Don't Look Back (Warders of Earth) (25 page)

“Sure. Come into the kitchen. Everyone’s there anyway.” Marnie led the way down the narrow, threadbare carpeted hall and into the shabby but spotlessly clean room at the end. Grabbing a bottle of water off the counter she handed it to me. “You know my father, Nic, and Nonna. Luis here, is Nic’s mate. This is Tara and Alex.”

I nodded in general and unscrewed the cap. “Hi, Nic. Hi, Mrs Tolini. Luis.” Tipping the bottle up, I drank.

“Ma’am.” Alex gave a tight-lipped smile to the older woman with Marnie’s strong features then held out his hand and shook with both men who’d risen to their feet at their entrance into the kitchen.

Nic sat down in a sprawling posture and tipped his chair back on its legs only to have his mother slap his shoulders with a tee-towel.

“Be respectful,” she snapped.

“Yes, Mamma.” Grinning, Nic obediently settled his chair on its four legs.

“Tara?” Marnie crossed the room to stand behind her father.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I gave a quick summary of everything that had happened the last few days and the brief amount of information Bob Garroway had advised. My voice faltered when I spoke of that terrible day at the camp but Alex squeezed my hand and somehow I stumbled on.

Marnie gasped and pressed her hands over her mouth. “Oh, Tara, this is terrible. I’m so sorry.”

Of course, I didn’t tell them everything.

I still wasn’t certain who I could trust.

No one spoke.

Luis, who’d been eyeing me off like I was made out of gold bullion, drawled, “Ain’t this something, Nic. This here is one of them mutants. I’ve heard there’s a hefty reward for bringing one of these things in.” He waggled his mobile in the air.

Alex slapped his hand onto the butt of his revolver in his holster, the movement loud enough to garner everyone’s attention.

“Put that away,
giovane
,” said Nic. “Luis’s got a foolish mouth on him an’ I have no intention of harming yer
tesoro
.”

Heat scalded my face.

Marnie wriggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner as she looked from me to Alex then back again. I ignored the questions in her eyes. This wasn’t the time for heart-to-hearts.

Mrs Tolini uttered a long sigh. “
Che palle!
To think I have lived to see such things.” She sighed again and shook her head. “Well, speak, Marlina, tell them your need.”

“Nic and Luis have busted out of prison because they’d heard whispers on the inside about what was up. I know, the connections some of them have is unbelievable. Nic wanted to be with me when...,” Marnie waved her thin hands expressively, “...when the world ends. And I, Tara, I need to see my little girl. I must know she’s okay, if she needs me. So I thought of your brother and how good he is with computers. I thought he’d be able to find where she’s living.”

“He’s a pretty good hacker, I don’t see how it’ll be a problem for him,” I said instantly. “There’s the issue of this virus, too.” I snuck a side-long glance at Alex, dragged in a deep breath and blurted, “We have a place you may be safe for a while. Come back with us.”

“Tara!”

“Sorry, Alex, but I’ve got to do what I think is right.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Alex gave a short laugh. “Dad’s not going to be happy but, sure, why not? There’s safety in numbers and we could do with a few more guns.” He jerked his chin at the three rifles lying on the kitchen counter.

“We’ll take you up on your offer.” Nic rose to his feet and hooked his thumbs into the loops on his jeans. “Soldiers have cordoned off the town at the city limits. Probably this military force you were talking about. We were lucky to slip by them as they were first setting up. Otherwise, I’m not certain we would have gotten through. We’ve got weapons but nothing like the fire power these guys are packing.”

Alex said, “He’s right. They’re searching houses, hauling people out onto the streets and interrogating them. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Shay and I spotted a group doing this a few blocks away.”

I had a feeling I knew what,
or who,
they were looking for.

“We want to locate my
piccolina di papà’s bambina
and get the
cazzo
out of this town.”

“I think you’re making the right decision. But it’s not going to be easy.” Alex’s gaze cut to the other escaped prisoner.

“
Merda!
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.” Snapping his fingers, Nic gave a crooked smile. “I figure we band together and make tracks fast.”

“Yes, especially as you’re both wanted fugitives,” said Marnie wryly. But she patted her father’s arm gently. “Sorry about the Italian everyone. Nic loves nothing more than hamming up his heritage.”

The smile they shared sent shafts of bittersweet longing through me. Dad used to smile at me in much the same way.

Blindly I turned to the door, saying gruffly over my shoulder, “Are you ready to leave?”

“Been ready and waiting for your arrival for quite a bit now, girlie,” said that creepy guy, Luis.

“Grab your gear and follow my car,” said Alex, placing his hand on my lower back and giving me a gentle push.

Nic responded, “Let’s go then.”

I made a beeline for the front door.

Behind me, Shay muttered, “The General isn’t going to like more people on his watch.”

“I know. Let me worry about him. I’m not leaving you behind,” Alex growled.

“You picked up on that?”

Alex snorted. “Of course I did. And if she’s your new mark, then you must fulfil your purpose.”

“What are you two talking about?” I yanked open the front door only to have it taken out of my hands.

Alex poked his head out a fraction, scanned the streets before stepping onto the porch. “It’s possible Marnie is under Shay’s protection.”

I goggled. “Then she’s…?”

“I have no idea.” He shrugged. “He’s just got a sense of something connecting them, that’s all. Hurry up and get in the car, Tara.”

“So, he won’t leave her and Marnie won’t leave her family. And you won’t leave Shay,” I said slowly. “This is why you’re not ranting and raving at me, isn’t it?”

“You should have talked to me. I would have brought you here.”

“Would you?”

I turned around and searched his face. His eyes shone with sincerity. But could I believe it? I said, “We need to source more food and water supplies, now there’s more of us. Especially if we’re going to escape from the town.”

“I hope you’re not thinking of going with your friend. You have a role to play, Tara. One that I believe you’re not too keen on.”

I whirled round and poked Alex in the chest. “Of course I’m not bloody keen. Who would be? I’ve got no idea how to do what, apparently...” I made finger exclamation marks in the air. “Apparently, what I’ve been bred to do.”

I hiccupped. “Oh, and what exactly do I say if I somehow manage to confront these jerkoffs? Huh? Like, oh hi there Mr Alien, please don’t kill us.”

“Shit.” Alex gripped my waist and pushed me against the fence, leaning in and trapping me with his rock-hard body. “Get a grip, Tara. This is bigger than you or me. You need to focus.”

“Don’t tell me how important this shit is, because I already know it. First hand. Don’t ever tell me I don’t know.”

His touch gentled, his thumbs moving in a caressing motion over my waist as he rested his forehead on mine. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I know you’re hurting but so are others.”

The regret in his voice rang true and my anger deflated as if shot by an arrow leaving nothing but hollow fatigue that weighed down my soul.

“I know. I know it’s down to me. But, Alex, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. How do we know it will even work?” I closed my eyes, sinking into the heat and strength of him. I drank in this one moment.

“None of us know but we have to try. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you. Remember, Tara, I will always stand by your side.” Alex pressed a kiss as soft as a butterfly’s wings to my brow.

What if my side isn’t the same as yours?
I recalled every word he’d spoken and despaired if I’d ever know what the truth was.

“Alex!” called Shay. “We need to move. They’re coming.”

***

Alex

I stopped the car at the next intersection, checking in both directions for any sign of the Mundos Novus force.

Clear, no sign of those nut jobs.
I turned left and drove along the road. I speared a quick look at Tara sitting quietly in the passenger seat and wondered what she was thinking. She’d done her share of
‘wailing, why me?’
these past few days but I couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t every day a girl learns she was made from alien technology.

What really pissed me off, was her lack of trust. I’d hoped we’d moved forward sufficiently for her to confide in me. My father wasn’t going to be happy about this latest escapade.

I changed down a gear for the corner coming up.

The problem was, she had my full empathy. If Shay had needed my help, I wouldn’t been there in an instant.

And not only that, she’d lost her dad in pretty tough circumstances. It was enough to make any soldier lose his shit let alone a girl barely out of high school. But no, not this chickee babe, she kept on. You had to respect a chick who could handle a tonne of crap without turning on the water works and wearing a man down with weeping and wailing.

It made me proud I’d been chosen to be her Warder.

It made me wish for a far different future than the one knocking on Earth’s door.

“Any sign of those military guys?” Luis’ swarmy voice made my shoulders twitch.

Something about this guy didn’t ring true. If only I could put my finger on it. Maybe it had more to do with my gut; thinking he had a big part still to be played. One that could prove a major headache for me.

It’d made sense to split up which was why I’d ended up with this guy in my car. Marnie and her grandma remained with Nic and the dog in the ute. Their gear had been stashed in the back tray concealed by a leather tarp. I suspected from the shapes and weight of at least two of those bags they’d put in there, Nic travelled with a shit-load of weapons. Considering the circumstances, the older bloke’s decision was probably a savvy one. Although how he’d managed to secure so much weaponry at such short notice was a mystery. I could only assume Nic had more than one mate on the shady side of the law.

“Nothing so far,” I finally responded. My eyes met those of Shay in the rear-vision mirror and although I’d been cautioned against using my telepathic ability so close to my mark, I flashed a message. Short and sweet.
Watch him.

Yeah, he presses my buttons too,
Shay flashed back.

Glad I wasn’t the only one suspicious of the escaped prisoner, I increased speed. I knew Shay had my back. He always did.

“Wait! Stop!” cried Tara suddenly.

Instantly, I applied the clutch and brakes, shifting the gears into neutral and the car jerked to a halt. While Nic’s ute pulled up behind us, motor running, my gaze hunted both sides of the quiet street.

Looking for danger.

Looking for what had caused her to yell out like that.

Nothing.
That is, if you didn’t count a cat sitting on the footpath staring at the car with unblinking eerie green eyes.

Tara scrabbled out, leaving her door open.

“What the...? Tara get back in here,” I yelled out my window.

“The cat. I’m not leaving him.”

The cat?

Shay laughed.