The doctor moved to the door but stopped after only a few steps, glancing back over his shoulder at me. “I’m going to try to convince Heath to let you see your dad, but the probation thing will stand. It has to because everyone else has gone through it. We can’t make exceptions or things will fall apart.”
I dug my fingernails into my palms at the thought of keeping this collar on for a moment longer but forced out a smile anyway. I needed to keep at least one person on my side, and Ryan seemed like the best option. “I’d appreciate anything you can do.”
He nodded, then continued his trek out of the room, disappearing into the hall.
When I was once again alone, I stood and went to the tray of food. It had cooled as we talked, the gravy congealing on top of the mashed potatoes and Salisbury steak, making it even less appetizing than had been when Ryan first brought it in. Not that it stopped my stomach from growling, and not that it would keep me from devouring every bite. It had only been a couple weeks since everything disappeared, but by now I knew better than to turn my nose up at any offering of food.
7
Kiaya
A quiet place ended up being a field in the middle of nowhere, which also happened to be entirely too close to the school for my liking. The driver pulled the van onto a small path nearly hidden by trees, their branches scraping against the vehicle like nails on a chalkboard, and parked just out of sight from the road. When I shifted, I could see out the front window to the field beyond, which was half scorched by the swiftly spreading fire.
“You like?” the kid leader asked, drawing my attention. He nodded toward the fire I’d just been studying. “We did that.”
“You started the fire?” Lisa asked.
He glanced her way, but only for a second before turning his joker-like smile back to me, nodding as if I were the one who’d posed the question.
“Why?” I asked. “What’s the point in starting a fire?”
“Didn’t mean for it to spread so far. Not that I care.”
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and popped one free, watching me as he slipped it between his lips. His movements were calculated and thoughtful as he raised a lighter to the end, flicking his thumb across it until the spark produced a flame, then touching it to the end of the cigarette. He inhaled slowly, and the tip burned red in the shadowy recesses of the van. After holding the smoke in for a moment, he exhaled, blowing it directly at me so I was forced to turn my head.
When I looked back, his grin had stretched wider. “You’re pretty, you know that?”
“And you’re creepy,” I replied, keeping my tone level and detached even though nervous energy was pulsing through me. “You didn’t answer my question. Why did you start the fire?”
“Burned my house down with my asshole dad and stepmom in it. They were dead, not that I wouldn’t have burned it over their heads if they’d still been alive. I would have. Would have enjoyed it more, too.”
I studied him as he smoked, taking in the hard light in his eyes and the way his mouth curled into a bitter smile when he mentioned his parents. I recognized the look, had probably experienced some of the same emotions in my life. Hatred for the people who were supposed to look out for you, anger that they didn’t give a shit, fury that you had no control over your own shitty circumstances. This was the face of an abused or neglected child.
“They deserve it?” I asked even though I’d already determined they probably had.
The kid put the cigarette between his lips again, his gaze remaining focused on me as he rolled up his sleeve. Above his elbow, round scars dotted the inside of his arm, old and faded, but not so much that I didn’t immediately know what they were from. Cigarette burns.
Lisa gasped, but I didn’t react.
He left the sleeve up, his focus still on me as he plucked the cigarette from his mouth and once again blew the smoke out. “When you have a nice, big house and brand-new shiny cars, no one looks at you too closely. They think your world is perfect. Think you have everything. They don’t realize darkness can live in anyone. Even the wealthy.”
“So, you’re just going to carry on their legacy of abuse? You don’t think you should try to be a better person?”
The wannabe Lost Boy snorted, and smoke came out of his nostrils with the sound. “Why? So I can be the one shit on again? Fuck no. I’m finally free of those assholes, and I’m going to make sure no one ever gets the best of me again.”
He put the cigarette back in his mouth, sucking the chemicals in, holding them, blowing them out. Repeating the process. Watching me the whole time.
“How old are you?” he finally said.
“Twenty.”
“Only a little older than me.” His grin stretched wider. “We could have a good time. Just because it’s the end of the world doesn’t mean there can’t be fun.”
“No, thanks.”
“Is it this Devon guy?” The kid leaned closer to me. “You got something going on with him?”
“You’re a child.”
“I’m sixteen.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed him.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’m not interested.”
He smiled like he didn’t have a care in the world and went back to smoking.
I looked away from him, unnerved by the constant attention and by the expression in his eyes. He behaved like nothing bothered him, only I didn’t think it was an act. It was like something inside him had broken, changing him into something that wasn’t quite human. It brought Hank and the unemotional way he watched people to mind, and a shudder shook my body. Hopefully, these two never met.
After a few seconds, the door opened and one of the other kids poked his head in. “Yo, Jace. Come out and take a look at this.”
Wordlessly, Jace climbed out, leaving the door ajar, and the sound of voices was carried in with the wind, along with the smoke from the fire. When the front doors opened and the other two guys climbed out as well, I let out a sigh of relief at being left alone.
“What the hell is wrong with that kid?” Lane asked.
She was slumped forward like sitting up was too difficult or painful.
“He’s a creepy little fucker,” Lisa said.
“He’s just trying to get under my skin,” I said, although I thought there might be more to it.
It was definitely partly true. I had the ability to keep my emotions in check, to keep my expression blank and give off the impression nothing bothered me. It was a skill that had been my ally when I was a child and I didn’t want to scare my sister, and later in foster homes where the other kids weren’t always friendly. It had to irritate someone like this kid, who so clearly wanted to scare people into submitting to him. I also thought he might have just been playing a game. Like a cat batting around a mouse before devouring it.
I scooted across the van, so I was in front of Lane. “Are you okay?”
She lifted her head, wincing. “No.”
Lisa’s frown deepened. “Are you sure it’s just a rib?”
“What else could it be?” I asked before Lane could respond.
“Internal bleeding from the accident,” Lisa said.
Shit.
“I don’t know.” Lane shifted then let out a gasp of pain. “How would I know?”
“Bruising. Like blood collecting under the skin.” Lisa shifted so she was closer. “Kiaya, turn around and see if you can somehow pull Lane’s shirt up so I can get a look at her.”
I did as I was told, shifting to my knees with my back to Lane, then scooting toward her until my fingers brushed fabric. Grabbing a handful, I shifted again, this time rising to my knees so I could pull the shirt up.
“Shit,” Lisa said.
Shirt still in hand, I glanced over my shoulder, and her gaze met mine. She shook her head, her expression bleak.
“How bad?” Lane asked.
I dropped the shirt and turned back around.
“It’s not good. I could be wrong, a
nd without some more tests there’s no real way to know, but it doesn’t look good.”
Lane inhaled then exhaled, her expression twisting more and more with each breath. “Can anything be done if it is internal bleeding?”
“Without surgery?” Lisa said. “No.”
We went back to sitting in silence, the minutes seeming to crawl by at such a slow pace that when the radio suddenly crackled to life, I let out a yelp of surprise.
“This is Devon.”
Jace appeared at the open door and tossed his cigarette to the ground, not bothering to stomp it out before grabbing the radio.
“You’re going to start another fire,” I snapped.
He shot me a grin. “So? Me and my boys have no intention of staying around here. We’re going south soon. Somewhere warm and tropical.” He lifted the radio to his lips but didn’t press the button, his smile widening. “You could come. Lie on the beach in a bikini all day. What do you say?”
I’d never seen the ocean, had never been to the beach, and at this point, it seemed unlikely that I ever would. Still, I wasn’t the least bit tempted to accept this creepy kid’s offer.
“No, thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” Jace pressed the button. “Devon! What do you have for me?”
“Five guns and extra magazines,” came the reply.
“Nice.” The kid nodded in approval. “Where would you like to meet?”
This time when the radio crackled, a different voice came over the air. Gabe. “The park across from Hobart Arena. You know the one?”
“Where the little theater is?” Jace asked.
“That’s the one,” Gabe replied. “Thirty minutes. No longer. I don’t care if you’re armed as long as you have the three women and you don’t try anything. We’ll make the trade, and both be on our way. And it better be the last time we see you.”
“Can’t promise you won’t come across one of my tolls again,” Jace replied.
“The last time,” Gabe repeated.
The kid chuckled. “Sure, sure. We’ll promise not to target you again, but accidents happen. Not much I can do about it. You know?”
“Try,” came the reply, only this time it was Devon.
“See you there,” Jace said, then turned the radio off and tossed it aside, his focus on me. “I guess we’re going for a ride. I have to say, though, I hate giving you up. I really think you could have some fun with us.”
“I prefer the group I’m with.”
He only shrugged before turning his back to me and calling, “Let’s load up. You know the area, and you know the drill. Be ready for anything.”
A few seconds later, the driver and passenger were back inside, and Jace was climbing in as well. Just before he pulled the door shut, the rumble of another engine filled the air.
The ride was a quiet one. I had no idea how long it would take us to get there since I wasn’t familiar with the area, and I wasn’t about to ask the leader of this disturbing group of delinquents any questions. He sat on the other side of the van, his gaze almost constantly on me as he smoked, and the smile never left his lips. I decided he was toying with me and did my best not to look his way, instead focusing on Lane.
She was pale. Sweaty. Not good. I wasn’t sure how long it would take her to die if she did have internal bleeding, or if there was anything we could do. Surgery seemed unlikely since Lisa was the only person in our group with any medical knowledge, not to mention our complete lack of supplies, but there was always the hospital, although that was a long shot. Heath wasn’t exactly on good terms with our people, and Lane was his ex, but that didn’t necessarily mean he’d be willing to let her die. He might take pity on her, assuming we were unarmed and there were only a couple of us. If we threw ourselves at his feet and begged for help, he might be willing to play the role of the hero. It could work. Maybe.
I couldn’t see much of anything from the back of the van, but I could tell when we reached a more populated area because the driver started swerving. It was less frantic than earlier when Lane drove us through town, so wherever we were, there must have been fewer zombies in the road.
Finally, the van slowed, and Jace shifted so he was on his knees, his focus no longer on me. He pulled a gun as he stared out the windshield, and I got up on my knees so I could see out as well. When I spotted Devon, Gabe, Brian, and Doug standing by one of our trucks, I let out a sigh of relief.
“What the hell?” The driver shook his head. “Looks like a pro football team.”
Jace turned his gaze to me. “So that’s the kind of guy you like, huh?”
“You mean one who’s finished puberty and doesn’t hold a gun to my head?” I shot back. “Yeah. That’s the kind of guy I like.”
That only made him smile more.
“Be ready,” he said, shooting me a wink before turning toward the door.
Light streamed in when Jace opened it, and he jumped out, gun up. “Where’s my ransom?”
Somewhere not too far from us, another door opened, and the shuffling of feet followed. The delinquent’s backup had arrived.
“What the hell?” Doug said. “You’re kids.”
“Kids who know how to fire a gun and don’t mind getting their hands dirty,” Jace replied. “Now, where’s my ransom?”
“Where are our friends?” Devon asked.
“Come out,” Jace called.
I shuffled to the door, swinging my legs over and climbing out. Once I had, I turned and did my best to help Lane, who looked like she could hardly stay on her feet. Lisa came next.
“You said you didn’t hurt them,” Devon said.
“I didn’t,” Jace replied, his tone as unconcerned as it had been this whole time. “In fact, I saved them from a wrecked truck. I can’t help it if they got a little banged up in the process.”
Lane gasped and dropped to her knees.
“Lane?” Gabe took a step toward us. “What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s hurt pretty bad,” Lisa said.
Gabe took another step in our direction.
“Nope,” Jace said, aiming his gun at Gabe. “Ransom first, and then you can help her.”
Devon pulled a backpack off his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. “Here.”
“Check it out, Kev,” Jace said.
The youngest and smallest kid in the group hurried forward, kneeling in front of the bag so he could unzip it. After a few seconds of rifling through the contents, he zipped it back up and stood.
“It’s all here.”
“Excellent.” Jace waved toward us. “You may help your friends.”
Gabe rushed forward, moving faster than I would have thought considering he and Lane didn’t really get along. He knelt in front of her, gripping her chin to force her to look him in the eye. “Where are you hurt?”
“My side.”
Gingerly, Gabe lifted her shirt, his eyes widening at the sight of the dark purple area on her side. He dropped the fabric, allowing the shirt to fall back into place, then pulled his knife as he moved behind her. Once he’d cut the ties, freeing her hands, he scooped Lane into his arms.
“I’ve got you.”
She groaned.
Lisa and I were already moving, and Devon stepped forward to meet us while Brian and Doug stayed where they were, their weapons up and ready.
“You okay?” Devon asked.
“Yeah.” I turned my back to him so he could free my wrists. “Lane is bad off, though.”
I glanced back toward the band of juvenile bandits and found Jace staring at me. Still smiling.
“Later, sweet tits,” he called, then he gave me one final nod and climbed into the van, pulling the door shut behind him.
A second later, they were driving off.
Lisa was already free when I turned back to face my friends.
“What the hell happened?” Devon asked.
“They set a trap,” I told him. “Put one of those spike things cops use across the road. We didn’t see unt
il it was too late.”
“Shit,” Devon said, looking past me, watching the van disappear from sight. “And they’re all kids?”
“Every one of them,” Lisa said.
Lane was laid out in the bed of the truck when we headed over, Gabe at her side, an expression of concern on his face.
“How bad is it?” he asked, tearing his gaze from Lane so he could focus on Lisa.
“I don’t know for sure.” She gave an uncertain shrug. “I can maybe make an educated guess once we’re back at the school, but that’s all it will be. A guess. An ultrasound would be good, but even if we had access to one, I’m not trained in that. We need a real doctor.”
“They have doctors at the hospital,” I said.
Gabe twisted to face me. “So? We can’t go there.”
“It might be Lane’s only chance,” I pointed out.
“You met Heath,” Brian said. “He’s a selfish prick. He doesn’t give a shit about her.”
“He might make an exception if she’s seriously injured,” I argued.
Gabe shook his head, but Lisa stepped in before he could say anything. “Enough. Let’s get back to the school. Then we can figure out our next move.”
Gabe nodded even though he still looked like he wanted to argue. “I’ll sit back here.”
The rest of us headed to the cab, Doug climbing into the driver’s seat while Brian hopped in the passenger side, leaving the back for Lisa, Devon, and myself.
“You okay?” Devon asked once we were on our way.
“Just a little banged up. Nothing major.”
He reached out, his thumb brushing the side of my head. It throbbed, and I winced away from his touch, earning me a repentant smile.
“Sorry.”
“How bad is it?”
“Just a little cut. It’s already starting to scab over.”
“Good.” I glanced down, focusing on my bloody knees. “I think there might still be some glass in these cuts.”
“Good thing I have experience in that sort of thing,” he said, referring to our time in Texola and how he’d had to remove a big shard of glass from Rowan’s back.
Far Series | Book 3 | Far From Lost Page 12
