2. Chapter Two
Chapter two
Hummingbird
Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and headed across the hall into the bedroom to get dressed.
Picking up my phone from the bedside table, I wasn’t entirely surprised to see notifications for the communication app.
Derek knew how much I worried when he was out and about.
A smile slid onto my face as I logged in.
Providence:
The smile slid off my face when I saw a missed call and voicemail time stamped thirty minutes after.
He never calls when out on a supply run.
Trying not to jump to terrible conclusions, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before tapping on the screen to play the recording.
“Hey, Hummingbird, I ran into an old friend and am going to be late. Don’t wait up for me. You know how carried away we can get sometimes. Keep tight. I love you.”
I didn’t like the fake calm voice on the recording.
What old friend? Something or someone had spooked him enough to call me.
It wasn’t the first time he had to lie low somewhere in town to ensure he wasn’t followed back, but this was the first time he even called versus sending a message through our secure app.
I forced myself to take another deep breath to settle my nerves some.
Derek said not to wait up and keep tight.
That was all the warning I was going to get.
After drying off and putting on clothes, I headed downstairs to the safe room and sat at the desk in the tiny security office we’d created.
Over the next fifteen minutes, I carefully studied each camera feed, checking and double checking for anything suspicious.
Nothing.
It’s fine. Everything is fine.
A few more minutes passed before I headed back upstairs, making sure everything leading to the outside world was locked up tight and the curtains were drawn. There was no reason for me to be this wound up, but I couldn’t settle.
He told me to keep tight. It’s fine. Derek just has to lie low until whatever weird thing happening passes. He’s being extra cautious. It’s fine.
I debated contacting Edith. I didn’t want her to worry unnecessarily, but she could find out more information faster and let me know. Shaking my head at my ridiculousness, I pulled my phone out.
Hummingbird:
I paced around the living and kitchen, sipping on a glass of wine, waiting for a response. It came several minutes later.
Momma E:
Hummingbird:
When she didn’t immediately reply, my heart rate picked up and I swallowed hard as I circled the living room repeatedly.
Please be okay, Derek. Please come home to me.
My throat tightened as tears blurred my vision, and I angrily brushed them away. I couldn’t let my emotions take over. I needed to keep a clear head.
Do I need to start packing? Has someone found us?
My mind spun as I tried to keep from panicking. It was only when my phone went off again that I let out a long breath.
Momma E:
Glancing up, my eyes locked in on my bookshelf on the open wall of the living room. Do I need a book or something more comforting? Why not both? It won’t hurt anything.
I picked one of my favorite books off the shelf, opened the secret door, latching it tight after walking through, and headed back downstairs to my safe place.
Letting out a deep sigh, I pulled a blanket over me and tried to settle in on the worn couch.
Even though it was a book I’d read dozens of times, I was immediately pulled into the story and finally felt myself start to relax after the first chapter.
A blaring alarm startled me awake, and it took me a moment to get my bearings and find the source.
My attention snapped to the small security room in the corner of the basement where all my surveillance camera feeds fed into.
It was also where my self-defense options were.
Instantly awake, I ran over and plopped into the chair, scanning the screens for what set off the alarm.
Someone or something tripped the motion sensor farthest from the house. It wasn’t quite within camera range yet, but I still focused on the camera feeds closest to that area. After a moment, I spotted the culprit. A black bear.
The relief that washed over me was overwhelming, and I shook my head at my reaction. It wasn’t the first time wildlife had set off a sensor, but in conjunction with Derek’s voicemail and Edith’s message, I was on edge and far too jumpy.
I watched as it walked along the edge of the camera’s view, smiling as it rubbed against a tree. I was starting to relax when the bear jumped, as if startled, and then ran for a short distance before falling over.
What the hell?
Shock froze me in my seat. It wasn’t that the bear had been shot so much as there had never been hunters on that part of the property before. It was a solid hour hike from the nearest road, but only a fifteen-to-twenty-minute hike from the house.
Why are they this far out?
In a panic, I reached to the breaker box and cut all the power to the top half of the house and didn’t move from my chair until they left the camera’s visual range and stopped triggering the motion sensors.
Even then, I still didn’t move. My rumbling stomach finally pulled me out of my fog, and I stood up to find something to eat in the kitchenette down here.
Could I have walked upstairs and made a proper dinner?
Yes. Did I want to leave the safety of my basement?
Not even a little. Thankfully, there were some quick meals handy, and within a few minutes, I had a warm cup of noodles in my hands.
I stared at the camera feeds the entire time I ate, trying to convince myself I was safe.
Well, as safe as I could be.
Am I ever truly going to be safe? I’m so tired of running and hiding.
Where is Derek?
When it was dark enough for the cameras to switch to night vision mode and nothing had happened outside for hours, I convinced myself to go upstairs long enough to grab something to sleep in, my favorite blanket, and a few more snacks.
After collecting all that, I mixed a very strong cocktail for myself, settled back onto the couch in the basement, picked up my book, and dove back in. It took the entire drink and a few chapters, but I eventually relaxed and felt myself drifting off.
The next thing I knew, I was once again jolted from a dead sleep by something loud. A phone was ringing. I sat up with a start, wiping the drool off my face, and reached for my cell phone.
Please be Derek.
But when I looked at the screen, there was no incoming call.
Another metallic ring sounded, and my attention snapped to my security area.
Specifically, to a small cabinet I’d only used twice before.
My heart rate took off as I raced toward it, opening the door to reveal a corded red phone.
I took a deep breath and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
"Hummingbird, are you safe?”
My heart stopped for a moment hearing Lynette’s tense voice. “Yes. I’ve been in the bunker all night.”
She let out a deep, relieved sigh. “Oh, thank god.”
What happened? “Does this call have anything to do with the fact Derek isn’t home yet or the loose warning he gave me and Edith yesterday?”
“Yes, I… Derek is gone, my dear.”
Time came to a screeching halt.
“What? No.” I shook my head as I tried to process her words. “He’s hiding out somewhere… lying low. He’s fine. He… He has to be fine.” I swallowed hard, not wanting to believe a word of what she was telling me, but also knowing better than to think she would ever be anything less than honest.
“It was confirmed.”
Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. “Tech double and triple checked it?”
“Yes.”
My knees gave out, and I dropped into the desk chair as I struggled to breathe. “I… But he… Was he alone?”
“He took a spy down with him, so at least—”
“No one knows I'm here.” That must have been the friend he hinted at.
She sighed heavily. “Right.”
“By any chance was the spy associated with her?”
“Yes.”
I let out a shaky breath of my own and leaned back in the chair, trying to hold it together long enough to finish this conversation. Well shit. “Now what?”
“Your location isn't compromised… yet.”
“Yet.” I shook my head, swallowing down more of my misery. How much worse is this going to get?
“I'll be reconfirming that as soon as I'm off with you. Can you stay low for a week or two?”
A slightly hysterical laugh filled with grief came out at the request. “You and I know I’m more than capable of that, but if you’re talking about supplies, Derek was out getting those when…
” I took a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions from bubbling over.
“When all this happened. I can get by for a bit if I’m careful. ”
“Good.”
I glanced out the open office door and toward my kitchenette, already figuring out how to stretch out the food still here. “How am I going to restock now?”
“I'll send a trusted person to check outside and drop off supplies.”
I sat up with a start. “Won’t that compromise my location?”
“No. We’ll utilize the cache in the cave. You won’t have to do anything or talk to anyone.”
With Lynette and Tech in Chicago, there was only one other person who knew where I was. “Is it going to be Momma E?”
“I'll confirm details in the next day or two.”
“Okay.” I let out a sigh and forced myself to ask the question, “So he’s really, really gone?” I still didn’t want to accept it.
“Yes, dear.”
A sob snuck out.
“Again, I'm so sorry. He was a good man.”
I took another shaky breath. “He was the best. I’m still grateful I got to have him at all.”
“Have a glass in his honor. We’ll talk soon, sweetheart."
“Okay.”
I stared at the phone long after the call disconnected.
The last shreds of my control frayed as I collapsed, my entire body shaking from the heartbreaking sobs. I’m not sure how long I cried, or how I ended up curled up on the floor, but eventually I sat up and leaned against the wall. My eyes were sore, my throat was raw, and everything hurt.
I’ve lost all my friends.
I’ve lost my family.
I’ve lost the love of my life.
I have to restart all over again.
All because of her.
My blood boiled in rage, barely overshadowing the grief for just a moment. One way or another, I was going to get my revenge. She couldn’t hide behind her facade of power forever. There was going to be a reckoning if it was the last thing I did.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Momma Agosti was on it. I had to wait and trust the process. But the second I had my chance, I was taking my shot.