37. Willa / Greer
CHAPTER 37
WILLA / GREER
A fter a bit of silence, he takes a deep breath and turns to me. “With Lance here, I have to leave. Tonight. I’m already on borrowed time. If Phoenix discovers what I’ve done, they’ll hold me indefinitely. If I don’t return, Hightower will kill my mom and do worse to my sister. You understand, don’t you? I’ve been putting this off because I didn’t want to leave you, but I’m out of options.”
“Why didn’t you save Lionel?” The question leaves my mouth before I can really think about it, but now that it’s out, I have to know. My breath stalls as I wait for his answer.
“I tried to save you both at the gas station, but I was groggy from the drugs they gave me when they captured me, and my powers were muted,” he says, looking at me. “I didn’t have enough juice to do it all. I’m sorry. When I saw him go down, I didn’t think. I knew I couldn’t let you end up like him. I jumped out of the vehicle and ran to you. You know the rest.”
I think back to the gas station. He hadn’t been moving when they first arrived. Now I know why. “Knowing what I know now… it would have been so easy for you to fall back into old habits and let them take me like you did with countless others. But knowing it would cost you; you still saved me. I looked at those captives today, and I was so grateful I wasn’t standing with them.”
I’m not sure I would have survived. These last few weeks have been enlightening. Lionel sheltered me from the world and its dangers. So had my parents. If River hadn’t been with me, I’m sure Raven would have quickly captured me.
With a shiver, I lay my forehead on his shoulder. “I’m still angry with you, but I can’t say I’d have taken those same risks. I’d have been too scared. So, thank you.”
He turns and pulls me into his arms. “Stay mad at me. I deserve it. Seriously. But I’m glad you know. I didn’t want you to find this out from someone else, and with me leaving, Lance will happily tell you all my traitorous faults.”
In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten he was leaving. Tonight. I raise my head. “What can I do to help save your family? Tell me.”
“Stay here where it’s safe,” he replies immediately. “Seriously. Everything is my fault. They were captured because I was bragging on the boards about my powers. Back then, I was a stupid kid. Didn’t know anything. My mom tried to tell me, but I brushed her off. Raven sent a team to track us down. For three years, we’ve been under their boot. The last time I saw her, she begged me to take my sister and leave, but I refused to leave my mom behind. I promised her I’d find a solution. Instead, I fucked everything up. This is my only chance to save them and myself. To give us a better life.”
“Let me talk to Quaid and Oliver,” I beg him. “Please. They’ll help you.”
He adamantly shakes his head. “No, they won’t understand. Nor will they let me go. I can’t trust them.” He sighs. “Besides, someone has to lead the fight against Raven, and I believe Oliver is our best shot. That’s why I didn’t give Hightower any information about this place or its location. Whatever Oliver’s father did to hide this place, it worked. Raven doesn’t have a clue about it.”
There’s a note of admiration in his voice I didn’t expect to hear, but I’m not surprised. Oliver’s willingness to help others is impressive, but his determination to take down Raven is pure steel.
“Don’t worry. The compound is very small with few guards. Plus, they’re used to me coming and going at odd hours. I’m going to slip in and out, and if I time it right, I’ll hit shift change,” he says, trying to convince me and himself that everything will work out.
“I’m going with you,” I blurt. Once I say the words, I know it’s the right thing to do. Doesn’t mean I’m not scared out of my freaking mind, though. Or that things will ever be the same between us, but River needs someone in his corner.
He drops my hands and steps away from me. “Absolutely not. No fucking way. You don’t get it, do you? You’ve been the best thing that has ever happened to me. You make me want to be a better person. To stop hiding behind my excuses. But the only way forward for us is to save them. I should have done it a long time ago, but I was in so deep, I couldn’t see a way out. Now, I do.”
He moves closer and tugs the neck of my sweatshirt until it exposes the mark on my shoulder. “Besides, you’re special. This mark means something. I think you might have two powers. If you do, Hightower will kill anyone he has to in order to get his hands on you.”
“This mark? It means nothing. I can barely use one power. How the hell could I have two and not know about it?” I ask him, freaking out about the possibility.
He lifts a shoulder. “I don’t know much. I’ve heard him on the phone a couple of times, talking about those with marks. When Trent searched the files, he specifically started with the one labeled marks.”
My mind feels like it’s going to explode with everything he’s unloading on me. In the end, it doesn’t matter though. I refuse to let him go alone. If I did, I’d feel like a coward for the rest of my life. I thrust a hand through my hair.
His hands, smelling of dirt and water—our elements, reach up and cup my face. “I don’t want to live in this world without you. Stay here. Wait for me.”
“Fine,” I tell him, but unlike Oliver, he accepts the word without suspicion. His shoulders relax and he smiles. Thinking fast, I make a list of what I’ll need. “I need to go by Oliver’s office to grab my hair tie. Meet you in your room later? You won’t leave without saying goodbye, right?”
He presses his lips to mine over and over. “I won’t. I promise. Before I leave, I need to talk to Lance. I owe him.”
“His girlfriend’s name is Dani,” I tell him. “She’s nice but a little fierce. I wouldn’t go to their room. Maybe the cafeteria?”
He laughs but agrees. “Whatever you think. Come on.” Tugging on my hand, he heads to the compound.
I take one last look at the little stream and follow.
Parting at the bench, I head to Oliver’s office. There’s a team of soldiers in there when I arrive, but the minute they see me, all talking stops. Oliver steps outside and closes the door.
He frowns. “What happened? Did you fall?”
Puzzled, I stare at him. “What?”
“There’s dirt on your face,” he informs me, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket. “Here.” Leaning close, he wipes my cheeks and under my jawline. The subtle mix of soap and cologne drifts toward me. I hold absolutely still as his head dips toward mine, then exhale when he moves away. “There. I got most of it, but you may want to wash up.”
His eyes catch mine, and the blue in the center darkens. He clears his throat. “Did you want to practice?” He looks at his watch. “I can carve out some time.”
I shake my head. “You’re busy. I came to get my go bag. You said I could have it?”
He raises an eyebrow. “Why now?”
Good thing I’ve already thought about this, or his stare would make me stumble. “The captives. I’d feel safer if I had my bag. With the burners. Just in case.” He says nothing, just continues to stare at me. “Look. You’re leaving. If I don’t get it from you now, I might forget.” I deliberately play into his guilt, which makes me kind of nauseous.
“Wait here,” he tells me, heading inside and closing the door behind him. Minutes later, he steps out with my bag in hand. “Here you go.” Instead of giving it to me, he holds it above my hand, and I bite my lip, hoping he won’t ask any questions. “I’m still working on a plan for you. Somewhere you’ll be safe. Please don’t do anything rash.” His hand clasps mine for several long seconds before he finally releases the bag.
Well, now I really feel like shit. “I’m not. Thank you.” I’m not giving up on him. Honestly, I hope we’ll make it back in time for him to get us somewhere safe.
He studies me for a second longer, as if reluctant to let me leave, then opens the door. “If you need anything else or want to practice, come find me.”
Jax sticks his head out of the crowd in the room and winks at me. Oliver glares at him and shuts the door.
Another idea pops into my head. I run to my room and check the bag. The cash is still there. So are the burners, which I plug in to charge. I sling the go bag on my back, grab my tablet, and walk out of the building, staring down at the lit screen the entire way. If I don’t have something to look at, I’ll look nervous and anyone monitoring the cameras will notice my odd behavior. Outside, I keep walking until I get to the range.
All the handguns and ammo are stored in the locker next to the range. The big guns are stored elsewhere. I open the locker and pull out a gun and two boxes of ammo. I don’t know if River can shoot, but I’ll feel a hell of a lot better if we have some protection with us. Stuffing them in the go bag, I sling it back on my shoulders and return to my room.
Once I get there, I stash the phones in the bag along with my toothbrush and a few necessities, then complete one last task. Finally ready, I leave my room and go to the cafeteria to grab snacks. Bananas, muffins, waters, and some other small stuff. Then I head to River’s room. When he opens the door, there’s a defeated look on his face.
“Didn’t go well, did it?” I ask softly. I didn’t think it would, but I admire the fact that he faced him.
“Lance was the most powerful, so they kept him alive for their experiments, but Raven killed the others,” he drawls in a heavy voice. “I don’t deserve his forgiveness.”
“None of us deserve any of this,” I state with a frown. “Not even that douchebag Trent and his horrid friend, Tommy. But this world is brutal, and it’s only going to get worse. Today, Phoenix took their first strike at Raven. Tomorrow, it will be an all-out war.”
He lifts his head, and a spark returns to his green eyes. “Thank you. I sure as hell don’t deserve you, but I’m never giving you up.” His gaze drifts to the backpack on my back, and he starts shaking his head back and forth. “You’re not going.”
I step forward, pushing him inside. “Shh. If you refuse to take me with you, I’ll sound the alarm. I mean it, River. I’m going. What will happen if you get to their facility and your mom and sister are in the same shape as those captives today? You can’t carry them both out of there.”
He continues to shake his head. “I’m resourceful. I’ll figure something out. Besides, my sister is incredibly powerful. She’ll help me.”
Ignoring him, I open the bag. “Guns, ammo, cash, burners. Can you think of anything else we need? Grab your toothbrush and other necessities.”
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 appears at 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.