Chapter 64 - Reid
The sun slices through the gaps in the metal fencing, casting long lines across the dusty ground.
I stand with my hands braced on my hips, scanning the small crowd of scared, tired people scattered throughout the fenced-off lot behind the warehouse.
They opened the roller doors an hour ago to let fresh air inside and allowed us to come out here to stretch our legs with a sharp warning that anyone trying to climb the fences would be met with punishment.
Julian's nearby, pacing with a nervous twitch in his steps. He doesn’t do well with authority at the best of times, but this heavy-handedness from people who aren’t even our country’s military is pushing him to the brink.
The others around us whisper quietly, huddled in their own little clusters, too afraid to talk about escape out loud.
I’ve tried. We’ve both tried to get something going.
Quiet questions passed between people, suggestions of breaking out, slipping away while the guards rotate, but no one wants to chance it.
Not yet, not until they know what the hell is going on.
The problem with that is these assholes aren’t telling us anything.
They won’t tell us why we are here or what they plan to do with us.
It’s beyond frustrating, and I don’t know how much longer Jules will keep his cool before he does something rash.
Everyone here is too afraid to do anything.
I get it. I’ve lived with fear most of my life but I’m done with that now.
After everything that’s happened over the last few days, I can’t let fear drive me anymore.
I’ve seen up close and personal that life can change in a split second, that love and life can be snatched away just as quickly.
I need to fight now, fight for everything I want before it’s taken.
But every second we waste in here, Luna’s out there alone.
I glance toward the guards stationed at each corner of the lot.
They all look alert and have tight grips on their weapons.
Whoever these fuckers are, they’re not here to protect us.
They’re too tense, too aggressive, like they’re waiting for a reason to lash out.
I haven’t even seen anyone who seems to be in charge of this clusterfuck.
My stomach churns from the pathetic excuse for food they gave us this morning.
Another stale gas station type sandwich, same as last night.
The bread was dry enough to cut your gums, and it had something pretending to be meat between it.
It’s not even the hunger that makes me want to punch something.
It’s the helplessness. It’s seeing Jules, who’s always been a rock for me, unravel minute by minute.
“Hey,” I greet him in a low voice as I sidle up next to him. “You doing okay?”
He huffs. “No. Not really. Thinking of throwing hands with the next fucker that looks at me wrong.”
“Yeah, don’t do that,” I mutter. “We need you in one piece.”
Julian opens his mouth to reply, but a sharp, clear bird whistle cuts through the murmur of voices and clink of shifting weapons.
It’s so out of place that I go still except for my eyes scanning for where it came from. I don’t see anything at first, but when it trills again, I get a lock on the direction it’s coming from.
I step away from Jules, moving toward the fence line, head tilting as I scan the shadows beneath the transport trailers parked against the far lot wall. Something flickers with movement and then I see a pair of familiar eyes peek out.
“Holy shit,” I whisper.
Gage. It’s fucking Gage over there hiding under one of the trailers.
He peeks out from under the trailer, face streaked with dirt, eyes locked onto mine. We’re too far to speak, but we try anyway. We mouth words that don’t quite land. Then Gage lifts his hands and makes a heart shape over his chest, pointing at me, then at the warehouse behind me and I understand.
Luna. He’s asking if she’s here.
I give my head a tiny shake. I watch his face fall just a little but our little game of charades gives me an idea. A way to talk. I lift my hand and tap two fingers to my shoulder, then flick them out. The old baseball sign for steal home. Go back. Find her.
Gage stares at me for a second, then gives a small nod. He lifts the rifle slung at his side and gestures toward one of the guards. Asking the question if he should try to take the guy out?
I shake my head firmly. No. Not now, not yet. Then I switch signs. Classic cartoon sneak. Two fingers tiptoeing across my palm.
Gage gives a tiny smile. The first I’ve seen in days. Then he motions with his hands to wait. I exhale slowly, watching as he melts back into the shadows and disappears. He’ll find her. He’ll come back for us. We just have to hold on.
I turn away from the fence and head back toward Julian and the others. I have to force myself to move slowly and not smile with the burst of new hope that I have.
“We’ve got a shot,” I say quietly as I reach them. “Gage is here.”
Julian straightens, eyes wide. “Where?”
“That’s what that bird whistle was. He was over by the fence line under the trailer. I told him to go check on Luna. He’ll be back. We just have to be ready.”
And now, for the first time since we got taken, I actually believe we can get out of this. We’re not out yet, but we’re not alone either, not anymore. Backup is on the way, and we can do anything as a team.