Whispers From the Past

by L. S. O'Dea

  “Where are the reports? Townsend expects reports.”

  He almost rolled his eyes. The Guard had a one track mind—please Townsend. He removed his backpack and dug out the hard copy of the reports and a flash drive, handing them to Bruno. “This is everything. All in layman’s terms. There’s proof, hard proof, that all of us are genetically related. There are also some notes about things I found in the lab. Illegal things.”

  “Townsend will love that.” Bruno slipped the items into a brown sack at his side. “Who’s meeting you?”

  “I was hoping you could arrange for someone to escort me back to camp.”

  “I can do that.” Bruno glanced at his injured leg. “It’s a long walk to the carriage.”

  “I’ll be fine.” He followed the Guard. “Before I go back to camp, I need to make a stop.” He wanted to see Martha, ask her about his father.

  “Where?”

  The Guard wasn’t going to like this. “The Remore house.”

  “Jethro Remore’s house?” There was a hint of incredulousness in Bruno’s tone.

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to see him.”

  Bruno stopped and faced him. “Did you get any news in there? Do you have any idea what’s happened?”

  “No.” A chill raced down his spine. “You’re the only one I’ve seen for weeks.”

  “Townsend didn’t want me to say anything while you were working. He didn’t want you to lose focus.” Bruno looked a bit chagrined.

  “I’m done working so tell me what’s going on.” It couldn’t be too bad if Townsend had been keeping it from him.

  “For starters, our side ain’t doing so well anymore.” Bruno turned and began walking again.

  “What do you mean?” He caught up with the Guard.

  “The Remore lad has been capturing your forest troops. He’s good. He seems to know the next step they’ll take before they take it.”

  “Shit.” He ran his hand through his hair. “How many have we lost?”

  “Enough.”

  “I have to get back to camp.”

  “My orders are to deliver these to Townsend as soon as I get them.”

  “You can do that after you take me to the camp.” Meeting with Martha would have to wait. “The reports aren’t going to change, but people are dying.”

  “Guards and Servants die all the time. My orders are to deliver these to Townsend.”

  “You’d rather more soldiers die? You know Townsend wouldn’t want that.”

  “They ain’t dying. At lease we don’t think they are. It’s weird. No one but us seems to know anyone was captured. No news reporting the victories. Nothing.”

  “Could they have gotten...eaten by predators?” That’d been the main risk of his plan.

  “Not according to the Servants who escaped.”

  “Some escaped? I need to speak with them. Please, take me to camp before you see Townsend. I have to find out what’s going on.”

  “I don’t break my orders for no one.”

  He clamped his mouth shut. This was the problem with Guards. They couldn’t prioritize. He could either go with Bruno to Townsend’s house and wait or...“Fine, but you don’t need my help. The Remore residence is on the way. Drop me off and come back after you deliver the papers to Townsend.”

  “From what I hear, Martha and Kim Remore are on our side.”

  “It’s not like that. I don’t intend on hurting them or capturing them.” He should forget about seeing Martha. He could do it later, but what if he couldn’t? This was war. What if he died? He needed to talk to her. Find out why she’d given him up. Find out what his father had done to her. Find out if she hated the sight of him.

  “So, why go there?” Bruno stopped, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “It’s personal.” His life had been a lot easier when Guards obeyed without question. “No one knows this and you can’t say anything to anyone.”

  “I keep no secrets from Townsend.”

  “Besides him. He won’t talk about this.” The man was a reporter but he was a decent guy. “Martha Remore is my biological mother. She was fourteen when she had me. My father...I’d heard stories of his...interest in young girls. I don’t know what talking to her is going to do. It isn’t going to change anything, but...I need to see her. Tell her I’m sorry.”

  Bruno tipped his head in a slight nod. “I’ll drop you off, but don’t go in that house if Jethro is there.” He leaned forward until their noses almost touched. “Do you understand? I’ve heard that boy can fight. Townsend will tan my hide if I let anything happen to you.”

  “I promise. I want to talk to Martha. I don’t want to cause her any trouble.”

  Bruno stared at him a moment longer and then nodded. “The lad shouldn’t be there anyway. He has his own place now and he was busy with a cute, female Guard when I left the bar.”

  “You saw him tonight?” Apparently, Jethro wasn’t as classist as his father.

  “Yeah and like I said, he’ll be busy tonight, but make sure before you go inside.”

  “I will.” Fighting with her son in her home wouldn’t make Martha conducive to talking about the past. “Where in the name of Araldo did you park the carriage?” His leg was killing him.

  “Far enough away to be safe.”

  He trudged after the Guard, ignoring the pain. The trip to camp was going to be a lot worse than this.

  CHAPTER 18: JETHRO

  JETHRO RAN HIS hand down his face. He had to stay awake. There’d been something off about Bruno. He couldn’t explain what it was or how he knew; he just did. Indy snorted in his sleep. The Guard had tried to talk him into going back to the bar over an hour ago. He should’ve listened. He could’ve picked up Sugar, mated and returned with plenty of time to spare.

  There was a soft rustle in the bushes. He nudged Indy. The Guard sat up, blinking. He nodded at the tree line. Bruno stepped out of the bushes and over to his carriage. Another male Guard was with him.

  “Who’s that?” whispered Indy.

  “Don’t know.” There was something odd about the other Guard—the way he moved or carried himself. The Guard glanced their way, as if sensing someone was watching. The air froze in Jethro’s lungs.

  “Hugh,” he whispered. He’d know that face anywhere, even covered by a fake beard,

  “Holy shit. How’d you know Bruno was—”

  “I didn’t.” He was glad he hadn’t wasted time with Sugar. There was bigger prey in the area.

  “You scare me sometimes.” Indy gave him an uneasy look.

  Hugh and Bruno climbed into the carriage and it took off down the street. He waited. Hugh wasn’t stupid. He had to take his time, stalk his prey, but his blood hummed, ready for the chase and the surrender. This game was almost over. All he had to do was catch Hugh and Trinity would be his. No one would stop her from sacrificing herself for the Almighty she loved. He snarled in the darkness. He couldn’t stop her from loving Hugh, but she would belong to him. He took a deep breath and leaned out the window. “Cack, let’s go.”

  The Grunt lifted his head, his mouth full of grass.

  “Go right but go slow.” He had to keep enough distance between the two carriages. He couldn’t afford to spook them.

  Cack sent him a quizzical look but did as he was ordered.

  They stayed far enough away that Bruno’s carriage, which was smaller and faster, was barely a dot on the horizon. It turned down an alleyway.

  “Cack, stop.” The opening was too narrow for them. “Hurry, get around this building and to that street.” He wanted to jump out of the carriage and track Hugh down on foot, but that’d be stupid. He was fast but not that fast. When Cack pulled onto the other street, the road was empty.

  “We lost them. How could we have lost them?” Indy stuck his head out the window, inhaling. “Nothing.”

  “Keep going,” he ordered Cack. “They had to have gone somewhere.” He couldn’t fail, not in this. Soon, he wouldn’t have to go out to find a mate.
She’d be his—at his house, at his mercy.

  After they’d traveled quite a distance down the road he made Cack backtrack. He started searching every side road, fighting against the edge of panic and defeat.

  “We lost them.” Indy nudged him. “Let’s go back to the bar.”

  “No.” He wasn’t giving up. He couldn’t lose his chance to capture Hugh.

  CHAPTER 19: HUGH

  AS THEY APPROACHED the village of the Lake of Sins, Hugh said, “Turn here.”

  “That’s not the way to the Remore place,” said Bruno.

  “We can’t drive up to the door. I’m a fugitive, remember?” He pointed to a faint trail that headed into the brush. “There.”

  “That doesn’t look like a road.”

  “Trust me. It leads to the Remore house.” He visited this place in his nightmares. It was the route they’d taken when they’d fled from the Trackers.

  Bruno gave him a dirty look as he turned the carriage.

  He stared out the window as they drove down the overgrown path leading to the Lake of Sins. The forest was dark and spooky, spookier than before because now he knew exactly the kind of things that lurked in the shadows, waiting to eat the unsuspecting.

  “Stop here,” he said.

  Bruno halted the carriage near the lake.

  “When do you think you’ll be back?” He jumped to the ground. He didn’t want to wait here any longer than he had to.

  “It’ll take a little over an hour to get home and back.” Bruno was frowning at him. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” It was a short distance to the Remore house, just a quick jaunt through the forest in the dark, alone.

  “Townsend will kill me if I let you go by yourself.” Bruno shook his head, grumbling as he got out of the carriage.

  “Thanks.” He wasn’t going to argue.

  They headed into the brush and could see the Remore house when Bruno stopped, a slight rumble in his chest.

  “Run,” whispered Bruno.

  Hugh pulled his knife as Guards moved out of the bushes all around them.

  “I’ll stall them. Go.” Bruno shoved him.

  “Hugh? Is that you?” Carla stepped into a clearing.

  “Carla?” His shoulders sagged with relief.

  “What are you doing?” She held up her hand and five other Guards came out of the bushes. “It’s not safe for you to be here.”

  “Is Jethro home?” he asked.

  “Jethro? No. He doesn’t live here anymore.”

  “So, I heard.” He smiled, extending his hand. “It’s good to see you, Carla.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t die, but you have to leave.”

  “I need to talk to Martha.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s personal.” He moved closer to her. “Can you escort me there? If she doesn’t want to talk to me, I’ll go. No arguments.”

  Carla glanced around. A few of the Guards shook their heads.

  “Please. I mean her no harm. I swear.”

  “If I do this, you make sure Jackson stays away from here,” she whispered.

  “He’s been hanging around again?” He thought that’d ended when they’d moved to the war camp.

  “Yeah. I haven’t seen him in a couple weeks, but I’m sure he’ll be back.”

  “I’ll do my best.” There was nothing he could say to keep the Guard away from Kim. “It’ll be fine. I promise.” He gave her his most persuasive smile.

  “I know I’m going to regret this.” She frowned as she turned and headed down the trail. “Come on.”

  “Bruno, you can—”

  “I’m not leaving until I know you’re safe in that house.”

  “Thanks.” He’d hoped the Guard would say that. If Martha didn’t want to talk to him, he’d have to leave and he didn’t want to wait in the forest alone for an hour.

  Carla and her team escorted them through the woods to the Remore house. He couldn’t help fidgeting as the Guard knocked on the door. He was going to speak with his mother—his biological mother. She’d always been pleasant to him when they’d met at social events but she could hate the sight of him.

  Martha opened the door. She was dressed in a housecoat. It wasn’t that late but he should’ve never come at night. He should’ve never come at all.

  “He wanted to see you, ma’am,” said Carla. “I wasn’t sure what we should do.”

  “Of course.” Martha patted Carla on the hand. “You did the right thing. Now, go rest for the night.” She grabbed Hugh’s arm. “Come inside.”

  “We haven’t finished patrolling, ma’am,” said Carla.

  “Yes, you have.” Martha started closing the door behind Bruno. “There won’t be anything else to see around here tonight.” Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Make sure of that.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Carla left, taking the pack of Guards with her.

  Martha closed the door, sighing as she leaned against it.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come so late, but I...I wanted to talk to you.” Talking about his birth, his father and her rape had seemed like a good idea when he’d been in the lab but not now.

  “Of course. I wasn’t sleeping. I just didn’t expect company.” Her eyes landed on Bruno.

  “Oh, sorry. Martha Remore, this is—”

  “Someone who’s got to go.” Bruno put his hand on the doorknob and hesitated. “You can stay here until I return? It’ll only take an hour or so.”

  They both looked at Martha who paled slightly.

  “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have bothered you. I’ll leave.”

  “No. We need to talk and of course you can wait here.”

  “I’ll hurry.” Bruno slipped out the door.

  CHAPTER 20: JETHRO

  JETHRO STUCK HIS head out the window, trying to get a whiff of Hugh’s scent—something, anything but there was nothing but forest and street. “Shit!” He wanted to smash his fist into someone. “Cack, pull over.”

  “We can follow Bruno later,” said Indy. “Find out why he’s meeting with a traitor.”

  He jumped out of the carriage as soon as it stopped and stormed over to the nearest building.

  “What are you going to do here?” asked Indy, trailing after him.

  He slammed his fist into the wall.

  “Oh. Yeah, that’s productive.” Indy stepped aside and leaned against the building. “Tee’s not going to be happy when she has to tend to your...” He tapped Jethro’s shoulder.

  He hit the wall again. If the Guard didn’t shut up, he’d hit him.

  “And the carriage returns,” said Indy, slapping his shoulder harder.

  He spun around. It was Bruno’s carriage and he was the only one inside. Hugh was gone. He glanced down the street and grinned as he raced across the parking lot. “Cack, take that path.” He pointed at the trail that led to the Lake of Sins as he hopped into the carriage. His plan would succeed. Fate was directing the action. He’d met her at the Lake of Sins. She’d saved his life there. It was the perfect place for her surrender. Everything would come full circle.

  “Where are we going?” asked Indy. “There’s nothing back there except trees.”

  “To the Lake of Sins. We can catch Hugh’s scent and hunt him down.” He slapped the side of the carriage. “As fast as you can, Cack.”

  “He’s not going to be alone.” Indy grabbed Jethro’s arm. “Promise me we won’t do anything until we know how many of his soldiers are in the area.”

  “I don’t care if his entire army is there.” He jerked his arm away. “He’s mine.”

  “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  “Get out if you want.”

  “Will you at least slow down?” Indy glanced out the window.

  “Not until I have to.” He’d expected the Guard to have his back.

  “Then I guess I’m in—suicide mission or not.” Indy grinned at him.

  A little of the tension slipped from his shoulders
. He’d do it alone if he had to but he was glad for the help. “Thanks.”

  “I still owe you a few.”

  “No. You don’t.” He hesitated a moment. He didn’t want to say it, to make this promise but he also didn’t want the Guard hurt. “If there are too many of Hugh’s soldiers, we’ll only follow.”

  “Thank you.” Indy’s eyes were serious for once.

  “No problem. I want to be whole and hearty when I take her to my house. I’ve waited long enough.”

  “Yeah. Right.”

  He ignored the Guard’s tone. Indy had already made it clear that he didn’t agree with Jethro keeping Trinity as his prisoner in his house and in his bed.

  They raced down the narrow, twisting path and stopped a distance from the lake.

  “Go back to the road and go home,” he ordered Cack. These woods weren’t safe for a lone Grunt. He’d catch Hugh and then return to his mom’s house for the carriage. “But be ready to leave. We may need your help.”

  Jethro and Indy headed into the brush, following Hugh’s scent.

  “He has a Guard with him,” said Indy.

  “Had.” Jethro inhaled deeply. “That’s Bruno’s scent.”

  Indy sniffed again. “I think you’re right. I can smell the beer.”

  “My mom’s Guards caught him.”

  “Would they turn him over?” asked Indy.

  “I doubt it.” He glanced at his friend. “They’re loyal to Kim and my mom.” He didn’t need to say any more. They both knew Kim and his mother were on the side of the rebels.

  He stumbled over a tree branch. Kim might be hiding Trinity. It’d be the perfect place. No one would think to search his mother’s house. He certainly hadn’t. He took off running. Tonight, he’d catch them both and then his mother’s loan would be paid in full because as soon as Trinity surrendered, he was delivering Hugh to Jason. He didn’t care that the man was a traitor and he probably wouldn’t have turned him over as punishment for his father’s death. Hugh had saved him from prison, but Trinity loved Hugh and there wasn’t enough room on this earth for her to love anyone but him, so Hugh had to die.