Ignoring the pain in her gut, Liz hurried down other halls and checked as many rooms as she could. During the assault, Carreon’s men had shot off the locks. The few times she’d reached doors that were still intact, she found them bolted, not allowing her entrance. Within a couple of those rooms, she’d heard voices and had knocked, then asked, “Zeke, are you in there?”
The voices went silent. No one answered.
Jacob’s room proved empty. So did the one that must have belonged to Kele. Pictures showed her, Jacob and other clan members at various events. High school graduations. Dances. Parties.
This didn’t make sense. Where in the hell was everyone?
Liz returned to her father’s room, thinking—hoping—Zeke might have come back looking for her. The room was also empty, the door to the bath closed. Someone had laid fresh clothing on the bed, no doubt for her father to use after he finished his shower.
Not knowing where else to go, Liz ended up in Zeke’s room. He wasn’t in here either. She sank to the edge of the mattress and fought a sense of dread. No matter how secure this place was, how much he wanted to protect her, something truly awful and unexpected was about to happen.
Within seconds, the feeling became so unbearable, Liz fled the room, determined to find Zeke. To make certain he was all right.
The meeting room was one of the few places Carreon’s men hadn’t shot up. Its distance from the living spaces had kept it untouched, the same as the dining hall and the area where all the stronghold’s systems and computers operated.
Thankfully, the Others had made that location as inaccessible as possible. Zeke and his men had put in additional safeguards. Their thinking went that if anyone did breach this place, they wouldn’t be able to access any of its systems. They’d be trapped in a maze of halls, easy pickings for Zeke and his armed clan.
Precisely what had happened during the attack with Zeke’s people winning. This time.
Several of the men and elders sat at the long table. Among them, Isabel. Her expression revealed nothing of what she thought of this newest problem. The younger clan members, who hadn’t been able to get a chair, stood near the walls.
On Zeke’s left side sat Kele. On his right, Jacob. Across the table from them was Diaz.
Samuel and Paul had their assault rifles trained on the young man, prepared to fire if Diaz threatened anyone in the least.
What he’d just revealed was more troubling to Zeke than any move he could have made.
“I went into hiding when Carreon took over,” he’d said a few minutes before. “I heard Carreon’s other male siblings did the same. We knew he didn’t want to share his so-called kingdom. Not that any of us wanted it.”
He’d leaned forward, then sat back quickly as Samuel stepped closer—his knees fully healed by Dr. Munez. Samuel pointed the muzzle of his rifle at Diaz’s head.
“I wanted nothing of my brother, just for him to leave us alone,” Diaz had explained, glancing from Samuel’s weapon to Zeke. “I was running my aunt’s carniceria when Carreon had our father assassinated. My mother and her brothers had already died in previous battles. The only family I have left is my aunt and cousin. Pedro’s only thirteen.”
“Why are you looking for Liz?” Zeke asked.
Jacob spoke before Diaz could answer. “You’re lying about how you found our stronghold—or almost found it before we surprised you.”
“That’s not true.”
Diaz leaned up again, this time ignoring the rifle’s proximity, its muzzle nearly touching his temple. “Carreon’s men are as arrogant as he is, believing everyone else is stupid. I used that to my advantage so I could find Carreon and hopefully Liz. She wasn’t at her practice when I called. A lady there told me she was away on a family emergency. Didn’t know when she’d be back. I sensed it wasn’t true, that Carreon was keeping her a prisoner just like the rumors I’d heard about her father. What other choice did I have than to follow Carreon’s men to his stronghold? It’s exactly as I told you; I’ve been tracking their movements, waiting for an opportunity to hopefully see her. Last night when I arrived, Zeke was already driving away with Liz and her father, leaving Carreon’s stronghold. Fleeing, I thought. I was too afraid to tail them. I didn’t know what Zeke would do if he saw me, so I waited, then simply followed the Jeep’s tracks.”
“In the dark,” Kele said, her distrust evident. “On foot, no less.”
Many members of the clan murmured, their comments equally suspicious. Isabel said nothing. Her full attention remained on Zeke.
Diaz blew out a sigh. “No, of course not.”
“Where’s your vehicle?” Jacob asked.
“Hidden behind one of the boulders not far from where you saw me.”
Without being told, two of Zeke’s men left the meeting room to find the vehicle and bring it back here.
“So you waited until first light to search for the Jeep’s tracks,” Kele said, “when the wind would have blown many of them away.”
“Many, but not all,” he countered.
“And what did you intend to do once you found our stronghold?” Kele asked. “Wait some more for Liz to come out?”
“I hadn’t thought that far. I had to find the entrance first. That was my main concern at that point.”
Jacob leaned up in his chair, presumably to ask his own question. Zeke spoke first. “Why are you looking for Liz?”
An anguished look swept across Diaz’s handsome face. “Carreon’s men have been recruiting the clan’s boys to fight your people. They offer them money they’d never had, a chance to lead a good life, or so they believe. They approached Pedro. He’s a sweet kid. He refused. You don’t do that with Carreon’s men.”
He paused to swallow, his body shuddering visibly with whatever his mind pictured. “They cut Pedro up pretty bad, made him an example to force the other boys to do exactly what they said. They dumped Pedro on my aunt’s doorstep and warned that if she tried to find one of the clan’s healers—or worse, if she took him to a hospital or doctor, they’d know—they were watching—and would stop her. They’d then finish Pedro off. They’d done it to another boy earlier in the year.”
Diaz leaned against the table toward Zeke, agony in his expression. “If Pedro was going to survive, my aunt couldn’t defy them. She’s been taking care of him ever since. But she’s no healer. He keeps getting worse. She finally got word to me. Pedro needs help or he’ll die. I’ve heard Dr. Munez has refused to heal any longer. That only leaves Liz. I know of no other healer in our clan.”
Although Zeke understood Diaz’s pain, he didn’t want to face it. His vision returned of Liz weakening, then possibly dying as she healed. At first, Zeke had thought she was tending to Diaz. Now that he thought of it, he wasn’t certain. It might have been Pedro he’d seen. He’d been too focused on Liz to notice whom she’d been trying to save.
Jacob bumped his shoulder.
He looked at his brother, then past at Isabel. She continued to regard him, her expression blank, her thoughts inscrutable. “What?” Zeke asked Jacob.
Leaning close, he whispered, “Clearly, he’s lying.”
If he was, then Zeke figured Diaz was the world’s best actor. He saw unfathomable terror and sorrow in the young man’s eyes, the same Zeke had experienced when he’d cradled Gabrielle’s lifeless body and then Liz’s. His gut churned at the memory. A sour taste filled his mouth. He swallowed it down. “I’m sorry, but we can’t help you.”
Diaz pushed to his feet. Samuel clamped his meaty hand on the young man’s shoulder and forced him back into his chair.
“You have to let me talk to Liz,” he begged. “I’ve been in hiding long enough that I know how to evade Carreon’s men. I can bring her to Pedro when they’re not watching. She can heal him; then she can come right back to this strong—”