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Kristina
The sound of the T-Mobile ringtone jolts me awake. I open my eyes to find a sleeping Hayden lying next to me, still in the same position he was when I drifted off. I lift myself up, balancing my weight on my elbow as I take a moment to observe his relaxed features. Physically, I’ve seen few scars to bear witness to his traumatic past, but I’m sure buried deep inside of him are deeper, more prominent ones I’m unaware of.
Hayden, as I prefer to call him now that we’ve established some form of friendship, speaks very little and when he does, it’s obvious touching the subject of his past is not something he likes to do. He answers my questions, maybe because he understands it helps me comprehend what I’m really dealing with. If he could have his way, he probably wouldn’t talk about his childhood at all.
I’m very confused when it comes to him. I’d like to know what he is, but at the same time I’d rather not find out. The past few days have served as proof he means me no harm, but I can’t help wonder if I’ll be safe once he doesn’t need me anymore.
I can’t get the lingering doubt that’s he’s hiding something out of my head. Call it intuition, but something tells me there’s more to his escape than what’s he’s willingly shared with me so far.
For starters, how did he escape? Wasn’t he supposedly well-guarded at all times?
I let out some air. As I scrutinize his handsome face, a sinking feeling grips my insides. What’s going to happen to us? Will we make it to Iowa? If we do, and we find this man Hayden is looking for, what are we going to do if he refuses to consider lending a hand? Does Hayden have a back-up plan? God, I certainly hope so.
The sound of a door opening startles me into sitting up. I rub my eyes, and glance to my right at the window behind the futon. Judging by the position of the sun, I’m guessing it’s way past seven in the morning. We got a total of four hours of sleep, but that will have to do for now. Getting on the road nice and early is a priority, so we have to make do with what we have.
“Kristina? Are you awake?” Ray walks into the living room, cell phone in hand. A startled look crosses his face when he realizes I’m sitting on the floor next to a sleeping Hayden. Judging by his reaction, I imagine he wasn’t expecting to find me sharing a mat with my traveling companion.
“Yeah, I’m up.”
His gaze moves to Hayden and then to me again before he offers me the mobile in his hand. He doesn’t comment, but the look on his face has confusion written all over it. “It’s your grandmother on the phone.”
I scurry to my feet. “Rose? Really?” I take the phone and put it to my ear. “Grandma?”
“Kristina.” A sense of relief washes over me the second I hear her voice come through the receiver. “I’m so happy to hear your voice, girl. I’ve been worried sick about you two. How’s Tiger?”
“He’s fine. God, Grandma, are you okay?”
“Just dandy. What about you?”
“We’re okay, too. We’ve been keeping on the move. It’s exhausting, though.”
Ray signals me to catch my attention so I lower the receiver as he says, “I’m going to go out and check the property to make sure everything is safe and we’re still alone up here. I’ll be ten or fifteen minutes, max. Don’t go out. Stay indoors at all times and away from the windows. If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, there’s a hidden door under the rug in my bedroom, just pull the latch and crawl inside. There should be enough space in there for the both of you.”
“How long are we supposed to stay down there?” I ask, more than a little concerned over what to do should he be trapped and we’re out here all alone.
“Remain hidden no matter what you hear. Stay toward the right side of the crawlspace and don’t make a sound.” He pauses a moment to look at Tiger. “I have to make a call later on this morning. If by any reason, I don’t, someone will come looking for you two. Understand?”
I nod. “Is there something you’d want us to do in the meantime?”
“No. I’ll be fine on my own. Stay in until I return.” He comes across as overprotective, and with good reason, I guess. We’re not dealing with your ordinary criminals. I note he’s fully dressed, geared up down to the boots on his feet. He hides his face behind a baseball cap, much like I tend to do now.
“We’ll be here.”
Ray sidesteps me and kneels down next to the coffee table. I watch as he feels under it for a few seconds before the sound of Velcro being pulled leaves me standing there in awe. What in the world? He pulls out what looks to be some kind of sniper rifle from underneath the table and stands.
“Can’t be too careful around here,” he says, once he’s caught the stupefied look on my face. “Gotta be prepared at all times. Be right back.” And he walks out the front door a moment later, rifle in hand.
“Kristina?” Grandma’s voice breaks me out of my stupor. “Are you there?”
“Ray just walked out of here holding a rifle.”
Grandma has the good sense of mind to chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“Ray’s kind of cryptic like that, but he means well.”
“How on earth did you guys meet? And can you please explain that list you gave me?”
“Well, aren’t you full of questions today?”
“Aren’t I ever?” Movement to my left catches my eye, so I turn to see Hayden waking up, slowly stretching his limbs. I can’t believe he’s slept longer than me. Normally, he’s awake before I am and I get the impression he hasn’t slept at all since we started this journey from hell.
“It’s a long story,” Grandma replies.
“Give me the short version, then.” I mosey on over to Hayden and sit, cross-legged, next to him on the mat. His eyes open and gaze up at me with interest. “Good morning.” I greet him with a smile.
“Short version?” Grandma asks.
Hayden returns the smile. I’m almost stunned into silence by the gesture. He’s unbelievably handsome when he smiles, even more so than he normally is. He should do it more often.
“Yeah, Grandma, spill it.”
She laughs. “I met Ray through Drake. Remember? I told you about him. Even after we parted ways, we’ve kept in touch. To be honest with you, Kristina, he’s even been to the house a few times in the last ten years.”
I’m flabbergasted. “What?” I never had any clue there was anyone around aside from us. This is definitely bringing the whole silent-as-a-ghost thing into perspective for me.
“He was the one who told me Gerard had moved his main lab to Wyoming, literally up the road from us. A part of me was sure he had no idea I was living so close by, but I prepared just in case.”
“The bag in the trunk? The list? The maps? The money?”
“Yes, I had to have some kind of plan in case the inevitable happened. When you showed up with Tiger, I knew the time had come to move out.”
“How did you make that connection?”
“Gerard would go to the ends of the earth to find Tiger. Even if he didn’t recognize me at first glance, once he found out what my real identity is, he’d come after us.”
“I wish you would’ve told me all this beforehand. I would have been more prepared.”
“I didn’t want to compromise you in case I was reading too much into things.” Grandma sighs into. “I wanted to protect you, sweetheart.”
“So, you knew about Tiger all along? I mean, the not being human part?”
“History does have a way or repeating itself, sweetie. Besides, if I hadn’t been sure from the start, I would have been the moment I noticed his wounds beginning to heal right in front of my eyes. Us humans can’t self-heal. It’s a gift only some supernatural beings possess.”
“Good to know.” Dread fills my heart. I miss Grandma so much already and the possibility of never seeing her again eats away at me. Aside from my brother, she’s the only family I have left. “So how did you find out about the other survivors?”
“Drake has moved around a lot. He had no choice, really. But, uh, he made a few friends along the way. Fifty-odd years is a long time, wouldn’t you agree? He found out that there are others like us, running from Gerard, staying hidden to avoid detection. In the long run, Drake wanted me to have options in case Gerard eventually discovered me living a short distance away. Through the years, we’ve managed to contact these people and through our bond, formed an alliance. We all want to bring him down, but it’s never been easy. He’s too protected, always at the ready.”
“He knows you guys are out there, scheming a way to bring his empire to an end,” I add with a huff. “That’s why he’s so desperate to have Tiger caught. Put yourself in Gerard’s shoes. If you have an escaped prisoner who possibly has a good amount of information as to what his operational methods are, wouldn’t you want him caught by any means necessary? And as soon as possible? Besides, what are chances that Tiger might bump into this legion? Generally, odds probably wouldn’t have been as high, but he so happens to have the granddaughter of one of the members helping him out.” I pull my knees up to my chest to rest my elbow on top.
“Legion, huh? I kind of like that title. And yes, you’re absolutely right. Look, things got a little rushed at home because of the circumstances last time, but Tiger ran a few things by me and I’ve passed them along to the other members of this...legion. We’re hoping this guy he’s going to meet will lend a helping hand. We don’t number many, but whoever is willing to join in the fight is more than welcome.”
My heart sinks. Fight? “Grandma, do you think things will go that far?”
“They might, honey. We have to expect the unexpected. Kristina, I know you’re scared. But look at it this way, unless Gerard Radcliffe is no longer an issue, we will never be truly free.”
I’ve been telling myself that all along, but hearing her say makes it more of a reality. “I’m just worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I’m not alone.”
My eyebrows arch instinctively. “Pardon me? Who are you with?”
A succession of coughs comes through the receiver.
“Though I could do better,” Grandma grumbles.
“Wyatt? You’re with Wyatt?” I can’t keep the surprise out of my voice.
“Yes, and we’re both excellent marksmen, so don’t you worry about me. You just focus on helping Tiger get to his destination. All right?”
“Sure.” Though I’m hesitant to admit I’m now more than a little concerned about her well-being after Hayden told me about Wyatt’s condition.
“Wyatt, you best put that cigarette out before I take off and leave you stranded right in the middle of nowhere!”
“Jesus, woman. Would you quit yapping at me every five minutes?” Wyatt retorts.
“Get rid of it or I’ll shoot it out of your hand, you old geezer!” Everything is silent for a few seconds before Grandma adds, “And I don’t mean smoke the whole damn thing in one long pull.”
“Who’re you calling old?”
Hearing Grandma arguing with Wyatt fills me with a welcoming familiarity and I can’t help but laugh. I miss them. I miss my life. I miss my home. Will I ever go back?
“I swear, he gets more fickle the older he gets.”
“Don’t give him such a hard time, Rose.” She will miss him once he’s gone. So will I. But I don’t want to mention Wyatt’s condition, which I assume must be something along the lines of lung cancer. He’s been smoking for longer than I’ve been alive. “He’s bound to leave you to fend for yourself,” I tease.
“I’d probably do better on my own anyway since I gotta keep making sure he doesn’t sneak around to smoke when I’m not watching.” In spite of the frustration she’s trying to convey, I can hear the smile in her voice. “This old bat is going to be the reason I get killed. I’m sure of it.”
I stifle a laugh behind my right hand. “Grandma, we’ll be on the move shortly. Please be careful.”
All joking aside, she says, “Kristina, I provided the list and the maps for a reason. Use them to find help if you need it, okay?”
“It’s a guide, isn’t it?”
“Certainly is. From here to there, if you need assistance, make sure you seek one of them out. Now, if you want a recommendation, I suggest visiting number three on that list I gave you. He should help fill in some more blanks.”
“It all depends on where in the map he’s located.”
Hayden sits up to my left and rests his chin on my shoulder. Normally he refrains from any form of physical intimacy between us, but I’m not one to complain. This might mean he’s more comfortable around me now.
“It should be on the way.”
“How do you...never mind.” I’m guessing Hayden told Grandma where we’re headed, or at the very least, what direction we plan to go. “I’ll pay him a visit, if it will make you feel better.”
“That’s my girl. I’ll call to see if you’ve made it safely. No matter what, I need to know you’re okay.”
“Is this your way of keeping tabs on me?”
“Absolutely darling. I can only keep going as long as you are safe and sound.”
Likewise. I’ll be able to function better as long as she is out of harm’s way. Though that doesn’t mean I’m not at all worried. I’ll still be concerned over her safety no matter what, but as long as I receive her calls I’ll keep pushing through.
“Grandma, just stay safe yourself. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
“I won’t. Say hi to Tiger for me.”
“I will.”
“Listen, baby girl, I gotta get going. I’ll call you in a day or two, ya hear?”
“I’ll be waiting for that call.”
“All right, then. And, Kristina?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t hesitate to use that gun I gave ya. I know how you feel about firearms, but this is your life we talkin’ about.”
I wince as if in pain. Given no other option I’ll use the gun to protect myself, but I hope it doesn’t come down to me putting a bullet between someone else’s eyes. “I will, Rose.”
“Take care, darling.”
“You, too. Later.”
“Later.”
I hang up, but my heart feels heavy. For the time being, Grandma is doing fine, but I’m scared for her safety. None of us has the future guaranteed.
“Rose?” Hayden asks.
“Yes. She sends her regards.”
“Is everything okay?”
“She’s fine. She mentioned something about the talk you two had. Did you tell her what goes on in the Institute?”
“Only what she needed to be made aware of.”
“Did Rose tell you about this so-called group she associates with?”
“She did.”
My eyes focus on Hayden’s face as I say, with some resentment, “You guys spoke about a lot of things and left me out of all of it.”
He tosses an apologetic look in my direction. “I’m sorry, but Rose wanted it that way.”
“I get it.” But I’m not too happy about it. “Either way, it’s not like keeping me out of the conversation is going to help save my ass. I’m in as deep as you are, so we might as well be honest with each other from now on. Is that okay with you?”
Tiger dips his head a bit, his eyes assessing my face. “I agree. In fact, there’s something I want to get off my chest. I’d like to—”
The door bursts open all and the tall, broad shouldered Ray steps inside, carrying the sniper rifle in his hands.
“Everything is clear,” he announces as he shuts the door. “For now, anyway.” Propping the rifle in the corner, he then turns to us. “I say we get breakfast going. We need to part ways early. Put some distance between ourselves and the men in black.”
“We? You’re not coming with us?”
Ray takes off the baseball cap and tosses it on the coffee table. “No. I’m not going with you. As soon as you kids leave, I’ll be on my way as well. I can’t stay here.”
Scampering to my feet, I hand the cell phone to him. “Why is that?”
“Remember that rule we spoke about last night? The one about not staying in one place for too long? Well, I think I’ve overstayed my welcome. Now that you kids have stopped by, I gotta get movin’. If Gerard is hard on your trail, it won’t be long before he finds this place.”
The world seems to drop off from underneath my feet. “You have to leave because of us?” Don’t tell me we have inadvertently become the reason this man has to abandon his humble, middle-of-nowhere home. It’s bad enough that Grandma and I had to pick up and leave so quickly, but to force the same fate on Ray? Not acceptable.
“Not entirely.” Ray takes a step forward and lays a hand on my shoulder. “Actually, we’re prepared to head out anyway. It’s never wise to stay in one place for longer than a few months if that, and I’ve already lived here for two years. Now that Gerard is out and alert to anything that will give us away, it’s better to be extra cautious.”
“Ray, can you be honest with me? Like, omit-no-details honest?”
He allows his hand to drop. “Yes, of course.”
“Why do I have a feeling you guys...call it a group...a legion if it makes more sense...are planning something?”
The smile that appears on Ray’s face is enough of a confirmation. “Details I can’t provide, and honestly, it’ll be better if I don’t anyway, but we have a plan. This time, I hope it will not fail, like so many others have.” For a mere split second, he spares a fleeting glance in Hayden’s direction, but quickly averts his gaze to me. “Now I’m going to get breakfast started so that I can send you on your way.” Without another word, he walks off into the kitchen, leaving me brooding over the thoughts invading my mind.
What the hell is really going on?
***
Ray, being the considerate host that he is, made sure Hayden and I enjoyed a satisfying, hearty meal consisting of French toast, sliced bananas, and hot, steamy coffee before moving on to preparing some ham and cheese sandwiches for us to eat on the road so we wouldn’t have to stop more than necessary.
During our brief get-together in the diminutive kitchen in Ray’s small cottage, I realized why it was so cold inside. There was no source of heat except for a small wood-burning stove, which he only lit during extreme drops in temperature, to keep the smoke from being spotted. What little electricity was used came from a generator he had toward the rear of the structure. Cooking gas came from containers of propane he bought downtown. He’d kept his supplies to a minimum in the event he had to pick up and leave quickly. Weapons, however, he had plenty of, and were hidden in several key areas around the cottage and surrounding woods.
He promised me the next time we met, he’d show me how to properly shoot a gun. I assured him that if we were successful in bringing Gerard’s empire down, I wouldn’t have a need to upgrade my lessons, but he reminded me it wouldn’t hurt to learn to protect myself. I wanted to argue that I’d never kill another human being, even if it came down to self-defense, but I was reminded of the fact that they would have no compassion for me if they managed to catch up with us.
An hour later, with a lunch box filled with several sandwiches, crackers, diced cheese, and a Thermos of hot cocoa, we left Ray’s small cottage and followed the man as he guided us around the maze of old, rusted cars, and to a dirt path barely visible between two lines of massive weeping willow trees on either side.
He kept his focus on our surroundings the entire time, rifle in hand, as he walked us to whatever location he had in mind. I’m still not sure where that is, but he mentioned during breakfast that he had arranged for transportation for us, so I’m assuming he might have somebody coming to pick us up. Or at least I’m hoping. I’m tired of driving and even more tired of the idea of having to do so while restless and weary.
About a quarter of a mile down the path, we come upon a four-door, black Jeep. My hopes of not having to endure grueling hours behind the wheel vanish. I’ll be driving another thirteen to fourteen hours to our next destination.
“The Jeep is in perfect working order.” Ray removes a set of keys from his pocket and hands them over to me. “But the plates aren’t exactly legal. Unless you want to get pulled over, I suggest you be on your best driving behavior.”
I step around him to have a glimpse of the interior. It’s clean and has no clutter whatsoever, which is the total opposite of his house. Though clean, the cottage is full of knickknacks and articles I still have no clue what their purpose is.
“I’ll be careful,” I say, eying Hayden as he walks over to the passenger door and glances inside as if looking for something. “What about you?” Momentarily putting my doubts on hold, I turn to Ray and ask, “What do you have in mind?”
“I’ll be on my way shortly. I just wanted to see you kids off safely before I pick up and take my own path.” He slings the rifle over his right shoulder. “I can’t stay. Gerard’s men will be here soon enough. All I have to do is clear up the trip wires and that’s that.”
I nod.
“You drive safely, ya hear? And don’t stop unless you have to. Keep a lookout, too. Gerard may have men watching out for you guys in any location.”
“You’ll be safe, too. Right?” I just met the man, but he seems like a great guy. Someone reliable and trustworthy, so I’m worried that he won’t make it.
“Don’t worry about little old me. I have somewhere to go.” Ray steps aside and smiles. “Now get going. Time ticks by faster than either of us notice and we can’t let it go to waste.”
I pull the door open. “Thank you for everything, Ray.”
“Don’t mention it.” As I slide onto the driver’s seat, Ray walks around to the passenger side and intercepts Hayden before he can climb inside. “You best take care of that girl. I’m gonna call Rose and ask if she’s safe.”
I’m surprised by Ray’s protectiveness. We just met.
“I promised I will keep her safe,” is Hayden’s response. I sense tension between the two and I’m alert to the possibility that something might have happened between them to cause it.
“Good.” Ray shuffles to the path, away from the Jeep, and waves as I turn the ignition on.
With the doors closed and Ray standing a few feet away I know he can’t hear us, but I find myself whispering, “What was that all about?”
Hayden doesn’t respond. Instead, he glances out the window at the line of trees as I put the Jeep in reverse and out of the path. Again with the mysteries. There’s unfinished business and sooner or later, he’s going to have to come to terms with the fact that he can’t keep hiding things from me.
For now, however, I decide to let him be. We’re both on edge and I don’t feel like being the cause of more tension between us.