Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1)

by William Bernhardt

  They all took seats around the large dining table that separated the kitchen from the family room. Mrs. Graham placed milk and orange juice before each of them, then returned to cracking eggs into a bowl. Camille sipped at the juice and returned her gaze to Mr. Graham.

  "None of us that help with the underground movement know more than the location of the two safe houses directly to our east and west. This prevents anyone from being able to compromise more than two safe houses if we are caught. We know they end at a safe location out west that we refer to simply as Ohm, but not where," Mr. Graham said.

  Camille swallowed her disappointment. "Then you can see that these two," she said, gesturing toward the twins, "and perhaps two others can be sent to Ohm?"

  Mr. Graham nodded, watching them closely. "I can send you all, if you'd like."

  Camille shook her head. "No, I'll find them on my own when I'm ready. I just can't keep all the ones I find, for fear of drawing too much attention." She turned toward the other Shines. "It's up to each of you. You'll be safe once you reach Ohm. Would you like Mr. Graham to send you along the underground movement? I can promise you'd reach Ohm's safety long before you would if you stay with me."

  The twins nodded in unison without glancing at the other, but remained silent.

  Karen shrugged. "Anything to be somewhere they can't find me. I'm tired of being hunted."

  Camille met Veronica's penetrating gaze. "I'd like to stay with you,” said Veronica, “if you'll have me."

  A shudder passed through everyone around the table as the other Shine's voice had its effect.

  "I can assure you, I can keep you quite safe," Mr. Graham said, his eyes fastened with interest on the full-figured Shine.

  Camille lifted her eyebrows, when Veronica blushed and looked away from Mr. Graham's hungry gaze. Mrs. Graham glanced between her husband and Veronica, her gaze troubled. Camille shook her head. Appearances were indeed deceiving. Who would have thought that Mr. Graham had a thing for large, curvy Latina women?

  She met Veronica's dark brown eyes and shrugged. "Your choice." She turned back to Mr. Graham. "Those going with you will need to get their things."

  Mrs. Graham set plates before each of them as Mr. Graham retreated down the hall to his office. "Brunch is ready. I hope you're hungry."

  Camille picked at her food as the other girls talked around her. Mrs. Graham was an excellent hostess, never allowing the conversation to lag too long. Despite the hospitality, Camille couldn't relax. She felt exposed here, waiting for the Feds to bust through the front door at any moment. She willed the other girls to finish their meal. Unable to sit still any longer, she stood and met Mrs. Graham's warm gaze.

  "Thank you for brunch, Mrs. Graham. We'll go and get these ladies' bags and be back this evening. We truly appreciate all you and Mr. Graham do to help Shines." She gestured for the others to rise. "We'll leave the way we entered to ensure no one realizes we were ever here."

  "You're welcome, dear. Annie will see you out. Bring the rest of your friends with you and I'll cook you all a nice dinner."

  Camille nodded and followed Annie toward the guest bedroom closet. They crossed the secret room with its two doors and waited as Annie pressed her hand to the scanner on the door. She opened the section of wall to reveal the bushes concealing it. Turning to Camille, she held out a pair of Glasses.

  "Take these. They were my sister's. When you get back, just contact me with these and I'll come open the door," she said, then threw her arms around Camille. "Thanks for saving me from being thrown into that Shine facility."

  Camille awkwardly patted her back. "No problem. We'll see you tonight."

  The younger girl pulled the door closed and Camille listened as the locks were reengaged, then she bent and shoved the glasses deep under the closest bush. The other Shines watched her in silence.

  She met each of their gazes. "As a Shine, you can't afford to trust anyone too much."

  The others nodded. Her own words haunting her, she turned to lead them out of the Grahams’ backyard.

  13

  Camille studied the small two-bedroom cottage that was to be their new home. Tucked away amid a tangle of trees near a small creek, its gardens were overgrown and it had the sad feel of an abandoned old lady.

  Brenna moved up beside her, hands on her hips. "You don't think it's too far out, do you?"

  Camille glanced to the left at fields of cattle that stretched as far as she could see, careful not to wrinkle her nose at the smells emanating from the stockyards. "It's cheap and they take cash. It's location at the edge of the city and its proximity to the stockyards, assured it was available when we needed it." She turned to face the other Shine. "You did well."

  Brenna smiled, the uncertainty leaving her eyes. "Thanks."

  Camille forced a smile and Brenna walked off to direct the arrangement of the last of their furniture. Camille muttered under her breath. "It'll be a miracle if I manage to sleep through the stench." She eyed the cattle responsible, then turned back toward the city. Amarillo stretched away from the cottage beneath a haze of dust blown around by howling winds. She'd always thought that no place could have worse dust storms than western Oklahoma. She'd been wrong.

  She entered the cottage, amazed anew at the size. It was much bigger than it appeared on the outside. They'd been pleasantly surprised to see that the cottage had a good sized living room that opened to a bright kitchen and small dining area. Off the living room was a small library, complete with a fireplace and floor to ceiling shelves. Brenna had claimed the room for herself, and Camille found her there arranging her desk and setting up her computers, her small collection of books on the shelf closest to the desk. She cleared her throat and closed the library's door to give them a semblance of privacy.

  "Thanks for humoring my paranoia and staying behind tonight, Bren." Camille leaned against the closed door.

  Brenna turned with a sympathetic smile. "You're our fearless leader, it's your job to be paranoid. Besides, I don't care for social gatherings and having to make small talk with people I don't know. So really, it's fine."

  She nodded and moved to sit on the cushion-less bay window seat. "I contacted Jeremy."

  "Are you sure that's wise?" Brenna asked, turning away from her computer to watch Camille.

  She met Brenna's concerned gaze. "No. He's a Fed, of course it's not wise. But then that's why I've got a plan and I'm going alone." Brenna opened her mouth to protest and Camille held up her hand. "I won't argue about this. We've already established that I'm an idiot. I won't bring any of the rest of you with me on a potential suicide mission." She turned to look out the window at fields of cattle that stretched as far as the eye could see. "I need to see him. He's my obsession, my weakness."

  Brenna walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just be careful. We're here if you need us."

  She placed her hand over Brenna's on her shoulder and squeezed. "Thank you, my friend."

  Camille slid into her car alone. She could feel several pairs of curious eyes on her as she pulled away from the new house. Her thoughts spun in circles in her head. What would she say to him? What if he betrayed her again? She rolled her eyes at herself. Well, then she'd know, wouldn't she? It'd be a relief to know for sure. Just follow the plan, Camille.

  Twenty minutes later, she drove past the cyber cafe, turned at the next stoplight and parked around the corner. When she stood in front of the coffee shop, she glanced down at her watch. Three o'clock exactly. She followed a woman inside. Jeremy sat in the back corner alone, a cup of coffee in front of him and his tablet untouched on the table. Camille went into the bathroom to release her Shine. When she came out, she handed a note she'd prepared ahead of time to a passing waitress with instructions to deliver it to Jeremy.

  Satisfied her instructions were being followed, she left the shop and headed back to her car, hiding herself with her Shine as she walked down the sidewalk. Her heart raced as she drove to Wonderland Amusement Park and
made her way inside. She stood in line waiting to buy tickets when a shiver ran down her back. She whirled around to find him standing only inches from her. She curled her fingers to keep from reaching toward him.

  His eyes roamed over her face, then locked on her eyes. "Hello, Scout."

  Camille clenched her jaw and swallowed the lump in her throat. She looked around them, scanning the crowd for any other Federal agents in the crowd.

  Jeremy grabbed her chin and pulled her gaze back to his. "I came alone."

  "Next," the ticket attendant said.

  "Two wristbands, please."

  The attendant tore two armbands from her roll. "That'll be forty dollars."

  As Camille reached for the cash she'd stuffed in her pocket, Jeremy reached past her to place the money in the attendant's hand and take the armbands.

  He leaned forward and placed his mouth against her ear. "Ride the Ferris wheel with me?"

  A tremor ran down Camille's neck. Heart pounding, she nodded. He took her hand and wrapped the band around her wrist. The lump returned when Jeremy clasped her hand tightly in his and pulled her toward the Ferris wheel. No one waited in line, the park filled mostly with teens interested in more thrilling rides at this time of day. Jeremy let go of Camille's hand to speak quietly with the ride attendant. He slipped a folded bill to the scruffy man who smiled at Camille and nodded. Jeremy moved back over to her and reclaimed her hand as the attendant opened the swinging two-person seat.

  They sat in silence as the seat started to move. Camille looked out over the park as they rose higher into the air. Her mind whirled. She'd dreamed of him, of this, but now that she was here, she didn't know what to say. The anger simmered, demanding she lash out at him for his part in Jenni's death while the hurt wanted her to ask him why he'd allowed them to lock her in that cage. The loneliness she'd felt since she'd left Jenni to die in that field simply wanted her to curl into his side and let him wrap his arms around her. Their seat descended back toward the ground where the attendant faced away from them, smoking a cigarette.

  "Camille look at me."

  She clenched her hands on the bar across her lap and squeezed her eyes shut. His long fingers curled around her chin and pulled her face toward him. She opened her eyes and met his intense blue gaze.

  "I didn't tell them you were leaving," he said, voice firm.

  Camille's voice was a thin thread of sound. "Then how did they know?"

  Jeremy frowned and stared out over the park as they rose back into the air, though Camille knew he was seeing something else entirely. "They didn't, actually. Brother Corey was responsible for compiling the list your father found. When I told him the Reverend would be stopping by a week early, he wanted to make a good showing by having a Shine from the list available for the Reverend's approval. Jenni just happened to be the closest documented Shine in the area."

  "Why didn't they come after me, too, then?"

  Jeremy blinked and focused back on her face with a grim smile. "You were still an unknown. All we had was your father's note to you. Brother Corey didn't want to chance that something could go wrong and embarrass him in front of the Reverend." He lifted a strand of her long brown hair from her shoulder and rubbed the silky strands between his fingers. "I would have had to kill him had he touched you."

  Camille swept her hair back behind her shoulder. "Don't patronize me. You work for the man who created the SSS. They hate us." She held her breath. "Do you hate us, too?"

  Jeremy lunged toward her, pressing her back into the seat. "What do you believe here?" He jabbed a finger at her chest, over her heart. "You don't have all of the facts and I can't give them to you, but you know me. You know me."

  Jeremy's heaving breath mingled with hers as he continued to lean over her. Something wet splashed onto her chest above the low-cut neck of her shirt. When had she started crying? She shoved him back and wiped at her wet cheeks with the back of her hands.

  She glared at him. "What am I supposed to believe? You work for the people helping to hunt my kind down and lock us away. You allowed them to lock me up, to hurt me. And now I find out you're a Fed?" She wrapped her arms around herself. "As it turns out, I don't know you at all."

  Gentle fingers on her arm pulled her back around to face him. He placed a hand on either side of her face, his expression sad, and leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm the man who wanted to protect you from intruders, the same man who held you when you cried. You didn't know everything about me, but you knew the important stuff. I would be risking the lives of a lot of good people if I gave you all of the details of my work, but what’s important is for you to see me outside of my job. I love you, Camille. I realized it when that SUV rolled over and I thought I might lose you."

  Camille's eyes widened and she shook her head, trying to break free from the web his words created around her heart. "No, don't," she gasped.

  Jeremy held her face tighter, forcing her to meet his burning gaze. "I love the way your smile lights up your eyes, your wry sense of humor, and how hard you fight to protect others like you." He pulled her face closer until their noses touched. "I love you and I know you love me. One day, you will admit it."

  He closed his eyes and pressed his soft lips against hers. Camille fought and lost against the feelings swirling inside her. Her eyes fluttered closed and she opened her mouth on a sigh. With a groan of triumph, Jeremy angled his head and deepened the kiss.

  The Ferris wheel pulled to a jarring stop, causing their seat to rock wildly, interrupting the haze of desire enveloping them. Camille jerked her head from his grasp and inhaled large lungfuls of air. They were stopped at the top of the giant wheel. The bars clanged as the attendant loaded another couple directly below them.

  Camille checked her watch. "I have to go soon."

  Jeremy pulled her back and tucked her under his arm as the Ferris wheel started around again. "It's a dangerous game you're playing. You can only hide so many Shines in plain sight."

  She longed to tell him everything going on with her and her Shines, but despite her instincts telling her to trust him, she censored her words. "I've found a solution to that problem. That's why I need to go soon."

  "You need to go west."

  Camille turned to look up to meet his thoughtful gaze. "How do you know?"

  He looked down at their joined hands. "If I were going that way, I'd be sure to visit Scotty's Castle in Death Valley. Its isolated beauty shouldn't be overlooked." He lifted his hand, holding up one finger at the attendant as the seat passed by. The attendant nodded. Jeremy looked back down at her. "Don't forget to visit Scotty's Castle, Camille."

  14

  Camille rubbed her tingling lips as Jeremy walked out of the park. He'd made her promise to contact him if she ever got into a situation she couldn't get out of herself. Understanding the danger of the path she was on, she’d agreed. She swept her gaze around the parking lot as she followed Jeremy out a short time later, her Shine hiding her and her car from sight.

  Grabbing a duffel bag from the back of her car, she stripped off the clothes she'd worn to the park, leaving them in a pile on the ground, and changed into the jeans and t-shirt in the bag. The idea that Jeremy might try to track her back to their temporary home had been Brenna's idea. Apparently, her group of Shines was picking up on her paranoia. Camille smiled and kicked off the shoes she'd worn. She left the pile of clothes sitting in the parking lot and drove toward their new home. Paranoia came in quite handy at times.

  She arrived home to find the other Shines in various modes of relaxation. Rachel still claimed the couch. The twins and Karen played a card game at the table, a bag of chips beside them. She crossed through the living room and knocked on the door to Brenna's office.

  "In," a muffled voice said. Camille entered the room and shut the door behind her. Brenna sat, chin in her hand, staring at the computer. When she saw Camille, she smiled and turned away from the computer. "How'd it go?"

  Remembering the feel of Jeremy's soft lips
on hers, Camille blushed. "Fine."

  Brenna gave her a knowing look. "Looks like it went more than fine. I see you at least remembered to change your clothes," she said, crossing her arms. "Did he share anything useful with you besides saliva?"

  Camille narrowed her eyes on the other girl. "He said we should visit Scotty's Castle in Death Valley."

  Brenna turned to her computer, her fingers flying over the keys. "This says it was a historic tourist stop officially known as Death Valley Ranch, but commonly referred to as Scotty's Castle. It's pretty isolated, its location being about fifty-five miles from the nearest town. About four years ago, the National Park Service put the Ranch up for sale after interest in visiting it waned and they began losing money on its upkeep. No one came forward to buy. It's now available to the public by appointment only. Sounds like they keep it locked up and vacant except when someone requests a visit."

  "Sounds like Paradise," she said dryly.

  Brenna shot her a narrow-eyed look over her shoulder. "It sounds," she said, "like the perfect location for a resistance base."

  Camille shrugged and shoved her curiosity aside. "And it may be, but we need to focus on the here and now. We have a dinner to attend in an hour."

  Brenna rolled her eyes and opened a drawer of her desk. "I have a new toy for you to try out, it just arrived this morning from my contact back home."

  The other woman lifted a clear baggie that held a tiny silver disk.

  Camille lifted her eyebrow and met Brenna's excited gaze. "Why are you giving me a watch battery?"

  The other Shine rolled her eyes. "Just take it."

  Camille took the baggie and pulled it closer to her face while Brenna turned back to the drawer, muttering under her breath about being surrounded by idiots. Biting back a smile, she waited for the other Shine to enlighten her ignorant leader.

  Brenna stood and pulled a tiny flat black box out of another bag. "That is not a battery, my technology ignorant friend. It's a mini nano earpiece that I had my contact modify specifically for you."