He nodded, but it was slow and thoughtful. “Okay.”
It didn’t give me a lot of confidence that he wasn’t going to run off and tell Heath, which had my sour mood rushing back. At least there were a lot of schools in Troy. Hopefully, they had people on watch just in case. Gabe hadn’t worried about it before, but Devon and Kiaya were there now, and there was no way they’d let the school go unguarded when there was a possible threat out there. I was sure of it.
I waved to the hall in front of us. “Let’s finish this tour.”
Ryan started walking again, as did I, and this time he was silent as we moved down the hall. Which I was thankful for. With as irritated as I was, I was liable to bite his head off, and I needed to keep my cool, so I had at least one ally.
It wasn’t until we reached one of the windows overlooking the courtyard that he cleared his throat. “We put the animals here.”
Just like Heath had said, they’d transformed what had once been an outdoor courtyard into an actual farm. A couple shelters had been built and hay brought in, covering the sidewalks so they were only visible in a few places. There were animals everywhere. I hadn’t been able to completely appreciate how many there were yesterday at the farm, and after arriving here, I’d been too preoccupied with thoughts of my dad to pay attention as they were unloaded. Now, though, I realized just how many there were. Several cows and even more goats, and chickens everywhere, pecking at the ground.
“It’s like a farm.”
“That’s the idea,” Ryan replied. “Now that we have them, we have a real shot at making it.”
He said it like they hadn’t stolen the animals, which pissed me off. Especially with the memory of the cold pressure of the gun against my temple still fresh in my mind.
I turned to face Ryan. “Heath held a gun to my head.”
“I heard.” He frowned to let me know he didn’t like it but said, “I don’t think he would have hurt you.”
It was the same response I’d gotten from my father. It didn’t sting as much, but it still made anger rush through me.
“You don’t think he would have hurt me, but you did wonder if I might have been brought here against my will.” I paused, giving the words a second to sink in. “Basically, you’re saying you don’t think Heath’s a murderer, but he could be kidnapper.”
Ryan let out a long, exasperated sigh. “I wasn’t sure what was going on, to be honest. You looked a little—” He paused, thinking it through. “Wild is the word, I guess.”
“I don’t think that’s an honest answer.”
“I told you, Rowan, I like what we have here.” He shoved his hand through his hair in frustration. “Do I question some things? Definitely. But I’m learning how to live in this world just like everyone else. You have to adapt. If you don’t, you die.”
“I get that, but there has to be a line you don’t cross.”
“Maybe that’s what I’m trying to figure out.” Ryan shrugged. “Where the new line is.”
We were still staring at one another when the sound of footsteps pounded down the hall, headed in our direction. The crackle of a radio sounded seconds before Heath came into view, rushing down the hall with the thing held to his mouth.
“I’m on my way.”
“What’s going on?” Ryan asked.
Heath didn’t pause, but his gaze did sweep over me. Something about his expression had the hair on my scalp prickling.
“We have a situation. Nothing major. Don’t worry about it.” He rushed by, calling over his shoulder, “Keep showing Rowan around.”
He turned the corner seconds later and disappeared from sight.
I looked at Ryan, who was frowning. “Does that happen often?”
“No. Never.”
“He said it was nothing major, but I got the impression it was a pretty big deal to him.”
Ryan’s expression was thoughtful. “Yeah. It did seem like that, didn’t it?”
“Should we check it out?”
“Heath told me to keep showing you around.”
“Do you always do what he says?” I asked, exasperated now.
Everyone here acted like Heath was a dictator who needed to be obeyed no matter what, and it wasn’t just weird, it was annoying, too. Who the hell agreed to put shock collars on people or look the other way when someone threatened to cut off fingers? It wasn’t normal.
“No.” Ryan looked down the hall in the direction Heath had just vanished. “I mean, not always.”
“Well, I want to know what’s going on.”
I’d only taken two steps after Heath when Ryan moving after me. “Wait!”
Looking back, I managed to force out a smile. “I knew you’d come to your senses.”
“You’re not supposed to be running around by yourself, remember?” He grinned back at me. “Plus, I still have to give you a tour of the outside.”
I rolled my eyes. This guy had no spine.
I hadn’t been to the front of the hospital since Heath dragged me inside yesterday, and the closer I got, the more people I passed. There was a lot of commotion, too, and worried expressions on the faces of nearly everyone, making me once again think Heath had been lying about whatever was going on. Why, though, I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because he didn’t trust me. Or maybe he was hiding something…
I moved faster, shoving the door open when I reached it and rushing outside. It was afternoon, and the air was cool for the time of year, but the sun was high, making me have to pause so my eyes could adjust. Once they did, the sight that greeted me made it impossible to move right away. Heath and a couple other guys were standing in a line, all of them armed and their guns pointed in the same direction, and in front of them stood two women. Kiaya, who had her arm around a very banged-up looking Lane.
Instantly, I snapped out of it and rushed forward. “Kiaya!”
The men at Heath’s side glanced at me, frowning in confusion, but their leader kept his focus on the women. None of the men lowered their weapons, but it didn’t stop me from pushing my way past them and running to my friends.
“Rowan?” Kiaya said, her eyes growing wide in surprise. “You’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
It was only partly true, but at the moment, my emotional turmoil over my dad seemed minor compared to whatever was going on with Lane.
When I reached them, I took Lane’s other arm even as I looked Kiaya over. Like Lane, she’d clearly been through something. There was a gash on her forehead and a few bruises on her face, but she seemed okay. Lane, however, was barely conscious, and she moaned when I put my arm around her waist.
“What happened?” I asked, glancing around until I spotted Ryan, who had frozen behind Heath and was looking at me like I was nuts. I ignored the guns still pointed in my direction and said, “She needs a doctor!”
Ryan shook his head once, then rushed over.
“We were in a car accident,” Kiaya told me. “I think she’s bleeding internally.”
Ryan reached us just as Kiaya and I eased Lane to the ground, and he knelt as well. “How long ago?”
“Yesterday,” Kiaya said. “She’s gotten progressively worse, and I knew if I didn’t come here, she would die.”
Ryan eased Lane’s shirt up, and his eyes widened at the sight. Her stomach looked swollen and bloated and was black and blue.
“She’s definitely bleeding internally,” he said, gently probing her stomach.
Lane moaned again in response.
“I need a gurney out here!” Ryan called over his shoulder.
“No one said she’s coming in,” Heath replied in a cold voice.
Ryan’s head snapped up, his expression shocked and confused when he looked back at Heath. “She’s going to die if she doesn’t.”
“Let her,” the other man replied. “She and Gabe deserve whatever they get.”
Ryan blinked, still not understanding the situation he found himself in. “Do you know this woman?”
“She’s my ex-wife.”
The doctor’s mouth fell open, and for a moment he said nothing, clearly floored and not sure what to say or how to react. I held my breath, waiting. Hoping his oath still meant something to him, because if not, Lane would die for sure, and I had no clue what that would mean for Kiaya.
Finally, in an uncertain tone, Ryan said, “You’d let her die?”
“I told you, she deserves what she gets.” Heath’s brown eyes were cold when he turned them on Lane.
It didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t mention her supposed affair with Gabe. Was it because Lane was here and could easily refute his claims, or was it just too painful for him to talk about? He didn’t strike me as the overly emotional type, but it was possible.
“We have a message for you,” Kiaya interjected.
All eyes turned to her, mine included.
“Gabe sent you here?” Heath repeated, his expression doubtful.
“Not exactly.” Kiaya waved to Lane. “I volunteered after Lane got hurt, but Gabe isn’t the one who sent me. He isn’t calling the shots anymore.”
So, Devon and Kiaya had staged a coup. Good.
“I find that hard to believe.” A cruel smile stretched across Heath’s face. “Gabe is a controlling bastard.”
“He isn’t the one who has something at stake here,” Kiaya said, “so he was overruled.”
“By who?” Heath’s eyes were narrowed now, his expression curious even though the cold light in his eyes hadn’t changed. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, and impossible to guess what he would do.
“Me,” Kiaya said. “I’m here to establish contact and work on a resolution.”
There was a momentary pause, Heath studying Kiaya while she looked back at him, her expression as even and unemotional as always.
Finally, Heath jerked his head toward Lane. “Why’s she here?”
“Because we got into an accident, and she’s dying.” It was Kiaya’s turn to narrow her eyes. “You loved her once. Are you really willing to let her die when you could save her?”
She didn’t look away from Heath, but I knew her well enough to know the words had been for everyone else’s benefit more than his. She wanted the other people watching to weigh in. Wanted them to have to think about what was happening. It was a good idea.
Heath’s lips twitched, but otherwise his expression didn’t change. His gun was still up, but the other two men had lowered their weapons. They were staring at Heath, waiting to find out what was going to happen. Kiaya’s words had sunk in, and like Ryan, they seemed shocked by the thought that their leader would even consider leaving his ex-wife to die.
When Heath still said nothing, Ryan stood. “She’s going to die. I need to get her to surgery. Now.”
“Come on, man,” the guy to Heath’s right said. “She’s your ex-wife. You’re just going to leave her here to die?
Still, the Heath didn’t utter a word, which was when Ryan said, “Maybe I should run it by Bill?”
I didn’t know who Bill was, but at the mention of his name, Heath worked his jaw, his frown deepening. He reminded me of a cornered animal. He didn’t want to help Lane, but turning her away would destroy the persona he’d created as the good guy. It was all an act. I suspected as much before, but now I was certain. He’d set things up to make everyone hate Gabe. Heath may have engineered Gabe to look like the bad guy, but to me, the truth was obvious. The real bad guy was standing in front of me.
Finally, and with what looked like great effort, Heath lowered his gun. Then he turned to face the hospital. “Get a gurney out here!”
Everything moved quickly after that. People hurried from the building, pushing a gurney while Ryan scooped Lane into his arms. Once the others had reached them, he gingerly set her on the gurney. Then they were rushing inside, Ryan calling out orders as they did.
“Get me Dr. Summers and three nurses. I don’t care which ones.”
They were out of sight a second later, which was when I turned and threw my arms around Kiaya. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.” She pulled back, looking me over, her mouth turning down at the sight of the collar around my neck. “You’re okay?”
“Fine.” I gave her a shaky smile and rolled my eyes as my emotions once again threatened to get the better of me.
“Your dad?” she asked.
“He’s here.” The next words were more difficult to get out. “He’s okay.”
It was only partly a lie.
Kiaya studied me, her gaze once again moving to the collar, her expression confused, then she looked around. “I didn’t expect you to be out walking around. I thought you’d be a prisoner.”
“It’s only a temporary reprieve, unfortunately.”
Someone cleared their throat, and I stiffened. Heath.
I stepped in front of Kiaya, my arms out as if trying to keep him back. “You are not putting a shock collar on her.”
“Shock collar?” she asked, only a hint of alarm in her voice.
I kept my gaze on Heath.
“We have rules here, Ms. Summers.”
He said Ms. Summers like he was a teacher and I was a disobedient student, and I ground my teeth in frustration. He noticed, of course, and his lips turned up into an amused smile. Damn him.
“I don’t care about your rules. They’re sadistic, and so are you.” I lowered my voice and took a step closer. “You might have the people here fooled, but I am not an idiot. I know what you would have done with Lane if everyone hadn’t been watching. You would have let her die, and we both know it.”
His lips twitched even as his eyes flashed. “Of course not. She’s my ex-wife, not my enemy.”
“Gabe is, though. Right?”
Heath’s shoulders rose and fell, but instead of answering my question, he said, “You know how you can get off probation. Just tell me where your friends are. You do that, and both you and your friend—” He paused, tilting his head. “Kiaya, is it?”
“That’s right,” she said.
“You and Kiaya,” he began again, “can both become productive members of the community.”
“I don’t want to be part of a community that puts shock collars on people,” I said. “Plus, now that Kiaya’s here, we can work on a real solution. One where we leave and don’t have to see you again. Ever.”
“If you tell me,” Heath said, “we can get the negotiations moving today.”
“There are innocent people there,” I said, more frustrated now. “I don’t trust you to show up peacefully, and I will not be responsible for children getting hurt.”
“I have no intention of hurting them.”
“Gabe will fight back. You and I both know that. There could be other casualties. Innocent bystanders, and I won’t risk it. There are too many kids.”
“I can’t negotiate,” Heath said, his words cold and calculated now, “unless you tell me where they are.”
“There’s another way to get in contact with them,” Kiaya said, stepping forward, looking from me to Heath, her gaze once again lingering on the collar around my neck. “First of all, I want to know what the deal is with this collar. Why is Rowan wearing it?”
Heath tore his gaze from me, focusing on her. “We don’t usually let people into our group unless they have something they can contribute. Skills. Supplies. Information. I told Ms. Summers what I wanted, but she refused to comply.”
Kiaya’s mouth pulled down. “You mean where Gabe’s people are?”
“That’s right,” Heath said, nodding.
Kiaya shook her head, her curls bouncing. “That’s not negotiable. We will not disclose our location.”
“Then I’m not sure we have anything to talk about,” Heath said. “Gabe needs to pay for what he did.”
“That’s between you and him,” Kiaya said, her words firm. “I’m here to negotiate for Rowan and her father.”
“Dr. Summers will be staying here,” Heath said.
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br /> “What if he wants to leave?” I interjected. “He says he’s here by choice, but that means he should also have the option to leave.”
At that, Heath pressed his lips together, clearly torn about what to say. He obviously wanted to force my dad to stay here, but if he did that, he might lose some of his following. Everyone was under the impression he was a good guy, but refusing to let my dad make his own decision would contradict that.
After a moment of thought, Heath nodded. “We have other doctors. If your father decides leaving is the right thing, I will allow him to go.” He lifted his eyebrows, challenging me. “That’s assuming we can come to an agreement with your people.”
“Good,” Kiaya said. “Before Lane and I were in the accident, we left a note and radio in a neutral location.”
Heath studied her for a second. “Where?”
“The gym. Lane said you guys all used to go there. That you met there at the beginning of all this.”
Heath let out an annoyed sounding snort. “I should have known she’d go back there.”
“If you retrieve the radio, you’ll be able to get in touch with our people,” Kiaya continued. “Ask for Devon.”
My heart leapt at the mention of his name, beating harder when I thought about possibly getting to talk to him over the radio—and hopefully being with him again very soon. After today, I wanted nothing more than to see his teasing smile and admiring gaze.
“Devon will be the one negotiating with you,” Kiaya said. “Once we’ve come to an understanding, you and Gabe can deal with whatever issue you have. We don’t want anything to do with it, though. Understand?”
Heath’s gaze was intent on hers, but Kiaya didn’t blink. As usual, I marveled at how cool under pressure she was. Even when dealing with someone like Heath, she didn’t waver. I was envious of her ability to control her emotions. If only it was something I could learn.
Slowly, Heath relaxed, then he was nodding. “That could work. Assuming everything happens the way you say it will. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change what has to happen in the meantime.”
Kiaya raised her eyebrow. “Which is?”
“Probation.” The word hissed from Heath’s lips.
Far Series | Book 3 | Far From Lost Page 19
