by Joss Ware
“I’m not sure that addresses will help us with anything anymore,” Theo said with a little laugh. His arm rested around her waist and Simon could see the awkward stretch of her silky dress from its weight.
“It was an address that brought us to his place here in Envy,” Sage replied, arching her fine red brow. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t even have his flash drive.”
“True,” Theo replied. He looked down at her and tapped her pert little nose with a finger. Vato.
Sage rolled her eyes but she didn’t appear offended. “Those documents will require a lot of study and analysis. Who knows what we’ll find.” She stood then, a bit clumsily. She must have tripped on Geek Squad’s boat feet. “I’ll be right back,” she said, smoothing her hands down the front and sides of her dress and looking everywhere but at Simon.
“Where are you going?” Theo asked. As well he should, after what had happened last night.
“Restroom. Back in a sec.”
Simon did not watch her toddle away on heels that she was obviously not used to. Instead, he made certain he was focused on the stage where Jade seemed to be wrapping up her set—in the opposite direction. A quick glance toward the bar told him that Ian Marck was still there, nursing a vodka. He turned back to the conversation.
“So you and Sage, huh?” Fence said as soon as she was out of earshot. His wide grin seemed even brighter because of his dark skin. “Nice job, brother. How long has this been going on?”
“I wondered the same thing myself,” Lou added, peering at his brother above his glasses. He wore an expression that was somewhere between awkwardness and appreciation.
Theo rubbed his chin and had the grace to look a little bashful. “It’s…in its early stages,” he said, shifting in his seat.
Bueno. Simon nodded mentally, congratulating the vato for playing it cool. Maybe he wasn’t as much of an idiot as he thought.
Despite Fence’s inclination to probe for further details, Theo played the gentleman and changed the subject to the Internet-like network they were building of access points, filling in more details for those who weren’t involved. “The next stage would be to expand it to the north and west,” he said. “And then expand concentrically where we’ve already got a network.”
“How many people or locations are involved in the Resistance and the current network?” Simon asked.
“We have twenty NAPs set up, covering a geographic area of forty square miles, with Envy in the northwesternmost segment. At this time, they’re secret and we only have three members of the Resistance actually online with their own computers. They’re working to recruit more members and eventually we’ll set them up with their own computers,” Theo explained.
“But we have to be careful, keep it under wraps. After what happened with Charlie Venter, it’s imperative that we know who to trust,” Lou added.
“Charlie Venter?” asked Simon. “A snitch?”
Lou shook his head. “No, one of our technology experts. His wife was killed by a pack of gangas while a Stranger watched, and he came to Envy afterward. He lived here for four years, then about six months ago offered to be a satellite agent in Bracewood—to the south-east. He asked too many questions, and someone must have said something to a bounty hunter or a Stranger. His computers were taken and he disappeared. The assumption is that he’s dead.”
“Good guy,” Theo said soberly. “Smart as hell, but he hated the Strangers so much, it was hard for him to hide it. We’ve got to be even more careful now.”
“Especially you.” Lou looked at his brother. “You, Jade, and Elliott are now recognizable by Raul Marck, his son, and anyone else Preston communicated with during Jade’s rescue. As well, any information that might have been on Venter’s computer could identify you. You’re going to have to stay beneath the radar.”
Theo nodded. “More careful, but I’m not going to stop now. We need that network to grow a lot faster than it has been.”
“Word.”
“So, obviously expanding the network could help to find Remington Truth,” Simon commented. “If you could send out a broadcast of his picture and name, someone might recognize him.” He noticed that Ian Marck had disappeared, and that little warning prickle started over his shoulders.
Jade was off the stage. Marck was gone.
And so was Sage.
Simon nudged Elliott and nodded toward the bar.
As the other man stood abruptly, obviously to check on Jade, Simon looked toward the entrance of the Pub. That uneasy feeling crawled over him, and he nearly stood to go check things out in person. But then he saw Sage.
She was talking to someone just out of sight of the doorway, but at least he could see her and know that she wasn’t being dragged off into a dark corner. Her body language was one of awkwardness, but that didn’t surprise him—she was fairly shy, and not at all gregarious like her friend Jade.
Theo had slipped into a familiar argument with his brother about something geek related, and once plunged into that topic—which included terms such as bigtable and redundant storage—seemed to forget about everything around him.
Damn good thing Simon was there. Watching out for his girl.
Of course, that was what he was trained to do. Watch out for the other guy’s girl.
Sage shifted, and her hands fluttered in stiff animation. And then she moved again, and Simon saw whom she was talking to.
Ian Marck.
He was out of his seat in an instant. Striding through the Pub, he knew he appeared calm and casual, not a hair out of place…but inside, his muscles bunched and black violence stirred. He didn’t make the mistake of reaching for that nonexistent holster this time, but instead he felt for the knife that he’d tucked into the back of his belt, beneath a tattered jean jacket.
Marck saw him coming. To his credit, he didn’t flicker an eyelash. But their eyes met, understanding flashed between them, and then, when Simon was just out of earshot, Ian looked back at Sage. Said one more thing, leaned in much too closely and touched her arm, then turned and walked away.
Fuck-you was stamped all over his swagger as the bounty hunter melded into the crowd.
Sage turned and started back toward the Pub. Simon would have let her walk past and gone after Marck, but she noticed him and halted.
“Following me again?” she said. Chill brushed her voice.
“Do you know him?”
“No. He caught me as I was coming back.” She seemed to rethink her coolness. “Do you?”
“That was Ian Marck.” He knew she’d be aware of the name, but wasn’t surprised she’d never seen a picture of him. The days of cell phone pics and Facebook were long gone.
Her eyes grew wide. “The bounty hunter?”
“What did he want?” But Marck’d already told him: Same as you. Celebrating. Relaxing. Looking for a good lay.
Fucking coño.
She started to speak, then stopped. “I think I’d better tell everyone at once.”
Sage led the way back to the table, fully aware of Simon trailing behind her. She needed to put some space between them. He seemed ready to…do something.
Why was her heart slamming so hard in her chest?
Probably because he’d just appeared, suddenly, as he’d done twice now. No, three times. But it was the expression on his face, the set, black expression, that affected her. How could such a beautiful countenance turn so dark and frightening? Was it simply because he hated Ian Marck for kidnapping Jade?
Back at the table, Sage had no choice but to sit next to Theo again, despite the fact that she felt acutely uncomfortable with his arm around her. In front of everyone—Lou, Fence, Elliott…and Simon.
Especially Lou.
And most especially Simon.
And now that Jade was approaching, the goggling surprise in her friend’s eyes was just too much. Sage felt her cheeks heat and she shifted slightly away from Theo, under the guise of adjusting the stupid heels Jade had insisted she wear.
&nbs
p; Theo had sort of backed her into a corner outside the pub, and the look in his eyes had been so…intense. When he started to kiss her, Sage hadn’t pulled away. Even when she felt things get a little…intense.
Yes, that was the only way to describe the manner in which Theo had begun to act around her. Intense.
Obviously interested in more than just a few kisses. Obviously. Her cheeks heated even more and she realized her heart was thumping faster. The things he’d murmured into her ear, the way his hands settled around her waist, and the lingering way he looked at her. All of a sudden, things had changed.
Sage hadn’t realized he thought of her so…intensely. That made her a little nervous because she wasn’t feeling the same way. And she was curious, although she tried to keep things from getting too heavy. This was new. Why not? She’d be careful. Take things slow. This was a different Theo, and this…thing…with him felt a lot different than it had with Owen. Not overwhelming, but…nice. Not frightening.
Maybe she was ready to have a relationship now. And Theo was…well, her best friend. And he obviously—obviously—felt something for her. And he was handsome and very special, and—
Sage realized everyone was staring at her. Now her face was burning up and she quickly tried to corner her shattered thoughts. “Um…Ian Marck intercepted me on my way back from the restroom,” she said.
Apparently, they already knew this, because the expressions in the faces around the table didn’t change. “I didn’t know who he was until Simon told me,” she explained, gaining control of her scattered brain and focusing on the story. “And he didn’t pretend to know me, but he did ask me if I was a Corrigan from Falling Creek.”
“What did he say? Exactly?” Theo’s voice was hard, and she saw the same sort of darkness in his eyes that Simon’s had held. She felt the tautness of his body next to hers.
“He wasn’t rude, if that’s what you mean. He just asked me.” She caught Jade’s concerned gaze and suspected that her friend was thinking about the last time she’d come face-to-face with Ian Marck and his father. That was when she’d been brought back to Preston, the Stranger who’d imprisoned her for three years as his mistress.
“What else did he say?” Lou asked, his voice calm, his bespectacled eyes steady. Lots of people in Envy—in fact, most of them—thought he was more than a little crazy, with his conspiracy theories about the Strangers. But Sage knew how brilliant and razor-sharp he was, and how perceptive. Now he sat, waiting for her story without making assumptions or inserting his own opinions.
“He said, ‘You might want to let your friends know there’s information in Falling Creek.’” Sage remembered how serious his eyes had been, those intense blue ones. If she’d known he was Ian Marck, she might have been apprehensive, but the man she talked to hadn’t given her any reason to be concerned.
“I asked him what he meant, and he said, ‘Remington Truth. They might find something there.’ Then he sort of looked at me funny. ‘They’re looking for him. Trying to beat the Strangers, right?’”
“Opportunity there…” Lou murmured. Sage knew his mind was working because his wrinkled, veined hands drummed on the table. “‘Your friends.’ He obviously knows who we are. After what happened with Jade, he knows we aren’t supportive of the Strangers.”
“Raul hung his ass out to dry, practically turned him over to Preston,” Elliott said. “I doubt Ian’s hanging around his father anymore. If Raul’s even still alive.”
“Nice thing to do to a son,” said a clipped voice.
Sage realized Quent had been standing behind her for a while. The blond man didn’t look happy at all. His hair, which was usually neatly combed away from his forehead and temples, straggled around his face, which looked haggard.
No one responded to his comment, which hung there for a moment. Then, with exaggerated, precise movements, Quent pulled a chair over and sat down.
“Anyway,” Sage said, once again picking up the thread of the story, “I got the impression that he was trying to tell me something.”
“Obviously,” Theo said. He looked at Lou, and Sage could almost hear the sizzle in the air as their thoughts raced, connected, and swirled together. The fact that they were twins left them often following the same train of thought, usually ending up at the same location and conclusion.
“If there’s a clue to Remington Truth in Falling Creek, we should check it out,” said Lou.
“He’s a bounty hunter,” Theo added. “He kidnapped Jade and was working with Preston. Why would he want to help us find Truth?”
Elliott shrugged his broad shoulders and Sage saw him exchange glances with Jade. “He cared about a girl called Allie enough to risk bringing me there against the will of the Strangers,” Elliott said. “Maybe now that he and Raul have parted ways, he’s rethought his position.”
“Or maybe it’s a trick,” Theo said.
“Maybe it is. But we should check it out anyway. And besides,” Lou said, “Falling Creek would be a good place for an NAP…and a member of the Resistance.”
“We can’t just show up in Falling Creek,” Theo said. “They’re fu—” He stopped and glanced down at Sage.
“You can say it,” she said, leaning forward on the table. The others who didn’t know about FC were watching with interest. “They’re strange. And weird. And very closed. Which is why it makes perfect sense for me to go.” She smiled, looking around at everyone. At last…something to do outside of the computer lab.
“I’ll go with you,” Theo said immediately. “You’re right—we can’t just show up and expect them to allow us to join them. But they’ll let you in. Hell, they’ll welcome you back. The prodigal daughter returning home.” He looked immensely pleased with himself. “And you definitely can’t go alone.”
She definitely agreed with that. There was no way she was going alone.
“I think we do need to check it out,” Lou said. “And Sage is the obvious choice. You still have family there, and they’ll remember you. And aside from that, you know exactly what we’ve been doing with the NAPs and the network. You could set one up yourself.”
She nodded, her pulse faster and her mind racing. “I’ll tell them I’ve just decided to return home, that I’ve come to agree with their…philosophy.”
“Philosophy of what?” Elliott asked.
“The residents of Falling Creek live there in a sort of…well, commune. Compound. And they believe that the most important thing we need to do is to repopulate the human race,” Sage explained. Remembering growing up there sent a little nervous shiver through her, but she reminded herself she was older now. In control of herself and she knew what life was like beyond the walls of FC.
“So all they do is have orgies? I’m so there,” Fence said, then grinned as he took a big drink of beer.
Sage didn’t take offense. She’d heard worse, much worse. “I was only twelve when I left, so I don’t know all of the details,” she said. Although that was a little misleading, because she knew more than she’d let on. Or cared to think about. And the proper term was escaped, not left.
After all, she was being prepped for her own wedding. To a man thirty years her elder. Who already had five wives and twenty kids. Yes. He’d been doing his part to procreate.
No, she was definitely not going alone. In fact, she was going to go as a married woman.
“You can’t go, Theo,” Jade said.
Sage felt him tense next to her again and swivel to face Jade. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lou beat him to it. “She’s right, bro. You can’t. You’re too recognizable. It’s not safe.”
“I’ll be fine,” Theo said, stubbornness…and maybe a little desperation rolling off him. “Sage can’t go alone.”
“No, she can’t go alone, but you can’t go with her. It’s too risky. Nor can Jade or Elliott. Or me,” Lou added firmly. “It’s got to be someone else.”
“Theo,” Sage said, putting her hand on his. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. D
on’t risk it.”
He squeezed her hand, hard enough that it almost hurt. “Maybe it’s too dangerous for you too.”
Sage shook her head. No, he wasn’t going to win that battle. “Theo.”
“I’ll go,” Fence said, sitting upright in his seat. His eyes were full of good humor.
Then Sage looked down the table at Simon, who’d said absolutely nothing since they sat back down. He was watching her, and as their eyes caught, a wave of trepidation…and something else…washed over his face. Then it settled into an expression of bald reluctance.
Before she realized it, Sage was speaking. “Simon’s going to go with me.”
“You going to fill me in on our plan for getting into Falling Creek?” Simon asked.
Sage looked over at him, her glorious hair caught up in a ponytail that rested as low on her neck as his own did. He exhaled slowly. He was in such deep shit.
She had to shade her eyes against the bright sun in order to look over and up at him. “I will. And I never did thank you for agreeing to go with me,” she said as they hiked.
“You didn’t leave me much choice.”
She smiled. “I know. That’s why I’m thanking you.”
She might be thanking him, but Theo Waxnicki was definitely not.
No, the Geek Squad had not been pleased when he realized how it was going down.
Simon felt some sympathy for the vato, so he’d drawn Dragon Boy aside for a little man to man. “You’re gonna have to trust that I know how to keep her safe. I will. I’ll bring her back in one piece.”
He’d met the other man’s furious eyes and bored into them with his own steady ones. He made them cold and hard, and full of warning, and hoped Theo would get the message that he was not to be messed with, and what he was capable of. No one would hurt Sage on his watch.