Once again, Cage’s fingers itched to hide something in his pocket.
He’d touched the wrapped packs in the bags again. The feel of it was different this time, though. It was harder. The pieces inside didn't quite slide against each other like before—the thing that had made him think perhaps it was some kind of drug patch. Now, it was more like a solid brick with enough plastic wrap on the outside of it to make it feel squishy. It was heavy enough to make the journey into a slog.
He usually put himself on one of the teams that dug a pit for the bag and he rotated the others through that job with him. They weren't being fed enough to do more heavy labor, even though it was required of them.
There hadn’t been a chance to talk to Sarah or Aurora about what was going on with the women's group. Was there even a third group somewhere else? Maybe rotating through the house or the caves? There almost had to be. This couldn't be the entire operation. They’d only been able to pass notes to each other, and that had to be saved for the most rudimentary of information.
They had attempted to disguise enough that—if Connor found it—he wouldn't be able to put the pieces together, at least not until the first deed was done.
And they had done it. Aurora had worn her sweater out into the desert, tied it around her waist in the warm evening air, casually putting the new side in. She’d worn it that way through the drop off, then the groups had met up to head back in, Connor leading the way once again.
Cage had noticed that she wasn't wearing it. She’d left it as a message somewhere on the desert floor. Hoping it would reach someone. Would Connor get mad at her? Cage wondered. Maybe because of her losing an item of clothing in the desert. Or would they simply not care? She could just go cold or pick a lost item from the pile on the corner of the living room. He'd already used the two T shirts, splinting Terrence’s arm.
The arm hadn’t festered. But Terrence had.
Cage had no time for him. But the sour grapes the boy constantly expressed made Cage sure he had to watch his back. There was no time to deal with the arrogant, angry kid. It wasn’t a position he liked being in and honestly, he had no idea who might be with Terrence, if another coup should be attempted. This one would be against him.
No one knew about the sweater, except him, Aurora, and Sarah, unless they’d told someone else on the women's side. He was confident they were smart enough not to do that. So, presumably no one knew about the sweater itself and no one knew of their victory.
There was no doubt in his mind that Joule would find it. What he couldn't predict was when. That he had no idea of. She might have already found it. Or she might find it in a month, and everything could be different, the information out of date in ways he couldn’t currently fathom.
He simply had to have faith that she would find it in time. She would be looking for him just as they had looked for Sarah. And their efforts would be even greater now. Would that mean they would find the sweater sooner rather than later? He didn’t know and he couldn’t bank on it. It was just one move in a chess game.
Once the sweater was in her hands, she would read it. He could only hope it would lead her directly to where they were being kept. Then again, he couldn't be sure. So many what ifs crowded his mind. What if she couldn't find it? What if they were moved before Joule and the others figured it out? What if the sweater sat out in the desert rotting in the sun or was blown away by the wind and covered by sand?
There were so many possibilities he didn't like to contemplate. Regardless of how it played out, they had to get on to the next move in the match.
He walked at the end of the line thinking to watch everything to see how it went. If there was a way he could make a move, he would take it. But that was unlikely as Connor stayed so far out front. It seemed his whole point was to be unreachable.
Then, in a move he had not seen coming, Aurora cried out.
For a moment even Cage had the thought that something was truly wrong. Had she stubbed her toe? Been—God forbid—bitten by something?
Very quickly it became clear, and he hoped only for him and Sarah.
“Please! my sweater!” she sounded frantic. “I'm cold and it was . . . I reached for it and . . .”
She’d dropped it last night! Damn, had Connor not even noticed that she hadn't even had it on her at all on this run?
Connor turned around, looking at her coldly, his attitude clear even through the light wind that picked up the desert grit and buffeted them in the cold. He did not care at all.
Still, Aurora played it for all she was worth. “But it's too cold! I can't go out without my sweater. I have to go back and find it.”
Cage crept forward as Connor moved toward Aurora. His stance was ready to move, one hand lifted as if to be angry at her. Slowly Cage moved again, and Aurora fought for the lead man’s attention.
“I’m sorry! It's just too cold. I can't go out at night without my sweater.”
“I'm sure you can find something else!” Sarah snapped harshly, entering the game and showing Cage that they had not yet revealed that they were mother and daughter.
“I don't see any sweaters lying around!” Aurora said, turning to face Sarah, anger glaring on her face.
Well played, he thought as he took two more steps around.
The whole group was moving, shifting like kids on the playground, waiting for a fight to break out. Sarah and Aurora were becoming the middle of the pack as they bickered.
“I need to go back and get it. It's special to me,” Aurora huffed and said no more. She simply turned to walk away. As though she were just going to walk miles back to find her sweater.
He saw now she’d lost weight. Not good. The sweater game played like it was real though.
Though the group wasn't quite willing to hold her in, they also didn't quite part the seas. She didn’t get very far before Connor lunged for her to grab her arm.
Spinning her around to face him, he growled out, “Listen up, bitch. Your sweater doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you're cold.”
He raised the gun in what Cage hoped was only a threat and Cage took two more steps forward.
“If you try to leave, I'll shoot you.” It was the hollowness behind the words that convinced Cage he couldn't afford to miss an opportunity like this.
Aurora cowed to the threat, crying out and dropping downward.
The distance was too far, but it was his only chance.
Cage lunged going low. He whacked upward on Connor’s arm, not having the control he’d hoped for. He prayed to any god willing to listen and he placed himself between Connor and Aurora just as the gun went off.