The MORE Trilogy
Page 37
Ava blinked in surprise. Caleb had finally confessed, after much prodding on Ava’s part, that Race had a lifespan about five times that of a normal human. It had been a lot to take in, finding out that—at nineteen—she was dating an eighty-five-year-old, but she thought she’d gotten used to the idea.
Apparently not.
“I didn’t realize you were older than him,” she said.
Tiernan raised an eyebrow. “Considerably.”
“Really?” She turned in her seat, tucking a leg underneath her. “How old are you?” She flushed immediately. “Wow. Is that rude? Sorry . . .”
“It’s fine,” he said with a short laugh. “I’m a hundred and sixty-two.” He smirked, sliding her a sideways glance. “Katherine’s a hundred and sixty-two, plus a minute and a half.”
Ava burst out laughing. “Oh, she’s going to be mad you told me that.”
He grinned. “I’m counting on it.”
“So, tell me again why we can’t use one of the regular border crossings?” Ava slapped away a branch, her feet sinking into the wet mud of the riverbank.
The moon cast a bluish glow on the landscape when it emerged periodically from behind the cloud cover as they slogged through a wildlife refuge in north-central North Dakota, heading for the Canadian border. Emma trudged silently behind them, apparently lost in her own thoughts.
Tiernan held up a hand as they neared a narrow gravel road. He searched in both directions before waving them across.
“And why did we have to ditch the Jeep, if there’s a road right here?” She groaned, kicking up gravel as she darted across the road.
“Jeep’s probably been reported stolen by now,” Tiernan said after a heavy sigh Ava found completely uncalled for. “We couldn’t risk trying to cross the border with it. And I’d prefer not to have my bag searched by the border patrol.”
“Couldn’t you just”—she waved her hand toward his head—“push them? You know, the compulsion thingie?”
He glanced at her sideways. “I’m not very good at that.” After a moment, he asked, “Could you?”
Ava shook her head. “I’m not very good at it either. Most I can do is get someone to scratch their nose or something like that. Caleb is much better at it.” She fought off a wave of sadness at the thought of Caleb and darted a look over her shoulder. “I bet she could have done it.”
“I totally could,” Emma said, kicking off a glop of mud on her shoe. “I’m excellent at compulsion.”
Ava cocked a brow at Tiernan, but he only ground his teeth in response. She knew what he wasn’t saying. That he still didn’t trust Emma. That he didn’t really like people in general. That he actually preferred to stomp through brush and mud rather than rely on someone else for his safety.
They hiked in silence for a few minutes until they neared a clearing, and Tiernan held up his hand again.
“The border’s right there,” he said, tilting his head to scent the air. “When we get across, we’ll need to find transportation as soon as possible.”
Ava kind of appreciated the fact that he didn’t point out she was the only reason they needed to get a vehicle. Actually, she wasn’t sure about that. Maybe Emma was slow, too.
“Go.” Tiernan waved her forward, the planes of his face sharp in the moonlight. “Go now!”
Ava ran across the clearing, only to find Tiernan and Emma both waiting for her in the overgrowth on the other side.
Okay, so wrong about Emma.
They walked quickly along the riverbank as it wound north, passing fields and finally spotting a farmhouse with a beat-up pickup truck parked next to a weathered barn. A low growl drew their attention to the front porch, where a German shepherd watched them, his snout curled in a snarl.
“I got this,” Ava whispered. “You get the truck.”
Her gaze swept the yard in front of the house, finally landing on a stuffed bear discarded in a pile of toys under a newly budded apple tree.
The dog, still growling in a low rumble, took a slow and tentative step down the porch stairs, hackles raised and ears pinned down.
Tiernan and Emma stepped back quietly, and the dog’s attention centered on Ava as she smiled. “That’s right. Don’t pay attention to them,” she said under her breath. She felt for her gift, and it responded quickly, reaching out toward the stuffed bear as if it had been just waiting for a chance to help out.
The bear twisted on the ground, then got to its feet and bounced slowly across the lawn toward the porch.
The dog’s attention snapped to the toy, head tilted and ears cocked as his growl turned into a confused whine.
“Doesn’t that look like fun?” Ava whispered, cartwheeling the bear toward the dog, and bringing it to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.
The dog took a tentative step down as the bear danced back and forth, taunting him. He eyed the stuffed animal with a predator’s eyes, a low growl rumbling through his chest.
Ava swept the bear forward to tap the dog on the nose and quickly back, as though it was running away, the stuffed legs barely touching the ground.
With a playful yap, the dog gave chase.
Ava grinned, sliding the barn door open a crack and leading the dog into its dark interior. She tossed the bear across the barn and slid the door shut with her mind, laughing at the playful growls of what she was sure was a German shepherd tearing a teddy bear to bits.
The crunch of gravel tore her attention away from the mayhem in the barn, and she saw the truck rolling silently toward her, Tiernan pushing it with one hand on the steering wheel as Emma helped him shove on the other side. With a last glance toward the house, Ava rounded the truck and hopped in the passenger side after Emma. Tiernan pushed it—Ava helping a little with her gift—until they rounded a corner in the drive. Tiernan popped the clutch and the engine roared to life.
“Nice job,” he said once he’d settled behind the steering wheel. “You ever think of taking that show on the road?”
“Maybe if I can find a beautiful assistant. You up for the job?”
“I look terrible in fishnets.”
“Why do I get the feeling you know that from experience?”
Tiernan laughed loudly, and Ava couldn’t hold back her own giggles.
Emma looked back and forth between them as though they’d lost their minds. “I don’t get it,” she said, shoving her hair away from her face. They kept laughing, and she shrugged, curled up on the seat, and closed her eyes. “You guys are weird.”
Ava watched the girl for a moment, an idea forming that she was pretty sure Tiernan wasn’t going to like. “Emma?”
The girl opened her eyes, but didn’t sit up.
“When you said you were excellent at compulsion . . .”
“Yeah?”
“How excellent?”
Emma’s lips curved into a smile. “Pretty excellent, if I do say so myself.”
“What are you up to?” Tiernan asked with a suspicious glare.
“Can you do it long distance?” Ava asked, ignoring him.
“How long distance?” Emma sat up, intrigued at the challenge.
“Like, over the phone?”
“Humans or Race?”
“Humans.”
“Oh no,” Tiernan said with a frown. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve never tried,” Emma said. She seemed lost in thought as her words faded off, and she appeared to be working through the logistics in her mind. “But humans are easy, so . . . yeah. I think I could. Why?”
Ava pulled the disposable phone out of her pocket. “I’d like you to talk to my parents.”
“Ava, this is a bad idea,” Tiernan said. “You don’t even know if it will work.”
“It’s worth a try. I can’t let them keep worrying.”
“Wait a second.” Emma held up a hand. “Your parents are human?”
Ava let out a heavy breath. “Yeah. Kind of a long story. I was adopted.”
“But . . . how? Why?”
“Holy crap.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” Tiernan said half under his breath.
Ava ignored him and focused on Emma. “I didn’t do it. Someone’s setting me up. Maybe the Rogues. You hear any of them talk about that?”
Emma thought for a moment, but shook her head with a frown. “Sorry, no. Like I said, they left me alone for the most part.”
Ava sighed. She hadn’t really expected it to be that easy. “Anyway, we don’t know for sure it’s them, but until we figure it out, I need to keep my parents safe, and I really don’t want them to worry.
“Do you think you can push them? Convince them everything’s okay?”
Emma bit her lip, considering. “I think so. I mean, I don’t know if I can make them not worry. They’re your parents, after all, but maybe I can help a little.”
“Can you do it to them both at the same time?” Ava was already dialing the familiar number.
“If they were Race, no. I’d have to focus on one at a time,” Emma said. “But humans? Since the message is the same. Yeah, I can do it.”
“It’s the middle of the night,” Tiernan said gruffly.
Ava checked her watch. “Early morning for them. I don’t want to wait.”
“And what if the police are monitoring them?”
“We’ll keep it quick,” Ava said, already dialing. “I mean, it takes them a few minutes to trace a call, right? And it’s the middle of the night. They’re probably not even listening.”
He was running out of arguments. “Well, call the land line, not a cell. That will at least take a little more time.”
Ava nodded, listening to the phone ring. “Keep it simple,” she told Emma. “I’m safe. I’m innocent. I’ll contact them when I can.”
“Okay. I’ve got it.” Emma’s eyes were bright with challenge.
Ava held her breath, only releasing it when she heard her mother’s sleepy voice. “Hello?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Ava? Oh, thank God. We’ve been worried sick. Are you all right? The police called us—”
“Mom, listen!” Ava clenched her eyes shut, overwhelmed at hearing her mother’s voice, but knowing she couldn’t linger. “I’m fine. I swear this is all a misunderstanding.”
“Well, that’s what I told the police, but they wouldn’t listen.” Sarah Michaels seemed as incensed at the idea as Lucy had been.
“It’s okay, Mom, really.” She eyed Emma, who nodded encouragingly. “Is Dad there?”
“He’s in the kitchen making coffee.” Ava heard rustling as her mother got out of bed.
“Can you get him on the extension? I need to talk to you both.”
“Of course.” She heard her mother call to her father, and the telltale click as he picked up the other line.
“Ava? You okay, honey?”
Ava let out a shaky breath, feeling tears form in her eyes. “I’m fine, Dad. Really. I need you to talk to someone, okay?”
“Who? What’s going on, Ava?” her mother asked.
“Just give me a second, okay? This is my friend Emma. She’s going to explain everything.” Ava handed the phone to Emma, who reached out with her free hand to squeeze Ava’s trembling one.
“Hello?” She smiled at Ava. “Hi. This is Emma. I need you to listen very carefully.” Emma’s voice was low and soothing, hypnotizing, and there was no sound from the other end of the line. Ava’s parents were listening, lulled.
“Ava’s fine,” Emma said in that same soothing tone. “She’s safe. The police have it all wrong, but it will be figured out soon, so you don’t need to worry.” She arched a questioning brown at Ava, who could only shrug in response. Would it be enough? She had no idea.
“Everything’s going to be fine.” Emma added another layer, just to be sure. “Don’t tell the police she called, though. They wouldn’t understand. Just go about your business and don’t worry, okay?” Ava heard low mumbles in the background, and Emma smiled. “That’s right. That’s fine. Here’s Ava.”
Ava grabbed the phone and nodded when Tiernan pointed at his watch. “You guys okay?” she asked tentatively.
“Sure, honey,” her mother replied. “But you still haven’t let us know about spring break, and it’s only a couple of weeks away. Do you think you’ll be coming home?”
Ava felt a rush of relief. “I’ll let you know, Mom. I really have to go now, though.”
“Oh, okay,” she replied distractedly. “I need to get your dad to his doctor’s appointment anyway.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Oh sure,” her father answered. “It’s just a checkup. I’m all right. No flare-ups this week. A bit of a drive to that specialist, though, so we’re getting an early start.”
Ava smiled. “Oh, that’s good. Okay, then. You guys have a good day, and I’ll talk to you soon.”
Her parents bid her good-bye and hung up, and Ava slid her phone into her pocket with a smile at Emma.
“Thanks,” she said. “That was amazing.”
Emma shrugged as if it was no big deal, flushing a little at Ava’s praise. “I’m glad to help.”
Tiernan grunted a bit and turned on the radio.
They drove in amiable silence for the rest of the night, finally stopping at a seedy motel in Winnipeg to shower and get something to eat that didn’t come in a plastic bag. Of course, Tiernan would rather have kept going, but he succumbed to pressure from the two women in the truck, although not without considerable protest and eye-rolling.
“I suppose we should trade cars again,” he said when he conceded. “Get something with a little more room. And four-wheel drive.”
Emma and Ava exchanged a victorious smile as he pulled into a motel parking lot in the early morning hours.
While Emma was in the shower, Tiernan flipped on the television—loud—and turned his blue-green gaze on Ava. “So where exactly are we going?” he asked.
She squirmed a little. Even after getting to know Tiernan a little better, being the center of his focus could still unnerve her. “I’m not really sure,” she said. “All I know is it’s about twenty miles from someplace called Red Lake. When we—Caleb and I—were heading there, someone was going to meet us in Red Lake and take us the rest of the way.”
“And you don’t know how to contact anyone at the Colony?”
Ava shook her head. “Do you think the sensor can help?”
“I asked Andreas, but he says the sensor lost Caleb right around here. He thinks Caleb must have a blank.”
“A blank?”
“Someone shielding his Race imprint. A Guardian maybe? You think he’s contacted them?”
Ava scrubbed her hands over her face. Her eyes burned; the lack of real sleep over the past few days was catching up with her.
“If he did, they’d take him in. They have no reason not to,” she said quietly. “And if he is working with Rogues—”
“They’ll know exactly where the Colony is. And how many people are there.”
Ava thought for a moment. “But why? Why would a handful of Rogues care? The Guardians are no threat to them. Not like the Council.”
“The Half-Breeds maybe?” Tiernan replied. “They’re lost and confused when they’re brought in. Could make them particularly vulnerable to the Rogue message.”
“You make them sound like a cult.”
“I never used to think so,” Tiernan said with a grim smile. “But lately, things have changed. Maybe they’re recruiting. Makes as much sense as anything.”
“If that’s true, Caleb will lead them right to the Colony.”
Tiernan stiffened, his mouth a tight line as Emma came out of the bathroom.
“Next?” she asked, rubbing a towel over her hair.
“You go,” Ava told Tiernan. “I’m going to stretch my legs. Maybe hit the gift shop and see if I c
an find some clean clothes.”
“Yes.” Emma slid on her coat with a longing sigh. “I’ll come with you.”
“Money’s in the bag,” he called out over his shoulder before closing the bathroom door.
They left Tiernan to his shower and walked past the faded doors of a half dozen rooms and into the equally faded gift shop, for lack of a better term. A few T-shirts and baseball caps hung on a swiveling rack, some books and cassette tapes intermixed with questionable-looking canned goods and automotive supplies. Emma flipped through a six-month old magazine with a floppy-haired teen heartthrob on the cover while Ava collected a toothbrush and some deodorant, as well as a couple of clean T-shirts. She was considering throwing a flashlight onto the pile when her phone vibrated with a text.
Are you all right?
Caleb.
Ava’s breath caught, and she cast a nervous glance at Emma. The girl didn’t seem to notice, though, just continued to flip through her magazine, chewing thoughtfully on her upper lip.
“I . . . uh . . .” Ava clutched her phone with palms suddenly slick with sweat. “I didn’t get enough cash from Tiernan. I’ll be back in a sec, okay?”
Emma nodded absently and turned the page.
Ava stepped out into the dappled morning sunshine, glancing nervously toward their motel room before hurrying in the opposite direction, around the far corner of the motel. Unwilling to waste any more time, she dialed Caleb’s phone, holding her breath and praying that he wouldn’t let it go to voice mail.
“Ava?”
She exhaled on a sob. “Caleb? Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He spoke in a low voice, and she wondered if he was trying to hide his conversation from someone as well. “Are you? Are you safe? I heard you were with Tiernan.”
Ava hesitated, unsure if she should confirm that and guilt-ridden that she would wonder. “I’m fine. Caleb, what’s happening? Why are you running? The Council says you’re helping the Rogues.”
“The Council.” He almost spat the words, then took a deep breath. “There’s more going on here than you know, Ava. You have to trust me on this. The Council has kept us down for too long—”