Strange Skies (8 page)

I woke to the aroma of something I’d never experienced before. My mouth salivated and I wiped the drool with the bottom of my shirt.

“Come and get it, Tora,” Markus called.

I stretched and strolled over to the fire pit. The thoroughly roasted animal had been severed into parts that were laid out on five trays. Alec brought one of the trays over to Lucy who ate her entire serving in what looked like one bite.

“Next thing you know, you’ll be telling me we should eat dogs too. I am not eating an animal.” I said, knowing as I spoke that I lied. My stomach gurgled in hunger, and I would have eaten a pile of dirt if it had been placed in front of me. The aroma of the meat was pulling at me, and I picked up the tray without thinking. “Fine, I might as well try it.”

Alec returned with Lucy’s empty tray and joined James and Markus around the fire. They dug in, tearing hunks of meat off the bone with their teeth. I watched for a minute, then sat by them and picked up a larger piece with my fingers. I sank my teeth into it. The outside flesh was crispy and the inside was juicy. It was strange having something with that much substance in my mouth. Even the fruit had been mostly liquid. I had to chew slowly, my teeth grinding the meat.

“Go easy,” James warned. “This is your first time with solid food, and it will take your body some getting used to.”

All I’d ever known until Caelia was energy gel. I’d read about food in my early years studying history on the Net but couldn’t believe what I’d been missing. I swallowed another piece of meat. “This is surprisingly tasty.”

They laughed. Markus tossed a large bone over the fire to Lucy who caught it in her mouth. “You want to try hunting yourself next time?”

I shuddered. I had no desire to face something like that on my own. Plus, the thought of killing it made me queasy. “I just want to eat it, not kill it.”

Markus chuckled. “Hypocrite.”

We ate in silence, stopping only to throw scraps to Lucy. I looked at the group around me, from Lucy to Markus, and felt something that was close to happiness.

“Have any of you swam in the ocean yet?” I asked.

Markus laughed. “Maybe, but I wouldn’t exactly remember if I did.”

James shook his head. “No, not much time for fun yet.”

I wiped my mouth with the back of my arm. “I bet it’s even better than swimming in the creek. My sister and I dreamed about it. As soon as I get the guns back and save Dad, I’m going swimming.” My stomach had never felt so full before. A heavy sleepiness settled over me and I yawned. “But first, I need a nap.”

“Hold up, what was that? Your dad’s alive?” Markus
asked, eyes wide in the firelight. He’d been passed out when we’d talked about it earlier.

I nodded and stretched. “Yes, he’s alive. I’ll tell you all about it, but I’m so tired right now.”

The stars twinkled against the dark sky, but I knew it would soon be light again. I curled up on the ground next to the warmth of the fire. The crackling sound of the flames lulled me into a trance.

“Good idea,” I heard James say. “We should all rest a few minutes while we can. I’ll stay out here with her.”

Footsteps crunched in the dirt as Alec and Markus made their way to their huts. For a fleeting second, I realized I was alone with James. Unfortunately, my eyelids were too heavy to open and I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter
SEVEN

T
HE SUN SHONE WARM AGAINST MY SKIN
. A
SMALL STONE
pressed into my cheek, and I blinked my eyes open to find daylight. I sat up and stretched to ease the stiffness in my back. The sleep pad from the bunker would have felt like heaven compared to this. My stomach rumbled in discomfort. Alec and James hadn’t been kidding about my body not being used to this kind of food. I rubbed my belly, willing it to calm down.

The sound of muffled voices caught my attention. James crouched at the entrance to Alec’s hut, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

James nodded and stood, his pack slung over his shoulder. His build projected strength and confidence. It was hard not to stare. He startled when he turned my way. “I thought you’d sleep a while longer.”

I combed a clump of dirt from my hair with my fingers. “All rested. Where are you going?”

He hesitated. “There’s a meeting at the command center soon. I’m heading over.”

“What’s the meeting about?” I asked as I stood up.

James took a step closer and I tried not to notice the way the sunlight reflected off his blond stubble. “We’ve been planning how to address the problem of the Consulate once and for all. They haven’t found us yet, but they will eventually. They know the weapons are around somewhere.” He looked uncomfortable. “And I’m sort of in charge while Kale is gone.”

It didn’t help to shift my attention to his arms, which were as muscular as I remembered. Of course he was in charge—he was a natural leader. I really wished I could recall our escape together. I stood straighter. “I’m going with you.” My stomach erupted in another loud rumble and I wanted to sink into the ground.

James shook his head. “No, it’s too dangerous. Kale could show up. I need to figure out what he’s planning first.”

Kale’s name sent shivers down my spine. Still, I didn’t survive Earth just to hide. And now I had Dad to think about too. “What about rescuing my dad? What about that plan?” My voice rose despite my attempts to sound cool and collected.

Alec emerged from his hut, followed closely by Lucy, her tail wagging. She ran to James and licked his hand.

I whirled to face Alec. “You promised. You told me that we’d go back for him.” I was almost shouting.

“
Sí
, I promised.” Alec raised his hands. “And I’ve never broken a promise to you, have I,
ángel
?” He looked pointedly at James. “Max and some others will help us … they’ll do anything to hurt the Consulate. We just need a good plan.”

Markus stumbled out of the tent. “What’s all the yelling about? Can’t a guy get any sleep around here?” He rubbed his eyes. “I need a drink.”

James took off his pack, reached inside, and pulled out another blue vial. “No, but you do need something to deal with the withdrawal.”

“It works great,” I said. I hadn’t had a single symptom since James had given me the serum. “Why didn’t you give Markus this med weeks ago?”

Markus cleared his throat. “I might have told James where he could put his vial once or twice.” He looked embarrassed as he held out his arm. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” James said. “Still, I wouldn’t recommend drinking again anytime soon. It won’t mix well with the meds.”

Markus groaned. “Where’s the fun in that?” He grabbed his mug from where it rested near the fire and took a swig. I’m sure he wished it were anything but water.

I glared at Markus. I didn’t have time for his pity party. “I don’t care if you’re having fun or not. Look, for some reason, my dad trusted you, Markus. You need to stay
sober so you can make yourself useful. I need your help too. Got it?”

Markus looked at the ground and kicked the dirt, but nodded slowly.

James shifted his pack. “I’ve got to go to this meeting now or I’ll be late.”

“Me too.” I ignored James’ stare and patted the gun at my side. “I think I’ve proven that I can take care of myself.”

Markus straightened. “I’m in. I’m going too.” He had a strange gleam in his eye, like he wanted something. I knew that look.

“No,” James and I said in unison.

“You know you’d never make it past the bar to get to the command center,” I said.

James nodded. “You need to give the injection a little more time. It doesn’t just prevent withdrawal symptoms—it stops the desire to ingest the substance that caused them. You’ll be fine in another hour or so.” He turned to Alec. “You should stay with Markus, keep an eye on him so he stays put.”

Lucy sat at James’ heels. By the way, you would think it was his dog and not Alec’s. Alec looked as though he was going to protest. “I’ll be right back after the meeting and then I expect both of you to be in a condition to help me.”

Alec set his mouth in a hard line. “Take good care of her,
amigo
. The way I did when
I
got her here safely.”

I put my hand on my hip and turned to James before he
could respond. “Guess it’s you and me.” I’d be alone with him in the woods. Maybe I should picture him shooting me every time my knees felt weak.

Our eyes locked. I tried to recall him aiming at me but what flashed through my mind instead was his fingers grazing my bandaged ribs under my shirt back at the bunker.

“Have it your way. Let’s go,” he said, marching away. I hurried to catch up.

Lucy followed us, which irritated Alec. “Lucy, come back,” he called after us loudly. She turned and trotted back to Alec.

“She certainly seems to like you.”

James moved quickly through the trees. “Yeah. Dumb dog, huh?”

I smirked. “You said it, not me.”

We followed the creek back toward the command center. I was captivated by the gurgling water winding its way through the forest. The trees were lush, vibrant, and green—such a contrast to the brown, dead Earth I’d come from. Everything smelled fresh and alive, punctuated by the occasional aroma of flowers.

I got so caught up in my surroundings that I had to jog to catch up with James. I’d forgotten how fast he was.

“When was the last time you saw Kale?” I asked, breathing heavily.

James glanced at me over his shoulder. “A few weeks ago. Said he was going to find the leader of the Resistance
and bring him back so we could finalize our attack on the Consulate.”

I moved a wayward tree branch out of my way. “Who’s the leader?”

“Don’t know,” James said. “And Kale doesn’t know either—he said the guy preferred to lead from behind the scenes after some of his closest men were killed by the Consulate. They only spoke over the com system and the guy never said his real name.” James paused and looked unsure whether to go on.

“What?” I asked.

“Kale did find out who killed my family.”

My stomach dropped. That must be the info he’d been wanting from Kale all along. The info he’d risked my life to get.

My voice came out in a whisper. “Who?”

His eyes hardened. “Guy named Allan Davis.”

I gulped, remembering the day Dad had brought me to work with him and we were called into his boss’s office. How I had wiped my hand on my pants after enduring his sweaty handshake. “No way! I met him. He’s the one who gave my dad the Infinity.” The Infinity that Kale took from me.

James stopped and tracked back to me. “What? You know what he looks like?”

“Sure, but I was, like, nine years old.” I told James what I recalled of the brief encounter, including how Davis had been in charge of the weapons department.

James shook his head. “He’s in charge of most things, it seems. Kale told me that Davis was the one who hired him to come after you on Earth. He used a middleman to make the deal. No one in the Resistance knows what Davis looks like. Not even Kale.”

Was it possible that I was the only one who knew what Davis looked like? Dad did, but he was a prisoner. Not for much longer, though.

“So what you’re saying is that you need me, James.” My heart began thumping faster at his nearness.
Don’t go all girlie now
. I shrugged and tried to play it cool. “Maybe needing me means that even though you tried to kill me, you feel differently now.”

James closed the last step between us. I stepped back, right into a tree. He grabbed my hands and pinned them to my side, his mouth inches from mine. “I didn’t try to kill you,” he growled into my ear. “I’m a perfect shot, remember?”

Before I could react, his lips closed over mine. For a minute I got lost in the sensation of his mouth on me. I kissed him back and enjoyed the ripples running through my body.

Then I remembered James standing in front of me pointing my own gun at me. I pushed off the tree and freed my hands from his. “If you think that was an adequate explanation about why you shot me, you’ve spent too much time in the sun. You can’t go from wanting to kill someone to wanting to kiss them.”

James stepped closer again but kept his hands to himself. “If we weren’t already late, I’d show you exactly how I feel about you.” He stared at me a second. “I promise I’ll explain when we have more time. We can’t miss this meeting.”

“Right, the meeting,” I said, ashamed that I’d kissed him while Dad was still imprisoned across the planet. I was a horrible daughter.

No, just a human one
.

I ignored the voice in my head as I stomped behind James toward the command center.

We soon reached another shack-like building that was even smaller than the bar. Two men stood guard at the entrance. One of them tipped his hat to James as we approached.
“Hola, jefe.”

James gestured my way. “This is Tora. She’s with me.”

“Got it. Welcome, Tora.” The same guy opened a thin, crooked door and waved us through. It’s good they had guns to help them guard the place because I probably could have taken down the door myself.

Inside, a man at the front of the room spoke in Spanish to a group of forty-some people seated on wooden plank benches. He paused when we entered, nodded to acknowledge James, then continued. The heads that had swiveled toward us turned back to the speaker. James and I slipped onto a bench in the back.

“Why is he talking in Spanish?” I whispered. Though I knew some basic words from when my sister and I played
around on the Infinity, I had no clue what this guy was saying.

James leaned over. “That’s Edgar. He’s in charge of basic operations. This is an update-and-planning session. All plans are made in Spanish. Since the Consulate banned all languages except English, no one there can understand what we’re saying. We use the Net for the Spanish lessons. You might want to check into that.” He smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain what he’s saying later.”

His breath in my ear made my stomach do flips.
Act calm
. “Sure, that’d be great. But doesn’t Alec speak Spanish? He was Consulate? They can’t be that dumb.”