Divided (21 page)

Brian seemed taken aback. He stayed outside our little circle looking angry, but Elizabeth scooted forward in her seat. "
I
trust your judgment, Evie. Whatever you have planned, I'll support. Please, what did my son say?"

I nodded once and sat back down next to Sonya. Rolling my shoulders back, I tried to let the tension go. "He wants me to get everyone out of here. He said the projections show that the infection will hit Northern California in a month and sweep down through Bishop again. We need to head for Montana, which is the least populated area. He said the Infecteds are drawn to people—killing people. So that's what we're here to discuss. All of you need to head for Montana. I'll go after Dev and meet you up there."

Brian was still pacing outside our circle, but stopped to fold his arms across his chest and shake his head. "It's not like you're just going to drive by and pick him up, you know?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, and in a very terse voice said, "Brian, shut up."

I ignored Brian and turned back to everyone else. "So we're packed up and ready to go, but the rest of you need to do the same. We have one large moving van only half full. I was thinking we can come by at night and pick up the furniture you really want to keep. Gary, I know you've got that small trailer you can put your necessities in. Elizabeth, do you have a trailer you could use to transport the things you really need?"

She nodded. "Our horse trailer has storage in the front. Do we have someplace to go? I mean, you said Montana, but where?"

"I have to research that and see what we can find." I looked to Gabriel. Planning strategy was one thing, but things like money and property were beyond my limited, barely-legal level of knowledge.

Gabriel scooted forward. "Okay, let's talk money. We just sold the house. The money's ours on Thursday, which I plan to put in an off-shore account where Evie's money is located."

I looked at him, my forehead wrinkled in confusion. "
My
money?"

He nodded. "About six months ago, Harm put me in charge of your estate. You're parents' life insurance, your college fund, and the money from the sale of the house in San Jose are all yours. Harm has his own account he's built up with his salary from the military. He had your parent's financial advisor set it up and sent the message for me not to tell you about it until it was necessary. He knew you'd worry."

Damn right I'd worry. The only reason he'd pass the job off to Gabriel would be if he thought he might not make it back to me. It made me feel the urgency of getting to Harm and Dev all the more. "We have to move fast. I have to get them out of there."

Gabriel let his head fall to his chest. "That's exactly why he didn't want you to know." At my angry eyes, he waved his hands in front of his face. "I'm not arguing. I agree with you. I was just pointing out fact."

"We have twenty thousand in savings we can pull out," Elizabeth offered. "I think we can cash in our retirement account, but I don't know how long that would take."

"We have forty thousand we can pull," Gary's dad added. "It takes at least a week to get money from an IRA and that's after you've sent in all the necessary forms. We did that last month, just in case."

I got up and walked over to Gabriel. Leaning close, I asked, "How much do I have?"

His eyes widened. He put his arm around me and pulled me away from the group. "You've never been an extravagant kid, Evie. Harm knew you'd feel a little uncomfortable about the money, which is another reason I know he kept it from you. Are you sure you want to know now?"

He was right, I wasn't good with money. I mean, I was great with handling my own money. I was an awesome saver. I bought things I needed, but unless I had a real use for something, I didn't throw my money around. I'd learned all that from Harm and my parents though, so I was pretty sure the amount in the bank would be high.

I wasn't sure how I felt about having a lot of money. Money made people crazy and greedy. When my parents died, there were several family members who harassed Harm and me for handouts. It was really ugly and left a bad taste in my mouth when it came to money. But I had to know everything. I couldn't hide behind Gabriel. Squaring my shoulders, I looked back up at him. "It's time I take on the responsibility."

He gave me that proud smile that made me feel a little more grown up. "A little over 613,000."

My jaw literally dropped open. Gabriel chuckled at me and pulled me back toward the circle.
$613,000.
I could hardly comprehend the amount. Sitting back down next to Sonya, my brain whirled around. The others were talking about their own finances. Brian had taken a seat next to Elizabeth and was talking quietly to her. Gary leaned over, talking to his parents.

"You okay?" Sonya asked, looping her arm through mine.

"I—I think so. I just—I have a lot of money, Sonya. I don't know how to—"

She laughed lightly. "Money doesn't make everyone a jerk, you know? Some people can handle having a sister with money, brains, strategic ability, and enough guts to take on every testosterone-filled, you're-just-a-girl-in-need-of-protection male. Money doesn't change you, it just sits behind you, backing you up when you need it. Think of it as another best friend in your corner."

I turned to look her directly in the eye. "613,000 best friends, Sonya."

Her eyes widened. "Wow. Okay, I see what you mean. That's—wow. That's a powerful best friend." She laughed again and squeezed my arm. "Stop obsessing over it and get back into the planning here. The fossils are breaking off into their own units when they need to be uniting under your leadership."

I huffed. "They don't want me to be their leader, and I don't know that I have the energy to fight them."

"Dev didn't want you to be his leader either, remember? He had to learn the hard way that you know your shit. So shut up and get back in there." She pulled her arm from mine and nudged me.

Straightening my shoulders again, I let my voice project as much as I could. "Let's get back to the plan." Thankfully, everyone stopped talking and stared back at me. "So pull together what money you can." I pointed to Gary, Sonya, and myself. "We'll start researching a location. Pack up, but be sneaky about it. Don't make it obvious what you're doing. Make it look like everything is normal. Dev said they're watching us. I don't know exactly what he meant by that, but let's not take any chances. Don't talk in your houses, watch your phone and email conversations. Gabriel, we need to look like we're bumbling around on that message board, but don't know what we're doing exactly."

He gave me a half smile. "I can put up a few stupid posts and start some arguments with other members who'll shoot me down and make fun of me."

"Good." I turned to Elizabeth. "Let's say in two days, we'll bring the moving van around in the middle of the night and load up your things. We'll store the van back here where it has been the last two weeks. When we leave, Gabriel can drive the van, and—"

"Nope," Gabriel said firmly. "I'm staying with you, kid."

I shook my head emphatically. "I don't want any of you putting yourselves at risk. It's my decision to go after Dev and Harm. I don't need you following out of some misguided attempt to protect me."

Brian spoke very clearly and, surprisingly, without anger. "He's my son, Evie. I'm going with you." He actually sounded really sad and definitely tired. "I won't fight you anymore unless you refuse to let me come with you."

"Evie?" Gary called to me. "Look at me." His eyes were so sad, so worried, but so resolved. I knew the strong set of his jaw and knew he wouldn't back down from what I could guess he was going to say. "I'm coming with you."

I nodded slowly at Gabriel, Gary, and Brian. Just as it was my decision, it was also theirs. I had to allow that. "Okay," I said quietly.

Gary turned to his dad. "You can drive the moving van, right Dad?"

His face was pained, and I felt really badly for him. "I can't—Gary, I can't let you go without me."

Gary leaned over and put his hand on his dad's shoulder. "Mom and Miranda need you, Dad. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself. I know you don't like the idea, but I need to know there's someone strong with Mom and Miranda and Sonya and the others, helping to keep them safe."

Gary's dad let his head fall forward in defeat. We all looked a little defeated.

"Are you sure Montana is the best option?" Gabriel asked me in an inquisitive way that, thankfully, wasn't the least bit confrontational. "Why not Canada or Alaska?"

I thought about it a minute. It had been Dev's suggestion, but I was pretty sure Harm had a hand in the location choice. "Well," I thought out loud. "In the limited amount of time we have and with the possibility that the military will try to prevent Dev and the others from leaving the country, I think this is our best option. We don't have to stay there if we don't want to, but it seems like the best place to hide for now."

No one argued, which was a step in the right direction. "So," I continued, "we just need to find the property and figure out how to buy it without attaching our names to it."

Gary's mom stood up. "I think it's time to get some food in our systems and open a couple bottles of wine. We can come back to this when we've had a moment to digest?" She looked to me with her question, and I loved her for the small show of support she gave me as the somewhat leader of our group.

I nodded and smiled at her. She patted my shoulder as she walked back toward the house. Elizabeth and Evelyn followed. I stood up to stretch my legs and wasn't surprised to see Sonya and Gary following me. We walked quietly to the four-beam fence that formed a circle around the barn.

"Well that was intense," Gary said as he put his arms around Sonya.

I put my arms up on the top beam of the fence and rested my head on them. The sun was starting to set, making the sky glow. I wondered where Dev was and if he was fighting at that very moment.

"Evie," Sonya said seriously. "I want to come too."

I let out a loud sigh. I knew she'd want to stay with Gary and me. "I love you Sonya, and you're amazing. You know I know how amazing you are." At her eye-roll, I continued. "But Sonya, you can't fight, and you aren't a really great shooter. I'd worry about you, and that might be more dangerous for Gary and for me."

She nodded sadly. "I know. I'm a liability. I just…" She stared at the horizon for several minutes before she quietly added, "I'm afraid to be away from you guys."

I put my arms around her, and Gary put his big arms around both of us. "I'm scared too," I admitted. "But it'll all work out. I'm determined to make it work. Besides, it's not just me against the military like the adults seem to think. Harm is on that end and Dev. You know Harm and I think on the same wavelength when it comes to strategy. Dev will have told him what I'm up to, and I'm sure he'll have that factored into whatever he has planned on his end. We'll be okay, and we'll be together again in Montana."

"Evie," Gary stared at the ground. "I'm not doubting the alien child's abilities, but how exactly do you think we're gonna fight the military?"

I shook my head. "Everyone thinks they're in some locked down facility, and maybe they are when they're not fighting. But Dev said he stole a cell phone and they thought he was unconscious when he was talking to me. So they can't be watching them too closely. I just have to wait until they get into a fight and go in and find a way to run with them. Harm at least has to have thought that part through."

Gary nodded, and we stood there, taking it all in, each of us lost in our own thoughts until Gary's mom yelled that the steaks were almost ready. Dinner was quiet, and everyone seemed to have trouble eating. We didn't stay too long after the meal. The consensus was that a good night's rest would help everyone process it all.

Back at the rental house, Sonya and I kicked back on lounge chairs that we dragged to the grassy area farthest from the house. I opened my laptop and began researching the sale of property. It was beyond difficult to find the answers I needed. I couldn't find a way to own property without reporting it to the county. Someone's name would have to be on it, and that left the military with the ability to trace it back to us. Sonya was sprawled out on her lounge chair watching me and talking through possibilities.

"Can't we just pay cash?" she asked.

Gabriel came up behind me and leaned over, narrowing his eyes at my laptop. "You need to be careful about the sites you visit. They could be tracing where you've been."

"Gabriel, Gabriel." I shook my head sadly. "You so underestimate me." I allowed a small smile to push through the heaviness that was still sitting on my shoulders. "Some kind soul in this neighborhood has unsecured wireless set up—such trusting individuals."

He came closer to us and sat on the edge of Sonya's lounge chair. "You know I have faith in you, and Dev's dad will too once he gets to know how capable you are. There just really isn't a way for anyone to imagine how Harm raised you. I remember telling your dad he was nuts for allowing Harm to teach you everything he'd been learning in the military. We got into a pretty good argument over that. But he trusted Harm's judgment, and he was right. I just wanted you to know that you've got my support, kid. I'm not the least bit happy you're putting yourself in the line of fire to go after your boyfriend—"

"Fiancé," I corrected.

He rolled his eyes in response. "Right, that."

"And my big brother, Gabriel. I'm going after Harm too, you know. He'd do the same for me and has."

He bobbed his head up and down slowly. "I do understand, kid. But I'm always gonna want to keep you safe."

I set my computer aside and got up to wrap my arms around him. "You're the best second dad in the world, Gabriel. And I promise to try to keep us all as safe as I can."

"I know you will, kid." He pulled back from me and gestured toward my laptop. "Where we at on research then?'

Sonya was lying on her back with her head hanging off the edge of the chair. "We can't figure out how to own property so the gov can't trace it back to us."