“Yeah, yeah. I’m starting to believe, don’t get too cocky,” I’d wanted to say.
Then he straightened. “Well… that would’ve definitely not gone over well, especially since he had to bust you out and you weren’t in trouble exactly.”
“But you believed him?” I questioned.
He looked upward. “I know my brother. He wouldn’t lie about this. Besides, beautiful women don’t appear in front of you in the forest. You know?” His cheeks pinked as he coughed. “Well… yeah, it’s not an everyday event, especially here. He kinda had to go with the whole dream thing.”
I pressed my nail into the soft wood of the table, trying to keep from smiling. Cute guys don’t typically come to the rescue when you didn’t know you needed rescuing, either. The idea they both thought I was pretty made me warm and tingly inside.
“I mean,” he continued, “if your future self visited me, I’d be all over it, too. There’d be no way I’d let anything bad happen to you, ever. But… Kaden’s more of the quiet type. He decided on a solo mission.”
He eyed me sheepishly.
“I see.” The awkwardness returned. I still had no idea what to think of him, or anything, accept that Memphis was working every angle, hoping I’d believe them. But the thought of something happening to Kaden rattled me. How long did a decoy take to set up? And why hadn’t he returned after the helicopters left?
I stared at the spot where I’d heard the woman’s voice and questioned my sanity. Was that my Complement?
The door opened and Lana walked in alone. “Memphis, I’d like to talk to Abby. Can you please leave us?”
“What?” He huffed. “Why?”
She pointed outside. “Please.”
He walked past her, shoulders low, with an invisible tail between his knees. I felt sorry for him. Considering all the times he’d stuck up for me he should at least hear what his parents decided.
“So,” she said, after shutting the door. My heart leapt into first gear. “You have two choices. Either you request asylum with us, or we’ll give you a weeks worth of rations and send you on your way toward home. What will it be?”
I stared at her. These were her options?
“What about Kaden?”
“What about Kaden, Abby?” Lana propped her hand on her hip. “He kidnapped you, against your will as you’ve stated, unless there’s something going on between you and my son.”
I spit out a quick laugh. “No. Of course not. He did kidnap me. I just…” I lost my train of thought. I didn’t exactly care for him, but I didn’t wish him ill will either. Leaving without saying good-bye felt wrong, now, especially after the Complement thing I experienced.
“Then what?” She leaned forward, impatient. “I don’t have a whole lot of time.”
I frowned. Yes, the EA could return again, but I couldn’t be expected to rush this decision. The stakes were huge. Her continuing glare made me want to take the rations and run, and I would have if I didn’t have such an irrational fear that zombies existed.
“Why is this such a hard decision?” She sat down, her voice softer.
“Because there’s just stuff I’m trying to sort through.”
“Like?” She folded her hands.
Like why Brighton lied about the condition of the land. And why they kept us cooped up when there weren’t any zombies that I’d seen. Not to mention why they felt so compelled to get rid of those with blue eyes. But I didn’t want to tell her that. The EA apparently had their reasons, being privy to the future and all. I kept staring at Lana, trapped in her gaze, and shrugged.
She closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. “It wasn’t long ago when I was in your shoes. I was a conscientious citizen in Brighton, living with my parents. Peter and I were at a point where we’d wanted to get married and had planned to, until I learned Peter wasn’t a DNA match for me. We’d appealed, but being in love wasn’t enough for them to change their mind. And in Brighton, you do what the EA wants or else, right? They’d expected me to marry another man, and for Peter, another woman… because of the color of our eyes.”
She zinged her blue eyes at me and captured me. “And by a miracle, we were given an opportunity to leave undetected. It hasn’t been easy in the wild lands, but here, in our colony, as long as you follow the rules, it’s fair, unbiased, and we have the freedom of choice. But we cannot chance this to be flaunted in front of the Elected Agency. We live in fear one day they’ll find out about us. So you must decide once and for all, asylum or not, because you’ll never get this opportunity again, I assure you.”
I tried to remain calm. If what she’d said was true, that the EA did know about them, then why had Kaden said I was to be bait for the future rebels’ whereabouts? Was that because they were closing in? Or did Kaden know something his mother didn’t. Either way, it was only a matter of time.
And if everything Kaden said was a lie, then what was said at my meeting was my future. My Complement expected me to be single and serve Brighton and I’d be taken right out of the pool of the eligible women along with Elle. Going home meant agreeing to that and denying I was the Oracle, denying someone had appeared from nowhere and pushed me across this kitchen. Yet staying meant saying good-bye to my family and friends, and bathrooms, apparently.
I looked away and rubbed my neck. “This is a hard choice.”
“Yes, it must be, and the fact that the EA used the choppers means you’re important to Brighton. You should go home, then.”
I studied the marred table. The last thing I wanted was to be important to Brighton, so much so they’d make me a slave to them.
“But I think you’re more than just a pretty face if my son would disobey his father and risk his neck for you…”
I startled at her words, then swallowed. Though she led on she didn’t know why he’d taken me, she understood her son.
“What if I don’t fit in here?”
“Well…” She chuckled. “Unless you break the rules, I think you’ll fit in just fine. But if you choose to stay, Abby, you can’t leave. We’ve worked hard to stay undetected and that system keeps us safe. We’re already trusting you with too much as it is. If the EA finds out about us, they’ll destroy us.”
I tugged my hurt arm closer to my body, torn with what to do.
“I’ll leave you to decide.” She stood quickly.
“No.” The words came out, almost like my inner survivor shoved them out. “I’ll stay.”
Lana stiffened. Surprised perhaps? Then her face brightened for a moment in relief, then darkened once again. “Fine.” She slapped her hand on the table. “It’s finally decided. We need to pack up and get moving. It’s not safe here anymore.”
I watched her turn for the door, gnawing on the inside of my lip, wondering if I’d made the right decision, when the “yahoo” of one happy guy filled the air just outside.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
On the open veranda of the tree house, I gripped the backpack Lana had given me with one hand. Inside were a couple changes of pants, socks, and shirts like she’d promised. There were also other toiletries and a canteen of water. I’d snagged Kaden’s shirt he’d made into a sling and tucked it inside, so I could return it to him later. After a simple meal of rice, dried fish, and an apple, Lana instructed I get ready. She took my pajamas with a promise to wash and return them. I didn’t believe her.
“You’re going to like it with us—” Memphis started.
Trapped, I had to blame someone for why I’d so willingly chosen to stay with my captors. “You tricked me.”
“What?” Memphis stumbled back a step.
“You said you’d help me go home after your mom treated my arm,” I said through my teeth.
Memphis frowned. “Did I not just overhear correctly that you chose to stay?”
“Yes… well…” I pursed my lips. Before he’d given the illusion I could leave at any time, direct opposite of what Kaden had said, mind you.
“That’s what I thought
,” he said quickly. “Clearly, something Kaden said has penetrated years of Brighton brainwashing and once he returns—”
“If Kaden returns, you mean.”
His piercing eyes met mine. “Kaden can handle himself in the wild and he’ll be back. You, on the other hand,” his glare bounced to my wrist, “cannot. So, you should be thankful Ma let you in. My dad wanted to send you packing.”
My heart pounded a few hard beats. Forming a fist, I wanted nothing more than to punch something. I should want to go home and not trust Memphis or his family. Kaden’s kidnapping should have been the clincher. But I couldn’t deny the EA’s lies or the shove I’d received from the invisible woman. Oh, the dreaded torture.
“No, I’ll stay.” I sighed, looking up through the trees toward heaven. Three times I’d been offered a chance to leave and three times, I chose to stay. Peace in that decision would have been nice.
The homemade elevator, a plank of wood secured with ropes on the corners and tethered with pulleys, creaked to a stop at the side of the veranda. This was their apparent way to get me down safely since climbing the rope ladder with a defunct wrist wouldn’t have been feasible.
“Your ride, milady.” Memphis swept his hand forth, inviting me to step forward.
I felt more like I was walking the plank.
The rickety thing swayed under my feet, and I gripped the railing as my knuckles blanched. Below us, men scurried about, loading up a wagon.
“I’m right here, Sugar. You’ll be just fine.” Memphis placed his hand securely on the small of my back, returning to his jovial self once again. For once I didn’t care he was so close. Heights and I weren’t friends. Hanging on for dear life, I pinched my eyes shut while trusting the contraption as someone lowered us slowly to the ground.
“Men!” Peter called. “I’d like to introduce a new member of our colony.”
My eyes snapped opened, and I stared out at a group of guys my age, who could have easily made up a football team back home. Tall, lean, with a variety of hair colors—each of them had light colored eyes. They appraised me with curiosity, zipping their gaze up and down my frame. Memphis moved closer to me with his hand on my waist.
“This is Abby,” Peter finished. “So, treat her with respect.”
Memphis squeezed me, and I stepped off the contraption, making it painfully obvious we weren’t a couple.
Many of their faces brightened at my gesture. A chorus of greetings bumbled from the group as the one closest reached out his hand. I took it, shaking firmly.
“Hi Abby. I’m Van.” The funny way he said his words made me smile as big green eyes under a large brimmed cowboy hat met mine.
“Hi Van.”
He lingered before bringing my hand to his lips. “It’s so nice to meet such a lovely lady.”
Memphis coughed behind me rudely. I gave him a glare over my shoulder, before returning Van’s smile.
“Thank you, Van. It’s nice to meet such a gentleman.”
Memphis groaned his displeasure. I ignored him and greeted the next guy. The rest followed in suit, Garrett, Tustin, Haden, Dixon and so on, proffered their hand and kissed mine in return. Like twenty guys. Did no one care about germs here? I also found it strange they acted as if they’d never seen a girl before. Come to think of it, where were they anyway?
After the last guy introduced himself, they all stood around, kicking the dirt and giving me compliments. I could tell they were curious, but no one asked where I’d come from or why.
“Abby is from Brighton. She’s asked for asylum. We’ve granted her temporary stay until she passes probation.” A low hum followed Peter’s statement, then his stern glare landed on each of the guys, impressing upon them something unsaid, before ending with me. I shifted, wishing for a reprieve from the tension. “It’s time to get back to work. We leave in five.”
The group scattered. Memphis didn’t leave my side, though. But all I could think about was the implied probation. Seriously?
Memphis put his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about the probation thing.”
“Oh,” I faked a smile, “Why would I worry?”
He escorted me to the wagon and I touched the wooden paneling, marveling that it was a replica of ones used in the olden days. I wondered how they’d planned to move it. Push, maybe?
“So this is your colony, huh?” I leaned against the side of the wagon, acting casual.
“What do you mean?”
I peered up at his tall frame. “Your mom made it seem like there were a lot more people.” Not to mention, where are all the girls anyway?
He grinned in understanding. “Oh, there are others scattered at the different outposts and at the family camp. It’s just the scouts here.”
“Oh.” I wanted to ask more about the scouts, and I would have if Peter’s glare didn’t keep finding me, silently telling us to stay quiet. I sensed his underlying frustration. Maybe Kaden did tell him? Would it be awkward if I let him know his job was safe?
“Heads up!” a guy from above yelled.
Instinctively, I first checked my wrist to see if I was in danger, only to be reminded all over again that Kaden had destroyed my watch. Then I tucked my good hand over my head and ducked down, waiting for a foul ball to hit. Foliage dropped around me as a nearby bridge swung down and clattered into a neighboring tree.
“What are they doing?” I straightened, realizing how silly I must have looked.
“Since the choppers flew over, we’re going to abandon this spot. It’s too bad ‘cause these are the best tree houses we have. No use leaving the bridges or letting our food stores go to waste.”
Choppers rarely flew in Brighton, so rare, I wasn’t sure if we’d used them anymore. Gross polluters, they called them.
I frowned. “But they didn’t stop.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t send in ground troops. We can’t take the chance.”
Ground troops made it sound like war.
I studied the guys working amongst the trees. They must have had a system to alert everyone because the room in our tree only held the three of us. There’d need to be a decent number of hidey-holes to keep everyone’s heat signatures from detection.
Memphis punched me in the arm. “And we make like good Sasquatch, too.”
I faked a smile. Lana had packed a better fitting furry poncho in my backpack. Apparently everyone had one. I felt compelled to warn the colony. After what happened with Kaden’s Sasquatch, I doubted they were still on the endangered species list at the EA. I could only imagine the chaos at home over one abducting me. That would create instant fear and lump the hairy beast into the zombie category. What were my parents being told?
One by one, the guys dumped the rolled up bridges into the back of a wagon, then covered everything up with a green tarp painted to look like grass. Often, they’d stop and nod, or just smile at me. Others boldly winked.
Within minutes, the place was packed up. Without the bridges, other than a corner or two of the abandoned tree houses thirty feet in the air, the foliage hid everything from sight. It was as if no one had ever lived there.
Peter whistled, startling me, and everyone circled around him. He divvied up the guys into groups and spoke orders in a code I didn’t understand when Lana rode in on a horse. A herd of horses followed in behind her.
The men moved to meet up with the differing horses and rode off in different directions. In the middle of what felt like a stampede, Memphis brought over a palomino.
“This is Cactus,” he said, while petting his neck. “Pretty, huh?”
I eyed the horse apprehensively. “Interesting name.”
Memphis couldn’t possibly be expecting me to ride this beast, not one with such a prickly name. I’d only ridden once, but that was when I was younger, and my companion was a pony.
Memphis laughed. “Don’t look so scared. You’re not going to ride him. He’ll be pulling the wagon.”
“Oh,” I sighed in relief as Memphis gave Van
, the cutie with the cowboy hat, the horse’s reins.
“This way, milady.” Memphis gestured to the bucket seat.
He tugged on my elbow and helped me up onto the step, then walked around and slid in next to me. Van hitched up the horse to the wagon, but kept glancing up at me under the bill of his hat.
“You need some help?” Memphis asked impatiently.
Van’s eyes swung to Memphis, his grin turning sour. “Just bein’ thorough.” He handed the reins to Memphis. “Don’t want any harm to happen to our Ms. Abby.”
“Yeah, sure,” Memphis said.
My chin dipped as I tried to remain composed. The guys were gentlemanly, that was for sure. I could get used to this. This was so unlike Brighton.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Abby.” Van tipped his cowboy hat, flashing a set of white teeth, then sauntered off to his own horse. His smile tickled my belly.
Peter and Lana rode up next to the wagon.
“You got it?” Peter asked Memphis.
“Yeah.”
“See you at camp, then.”
The horses took off with their riders and we were alone. Alone in the forest amongst the aged redwoods where everyone’s presence was merely a memory. Ghosts.
“Just a heads up,” Memphis said, gaining my attention, “Under the branches, we don’t need cover, but once in the clearing, we’ll need to blend into the scenery. Okay?”
“Sure.” I wondered exactly what that meant.
“Let’s go, Cactus.” Memphis snapped the reins and the horse began to move.
Cactus turned toward a path where the trees were spread wider apart. Horses were rare in Brighton. The EA had said they’d be best living in the wild. The irony, I’d never equated that to animal abuse, considering what they’d said about the wild country, hit me yet again. Everyone was so duped.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Memphis and I traveled in silence over the grassy landscape, serenaded with the occasional snort of Cactus and the birds’ songs echoing in the trees. Nowhere in Brighton was there this sense of awe, something I’d equate to heaven. I could get used to this place.
Glitch Page 11
