CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

THE DIRT AT the bottom of the stairs had been pounded into fine silt either due to heavy usage, passing of time, or both. Fluorescent fixtures dangled on chains from steel I-beams holding up the diner, and apparently half the town. Straining my eyes, I could barely make out the end of the hallway, some few hundred yards in the distance. Who the hell were these people?

I reached the door at the end of the passage as quickly and quietly as I could, uncertain of whether I’d find Evie behind it or some sort of trap. Standing to the side, I turned the knob with my mind. Slowly, I opened the door.

“Hello?” The voice was a woman’s, familiar, but not Evie.

With a deep breath, I stepped inside the room.

“Daddy!”

I froze. Jumping up from a sofa, was my Evie. Next to her, a waitress—the same waitress who had brought me my chicken-fried chicken.

“Miss Love said she’d find you.” Evie rounded the sofa, bounding in my direction.

I hesitated, the situation jarring my expectations. Why was the waitress here? “Evie?”

“It’s so good to see you.” She leapt into my arms, hugging my neck.

“Evie.” The tears burst from my eyes. “It’s you.” I squeezed back, swinging her off her feet. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t wait at the corner market. Miss Love said she’d talked to you, that it wasn’t safe.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “What kind of teaching assistant has a private tube under her house?”

I put my hand on her head, tangling my fingers in her coarse, curly hair. “A damn good one, apparently.” I set Evie down for a closer look. As I finally took in the surroundings, I realized Adel had told the truth. “You’ve been here the whole time, haven’t you?”

“Miss Love said she had family in the country, where I’d be safe. Oh, Dad, you look terrible. What happened to your eyebrows?”

“My eyebrows?” I ran my fingers across my forehead. My eyebrows were gone. “Long story, but how are you?” I hugged her again.

“Good, now. I was worried about you. Someone attacked the lab? And you think they were after me?”

“It’s okay. We’re together now, you and me. We’ll go and start again. You were right about my work. I’m done. I just want to be your father, not your savior.”

“And I want to be your daughter, but slow down. What are you talking about?”

“They’re letting us go.”

“Letting us go?”

“Uh, excuse me.” The waitress rose from the sofa. “I should leave you two alone.” She whisked past us toward the door.

“Wait.”

She turned.

“Jebediah said you were needed in the diner.”

“Honey, I’m always needed in the diner. It’s hard work running a town and a kitchen at the same time.” She left, calling back over her shoulder. “When you’re ready, stop in for a slice of pie. You know, for the road.”

“Daddy?” Evie shook my shoulders. “What do you mean, letting us go?”

“Sorry. I meant to say it’s time for us to go.”

“Home?”

I shook my head. “We can’t go home.”

“Jim!” Adel burst into the room, causing us both to jump. “Evie. Both of you. You’ve gotta come now.”

I clutched Evie, holding her behind me. “What is it?”

“They’re moving the town.”

“Moving the town? How the—”

Adel tried to tug me into the hall. “What did he say to you? That he was letting you go?”

“Yes, that he could help us across the border.”

“Across the border?”

Evie tugged me in the other direction. “I don’t want to move. Where are we going?”

“No good cowardly bastard.” Adel strung together a series of curses before addressing me directly. “Don’t you see? He’s handing you over to Oleg in order to buy us more time to escape. Dammit!” She stamped. “He’s sacrificing both of you for the rest of us.”

“Oleg? Escape? Daddy, what’s going on?” Evie clung to my arm.

“I didn’t tell her.” Adel apologized with her eyes. “I’d hoped she wouldn’t have to know.”

I squeezed Adel’s arm. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” Letting go of both women, I ran my hands through my hair. “We’ll run. Oleg won’t catch us.”

“Jim, don’t be naive. Oleg won’t allow you to live, not unless he’s convinced you’re loyal to him.”

“I’ve beat him so far.”

“He’s got an army, Jim. An army. You can’t put Evie through that.”

I pressed on the sides of my skull, feeling the oil and water churn—waves crashing onto the shore. “What else can I do?”

“Come with me, you and Evie both.”

I scanned the room, racking my brain. After a few seconds I looked Evie in the eyes. “The danger isn’t over yet, and there’s no time to explain it all. No matter what happens, remember I love you. To a fault, I love you. No questions. Get your shoes.”

She bit her lip, before steeling her chin and nodding.

“Did you bring anything else?”

She slipped on her shoes. “They took my ARGs. That’s it.”

“Good. We’re going with Miss Love.”

“For heaven’s sake, call me Adel.”

I grabbed Evie’s hand. “If I’m not around, you listen to whatever Adel says.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

“Finally, someone’s listening to me.” Adel led the way at a sprint. “My Pop’s a lost cause, but we can still swing my mother. If she and Pastor Bodean side with us, Pop’ll have no choice.”

We climbed back into the freezer and pulled up the stairs.

“Let me do most of the talking. When the time comes, you convince the others of your abilities, that with your help we can stand against Oleg’s men.”

“Abilities? Daddy, what’s she—”

“Shhh.” I grilled Adel with my eyes. “You think that’s true? If we do this, Evie and I will be safe from Oleg?”

“As safe as you’re gonna be, honey. Look,” she sighed, “there’s no going back. The truth narrows things. That’s just how it is. You can live in the truth, or not live at all. As long as I’ve got strength, I’ll choose the former.” She put her hand on the handle. “You ready?”

“Evie?” I turned to my daughter.

She nodded.

“Then, yes, we’re ready.”