Angie gave her the heavy hunting rifle. "How's she doing?"
"Sleeping."
Jay helped Angie secure the other weapons and ammunition to the saddlebags, and then Rowan and Casey returned, large sacks of horse feed over their shoulders. Casey dropped his sack of horse feed and grinned like a lunatic as he showed off the M32A1 grenade launcher. "Look what I found just lying around."
Angie shook her head, sighing.
Rowan glanced at the child. "Well?"
"Still sleeping," his sister said.
"Bring her, then." Rowan watched the woods they had come through to get here. The eastern sky was crimson with dawn, and even Angie could make out individual pine trees. "We're all out of time," he said softly.
This time, Rowan walked with Erin riding, holding the girl against her chest. They headed north, skirting the burning settlement, the heat pushing against their backs as they rode, the air becoming like a furnace as the fires spread.
Even the log wall was burning now.
They had barely made a kilometer before the girl began to wake in a fit of coughing. "Find out what she knows," Rowan told his sister.
Casey, the huge-ass grenade launcher slung on his back, turned his horse about without a word and went back along their trail. The Seagraves did that a lot, Angie was learning, acted on their own without instructions.
Erin handed the child to Rowan, who lay her down on the soft ground, kneeling out of the way for Erin. Erin knelt in front of the child, her hands on her thighs. "Hello," she said in a soothing tone. "My name is Erin. Can you tell me your name?"
The girl wore pajamas, filthy now with blood, dirt, and smoke from hiding under the floorboards. She stared at Erin with wide eyes, her gaze darting about to the others. Jay smiled his handsome smile, and the girl blushed. "Claudette," she finally mumbled in a timid voice barely more than a whisper. "Where's Mamma and Poppa?"
"Can you tell us what happened, Claudette?" Erin changed the subject.
Claudette must have understood what Erin wasn't saying, because her large eyes filled with tears, and her breath heaved into gasping sobs. Erin hugged her, holding her head against her chest as she cried herself out.
When she could speak again, Claudette described what she remembered in halting words, but her experience had been limited. She had been sleeping when the screaming started, followed by gunfire and monstrous roars. Her father had dashed out in his underwear with his shotgun and ordered Claudette into the hiding place. But her mother hadn't joined her as she was supposed to. Instead, she remained with her father.
Claudette remembered a monster screaming in anger, the roar like nothing Claudette had ever heard before. Then screams and loud booms, gunshots, she thought. There was a heavy bang above her as a massive weight fell on the floor. Something wet dripped between the boards, soaking Claudette, and she knew it was blood. She tried to get out but couldn't move the trap door. She cried and cried, but no one came.
Claudette stared at Erin with tears in her eyes. "The blood ... the blood ... the blood was Mamma, wasn't it, and Poppa?"
Claudette began to cry again, and Erin hugged her tight, trying to smooth out her filthy blond hair. As Angie watched the girl, she felt numb. Her own parents—father and mother, even her older brother—had died during the Food Wars following A-Day, but it had been so long ago she barely remembered them, only fleeting images, the slightest hint of memories of happier times. She had been much younger than Claudette, but she wasn't sure if that had been a blessing or a curse. She wanted to remember her mother so badly now. She wiped an arm across her face, realizing she too was crying.
"Claudette, honey," Angie said as softly as she could, "do you remember strangers in the settlement, a pretty young woman with long brown hair named Octavia Navarro, or Tavi for short?"
Claudette, her eyes red, sniffed and nodded. "The Brujas lady? She came early in the morning with soldiers. It was a big deal. Daddy said so. She stayed in the Parkers’ house, in the big room."
Angie's throat tightened. "Was she … was she there last night?"
Claudette shook her head. "She went away even before it got dark."
Hope fluttered in Angie's heart. "Where did she go, Claudette?"
"North, toward the old road that goes up the mountain."
Mount Laguna. Tec's hidden lair. "Thank you, Claudette," she said, trailing her fingers over the child's cheek.
While Erin stayed with her, Angie joined Rowan and Jay just as Casey reappeared, riding fast through the trees. He dismounted next to them. "Norties are at the settlement, look pissed. Probably think we did it."
"Bullshit," said Jay in indignation.
"Doesn't matter," said Rowan.
"There's more," said Casey. "I came across a bunch of tracks, beasty tracks, same fugglies that hit the settlement, dozens of them. They're heading north, in the direction of the old Sunrise Highway that goes up the mountain."
"North?" asked Rowan in surprise.
"They're going after Tavi," Angie said softly.
Rowan swore. "Someone's controlling these things. They sent them here, and now they've sent them after her, trying to stop her from finding Tec's secret base."
"We need to help her," Angie said.
Casey shook his head. "Angie-baby, there's no way. Those things are fast, maybe faster than us. We'd never get there in time." His eyes were hard as he looked to Rowan for support. "Not our fight, brother, not our problem."
"We can't just let her die," Angie insisted. "She helped us escape."
"Angie," Rowan said, his expression softening. "We didn't even know her until a few days ago. Truth is, they're all strangers—Tec, Constance … Tavi."
"They're Norties," Jay said. "I'm sorry, but these are the same people hunting us. I say we let them worry about their own people."
Angie looked at all three of them, finding no comfort in their faces.
"We've saved a child. That's a good thing. It's gonna have to be enough," Casey said. "I vote we move north through the pass."
"Me too," said Jay. When he saw the hot glare Angie gave him, he quickly added, "We can only worry about ourselves. I vote we mind our own business."
"You, me, and your entire family would all be hanging from Commonwealth ropes by now if not for Tavi," Angie said angrily, her muscles tense with indignation. "Take your vote and shove it up—"
"What are we voting on?" Erin cut in as she joined them. Claudette sat curled up against the tree, her knees against her chest, her eyes closed.
Angie filled her in, hoping to get one more person on her side. But her hopes were dashed when Erin shook her head. "I'm sorry, Angie. I'm with the boys on this one. Not our problem. What is our problem, though, is Claudette. We can't just leave her."
"Not a problem," Casey said. "The Norties are at best twenty minutes behind us, maybe closer." He paused, looking over his shoulder and sniffing the air. "We leave her here, and she'll be fine—"
"We're not leaving her here with those things nearby," Erin stated with finality.
"They're not nearby," Casey said. "Come on, Erin, use your nose. They've gone up the mountain. Shit, this kid has grown up here. She can walk back to the settlement and find the Nortie soldiers. They're her people, not us. She needs to be with them. We need to get gone."
Erin rounded on her brother, her face red, but Rowan stepped between them, raising his hand to cut her off. "He's right," Rowan said sharply, staring at Erin. She glared at him, and just for a moment, Angie thought she was going to take a swing at him, but then her body relaxed as if the fight had gone out of her, and she sniffed, her shoulders trembling. Rowan, his voice soft now, placed a gentle hand on Erin's shoulder. "You've saved her life, but she needs to be with her own kind, not breaking trail with us. You know that."
"Rowan…" Erin began, but her voice trailed off, and she bobbed her head so slightly Angie almost missed it.
"Okay, then," Rowan said. "It's decided. We leave her here and move north for the pass at spee
d. With luck, we'll be through by nightfall."
The others turned away, heading for the horses. Angie, her insides a tight knot, surprised herself when she reached out and grabbed Rowan's arm, stopping him. "No," she said.
"Angie," Rowan's voice was sharp, his eyes tight. "We've made our decision."
"I said no. I'm not going with you."
"Don't be foolish," Erin said, staring at her in disbelief. "She wouldn’t do it for you."
"I can't," Angie said with conviction. "I don't believe I'm saying this, but I just can't."
"Angie-baby," Casey said. "Think this through. Those monsters had at least an hour's head start." He shook his head in disbelief. "By now, she's probably working her way through their large intestines."
"Would you shut the fuck up!" Erin snapped at her brother. Casey took a step back, raising his hands in a placating gesture. Erin reached out and took Angie's hand, lowering her voice and speaking in a soft, pleading tone. "Don’t do this. She doesn't deserve it. Come with us. You don't owe her anything."
"You're wrong," Angie said. "I do owe her. I owe Tec. I owe Morgan. Something is controlling those monsters, and if I do nothing..."
"She's already dead," Rowan said coldly.
Angie shook her head. "She wasn't in the settlement. She had a head start on them. By now, she's probably at the summit. She'll have heard the gunfire, seen the flare and the fire. Maybe she and her soldiers can hold out."
"There were more soldiers at that base in the desert," Rowan said. "As well as Morgan and Tec, and they didn't hold out."
It was true, but she still couldn't just walk away. What the hell is wrong with me? "I'm going after her," she said simply, shaking her head emphatically.
"Don't do this, Angie. You'll die," Erin said.
"Thank you for everything," she said to Erin, to all of them. "Thank you for offering me a place among you. It means more to me than I could ever tell you."
"Angie…" Erin said, her voice breaking.
"I'll catch up later … if I can." She rushed forward, embracing Erin and kissing her on the cheek. Then she turned away and climbed into Cobble's saddle. She hauled on the reins, turning the horse toward the Sunrise Highway to the east, and kicked her flanks, urging the horse into a gallop. She didn't look back.
If she did, she’d change her mind.
Chapter 26
Shane stood about two hundred meters from the burning Pine Valley settlement, absentmindedly watching it. Sparks drifted through the air, swirling in the thick black smoke like fireflies. His company of soldiers had already circled the burning settlement and then swept the land all around but hadn't found a single survivor. Shane never bothered to tell them they wouldn't. The barbed ones were thorough ... and messy. His men were angry, their faces reflecting their disbelief, their growing rage at the fugitives. Shane really had to resist smiling, to focus on maintaining a neutral expression. These cattle believe whatever is easiest, he mused. Not stopping for a moment to consider the odds that five fugitives with limited supplies could assault a walled settlement filled with more than a hundred people, including a section of Norteno soldiers, kill them all, and then burn the place to the ground, women, children, animals. Yeah, makes perfect sense. He sighed, rubbing his palms over his sweaty, dirty face. These people don't deserve to rule themselves. They'll be happier with us calling the shots—at least those that don't end up on an altar.
As one of the settlement's larger buildings collapsed, Shane sucked on his front teeth, impressed with the chupacabras. Unfortunately, Tavi hadn't been inside. He had already communicated with the pack leader, the one-eyed brute confirming her absence. He had ordered the pack to follow her trail, which led up the mountain. Where are you going, Tavi? he wondered. What sneaky Norteno bullshit are you up to?
It didn't matter. The pack would catch her soon enough, leaving her for Shane to interrogate. Of course, that did leave the nagging question of these Norteno soldiers. He could accuse her of treason, pretend General Gálvez had ordered him to hunt her down as well as the fugitives, but then he wouldn't be able to torture her. They’d never stand for it. After all, the imbeciles all loved their Mago Diputado—as if a pretty face was any measure of worth. No, if he were going to pry her secrets from her, he'd need privacy.
And then he realized he really didn't need any of them, not anymore. It wasn't as if he really cared if a half-rate Commonwealth mage and her werewolf pets escaped. Mother Smoke Heart had already confirmed the Tzitzime no longer needed Erin Seagrave. Shane could tell that retard Gálvez any story he wanted if he was the only one telling stories.
Sergeant Garcia approached, another tracker following him, and wonder of wonders, the tracker held the hand of a child, a blond girl of no more than ten years of age, her body covered in blood. A witness? Panic coursed through Shane, but he forced an expression of false concern onto his face. "What's this, sergeant?"
"We followed their trail north, sir, and found this child. She was in the settlement last night."
"The fugitives missed one?"
Garcia shook his head. "She claims monsters attacked the settlement ... sir," he hastily added.
Shane opened his mouth but closed it, nodding thoughtfully. "Can she describe them?"
"Didn't actually see them, sir, just the fugitives. Says they saved her from the fire."
"Well, that sounds like she's confused, sergeant—or maybe they changed into werewolves."
"Yes, sir, maybe."
The sergeant's tone made that last comment sound as though he found it unlikely. Well fuck you, Shane thought. Prove I'm wrong. "And the tracks lead where, sergeant?"
"To a pass in the north, sir."
"They're trying to escape. Bastards. We'll skin them alive when we catch them."
"I'd like to send the child back to Canyon City, sir, with a section of soldiers. They can return with more supplies, more horses."
Shane was about to refuse, but he stopped and considered it. It would remove some more witnesses. "Fine, by all means." He placed a false smile on his face, the same smile that had seduced so many gullible women. "At least we saved one life here, sergeant."
Garcia spoke softly to the tracker and then smiled at the child, resting his hand on her shoulder for a moment. Then the tracker and child turned and departed to carry out the sergeant's instructions. Garcia, however, remained. Irritation flashed through Shane. "There's something else, sergeant?"
Garcia's face reflected his indecision, but he nodded. "We found more tracks, sir, but not what we were expecting. Four-legged beasts, like wolves, maybe, a lot of them, all moving north, as well as the hoofprints of one of the horses we're tracking. The beasts, whatever they are, as well as at least one of the fugitives, are going up the mountain."
The pit of Shane's stomach fell. Why would one of the fugitives go up the mountain? "Really?" he asked in what he hoped was a surprised tone. "Why do you suppose that is? What's up there?"
"Nothing anymore, sir. An abandoned town and an old U.S. military base, an old weather station, I believe."
"Yet that's where the trail leads?"
"Part of the trail. The other four are still moving north for the pass."
Okay, this isn't so bad after all, he mused, his thoughts racing with possibilities. Gives me an opportunity to do something about all these witnesses.
Once again, Shane forced himself to mask his smile. "Thank you, sergeant. You are a credit to your nation. We will not allow any of these murderers to escape. I want you to break up the company. You personally will take two platoons and follow those running for the pass. I will take the last platoon and go after this one rider up the mountain."
"Sir," the sergeant hesitated. "We don't know what those ... tracks are. One platoon may not have enough firepower."
Shane waved his hand at him, his face showing his contempt. "Ridiculous. Probably just wolves that smelled blood from the settlement. They will not attack armed men."
"I ... yes, sir."
; "We must all do our duty, sergeant. I must face mine. You must face yours. Go after those people. Don't fail."
The sergeant snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir."
As he turned away, Shane grinned, unable to hide his pleasure any longer. Soon, he'd have Tavi and at least one of the fugitives, and now he'd only need to deal with a single platoon. He glanced over at his nearby mount and the priceless talisman in his saddlebag. It was time to use the bracer again and issue new orders to the pack.
I hope they're still hungry.
Angie used her sleeve to wipe the stinging sweat from her eyes. She had left the Seagraves several hours earlier, and now the sun was above the trees, cooking her. It wasn't yet noon, but this was the end of August, when the temperature usually hit a hundred and ten to a hundred and twenty degrees. Even worse, there was no tree cover as she made her way along the Sunrise Highway as it wound its way up Mount Laguna. She pulled out her canteen and sipped from it, forcing herself to drink less than she wanted. She ran her tongue over her cracked lips. I should have planned this better, taken more supplies. But if I had waited another minute, I wouldn't have come...
And maybe I shouldn't have.
Pine trees dotted either side of the broken asphalt road, the land on her left sloping down to give an eye-opening view of the entire Pine Valley, including the still-burning settlement far below. By now, Erin and the others would be well on their way to the pass. By dark, they should be through it. Shielding her face from the sun with her hand, she stared up the mountain, guessing that she might be on the summit by early afternoon. If she found Tavi, she could warn her and then make her own way back down and to the pass, hopefully catching up to Erin and her brothers.
If the chupacabras didn't catch her first.
She heard Erin's words again, warning her that she was throwing her life away for a woman who wouldn't do the same—if she were even still alive. The smart thing, Angie knew, was to turn around right now and ride Cobble hard for the pass.
The Awakened World Boxed Set Page 47
