“NICK, THIS IS Dr. Vaughn Craig,” Jimmy said. They all were standing on the far side of the valley creek, the one closer to Deadhorse. Nick extended his hand to the man, who eagerly took it.
“Call me Vaughn,” he said. “The days for titles and surnames are over. Anyone worth knowing is worth knowing on a first-name basis now.”
Nick shook Vaughn’s hand and noticed the cool touch of his skin, his long, slender fingers feeling frail under Nick’s grasp. Vaughn had a short brown beard and long slicked-back hair tied in a ponytail. He was several inches taller than either of the boys. His clothes were simple: black long-sleeved shirt and gray pants, matching those of the elite team he seemed to lead. But he looked nothing like a soldier and appeared to carry no weapons or gear of any kind.
“It’s good to meet you, Vaughn,” Nick said. “I guess we owe you big time. You saved us.”
“It may be the other way around when it all gets said and done,” Vaughn said. He stared at Nick as if he should understand. Then he added, “The seed vault. Jimmy gave me the grand tour while you were away.”
Nick was shocked that Jimmy had so willingly shared their secret with a total stranger, and he was now equally embarrassed that the truth was out for Lusa to hear.
“I don’t know how long it would last if we started feeding everyone by it,” Nick said. He hated his own words. They were weak half-truths, and he was playing defense, trying to mitigate risk with Vaughn and cover his tracks with Lusa. He didn’t dare turn and look at her, though he felt her scrutinizing eyes on him.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of eating the seeds,” Vaughn said. “Food’s the least of my worries. But some day, when the time is right, those seeds may help remake the world, a world we will have to build.”
Nick wasn’t sure about Vaughn. There was something about him that made Nick suspicious, but at the same time, Vaughn seemed competent, confident, and far more in control of his life than anyone else Nick knew. It was oddly refreshing being around someone like this, someone who made Nick feel young again. It was different than it had been with Pete. Pete was fatherly, but the man was poor and lived meal-to-meal. Vaughn was…well, Nick didn’t know yet. But it was different.
Suddenly, Nick realized Vaughn had lost interest in him and was examining Lusa who stood beside him. “Oh, this is my…” Nick stopped himself from saying girlfriend. “…my friend Lusa. She—”
“It’s good to meet you, Lusa,” Vaughn interrupted as he extended his hand. She shook it, and Nick noticed her shyness. It was something he’d seen before, but he’d misinterpreted it as being coy, or stoic. Now, it was plain as day; she was a scared little girl.
“It’s good to meet you,” she said as bravely as she could.
“Jimmy didn’t mention you,” Vaughn said.
“No, I don’t live here,” Lusa answered. “I live…” She looked down, seemingly unsure how to answer.
“Well, Lusa, I don’t know your situation,” Vaughn said. “But I know you’ve lost someone. Because we’ve all lost someone. Nobody alive can say otherwise. That’s one thing that brings us all together.”
She looked up, eyes glimmering with what Nick believed was a combination of pre-emergent tears and hope. “That’s true,” she admitted.
Nick was surprised at how easily Vaughn could positively manipulate her. It didn’t seem malevolent, but the skill involved, the understanding required, was easily apparent.
“Look, I’d love to continue getting to know you all, but I’m needed elsewhere,” Vaughn said. “You have to have plenty of questions, I know. And I’ll answer them all, I promise. But I can’t do it here. Or, at least, it would be far simpler to show you the truth instead of tell you about it.” Vaughn paused, making sure his words penetrated. Then he asked, “Would you all join me for dinner? You’d be my honored guests. And you won’t believe the tableside view.”