body again. Mere resisted the urge and stepped to the side instead.
