Chapter 43

Blake drove down the familiar highway, his nerves taking over his exhaustion. As he hung a right onto the dirt road, he glanced down at Megan, who was still sleeping soundly in his lap.

It was just after two a.m. Blake knew that once he pulled up to the gate, an alarm would sound in the War Room. The computer would then call whoever was on duty for the night, and he imagined that person would not be very happy to be woken up. It was the security detail he had failed at before.

He slowed at the gate, wondering who was getting the phone call, and he hoped it wasn’t Hudson.

A few minutes passed, and he raised Megan’s head, slid out of the car, and gently set it down on the seat. He stood in front of the camera wondering what they were thinking inside the silo. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, his sweatpants were grimy, and the big sneakers flopped off his feet. Not to mention the handcuffs, and he guessed he weighed twenty pounds less than he did the last time he saw any of them over two weeks ago.

The chill of the desert night air caused goose bumps as he stared into the camera. Someone stared back at him, he just didn’t know who.

After a ten-minute standoff, it became apparent they weren’t going to open for him, so he went to the passenger side of the car. “Megan, I need you to wake up,” he whispered.

The girl stirred, but didn’t wake. “Megan,” he said louder, shaking her shoulder. “Honey, wake up.”

She finally opened her eyes and looked around as if she were startled by her surroundings.

“We’re almost there,” Blake said, “but I need you to do something for me.”

“Blake, I’m so tired,” she whined as she rubbed her eyes.

“I know. I am too. Just get out of the car for a minute, okay?”

She slid out of the car and he held her hand as he led her over to the camera. “Look up there, Megan,” he said.

Gazing up to the sky, she said, “Where?”

“See that black box right there?” Blake asked, pointing.

“Yes.”

“Right there, honey, stare right at it.”

As she did, Blake took a step behind her. Open the fucking gate, he mouthed.

Ten seconds later, the gates hummed and slid to the side.

“Good job, Megan,” he murmured. “Let’s get back in the car.”

Blake drove on a half mile, and the second gate opened as he approached. The oval outline of the silo came into view, and Blake took a deep breath as they pulled up to the front steps.

Megan looked nervous.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered. “This is where the other SR44ians live.”

Blake exited the car and went to her door. He pulled it open, and Megan started to cry.

He waited for the irritation that usually came with crying kids, but nothing happened. Instead, the overwhelming urge to hold and soothe her overcame him, and he bent down, slipped his cuffed hands over her head and down to her waist. “Here,” he murmured. “Hold on.”

She grabbed his neck as if her life depended on him, and he supposed it did. Burying her face in his shoulder, he wished he didn’t smell, and he wondered if the Saviors would at least remove the damn cuffs from his wrists and let him have a shower before sending him on his way. After the way he left things, he wasn’t sure.

The door to the silo popped open, and Noah stepped out with Cohen and Jovan, all three of them wearing pajama bottoms of various colors and carrying guns at their sides.

“What is this, Blake?” Noah growled.

Okay, so there wouldn’t be any formalities, and he bit back sarcasm. “This is Megan,” he said, keeping his tone soft and neutral. “Megan is the daughter of Sophia, an SR44 female, and Micah.”

Noah glanced over at Jovan, who then came down the steps. “We’ll take her,” Jovan murmured, reaching for Megan.

“No!” she screamed, her voice echoing across the desert night and causing Jovan to jump back. “No! Don’t let them take me, Blake! I have to stay with you!”

“Shhh, Megan, it’s okay,” he soothed.

“No! Don’t leave me!”

She gripped his neck tighter and wrapped her legs around him. He held her as close as he could.

Noah and Cohen exchanged glances, and Cohen nodded.

“Bring her in, Blake,” Noah commanded.

Blake walked up the steps, followed by Jovan. He nodded at Noah, but couldn’t meet Cohen’s eyes. “Thanks, man,” he mumbled.

Megan continued to cry on his shoulder, her tears tracking down his chest. Her sounds just about broke his heart in two.

The first door shut, and then the second opened. Blake stepped into the small hallway leading to the kitchen. Noah, Jovan, and Cohen walked past him and joined the others there: Abby, Rayner, Faith, Hudson, Beverly, Liberty, Annis, Nico, and Alaina. He could barely meet their gazes as shame and embarrassment coursed through him.

Megan’s sobs had turned to whimpers, and she slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder. He tried to imagine what her thoughts were as she stared at the women, the huge men, and most of their eyes glowing just as hers did.

Annis stepped forward, her golden gaze on Megan. “Hello, little one,” she whispered. “My name’s Annis. I knew your mother. We traveled to Earth together.”

Megan eyed her warily and said nothing.

Annis held out her arms. “Let me get you something to eat.”

Megan had a death grip on Blake, and it only strengthened as she turned and buried her head against Blake’s neck.

Blake could see this was a standoff.

“Just give her to me,” Annis murmured.

“Please don’t, Blake,” Megan whispered.

He knew the Saviors wanted him gone, and frankly, he didn’t blame them. However, he’d made a promise to Sophia that he would help Megan, and turning Megan over to them right now seemed cruel. The girl was scared, and he felt protective of her. He hadn’t done anything right in a long time, but this time would be different.

“I can’t,” he said to Annis, meeting her gaze for the first time in a very long time. “I promised her mother I would bring her to you, but I can’t just drop her off. She’s got a death grip on me. She’s scared.”

Annis turned to Noah. “He has to stay,” she announced. “For the girl.”

Noah ran his hand through his hair and nodded. “All right. It’s the middle of the night. Blake, there’s no . . . funny business going on here, is there? You haven’t led Micah to our door or anything, right?”

Blake shook his head. “No, Noah. I promise.” Being upright for so long had made his knees weak. He really needed to sit down or stretch out somewhere.

“So, where is Megan going to sleep?” Faith asked.

“I’m sleeping with you, Blake,” Megan whispered.

“She wants to sleep with me,” Blake announced.

“Megan, is that true?” Noah asked. She nodded her head and turned away.

Noah walked around Blake so he was facing Megan. “Hi, Megan,” he said, his voice low. “My name’s Noah. I’m kind of in charge of this place.”

Blake wondered if Megan was going to snap his neck. She might be small, but there was strength in those little arms.

“Your mom asked Blake to bring you here, right?”

She nodded.

“If your mom asked Blake to bring you here, she wouldn’t send you to a place where people would hurt you, would she?”

Megan shrugged. “I don’t think so, but she doesn’t know you.”

Noah smiled. “That’s good that you’re a little hesitant about us but—”

Beverly stepped forward. “Let her stay with Blake, Noah,” she said. “Right now Megan is being very smart in staying with what she knows, what is comfortable to her.”

“Stranger danger,” Hudson muttered.

Beverly looked Blake over. “You look worse for wear,” she commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Why don’t we do this,” Rayner said. “Megan stays with Blake. Blake stays handcuffed. In the morning, we sort things out and give the guy a shower. That girl shouldn’t be exposed to the toxic fumes coming off his body.”

Megan loosened her grip a little and turned to look at Rayner.

“How does that sound, Megan?” he asked, his red eyes blazing.

“Can we give him a shower tonight?” she asked.

There was a beat of silence, then everyone laughed. For a moment, Blake felt like he was back home, right where he belonged.