“To you anyway,” Lionel said talking to Jeff.
“Paul and Lionel, as you see before you,” Stefani said, making an obvious effort to address Jeff, “are the two dumbest vagrants traveling with us. At first, I was convinced Jane meant them as some sort of long-running joke. But sadly, they’re merely the team idiots.”
Jeff wanted to be anywhere but where he was. There wasn’t going to be a fight, at least he didn’t think there would be one, but it was extremely uncomfortable. The other vagrants around the campfire made noticeable efforts to stay out of the quarrel.
“So, what were you before all of this happened?” Stefani asked. She spoke only to Jeff. It didn’t feel like a question that she was genuinely interested in hearing the answer to.
“I fixed things, or at least I tried to. I didn’t have much to work with. Sometimes I helped tend the crops when they needed me.” He answered her question despite her lack of real interest.
Thankfully, Paul and Lionel lost interest in the conversation and turned to talk to another vagrant on their right, a pretty woman a few years younger than Jeff with dyed-gray hair.
“That’s it?” Stefani asked.
“And I boxed.”
“Now, that’s more interesting! You seem a little small for a boxer . . . were you any good?”
“Never lost.”
“Impressive. Did you lose your strong hand?”
“Didn’t lose anything,” Jeff said. “I can still whoop anyone with just this one.”
It wasn’t true, and he knew it. His left arm had always been his strongest, but it wasn’t in his nature to admit weakness. It was a personality trait that had landed him in hot water with the coalition on a number of occasions.
“I thought the people in the little coalition weren’t allowed to be good at anything.”
“You didn’t grow up in a coalition community?”
“I—” Stefani stopped, and Jeff followed her eyes over to Jane’s tent. Talon was walking toward them in his vagrant uniform, looking as imposing as the rest of the vagrants combined. Jane was next to the tent, talking to Carlee.
Carlee was gesturing enthusiastically while Jane stood and nodded. Everyone around the fire went quiet as they watched the conversation. Jane raised her hand, and Carlee stopped. She nodded her head and stepped aside as Jane approached the fire. The other vagrants in the camp gathered around where Jeff was seated.
“Good morning,” Jane said with a smile. It was friendly enough, but she still seemed as if her mind was somewhere else completely. She would have been pretty if her manner wasn’t so unnerving and if she were a few years older. Age differences were the least of some people’s concerns these days with the limited selection, but it never felt right to him.
“After last night, I still intend to go to Dallas. Some of you have expressed concerns about that path, but the people of Dallas need our help. Logic would detract from my confidence because Petra still resides there, but I believe it is our path,” Jane said.
Jeff expected people to complain or voice opposition, but there was none of it. Some people shrugged or nodded their heads, but most of the vagrants were content to just listen and keep eating.
“As soon as everyone is fed, we’ll begin the next step in our journey,” Jane said. “As always, you’re welcome to pursue your own path at any time, but do say good-bye if you are going to leave us.”
No one was going to leave. He was sure of it. The vagrants were more loyal to Jane than anyone he had ever seen. People did what the coalition told them to, but they didn’t enjoy it. Chad’s favorite pastime had been complaining about the mayor, and he had many spirited companions in that endeavor. Thinking about the mayor floating past him after the danger was gone made Jeff sick. He would find the man and all of his lackeys.
“Jeff, a word,” Jane said. Everyone moved with a purpose and experience that showed practice as they set about breaking camp once again. It wasn’t surprising; they were called vagrants for a reason.
“Good luck,” Stefani said after helping him to his feet.
“Thanks.” He smiled at her. She was rough around the edges, but Jeff couldn’t help but like the woman. Sure, she had asked Carlee to leave him for dead a few times, but she didn’t hold his survival against him.
“I was up much of the night trying to find the right path for you,” Jane said. “It has been a long while since I was so conflicted on a decision.”
Jeff didn’t know whether to thank her or apologize. Carlee revealed zero emotion, declining to help him understand what was happening.
“And what path have you decided upon?” Jeff asked. He wasn’t sure if it was correct terminology, but he went with it.
“We will take you with us to Dallas, where we will help you find a new life among the people there.”
8 ONLY A GUEST
THE DECISION HIT HIM ALMOST as hard as Horus’s laser. Jeff had decided that he wanted to stay with the vagrants only a dozen hours ago, but he had already set his heart on it. After losing everything in Fifth Springs, it had given him a new purpose.
“I . . . I would like to stay. I’d like to become a vagrant . . . to help.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t allow it. Our paths are not reconcilable with desirable outcomes,” Jane said.
“Please—”
“Don’t,” Talon said.
Jeff stared at up the massive man. His tone was dangerous, and he looked prepared to tear a leech in half at any moment.
“Let’s get ready to go,” Carlee said. She led him away while Jane returned to her tent. Most of the camp had already been packed and loaded onto the antigravity transports. The tents set up and collapsed at the touch of a button, which allowed the camp to move in a matter of minutes. The amount of wealth the vagrants displayed in just those vehicles alone was astounding. Of course, wealth got you killed almost as fast as ignorance.
“So, that’s it?” Jeff asked. “Some girl stays awake in the night, having visions, and she gets to decide my entire future?”
Carlee pulled up abruptly and rounded on him.
“Don’t you ever talk that way about Jane in front of me again,” Carlee said. She stepped into his personal space and not in the way he would have enjoyed. “Or I will leave you worse than I found you.”
It was so out of line with everything he had ever seen from her that he would have been surprised if his anger hadn’t taken control.
“You might as well have left me,” Jeff said. “You say you want to help? Help what? Help who? Make me a leg and send me on my way so you feel good about yourself. That’s trash.”
Carlee’s hand flashed to her side in a whipping motion. Jeff looked down just in time to see a metal handle come flying from her belt and into her hand. In a single motion, she grabbed the handle and hurled it toward the boulder where he had slept. A pinkish, translucent force field burst from the handle and formed a nasty-looking dagger just before it lodged itself deep inside of the rock, directly above Jeff’s sleeping bag.
“Do you want pity now, Jeff?” Carlee asked.
“I . . .” Her sudden display of spectacular frustration left him searching for words. He wanted to applaud her, fight her, and ask her to teach him how to do that all at the same time, but the fire in her eyes burned away his ability to speak.
When he didn’t respond, she melted back into her former self. Her eyes eased up, and she let go of a pent-up sigh.
“I tried to keep you here,” Carlee said. “I told her that I thought you might be an asset to our group, but she couldn’t be dissuaded. So, it is what it is.”
She walked toward their transport, ignoring the awkward glances she was receiving from the other vagrants for having thrown a force-field knife all the way across the camp with extreme precision. Stefani had already loaded up their tent and belongings.
“Why?” Jeff asked. Carlee stopped a dozen feet away from him, but she didn’t turn around.