Silenced (30 page)

Kiwi and I barely sleep and are up and dressed before Juliet comes strolling down the stairs. Her ice blue eyes skim the room and land on me, then Kiwi, then back to me. I wave a plastic spoon covered in greasy peanut butter, the last of my foodstuffs, at her.

“Good morning Pike. Kiwi.”

I narrow my eyes at her. Something about the tightness in her features makes me suspicious. It’s not like her. As far as her face tells, nothing ever gets to Juliet. This is the face of a woman who can get gotten to.

I raise my eyebrow. A moment later it comes to me, and I lower my head and chuckle.

“Is something funny this morning, Mr. Richards?”

I snort. Mr. Richards. “Nothing funny, Ms. Burke.”

Other than the fact you felt me fucking the shit out of Kiwi last night
.

My smile widens. One of the downfalls of a being a siren’s slave. She’s much more aware of me than she’d like to be.

But, at least she isn’t dead.

Yet.

From in the corner, Kiwi stands up. Her mouth opens, but before she can say anything, the house starts to shake. A loud thump sounds from outside the front door.

I jump to my feet and reach behind me for my trident.

Juliet waves her hands at both of us. “That’s probably our supply drop. Listen.”

I perk my ears. Loud gusts of wind reach them. I eye Juliet as she reaches for her side piece and creeps toward the door. I cross the room and remove the furniture barricading it before she has to ask. Once it’s out of the way, she opens the door slowly. Her yellow hair rushes away from her face and her eyes squint up toward the sky.

I follow her gaze. “Is that a helicopter?”

Juliet nods, and her gaze drops to the ground. Three large, brown boxes, dented in on the sides, lie a few feet from the front door.

“The only helicopter left in the world that we know of. Only used in Compound Six emergencies.” She glances back at me. “Cover me.”

I nod, pulling out my gun. Kiwi brushes past me to help Juliet slide the boxes into the house. As they do this, I scan the area, ready to take out any threat anywhere near us. As soon as they are done, I slide backward into the house and block off the door again.

I turn to find Kiwi and Juliet already slicing open the cardboard with knives and lining up supplies on the floor.

When Juliet makes her way through the last box, she stands and rubs her hands together. “As you know, we’ve lost our support staff. The loss of Lee was major. As such, I’m going to need you two not to die.”

I shift my gaze in her direction and try not to laugh. “You mean until we get to the crossroads?”

She shoots me the same look she always gives me. The look that gives nothing away. We stare each down for several seconds before she casts her gaze somewhere between Kiwi and myself.

“I received a comm from Colonel Jax. We’re on our own from here on out. If we needed to be on our guard before, that goes double for now. I will not lose any more assets. We will not fail this mission.”

It’s as keyed up as I’ve ever seen her, and her voice still sounds like lukewarm water. She eyes both of us in turn, then nods her head as if our silence satisfied her in some way.

She claps. “Now, pack as much of this as you can carry. Our transport will be here within the hour. We move out as soon as it does.” She leans over and grabs a few items, then heads back upstairs.

My gaze follows her until she disappears from sight. When my eyes sweep back to Kiwi, she’s kneeled in front of her pack, rubbing her temples.

I go to grab my own pack, then sit down beside her. “You alright?”

She looks sidelong at me, then shrugs. Half a smile paints her face. “Yeah, just a headache.” She starts to pack water into her bag. “I’m used to it.”

“Happen a lot?” I grab a few cans of beans and water to shove into my own pack.

“Yeah.” She laughs darkly. “My sisters. They were loud in life, and even louder in death.”

I nod and don’t say anything. I don’t like this. Getting to know her. Her getting to know me. Even if we weren’t both set on a path to the other side, I just don’t know about her. I still think she’s nuts, but I also find her interesting.

I don’t like that I find her interesting.

I finish packing and stand up. Then, I head back across the room to pack my other shit. The last thing I grab is my journal. A wave of nausea crashes into the lining of my stomach. I clutch the book harder, then shove it into my bag.

I hoist it onto my back and start pacing the room. As I do, I can feel Kiwi’s eyes on me.

I don’t return her stare. Don’t want to have to guess at what she’s thinking. I have to focus. Focus on getting back to Sadie. Or at least having Kiwi get the cure back to her.

I’m not betting on getting back.

The roar of an engine interlaced with the squeal of tires grabs my attention. My eyes dart to the front door.

Seconds later, Juliet comes bounding down the steps. “That’s our transport. You two ready?”

We both nod. I trudge to the door to remove the furniture for the last time. When I open the door, the sun streams down into my face. Dust is being kicked up by what looks like a huge, black tank. I squint and use my hands to protect my eyes from the dust and sun.

“Who drove it here?” Kiwi asks from behind me.

“It’s remote controlled. Let’s move.” Juliet edges past me and heads straight for the tank. I glance back at Kiwi before following Juliet’s lead. I study her as she gets on the ground on her belly and scooches under the massive, armored vehicle.

“The fuck?”

Kiwi pushes past me and mirrors Juliet. I sigh and look up at the blistering sun before doing the same. As soon as I’m under the tank, I turn onto my back and find an entrance hatch. I climb up into it and am met by steel, seats with harnesses, and blinking lights.

There are two seats in front and a matching two in back. Juliet harnesses herself into the driver seat and punches in what looks like coordinates into a clear display on the control deck of the tank.

I have to duck to avoid hitting my head on the roof. Awkwardly, I twist off my backpack and toss it behind the two back seats. Then I sit and strap myself in. Kiwi opts to sit up front by Juliet.

That’s fine by me.

It isn’t until I’m seated and settled that I notice there is no wheel. Nothing that looks like it controls the vehicle. Yet, the monster on wheels lurches forward.

Juliet claps and turns around. “Our next stop will be at what used to be Oceana Air station. Last we heard, it was secure. From there we will travel to the crossroads.”

I nod. I remember the plan. Glancing to my right, I start wishing this damn thing had some windows. Then I remember the hell on earth outside of this tank, and I take the wish back.

I settle back into my seat. Get as comfortable as I can. As we speed along the back roads, I try not to think of Tripp, or how much worse this journey is going to be without him.

I must have fallen asleep. I’m jolted awake by a sudden stop. My eyes shoot open, and I’m leaned against my harness. I grunt and dart my gaze around.

A blurry vision of Juliet is turned in her seat toward me. I blink her into focus.

“Why don’t you two get out and stretch your legs? I have a private communication I need to take.”

I yawn and grapple with the buckles on the harness. As soon as I’m free, a black blur sweeps across my vision. I jump and glance down, then back up. Kiwi half grins at me.

“It’s cold out.”

Nodding, I take the long, fur-lined coat and slide it on. Then I slip out of the bottom hatch and outside.

The cold is a bitch that slaps me. With a shudder, I pull the coat tighter around me to keep the bitch out. My feet crunch through ice and thick snow as I trudge away from the tank.

This is what used to be the south. I know we’re traveling north, but it shouldn’t be this cold. Nowhere should be this cold. I’d almost forgotten about the god’s assault on nature. Harsh winds blow snow in tiny cyclones around us.

All I can think as I shiver and rub my hands together is that the gods can be real shit burgers. It seems like forever until Juliet is summoning us back into the tank. We are only a few inches from the damn thing, but walking into the wind makes it feel miles away. Kiwi goes up the hatch first, moving slowly like a frosted, wooden doll. By the time I drop to my knees, my muscles feel dead. I manage to slide back under the tank, then I suck in a cold breath and the frost grips every inch of me.

I lay there for seconds that feel like ages. Finally, Juliet grabs one of my arms, and Kiwi, the other. Together, they pull me back into the tank and close the hatch.

“F-f-fuck, it’s cold,” I say, shivering on the floor.

Ignoring my complaints, Juliet steps over me and back into the driver seat.

With a sigh, she turns and peers down at me. “I just got off the comm with Colonel Jax.”

My first instinct is to ask if she told him to go fuck himself, but I’m too cold to be a smart ass. I just blow into my hands and listen.

“He’s informed me that a small community slightly west of here… Wisteria Haven. . . has come under attack. Colonel Jax wants us to make a slight detour to see what we can do for them. He said he wouldn’t normally ask this of us, but these people… They are young and healthy. As such, they will prove valuable once the cure is in circulation.” She stops to glance at Kiwi, then me. Her lips set in a tight line. “I disagree with him completely.”

This gets my attention.

The queen bitch disagrees with her fearless leader?

“I think we should focus on what we left the compound to do. If we lose our lives saving…” She shakes her head. “If we fail, those people are as good as dead, anyway. Maybe even worse. Jaxen doesn’t see it that way.”

I raise an eyebrow.

She glances at me, then shakes her head again. “My apologies. Colonel Jax. He doesn’t see it that way.”

It’s the only time I’ve heard her use his name informally. Must be her way of showing disrespect.

Interesting.

“What is attacking them?” Kiwi asks.

Juliet flips her shiny braid over her shoulder and eyes Kiwi. “Shifters.”

Something curdles in my gut. I feel sour inside.

“From where?” Kiwi says.

Juliet shifts her icy stare to me. “Wee lings. From the Underworld.”

I’m warm enough to laugh. And I have to laugh. “Oh, the Colonel is on that good shit.” I shake my head, still chuckling.

Kiwi straightens up. Her shoulders tighten as if she’s guarding herself against bad news.

“Well, what are we going to do?”

Juliet doesn’t answer right away. I stare up into her face, searching for something. Anything. As usual, I get nothing. That is, until she speaks.

“If I disobey orders…”

A thick nothingness fills the steel vehicle. It seems to swallow her words. She doesn’t have to finish. We all know what will happen to an Enforcer who disobeys, no matter how loyal she’s been until now.

I clear my throat. “Wee lings are the most dangerous kind of shifter. Are we really going to do this?”

Juliet turns in her seat and starts to put her harness back on. “We don’t have much of a choice.”

I glare at her back. “Of course we do. None of us signed up for this shit. We’re not heroes.”

“I’m not suggesting we are,” Juliet says, punching coordinates into the control panel.

“He’s right. We should stay on mission,” Kiwi says.

Juliet snaps her head in Kiwi’s direction. “Oh, is that what you think, girl?”

My eyes narrow. “Why don’t you watch your mouth, psycho.”

She starts to turn her head. I feel it. I reach into her with my power like I would a candy jar and stop her movement. A jolt of excitement hits me. My lips twist into a smile. Controlling her always makes me feel good.

“You know we’re not going anywhere unless I let you take us there, right?” My voice sounds sinister in my ears. For a second, I feel like a dickbag, but I brush the feeling aside.

This bitch pulled out my back teeth while I was awake. Plus, she seems to love putting me into shit where I might get killed.

She can’t move, but she lets out a low grunt. I hold onto her a little longer just to prove my point, then release her.

She jerks her head around. “Do that again and…”

“And. You’ll. Do. Nothing.” I smile.

She matches my smile. Cool, poker-faced Juliet is back. “So, you’d just let innocents die?”

I shrug. “Seems to me like people let other people die all the damn time.” I glare at her. “Especially you people.”

We stare at each other for several moments. My stare is full of hostility. Hers, cool as ice. Kiwi breaks up the staring contest by clearing her throat. “Maybe she’s right.”

I roll my eyes. I’m stranded in the middle of hell with a psycho and a politician. We shouldn’t go. We should go.

Make up your mind.

She turns around and gives me a look. I flex away from it. I don’t know what it is, but it makes me uncomfortable. She’s been doing that a lot lately.

“Wee lings are fucked up creatures. If we can kill a few, we should,” Kiwi says.

I stare at her, trying to dispel that discomfort she fills me with. Finally, I nod. Can’t really argue with her logic, even if it is going to get us killed.