by Strauss, Lee
“I like it,” Taylor said.
“Like what?”
“Your new look. It’s hot.”
I felt lightheaded. I sat on one of the kitchen stools. “What happened, after we left?”
Taylor rubbed at the bristle growing on his chin. “We went to South Dakota. Hid in the mountains.”
“I’m so sorry. It’s our fault that you guys got caught in our cross-fire.”
“We didn’t exactly make it easy for you to leave. Finn—”
“Yeah, I remember.” Finn’s obsession with Noah and his blog.
“And he really did believe going up against ‘the spawn of Satan’ was God’s will for him. In other words, it’s not your fault. He was looking for a fight.”
I tapped my fingers on my glass. Taylor didn’t look like he was going to go back to bed.
“So, if you’re here for me, why’d you bring them?”
“The girls?” he hedged. “I kind of had to.”
I had a feeling he wasn’t being completely forthcoming.
“Are you and Brody still…together?” he asked.
“I don’t remember you being so bold.”
“You don’t? That’s exactly how I remember myself.” He took a step forward and I froze.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to try to kiss you again.” He pulled out the other stool. “Tonight.”
I needed to change the subject or go. Taylor’s presence sucked all the oxygen out of the room. The kitchen was tiny, and leaving meant I’d have to squeeze past him.
“If it’s not for the money, then what? There are lots of other girls around, less complicated than me. I’m on the run, if you haven’t figured that out. Not exactly settled down girlfriend material.”
“I’m like you, Zoe. I’m a GAP.”
“What?” That was the last thing I’d expected to come from his mouth. “How…I mean, the commune…”
“I wasn’t born on the commune. My parents were GAP supporters. They had the procedure done on me before they died. Before Hannah and I were adopted by the Galloways.”
My heart fluttered at the news. Taylor stretched his hand out to me. I could make out the faint white scar in the dim light.
“They removed my chip. Just like someone removed yours.”
“Noah.”
“Noah removed your chip? And you let him?”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I wasn’t really involved in the decision.”
“He took it out against your will?”
I nodded. “It was the only way he could get me away from my grandfather.”
“Why would he want to steal you away from your grandfather?”
“You do realize we’re talking about the maniac currently running our country, don’t you?”
“Point taken.”
“Is Hannah a GAP, too?”
Taylor shook his head. “No. Our parents died before she could get the procedure.”
“So you and I are GAPs,” I said, still stunned by this revelation.
Taylor reached for my hand and softly stroked my scar. His touch sizzled and my body tingled, burned. I felt I might spontaneously combust right in front of him. I breathed deeply and pulled my hand away. I couldn’t let him get to me again.
“There are lots of other GAP girls,” I said, my voice sounding very hoarse.
“You’re the only one I know.”
“I should go.” I stood, hoping he’d let me by.
He didn’t move. I had to shimmy past him like I was trying to get out of a movie theatre row. His knees brushed against my thighs. Air vanished from my lungs. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and wet his lips with his tongue.
My knees weakened and I lost my balance, forcing me to grab his arm to prevent a very humiliating and compromising tumble into his lap. His bicep flexed under my fingers.
I choked and made a mad dash for the door, not looking back until I made it to Mary’s bedroom. I slipped under my covers in the darkness and caught my breath.
I let out a soft groan. Taylor Blake was determined to make life hard for me. I hoped Noah and I would survive it.
Chapter 32
I awoke in the morning to a quiet room and a headache. I was late to get to sleep the night before, no thanks to Taylor Blake, and now I’d overslept. All the other bunks were empty. I gingerly pulled myself out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom. The living area was eerily quiet considering how many people were in the place. I hoped Taylor and the girls weren’t with the authorities reporting my whereabouts.
I had to trust what Taylor had said, even if the whole concept of trusting him was foolhardy.
A quick peek in the kitchen proved that it was empty. I wanted to check on Noah. I moved quietly to the door so I wouldn’t wake him if he were sleeping. It was cracked open. Enough for me to hear that he had a visitor. It was Mary’s voice.
“Thanks for telling me the truth,” she said. “Though it’s hard to get used to calling you Noah, now.”
“I’ll still answer to Jude.” Noah sounded a little stronger. I was relieved.
“It’s only because of you, you know,” Mary continued, “that I’m not turning her in.”
My throat grew instantly dry. I pressed into the door a little closer.
“What about Jabez?”
“I can control him, at least for a little while. But you gotta understand what a million dollars would do for us.”
“We’re a team, Mary. We got into this mess together. I could never abandon her or betray her.”
“Are you sure? What is she to you now? You said you weren’t a couple?”
“We’re not. But I’m still responsible for her. The only way I’d send her back to her family is if she wanted to go. They’d steal every memory since her brother’s death.”
My heart stopped. Noah had told her everything. I’d felt so exposed.
And a burden to Noah. He wanted me to go back to Sol City.
I peeked in, needing to see his face. Did he mean it? All I could see was Mary’s back.
“Okay. I’ll do this for you,” she said. Then she bent down and kissed him. I think he kissed her back.
A wave of blackness surged my vision and then I felt myself fall.
I was lying on the couch with no recollection as to how I’d gotten there. My vision blurred before clearing into an image of Noah’s beat-up face.
“Hey,” I heard him say.
My lips and mouth were dry, but I mustered a response. “What happened?”
“You fainted.”
I was stunned. I’d never fainted in my whole life.
I sat and Noah handed me a glass of water. That was when I noticed everyone else in the room. Mary and Jabez. Hannah and Rebecca.
Taylor.
“I’m not a zoo display,” I said. I turned to Noah. “What are you doing out of bed?”
“I’m stiff but nothing’s broken. I have to keep moving if I want to recover.”
The memory of the conversation I’d heard between Noah and Mary flashed across my mind. Then I remembered the kiss and I gasped.
“Zoe?” Noah said, concern etched on his face.
“I’m fine. What is everyone staring at?” I refused to look at him. “Just leave me alone.”
“It’s not like we have anywhere else we can go,” Noah said to me. “It’s freezing outside. This is the only warm room besides the gym.”
“Is that what happened to your face?” Taylor asked, smirking. “You fell in the gym?”
Mary proceeded to tell him about the fight club. “If you plan on staying here—” she waved a hand to Rebecca and Hannah, “—with them, you might want to train, too. Everyone has to pay their way, and you could make good money if you win. Just ask Noah.”
“If I win?” Taylor laughed.
“You look strong.” Mary’s eyes moved up and down Taylor’s body in a way that would’ve made me blush. “With some instruction you could fight and win.”
Taylor had g
rown up working on the farm and he had a physical physique to prove it.
“And get this pretty face smashed in like his?” Taylor shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ll find another way to contribute.”
We all stared at him and I wondered who’d get to the authorities first, Taylor or Mary.
Taylor’s eyes met mine. “Not like that. You’re safe with me.” He grinned and Noah coughed.
Noah moved close and whispered in my ear, “We have to leave. Tomorrow.”
I nodded subtly. Noah was loyal. He was bound and determined to stick this out with me, no matter how he felt about Mary. No matter how he no longer felt about me.
I couldn’t stand being the object of everyone’s attention. I had to ask Noah to move so I could get up. I felt fine now—nothing a piece of toast and a coffee wouldn’t cure.
I went to the kitchen, and everyone left me alone. They were smart enough to pick up on the vibe I gave off.
Jabez came in just as I was finishing. He had his coat and wool hat on and nodded toward the courtyard.
I smiled. “I’ll meet you there.” I gathered my winter things and joined him. The cold air bit at my nose and lungs, and I puffed it out like dragon’s breath.
Jabez lit a cigarette and offered me one.
I shook my head. “I’ve quit.”
Jabez nodded and stuffed the pack back in his coat pocket. The tip of his cigarette grew bright red as his tugged on it. Then he let out a long smoky sigh.
“So, Zoe Vanderveen, huh?”
I nodded sheepishly. “Are you going to turn me in? A million dollars is a lot of money.”
Jabez laughed. “Believe me, I’m tempted. But I like you, Chloe-Zoe. Tell me, why don’t you like your family? I mean, at least you got one.”
“They messed with my mind. Literally. Stole my memories and brain washed me to believe things that weren’t true.”
Jabez’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“That’s sick and crazy.”
“I know. I could go back. I wouldn’t die. I just wouldn’t be me. Maybe I should. I don’t know if it’s worth the trouble to stay away anymore.”
“Any trouble to stay free is worth it, Chloe-Zoe.” He reached up and stroked my chin. “Don’t give up.”
I flashed him a soft, sad smile. “Thanks.”
“Ya sure you don’t wanna smoke?”
“I have a date with the punching bag.”
He chuckled. “A healthier alternative.”
Noah was wrong. The gym wasn’t that warm. I did a few jumping jacks to get my blood flowing, followed by leg and body stretches. Then I took on that bag with every ounce of strength I had, each punch and kick an effort to release the frustration and helplessness I felt.
My mounting feelings for Noah and how jealous I’d felt when Mary kissed him. The injustice in the world, not the least of which was my own fugitive status and the fact that I couldn’t rely on my own family.
Taylor Blake.
He was just more confusion. We had strong chemistry, but it was the kind of passion that couldn’t be trusted. Besides, life with Taylor meant life with his sister and his obnoxious tagalong, Rebecca. The sooner we parted ways, the better.
Jabez would let me stay, for awhile anyway, until he tired of me and the money looked more desirable than I did. As much as I liked Jabez, I couldn’t see us ever being more than friends.
I was trapped. I had to leave with Noah tomorrow, even if he didn’t really want to keep running with me. What else could I do? Unless I went back to Sol City and surrendered my life? I didn’t think that would protect Noah though. Grandpa would go after him out of spite.
And if Noah was going down, I was going to go down with him.
“Wow. I wouldn’t want to meet up with you in a dark alley.” Taylor Blake sauntered into the gym. “Unless, of course, it was for a romantic rendezvous.”
I gave the bag one more hard jab before grabbing a towel and wiping the sweat off my face. I turned to him. “You have a one track mind.”
“Only when I’m with you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Noah made Mary train me. You know, in case I was caught off guard without my gun.”
“I’ve seen you with a gun.” Taylor leaned up against the ring. “It’s sexy.”
“Glad to have impressed you.” I huffed. “What do you want, Taylor?”
“Hey, just making conversation.” He glanced around the gym, suddenly looking uncomfortable. I had the feeling there was a purpose to this visit. I gulped back water from my bottle and waited. “I need to be totally honest with you,” he continued without smirking. Not a hint of tease in his voice.
“Okay.” I leaned up against the ring beside him.
“I didn’t come just for me, even though I wanted to find you. I came for my mother.”
“Celia?”
Taylor bit on his lower lip, a sign of nerves I wasn’t used to seeing. “She’s your grandmother.”
I blinked a few times. “What?”
“You tipped her off with your alias, Zoe Morgan. Her last name, before she married my dad, was Morgan. She has an estranged daughter named Alison.”
My body went numb and I slid to the floor. Taylor followed suit, sitting beside me.
“She suspected it was you at the commune. I guess you look like her daughter. Then when the authorities came…”
Celia Galloway was my grandmother? Alison didn’t know what had happened to her, only that she was anti-GAP and that they’d lost touch when her mother remarried a man who was even more anti-GAP than she was.
It explained why Celia kept staring at me and that strange visit I had from her at the barn when I was being shunned.
“Even if it’s true,” I said, “why would she care? Aren’t I some kind of symbol of all things evil?”
“If you are, then I am, too. I know this might be hard for you to believe, but she’s a good mother. I don’t remember that much about my biological mom. Celia’s the only mother I have and I love her.”
I hadn’t pegged Taylor as a mama’s boy. I found the trait enduring.
“I still don’t understand what that has to do with me,” I said.
“You’re family, Zoe. That’s all that matters to her. Celia wanted me to make sure you were okay.”
“Why’d you bring your sister and Rebecca? Surely this is a trek better made on your own?”
“Hannah’s pregnant.”
“Oh.” I remembered the love tryst in the barn loft. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well, she and Simon weren’t married and even though my mother would forgive her transgression, my father and Finn aren’t so generous.”
“And Rebecca came to help her?”
Taylor hesitated before nodding. “Something like that.”
I had the feeling Rebecca came for Taylor as much as she came for Hannah. You had to be blind to miss seeing the crush she had on him. “What about Rebecca’s illness? How’s God going to heal her without Finn’s special water?”
Taylor grimaced. “I told her the truth.”
“Like telling a child there’s no Santa.”
“I suppose. Anyway, I made enough medication for her to last a while.” He crossed his arms loosely.
This was all very interesting.
“Wouldn’t the money you could get from turning me in go a long way to taking care of Hannah and the new baby?”
“It would. But like I said, we’re family now.”
I couldn’t believe that thin thread would be enough in the long run. It had to be extremely tempting. “You and I are not family.”
“Your grandmother is my mother, so we’re like cousins or something. Or maybe I’m your uncle.” He laughed. “That’s kind of kinky.”
I swatted his arm. “Not by blood.”
Taylor’s eyebrows shot up and he flashed me a flirtatious grin. “That means I can still kiss you.”
I stood, and not because I wasn’t tempted to kiss Taylor Bl
ake. Because I needed a shower. “I’m not sure what to do with this information,” I said. “You should know that Noah wants to leave tomorrow.”
“Christmas Day?”
“Yeah, well, he figures most people will be busy with family and such. Better chance of sneaking away un-noticed.”
“Where will you go?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know how we’re going to get where we’re going.”
“Noah didn’t tell you?”
“I’m not sure he knows yet.”
“I know a place you can go. In Arizona. The old volcanic mountain ranges have habitable caves.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I’ve been doing some research myself. It’s tough for satellite and cyberspace tracers to penetrate cave walls. Even GPS systems in personal chips are blocked.”
“We should tell Noah,” I said.
“You tell him. And mention that we’re coming, too.”
My eyes must’ve betrayed my suspicion.
“Don’t worry. I have some money. Being a tech wiz has its financial advantages.”
I didn’t doubt that. It wasn’t a good reason to trust him, though.
Chapter 33
Somehow Mary and Jabez located enough food on the black market to put together an impressive Christmas dinner, including a ham roast. The hefty cost was affordable thanks to the tidy sum taken in from Noah’s win, which was why we had actual fresh salad, canned corn and pumpkin pie for dessert.
We carried in a large factory table and set it up in the middle of the living room. Hannah and Rebecca decorated it with tree boughs they’d found outside and candles Mary had produced. I set out the dishes and when we were ready to eat, I helped Mary bring out the food.
We were a motley crew: An inner-city brother and sister duo, three former commune/cult members and two fugitives. The rental period on Fred had run out and he’d been returned.
I almost started dishing out, but Noah nudged me under the table, signaling that the rest of them wanted to pray first. I bowed my head in deference while Mary and Jabez recited a traditional pre-meal prayer. Everyone else said Amen and I felt like the odd man out.