He tries to take the bag from me, but I jerk it away. “If you try to take this bag from me or leave me behind, I’ll scream. They’ll come running. You know they will. Do you think you’re strong enough to take on Quaid and Oliver and the others?”
Tears fill his eyes, but he scrubs them away. “You’re too damn stubborn. The sun set a few minutes ago. We need to leave while everyone is preoccupied with dinner. But I don’t want to take the guns. You told me you can’t shoot, and quite frankly, neither can I. Are you ready?”
“No, but I’m not letting you go alone,” I admit with a sigh after dumping out the guns and ammo. “Let’s go.”
* * *
The diner appearsat an intersection a few miles from the compound. It’s obviously been here a long time. The worn sign on the corner has a couple of letters missing. Dirt is everywhere—the parking lot, on the windows, and even in the air. It coats my tongue, making me thirsty. There’s only one car in the front parking lot. I’m guessing they don’t get a lot of traffic these days.
“Blink, I need a couple of rides,” River murmurs into the phone beside me. He listens for a second, then tilts his head toward the diner. “Can you ask them for an address?”
While the diner doesn’t look like much on the outside, the interior smells like pancakes and grease. I inhale and smile, remembering the place River and I hit after walking out of the woods that first morning. Well, first for me. I still can’t believe he was one of my stalkers. My smile slips.
“Excuse me, what is the address here?” I ask, pointing to River standing outside on the phone. “We’re on our way to a friend’s house and need it for directions.”
She raises an eyebrow and flattens her mouth. “Sure, hon. It’s 374 Sycamore, Candor, North Carolina.” She holds up the coffeepot in her hand. “Coffee? Food?”
“No, but thank you,” I say, heading back outside to give River the address.
He relays it into the phone. “Thanks, man. I owe you. See you in a minute.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Who’s Blink?” And how is he going to get here in a minute?
River grasps my elbow and ushers me around back. “He’s a jumper. We need to get across the country to Texas. Public transportation has too many cameras with facial recognition.”
“Does he need money?” I ask, dipping into the pack on my back. When River nods, I pull out a few hundred. “Is this enough?”
He takes it from me. “He’d do it for free, but he needs the cash. Thanks.”
There’s an odd noise behind me, and I turn to see a tall, auburn-haired guy with deep blue eyes, wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, vans, and worn jeans. He scans me, then turns to River. “I can only take one of you at a time. Who wants to go first?”
Terrified, I glance at River and shake my head. “Is this safe?”
He laughs. “Teleportation is safe, but very disorienting. I’ll go first. Make sure you have skin contact with Blink. Got it?” He grabs his hand and poof! They’re gone.
I wrinkle my nose at the slight burning smell left behind. Am I really going to hitch a freaking ride with a guy named Blink? Shifting from one foot to the other, I look up at the night sky. There are so many stars out tonight. I pray my parents and Lionel are up there, looking down at me and keeping me safe.
Blink appears in front of me and holds out his hand. “I’ve never lost a person yet.”
That’s not quite reassuring, but I tentatively smile and place my hand in his. “I’m Greer, by the way.”
“Mason,” he admits in a cool tone.
Colors flash by, whirling around me, and nausea rises. Then it’s gone, and I’m standing in a parking lot with puffs of prickly tumbleweed nearby.
Blink lets go of my hand and jerks his chin at River. “Later.” He disappears.
CHAPTER38
OLIVER
For the next hour, I try to focus on our plans to hit the next facility, but forest green eyes continuously shatter any hope of concentration. Guilt about leaving her behind is eating at me.Damn it.I haven’t found a solution that will guarantee her safety yet. She needs to be protected from that monster Hightower.
Quaid shifts restlessly beside me. “She’s going to run. I’m telling you. Why would she ask for the go bag? I can’t believe you gave it to her.” His amber eyes stare at me accusingly.
“Where would she go? There’s nothing for miles around,” I remind him. “She’s just on edge after seeing the captives today. It’s a hard reality to accept.” Even for hardened soldiers like us, the torture endured by those captives was tough to see. I look around the room and note the stoic determination on everyone’s faces. We’re more committed than ever to this path we’ve chosen.
I rub a hand across my chest. Why do I feel hollow inside? As if I’m missing something or making the wrong call? Quaid shifts next to me, bringing his hand to his chest too. I frown. Did we ingest something in the air at the Raven facility? I wouldn’t put it past that bastard Hightower.
