The Bones of Valhalla (Purge of Babylon, Book 9) (22 page)

She stopped and glanced over. “You’ve looked better.”

“Story of my life,” Keo said, smiling back at her.

He was sitting against a tree, some kind of submachine gun leaning against the trunk next to him. The weapon looked similar to the one he had been carrying when they first met. An MP-something.

She wasn’t surprised at all to see that he had collected extra scars, most noticeably the stitches across the middle of his forehead where the skin was still black and purple. A thick bandage, held in place by tape, stuck out from his right temple like some kind of abnormal third ear. Other than that, he looked like the Keo she remembered from their last meeting on the
Ocean Star
, and the sight of him very much alive and sitting there casually watching her back brought a smile to her lips.

She walked over to him. “I heard you went and got yourself shot in the head.”

“My legend precedes me.”

“You look pretty good for a guy who was shot in the head.”

“There’s some debate about that.”

“You’re alive.”

“Since you put it that way, yeah, never felt better.”

She nodded at the submachine gun next to him. “I also see that someone let you have your toys back.”

“It’s a decent replacement. Sort of just fell into my lap, too.”

“Oh, I don’t believe that at all.”

“You’re too paranoid. Just because people are constantly trying to kill you doesn’t mean
everyone’s
trying to kill you.”

“Now you’re starting to make almost as much sense as Danny.”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“Depends on your perspective. But I don’t see anyone trying to kill you now, so I take it you’ve made nice with everyone here?”

“The ones still alive, anyway.” He picked up a can of beer and drank from it, then made a face. “Tastes like dog piss.”

“So stop drinking it.”

“Can’t. Free beer. I never turn down free beer.”

She sat down against the tree next to him and sighed as a fresh, cool breeze whipped across the island and over them. Keo had chosen an excellent spot, one that allowed him to see almost everything, including a long stretch of the beach. She could see the tender she had arrived in from here, which meant he had been watching her all this time and didn’t say anything until she was almost past him.

“Can I have some of that?” she asked.

He passed the can over. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Can’t be that bad,” she said, and took a small sip…before spitting it back out. “Jesus.”

“Told ya.”

She handed the beer back to him. “How can you even drink this?”

“It was either this or water.” He drank from it again before making the same face. “A guy can only drink so much water before he wants something different.”

A couple of civilians walked past them, sticking to the path. Neither one of them glanced over in their direction.

“Thank you,” Lara said.

“For what?” Keo said.

“You saved our lives. That night, when Mercer’s warplane found us…”

“Eh, I had nothing else better to do anyway.”

“I mean it, Keo. Thank you. Elise and Carly and everyone else on the
Trident
thanks you, too.”

He nodded, as if she’d just told him thanks for mowing the lawn, and gulped down the last of the warm beer before folding the can between his palms and tossing it into the grass. “What about you? You doing okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Frank.”

She sighed and leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes and enjoyed the wind against her skin. It had been so long since she allowed herself to just sit still and do nothing. How long ago had it been since she had an entire day where she wasn’t making a decision that could cost people their lives?

Too long. It had been too damn long.

She opened her eyes and stared up at the cloudless blue sky. “He’s in Texas waiting for me to convince what’s left of Mercer’s people to go back to war.”

“I don’t mean that,” Keo said. “I mean, are
you
okay after Frank’s return?”

“I’m okay, Keo.” It was probably a little too quick of an answer, but if Keo doubted her, he didn’t pursue it.

He said instead, “I think they’re ready to be convinced.”

She followed his gaze to the beach, where a half dozen civilians were milling around in small groups. They were looking out at the
Trident
, adrift at sea in the near distance.

“What if I can’t?” she asked.

“You will,” he said.

“You sound like him.”

“Who?”

“Will. Frank. He’s sure I can do it, too.”

“He’s right.”

She glanced over at him. “Why?”

He smiled again, and she thought it was probably the most earnest, not-smartass smile she had ever gotten from him. “Because it’s easy to believe in you, Lara.”

“Why?” she asked again. Then, before he could answer,
“Why?”

“I don’t know what to tell you. It’s just something that is, not something you can put into words. Some people might call it destiny. Some might call it fate. You can call it whatever you what. It just is.”

“I don’t believe in fate or destiny.”

“Providence, then?”

“My parents would have a stroke if they heard that.”

“Not believers, huh?”

“Not much, no.”

“Maybe you should start. It’s never too late.”

She shook her head and looked back at the beach. “When did you start turning into a hippie?”

“Like I’ve been trying to tell people, after you’ve almost died as many times as I have, you start wondering about things you didn’t use to.”

“Sounds dangerous for a man like you.”

“Oh yeah. Spending three days in a jail cell by yourself while stewing in your own juices, waiting for people to decide whether they’re going to kill you fast or slow, doesn’t help either. You start thinking about all kinds of crazy things.”

“And after all that, you’re still alive.”

“What can I say? I didn’t want to be accused of being an asshole by some chick with a fancy yacht.”

Lara smiled to herself. “She sounds like a real bitch.”

“She has her moments.”

They watched two men in tan uniforms walk by. One of them glanced over, saw that she was looking at him, and quickly turned away. They continued on up the path, but she could almost sense them doing everything humanly possible not to stop and look over again.

Next to her, Keo chuckled. “Like I said, they’re ready. Not all of them, mind you, but maybe enough.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the wind in her hair, the feel of the breeze against her skin.

She didn’t want this. She’d never wanted this. The fact that everyone seemed to be convinced she could do something she had no experience in, or ever dreamed of doing in this life or any other, made it all the more…what was the word? Aggravating? Annoying? Absolutely terrifying?

“How freaked out are you right now?” Keo asked.

“What makes you think I am?”

“If people started treating me like I’m the second coming, I’d be pretty freaked out right about now.”

She pursed a smile. “Maybe a ten.”

“It’s human nature, you know. This need for a savior. That’s why they gave themselves to Mercer so willingly and went along with his insane plan for a whole year. They knew what it was, but they went along with it because everyone needs something to believe in. Or someone.”

His words brought back what Peters had said, that she still couldn’t get over:

“Everyone needs to believe in something, Lara. I chose badly with Mercer, but I rectified that. Now I’m choosing to believe in you.”

“Why me?” she asked now.

“Why not you?” Keo said.

“What if you’re wrong? What if Will’s wrong? What if everyone’s wrong about me?”

“We’re not, though.”

“What
if
.”

“But we’re not,” he insisted. “You took charge on the island, knowing bad men with guns were coming right at you. You stood your ground and you led. Then you did it again on the boat. You could have folded and hid in your room at any time, but you didn’t. Instead, you took command. That was instinct, Lara. Not everyone has those kinds of instincts, but you do.”

She watched two women in civilian clothes walking along the path in front of them. They were doing their very best not to look over at her, but she could tell they wanted to badly.

“Keo,” she said after a while.

“Yeah?” Keo said next to her.

“If I’m able to convince them, I’m going to need someone to lead them. Danny can’t do it.”

“What’s wrong with Danny boy? I saw him a few minutes ago. He looks like he’s still got all his arms and legs.”

“Carly’s pregnant.”

“Ah.”

“I need someone to take over for him.”

“Okay,” Keo said.

“Don’t you want to at least think about it?”

“Nah.”

“I think you should at least think about it.”

“You said you need me to do this, right?”

“Yes. Besides Danny, you’re the only one I trust to get this done.”

“Okay, then. Consider it done.” There was a
snap!
as he opened another can of fizz-less beer. “Want some?”

She shook her head and gave him an amused smile. “How many of those do you have?”

“They got cases of the stuff in storage,” Keo said. He took a sip and made the same face. “Unfortunately, they all taste like warm piss.”

* * *

T
he Comm Room
was smaller than the bridge on the
Trident
, but the gear that lined one side of the wall was more sophisticated. Right now she was only concerned with the microphone that Jane, the young woman in charge of the room, had handed to her and said, “Whenever you’re ready.”

Lara nodded back before looking over at Riley and Rhett standing nearby. Under the room’s artificial light, Rhett looked as if he had aged ten years since she first saw him this morning. Riley just looked anxious.

Behind her, Danny leaned against a wall next to the open door, spooning meat from a can of SPAM as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

“Any suggestions?” she asked him.

“Speak from the heart,” Danny said. “Wherever that is.”

“Thanks for that.”

“Any time.”

She turned to Keo, sitting on a chair in a corner. He had found another can of warm beer and was balancing it on one knee as he looked back at her. If not for the scars and bruises, he could easily have been mistaken for the guest at someone’s backyard Fourth of July party, a man without a care in the world.

“What about you?” she asked.

“Have a sip; it’ll loosen you up,” Keo said, holding up the can in offering.

“No thanks. I learned my lesson the first time.”

“Your loss,” he said, and took a drink. “Christ, this thing sucks.”

“So why do you keep drinking it?” Danny asked.

“It was either this or water.”

“Now that’s one fine answer.”

Lara looked back at Jane. The young woman was smiling at her, as if she knew something Lara didn’t. Lara had seen that same expression on other faces, including Jolly and a few others she’d passed in the hallways on her way here.

She should have been terrified of what she was about to do, what all of them were asking her to do. For God’s sake, what did she know about leading people? About convincing traumatized soldiers to voluntarily go back to war when they had already been through so much?

This is insane. This is completely and utterly insane.

But she nodded at Jane anyway. “Okay.”

Jane turned around in her chair and pressed a button on the dashboard. “You’re connected to the intercom. Hit the transmit lever and you’ll go live.”

She took a breath, then keyed the microphone and raised it to her lips.

“This is Lara.” She paused, closed her eyes for a bit, then opened them again. “Some of you may know who I am. I’m no one special. I’m just like you, trying to survive this madness the best way I know how. But things are different now. For me. For you. For all of us.”

She hesitated, but this time didn’t depress the transmit lever.

“I came here to ask for your help. I need your help…to put an end to this fear that consumes me every time I close my eyes and try to go to sleep. This endless nightmare that we’re all living in. Right now, as I speak, we are making preparations for an attack on the enemy. The
real
enemy. The ghouls. The nightcrawlers. Whatever you want to call them. The things that hide in the shadows and stalk us night after night after relentless night. There is a plan to end this, to save everyone. But I need your help.”

Another pause. It was so much easier when she was practicing the speech in her head. Now, having to say it out loud with everyone watching and listening…

“It won’t be easy. I won’t lie to you. It’s going to take determination and blood and sweat and tears. But if you help me, if we come together under this single purpose, I believe we can strike a crippling blow against the enemy and take back the night.”

She took a breath.

One second, two…

“We’re going to be holding meetings for as long as it takes. Everyone is welcome to attend and ask questions. Ask anything. Ask
everything.
Nothing is off the table. Nothing will be held back. But you don’t have to come. This is voluntary. I won’t force you to meet with me, and neither will Rhett or anyone else. If you show up, it will be because you want to. Because like me, you look out there and you’re tired of living in fear.”