The fat one stopped cold. He’d seen me. “Hey!”
“You zhere!” the centurion called.
I took off at a gallop, running in the opposite direction from where Ash had led the kids. I had at least twenty minutes to kill before my backup returned.
Thirty minutes later, I was staring down the rifle sights at the private’s sweaty brow. I could hear the wolf enjoying his centurion lunch and, judging by the look of revulsion on his face, Private Calhoun could hear it, too. Breathing deeply, I pressed the rifle barrel against the soft, fatty flesh of his forehead and shifted my finger to the trigger. I slowly let out my breath—
“Seraphina!” the private shouted.
I hesitated.
“That’s yer name, right? I-I have somethin’ for ya.”
He eased his hand down to his uniform belt and slipped a piece of paper out from beneath the brass buckle. He held it out to me.
It was a small photograph.
Curious, I yanked the picture from his fingers. My eyes drifted over the faded image. The edges were worn, the surface cracked, and there was a diagonal fold across the middle. But there was no mistaking the faces staring back at me.
They were sunburned, windswept, standing in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. The short boy wore an LED necklace. The lanky girl held a half-eaten Mickey Mouse ice cream bar. Their parents stood behind them, flashing easy smiles. And their grandfather, the tips of his shaggy silver mustache stiff with sunscreen, wore a mouse ear hat with the name “MARK” embroidered in red on the cap.
I blinked back hot tears. My father always kept this picture in his wallet.
The private snorted. “Thought that might get yer attention.”
My eyes narrowed on Calhoun. “Not the kind you were hoping for.” I swung back the rifle stock and bashed him in the side of the head. “Tell me where you got this?”
He held his hands out in front of his face. “I-I’ll only speak with David Donner.”
“Wrong answer.” I jammed the bore of the weapon against his squishy nose.
“I have a message for him—f-from your father!”
My breath caught. “My father?”
“That’s right! B-but only for David Donner!”
“And what if I just shoot you right here?”
His eyes went wide. “Then you’ll never know the truth.”
Although it went against my better judgement, I tied Private Calhoun’s hands behind his back, blindfolded and gagged him, then marched him up the mountain through the snow. If there was any chance my father was alive, I needed to know. If it turned out the private didn’t really have a message for David from my father, then it would be just as easy to kill Calhoun at the cabin.
Ash kept his distance, preferring to watch our progress through the trees. Undoubtedly confused by this change in our routine, he followed along like a loyal soldier. Odds were good that he’d be having Calhoun for breakfast in the morning.
Grandpa Donner’s hunting lodge lay deep in the wilds of the Wenatchee Forest near Colchuck Lake. By the time I saw the large cabin blending into the curve of the snowy, wooded hillside, the sun was already going down, painting the red sky in shades of turquoise and purple. The cottage was solar-powered, had its own well and indoor plumbing, and Grandpa had stocked it with enough food and supplies to last us another year.
Ash loped toward his shed out back, where he’d wait until I unlocked my bedroom window later that night. I’d have a bowl of cat food waiting for him by my bed, as usual. None of us knew why Grandpa Donner had stocked up on cat food—he didn’t even like cats—but Ash had been raised on the stuff.
I pushed open the front door and shoved Private Calhoun inside. He fell to his knees with a muffled cry of pain, then rolled onto the circular brown rug. I shut the door against the cold and faced the room.
Milly straightened on the sofa, where she’d been mending a pair of socks. She took one look at the soldier on the floor and slipped the .45 out of the holster on her hip. She hadn’t actually shot anyone before, but, if push came to shove, Milly could get the job done.
She stood up. “Sera’s brought us a gift,” she called to the rest of the cabin.
Ben charged in from the back hallway. “Where’ve you been?” He blinked at Calhoun. “You brought one home?”
Jude came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. His wary eyes landed on the private. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
The basement door banged open. David stepped into the room holding a jar of pickles. “Ben, I told you not to eat all the dill—” He stopped short when he saw Calhoun, then he glowered at me. “Have you lost your mind?!”
Jude folded his arms. “What happened to your number one rule?”
Ben’s brows arched. “Never lead anyone home.”
Milly glared at Calhoun. “Has he got a name?”
“Who cares what his name is?” David shot out. “We’re not keeping him!”
Jude scowled. “It’s a simple question, David.”
“It’s a stupid question, Jude!”
I pulled the photograph out of my coat pocket and handed it to my brother. “He gave me this.”
David’s eyes landed on the picture. His face turned splotchy and I thought he might cry. The others moved in to look over his shoulder.
Ben shrugged. “So they’re looking for us. What else is new?”
David sniffled, then lifted his eyes to mine. “Where did he get it?”
“I don’t know. He said he would only talk to you.”
He looked down at the bound and gagged private. “Why me?”
Jude draped his arm over Milly’s shoulders. “The praetor probably found the picture in the Roslyn house.”
Milly agreed. “Every soldier’s got a copy by now.”
“No.” David held up the picture. “This is from our father’s wallet.”
The others went quiet, finally understanding the seriousness of the situation.
I nudged Calhoun with the toe of my boot. “Get up.”
Calhoun resisted, mumbling something from behind his gag.
Jude and Ben hauled him to his feet, dragged him across the floor, and dropped him into one of the kitchen chairs. They removed his blindfold. The man looked terrible. His nose was purple, crooked, and swollen; both his eyes were beginning to turn black. But he was going to look a lot worse if he tried to play games with us.
I pulled the gag out of his mouth. “Talk.”
“Can I—” he croaked. “Can I get a glass of water?”
I kicked him in the leg. “Talk!”
“Owww! All right!” He took a breath and looked at David. “I got a message for ya from yer father.”
David blinked. His expression changed from a foggy look of confusion to the shining hope of a little boy. “You do?” he rasped.
“Your dad sent me ta find ya. He wants his kids ta come be with him so y’all can be a family again.”
“He’s lying,” Jude growled. “If you’re friends with their father, then why are you wearing a Europa uniform?”
Calhoun’s smile wavered. “Well…uh… That—that’s a long story, son.”
“Yep.” Ben nodded. “He’s lying.”
Milly’s lips curled. “He’s just a cutthroat traitor tryin’ to save his own skin.”
Calhoun shook his head. “No, no! Now, that’s not true, kids. I-I’m here ta help ya. If you’ll just untie my—”
I kicked him again.
He cried out and griped some more. “I’m a friend of yer father’s! I swear it!”
David stared intently at the soldier. He’d given up on life after he’d lost our father and his cure, but Calhoun had just punched a hole through the darkness and let in a small ray of sunshine.
Jude looked at me. “Is he telling the truth?”
“I don’t know.” Part of me hoped he was; part of me hoped he wasn’t. I wanted my father alive, but not in the hands of the praetor. “I know how to find out, though.” I gestured a
t Milly. “Open the door.”
Milly nodded and crossed the room.
The color drained from David’s face. “What are you doing?”
Calhoun laughed and coughed. “You gonna give me a cold, darlin’?”
Milly wrapped her fingers around the doorknob.
“No!” David stepped in front of me. “We agreed that animal would stay outside. And I’m not stupid—I know you sneak him in through your window every night.”
David and Ash had a sordid history. David had tried to drown him not long after we’d arrived at the cabin. Ash had taken offense and given him a nice scar on his arm for his trouble. David hated Ash. The feeling was mutual.
I stared at my brother. “Do you want the truth or not?”
David hesitated. When it came to our father, he wanted the truth more than anything else in the world—even more than avoiding an animal that would eat him without a second thought.
Calhoun started to look nervous. “Okay, w-wait a second.”
I looked around the room. “Anybody who hates the sight of blood should leave.”
I mostly said that for effect. I didn’t intend to let Ash eat Calhoun. Yet.
Ben shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind seeing him splattered all over the floor.”
“Now—now, hold on just a second.” Calhoun tried to smile, but his lips trembled. “Nobody needs to be gettin’ splattered.”
Milly pulled open the door. David, scowling, immediately moved to a far corner of the room, which only strengthened my bluff. Jude and Ben edged behind the sturdy kitchen table, adding to the effect.
A blast of cold air swirled snow into the cabin, hitting Calhoun full in the face. He pressed back into his chair. “Wait! You don’t gotta do this!”
I brought my fingers to my lips and let out a shrill whistle.
Calhoun squirmed against his chair, his eyes glued to the open doorway. “I-I’m sure we can come ta some kinda understandin’.”
I was unmoved by his fear. “We don’t want an understanding, Private. We want the truth.”
Two intense amber eyes emerged from the cloud of blowing snow swirling just inside the threshold. A low growl filled the cabin. I heard Calhoun whimper. It wouldn’t take long for him to break.
“Private Calhoun, meet Ash. Ash’s pet peeves are blue and gold uniforms, traitors, and liars.”
Giving a cursory glance to his surroundings—noting David in the far corner—Ash stalked slowly into the cabin, massive and terrifying.
Private Calhoun’s feet skidded against the floor. He was trying to escape by pedaling backwards. “Just tell me what ya wanna know!”
“Did you get the picture from our father?” I asked.
His hesitation told me everything before he even spoke. “Y-yes!” he stammered.
The wolf raised his hackles and let out a menacing growl.
I leaned in close to the private. “Ash doesn’t believe you.”
Sweat dripped into Calhoun’s eyes. “H-he’s just an animal! H-he don’t know nothin’!”
I looked at Ash. “He just called you stupid.”
Ash lunged at the soldier.
Calhoun screamed. “Wait!”
The wolf paused, his sharp, snapping teeth inches from the private’s face.
I raised my brows. “Yes?”
“I…d-didn’t exactly get it from yer dad.”
David stepped out of the shadows, his expression grim. “Then where, exactly, did you get it?”
“F-from the praetor. H-he made copies. We all got ’em.”
“Like I said,” Jude affirmed, “just a copy of a picture he got from the Roslyn house.”
Calhoun shook his head. “N-no! H-he got it from yer father! I swear he did!”
Forgetting about Ash, David marched into the center of the room. “Where is my father?”
“In Ellensburg,” Calhoun squeaked.
“Another lie,” I asserted.
Ash reared up and slammed his enormous paws onto Calhoun’s chest. The private froze. The wolf snorted hot breath into his face. “N-not a lie,” the private stammered, barely breathing.
David moved closer. “Have you seen our father?”
“No, but the pra—praetor says we’re s’posed to tell ya he’s in Ellensburg and he wants his kids with ’im.”
Finally, the truth. I flushed with anger and disappointment. This was just another of the praetor’s elaborate schemes to flush us out of hiding.
David wasn’t ready to give up, though. “Is my dad there or not?!”
Ben shook his head. “The praetor is playing with you, David. He’s using your dad as bait.”
Jude agreed. “He’s just trying to lure us to Ellensburg.”
Calhoun looked, wide-eyed, into Ash’s deadly stare. “C-could somebody get this animal—”
Milly stepped in. “Have you seen my brother?”
Three days after fleeing Roslyn, we’d gone back to rescue Tim. We found the entire town abandoned and burned to the ground. We weren’t sure who the praetor had taken with him to Ellensburg, but we’d found a lot of unmarked graves and hadn’t had the heart to speculate. Tim was a capable, strong soldier, though, too good to waste. We felt certain they’d conscripted him and we looked for him in the face of every soldier we saw. Tim was out there, somewhere, and we were going to find him.
Calhoun frowned at her. “Who?”
“Tim. Timothy Odette. The praetor took him from Roslyn eleven months ago.”
“I-I seen a lotta kids—”
“He’s a big fella,” Milly went on. “Football player. Blond hair. Square head. Kinda dopey.”
The private shook his head. “Doesn’t sound familiar.” Ash growled and the man squeaked. “I ain’t seen him!”
“Where do you take the kids?” I demanded.
Calhoun swallowed hard. “T-to the university in Ellensburg. Th-that’s where they experiment on ’em.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean, experiment on them?”
“I dunno. It’s…it’s some genetic thing. Makes ’em really big—really strong. Pr-Praetor calls it…uh…uh…the Goliath Code. Ya know, like Goliath in the Bible.”
David sank down onto the sofa, hope flaring in his eyes again. The praetor was dangling the one carrot my brother would find irresistible: his cure. I should never have brought Private Calhoun back to the cabin. I should have snatched that picture from his fingers and shot him dead.
“David,” I warned. “Don’t jump to conclusions.” k'1`2
“Why not, Sera?” he demanded. “Why am I not allowed to hope? Why, for once in this hellish world, can’t something go my way for a change?”
“Think!” I shouted. “The praetor is trying to manipulate you!”
He lurched off the sofa and jammed his finger up at me. “You think! Just once! About me!”
“He told us himself that he knows about Dad’s work! He knows how important it is to you! Jude is right. He’s just trying to lure us to Ellensburg!”
“And what if he really does have our father?”
“Don’t be stupid.” I dismissed the possibility. It was the wrong thing to say.
David glared at me, then turned and walked out of the room.
I glanced at the others. The three of them looked surprised by the exchange. They weren’t aware of my father’s work on the cure and were waiting for an explanation. I didn’t feel like giving one. “I need some air.”
Calhoun started whimpering again. “C-could somebody please get this thing off me?” he begged.
“Ash,” I called. He was drooling all over the front of the private’s coat. “Let’s go.”
Ash hesitated and looked back at me.
“Now,” I snapped.
The wolf let out a disappointed whine, then dropped down from Calhoun’s chest and padded after me to the door.
“Sera?” Milly questioned.
I gestured at Calhoun. “Get some rope and tie him up.” Then I left the cabin with Ash at my heels.
It was a cold, clear night, with a brisk wind blowing off the top of the mountain. I zipped my coat and trudged across the clearing through the snow toward a car-sized boulder resting on the edge of a hundred-foot drop. I crawled up the knobby rock, dangled my legs over the side, and looked down into the dark valley below.
I wasn’t naive enough to believe that my father was still alive. And, like me, David had seen Seattle. He knew the destruction the earthquake had caused. But the praetor had chosen his bait well. My brother was desperate to believe his lies.
I leaned back to stare at the blood-colored moon, letting the cold air wash over my face. David would be here any moment now. I needed to organize my thoughts. It would take a great deal of diplomacy to make him see reason. I needed to be understanding but firm. If I had to shackle every one of them to a chair, we would all be staying put at the cabin until the threat from Europa had passed.
Ash clambered up and sat down next to me. When I didn’t reach out to scratch him, he rested his muzzle on my shoulder and sighed in my ear. I grunted at his childishness and scratched his chest. He understood me better than anybody, a fact reflected in his ever-changing moods.
“Everything’s fine.”
He thumped his tail.
“I don’t think you’re going to get to eat this one, though.”
He growled a little in response.
I smiled and ruffled his ears. “And I don’t need your sass about it.”
It had occurred to me that I could take the private down the mountain to the Chiwaukum Lake rebel camp. They might be able to get information out of him that could help their cause.
The wolf alerted, whipping his head around with a warning growl. David was behind me.
“Do you think the praetor has him?” he asked.
“David, Dad is dead.”
“You know he always carries that photo in his wallet.”
I turned toward him and took a deep breath. “I don’t know how the praetor got the photo. But I know he wants us captured. And I know we can’t trust Calhoun. Those are the two most important things informing our choices right now.”
David’s jaw tightened. “And what about saving our father?”
Ash growled at his sharp tone.
“Hush,” I whispered to the wolf. I scratched his furry head and thought a moment. “What if Dad is alive? Do you think he’d want us risking ourselves to save him?”
The Goliath Code (The Alpha Omega Trilogy) Page 22
