Cryostorm (21 page)

“Thanks,” Georgia said for both of us.

“Ready for another fun stunt?” He grinned.

“Who said what we just did was fun?”

“Jasmine did. Turns out she can hear well, even through this crap, which is more than I can say for myself.” He tapped his left ear. “Deaf in one ear, earpiece in the other, and howling wind. Not a good combination.”

“Stick close to Jas, she’ll take care of you.” I pushed myself to my feet. “So, what’s the plan?”

Georgia joined me.

“Up for trying that snow-melting-fire of yours to plow the road for us? It’s a mile to the next town.”

Georgia glanced at me. “Bring it.”

Chapter 29

“H
oly hell that was hard,” Georgia slumped onto the bed, arms out to the side, legs dangling over the edge.

“Girl, you were wicked hot. I had to keep the ice coming to keep from burning up.”

“Really?”

“You taking ‘roids?” I plopped onto my back next to her.

The thick, white comforter instantly formed to my body, gently massaging each and every tired muscle. GEM didn’t do anything on the cheap side, like we’d been used to. Nope, this room was top-notch.

Two queen-sized beds backed up against the middle of the back wall. They faced a mounted flat screen TV surrounded by some sweet cherry cabinets. Just below was a full bar fridge, stocked plum full of Snickers, M&Ms, and chips. Since my favorite Red Vines weren’t there, I’d be snatching the M&Ms for sure.

To the left was a bathroom that had two sinks, a steam shower, and a tub with whirlpool jets bigger than a pool in some backyards back in Trifle.

Through the door to the left was the sitting room. It, too, had another fridge, massively huge TV, and a couple of couches and chairs with some tables. It overlooked what would normally be a beautiful view according to the landscape pictures decorating the walls, but the snow blotted that out.

“I’m tired and I’m hungry, but I can’t move to eat and I’m too hungry to sleep,” Georgia said. “I’ve never expended that much energy in my life. Not even when I went nuclear against Andrey.”

“You did good, sis.”

Her fingers found mine and curled around them.

“You okay?”

“No. But thanks for asking.”

“Thank you for walking with me while I melted snow.”

“Of course. Me and you, Blaze.” I turned my head to find her staring at me. “Always.”

“Then I have to tell you something. Okay?”

“Uh-oh.” My fear meter chimed. She hadn’t even said,
all joking aside
. But I could tell…

“I’m worried about Nate.” Georgia blinked slowly.

“Me too.”

“He’s all alone out there, and I don’t think GEM is necessarily going to jump up and try and find him. They seem too cautious. You know? Like calculating everything for so long before acting.”

“You got that sense, too?” I set my hands on my stomach.

“Don’t get me wrong. I think they’re on the up and up, but I don’t think Nate is top priority right now. You see how Brandon stares at us? Like he’s anxious to get us to a lab and start dissecting us?”

“Yeah, he’s got that glint in his eye.”

“He won’t. I don’t think that he’s bad or anything. Just fascinated and focused on that right now.”

“What do you want to do?” I asked.

“Let’s talk to Tim but I’m thinking either me, you, and Jasmine bolt, or me, you, Jasmine, and Tim bolt, leaving Lois and Zach here, safe and sound with the GI Joes.”

“Split up?”

“I know. Against the rules, but…I don’t know, Kelvin, I feel like we have to try and find Nate.”

“How?” I pushed myself up to my elbow and leaned toward her. “He’s the master, remember? Even GEM guy couldn’t get much on him, and he knew enough about us that he could have been our other brother.”

“Cute brother, though.”

“Focus, G.”

“Sorry. Yeah. You’re right. Nate won’t be found unless he wants to be found.”

“Shit. What if he went back to The Center? What if whatever was in his brain told him to turn himself in or go back to check in?”

“I don’t get something, though. Why would Agents still be attacking if they knew he’d take care of you? Doesn’t add up.”

“Maybe it’s been Bev’s gang after us all the time? They’re out to kill it seems like, right? Maybe they don’t know about the order to kill?”

“My brain hurts.” She scrubbed her face. “This is all too much. Who’s who? Agents, GEM, Bev, or GenCorp ugh….”

“I hear ya, sista. And I think you’re right about going after Nate, but we have nothing to go on.”

“Or…we could dangle you out there.”

“Huh?”

“He’s after you—ordered to kill you, most likely. Let’s lure him to you by dangling you out there in the open, all alone. And he’ll come.”

“If he’s even still near us. Jas thinks that the sane part of him will try and get far away, so he won’t hurt me.”

“Might be. But we don’t know how strong the suggestion is or how compelling it is. Maybe it gets worse with distance or worse with time once triggered. You know, until he completes the mission?”

“I don’t know about all this psycho-babble stuff, but Brandon and his team might.”

She nodded. “Let’s see what we can find out. Jasmine hears well, maybe she can pick something up.”

“I almost fell over when I saw Jas speed up.” Tears stung my eyes at the thought of Jasmine, because it triggered my thoughts of Scott. “She was the last person I was expecting, but I’m glad she’s here.”

“Me too. Can’t wait to see Scott.” Georgia sucked in a deep breath. “Okay. Get up. Shower. Food. Sleep. Spying. Then escaping. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“God, if you were a fly on the wall eavesdropping on our conversation, I bet that sounded really weird.”

“Yeah. I bet it did. But it’s true. I need my Nate, Georgia.”

“I know. We’ll get him.”

“Hopefully he won’t kill me, though, huh?”

Chapter 30

G
eorgia and I strolled toward the restaurant just off the lobby of the hotel. Felt like I was on the Titanic coming down the tall, curved stairway. It led to the grand entrance. Intricately carved wooden door with windows that were frosted white because of the storm, with gold handles that reeked of wealth and sophistication.

Neither of which my wrinkled jeans and sink washed shirt from two days ago resembled or felt. I caught my reflection in one of the fifty mirrors that lined the walls as we navigated toward the restaurant, and I sucked in a sharp breath.

So didn’t need to see that.

Next to the plush interior of the hotel, I felt like little orphan Annie in my group home shelter rags.

Georgia snatched up my hand and swung it, and that bit of familiarity settled my nerve-ridden stomach. “Nice place, huh?” she whispered. “I could get used to this.”

“Hey, girls. This GEM outfit has some class.” Jasmine came up behind us and draped her arms around our shoulders and leaned in. She smelled of fresh peaches with a hint of spice.

“Figures you’d like it.”

“Hey, just because I have taste…” She smiled.

“We’re starving, is this where we’re meeting the gang?”

She pushed off us and hurried around us taking the lead. “Yep, right this way, little ones.”

“Jerk.”

“You missed me,” she said.

“Not a bit,” I lied.

“Hey, Jas. Your cell working?”

“Nope. Everything’s down. We’re working on a generator here.”

“You’re kidding. This entire hotel?”

She nodded and turned the corner. Now that I thought about it, the lights were pretty dim. Windows wide open letting the muted natural light in.

“Tonight might get pretty dark, but until then, we have this light.” She gestured toward the windows. “This kind of crap happens all the time up here, they know what they’re doing.”

“I wanted to talk to Scott. Hear his voice.” I squeezed Georgia’s hand.

“Me too.” Georgia reached for Jasmine’s elbow. At contact, Jasmine slowed and turned around. “Hey, Jas, you hear anything interesting with these GEM guys?”

“Just army talk. All serious. Except that nice one, Brandon. He seems normal.”

“As normal as someone who can melt through any surface, yeah.” I smiled. “Seriously. You think they’re on the up and up?”

“I do, actually. Organized. Got sweet equipment. Focused. Well funded. And you saw it yourself, mutant, like us.” A couple took a double take as they walked by. Jasmine shrugged. “Hi.”

I missed her blunt and fun attitude. I gazed over her long brown hair and big jade eyes. Her skin glowed like—My focus went to her hand.

“Oh my gosh.” I reached for her left finger. On it sat a massive diamond ring.

“Jeez. I was wondering when you were going to notice that.” She smiled.

“I—oh—man it’s so pretty.” I held it close. It fit perfectly against her smooth skin and manicured nails. I was never sure how she stayed so pretty and girly yet was so butch and Commando-chick at the same time. I needed a little of that.

“You’re going to be our sister-in-law,” Georgia said with a squeal, then tossed her arms around Jasmine’s neck. “That’s so awesome. I was so mad when I found out I’d miss your wedding because we were—” She glanced around. “Dead,” she said with a whisper. “Let me see.”

I released my hold on her hand so my sister could see the ring. “That’s Mom’s ring, isn’t it?”

Jasmine nodded. “He wasn’t sure what to do since you two had gone. I understand if you—”

“No. You should have it. That’s great.” Tears stung my eyes. They weren’t tears of anger that I didn’t get Mom’s ring, but envy. Jasmine and Scott had met under such strange circumstances, fallen in love, and were about to be married.

Me, on the other hand, I found love, lost it, found it again, and now it wanted to kill me or take me or—Would there be a happily ever after for me and Nate?

“Mandy got a ring, too.”

Jasmine reached for my hand. “Snowflake, huh?” she grinned. “I like it.”

I stared at it until tears blurred the perfect image of Nate’s ring on my finger. “It was a promise ring. A—”

“
Is
a promise ring,” Georgia said.

“It’s beautiful, Mandy.” She tightened her hold on me. “I’ve only ever known Nate as Agent Josiah, but back then he was the strongest, smartest, most amazing person I’d ever met. I can only imagine he is even more so now that he has you in his heart. So we’ve got to trust him. He’ll figure this out.”

“And while he is, we’ll work on finding him,” Georgia said. “So we can help him, too.”

“You were asking if I’d heard anything about the GEM dudes or if I trusted them,” Jasmine said, thankfully changing the subject. “Yes, I trust them.”

I nodded, following her into a dim dining room. There were candles on every table, and the wall of windows at the far side of the room nearly glowed with the whiteout conditions. Back in the corner there were tables pushed together to make one long one. Brandon’s tall frame occupied the center. Tim and Zach sat on each side of him, and they were deep in conversation by the looks of their furrowed eyebrows and tense jaws. Three more guys sat across from Brandon listening while eating.

“What’s going on?” I asked Jasmine.

“Talking details. Brandon’s telling him more about GEM and asking a lot about Nate and you two.”

I picked up the pace. “Well, let’s hear what they have to say. I’d like to find Nate.”

I hurried forward, weaving through the empty round tables. Only three were full and they were on the far side of the expansive restaurant. A shiny bar made for a great centerpiece to the room and the wall of mirrors behind it along with seven flat screens fixed one right next to another at the top. Several guys, holding foaming mugs of beer, sat slouched over the bar, eyes focused on the screens.

Hockey. So not my favorite sport. Some basketball on one screen, a talk show and some other junk. A screen way at the end flashed trivia.

“How are they getting signals to watch TV?” Georgia asked.

“They’ve got a few techy people on staff. Rigged something through the generator.”

Zach sat up straight in his chair as we approached. Brandon nodded and the three guys in front of him dispersed in a hurried frenzy, picking up their plates and moving down so we could sit.

I couldn’t tell if they looked at me with fear or awe. Maybe a smidge of both? At least when they looked at Georgia. She sure did light things up earlier.

She plopped down, reached for a roll, and slathered butter on it. “Oh, man. I could eat fifty of these.”

Tim winked at her, and she blushed. Okay, that ignited a little pang of jealousy. I wanted my Nate here.

“Hey, guys,” I said as I pulled my chair out. “What’s going on?”

“Hungry?” Zach asked. “I ordered you a burger and fries, that okay?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

He smiled. “Thick fries, too.”

Yep, he remembered. Thoughtful little bugger.

“Just swapping intel with our new buddies,” Tim said. “Oh, Georgia. I got you a burger, too. Jasmine, I didn’t know what you wanted.”

“Not a burger, that’s for sure.” She leaned over me and reached for a menu perched on the end of the table. “I’m more of a steak girl.”

“Tim here showed me the book.” Brandon shook his head. “From what I’ve read in the file we have on you and the research The Center has conducted, these guys look pretty brutal.”

“What about Bev’s deal?” I glanced at Zach. He stared down at his plate, unflinching.

“GenCorp? Don’t have much on that yet. But our guys are working on it. We’ll find something.”

“Can you take them down? Get them off our backs?” Georgia asked. “Like for real off our back?”

“Should be able to once we’ve got all the facts. You can stay at the GEM compound until then. There’s plenty of room.”

“Compound?” Zach asked.

“Think of it as college.” He smiled. “Just with a few different classes and they’re all filled with people like us.”

“Real degree and everything?” I popped a French fry in my mouth. Oh yeah. I was hungry. That baby melted the second it hit my tongue.

Brandon smiled. “Real degree. Crappy dorm food and everything.”