Meg looked at me, and I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. "Can you do anything like that?"
"Not like that, but I can see things." I replied quickly. "And Joss can hear a bee fart."
Meg's eyes widened in surprise, and she threw her head back, laughing loudly. It was pure and heartfelt. Contagious. I smiled at first, but was soon dragged along with her, and I began to chuckle. It seemed to go on for minutes, but she finally took a deep breath and wiped tears from her eyes.
"Ali," she said as she stood, coming to stand close to me. "I wanted to offer you one of the rooms up here. The top two floors of this tower are completely clear, and Stephanie would be safe. It's getting her here that will be a problem."
I blinked. I was sure they'd both want to come here, especially after I told them what these rooms looked like, but I said, "I'll check with them. See what they want to do. It'll be a risk"
Meg nodded. "I have nothing to offer, aside from a distraction."
I looked at the lights burning with electricity. "Do you think Gordon could get that golf cart working?"
She chuckled, "I don't know what Gordon can and can't do. The things he's able to make work again seem like magic. We can ask him, though. He'll probably enjoy tinkering around with it in any case, but it might take a while."
That idea was out then. I looked at Meg, "Let me talk to them. We might be able to figure something out."
"Lights and sound distract them." She offered.
I nodded in thanks, although I had already figured that out, and glanced at Hope before I turned to leave. Her eyes never strayed far from me, but she had been playing quietly by herself while Meg and I talked. I smiled at her and waved. She didn't wave back.
Meg followed me out the door, closing it behind her and apologized for her daughter. "Sorry. She's never seen anyone else before. She probably doesn't remember the others at all. They all left before she was two."
I laughed. "No need for an apology."
"I don't like to be away from her after dark, but I can escort you down if you like." Meg offered, but I shook my head.
"I remember the way. Are you positive the other hotel's bottom floor is clear?"
"Yes, but please double-check before you move." Meg said. "I could have missed something."
"Thanks," I smiled again and turned for the stairwell. As I entered, letting the door close behind me, I looked down the twenty-six flights of stairs and took a deep breath. "Here we go."
I practically ran the whole way back to the café. The sun was close to setting, but there was plenty of light to see by, and I counted the freaks as I made my way across the road. Getting Stephanie past them was going to be problematic. If we pushed her in the golf cart, we would have to go out of our way to avoid curbs and medians, so that idea was out. Something a little more subtle would be needed.
I was breathless by the time I reached the café door, but from excitement instead of exertion. Joss met me, his face nervous, but my exhilaration was contagious. He was on the verge of a smile before I even began to speak. "She's offered us a place to stay."
"Where?" Joss said, and even Stephanie perked up at that.
"She's got the whole top floor cleared out of her hotel. She said we could stay up there with her." I answered. Joss was grinning, and I grabbed him by both his shoulders and shook him. "She has electricity!"
His face went slack with disbelief. "No way. How?"
"This fabled Gordon that she keeps talking about. He wasn't there. I--"
Joss cut me off. "What about the one the other one?"
I cocked an eyebrow at him, and he backed away. "I did meet her, but..." I searched for words, not knowing how to say it. I shrugged and looked pointedly at Stephanie. "She's Meg's daughter, born after the turn."
Stephanie's breath caught in her throat.
Joss frowned, confused. "How?"
"She doesn't know. It just happened. She was pregnant when the mist came."
Joss looked back at Stephanie, and a grin broke out over his face again. It was the spark we needed. Knowing that a baby could live and grow in this world returned our confidence. Joss turned back to me and said, "How soon can you get the truck running?"
I scoffed. "We can't depend on that. It'll take days, and I don't have everything I need. We'll have to figure out another way to get Stephanie over there. Meg says the bottom floor of that hotel is clear."
The expression on Joss's face suddenly grew determined. He turned to the pile of packs and began to dig through mine. I frowned at him, wondering what he was up to, but let him continue. A moment later he turned back to me, pulling out my flashlight.
"I'll check."
There was a hard look in his eyes, and I understood. He wouldn't trust Meg's word, and he wouldn't trust mine. He would be as thorough as anyone could be. I nodded. "It's a big area."
"You know where I'll be." He said. I admired his resolve and stepped back to let him go. At least he wouldn't be far. I watched him as he crossed the plaza, then turned to see Stephanie's wary eyes on me.
Shit.
After a moment of awkward silence, I began to move around the room, lighting the candles. I was surprised when Stephanie joined me. Her voice was soft. "I fixed some more noodles for dinner. They're in the kitchen if you want some."
I looked at her and managed to get my lips turned up into something that resembled a smile. "Thank you."
Letting Stephanie finish with the candles, I grabbed a bowl of noodles and sat down to eat in silence. The room grew darker until the light of the candles shone brighter than the sky outside. I kept my eyes on the side door, always watching for Joss, but I found I was becoming more relaxed letting him go out on his own. I did wonder if the light of that small flashlight would be enough for him to accomplish his task, but another sweep tomorrow morning wouldn't hurt anything.
Stephanie's soft voice slashed into my thoughts. "Did you know Seth?"
I froze, my heart skipping a beat at the sound of his name. Glancing at Stephanie, I saw an earnest curiosity in her eyes.
"He was Joss's brother." I said simply, trying to hold my voice level.
Stephanie nodded, "Joss told me about him. Some, anyway."
I turned back to the window, unable to hold eye contact with her. Apparently that some didn't include the past year of our lives. I nodded.
Several moments passed before she spoke again. "Joss didn't tell me everything."
"Did he tell you how we met?" I asked.
"No."
This time, an uneasy smile came to my lips, but at least it was a real smile. I began to tell her about that little grocery store where I'd found Joss and Seth in El Paso. Even though I didn't mind telling our story, I talked slow, deliberately drawing it out. I was scared of the questions that might follow once I stopped talking. The story didn't last nearly as long as I hoped it would.
"Seth was a stubborn jackass." I laughed as I finished. "If it wasn't for Joss, I think we might have killed each other."
"Did you get to travel with each other for long?"
"Long enough." I sighed, my smile fading. I looked at Stephanie, wary of what was coming next, but something that I never would have expected happened instead.
Stephanie paused, seeming to struggle with her next words, and I clenched my teeth. Abruptly, she doubled over and whatever she was about to say disappeared in a long, drawn out, "Ooohhhhh."
I was on my feet in an instant, panic prickling across my skin, and I floundered. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I took a couple tentative steps toward her, seeing that both her hands were cupping the ball of her belly, and I tried to choke down the alarm I knew would be in my voice. "Are you okay?"
It was a stupid question, but I didn't know what else to say. I closed the distance between us and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Stephanie was taking long, deep breaths, and seconds swam by as she slowly straightened. She nodded, but the worry was plain on her face.
"I think so." She said as she leaned back in her s
eat. "Gwen told me this would start happening. I've felt it before, but never this strong."
I looked at her belly then back to her eyes, scared to ask. "What?"
"Fake contractions." She said, relaxing completely. "She got them all the time when she was pregnant with Demetri."
Wonderful.
Yet another reminder that we needed to find a safe and secure place for her, and there wasn't a lot of time left. I took a few steps back and asked, "Do you need anything? Some water?"
She shook her head. "No, I think I'm okay now."
I continued to hover until Stephanie looked at me, and a broad grin broke out over her face. Astonishingly, she giggled. My eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
"Your face!" She spat out between sharp, girlish giggles. I reached up to rub my cheeks, and suffered through her laughter until she was finally about to spit out what she was struggling to say. "You should have seen your face!"
Oh, Jesus, the girl is insane!
I spun and stalked away, her laughter following me. I slumped into my seat, dropping my head against the table and ran my fingers through the uneven strands of my hair. My cheeks were burning.
I have to stop letting Joss leave me alone with her.
I groaned as her laughter continued.
~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, I stood at the window, staring out at Joss's brilliant idea. A huge laundry hamper on tiny little wheels.
"You can't be serious." I said, shaking my head. Stephanie stood next to me, her face pale and drawn.
"It's only to get her across to the door." Joss said. "We'll have to carry it so it doesn't make any noise. Those wheels are pretty loud."
I chewed on my bottom lip, shaking my head. Joss wanted to carry her across in that? The girl was a pain in my ass, but I didn't want to get her killed. There was absolutely no protection if we happened to draw any freak attention.
"At least help me bring it inside." Joss huffed. I glared at him but relented. It was long and slim, and easily fit through the door. The three of us stared at it in silence. Joss had the presence of mind to layer the bottom of it with clean towels, and it left plenty of room for Stephanie to sit in it, even with her bulging tummy.
Like it or not, it was the only option readily available to us, but I couldn't commit the girl to it. What if the cloth ripped?
"I'll do it." Stephanie said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"What?" Joss and I both said at the same time. I shot a glance at Joss and was surprised to see the shock on his face matched my own. It had been his idea!
"I'll do it." Stephanie said again, her voice firm this time. "I want to see more than just this restaurant. I want to see Meg and her daughter."
Joss looked out the window to the freaks that were milling about in the parking lot. Surprisingly enough, even with all our movement in and out of the building, we hadn't drawn much attention. Only a few had wandered back toward the plaza.
"I can lead them off, then circle back around. It would only take a few minutes to get her across." Joss said.
I sighed deeply. I didn't like it, but there wasn't another option. At least not one that didn't involve days of preparation. It would have been suicide if there were more freaks around, but as it was, this wasn't as bad as our walk across the golf course.
"Do it." I said finally. "Let's get it done."
Joss was out the door a moment later, and I began to prepare the hamper for Stephanie's ride. "Are you sure about this?"
Her eyes roved the plaza, watching Joss wave his arms around wildly as he ran past the freaks, gathering their attention. "It doesn't look so bad. I can be quiet now."
She was right. The plaza was clear enough that she could walk across without a hitch, but that didn't mean the plan was completely without danger. While we waited on Joss to get back, I went over everything in my head. This would be easier and less conspicuous than pushing her in a golf cart, and the safest way of getting her out of here in a vehicle wasn't without its own risks. I accepted that Stephanie wanted this, so I would see it through. There was no reason to argue against it.
When Joss slipped back in, I was already helping Stephanie get situated in the hamper. It was made of thick, stiff canvas, and I didn't worry about it tearing under her weight. There was nothing on the bottom to brace it, so we piled plenty of towels in for padding, but Stephanie struggled to keep from doubling over into herself. She looked extremely uncomfortable.
"Let's make this quick." I said, laying a cover over the top to hide her from view. Before she disappeared, I saw the strained look on her face. It was an effort for her to hold her body in a position that protected her stomach. I waved Joss to one side and took the other.
Minutes later we were pulling her into the Bellagio without incident. As soon as the doors closed, we heaved a collective sigh of relief, and Joss hurriedly helped her out of the hamper. She wobbled on her legs for a moment before a bright smile broke out on her face. She was beaming she was so thrilled to be out of that little cafe.
"I'll show you around." Joss smiled, and she immediately slipped her hand in his. It was so casual that she didn't seem to realize what she had done, but Joss tensed. His eyes met mine, and I glowered at him.
"Tell her." I grumbled so low under my breath I didn't think he heard me, but he nodded. My teeth ground together, and I was sure he heard that. His eyes were wide as she tugged him further into the hotel, and I watched them go, wondering if I would have to be the one to break the news to her. She would never forgive him if I did that.
Muttering to myself, I pushed the hamper back outside, intending to pack it full of our belongings and move them over. Joss was right about the wheels. They screeched obnoxiously, and I worried I might draw freaks back into the plaza, but Joss had been thorough in leading them off. It was a simple thing to get our things transferred to the hotel, despite the squeaky wheels.
Laughter led me to Stephanie when I came back. She was dancing through the rows of slot machines, and in the best mood I'd ever seen her in. Joss was leaning against a column with his arms folded across his chest as if he were on guard for any freak that he might have missed, but he was smiling.
"It's so big!" Stephanie said, tugging on a slot machine handle that wouldn't budge.
"Not to be a downer, but remember there are freaks in the building on the upper floors." I said. "Be careful around the stairwells."
Stephanie paused to look at me, a tinge of worry in her eyes, but I was able to force a smile. That seemed to pacify her, and she continued to wander through the casino area. I turned to Joss. "Where do you want to set up camp?"
"Does it matter?" He asked. "It's not like we're going to be here long."
I stared at him for a moment. "You seriously think we'll be able to get her to the Palace through all that?" I motioned to the droves of freaks that littered the road and parking lots between us and the hotel.
"I do." He said. "We're so close. We have to try."
I shot a quick look at Stephanie, who was absorbed with her exploration, and took a precautionary step closer to Joss. "A try could get her killed."
"Come here." He said, tilting his head toward the lobby doors, motioning me to follow him. "I found something that can help."
"An armored tank might help." I scoffed as I fell into step beside him. His only response was a shake of his head.
Joss grabbed a bag that was sitting in one of the chairs, and I watched curiously as he pulled it open. The bag was full of unlit flares. I glanced out the window to the milling freaks before arching an eyebrow at him. "This is your plan?"
He shrugged. "Part of it. I'm going to find a way to reinforce the hamper so she's not all scrunched up inside, but the flares should help distract the freaks long enough so we can get her across."
"That's risky." I said, unable to drum up much faith for his plan.
"Staying here is risky," He whispered. I turned to meet his eyes and finally noticed the concern in them. "This place is too open an
d there are dead-brains directly above us. It would be too easy for one of them to find a way in here."
That confused me. Joss had been so over-protective of Stephanie the past few days, and this sudden shift in his attitude threw me. I stared at him, trying to figure out what was driving him now. "If you knew that, why did you want her brought over here?"
"Look at her." He whispered, and I turned to watch her again. She was still roaming through the casino, a smile fixed on her face. Abruptly, I knew this was something I didn't want to take from her. She had been so young when she was captured, and this was the first time she'd been able to experience this kind of wonder. Joss had understood that even before we brought her over.
He continued, "Once we got her over here, I knew it would be easier to convince you to help get her to the Palace."
My eyes snapped back to him, and a guilty smile spread across his face. My jaw dropped, but no words came. I was astonished at what he had done. Irritated, but not angry, and although I didn't want to admit it, I was actually a little impressed. "You had this planned last night, didn't you?"
He didn't answer me. Instead, he turned to stare out the window. His eyes roved over all the freaks, and I wondered if he was regretting his plan. At least the cafe remained an option if we decided it was too dangerous, and she could enjoy her freedom for a brief time, no matter which direction we decided to go.
"We can try." I said softly, not taking my eyes from her. When Joss didn't respond, curiosity pulled my attention back to him. He was staring intently out the window.
"Looks like we have a visitor." He said, his smile growing.
I looked through the glass, following his eyes. Meg was heading our way.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Oh." Meg said, somewhat shocked as she stepped through the door Joss opened for her. Stephanie immediately drew closer to us, her exploration ended for the time being. Meg offered her a smile before her eyes found mine, and she asked, "Does this mean you're taking me up on my offer?"
"If we can, yes." I said. Meg's lips curved into a bigger smile that crinkled her eyes at the edges, and she turned back to Stephanie.
"Hope will be so excited to meet you." Meg said. "How far along are you?"
The Phoenix Curse (Book 3): After Page 17