I practically ran to the kitchen. I took the cup in my hands that he had apparently left out for me and poured the brown brew slowly. It smelled better than chocolate. He even had creamer! It was powdered which was normally yuck worthy, but today, I just didn’t care. I threw in some sugar and took my first sip of coffee in forever.
It slid, hot and delicious
, down my throat
. I sighed and licked my lips. They were a little cracked under my tongue. I turned to peer at myself in the mirror
of the microwave door. I almost gasped at what I saw.
Haggard did not
even
describe how I looked. I hadn't seen myself in weeks. There were no mirrors in the warehouse. We didn't need them anyway, but this was…a situation. We were all getting thin, I knew. We tried not to bring it up or talk about it, but things had gotten dire. I looked at my arms and hands. I
really
look
ed at them. Not only was I thin
, but I was
almost
gr
e
y. It was like my skin held no tone, no color, no…life.
I remembered Merrick's beard as I left,
not as full as the other's, but a beard nonetheless, and
his shirt was so staine
d from the lack of soap. He had gotten thinner, too.
I sipped my coffee and tried to think about getting to them, not about the things wrong with us.
I heard rain hitting the roof softly, then at more volume. By the time Chesser got out of the shower, the coffee was gone and the rain was coming
down
in droves.
He was already wearing his uniform and looked ready to go. He said as much and I told him where to go. It would take a little while to get out there and I just hoped that I beat the search party that
I knew Merrick was planning
.
He followed me as we made our long trek down that highway. I felt kind of bad that he had to drive all the way out there just to see me home, but he said that he was just patrol anyway. That's all they did was drive around looking for anything suspicious and answer calls.
So I led the way back to our warehouse
in the rain
and hoped that I happen to pass Cain on the way. But I didn't pass Cain on the way
and the rain had finally stopped
. When I saw the top of the warehouse in the distance I literally squealed to myself in the Jeep. As so
on as I pulled in, with the mud
flying, I saw them loading the van. They all turned to look at who it was and when I s
aw Merrick, I slammed on the br
ak
e
s. I yanked open my door and took off.
He dropped the bag he'd been holding and blurred to me, picking me up and holding me against him. I dropped a kiss to his mouth and he kissed me back with the passion of seven suns. One minute I was standing in the parking lot, the next we were in a sauna in Cuba!
Oh, God, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you….
That continued in my mind and I fought my tears before pulling back a bit. He laid his forehead to mine in true Merrick fashion and
breathed his happy sigh against my face.
I heard from behind me, "I'm assuming this is the husband."
I turned to introduce Chesser, but everyone was surrounding him with their guns and stakes."He's not a Lighter! Don’t stake him!" I pulled Miguel's arm.
"Worse in my book, love! He's an Enforcer!" He glanced to Billings. "Sorry, mate."
"No offense taken," Billings said
easily
.
"He's
helping me," I insisted. "He mad
e sure I got home safely."
"Or he's just leading the rest of them right to us," Miguel proclaimed with a twitch of his hand on his stake.
"I can tell if he's lying, remember?"
That m
ade him pause. "Yeah. I forgot." He looked at me. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
He lowered the stake, but didn't holster it. That was as good as I was getting with Miguel. The rest of them lowered their weapons, too. Chesser turned slowly to Billings, who was at his back. "Enforcer Billings?"
"Yeah," he answered, "what's it to you?"
"You went through my mentor class. You don't remember?"
Billings squinted at him. "Eh."
Chesser waved in dismissal. "Whatever." He turned to me. "I got you home and now I've got to get back."
"You could stay, but I know you won't," I offered.
"There's too much good I could be doing out there. But thanks. We'll cross paths again. You know where I am if you need me.
"
I crossed to him in the mud
and hugged him. "Thank you. For everything."
"No problem," he whispered and set me back. "I have a good feeling about this."
"About what?"
"About us running into each other. I think…I think the war's about to take a turn."
I thought of Lily and Ellie and their new gifts. "I think you're right."
He waved and started toward his car. Danny and Miguel both yelled, "You're letting him go?"
"He's an Enforcer! We could use him if nothing else," Miguel argued.
"I'll explain everything later, I promise, but he needs to be out there. He's doing good for us."
Miguel sighed and
twirled the stake in his hand. Then h
e pouted. "So we don't get to stake anyone?"
I laughed. "Why are you so blood thirsty!" I hugged him around his middle. "Thanks for coming to get me though. Even if it was just the parking lot."
"Anytime," he said and squeezed me. "
All right, let's get back into this box of bricks before you make me wail like a woman."
He
stood straighter
.
"Wait, where's Cain?"
I felt my throat tighten. "There was an incident." Merrick's hand tightened around mine. "I'll tell you about it when we get inside. He's alive…I think. Someone…they took him. The rebels took him."
Everyone was silent for a moment before Danny asked,
"So what did
that Enforcer guy
do to help you
?
" I noticed him for the first time and felt ashamed. I hugged him to me.
"He just told me all the good things they're doing on the roads and at the facilities. There are a few of them that know the truth and try to help the rebels."
"Ah," Miguel drawled, "so he's a
real
figjam." He scoffe
d as he took the first ladder ru
ng and started climbing. "I know his type!" He yelled down. "Good riddance!"
I shook my head
and watched as the rest of them made their way up the ladder. Jeff winked at me. I mouthed a 'Thank you' to him. I felt bad that they always got dragged into my drama.
I felt Merrick's arm go around me from behind, his face on my shoulder. I rubbed his cheek with my thumb and turned my face to him as much as I could. "I'm sorry I worried you."
"Nah, you didn't. We were just getting some fresh air," he joked.
I turned full on then and
tried to smile
up at him. "Such a bad liar. I'm
so
sorry."
"It wasn't your fault."
"They took him," I heard my voice scratch. "They took him and all I could do was stand there."
He held my face firmly. "Cain can take care of himself. Let's go talk and see what happened, then we'll see if we need to go after his sorry behind."
He was trying to act like it wasn't bothering him, but it was. Cain was his best friend. I felt like pond scum. He pulled my face up and kissed me gently
,
once, twice, three times and I lost count. "Thank you for coming back to me,"
he
whispered, his anguish evident.
"Thank you for coming after me."
"Anytime, sweetheart. Anytime."
I took the first ladder rung, but stopped. "Oh! I almost forgot."
I ran back to the Jeep and Merrick followed. I threw open the back hatch and pulled the first unmarked box out. "What is this stuff? It's not all…" I opened the lid and showed him the gleaming cans of fruit just waiting to be devoured by our family.
He looked at me in an awe filled
,
stunned expression. "
Miguel!" he
yelled to stop him from going in
side. Miguel peered from the roof and Merrick waved him down. "
How did you do this?"
"I used every opportunity to my advantage," I said and tried not to frown.
"You forgot to turn off the car," he said off handedly, not taking his eyes from the food, and turned to do so. But stopped. "You..." That look was back. "You hotwired the car?"
"I had to," I answered.
"Oh, my…" He wrapped me up in another embrace and spoke against my hair. "I'm so sorry for ever doubting you." He leaned back and smiled. "Wow, you're incredible."
"I try," I said coyly. He rested his forehead to mine. "I love you," I said.