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TRINITY FLUNG HER BACKPACK over her shoulder and left her tent. She refused to feel guilty about the argument with her mother, but the hurt on Mom’s face poked at her conscience. She’d find Travis, talking to him always helped.
She kept her eyes averted the best she could while searching for Travis. She stopped at the outskirts of the Producer’s section of camp. Travis wasn’t there. She strode back through the area, this time looking at everyone. She hadn’t missed him. He wasn’t there. She raced into the woods. If he’d gone to the encampment again, she was going to kill him. She’d warned him. Everyone had warned him, but she understood why he kept going back. His family was still there.
She stopped in a tree near her old home, and inhaled deeply, catching her breath for the first time in hours. Travis was safe, hiding in the bushes near the fence and talking to Stuart. She was going to strangle him. Coming here right after Hugh’s escape was more than foolish. She launched herself to a nearby tree and made her way silently toward him. As usual, he was focused on the camp not the brush. He still didn’t understand that ignoring the forest could be a costly mistake. She waited until Stuart left for his hut before she dropped from the tree, landing next to Travis.
“What the...” He swung around, his fist flying.
Lucky for her, he was slow and she easily dodged his blow because if he’d hit her, it would’ve hurt. He’d grown over the years. He was a fine specimen of a male Producer. Large and strong but lean from scarce food and a lot of exercise.
“Trinity, what are you doing here?” He was not happy to see her.
“I could ask you the same thing, but why bother. I already know the answer.”
“You’d do the same thing for your family.”
“That’s not the point. You can’t keep sneaking off alone like this.”
“I’m not putting anyone else in danger and don’t tell me that I could’ve asked you because you wouldn’t have come with me.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“That’s because your family is better off here than they’d be in the forest. Kim and Martha won’t send anyone to slaughter. Kim promised.” None of the Producers had been removed since Benedictine’s death. It was crowded but safer than the forest.
“For how long? They’re running low on money.”
“How do you know that?”
“This is a business to the Almightys.” He waved his hand at the camp. “Have you noticed how full it is? How long can Kim and her mother support a bunch of Producers who continue to breed and eat most of the crops that they grow?”
“Stop talking to the Servants. You don’t know anything about business.”
“And you do?”
“No, but I know Servants and they like to cause trouble, especially for someone from another class.” It was true but so was what Travis was saying. Kim and her mother had to be feeling the pressure of taking care of so many Producers. Her father had mentioned it several times.
“Even if they can support everyone forever, it’s not healthy. The last time that I was here—”
“When exactly was that?” She flexed her claws. If beating him up would stop him from coming here, she’d do it in a heartbeat, but it wouldn’t.
He flushed slightly. “A few weeks ago. You were busy working on your plan to free Hugh. How did that go?”
“Nice change of subject. It went fine, but you have to stop doing this.”
“I can’t.” He turned and stared into the encampment. “Not until they’re safe.”
“It isn’t safe for you.” She grabbed his arm and tugged until he faced her.
“They’re my family, Trin.” He pulled free from her grasp. “You risked your life to save Gaar and Mirra and they aren’t even your blood.”
“That was different.”
“Why? Because you’re better in the forest than I am? I don’t care if it’s dangerous.”
“Your family is safe.”
“No. They’re not. Stuart told me that a lot of the young and old have been sick. It isn’t as bad as the Terrible Sickness, but it will be if the Almightys don’t do something.” He wrapped his fingers through the chain link and yanked once, making the entire section shake. “I have to get them out of here.”
He was right. A sickness could sweep through the camp killing fast and indiscriminately. It’d happened before and even if Kim and her mother managed to cure this illness, at some point, the camp would go back to the way it was. Other Almightys had to be unhappy about losing all the meat. Eventually, Kim and her mother would be forced to follow the rules.
She touched his forearm, drawing his gaze to her. “We’ll get them out.”
“You’ll help?” His brown eyes sparked with hope.
“Yes, I’ll help.” Dad was going to be pissed and Gaar would complain about her having too many friends, but she couldn’t refuse him. It was his family and he was her friend.
“Thank you!” He grabbed her and lifted her in his arms, swinging her around.
She hugged him. It was too bad that there was only friendship between them. He’d be a good mate. Their eyes met and held for a moment and then he put her down, stepping away and blushing slightly.
“How far along is Stuart’s mate?” It’d been awkward between them each time after they’d kissed. Since he hadn’t tried to kiss her in a long time, she was pretty sure that he didn’t feel anything for her either, but maybe she was wrong.
“She’s due in six weeks.”
“Then we need to wait.” She held up her hand to stop his outburst. “She’s better off here than in the forest, at least until the baby is a few months old.”
“Okay. We can wait until she delivers but then we need to get them out. The baby will be more vulnerable to the sickness.”
She headed into the brush, Travis following loudly. She bit her tongue to keep from snapping at him. He was doing the best he could. She’d trained him about forest safety herself, but Producers couldn’t move quietly, no matter how hard they tried.
“I’ll make a list of the herbs she’ll need to keep her and her baby healthy and give it to Kim. She’ll make sure that Stuart gets everything his mate needs.”
“How will you manage that? Jackson won’t allow Kim to come to camp.”
“Kim won’t listen to Jackson.” Nothing would keep the Almighty away from the male she loved. “And you know that I’m right about waiting. The forest is no place for an infant.” If he wasn’t arguing then she was winning but she had to solidify her case. “Remember Arthur. He put us in danger many times.”
It’d been a horrible time when her mom was pregnant. Producers weren’t quick to begin with but when heavy with child they were ponderous. Mom had hid in the woods with Dad and Gaar for protection until her time. Then they’d had a newborn to protect. It hadn’t been fun or easy.
“Stuart still doesn’t want to leave.” His voice was defeated.
“He’ll change his mind.” She wasn’t sure about that, but it was what Travis wanted to hear. Most of the Producers had refused to leave the camps. Some didn’t believe her story of what the Almightys did to them. Others believed her, but didn’t think it applied to them because they were the finest specimens. Either way, both groups thought they were safer in camp than in the forest and they might be right about that. They’d lost a lot of Producers over the years and with the war, it was only going to get worse.
“What if he doesn’t ever want to leave?” asked Travis.
She stopped and met his eyes. “Then we’ll figure something out. They shouldn’t be locked up, nothing should.” Of course, being set free hadn’t helped many of the House Servants and Guards. She didn’t know what was right anymore, but she’d bought herself some time with Travis. “You should stay away for a while. At least until the baby’s born. Then we’ll come back and talk to Stuart.”
“Promise?”
She nodded and started walking again, picking the less dense parts of the forest. Being in the open made her nervous, but it’d be quieter with Travis along.
“Don’t lie to me, Trin.”
“I’m not.” She shot him a glare. Her friends were getting too smart, although, she hadn’t exactly lied. She’d come back with him, but she wouldn’t promise to free the Producers. Travis had to learn that forcing freedom on others was no better than imprisoning them.