“I told you this would happen,” said Candy pointedly.
Rein didn’t bother replying. What could he say?
Rein stepped quietly behind Candy, her braids bouncing in rhythm with her steps. He hoped she’d forget he was even there. Ever since he’d turned down her advances, he hadn’t been in the best standing with her. Apparently, he’d really pissed her off. Not that he cared. The girl had a way of setting his teeth on edge.
As if Candy knew what he was thinking, she glanced over her shoulder with a smug look. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you were staring at the little spy.”
Stunned, Rein’s steps faltered. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Was she insane? Check that—she was. “No, I don’t.”
“Whatever.” Candy snickered.
As usual, she’d crawled under Rein’s skin. Irritated, he contained the urge to whop her upside the head, sending her bouncing braids twirling. Barely.
Silence enveloped the group as they turned onto a short drive leading to a barn. Part of the roof had caved in years before Rein was born, and the south wall sagged dangerously. Seemingly unusable, it was the perfect hiding spot.
Doc and Candy stood watch on each side of the drive, while Rein made his way to the door. Grunting, he worked against gravity and bent wheels to slide the door back and out of the way.
Filtered moonlight streamed through the doorway and glinted off a 1934 Oshkosh Model F. Nothing more than a block of rusty metal sitting on bald tires. The old truck still ran, though, thanks to Woody, who had a knack with all things mechanical, and the members of the resistance who could supply the parts.
Rein hopped into the cab and slid the key into the ignition. A prayer later, the engine sputtered, coughed, wheezed, then sprang to life. A gunshot boom sounded, and a plume of smoke shot from the exhaust; the puttering smoothed to gentle grunting. The gears ground when he shifted the stick into first and released the clutch. The truck clattered to the end of the drive.
Much to Rein’s dismay, Candy jumped into the cab first, followed by Doc. She gave Rein a big, toothy grin as she settled next to him. Annoyance working his jaw, he released the clutch, and the truck jerked onto the road.
Using what little light the cloudy sky provided, Rein drove slowly. The worn tires grated across the dirt. He tried to ease over the potholes and ruts, but the moon stayed hidden behind wispy clouds, making navigation hard. The truck bounced along, jostling the passengers and rattling their teeth.
Content to sit in silence for the next three hours of their journey, Rein stared straight ahead and tried to ignore Candy, who kept knocking into him every time the truck went over a hole. Doc had to ruin it.
“I think we’re wrong.”
Afraid of where the conversation was headed, Rein gripped the steering wheel tighter. “What are you talking about?”
“About Ellyssa. I don’t think she’s a spy.”
Rein rolled his eyes. “She might not be, but she’s something. She’s from The Center.”
Candy nodded her head.
“She also said she escaped,” reminded Mathew.
“Yeah, spies never lie,” Candy said, sarcastically.
Doc turned toward Rein. Although he couldn’t see the older man’s eyes, he definitely felt them.
“I don’t think she’s lying. Do you…really?”
Rein didn’t reply. He had no answer as to whether or not he believed Ellyssa a spy, but she was hiding something. Part of him thought he should’ve heeded the others’ advice the night they’d found her and left her for dead. But he couldn’t.
“Are you guys serious?” Candy chimed. “I can’t believe the two of you.”
Doc shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
Candy snapped her mouth closed and crossed her arms over her chest. She’d stopped bouncing into Rein, which suited him just fine. Her hatred for Ellyssa ran deep. He remembered how embarrassed she’d been when Ellyssa had bested her. It’d taken all three of them to hold the redhead back from attacking the unconscious blonde. Candy wasn’t someone you wanted to piss off.
For the next two hours, the cab of the truck was filled with the sounds of wheels and the rattling of the engine. When they reached the outskirts of an abandoned town, he pulled off the road and behind an outcropping. Doc jumped out, and Candy scooted over to follow him.
Humidity rushed through the open door, along with the soft hum of insects. Uncomfortable beads of sweat formed on Rein’s brow, and his clothes became a second skin. He grabbed the rifle and the flashlight from under the seat, and joined Doc and Candy on the other side of a ditch, next to a line of thick bushes.
Rein ducked under the vegetation and stepped onto a worn path next to an old tin silo. Compared to the other buildings they used for storage, the silo was in great condition. The roof wasn’t bowed, and the walls were still solid. Even the door hung straight.
He silently walked along the path to the front of the structure. Maybe it was his nerves, but the night held an eerie quality with the leaves rustling in the breeze. Then, a crunching noise sent a shiver of alarm up Rein’s back.
“Shh,” Rein said, bringing up his rifle at the same time a raccoon jumped out, silver eyes glinting under the beam of the flashlight. The rodent sniffed the air before disappearing into the undergrowth. Relieved, he turned off the light.
“Jumpy much?” Candy said.
Since Ellyssa, yes, he was. Someone would be coming for her. It was only a matter of time. Letting the comment slide, Rein said, “Let’s just hurry up and get this over with.”
Rein stepped inside and clicked on the flashlight. Darkness scampered back as the light reflected off the tin. He swept the beam back and forth, revealing the dusty wooden floor as he advanced into the storage silo.
“Davis,” he called.
No one answered.
“Davis,” yelled Rein, his voice echoing in the other room.
“I thought he was supposed to meet us,” said Doc.
“I thought so, too.”
Doc shrugged. “Maybe he got tied up.”
“Maybe.” Rein agreed, but deep down he didn’t believe it.
Davis usually showed as expected, except for a few rare occasions, and at those times, their contact had previously warned them. A sense of foreboding rooted in Rein’s chest. He swept the beam across the floor to the right. As expected, crates had been stacked in the corner.
“Let’s get the stuff and go. I want to be back before morning,” Rein said, lifting one of the boxes.
17
Ellyssa remained in a low Chen-style stance, her slower phases accumulating energy before she let loose powerful moves, when Mathew entered with her tray. The aroma of eggs and ham lingered in the air, as he carefully passed by to avoid her flowing movements. The scent was tempting, and despite the fact she had not completed her Tai Chi routine, her mouth watered and she could no longer concentrate.
“Hope you’re hungry,” Mathew said. “I have a great menu planned for the day.” Chuckling at his own joke, he placed the tray on the table. “Bon appetite.”
Ellyssa smiled at Mathew’s mispronunciation. Of course, she doubted the Renegades had the opportunity to study languages as she and her siblings had. All of them were fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, and others. “I think you mean bon appétit.”
Chagrin blushing Mathew’s cheeks a slight pink, he shrugged.
“Now I know where you went the other night,” Ellyssa said, eyeing the food.
He smiled. “Mission accomplished.”
Ellyssa hopped onto her bed and pulled the tray onto her lap. “What is the occasion? Why all this?” She shoved a spoonful of eggs into her mouth. After days of boring food, the scrambled eggs tasted wonderful. She followed them with a piece of smoked ham.