The Extinction Series | Book 8 | Primordial Earth 8

by Higgins, Baileigh

  Daniel reared back. “The mayor’s daughter?”

  “That’s right, so you’d better not hurt her,” Seth warned.

  “I’d never hurt the girl,” Daniel grumbled. “I was just trying to restrain her. She’s the one who kicked me.”

  “I was scared, okay? I’d fallen asleep, and suddenly you two found me and dragged me out of the truck,” Imogen cried, her chest heaving.

  “It’s okay,” Jessica said, taking Imogen’s hand. “You’re safe now.”

  “Yes, you are,” Rogue added, lending her support.

  “Thanks,” Imogen said, rubbing her arms. “No thanks to those two bullies.”

  “Boohoo, so you got knocked about a bit,” Lila said in mocking tones. “The big question is, what are you doing here? Why were you hiding in the truck?”

  “Err, that’s a good question,” Imogen said, suddenly shy.

  “Well? Why did you?” Jessica pressed.

  “I wanted to go with you on an adventure, that’s all. I asked my mother, but she refused,” Imogen burst out. “She’s got all these plans for me. Boring plans. I just couldn’t stand it!”

  Ronan groaned. “Oh, my God. A rebel and a runaway. The mayor will have our heads for this. I’ll never work in the city again.”

  “Imogen, really?” Jessica said with exasperation.

  “This is a problem,” Rogue agreed. While she liked Imogen, taking the girl on a dangerous mission could have far-reaching consequences for them all, especially Prime.

  “What do we do now?” Ronan asked. “We can’t let her come with us.”

  “Please, don’t send me back,” Imogen pleaded. “I won’t be any bother, I promise.”

  “What if something happens to you?” Ronan asked. “We’ll be held responsible.”

  “Jessica, please,” Imogen said, wringing her hands. “I can’t go back. My mother will kill me.”

  “You should’ve thought of that before,” Ronan said.

  Nigel and Spook remained quiet, watching the scene unfold from afar. Neither of them had an opinion on the matter. They would do whatever Ronan commanded.

  “We can’t turn around now,” Daniel said, shaking his head. “Much as I hate to say it, we’ve come too far.”

  “He’s right. She certainly made sure of that by hiding out until now,” Lila said. “At least the girl’s got spunk. I say let her tag along.”

  “Tag along?” Ronan cried, pacing up and down like a caged tiger. “It’s not that easy!”

  Seth sighed. “We don’t have a choice.”

  “No, we don’t,” Jessica said, leveling an angry look at Imogen. “She’ll have to come with us.”

  “This is just wonderful,” Ronan said, glaring at Imogen.

  “I’ll take the blame when we get back to Vancouver,” Jessica said, shielding Imogen from his wrath.

  Ronan paused. “You will?”

  “I swear it,” Jessica said.

  “Why would you do that?” Ronan asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

  “Because Vancouver is no longer my home. Prime is,” Jessica said, looking at Bear. “The mayor can’t hurt me anymore.”

  Ronan hesitated. “Fine, but she’d better stay the hell away from me.” With that, he stormed off, followed by the rest of his team.

  “Thank you, Jessica,” Imogen cried. “You don’t know what this means to me.”

  “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you, Imogen. You’ve placed us all in an impossible situation,” Jessica said.

  “I know, and I’m sorry,” Imogen said, lowering her lashes.

  “Next time, talk to us first, okay?” Rogue said.

  Imogen nodded. “I will, I promise.”

  “What’s done is done,” Seth said, settling the matter. “Let’s go inside. It will be night soon.”

  “Oh, crap,” Rogue cried, her eyes widening. “I forgot the kettle on the stove.”

  She sprinted toward the house, but her mind was far away, and burnt coffee the least of her worries. On the one hand, she was glad Imogen had joined the party. But on the other, she was worried about Jessica. Somehow, she didn’t think running to Prime would let her friend avoid the mayor’s wrath. Maeve Finley was not the forgiving type.

  There was nothing they could do about it, however, and they had to face facts. Imogen Finley was now part of the mission, and that was that.

  Chapter 22

  Rogue managed to salvage the coffee before it was ruined and decided to make supper while she was at it. Since cooking was not her forte, she kept it simple. In a pot of boiling water, she combined a mixture of dehydrated vegetables, beans, and cubes of smoked ham. A touch of salt, pepper, and dried herbs gave it taste and flavor. The resulting mixture was plain but hearty and filling.

  She’d forgotten about Ronan’s catch of the day, however. About halfway through, he joined her in the kitchen with his bucket of freshly caught fish. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all,” Rogue said, making space for him.

  “I think some fried fish will go well with your food,” he added with a grin.

  “As long as you make it,” Rogue replied, wrinkling her nose. “I don’t like touching them. They’re so slimy.”

  “Maybe, but by the time I’m done with these, they’ll be delicious,” Ronan quipped.

  He lifted a sharp knife in the air, twirled it, and gutted his first fish with an expert touch. Fish blood and innards spilled onto the cutting board, and Rogue gagged. “Oh, that’s nasty.”

  “Come on. I didn’t picture you for a fading flower,” he teased.

  “I’m not, but that’s gross.”

  “It is kinda gross,” Ronan agreed with a shrug.

  After cleaning the fish, he fried the fillets in a hot pan with more salt, pepper, and herbs. The smell was delicious, and it made her stomach rumble. “Mm, that smells good.”

  “I told you so,” Ronan said, flashing her a smile.

  Despite her earlier misgivings, Rogue found herself liking the man. He was easy to talk to but not overly friendly like Daniel. He knew where the line was and stayed on the other side. At the same time, the man was an expert with a knife and knew a lot about survival. Maybe, he’s not so bad. Perhaps we simply need to give him a chance. Jessica trusts him, after all.

  That did not apply to the rest of his team, however. Rogue did not like Daniel, and she did not trust Lila. The jury was still out on Nigel and Spook.

  With the food cooked, Ronan and Rogue cleaned up the mess and buried the fish guts in the ground outside. Afterward, they dished up a plate for everyone and plopped it down on the dining room table.

  “Come on, guys. Come and get it,” Ronan said.

  Spook grabbed his plate and skulked off into a corner, but Jessica would have none of it. “Come back and sit your ass down, Spook. We’ll eat like civilized human beings today.”

  “What for?” he mumbled.

  “Because we all need to get to know each other,” Jessica said, hands on her hips.

  “You heard the lady. Sit down,” Ronan added, lending his support.

  With a lot of grumbling and moaning, each chose a chair and sat down. The discovery of Imogen in the back of the supply truck caused a lot of strife among them. While Rogue, Seth, Bear, and Jessica accepted her as their own, the others did not. Ronan ignored her, as did Nigel and Spook, while Daniel resented her. The only one who spoke to her was Lila, and that made Rogue suspicious.

  “Tell me about your mom, Imogen. She must be a fascinating lady,” Lila asked, taking a chair next to Imogen.

  “Er, not really. She’s just a person like the rest of us,” Imogen said.

  “Surely not,” Lila said. “She’s the mayor, after all.”

  “Well,” Imogen said. “I suppose.”

  “What is she like? What’s her favorite color? Favorite dish?” Lila asked.

  Imogen answered with some reluctance at first, but she quickly warmed up to Lila. The words tumbled from her lips, prompted by Lila’s kind smil
e and warm interest. Soon, they were talking about everything related to Maeve and her administration.

  Rogue listened with half an ear while the two talked. It wasn’t long before she realized what Lila was up to. She’s fishing for information. Lila, the spy. No surprises there.

  With Imogen spilling her guts and all of her mom’s secrets, Rogue decided to intervene. Besides, she had information of her own that she wanted from Lila. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Why won’t you tell us what you found out about this mission that we’re on?”

  Lila frowned at the interruption and shook her head. “Nothing much.”

  “Oh, come on. There must be something? You were an hour late, after all,” Rogue prompted.

  Lila glanced at Ronan, who gave an imperceptible nod. Go on. Tell them something, was the unspoken permission he gave her, and she obeyed.

  “I couldn’t find much on it, I swear. Whatever records there are, they’re buried beneath an avalanche of passwords, codes, and the like. Even Spook would’ve struggled to get anything off those servers,” Lila said.

  “No, I wouldn’t have,” Spook said with a resentful look.

  “What place is this?” Rogue asked.

  “The government offices. I went snooping around them after I found nothing in the library and archives,” Lila said.

  “Nothing?” Ronan said with a frown. “That’s strange.”

  “Yeah, what could be so serious that they have to hide it like that?” Jessica speculated.

  “Nothing good, that’s for sure,” Ronan said. “What did you find out, Lila?”

  “The place we’re heading to is an old military base. After the Shift, the mayor and her government used it as a stash house for surplus military goods,” Lila said. “They also intended it to be a fall-back in case of emergencies.”

  “Interesting,” Ronan said.

  “Very,” Jessica added. “But it doesn’t explain our mission.”

  “I know something,” Imogen said, surprising everyone.

  “What is it?” Rogue asked.

  “While it used to be a stash house in the old days, it also has a fully-equipped laboratory. In recent years, my mom renovated it and sent scientists over to operate it,” Imogen said. “They’re doing research there now.”

  “What kind of research?” Jessica asked.

  “Beats me,” Imogen said with a shrug. “My mom was very secretive about it.”

  “So, that’s it?” Rogue asked. “That’s all we know?”

  “It seems like it,” Jessica said.

  “Great. We could be walking right into a trap,” Seth said.

  “My mom wouldn’t do that to us. To you, I mean,” Imogen protested.

  “We don’t know what her goals are or what she wants from that place,” Jessica said, taking Imogen’s hand in her own. “But don’t worry. We’ll keep you safe.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about,” Imogen replied with a morose expression.

  “Cheer up. Everything will look better in the morning,” Rogue said, gathering up the empty plates.

  “Maybe. Maybe not,” Daniel said, his expression cunning.

  “Why is that?” Rogue asked.

  “Because tomorrow, we hit the inland sea,” Daniel said. “You’ve heard of it before, haven’t you?”

  Rogue frowned. “A little.”

  “It’s hell on earth, let me tell you,” Daniel said. “Imagine a vast shallow sea covering the land, filled with all sorts of nasty creatures. Mosquitoes, midges, poisonous plants, snakes, and worst of all, giant crocodiles.”

  “Crocodiles?” Imogen said, her voice coming out as a high-pitched squeak.

  Daniel smiled, smug in the knowledge that he’d frightened her. “That’s right. Giant, man-eating crocodiles.”

  Imogen’s complexion turned waxen. “But… how can we get through terrain like that in the trucks? It’s impossible. Do we have to walk?”

  “Everyone, relax. It’s not that bad,” Ronan said, stepping in. “es, there are all sorts of nasty things in there, including crocs. It’s a swamp, after all. But there is a way through it with the trucks. We don’t have to walk as long as it hasn’t rained heavily in the past few weeks.”

  “And if it has?” Rogue asked.

  Ronan shrugged. “Then we’re screwed.”

  “Good to know, Ronan,” Jessica said, “but it won’t come to that.”

  “Let’s hope not,” Ronan said. “In any case, I suggest we all have an early night. Tomorrow is going to be a long-ass day. I’ll take first watch.”

  “Wake me up for the second shift,” Lila said.

  The rest all chimed in, picking their spots until they’d filled the roster.

  “Right, that’s sorted. Good night, guys,” Ronan said, taking up his position at a window seat.

  “Let’s get to bed, everyone,” Jessica said, guiding the still shaken Imogen to a nearby couch. “There, there. No croc will come near you with me around. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Imogen said, curling up on the couch.

  Rogue took Seth’s hand. “Where do we sleep?”

  “Over there,” he said, pointing at a mattress in the corner. “I made it cozy.”

  “I can’t wait,” Rogue said, following him to the spot. Along the way, she passed Daniel and flashed him a glare. What he’d done to Imogen didn’t sit well with her. The man was both a bully and a pest. I’d better warn Seth. He should know what a snake Daniel is in truth.

  And she did exactly that the following day. As soon as they were alone in the Jeep, she told him about Daniel. Afterward, he gave a curt nod. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll keep an eye on him from now on. Both eyes.”

  “Good,” Kat said, taking his hand. “As long as we stick together, he can’t do anything to hurt us.”

  He squeezed her hand and smiled. “I know, love, but what about Jessica? Do we tell her?”

  “We can try to warn her, but I’m not sure she’ll believe us,” Rogue said, chewing on her lip.

  “We’re not going against Ronan here. Just Daniel. If we make that clear, she might listen to us,” Seth said.

  “I hope so; otherwise we—” Rogue broke off, and her jaw fell open. “Would you look at that?”

  Seth followed her gaze and sucked in a deep breath. “Oh, wow. That is something.”

  Stretched out before them lay a vast body of water. It shimmered in the early morning sun, an endless sea that covered the horizon. But it wasn’t just water. It teemed with weird, twisted trees and vegetation, an alien world very different from the one they knew.

  Rogue let out a low whistle. “How in hell’s name do we cross that?”

  “I don’t know. Ronan seemed pretty confident. I guess we follow his lead,” Seth said.

  “Okay, but remember what he said,” Rogue replied, her stomach churning with fear.

  “He said to drive in his tracks and nowhere else,” Seth confirmed, falling in behind the two pick-up trucks. Their pace slowed to a crawl as they entered the murky water, and Rogue squealed when some of the liquid flowed in underneath the Jeep’s door.

  “This is not what I envisioned,” she cried, lifting both feet onto the seat.

  “I know, babes, but we have no choice,” Seth said. “Just hold on. We’ll make it across.”

  “I know,” Rogue said, curling up into a ball. She trusted Seth. Not so much Ronan, but she trusted Seth. If he said they’d be okay, then they’d be okay. He’ll get us across. I know it. By this time tonight, we’ll be on dry land again.

  Chapter 23 - Kat

  Kat sat at the window seat and stared down into the gardens. They weren’t as magnificent as they used to be in Douglas’ days. Back then, the gardeners looked after them day and night. They’d trim the hedges, prune the roses, water the flowers, and maintain the grass. It formed a buffer against the rest of Prime, insulating the hotel in a capsule of elegance. The ladies threw parties and picnics there, showcasing their beauty among the delicate blooms.

  Now
, there were more important things to worry about, and the gardens had been left to themselves. She liked them more like that, though. They were wild and free, breaking loose from their constraints. The once fragile flowers now burst out of their beds, ivy climbed up the walls, moss covered the steps, and the grass gave way to ferns and brackens.

  Kat smiled when she spotted a bank of rose bushes blooming in a riot of colors without a human hand to direct them. “Beautiful.”

  A figure stirred in the bed behind her, and she turned to greet him. “Are you up, my love?”

  “Aye, lass, but the question is, why are you?” he replied, groggy from sleep. “Come back to bed.”

  “I am done sleeping, and I’m tired of beds and medicine. I need to move and be about my work. I’ve languished long enough.”

  “Long enough? It’s been barely a week since I returned to find ye on yer deathbed!” Callum protested.

  “Exactly. It’s been a week, and I’m fine now.”

  “Sandi won’t like this.”

  “I know, but she can’t stop me.”

  Callum sighed. “Are ye set on this?”

  “I am,” Kat replied, lifting her chin.

  “I should have known. I can never have ye to myself for long.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll start slow,” Kat said.

  “How slow?” Callum asked with marked suspicion.

  “I’m attending the council meeting today. I need to get up to speed with everything again, and that’s the perfect way to do it.”

  “That’s all?”

  “Yes, I promise I won’t do more today,” Kat swore.

  “And ye’ll use the wheelchair?” Callum pressed.

  “No, I won’t use the —”

  “Tis for the babe.”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “Ugh, fine. I’ll use the wheelchair.”

  “Excellent,” Callum said, rolling out of bed. “Now, let’s get ye ready for a grand entrance. I know ye women like to do that. Show off.”

  Kat waved him off, but she was secretly pleased. He knew her too well. He knew she needed to make a statement at any formal gathering.

  With his help, she washed, combed, styled her hair, and put on a plain but elegant outfit. The silk blouse and black trousers hid most of her scars, but she flaunted the ones on her face with an updo. She was too thin after her illness, and her slender neck mimicked that of a swan. Still, she was satisfied with her image and ready to go.