by Anson Barber
“No, I mean thanks for being here every day,” he said quieter and I understood what he was really trying to say. “I know how you are with talking about feelings, but—”
“But?” I interrupted. “We don’t really need a but do we? I mean, I understand what you’re saying, and you understand what I’m saying. We don’t actually have to say anything, right? Not even but. It’s all good.”
It didn’t work.
“Look. I knew my mom was gone. I had been there, I dealt with it. I didn’t think I cared about my dad, because he was always just a drunk asshole.” I didn’t bother to correct his language. “But when I got to the Outer Banks I still had hope that he was there. And when you left that first night, I cried like a baby when I found out that I’d lost him too.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left so soon.”
“The thing is, when everything went crazy on the island and I was scared, I didn’t wish my mom or my dad were there to help me. I wished you were there.”
I let out a big, exasperated sigh as I pulled into our driveway at home.
“Yeah. I wished I was too.” I swallowed. “I love you.” I said the words he needed to hear, and I guess the words I needed to say. They felt strange on my tongue, but right in my heart.
“I love you too. You might only be my cousin, but you are the best damn brother a guy could have.”
That evening the phone rang again. Emery. She always called around the time she would have woken up before the cure. Why couldn’t she just leave me alone?
I set the phone down on the coffee table, letting it go to voicemail.
Corey picked it up, checking the display.
“Every night. I can’t take it anymore!” he huffed, picking up on my mood. “Hello?” he said into the phone before I could stop him.
“Hello. Is Dillon McAllister there?” I could hear Emery’s voice as I stared at Corey in horror.
“I’m sorry. You have the wrong number.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. Thank you.”
He disconnected the call and looked at me, pleased with himself. It took a few seconds for me to know how I felt. I decided on angry.
“Dammit, Corey! Why the hell did you do that?”
“I’m sick of you twitching like you’re in pain every time the freakin’ phone rings. If you’re never going to answer it, it’s just better if she stops calling,” he reasoned. “Then you can get over her and maybe give Miss Smithson a try.”
I got up to grab a beer from the fridge. “I don’t want Miss Smithson!”
“If you ask me, the doc’s not worth it anyway. I mean, if she’s going to marry that guy who abandoned her even after you rescued her and all that, she must be a total bitch, right?”
“Don’t you call her that. That woman’s hard work saved your life. Show some god damned respect. And for the record, I didn’t ask you.” I stormed out of the house so I could cool off and not make things worse.
I calmed down before I made it to the end of the block, but I wasn’t ready to go back and talk to Corey about it. I kept walking and thinking.
When I got back, Corey was asleep on the sofa. I left him there and went to bed.
“Morning,” Corey was sitting on the edge of my bed.
As I propped myself up on my elbow to apologize, I noticed the duffel bag sitting next to him.
“What’s with the bag?” I asked.
“I wanted to be ready. Just in case.”
“Drama queen. I’m not kicking you out. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at me. I’m sorry for yelling at you.”
He didn’t say anything. He looked down at his feet.
“You should probably wait to apologize. You might still be mad at me.”
“Corey…” I closed my eyes. “This is your home. No matter what you do, we’ll work it out. That’s what families do, right?”
“Thanks, Dill. But…”
“What?” I asked sitting up. He winced. “Just tell me.”
“I called her back.”
I rubbed my head. “Dammit, Corey! Why? Why would you call her back?”
“You were upset that she thought it was the wrong number, so I wanted to fix it.”
“Oh jeez! What did you say?”
“I told her she had the right number, and I asked her why she called every night.”
I perked up slightly, wanting to hear the answer to this question.
“She said she needs you.” That caught my attention. “Both of us actually. The medication is ready. They have the first large batch coming out. They’re having a press conference at OBX. She wants me there to help prove that it works, and she wants you there because the press is going to have questions about the part you played.”
“Oh.” Not that I had much of a part. I was just the babysitter. My heart relaxed again. Why did I bother getting my hopes up for two seconds like that?
“Maybe you’ll get a movie deal out of it,” Corey said. “Could always use the extra money, right?”
“When would we need to be there?”
“They’re going to make the announcement early Monday morning, a few hours before the sun comes up.”
I thought about it. As it so happened I had a reason to go. Melissa Jacobis had gotten in touch with her children. Yesterday she had called to ask me to bring the kids to the Outer Banks. Things had calmed down, it seemed. Maybe rumors of the cure were already spreading. I had considered asking a Hunter I trusted to do the job for me, but this gave me as good an excuse as any to show up. Just so long as it wasn’t a black tie event.
“Okay. Let’s do it. We can pick up the Jacobis boys on the way.”
“You want to see her, don’t you?” He smiled matter-of-factly.
“Yes, I guess. I don’t know.” I said, uneasy. “I want to see her. I don’t want to see her with Trevor.”
“I still don’t know what she sees in that guy.” He looked at me as if I knew the answer. I didn’t.
“Let’s get packed and get on the road.” I rubbed my aching heart as I went to get a shower. “We’ll leave soon.”
“Excellent!” Corey said.
Suddenly something clicked. “Wait a minute, this is so you can skip your first few days of school, isn’t it?”
“The thought never crossed my mind,” said Corey, the little liar.
“I have to say you were better company when you took me to the Outer Banks the first time,” Corey said about three hours into our trip.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to expect. I would imagine everyone would want the cure right away, but then they’ve been there for a while and they’ve seen people die from other cures that didn’t work. It seems like it might be difficult to convince people. I’m worried there might be another riot.”
“But that’s not the only thing you’re worried about.”
I sighed. “No.”
“What is it?” As if he didn’t know.
“I’m nervous about seeing her, but I really want to see her, you know? There’s this huge conflict going on in my head.”
“You need to tell her.”
“Why does it bother you so much? It’s my life.”
“I know, but I want you to be happy. You’re the nicest person I know.”
“I’m the nicest person you know?” God that sounded ridiculous. “That’s just sad, Corey. You need to meet more people.”
“You took me in when I had no one else, and you treat me better than my real parents ever did. You are my brother, Dillon.”
I shrugged off his compliment. “You would have done the same for me.”
“Probably not, but let’s pretend that I’m that cool. Good for my ego.” Like he needed help with that.
It was after ten at night when we got to St. Louis. The three Jacobis children were there waiting for us, since
I’d texted them with instructions.
We loaded everyone in the van and started out. I’d stripped off the DHS decals and ripped out the safe box as soon as we’d settled in our new home and replaced the regular seats. The windows were still UV proof so it should be fine. I didn’t expect any of them to put up a fight.
I did, however expect to get a few strange looks at the facility. Well, let them. It was the last time they’d get a chance to.
When they said they were winding down, I made sure they were secured with the seat belts. The two younger boys shared one of the bench seats, while Jonathan took up more than enough of his on his own.
With everyone “tucked in” I pulled the curtain across the back for good measure.
“Night, guys,” Corey whispered.
“Night, Corey and Mr. Dillon,” Luke said quietly, falling silent. The three switched off at almost the same moment.
“That’s kind of creepy,” Corey remarked.
“It is.”
“Never seen it happen from the outside before.”
We continued on in silence, as if talking would disturb their sleep.
We had been asked to get to OBX before sunset Sunday so they could set up the barricades before the general public came out for the day.
According to what Corey told me, they were doing the press release in a studio at Nags Head where they used to broadcast BEACH 104. It would be transmitted to large screens set up around the island so everyone could watch at the same time it was broadcast on TV stations around the world.
We got to the first gate with plenty of time. The guard who checked my ID was one of the troublemakers as I recalled. He certainly didn’t approve of the lax security I was showing on the passengers.
“Thought you’d retired, Dillon,” he said.
“Just one last job,” I replied.
“Always the case, huh? Do you have a protégé there?”
“Something like that. This is my little brother, Corey.”
“You sure those kids are secure?” he asked, spying the three in the back.
“More than enough.”
“If you say so. Have a good trip. Nice to meet you, kid,” he said to Corey as I pulled away.
“You already met me, asshole,” Corey hissed when we were out of earshot.
I almost called Corey on his language, but I was pretty sure his description was accurate, so I gave him a pass.
I stopped at the welcome center and we went in to find Tina waiting to process the new arrivals.
She smiled. “Hi, Dillon! Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Well, I’m kind of out of the business.”
“Rumor has it we’re all going to be out of the business soon,” she said in disbelief. “Thank God.”
“Really?” I smiled. “What did you hear?”
“I heard you’re part of it somehow. What did you do?” She tilted her head.
“Oh, you know, it’s a can’t-confirm-or-deny kind of thing,” I answered. I probably could, but wasn’t in the mood.
“Uh, huh.” She said suspiciously.
“Hey Tina,” Corey greeted her. Tina had checked Corey in when he first arrived, and had checked in on him from time to time as a favor to me.
“Hey, Corey. How are—?” She stared at Corey where he stood by the doorway with a smirk, the afternoon sun shining in on his face.
I frowned. He was supposed to wait in the van. Lay low. We had discussed this before, but here he was, making a spectacle of himself.
“Corey! Oh, my God! You’re…”
“Yep.”
“So it’s true.”
“You won’t want to miss the announcement tonight.” He winked at her. Yes, quite the showman.
“Try to keep it quiet for now,” I warned her. “I have three Haunts to unload. Their parents are here. Jason and Melissa Jacobis.” By this point other people in the center were coming to investigate what was going on.
Fortunately none of them recognized Corey, and Tina did her best to pretend it was all business as usual.
“Okay. Three Haunts,” she repeated. She sent two guards out to unload the boys under lightproof conditions.
After they were checked in we drove down to Nags Head. I pulled in next to a row of other vehicles. People were setting up some kind of perimeter around the station. Corey got out immediately, but I sat there for a moment to gather my thoughts.
Corey popped up by my window. “We goin’ or what?”
I nodded and followed him over to the crowd.
There was a lot of hammering going on, and when we got closer I could see they were putting the finishing touches on a security fence.
I stopped dead in my tracks and just stared.
Emery was dressed in a stunning business suit. The evening sun glinted off her gold hair, full of more life than it had ever had before. The same could be said about her. My breath caught as I watched her direct some crates being unloaded off a truck. She looked lovely, and of course, completely professional.
“Oh, hell.”
Chapter Twenty
“What’s wrong?” Corey asked.
“Look at her, Corey. She’s…” I couldn’t say anything more. There were too many ways to finish that sentence.
Beautiful, healthy, happy. Perfect. It was all there. Pain shot through my chest, knowing she wasn’t mine.
I sighed and pushed everything down into the pit of my stomach. I would deal with that later. Right now we had to give hope back to three hundred thousand people, and that started with the announcement she would be making early the next day.
They were doing a photo shoot at the moment. She was posing for the camera with a big smile on her face. Of course she was happy. Who wouldn’t be?
I tried not to look at her.
“Go talk to her,” Corey said.
“About what?”
“Tell her you love her and you want her to be with you instead of that loser.”
“What, and I’m not?” I sniffed with heavy sarcasm.
“You’re not that kind of loser. Besides, you need closure either way.”
“What do you know about closure?” I scoffed.
“I heard about it on a talk show.”
“Uh huh. No thanks. I’m good. All closed up.”
“You got that right.”
“Don’t twist my words around. I’m done talking about this, okay? Go see if she needs anything from you and leave me out of it.”
He frowned and walked away as I went to see the guard on duty. Couldn’t hurt to see if they needed any help. Besides, I recognized the man in charge. Seemed like Mr. Mitchell had made sure his man on the inside was in charge of security here.
“Hey, Dillon. Haven’t seen you for a while. You picked a hell of night for a visit. We’re going to be having a riot once it’s official.” Rick rolled his eyes.
“I’m sure you can keep that from happening.”
“You’re with the Mitchell people now?” he inquired. “Officially?”
“Not officially. Just here to answer questions.”
“So have you seen the cure work?” he asked.
“Do you see that boy talking to the blonde woman over there?” I pointed to Corey and Emery. Corey was pointing to me so I quickly turned away.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Both of them.”
“Get the hell out!”
“So what job will you go back to now that this will be over?” I asked as I helped him set up a boundary line with police tape.
He chuckled. “I’m thinking landscaping. Growth industry right now in the big cities.”
“Back to the sun.” I smiled.
“Can’t wait!”
“So, how do you plan on keeping these people under control? You’re not worried a
bout them rushing the station, are you?”
“Not really, but we can’t be too careful.” Rick pointed to some wires hanging over the newly erected fence. “We’ve got UV lights around the area, pointed straight down. Kind of like a cage of light. Very low levels, just enough to sting. If things get ugly we can turn it up.”
I nodded. Neither of us liked the idea, but desperate people sometimes did stupid things.
I helped Rick with the last of the lights. Not that his team needed my help, but I needed to do something.
Emery had gone into the radio station for a while but had returned to check on our progress. I kept out of sight, on the other side of the fence.
She had changed into something more casual now—a pair of jeans and a polo shirt with a Mitchell Pharmaceuticals logo on the sleeve. I could tell she was worried.
When she went inside again, I let out the breath I was holding.
I kept myself busy through the night. Curious residents had to be kept back, but it was clear rumors were running rampant and getting distorted like a game of telephone. About an hour before the big show, Corey tracked me down, now wearing jeans and a polo shirt like Emery’s.
“Lookin’ good, kid,” I teased him.
“They saved my life and gave me a free shirt. You can’t beat that!”
I smiled at his enthusiasm, even if it was sarcastic. “No, I guess not.”
“So, I finally talked to your girlfriend. I like her.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I reminded him.
He squinted from the light I’d accidentally shone in his face. “You sure about that?”
“Pretty sure. Look, can you stop goofing off and get me that cable over there?”
He gave up on talking to me about Emery. For a little while at least.
“So what do you need to do for this shindig?” I asked him when our task was completed.
“Tell the cameras how great it is to be me,” he kidded. He couldn’t take anything seriously.
“How great is that?” I asked.
“Pretty damn great. You’ll be asked about getting the doctor out. They’ve already got a cover story worked out with the facility that it was all on the up-and-up.”
“I’d wondered about that. There was no way they were going to admit I’d broken her out. That was a federal offence.”
