I tilt my head to the right, gazing out the empty window at the town beyond. Wind has whipped up dirt and tumbleweeds, sending them flying into the air and across the road.
Something moves, then disappears as the wind whips up the dirt again. I squint into the dust devil, trying to see better. I gasp as I realize what’s coming toward us.
It makes sense. Working gas stations are great places for Primitives to hide out when they’re low on food sources. They know that eventually humans will pass through in need of gas.
“Malachi!” I shout.
I don’t hear anything so I twist around to look. He’s concentrated on what he’s doing, his head bent as he fills the tank.
“Malachi!” I say again, desperately.
He can’t hear me over the howling of the wind and the rush of the gas through the hose.
I turn back around and gasp in dismay. I can’t see the Primitive who’d been making its way steadily toward me. I crawl back toward my window and peek outside, squinting into the dirt flying through the opening. I can barely make out the town beyond. The flying dust is turning into a full on windstorm. Soon, we won’t be able to drive.
Maybe I imagined the Primitive, but I don’t think so. I try the handle again, and when it still won’t budge, I push myself up in the seat and lean through the window.
A body slams into mine, throwing me back into the car, my head hitting the driver’s door.
I land on my back and watch in horror as a Primitive scrambles through the empty frame of my window, bloody broken hands first gripping the frame, then, as he spots me, reaching for me.
I let out a shriek and scramble backwards, but he’s quickly on top of me. The stench of rotting flesh is thick in my nostrils. He slams his hands into my body, gripping me by the head as he bends, bloody and broken teeth descending toward my neck.
The door opens behind me, and we both tumble out into the dirt. I hold my arms up protectively as the Primitive launches himself on top of me again. I do my best to fend him off, but he’s bigger and stronger. I don’t know how to fight the way Skye does. I’ve never been this close to a live Primitive who wasn’t firmly under my control in my lab.
It lets out a bloodcurdling scream.
I look up to find Malachi standing behind it, his knife in one hand, his gun in the other. He watches dispassionately as I struggle.
“Help me!”
Finally, he wraps his arm with the blade around the Primitive’s neck, then sets his gun against the temple. Oh god he’s going to… BANG!
The gun goes off and I watch as half the Primitive’s head explodes outward, bone and flesh flying. I’m spattered with it, but barely have time to register what’s happened as Malachi finishes the Primitive by cutting off its head. It lands with a thump in the dirt next to me.
Malachi grips the back of the Primitive’s clothes and hauls the body off me. I roll to the side and empty the contents of my stomach into the dirt. After I finish vomiting, I take a minute to just breathe. In and out, until my heart calms down enough that I can look at Malachi.
I turn over onto my butt and squint up at him. Dust flies all around us and the wind continues to howl.
He hunches down in front of me and reaches for my neck. I scramble backwards until I hit the pump behind me. He growls his frustration and reaches for me again, gripping the collar of my shirt and shoving it aside.
I hear something tear, then I realize what he’s doing. He’s looking for bite marks.
“It didn’t get me,” I say, my voice hoarse from screaming.
He grips my shoulders and forces me forward, digging his elbow into my back as he ruthlessly checks me for bite marks.
“Ouch!”
He finally lets me go, and I glare up at him in resentment.
He continues to crouch in front of me, his eyes on my face, his expression unreadable.
“I’m vaccinated,” I tell him. “If he’d bitten me, I wouldn’t have turned.”
He grunts. “Don’t put much stock in these so-called vaccinations. We have no need of them in New York. It’s rare that the zombies get in.”
He’s speaking the truth. The island creates a natural fortress since zombies can’t swim. The tunnels are blocked, but sometimes refugees attempt to unblock them to get inside, which also gives the Primitives a way to get in. The Primitives usually go into the sewers, only coming up for victims when they tire of rats. It gives New York sewers a whole other element of terror.
“If you don’t want me for the vaccination, then why are you taking me?” I ask, bewildered. “I don’t understand.”
“You have other skills,” he says with a grunt, hauling me off the ground and setting me on my feet.
“But I thought that was why you took me,” I say, brushing the dirt off my clothes. “It’s what every other Sanctuary wants.”
“Not me.” He turns back to the pump and stops it.
Picking up the full gas cans, he places them carefully in the trunk.
I follow him around to the back. “If you don’t want me for the vaccine, then why do you want me?”
He turns to me, grabs me by the arms and swings me around until my back is to the car. His gaze is heated, but I can’t tell if it’s lust or anger.
“Do you really want to know?” he demands.
What an odd question. Of course I want to know why I’m being taken. It must be for my skills as a doctor. Yet… the way he’s looking at me and his admittance that he didn’t take me for the vaccine.
“Yes,” I say. “I want to know.”
His head lowers and my frantic brain scrambles. Is he going to kill me or kiss me?
My gaze strays past his broad shoulder, and I reach for him, gripping him hard. “Malachi, behind you!”
He doesn’t hesitate; he shoves me into the trunk of the car with the gas cans and slams the lid down. I hear him grunt as something hits him, then the car bounces with the impact of his body.
“Malachi!” I scream, slamming my fists into the lid.
Twenty-Eight
Skye
“I’m going with you.”
Wolfe stops packing his bag and looks at me. I can tell from the set of his shoulders that he’s going to argue. I have to come up with an argument that’s better than his.
“I’m just as skilled, if not more, than any man on this team. I know how the doctor thinks, so I might pick up on something you haven’t. If I go, we can switch off driving and cover more ground.” I hit him with every argument I can come up with to convince him to take me with him when he leaves to track down our missing doctor. “If she’s hurt, she’ll want a friend nearby to tend to her. If we have to negotiate for her, we can negotiate using my blood.”
Wolfe stares at me with one brow raised, as if waiting for me to stop, but I can’t until I’ve convinced him. I have to be on the team heading out of the city to look for Sheela. She’s my friend. She’s out there, probably terrified out of her mind, hoping for rescue. I need to let her know Juniper and Alfie’s son pulled through and will recover, thanks to the quick actions of Alfie and his Mountain People. They rushed Pike down the mountain. Our head nurse, Jessa, removed the bullet from Pike’s shoulder. Sadly, there was nothing we could do for Cole, Sheela’s bodyguard.
I put her in danger by allowing her to go to the mountains; I need to be the one who finds her.
I continue, trying to argue Wolfe to my side. “I’m better at talking to people in case we need to talk to anyone who’s seen her. I’m immune to the zombie bite, and I’m a damn good shot if we need to hunt for food along the way.” Okay, my arguments are devolving into desperation. “Please let me go with you.”
He nods and turns back to packing.
I step closer to the bed. “Was that a yes?”
“Yes,” he says.
I can hear the smirk in his voice.
Elation rushes through me. I go to my dresser, drag the top drawer open, and start pulling out my leather and steel armour. I look at Wolf
e over my shoulder.
“I didn’t need permission, you know.”
He doesn’t reply. We both know it’s bullshit. If Wolfe hadn’t wanted me to go, I’d be tied to my throne and forced to wait for the search party to find Sheela without me.
“Who’s going to watch over Sanctuary while we’re gone?” I ask, then realize I should probably be the one to decide since I’m the Warlord. Still, I value Wolfe’s opinion. “Diogo?”
He nods. “He can keep things in order while we’re gone.”
“It may take us time to find the doctor,” I point out.
“I’ll ask him to stay as long as he can. If Tucson remains steady, Diogo and Taran should be able to stay.”
“She’ll have to have the baby here,” I murmur, suddenly undecided if I should go or stay.
If my sister has her baby in my Sanctuary while I’m away, I’ll be sorely disappointed.
“It’s a risk. If her time gets close, Diogo will send for Dr. Bishop, the Tucson doctor.”
The ability to travel between our two Sanctuaries has increased with cooperation between Warlords and the frequent exchange of goods and services. We are truly creating a powerful alliance that I feel proud of whenever something like this comes up. That the doctor from the Tucson Sanctuary can travel with ease and relative safety between the two cities is a true accomplishment.
I finish packing and go to the door where Wolfe is waiting. Together we take the stairs to the harem, knocking before we let ourselves in.
Diogo turns from where he was gazing out the window.
I look around the room for my sister.
Diogo answers my unspoken question. “She’s resting. She tires more easily these days.”
“Of course.” I’m sad that I won’t get to say goodbye to her, but she needs her rest. She’s incubating a future Warlord. “We want to ask if you’re willing to take over as Warlord while we retrieve our doctor.”
Diogo has been apprised of the situation already. He looks serious as he stares blankly at the wall, his arms crossed. Finally, he nods, “I will accept this challenge and care for your Sanctuary. I’ve been separated from my sanctuary for too many days anyway, and I’m not meant to be idle.”
I snort.
This man hasn’t been idle once since stepping inside our Sanctuary. He’s either spending time on the wall with Wolfe and his men, or he’s going from site to site, questioning my people and giving his input on everything from construction, to farming, to educational programs. While I appreciate his input as both a fellow Warlord and an intelligent human, if he keeps poking his nose in our Sanctuary business, I might have to invite him to join my council.
“You’ll be fully compensated for your time,” I assure him.
He dips his head in acknowledgment. “Not necessary.”
“Please take care of it for us,” I say anxiously. “We’ve been through enough here in Santa Fe. We can’t lose our home again.”
He approaches me and takes my arms in a firm grip that has Wolfe stiffening behind me.
“I will take care of it as if it were my own.”
We’re talking about our Sanctuaries like they’re children. Yet, that’s what it feels like. I’m leaving the safety of my baby in this man’s capable hands.
I smile to lighten the mood. “No stealing it out from under my nose.”
“Only if I get attached. I must admit, your water refinery plant will be a point of jealousy when you get it up and running.” He squeezes my arms again before letting go. “Take care of yourself, sister.” His gaze moves behind me. “Wolfe.”
We leave the harem, taking the stairs to the parking garage.
“Where do we start looking for her?” I ask Wolfe, my steps echoing beneath me as we descend the building.
“The mountain.”
Of course, we need to start with the place she’d been going. Someone might have seen something.
I’m desperate to get to Sheela before she meets the same fate as her bodyguard. I have to pray that her captor knows her worth. If they took her for being a woman, they might already have used and killed her.
“Do you think they know who she is?”
Wolfe looks at me, then seems to catch my meaning.
He nods. “It would appear that whoever took her knew she was on her way to visit the mountain people. Alfie says she was intercepted about halfway from the road to the camp and that they killed her bodyguard after a short flight through the woods. Whoever grabbed her is strong and skilled. After they captured her, she was carried out of the forest and back to the road where a vehicle was parked.”
“Alfie knew all this from tracking?” I ask incredulously and add, “All while he was worried about his son.”
“It’s a good skill to have.”
I know Wolfe is an excellent tracker too, but I’ve rarely seen him in action.
We walk in silence for a short moment, then I say, “If she was taken because she’s a doctor, then we have a traitor either in our house, or Alfie’s.”
It’s clear Wolfe is sharing my thoughts. “We’ll deal with that after we get Sheela back.”
We reach the bottom of the stairwell and head to the car, which has been pulled up to the door for easy access. The guard standing next to it hands over the key and gets out of our way.
We climb inside, and Wolfe tears out of the parking garage and onto the road. I grip the dashboard and hang on. Now is not the time to admonish him for reckless driving.
When we reach the city gates, I see a lineup of three other cars. I assume they will be part of our search party. They follow us through the gate and line up behind us as we make our way around to the road that will take us into the mountains.
As we drive, I ask Wolfe, “What information do we need before we can begin tracking?”
“Direction.”
His answer is short and obvious. Of course, we need a direction, or we could do more harm than good by dashing into the desert without a clue.
We meet with one of our people at the bottom of the mountain, sent by our Sanctuary to check on the welfare of the Mountain People after one their own was shot. We’re saved from having to drive all the way up.
Wolfe has barely turned the car off before he’s out and striding toward our man who’s doing the same.
“What news, Kent?” Wolfe demands as I hurry after him, taking my place at his side.
Kent looks grim as he relays what he was told. “Alfie thinks someone inside their village gave up the information that the doctor was travelling out to them.”
“It’s what I thought,” Wolfe says.
I look at him. “But couldn’t it have just as easily been someone inside our own Sanctuary?”
“Not likely.”
“Why?” I demand.
“Are you forgetting who is in charge of security?” Wolfe snaps.
Okay, yes, I did forget. I think I might have actually offended him.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to disparage your security skills. I know you wouldn’t allow anything to threaten Sanctuary. But I’m still curious why you don’t think the threat is coming from us.”
He gives me an icy stare and I think he might not answer, then he does. “No one can go in or out of Sanctuary without it being logged, unless they climb a wall, which is impossible.”
Not for my sister, but I don’t say it out loud. She’s a little spider monkey who can and has scaled both walls and buildings in her time. At least in her pre-pregnancy days.
“Gate logs are brought to me every evening. The doctor’s plans to travel to the mountain weren’t firm until the night before she left. Only a handful of people knew about her planned visit, and of them, none had left Sanctuary for days.”
“Oh,” I say, impressed with Wolfe’s reasoning.
“Can I finish?” Kent asks, cringing as we both swing around to look at him. “Juniper suspects a woman who has been travelling between Sanctuary and the mountain. She disappeared yesterday after the doctor was t
aken. She told Juniper she was leaving to travel to Sanctuary.”
“What woman?” I ask, frowning.
“Her name is Scarlett.”
At first I’m confused. Scarlett, my former harem mate? The woman who travelled on my vaccination team? The woman who was taken by the men who tried to capture me?
The mountain people had found her too when they’d tracked me through their woods. I hadn’t known she’s been spending time with her rescuers. Or were they her rescuers?
Then, it hits me like a lightening bolt.
Apparently, it hits Wolfe too because he lets out a ferocious growl that reverberates off the trees around us. The hairs on my arm stand up and I hope for Scarlett’s sake that she’s long gone. If he gets his hands on her, there’ll be nothing left.
It was one of ours.
Scarlett betrayed us.
Not once, but twice.
Twenty-Nine
We return to sanctuary, where Wolfe tracks down Scarlett and with methods he refuses to share, extracts the information we need to find Sheela. I’m surprised she was stupid enough to return to the city after betraying us, but I suppose even she is more scared of life outside of Sanctuary than the possibility of imprisonment.
Scarlett is in a cell waiting for judgement and will remain there until we return. I want to know why she did what she did, but I don’t have time to deal with her.
The doctor has been taken to the New York Sanctuary. Once we have our destination, we recruit Tabitha, who can be our guide in New York. Of the women familiar with New York, Tabitha was the first and most vocal about joining us. She packed her gear in record time and climbed into one of the vehicles, waving goodbye to her worried wife.
The road from Santa Fe to New York is hot and dusty. We plan our stops ahead of time, coordinating with the vehicles behind us to minimize the danger. We fuel all the cars at once, two at the pumps, the rest of us standing guard.
Skye's Sanctuary (The Sanctuary Series Book 5) Page 16