Cipher (15 page)

“Really?” That was pretty impressive. There were only a few places in this part of the world where you could actually be off the Seligo-monitored utility grids—spots so isolated they weren’t worth the resources to regulate them. The only places more remote were dead zones. There was no access to electricity there. No running water. You could get away from the Seligo, but you had to commune with nature to do it.

“It’s owned by the Lady,” Oliver said. “She’s lived a long time—long enough to gather up hiding spots both inside and outside the Voids. We’re in the dead zone. Not enough population in this part of the desert to bother with monitoring when they barely have control on the Void cities.”

“We shouldn’t stay for long, though,” Knight said. “Satellites can be repositioned too easily.”

“Agreed. Tomorrow, we go pick up the Griz and hit the road,” I said.

“No,” Knight said. “No way are you going back to that park. He’ll be looking for you there. I think we stick with the original plan and split into two groups.”

He was right about one thing. Splitting up. And probably right about going back for the Griz. I guessed that could wait, but I felt like a little girl without a safety net if I left my RV behind.

“Splitting up’s a horrible idea,” Mona said “Whenever that happens in a movie, everything goes to shit. We stick together.”

“This isn’t a movie,” Knight said. It was a little harsher than I would’ve liked, but Mona needed to be kept safe. Even if she disagreed. “We split up. It’s easier to hide two or three than five.”

“I’m not leaving Cipher with a bunch of Helixes. No matter how hot you think you are,” Mona said.

“You think we’re hot?” Dex asked. He tucked his hair behind his ear as he leaned toward Mona.

From the look on Mona’s face, she was going to shoot him down hard, and I couldn’t wait. Mona really did make things more fun.

“I was talking about the other two. You think a lot of yourself, huh?” Mona said.

Knight maintained his cool, but Oliver had to cover his laugh with a cough.

Dex ran a hand down his chest, stopping to pat his perfectly flat stomach. “Haven’t had any complaints,” he said.

I was sure he hadn’t. Even if he was a goofball, he was a damned hot one.

“Back to the topic,” Knight said. “We split up. I have a spot where we can go to ground for a little while. Let the heat wear off before we head to Lady Eva.”

This conversation just got ahead of itself. When had I agreed to this plan? “Hold on for one second. You’re assuming that I want to go to whatever location you’ve schemed up.”

“We have to go somewhere off the radar so you can learn to control your powers. There aren’t a ton of options, and you’re dangerous until you know how to find balance. Once you do, we can run without having to worry about the fluctuations around you. Now that they know what they’re looking for, they’ll find you that much faster. The second you stop running, they’ll be on your ass. I have the perfect dead zone island in mind. We can practice your control without having to look over our shoulders too much.”

The guy had a point. Although being alone with him on an island sounded terrifying in a totally different way that I was used to… “Okay.”

There was only one more thing bugging me. “If they’re focusing on the city right now, then we should just go. Why are we waiting at all?”

“All transpo stations will be under heavy surveillance for the next twelve hours. At this point, everything we do is a risk, but hopefully this will minimize it a bit. It’s the best way to get you away safely so you can have a chance at something more. Don’t you want that?”

I snorted. “Of course I want a chance at something. It doesn’t even have to be something more. I’d settle for a plain-Jane, normal life. One where I don’t have to hide all the time. I’d find a nice, quiet house to live in. After that, I don’t know. Maybe one day some guy won’t mind me and my little defect—maybe have a couple rug rats. As lame as that sounds. For now, I’d just like to be able to sleep a night through without worrying whether someone’s coming to kill me.” As soon as I finished my little rant, I was instantly embarrassed. I probably should’ve kept all that to myself.

Knight reached over to me, linking his fingers with mine. “None of that sounds lame. Especially the last part. You’ll sleep tonight.”

I wasn’t touching that. Sleep was hard for me. I kept one ear open, and I liked plenty of light. No one could sneak in when the lights were on. Made it harder to hide, but I’d rather be able to see my enemy than not.

Trusting Knight felt like I was jumping off one of the Voids’ tallest scrapers. It might be another stupid decision, but stupid seemed to be the word of the week. I had to start somewhere. “I’ll go with you wherever you want.
But
I need to know that I’m not going to be some lab experiment. I won’t be studied or hurt or anything else. I’ve heard things about a Red who was caught once…I want normal. I want to be left alone. I was serious about that.”

“Em. Come on. No one’s going to hurt you.” His voice was soft and soothing.

I swallowed again. I believed that Knight thought that, but this Eva was a total unknown. Odds were, she’d want whatever knowledge the Ravens could cut out of me.

“Emma, you know as much as I do that there are no guarantees in life. You don’t grow up like we did without knowing that. But if I could give you one, I would. I’ll call Lady Eva and tell her what you said. I think if you talk to her, you’ll feel better. For now, let’s all eat and then get some sleep.” He shifted his gaze away from me. “Oliver, you’re on first watch. I’ll take middle. Dex, you’re last.”

I retreated to the bathroom and found a new toothbrush in the cabinet. When I opened the door again, Knight was in the hall. He didn’t say anything, just turned and walked into the next room. I followed him.

“I’ll take the floor,” he said.

I nodded. Maybe it was dumb to not argue with him, but this was the first time in a long time that I’d had anyone share a room with me. Anyone sleep in the same space as me. It was odd how comfortable I was, but I chalked most of it up to exhaustion—both from anxiety and all the electricity I’d channeled.

Knight still hadn’t explained how he’d sucked it from me. I had a feeling that when he told me, my mind would be totally blown. Until then, I was going to live in ignorance.

Hopefully, that wouldn’t bite me in the ass, but hoping for things had never made my wishes come true in the past. Not sure why I thought that would change anytime soon.

When my head hit the pillow, I actually started drifting off. He was right. Having him here made a difference. For the first time in my life, I felt like someone actually had my back. Despite everything, it was a good feeling.

Chapter Ten

KNIGHT

I waited on the hard, carpeted floor until Emma’s breathing evened out.

I’d found her. I’d really found her.

Those words kept running through my mind. The light was off, but I could see well enough in the dark to make her out. After her shower, more of her strawberry hair peeked through the blue. Her hair was awful, and I hoped she never changed it.

And those tattoos. The piercings. When did Emma Jean Boyd get so freaking hot?

When she’d said what she wanted, I could picture it. The settling down part. Kids. Whole nine yards. Only it was me with her. Even entertaining the idea of her with some other guy made me crazy. Which was a first for me. I never was a guy who wanted more than one night, but Emma made me want everything.

The door cracked open and Oliver stuck his head in. I motioned for him to stay quiet, and snuck out of the room.

“What’s up?”

“Got the Lady on the line. She wants to talk to you.”

I nodded. Good.

I made my way to the back room. The security system took up a full wall. A small com screen sat on the desktop in front of them. “Hunter Marquez here,” I said when I sat down.

The screen showed the Lady sitting in her lab. Her white coat was a giveaway that she’d been working late. She never really looked tired, and maybe it was the harsh light of the lab, but she had definite circles under her eyes.

“Knight. I’m getting word from Ravens in Parson’s circle that he’s identified both you and Emma as fugitives. Oliver and Dex have been listed as well as Emma’s friend, Mona. They’re not as high on the list as you two are. Questioning only for them. Capture for the two of you. Although I think the questioning will get bumped up to capture if you elude them for too long.”

Exactly what we’d thought would happen. At least she wasn’t reaming me for letting Dex and Oliver destroy their covers. “Understood. I’ll let them know.”

“Good. They obviously have intel on everyone, but information on Emma remains scarce. They didn’t get a clear picture of her, and no one at the gamer bar is giving her up. Apparently that place didn’t like to keep surveillance of their clientele?”

You could never guarantee anonymity at a gamer club, but more often than not, they looked the other way to protect their customers. Probably why Wilton had set up shop at Marx’s. “That makes sense. Looked like a lot of the regular customers were on the less than honest part of life.”

“Well, that worked out for the best. It seems she has a bit of a following there. Even the patrons questioned by Jack himself pled ignorance.”

That wasn’t expected. Gamers were pretty selfish, but Emma was so little and so good at gaming, I could understand the protective vibe. “Yes, ma’am. She’s well known in that community. No one would give her up, not unless they were seriously threatened.”

“He’s not threatening anyone yet, but he’s making life pretty miserable.” She paused for a moment, and I wondered what she was considering. I’d follow her orders, but I also wanted to make sure Emma was on board before I made any decisions. “At this point, the news of your escape is classified. All lines of interrogation have remained vague. Jack’s still hoping to find the two of you and save face with the Seligo leadership, but that situation will change. What’s your status?”

“Holding now at the desert safe house. Plan was to start running in the AM, before daybreak. I wanted to make sure we weren’t running into any traps before heading out.”

“Smart. The Black Helixes in the area had the highways locked down twenty minutes after they got to the club. They started doing full vehicle searches, no exceptions. Transpo stations were secured five minutes after that. You would’ve been caught had you kept running tonight. The good news is that the Seligo don’t have enough forces in the Void to keep that level of security once day breaks. Not quite a free pass, but your prospects of getting out unharmed will be much stronger tomorrow.”

Parson had moved faster than I’d expected.

“Take one of the nearby public transpos when you move. They’re searching passengers now, but any agents at the station should move on by zero four hundred hours. Are you planning to stick together or split up?”

I hoped she liked my plan. It was the best I could come up with. “Split up. Easier to hide two smaller groups than one large one.”

“Okay. Both you and Emma, and Dex, Oliver, and Emma’s friend should make at least three stops using various travel methods before you return to the compound—”

“I was planning to go to my hideaway spot before heading back. She needs to learn to control her powers and I’d like to work on building her trust.”

The Lady’s lips tilted in a cat-like grin. She didn’t do that often. I must’ve done something right. “Just keep Emma safe. You two need to become a team, but keep me updated on your status. We’ll keep our eyes on the area and if someone heads your way, we’ll let you know.”

“Will do, ma’am.”

“Good.” She took a breath. “When you arrive, I’m going to put you both through training and then some starter missions. The sooner you’re a team, the sooner she’ll be stable. Get her prepared for that.”

Screw missions. I’d rather tuck Emma away somewhere safe, but that was a discussion for later. “Emma wants a guarantee that you won’t study her or stick her in a lab somewhere. She wants to talk to you.”

The line was quiet for a moment. I wanted to tell her that if she didn’t agree, I’d disappear with Emma and she’d never find us, but I kept my mouth shut.

“I have a few issues to address tonight, but I’ll contact you before you head out tomorrow,” she said finally. “I’ll do my best to put her at ease.”

Something about her tone made me feel like I’d be using Emma. Manipulating her. Emma wasn’t some tool. She was a person. I cleared my throat. “Yes, ma’am.”

“And Knight?”

“Yes, ma’am?” I waited, wondering what else the Lady had up her sleeve. She had a way of surprising me with some new bit of horrible information when I least expected it.

“Get some rest.”

That was it? “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

Before I could disconnect the call, she’d done it for me. That was the Lady’s way. Come in like a whirlwind, give a bunch of orders, and then leave the same way. The rest of us were left cleaning up the mess.

One thing was for sure—my doubts about the validity of the pairing program were obliterated. Lady Eva knew her stuff. Although Emma and I had the deck stacked in our favor. My feelings for her were deeper than anything any pheromones could create.

I snuck back into the bedroom. Emma’s blanket had slipped down a little, revealing her delicate fingers curled into the sheet. Her shirt was pulled to the side, flashing a hint of collarbone. All I wanted to do was lean down and brush a kiss against it, but instead I pulled the covers up, tucking them under her chin before settling down on my side on the floor.

I wasn’t sure I could fall asleep. Not with her in the same room as me. Instead, I watched her.

Having Emma here safe meant that I’d finally achieved one of my biggest goals, but at the same time, it made my life that much more complicated. As I stared at her straight, pixie-like nose and the long lashes that rested against her cheek, I realized for the millionth time that night that I was toast.

I’d do my absolute best to get her whatever she wanted.

***

Middle watch was the worst. Whoever drew it had their sleep time ripped in half, but I’d offered because I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep.