Chapter 30
CHAPTER
THAD
Charley insisted on carrying one net; I carried two. But it was the fit of her hand in mine that made me feel like shouting, that and the taste of her on my lips.
Made-to-order perfection, I thought. Dropping my nets, I kissed her again, cupping her face in my hands. Despite knowing we needed to get back, it was nearly impossible to stop. She looked as dazed as I felt.
“Wow,” she breathed, opening her eyes slowly. “I could get used to this.”
“Me too.” I whispered, my lips inches from hers, my thumbs caressing her jaw. “Clearly being an island guide has its perks. I’m going to incorporate lots of this”—I brushed her lips with mine—“into our schedule.”
“I thought our schedule was full,” Charley said with a straight face. “Or are you upgrading the tour package?”
“More like fine-tuning,” I said. “Like I said, it’s my first run as an island guide. Your satisfaction is my top priority.”
“Well then, by all means. More kissing.” She blushed, making me laugh. Of course I kissed her again. Gently, then urgently, totally shell-shocked by the intensity of it all. By my feelings, by hers, by the moment.
Reluctantly, I pulled away. “We need to go.”
Walking again, hands tight together, I thought Charley finally understood how I felt about her, but something told me she still didn’t see how twisted Nil was.
The yin and the yang. For every good there was something bad; we were pawns in Nil’s game.
Nil gave me Charley, but surely there’d be a cost. I just didn’t know what it was—yet.
And I prayed it wasn’t Charley who’d pay the price.
Jason jogged up as we got close.
“Welcome back, man,” I said. “What’s the word?” Tell me Nat made it, and that she’s gone.
“Nat’s restocking. We saw a double, but it was too far out.” Jason looked upset.
Damn, I thought.
“Don’t worry,” I said, gripping his shoulder. “She’s got time.”
Jason shook his head. “It’s not Nat. It’s Li.” He paused. “She went renegade.”
And just like that, my Charley stoke dulled. It was a harsh reality check, no doubt perfectly island-timed.
“What do y’all mean, she went renegade?” Charley said. “Where’d she go?”
Jason ran his hand through his curly hair, which was wild and crazy carrot-top-looking after long days on Search. “She took off while her team was sleeping. She left her groundcover folded, with a single flower on top. Like a good-bye.”
“Why?” Charley’s face paled. “Why would she leave?”
“Sometimes people want to spend their last days alone,” I said quietly.
“Like Kevin,” Charley said, her eyes on mine.
“Like Kevin.”
For a second it was just me and Charley and the God-awful tick-tock in my brain.
Jason broke into our world. “Quan’s so upset he didn’t talk the entire way back. I’m worried, man. What if he leaves the City now that Li’s gone?”
“Quan?” Charley frowned. “Who’s Quan?”
“Li’s shadow,” I explained. “Problem is, Quan doesn’t speak a word of English, and his vision sucks.”
“Li talked for him,” Jason added.
“And his vision’s bad?” Charley’s expression turned horrified.
“Yup,” Jason said. “He’s fast, but blind as a bat. He almost walked into a ravine once. You know, the whole glasses-don’t-come-through-the-gate thing.”
“So because Li’s gone, Quan might not make it either?” Charley asked, unable to shake the look on her face. “How long does he have?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” I said. “He showed up a few months after me. Where’s Nat?”
“Over there.” Jason pointed to the firepit, where two rabbits hung over the fire. Upwind of the smoke, Natalie stood with Jillian and Talla. Nat’s hands moved so fast they blurred.
Natalie’s group was not the only one with extra intensity.
An electricity crackled in the air, potent and familiar.
The people changed, but the vibe never did; it slicked in with the return of the last Search team, the one that came back short a member but without word of a gate.
The City hung on edge, waiting. For news of Li …
for new teams to head out … for change, because that was the one constant on Nil—that and the fact that no one ever celebrated a one-year anniversary.
Holding Charley’s hand tight, I turned to Jason. “Talk to me about Search.”
The next hour flew by as we took advantage of the fading light.
I debriefed every team just back, cataloguing what they’d seen and heard, grateful the quake was minor and no one got hurt.
I spoke to everyone with Priority, shoring up their choices.
When I was confident the new teams were balanced and prepped, I whistled.
Conversations stalled like a gate dropped from the sky; all heads turned to me.
“So here’s where we stand. Nat’s back, ready to roll out tomorrow. She’s got time.” Silent nods, fierce faces.
I took in the stoic group. “As you might have heard, Li’s gone. Today was her last day. So let’s all keep her in our prayers.” More nods, even more eyes closed as silent prayers flew skyward.
After a thick moment, I cleared my throat.
“Okay, here’s the latest. Jason says Nil’s home to an ostrich now, and he brought back another goat.
” I pointed to the pens, where two goats kept company with the cow.
“Li’s team saw a trio of wild horses. No one’s seen the rhino lately, but who knows.
There’s also a pair of hippos. Hippos usually find their way to the mudflats.
I saw one there last month, so we might have three.
Keep your eyes open. I’m no hippo expert, but like everything else, they can get mean when cornered, eh? ”
“True dat,” Bart said. I ignored him.
“Last but not least, no word on whether the tiger’s still around.
Stay alert, take care of each other.” I took a sip of water.
“Next up: teams. New ones launch tomorrow. Morning or afternoon, team Leaders make the final call on departure and support. So here goes: Elia as Leader, with Johan as Spotter and Cassie and Julio as support. Miguel, with Jillian as Spotter, Sy and Macy as support. Nat, with Jason as Spotter, Charley and me as support. I nominate Rives to Lead while I’m gone. All hands yea?”
A dozen hands shot up at once. As he raised his hand, Sy looked guilty. Beside Sy, Bart’s arms stayed crossed, his expression furious.
“Okay.” I nodded. “Let’s get busy, and get lucky.”
The buzz was back. If anything, it had jacked up a notch.
I looked around for Charley. She wasn’t in sight.
I wondered what she was up to, but before I could find out, Talla came up, asking about gliders.
Jillian had concerns about supplies, and Johan was on Jillian’s heels, with news about one of the crops.
Questions and problems, answers and guesses.
Bart strode up as Johan moved away. Problem, I thought, taking in Bart’s hard face.
“Did you tell Miguel not to pick me?” he asked.
“No, Bart,” I said, working to keep my voice steady as I highlighted his lack of basic courtesy, “I asked him to name his team. And he did.”
Bart’s voice rose like he’d sucked down helium. “Well, I’ve helped him find wood to carve, and he said he’d pick me. He promised.” Now he sounded petulant. And seriously annoying.
“Look, that’s between you and Miguel. All I know is that he named his team, and you weren’t on it.” Even though I’d spoken the truth, I regretted my bluntness. “Maybe next time,” I offered lamely.
He launched into a new argument, decibel level set at full whine. Then like a switch flipped, Bart stopped. “Well, I may not be on this Search, but I have more time than you.” His smug smile erased my small shred of sympathy. “A lot more, like Charley. Think about that.”
I fought the urge to slam my fist into his face. “True. But if someone picks you, don’t forget you’re support. Priority rules. Otherwise, you’re on your own.” I returned Bart’s smile.
“People are getting tired of you and your rules,” Bart insisted. “You’ll see.”
“Not my rules,” I shot back. “City rules. And you’re either in or out.” Without waiting for a response, I left Bart, found Rives, and unloaded my Bart frustration in a near growl.
“Has anyone been banished for being a slacker?” Rives asked in a low voice.
“I’ve never known anyone to get banished, period. But if he doesn’t pull his weight, no one will pick him, and he’s pretty much screwing himself. Gates don’t drop in the City very often.”
Rives nodded, but he still looked troubled. We changed topics, and as Rives left, Charley’s hand slid into mine.
“You’ve been busy,” she said. “Is there anyone you didn’t talk to?”
“You.”
For a moment, we stood without speaking, staring at each other, which should have been weird but wasn’t.
Slowly, savoring each second, I lowered my head and kissed her. Long and soft, but I felt the heat and ached for more. With superhuman effort, I made myself break away.
Watching her eyes flicker open to firelight, I asked, “Can I walk you back?”
“Definitely,” she said. “Especially with those crazy Nil squirrels on the loose.”
“Insane rodent protection, at your service.” I grinned.
“So we head out in the morning?” she asked.
“Dawn.” I nodded. “Island adventure awaits.”
Charley smiled, then gave an odd laugh. “You know something funny? My dream was to travel. Back home, I have a huge world map across one wall. I’d sit on my bed, staring at the map, dreaming of all the exotic places I wanted to go.”
“Let me guess. Nil wasn’t on your map.”
“I don’t think Nil’s on anyone’s map.”
“True.” I thought of the island, nonexistent yet real, and of Li, out there alone.
“But it’s exotic, that’s for sure,” Charley said. “So, where’re we headed tomorrow?”
“The black lava field, the south one.”
“There’s two?” She frowned.
“Yeah. They bracket the red flow, the one where you found your clothes. Different colors, different flows.”
“Exactly how many hot spots are there?” she asked. “Places where gates flash the most?”
“We’re not sure. The current Nil software is a little dated.
” I grinned sideways at Charley. “Right now people seem to be having the best luck in the lava fields and by the base of the mountain. I’d add Black Bay to the list, too.
It’s a moving target, but it’s all we’ve got.
” Frustration made my words sharp, but my beef wasn’t with Charley, it was with Nil. With the whole marionette game.
Three seconds later, Charley’s A-frame was right in front of us. I hated to leave; the idea of waking with Charley in my arms was killer. But something told me Nat needed Charley’s company more.
Another day, I told myself. I’ve got time. Right.
Outside her A-frame, I pulled her close. “I hate to say good night, but I don’t think Nat should be alone. But,” I tucked her hair behind her ear, “as your island guide, I think this moment calls for a good night kiss. As part of the tour package, of course.”
“By all means, let’s stay on schedule,” Charley whispered.
As her hands wrapped around my waist, I kissed her, losing my fingers in her hair and my mind in the process. We broke apart at the same moment.
“Good night, Mr. Island Guide,” Charley said, smiling. She took a step, then stopped, surprise registering on her face. “I just realized something.”
“What?”
“How is it that I feel like I know you better than any guy I’ve ever met, but I don’t even know your last name?”
“Because it doesn’t matter. But since you’re curious, it’s Blake. Thaddeus Blake.” Smiling, I tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. “What’s yours?”
“Crowder.”
“Charley Crowder,” I said, savoring the words. “I like it.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re a mess.”
“Only with you,” I said, brushing hair away from her eyes. “Always with you.”
She squeezed my hand. “You’re definitely a mess. A hot mess. Now you’d better get some sleep. You’ve got a big trip tomorrow, Thaddeus Blake.”
When I went to bed, I felt like I’d just swept the men’s finals by a landslide, the rush was just that good. Charley’s feelings echoed mine, feelings that went beyond the borders of Nil.
If Nil lets them.
I sucked in air. The same fear I’d been fighting for days sliced deep, only sharper, and more concrete. Bart’s snide comment had struck a nerve. He was right; my time was dwindling.
Eyes wide open, I lay in the darkness, shockingly aware that my fate tracked Kevin’s—a boy waiting on the other side, with a heart as hopeful as mine—if I was lucky. And after 290 days, no one had to tell me that luck was as tough to come by on Nil as a gate.