The Children and the Blood (36 page)

Incredulous laughter nearly burst from him. “We’re not far from the gas station. But don’t go back there. Is there somewhere you can meet us?”

“There
was
a service road north of there,” Travis said uncertainly. “Maybe. I mean, I was pretty sure there was one. Is that where you are?”

“Close. But don’t go to the gas station. Just get back to that road. We’ll meet you.”

“Okay, but… where the hell’d the cars go?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just call when you get close.”

“Yeah. Right. Okay.”

The call ended and Cole shoved the phone into his pocket. Behind them, the sounds of fighting were growing fainter, though by distance or one side winning, he wasn’t sure.

But the forest was empty. So far.

His pulse pounded through the lump on his head, and blood from it caked the side of his face. Lily’s grip was sweaty in his own and in the fading light, the ground was becoming difficult to see. Hoisting her over a fallen log, he took a breath and kept running.

The road appeared through the trees. In his pocket, the phone buzzed.

“I’m here,” Travis said. “I think. Was there an earthquake or something? I mean, there’s all these trees down on the highway and–”

“Where are you?”

“Just turning off the intersection. I’ll– oh, there you are.”

A blue truck flashed between the trees, and Cole rushed from the cover of the forest. Travis came to a stop.

“Dude, what the hell happened to you?”

“Just drive,” Cole ordered, lifting Lily into the vehicle and then swinging in after her. “Fast. Now.”

Startled, Travis pressed the pedal to the floor.

*****

“Okay,” Travis said, dropping the keycard onto the table as the motel room door swung closed behind him. “The clerk took cash, so we should be good for a while. Now you want to tell me what’s going on?”

On the edge of the bed, Cole looked up, and Lily made an angry noise. Perched on her knees on the lumpy mattress, the little girl shifted around slightly and then went back to dabbing the gash on his head with a wet washcloth.

“We’ve got some bad people after us,” he said.

“I noticed,” Travis answered dryly. “You just got arrested and then escaped police custody, so you care to elaborate?”

Cole glanced to Lily. The little girl grimaced and then headed toward the bathroom sink to rewet the cloth.

“I just found out that the people Melissa and Robert were working for killed my parents.”

Travis paused. “Huh?”

“I’m adopted. Clara and Victor Jamison were my real parents and eight years ago, a group of people murdered them and then kidnapped me. They’re determined to get their hands on me again, and they’ll kill anyone who tries to stop them.”

The boy blinked.

“They tortured Melissa,” Cole said. “Then left her as bait. And they’ll kill Lily to get me to do what they want.”

“Which is?” Travis sputtered.

“I don’t know.”

Scoffing, the boy ran a hand through the tangles of his hair. “But I thought they killed the kid’s family to get to her?”

“Maybe it was something similar,” Cole said. “A different group wanting the same thing. I don’t know.”

Lily returned from the sink and climbed back up onto the bed. He hissed as she pressed the cold cloth to his head again.

Brow furrowing, Travis looked away, his gaze straying to the muted television across the room. The late night news played video of the gas station with captions about vandals with explosives and the police wanting anyone with information to call their hotline.

“So what do we do now?” Travis asked, ignoring the images.

Cole hesitated. He hadn’t had a lot of time to think this out, but it didn’t matter. He knew what they had to do.

“We need to disappear. Lily and me.”

Travis hesitated, and then let out a baffled chuckle. “What? Wait a minute, I can help. I mean, you can’t just–”

“You saved our lives, Travis,” Cole said seriously. “Multiple times. If you hadn’t been there with the truck…” He let the rest go unsaid. “But it goes both ways. They’re killing people to get to us. You got to let me watch your back too.”

Travis looked down, the desire to argue clear on his face.

“Please, Travis.”

A moment passed. “So that’s it then,” the boy said.

He glanced up from the carpet.

Cole shrugged. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Travis nodded and then chuckled ruefully. “Right,” he agreed. “Yeah.”

Seconds crept by in silence, and then the boy pulled out his wallet and keys. “Keep the truck,” he said, tossing the keys onto the bed. “And this should last you a while.”

He handed Lily some bills, and Cole saw several hundreds from the corner of his eye.

“I’ll take the bus home,” Travis continued. “And then wait a couple days. Tell my parents I gave the truck away. They won’t care.”

He grinned.

Cole hesitated. “Thanks.”

“It’s been fun,” Travis answered with a candid shrug, and then he paused awkwardly. “Or… you know… whatever.”

Cole nodded.

Pushing to his feet, Travis headed for the door. One hand on the handle, he glanced back. “You’ll call if you’re ever back around though, eh?”

Nodding again, Cole didn’t know what to say.

The boy echoed the motion, a hint of regret flashing over his face. And then he left.

“What now?” Lily asked into the quiet.

Cole didn’t answer. He knew they needed to go. To get away from the war and everything it’d done. It was the smart thing. The safe thing.

But it felt like saying his parents’ deaths were fine. Like agreeing with Melissa. Like Clara and Victor Jamison just meant nothing.

Like running away.

Lily’s hand found his own. “It’ll be alright.”

He glanced down. She gave him a hesitant smile.

And he sighed.

He’d find a way to make the wizards pay for what they’d done. He’d find something, do something, to be strong enough to face them. It’d happen.

Even if it took time.

And would never fix the fact they’d taken his parents away.

Drawing a breath, he squeezed her hand and then rose to make certain the door lock was secure. It wouldn’t stop wizards, but at least it’d give the two of them some warning.

And tomorrow, they’d head west, away from the wizards, the Blood, and the war. They’d run.

For now.

By the porch window, Ashe blinked and then rubbed a hand over her eyes when the fog didn’t clear. She’d just been watching the yard for a few hours this afternoon, in between pretending to read, but it felt like a lifetime when the only change had been the occasional bird eyeing her quizzically from the deck railing.

On the couch, Elsa crocheted an afghan while watching the latest in an endless stream of daytime television shows. The woman hadn’t left the spot since Ashe woke earlier that morning, and seemed determined to hold onto her illusions by willpower and soap operas alone. In the kitchen, Bus studied the street while Carter talked quietly with Spider, making plans for the next steps they’d take.

Because the Blood wizard hadn’t returned. And it was nearly four in the afternoon, and thus long past the time Elsa said she’d seen him on the previous days.

For her part, the old woman seemed to be growing more and more content as the hours passed. Her peaceful world was resuming. Seeing a Blood wizard had simply been an anomaly, and therefore nothing that required any more of her concern.

Sighing, Ashe leaned forward, peering around the edges of the yard to see if anyone was sneaking along the sides of the neighboring houses. It’d become apparent from the comments she’d overheard that hoping the Blood would return had been one of the better options available. Very few cripples remained in this part of the country after years of war and ravaging by ferals, and consequently the Hunters had limited sources upon which to draw for information. Going into the city to track the man down was riskier by far than simply hiding here till he returned, but it was starting to look like that was what they’d be forced to do.

Bus made a warning noise and instantly, Carter and Spider fell silent. “Someone’s coming,” the old man said. “Could be a wizard.”

Elsa paled, looking torn between fear at the approaching person and the tremors in her tranquility. For their part, Spider and Carter drew their guns.

The doorbell rang. From her prison in the basement, Mitzi erupted into furious barking.

Carter glanced to Mischa and Tala, but the dogs were silent.

“Elsa?” came a voice from outside.

Rising hastily, the old woman shuffled toward the door. “Oh, put those away,” she said, waving her hands ineffectually at the guns. “For pity’s sake, it’s only Norman.”

Carter nodded to Spider, who turned and motioned for Ashe to follow her into the other room. Ashe’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“You don’t want to make yourself popular, girl,” Bus said from his post by the window. “Human or wizard.”

She blanched, suddenly remembering the news. The arrest at the train station. She hurried after Spider as Bus quickly turned down the police scanner.

As the bedroom door shut behind her, she could hear Norman come in. His surprise at the others was apparent in his tone, though she heard Bus attempting to allay it with a story of being an old friend, road-tripping with his buddy across the country.

By the closed bedroom door, Spider adjusted her grip on the gun, listening intently. Warily, Ashe drew her own weapon, barely breathing as she waited.

A minute passed. The front door shut.

“All clear,” Carter called quietly from the hall.

Putting the gun away, Ashe followed Spider back into the living room. The girl eyed Carter questioningly and a hint of exasperation crossed his face, making his opinion clear. In the kitchen, Bus grimaced and then turned back to the police scanner, letting the static bursts of intermittent voices fill the room again.

Without a word, Ashe headed for the porch window, grateful to see Mischa trail after her. Ignoring them all, Elsa sank onto the couch, her attention returning to her crochet.

Bus made an alarmed noise, but the front door swung open before anyone could move.

“Elsa, I forgot to ask if–” Norman started, pulling his key from the lock.

His brow furrowed at the sight of the two girls.

“My granddaughter and her friend,” Bus said, rising to block his view.

By the window, Ashe ducked her head, letting her hair fall around her face.

“Oh,” Norman said. Clearly still thrown from finding Bus and Carter in Elsa’s home, he paused, taking in Spider’s appearance. Blinking briefly, he extended a hand to the girl.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, trying to sound pleasant.

“Likewise,” Spider said easily, stepping in front of Ashe and motioning to the door. “You live down the street?”

“Yeah. Past thirty years. You know, Elsa never mentioned you.”

“Eh, you know how it is with old friends,” Bus said. “Years go by.”

Norman nodded distantly, his gaze sliding to Carter and away.

“You were going to ask me something, Norman?” Elsa prompted.

“I was just planning on heading to the store and wanted to know if you needed anything.”

“Oh no, I’m fine. Thank you so much, though, for checking.”

He nodded again, seeming unconvinced. “So you’re sure you’re alright?”

“Norman,” Elsa said patiently. “Don’t be rude. These are my friends. They just stopped by for a quick visit on their way through town.”

The man glanced over them again, leaning slightly to look past Spider at Ashe.

Blanching behind her curtain of hair, she snatched up the book and turned to set it on the shelf. When she looked back, his gaze had moved on to the others.

“I’ll come by tomorrow then,” Norman said, starting toward the door.

“Looking forward to it,” Elsa said, escorting him.

“Right,” the man said uncomfortably. “Okay.”

Elsa shut the door behind him as he left.

“You didn’t tell us he had a key,” Carter said quietly as she returned to the couch.

“Of course I did.”

“Elsa.”

“Well, I meant to,” she amended primly, taking up her crochet again. “Anyway, Norman’s just protective. I don’t see why you have to be so worried.”

“You know why.”

“It’s fine, Carter,” Elsa said, her voice becoming firm, and Ashe could see the woman trying to make herself believe the words.

Not answering, Carter walked into the kitchen and joined Bus by the window. Swallowing hard, Ashe followed, while Spider wordlessly took up position where she’d been.

“Are we still okay?” Ashe asked.

Pulling back the curtain slightly, Carter didn’t answer. Bus just rose and headed for the living room, leaving the two of them alone.

“Carter?”

He glanced at her, and she could see him evaluating the factors. If they missed the Blood wizard returning, it could be months before anyone spotted him again.

But if Norman had recognized her… if he called the police…

With the exception of Elsa, every person in this room was probably wanted for murder in one city or another, even if their faces hadn’t been plastered all over the news like hers had been.

“We’ll find him,” Carter said gently, his hand resting on her shoulder.

Air escaped her.

“Get your stuff,” he continued. “I’ll call Serenity and Blackjack before we leave. Check if their people have seen anything.”

Trying to be comforted by the gesture, however useless she suspected it’d be, she forced herself to nod. She walked back into the living room, and Bus gave her a sympathetic look before reaching for his bag.

Carter cursed. “He’s coming back again.”

“What
is
it with this guy?” Bus asked, shoving his bag under the couch and then rising. Ashe ducked behind the hall corner while, by the window, Spider shifted slightly, clearly wanting to reach for her gun.

“Elsa,” Norman said as he pushed open the door. “There’s just one other thing.”

Ashe stopped breathing as his gaze slid past her. He recognized her. She was certain of it.