by R. A. Gates
spring break.”
“I told my dad I was spending
the week at my mom’s house.” Thane
smiled meekly and shrugged.
Her heart sank as deep as the
hole they dug themselves in. She pulled
out all the cash she had in her bag and
handed it to Garren. He took the money
and headed back to the ticket counter.
Hopefully, it was enough to get them to
Sacramento. How they were going to get
back to Alaska, she hadn't a clue.
Thane stretched his legs out as
best he could and slouched down in the
seat. He hadn't slept since they were on
the beach. Dark circles were already
visible under his eyes. It didn't take long
before he was snoring.
She surveyed the large room for
any signs the Eradicators broke free and
followed them. The duct tape should
hold but they could still make enough
noise to attract attention. Hopefully that
didn’t happen until the three of them
were safely on a bus to Sacramento.
She reached her arms overhead
to stretch her aching back, but drew them
back when the movement re-opened the
c ut. I can’t believe how sloppy I’ve
gotten. A sock from her pack made a
suitable bandage, at least until Garren
came back to watch over Thane and she
could visit the restroom to clean up.
That fight was too close, she
could’ve been caught. Or worse, Thane
could’ve been killed. What was she
thinking,
leaving
the
safety
of
Salmagundi? Her gaze shifted to each
point of entry and the few other people
waiting in the lobby. Her leg nervously
bounced as she kept an eye out for any
danger lurking in the shadows. Maybe
they should go back.
Back to what? A town that’s
losing its protections a little every
day? No, stick with the plan.
“Hey,” Garren whispered into
her ear as he took the empty chair beside
her.
She flinched at his sudden
appearance, berating herself for letting
him surprise her like that.
“We only had enough money to
get to Redding, California. The bus
leaves in half an hour.” He handed her a
ticket and pocketed the other two.
“Then what?” she groaned. “That
still leaves us at least another 150 or so
miles until we get to Sacramento.”
“At least we're getting closer.”
Garren fidgeted in his seat before resting
his ankle over his knee.
“Seriously? We'll still be stuck
and broke. I don't see how our situation
has improved.”
“I was trying to think of someone
we might be able to ask for help.” His
eyes shifted to her and back to the floor
a few times. “Have you told anyone
what we're doing?”
Her eyes narrowed at his profile,
since he wouldn't look directly at her.
“No.” She didn't like where she feared
this was going.
“Well, your friend Athena seems
pretty cool, maybe—”
“Are
you
insane?”
she
interrupted. “Athena doesn't do favors
for anyone, especially me. It will cost
us, and cost us big.”
“She likes me.” He finally met
her gaze, eyebrow arched, and a crooked
smile on his face. She kind of felt bad
that he couldn't see through her
housemate's games.
She patted his hand that lay on
the armrest between them. “You poor,
pathetic, deluded fool. She doesn't like
you, she likes what you can do for her.”
He snatched his hand away and
frowned. “Who else do we know that
might help us out?”
He had a point. Her stomach
clenched at the thought of asking for
Athena's assistance. She wouldn't make
it easy for them.
“I'll talk to her if you want,” he
offered.
“Absolutely not. She'd have you,
me, and the lives of our children
indebted to her for life.”
“Our children?” he asked with
an amused smile on his face.
Heat rushed to her cheeks at the
poor word choice. “I didn't mean... not
our children, but you know, your
children,” she emphasized by circling
her hands in front of him. “And my
children.” She pointed to herself.
“Sure, Ivy. You keep telling
yourself that.” That stupid smile stayed
plastered on his face, his eyes locked
with hers.
All moisture vanished from her
mouth under his stare, keeping her
usually witty reply forever mute. How
did he do this to her? She had to turn
away from the triumphant twinkle in his
eyes before she really embarrassed
herself.
“Fine, I'll call her. But we can't
tell her what we're doing. If she finds out
about the reward, she'll find a way to get
it all for herself.” She found a pay phone
and gave it the last of her change. Dread
washed over her as the phone rang.
Please don't let Mr. McGregor
pick up.
“Hello,”
a
female
voice
answered.
“Athena, this is Ivy. I need your
help.”
“Oh, you do, do you? Where are
you?”
“In Oregon, I think. I need
money.”
“How much?”
Good question. “About five
hundred dollars should get us through.”
“No, I meant how much are you
willing to give me for helping you?” Of
course, she couldn't do anything out of
the goodness of her heart, given she
didn't have one.
She gritted her teeth. “How much
do you want?”
“First tell me what you're doing
in Oregon.”
“We're on our way to California
to visit an old friend of mine, and we ran
into some trouble. Can you wire me
some money? We'll be in Redding
tomorrow night.”
“An old friend, huh? Why don't
you call her for the money?”
“He doesn't know we're coming.
It'll ruin the surprise.” It sounded lame
as she said it, but she couldn't take it
back now.
“Him, huh? Taking your new
boyfriends to see your old one? Kinky.”
She banged her head against the
wall a couple times. “He's not my old
boyfriend. Are you willing to help me or
not? I'll owe you when I get back.”
There was a moment of silence
on the other end of the line before
Athena spoke again. “Sure, I'll help you.
Redding, right?”
That was too easy. Athena was
up to something, but what? “Yes.
Thanks, Athena.”
“You can thank me later.”
The dial tone sounded through
the receiver.
She strolled back to the guys
trying to figure out what the older girl
was up to.
“Well, is she going to help?”
Garren asked as soon as she sat down.
“Yeah.” She pushed the worry
down, figuring she'd face it when she got
back home.
*****
It was time to board the bus.
Garren and Ivy helped Thane to a seat
since his leg was still too sore to walk
by himself. The trip took eighteen hours
and four stops to get to the California
town. She wasn't sure if other
Eradicators were searching for her, so
she kept her head covered in her
sweatshirt hood while they found the
MoneyGram store in Redding.
She drummed her fingers on the
counter as they waited for the store clerk
to help them. Her patience was wearing
thin. All she wanted right then was to
take a hot shower and sleep for ten hours
in a nice hotel room bed. But she needed
Athena's money first.
Thane tapped her shoulder and
pointed across the store. Not another
Eradicator? No, what she spotted was
far worse.
Athena stood there, looking like
she walked right off the runway.
“Surprise.”
Chapter 12
“Are you freakin' kidding me?”
Ivy said to no one in particular as she
stared at her nosy, interfering housemate
standing in the middle of the store.
Couldn’t anything go her way? It wasn’t
fair that Athena had managed to travel to
California and still look immaculate,
where she and the guys resembled
homeless bums.
Athena
stood
before
them
wearing her patented don't-you-just-
love-me smile that Ivy never bought in
to. But by the big, goofy grins on the
guys’ faces, they did. Athena sauntered
over to Ivy and raised her arms as if to
hug her but stopped short. She wrinkled
her nose and stepped back, struggling to
keep her fake smile in place.
Good. Maybe if we smell bad
enough she’ll go home.
“Ivy, aren't you glad to see me?”
Her voice was falsely sweet. “After
all,” she said as she leaned in to whisper
in Ivy’s ear. “You asked me for help.”
A decision she already regretted.
Athena automatically became the center
of attention wherever she went. And
though she was reluctant to admit it, Ivy
enjoyed being the only girl on the trip.
Now she’d be overshadowed by
Athena’s overwhelming personality.
She was ready to tell Athena to
take a hike but stopped. “Where’s
Danny?” The only reason she left him
behind was because Athena was there to
watch over him. How much trouble
would he get into without either of them
to run interference?
“Don’t worry, he’s fine,” she
said with a dismissive wave. “Mr.
McGregor went out of town on some
pack business so I sent Danny to his
friend’s house for a few days. The next
full moon isn’t for a few weeks.
Besides, I just had to meet your friend.”
Athena quirked her eyebrow as she said
it.
Ivy’s stomach dropped.
Athena may play the dumb
blonde, but she was as sharp as your
average, everyday rocket scientist. She
stood there and examined Ivy from head
to toe, then did the same to both guys.
“Taking fashion tips from transients,
now? I’m sorry, but hobo chic doesn’t
look good on you.”
She turned around and walked
out of the store, not even checking to see
if the others were following. Which they
were, because what else were they
supposed to do.
Sitting amongst a parking lot of
beat up pick-ups and SUVs was a red
Mini Cooper convertible. That has to be
Athena’s. Awesome . Not exactly a
roomy car; the back seat was so
cramped, little kids probably kissed
their knees sitting in it.
So much for staying under the
radar. Ivy frowned at the conspicuous
vehicle.
“Well, don't just stand there, put
your bags in the back,” Athena said as
the trunk lid popped open. Ivy tossed her
pack in with the others and strolled to
the open driver's door next to Athena.
“So, a convertible, huh?” she
asked.
“What else? We're in California.
What did you think I'd rent, a minivan?”
Athena pulled the front seat forward and
motioned Ivy in with a wave of her
perfectly manicured hand.
Garren and Thane raced to the
passenger side door to claim the prized
front seat.
“I get shot gun, remember? Car
sick,” Garren said.
“Well, I need the leg room.
Stabbed,” Thane retorted, pointing to his
still sore knife wound.
“Come on, Thane. Do your
stepbrother a favor and sit with Ivy. I got
stuck with her in the truck.” Garren tried
to speak in a hushed voice, but it was
still loud enough for her to hear him.
Ow.
Flashbacks of lying next to him
in the truck as he rubbed comforting
circles on the small of her back swam in
her head. They were quickly drowned by
the memory of the prank he pulled on her
when he pretended to want to kiss her.
Bastard.
“But, I can't sit back there,”
Thane said.
“Sure you can. She's not that
bad.”
“But—”
“I can hear you, you know,” she
shouted, tired of the Ivy-bashing. Was
she the new Typhoid Mary?
Athena buckled herself into the
driver's seat and sighed. “Gimpy up
front, Pretty Boy in the back.”
Garren
mumbled
something
under his breath, but got in anyway.
Thane had to slide the seat back to
accommodate his long legs, causing
Garren to scrunch up tight.
Ivy chuckled at the annoyed
expression on his face. Serves him right.
“It's not funny.”
“Sure, it is.”
Something hit the trunk with a
loud thump, but when she glanced back,
nothing was there.
“What was that?” Athena asked,
peeking in her rearview mirror. Slowly,
a small, green dragon shimmered into
view. It tucked its wings in and sat,
st
aring at Ivy.
“It's just Sparky. He's a baby
dragon that seems to have adopted us.”
“It better not scratch the paint. I
didn’t get the insurance.”
Garren grumbled. “You named
it?”
“Yeah, why not?” she asked. “It
keeps showing up. Might as well call it
something.” To her surprise, the dragon
crawled down and curled up on her lap.
Garren had to duck to avoid being struck
by the dangerous whip of a tail.
“I thought I told you we're not
keeping it.”
“Maybe you should tell him
that.” She scratched the top of the little
dragon's head while Garren glared at it.
Its tail swayed back and forth in
enjoyment, narrowly hitting Garren, who
made the mistake of swatting it away
with his hand. Sparky spun around and
bared his teeth. He let out a low, gargley
growl that made his whole body vibrate.
She patted his back, trying to
calm him down. Though she wasn't
happy with Garren at the moment, she
didn't want him barbequed in Athena's
rental. “It's all right, boy. He's just mad
because he isn't getting his way.”
The little creature continued
growling, his little pointed ears lying
back flat against his head.
Garren leaned into his side of the
car. “Just keep that thing away from
me.”
She finally got the dragon to
relax and lay back down on her lap. The
sun dipped below the horizon and the
stars brightened into view, one by one.
The air on the highway was too cold to
have the top down, but Athena loved it,
and left the others to suffer through it.
Sparky kept Ivy's legs warm, but she still
shivered without her sweatshirt. She
packed it in her bag earlier when it was
warmer.
She didn't realize she was
leaning until she bumped into Garren's
shoulder. Normally, she would've sat
upright again, but his body heat warmed
her bare arm, so she stayed where she
was. Either he didn't notice or he didn't
mind, for which she was grateful.
She gazed out into the night sky,
identifying constellations, when her
body shifted and something started
rubbing her other arm. It was Garren's
hand. He had wrapped his arm around
her shoulders. She was just beginning to
think he wasn't so bad, when she noticed
him staring off with a coy smile on his
face. When she followed his gaze, she
saw Athena watching him through the
mirror.
The comment about being 'stuck'
with her slammed into her chest like an
icepick to the heart. She bolted away
