Drifter

by Leslie Georgeson

  Ethan’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Kate again. “Because I can’t work with him. I refuse to.”

  Mitch let out a snort. “How long did you know he was the Honest One?”

  Ethan shrugged. “As soon as you informed me the mountain told you to find the Honest One, I knew it was him.”

  Mitch scowled. “So you just let me go out searching for him, letting me think you had no idea who he was? Do you know how much time we wasted while I searched for him? We could already have control of the mountain by now if you had just been honest with me.”

  Ethan let out a hiss, his eyes flashing an angry green-blue as he stepped toward Mitch. Kate shivered and shifted farther behind Mitch. Ethan was a little scary right now. He was far less human than Mitch. More drifter.

  “I’m trying to find another way to control the mountain without my brother. Or you.”

  Mitch scowled, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s getting to you. It’s corrupting your mind, Ethan. Don’t let it. The three of us can control the mountain now. Gabe’s there, waiting for us. If you come with me, we can end this. We can stop Ronin and save the world.”

  Kate’s heart stuttered at that last sentence. What was Mitch talking about? Save the world from what?

  Ethan strode away from them, paused, then came back. “I have control of the drifters now. I don’t need you or fucking Gabe, or anyone else. That mountain is mine. If you’re smart, Mitch, you’ll get the fuck out of my crater and never come back.” His eyes blazed in warning. “Take the woman and leave. If I catch either one of you roaming around in here again, I’ll kill you.”

  Kate’s breath caught. Ethan wasn’t all there in the head. She grabbed Mitch’s arm. “Let’s go,” she whispered. Before he hurts us.

  Mitch hesitated, his gaze locking with Ethan’s. “You’re not a killer. It’s not easy taking someone’s life. Think about your threat before you try to see it through.”

  Ethan’s nostrils flared, his eyes glowing with anger. “Don’t make me hurt you, Mitch.”

  Mitch sighed. “Fine. Have it your way. We’re leaving now.” He grabbed Kate’s hand and pulled her after him. “But you really should think about what you’re doing here. You have a child, remember? Honor? I’ve met her. She’s an adorable kid. Would you want your child to see you like this?”

  Ethan marched forward, stopping directly in front of Mitch, and shoved his face into Mitch’s. “You leave my kid out of this. She doesn’t need to know.”

  Mitch snorted. “Oh, she’ll know. That kid adores you, worships you. If you’re any kind of father, you’ll do the right thing and make her proud.”

  Mitch shoved past Ethan, dragging Kate with him, and re-entered the tunnel they’d just come out of. Silence followed after them, the only sound, their shoes squishing in the mud as they hurried back through the tunnel. Kate had so many questions, but the questions would have to wait until they got out of the drifters’ lair.

  It was nearly an hour later before they made their way back to the dinosaur dig. Mitch released Kate’s hand. He began to pace back and forth across the main room where Ethan’s table sat with the dinosaur bones. “I have to find a way to get through to him, Kate. The mountain is corrupting his mind. He wasn’t like this the last time I saw him.”

  “What mountain? What are you talking about?”

  Mitch halted and turned to her. “Mount Kilimanjaro. Have you heard of the three cones?”

  Kate knew of Mount Kilimanjaro. That had been one of the places her family had planned to visit while here on their safari tour. But they’d never made it that far.

  She nodded. “I know of the mountain. I know it contains three volcanic cones, and that one of the cones is dormant and may erupt again at any time.”

  “Kibo.” Mitch started to pace again. “The mountain contains a power that goes beyond the volcano. It’s directly connected to the drifters. The night of the asteroid shower, asteroids struck certain places, like the mountain and Ethan’s dinosaur dig. Drifters now reside in those craters that were created by the asteroids. Ethan and I believe the drifters somehow came into existence after the asteroids struck, either arriving with the asteroids or somehow appearing directly after. We believe the drifters are here for one reason: to release the mountain’s power. They are seeking something of higher intelligence—human, more than likely—to help them. That’s why if you survive a drifter bite, they give you a gift, something that may help you if you end up being one of the chosen. I believe my friend Gabe—Ethan’s brother—is Kibo, the dormant cone. Have you ever heard of Honest Gabe before?”

  Kate nodded. “Yes. People whisper about him like he’s a famous celebrity or something. Like he’s a legend or a fictional character or something to be worshipped.”

  “He’s just a regular guy like me. But the mountain chose him to be Kibo. I’m Shira, one of the extinct cones. And Ethan is Mawenzi, the third cone. The mountain’s power can only be released if the three cones come together and work as one. Or, alternatively, if a single being takes control of the drifters, he or she will have control of the mountain. Ronin is trying to take control of the mountain by himself, by controlling the drifters. I need to stop him. That’s why I’ve been searching for Ethan. I just recently found out that he’s Mawenzi, the third cone. He, Gabe and I will be able to control the mountain if we all go there together and see what it takes to release its power.”

  Kate’s head spun with all this crazy talk. While Ethan had seemed a bit delusional, Mitch didn’t sound crazy in the least, so Kate believed him. There had been a time when she never would have believed in such things, but now she did.

  “And now Ethan is losing his mind, thinking he can control the mountain by himself, just like Ronin.”

  Mitch sighed. “It appears that way, yes.”

  “Okay. So what can I do to help you?”

  Mitch paused in his pacing, his gaze filling with surprise, then relief. “You’ll help me?”

  “Of course I’ll help you. I don’t want Ronin to have that kind of power any more than you do.”

  Mitch strode toward her, pulling her tight for a fierce hug. “Thank you, Kate. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m not sure how to get through to Ethan, but I’ve got to think of something.”

  Kate hugged him back, reveling in his rare show of affection. Being an empath couldn’t be easy for him. Touching others and feeling all their emotions had to be painful. “We’ll figure something out,” she whispered, stepping back and looking into his eyes. “Together.”

  He smiled, a genuine smile, not his fake smirk. “You’re good for me, Kate. All your goodness, your positive energy…it gives me strength, makes me think I might actually be able to do this. It makes me want to throw caution to the wind and revel in whatever’s between us, see where it leads…”

  Kate’s breath caught. His gaze snared hers. She couldn’t look away if she tried.

  “But that wouldn’t be fair to you.” He lowered his gaze and stepped away from her. “I can’t burden you with my empathy. It was too much for Lisa. It made her weak. I can’t do that to you too.”

  Kate swallowed hard. “I’m not Lisa.”

  His gaze bounced back to hers. “You think I don’t know that? Of course you’re not Lisa. You’re nothing like her.” There was conviction in his words, as if he was trying to convince himself of how different they were. “Nothing at all.”

  Kate felt like he was comparing her to Lisa, and that she was lacking. Whatever. If he was always going to be comparing her to Lisa, then she didn’t want to be in a relationship with him, no matter how strong their physical attraction was or no matter how much she cared about him.

  “No. I’m not Lisa and I never will be. The sooner you realize that, the better.”

  Kate turned on her heel and strode away, leaving him to figure that one out on his own.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Being away from Kate left Mitch with an emptiness he didn’t expect. He felt weak, helpless,
drained without her goodness around him. He needed to stop pushing her away. Kate’s goodness made him strong, made him feel good. He would need strength to go on. He would need Kate to finish this. He might even need her to help keep his humanity.

  Kate definitely wasn’t Lisa. She didn’t need to remind him of that. She was so much stronger. Maybe it was time he let her make her own decisions, not force his own upon her. She was a grown woman. If she wanted to pursue their mutual attraction, who was he to get in her way? God knew he wanted her. Bonding with her might not be so bad after all. Together they could share their gifts and grow stronger. Perhaps even strong enough to beat Ronin.

  And the feeling of completeness that came from being in a mutually loving relationship, the closeness, the sharing of emotions and experiences, the love…he’d only had that once before in his life. With Lisa. He would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t want that again. He was so damn lonely and so alone in his empathy. Constantly having to keep his distance from others, constantly fighting off their emotions was a painful burden. If he could just let go, share everything with Kate, it would relieve some of the stress, it would bring life back into his heart, give him a rock to help keep him steady. It would make him feel good. To love and be loved. To be close to someone again. Damn, he wanted that with Kate. And he didn’t want to wait. If he waited, he might die first. She might die first.

  He wanted it now.

  Mitch went in search of Kate and found her in the bathroom, soaking in the tub. He halted in the doorway, not wanting to disturb her.

  She turned her head toward him, her eyes glistening with tears. She cleared her throat. “Go away. You’re not ready for a relationship if all you’re going to do is compare me to Lisa.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry. It was wrong to compare you to her. When I’m with you, you’re all I think about.”

  Her gaze locked on his. “Truly?”

  “Truly.”

  They stared at each other. Then Kate whispered, “I want to have a complete emotional connection with you before we bond physically. I want to know you first, Mitch. Everything about you.”

  He swallowed hard. He wanted those same things too. The emotional connection, then the physical bonding. In that order. To know her. All of her. “I want you, Kate. All of you. Your thoughts, your feelings, your understanding, your friendship, your love…” He choked on that last word. “And your body. I want all of that from you, and I want to give all of that in return. I want to bond with you. I want to give us a chance.”

  She stared at him, her surprise and disbelief, then her happiness flowing into him. He braced himself against the emotions, then relaxed, letting them seep into him. She wiped a tear from her cheek and rose from the rub, reaching for a towel. Mitch turned away, giving her some privacy.

  She came around and stopped in front of him, the towel wrapped sarong style around her body, her skin glistening with water droplets. Mitch’s nostrils flared as he inhaled her fresh, clean scent. Longing stirred in his loins. He jerked his gaze to hers.

  “And no more comparing me to Lisa.”

  Heat crept into his face. “Agreed.”

  Kate stared into his eyes. “You’re going to have to open up to me, trust me enough to share all your secrets with me, Mitch. We can’t have any secrets between us. I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who is keeping secrets from me.”

  Mitch drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled. She was right. He would have to open up to her completely. It wouldn’t be easy. There were some things he’d never told anyone, not even Lisa. “I’m ashamed of my past, Kate. If you promise not to judge me, I’ll share it with you.” He cleared his throat. “And I’ll tell you about what happened to Lisa.”

  She continued to search his eyes. “Okay.” She reached for his hand, her warmth, her compassion spreading into him. “And in return, I’ll share my story with you, though I’m positive my story won’t be nearly as exciting at yours.”

  He snorted. “I don’t know about that. You’re a fascinating woman, Kate. I want to know all about you.”

  She blushed. They smiled at each other, their gazes locking. And the pressure in his chest—the terror at making himself so open and vulnerable—loosened, helping him to relax. She helped him to relax.

  Please don’t let her judge me. Please don’t let my past push her away. I don’t think I can bear her disappointment.

  Tugging on his hand, Kate pulled him from the room. Mitch followed obediently, like a puppy following its master. Hell, he would follow her anywhere.

  She went into the bedroom and bent to remove some clothes from her pack. Mitch turned away, striding to the nightstand to light the lantern. When he turned back to her, she was dressed in black leggings and a dark pink T-shirt, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling on a pair of socks. Her wet hair was draped over her right shoulder, falling over her breast.

  She glanced up at him, patting the edge of the bed. “Come sit. Let’s talk.”

  Mitch took the two steps that brought him to the edge of the bed. She took his hand, tugging him forward. Mitch sat next to her, letting out a breath.

  “I’ll go first if you want.” She patted his hand. “My story’s quite boring, really. I was born in Helena, Montana. My father was a prominent divorce attorney, my mom a housewife. I had a younger brother named Kirk. We all came to Africa ten years ago so we could experience a real-life safari. An asteroid struck the back of the safari Jeep while we were out on tour, killing my entire family.” She paused, swallowing hard. “I hid in a cave for days, fighting off hungry hyenas. I was so scared. I thought I was going to die. I used my shirt as a mask to buffer out the smoggy air when I finally ventured out of the cave. The first thing I saw was my brother’s remains. The hyenas had eaten him.” She swallowed hard. “I was alone on the savanna for over a week before a nice couple came along and found me. I was starving, terrified, and a little out of my mind. Ever since then I’ve been terrified of hyenas. Whenever I hear a hyena laugh, I freeze in terror.”

  Mitch’s heart pinched. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “You were only seventeen?”

  She breathed in deeply, then out. “Yes. I went with the couple to Mwanza and found a colony there where I stayed for a little while. It was there that I soon learned about the darker side of human nature. Rape. Abuse. Threats. Intimidation. Violence.” She shuddered. “I’d had a sheltered upbringing, my parents always keeping me safe. But now I had no one. I realized that if I was going to survive, I would have to do it on my own. So I staked out a little area and turned it into a vegetable garden. My mother had been an avid gardener back in Montana and I learned from her. I started trading vegetables to survive. As a lone female, it was difficult. But somehow I managed to get by these past ten years.” She lifted her gaze back to his. She shrugged. “And here I am now.”

  And now here she was.

  Mitch lowered his gaze. It was his turn to talk. But his past hadn’t been as happy as hers. How would she view him if she learned where he’d come from?

  Kate squeezed his hand, her goodness seeping into him. “It’s your turn,” she whispered. “I promise not to judge.”

  Mitch squeezed her hand back, a little too tightly, his nervousness making him tense. But she didn’t jerk back, though he knew he had to be hurting her.

  Relax, man. This is Kate. She’s goodness and sweetness and understanding all wrapped up in one perfect package.

  But what if she judges me?

  Then she does. There’s nothing you can do about it.

  Mitch relaxed, his grip loosening, as her goodness flowed into him, warming him, making him feel good. “I was born in San Diego, California. My mother was a drunk. She hardly knew I existed, she was so wasted all the time. I didn’t have any siblings. I did poorly in school, got teased by the school bully, and ending up skipping more classes than I went to. Finally, they kicked me out when I was fourteen.” His face heated in shame. “I was a bad kid, Kate. I got in trouble
with the law after that. I got mixed up with a gang. I did bad things. I hurt others. I went to juvenile detention.” He drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled. “Then my mother died. They put me in foster care. But I ran away from the first foster home I was sent to, found myself living on the streets with other bad kids, doing bad things, stealing, fighting, hurting others.” Mitch tensed, afraid that Kate would feel contempt for him now.

  But the feeling that flowed through her hand into his was a strong compassion that made his breath catch. She wasn’t judging him. She really did care about him.

  “Then what happened?”

  Mitch cleared his throat. “My grandmother on my father’s side showed up. I’m not sure how she found me. I guess the foster home notified the state that I’d run away, and she went searching the streets for me. She said it took her two weeks to find me. I was wary of her at first, wanted to know how she knew I was her grandson. She said because I looked just like my father and that my mother had contacted her years ago, claiming my father had gotten her pregnant. She didn’t believe her at the time, figured my mother was just after money. But when the state contacted her, trying to get in touch with my father after my mother died, my grandmother’s curiosity sent her in search of me and she realized I really was her grandson. She said my father wanted to meet me, that she was here to take me in, to get me off the streets. To give me a real home.”

  “So your father didn’t even know about you before then?”

  Mitch shrugged. “I guess not. He was out of the country when the state tried to contact him and tell him about me. I was sent to foster care because he didn’t respond to their letter to come and get me. When my grandmother found out about me, she notified my father that she was going to go find me.”

  Mitch stared down at the dirt floor. “So I went with her. I was curious about my dad, about the other side of my family. But I didn’t trust her. She lived in a mansion in Los Angeles. Apparently, my father owned a huge construction company in Los Angeles. At the time, he was in Dubai, because his company had contracted to do several large projects there, skyscrapers and whatnot. I went from being an orphaned street kid to living with unimaginable wealth. I gave my grandmother a hard time at first. I was a disrespectful punk.” He let out a snort. “But she was patient and understanding. She never gave up on me.” His chest tightened. “She gave me a chance. And thanks to her, I’m not in prison for doing something stupid.”