Winter's Warrior: Mark of the Monarch (Winter's Saga #4)

by Karen Luellen

  “You just take care of Mom and Danny. Farrow and I will take care of the rest. Okay?”

  Theo nodded, sure that if he spoke just then, he’d burst into unmanly tears.

  “I will protect them with my life,” the middle-aged doctor managed after a moment.

  Farrow returned with her arms full of folded clothing. “I figured we needed to stick to black anyway, she shrugged at the dark pile in her hands.”

  “Here,” Alik offered another cloth sack for her to put the items. “Ready?” he asked Farrow.

  “Let’s go,” she said decisively. Farrow marched as if she was finally in her element out the back door and toward the driver’s side of the navy SUV. She opened the door to the back seat and tossed in her bags. Alik followed suit on the other side of the SUV.

  They climbed into the SUV, buckled their seat belts and backed out of the driveway. Theo couldn’t help but let those unmanly tears flow as he watched the only hope for his son’s safe return back down the driveway and pull away from the house.

  Chapter 44 Cell #5—Evan

  Evan woke to the sound of footsteps echoing.

  His whole body hurt, but that’s not what stilled his heart.

  Everything about his situation made a layer of cold sweat cover his skin.

  It was the dim light of a monitor to his left that read, “WATCH ME” on a simple scrap of paper taped to the top corner. It was the dank scent of old and new mildew that tickled his nose. It was the blackened brick walls with what looked like scratch marks some six feet above the floor and there was something else.

  Evan slowly sat up and looked around him.

  Oh, shit, he thought in a panic. This isn’t right.

  He stood gingerly, leaning over with his hands on his knees for a moment to steady the tilting nightmare that was his vision. On shaky legs he hobbled to the nearest brick wall and steadied himself as he walked the perimeter of the room looking for the most obvious missing feature.

  How did I get here? Where am I? Evan’s mind was trying desperately to wrap itself around what was happening, but however hard he tried, none of this was making sense. He looked down at himself. His clothes were covered in black automotive grease.

  I remember going to the auto shop with Creed and helping the guy rig the best kind of lift for Mom’s chair. To do that I had to crawl under the van and get my hands dirty. Evan looked down at his hands. There was grease under his nails.

  Okay, what happened next?

  He worked to try to piece together the chain of events. I went home with Creed and Meg gave me a hard time about being dirty, so I went to my room to take a shower. Evan frowned at his still greasy arms.

  Evidently, I never got that shower. Tentatively, he patted himself down, trying to figure out how injured he may be. He had some cuts and scrapes on his elbows and his jeans were torn at the knees. One finger was swollen and tight, possibly sprained or even fractured he thought, trying desperately to keep his mind intact.

  Otherwise, he was fine. He ripped off part of his own T-shirt and used it to wrap his swollen ring finger to his pinkie, giving it stability and support so he didn’t accidentally damage it further.

  After he secured a snug knot, he looked around. His eyes caught the dimming glow of the laptop.

  He walked to it and carefully sat on the hard dirt floor.

  “WATCH ME,” the note screamed.

  Using the trackpad, Evan woke the laptop from its sleep mode and saw the screen was already set. All he had to do was press play.

  Something about this moment made him want to vomit. With the soundtrack of a rhythmic dripping of fluid echoing from somewhere, Evan’s shaking finger tapped the trackpad, pressing play.

  Chapter 45 The Tracker

  Alik and Farrow headed around to the front of the house where Alik had “seen” the two white vans loaded with their family members.

  “Okay, now what?” She asked tentatively.

  “Give me a minute,” Alik whispered, staring at the front door.

  Farrow tried not to blatantly stare at him, but she did sneak glances. His eyes were nearly glowing their beautiful violet blue.

  “Okay, let’s follow you bastards,” Alik mumbled to himself.

  He reached his hand out and pointed in the direction he could see the vans drive.

  “Can you see anything about the vans?” Farrow asked softly, not wanting to disturb his concentration.

  “They’re simple white vans. If you give me a piece of paper and a pen, I’ll write the tag numbers. I’d get them myself, but I don’t want to take my eyes of the vans in case they make a turn or something.”

  “No problem,” Farrow muttered as she held the steering wheel with one hand keeping the SUV steady while she searched through her bag with the other. She found a pen. One down. As for paper, she handed him a stray napkin that was lost in the clutter in the center console.

  Without looking at his hands, he scrawled the two license plates numbers.

  “They’re turning left,” he said, pointing.

  “Left, got it.” Farrow breathed and signaled.

  “It looks like they’re headed to the private airfield that’s over here.” Farrow glanced at Alik and saw he was chewing on his bottom lip, squinting with his brilliant blue eyes as though trying to see even further away.

  “Yes, that’s where they’re going. Pull up to the main hanger. Let me see if I can tell where they were heading.”

  Farrow had barely stopped the in the gravel parking lot when Alik flew out of the SUV and jogged as though trying to keep up with someone.

  Farrow was right on his heels.

  “Can I help y’all?” a voice called out to them from under the hood of a Cessna.

  Farrow glanced at Alik and saw he was lost in his vision, so she needed to speak fast.

  “Yes, sir,” she began by wiping the seriousness off her face and painting on a beautiful, pouty-lipped, oh-woe-is-me expression.

  “Yes, can you tell me if two white vans came here earlier today to catch a flight?”

  “Sure, enough.” The young guy ducked out from under the plane’s hood and stood his full height. Grease streaked his face and his hands were dark with grime. The blond hair of his crew cut peeked out of the hole in his ball cap worn backward. He smiled appreciatively at Farrow’s curves.

  Farrow risked a self-conscious glance back at Alik and was thankful he’d missed the leisurely visual perusal the mechanic helped himself to.

  “Can you tell me where they were headed?”

  “Kentucky, Louisville,” Alik walked up beside Farrow and slipped his hand into hers, weaving his fingers possessively through hers.

  “That’s right. They loaded up a bunch of stuff,” he scoffed at the way Alik pulled Farrow behind him just enough to emphasize his possessiveness. “Then they took off with their own Falcon20 jet.”

  “Do you know if they have enough fuel to fly there or will they need to stop over?”

  “I filled the bird myself, buddy. She’s got enough to go all the way to Jersey and then some.” The mechanic smiled proudly, rocking back and forth in his stained work boots.

  “Thanks,” Alik waved one hand and pulled Farrow with the other.

  Once they were out of human earshot, Farrow had to get something off her chest. “Why so possessive?”

  “What do you mean?” Alik had walked her to her door and opened it for her.

  “I mean, the this-is-my-woman-so-stop-leering action over there.” Farrow ignored the seat behind her and remained standing.

  Alik shrugged, glancing around them as though on patrol. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I can take care of myself, Alik Winter.”

  Alik stopped scanning the space around them and locked eyes with the girl who made his heart stop.

  “I know you can take care of yourself, Farrow. I think it’s sexy as hell how efficiently you can take care of yourself! But I just lost half my family and I’m not losing anyon
e else. Too much depends on us.” Alik’s voice was low, and deadly serious. “So if I come across a little Neanderthal-esque you’re going to have to understand it’s my way of showing that I care.”

  Farrow nodded once and sat in the driver’s seat without saying a word, but it was the smile she was trying to hide that caught Alik’s attention. He closed her door and walked around the back of the vehicle shaking his head. Women! How can they think of romance at the most inopportune times?

  Once back in the SUV he was all business searching his smart phone for commercial flights leaving either DFW or Dallas Love Field. “Shoot. There’s nothing that’s leaving immediately and the closest I can get us there would still require a drive once we get there. Besides, we wouldn’t be able to bring any weapons aboard,” Alik sighed heavily.

  “Do you think you could train your—what are you calling your gift?”

  “I don’t know. Retro-cognition sounds better than clairvoyant. But either way, I feel like a useless freak.”

  “Stop doing that! At least you have an extra gift!” Farrow scolded. “What I was going to say is, do you think you could focus your retro-cognition to keep track of any speed traps?”

  “Maybe, I don’t know. This is all new to me.”

  “Well, let’s try it. I’ll drive the limit and you keep your sensors peeled. If we see you’re right time and again, we’ll know we can trust it, and then I’ll just floor it to Kentucky.”

  “You do realize there’s no room for error. If I mess this up, we’ll be pulled over with a butt-load of weapons in the back. We won’t do anyone any good stuck in jail.”

  “That’s why we’re going to test it first,” Farrow said logically.

  “Okay, let’s go—we’ve got a long drive ahead of us.” Alik was reading from the map on his phone and committing it to memory without even trying. He held the phone out to Farrow who was stopped at a red light. “We’ve got to take I30 East to Arkansas.”

  “Got it,” she said, following the signs. Within minutes, they were headed in the right direction. Farrow had the cruise control set up exactly at the speed limit. “Okay, Alik. Anytime you’re ready.”

  “Give me some time. I’m not even sure how to separate all the retro images I’m getting so I only register the law enforcement.”

  Alik’s indigo eyes glowed. Farrow wondered if they would actually glow in the dark. A little smirk on her lips was all that would give away her thoughts of learning if Alik’s eyes would glow in the dark.

  Focus, Farrow, she reproached herself. We are on a mission of life-and-death proportions. Stop being so lovesick!

  She risked a glance at his eyes once more before thinking how grateful she was that Alik’s gift had nothing to do with reading her emotions. Poor Creed, Farrow realized for the first time how exposed that guy’s feelings were to Meg. He couldn’t save any face even if his life depended on it.

  All you have to worry about is doing something he’ll be able to retro-cog later, she told herself. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt her brain.

  So if he can see something you’ve done, she reasoned to herself, then he could predict what you were going to do next and prevent it from happening. So, essentially, he could control future events by…

  “See that big red building ahead on the right? There’s a patrol car pulled behind it waiting for a speeder.” Alik sounded excited about the cop being there.

  “Let’s see if you’re right.”

  As they passed the spot, both looked to see a black-and-white highway patrol car and the officer holding a radar gun right at them.

  “Wow, excellent. That’s one for one. Let’s see if you can find three in a row before I start breaking the law,” Farrow suggested.

  She watched Alik nod, still concentrating deeply on the world that only his violet eyes could see.

  Thirty minutes passed in silence before Alik spoke up again. “Unmarked ahead. He’s running a speed trap with motorcycle cops being the ones to zap us.”

  Sure enough, they passed regular-looking American-made car, but in the driver’s seat was a uniformed cop holding up a radar gun.

  A half mile ahead they passed two motorcycle cops that had two vehicles pulled over.

  “Two for two. So far, so good.”

  Only about five minutes passed when Alik said, there’s a cop in her patrol car pacing drivers in this strip of highway. Farrow was amazed, but unsure how to test this prediction. “She’s pacing the red SUV seven cars ahead of us,” Alik said and pointed at the vehicle driving right behind the SUV.

  “That’s amazing. I didn’t even know they could do that.”

  “Cops can do a lot more than we know in their efforts to serve and protect. Did you know even an aircraft can report speeders?”

  “No way,”

  “Way. I’ll have to keep my eyes up sometimes, too.”

  “Too bad Meg isn’t here. She’d be able to use her influence to stop a cop from looking in our trunk, or even giving us a ticket.”

  Alik sighed sadly making Farrow regret mentioning his missing sister.

  “I think we’re safe to speed up, don’t you?”

  “Just give me a few minutes. It’s a lot more tiring than it looks.”

  “Using your gift?”

  “Yeah. Now I understand a little of what Meg goes through when she uses hers. I don’t think mine makes me nearly so weak though. Just a little,” Alik yawned widely, “used up.”

  “I packed some food. Would a protein bar help?”

  “Oh my little sparrow, haven’t you learned I can always eat!” Alik teased and reached back into the bag that held their food and clothing. “Can I get you something?”

  “I’d love a drink, thanks.”

  Alik opened the sports drink container and handed the bottle to her. She took a long swig and sighed deeply feeling the still cool liquid splash into her empty stomach. She was hungry, but it was more important for Alik to eat than her. All she had to do was drive, not expend excess energy reading the past.

  “Do you mind if we share it?”

  “Sure,” Farrow passed the bottle back to Alik and glanced at him as he took a big swig himself. She watched his Adam’s apple move up and down with each swallow. Ripping her eyes away from him, she forced herself to focus on the road ahead.

  Alik munched hungrily on the bar before stopping suddenly and looking over at Farrow with a raised brow.

  “What?” she asked, confused.

  He reached behind himself and found another protein bar. “You need to eat, too.” He answered matter-of-factly. He opened it and held it out for her.

  “I’m fine, Alik. Finish eating so we can get started.” Farrow said in a voice more harsh than she intended.

  “We sure get grumpy when we’re hungry, don’t we?” Alik chuckled, still holding the food out to her.

  “I’m not grumpy and I’m not hungry. Just eat your damn food!” she bellowed.

  “Oh no? Then that noise your stomach is making is completely indicative of what? Crohn’s disease? Gas?”

  “Alik Winter, don’t you ever bring up such vulgar topics with me again,” Farrow glared at his smiling face.

  “Well, I’m not retro-cognition-ing until you eat something. It won’t do me any good if you’re growling for the next twelve hours—from your mouth and your stomach. Or worse, what if you get dizzy while driving, for goodness sake? Just eat the darn bar! We can stop and get more food when we need to! I’m loaded remember?”

  “We’ve got money, but no time, Alik.”

  “I’m about to make us some time. We’re clear for the next fifteen miles. Can you eat and punch it at the same time?”

  “We’re good to go?” Farrow asked excitedly.

  Alik held the bar up to her mouth for her to take a bite then left it hanging between her teeth.

  “Now, we’re good to go,” he smiled and got back to focusing his vision on the past.

  Chapter 46 Danny and Mom

  Right af
ter Alik and Farrow left, Theo had gone in to help Margo with Danny. What he overheard was one of the most beautiful sounds he could ever imagine. Margo was singing to Danny. He stopped in the corridor so as not to disturb them, but to listen to the love of his life, as she poured her devotion into each note.

  Theo’s heart swelled with pride at the woman in that room. He’s seen her hold the most delicate medical instruments with precision. Watched her fight for what she knew was good and true. Protected her adopted children with her life, time and again, and would still think only to sacrifice her own well-being, her own needs, for theirs.

  Her song wasn’t complex. No record label would be pounding at their door. She didn’t hit every note perfectly, but she sang with her whole heart. Theo heard the sweetness, the tender devotion behind each word and knew his fiancée to be the most beautiful, brilliant miracle in his life. He stood in the corridor with mist in his eyes thanking God for the blessing that was the woman singing like an angel to the little boy who had been left to die.

  He rounded the corner slowly so as not to interrupt, but desperate to watch what he imagined would be an absolutely beautiful sight.

  His red-rimmed eyes smiled at the sight before him.

  Danny was sitting in Margo’s lap very still and quiet as though he knew she was fragile. He was holding a board book in his hands, and slowly flipping the stiff pages to look at the pictures of puppies. Margo was still singing, gently running her beautiful fingers through his too-long blond curls.

  Theo could almost see her heart swell with love in her chest, though her brows were heavy with the clouds of worry and fear for her other children. For now, Theo knew she was trying to find peace with what was happening to them. She was taking solace in just the simple act of holding a baby who needed to be held. Knowing her, she was probably deep in conversation with God, too.

  Looking up, Margo’s eyes watched Theo watching her. The sadness in her eyes still heavy, she offered a weak sigh of acceptance and held her hand out to the man she’d been in love with for nearly half her life. She couldn’t imagine a life where he wasn’t there. However many times they may disagree, or how many bad guys were hunting them, she loved that sweet man watching her as if she were the most beautiful woman on earth. Margo basked in his love, though she knew what she must really look like: A middle-aged woman in a wheelchair with a whole lot of family baggage. Please give me strength, she prayed.