The soldier grabbed Davin’s arm. Davin appeared to look the guard in the eye. His head didn’t dip. He didn’t show submission.
Holding something to his wrist, the guard blasted it. I had no idea with what, but Davin’s stiff form didn’t falter.
It’s just like in the Compound. Even then, he refused to show his pain or any weakness.
Sergeant Rose, Davin’s former watch room guard, had once called Davin resilient. That word probably described him best. Despite being beaten down and struck again and again by the Compound and MRRA, Davin always stood back up.
A sob reached my ears. Sharon spun away from the laptop and flew across the room. She raced to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
My stomach sank. “Let’s turn it off for now. We’ve seen enough to know what they’re really doing inside. Mitch, can you download all of the videos to my laptop? The more copies we have, the better.”
Mitch nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do it.”
Everyone else stayed quiet.
I crept to the bathroom door. Quiet sobs could be heard on the other side. I tentatively knocked. “Sharon? It’s me. Are you okay?”
Her shaky voice came through. “Just . . . ah . . . just give me a minute.”
I leaned my forehead against the door. In the past, I’d seen firsthand what the Compound was capable of. I knew of the mistreatment that took place, but Sharon didn’t. She may have heard of it, when I tried to gently explain things in the past, but she’d never witnessed it firsthand.
And not when it was her own son.
That squeezing band around my chest crushed me again. I tried to fight the anxiety that wanted to consume me, but it was hard. More than ever I knew we needed to find a way to free the Kazzies.
EVERYONE RETREATED TO their rooms not long later. I offered to stay with Sharon in the room she and Amy were sleeping in, hotel policy be damned, but she shook her head.
“I’ll be fine, Meghan. Really. I will.”
Given her red rimmed eyes, I didn’t believe her, but I also knew that being around a stranger might help her keep her emotions at bay. With me, she felt comfortable, and while at times that was a blessing it could also be a curse. I got the distinct impression that Sharon wanted to keep herself composed and not breakdown again.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” I hugged her before she left.
She gripped me tightly. “Yes. Sleep well.”
She turned swiftly and departed out the door before I could reply.
Once everyone was gone, it was just me and Ian. I’d felt him watching me during the night. I knew I hadn’t kept my emotions in check. The anger, pain, and sadness that swirled inside were probably etched on my face, like a horrific painting that captured an image of suffering and despair.
I’d been told on more than one occasion, mostly by Jeremy, that I didn’t hide my emotions well.
“Are you okay?”
I felt Ian move behind me, hovering, his body like a looming shadow with weight and presence. He laid a hand on my shoulder.
I stiffened but turned to face him.
He stood only two feet away. Emotion swam in his eyes. “I know you care for them. I’m sorry about what’s happened. I’ll help in any way I can.”
His kind words did something to me. All of the anger, longing, and fear that I’d been feeling all night bubbled up inside me like an erupting volcano. I couldn’t stop it. Tears rushed to my eyes, and before I knew what was happening, they were streaming down my face.
Ian pulled me into a hug, crushing me against his chest. His arms locked around me. His cedar and leaves scent was everywhere.
I closed my eyes and listened to his heart beat strongly within.
His pain morphed into mine as he held me. It wasn’t nearly as strong as my own, but Ian was so in-tune with people that I doubted he could ever witness abuse and not be affected.
“We’ll get them out. I promise. We’ll find a way.”
His quiet words, while hollow, helped. There was no way he could make that promise. All we could do was hope that Cash’s videos would sway our government to take action. We had proof that the Kazzies were being abused. We had proof that Dr. Roberts’ reservation was run no differently than Compound 26’s labs.
I pulled back from Ian, hurriedly wiping the tears that stained his shirt. I sniffed. “Sorry about that.”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry. I don’t mind being a tissue.” His dimple appeared when he smiled.
I smirked and gave a hysterical laugh.
His gaze softened when I looked up. A current passed between us, making me remember our encounter in my bedroom last night. I stiffened, but Ian’s gaze grew hooded.
Reaching up, he placed a finger on my chin, tilting my head up. Yearning grew within his irises.
And what happened next felt like it all transpired in slow motion. He leaned down, his gaze fixed on my mouth. His hand stayed in place, gently turning my head.
When his lips covered mine, I froze.
I felt him stiffen, his body growing harder, but he didn’t pull back. His lips stayed against mine and then moved slowly in a dance full of question and need.
A part of me screamed to pull back, but the other part stayed frozen. The last time I’d kissed a man, it had been Davin.
Maybe it was the memory of Davin, the absolute, bone-crushing need to be with him and wishing more than anything that it was Davin’s lips pressed against mine and not Ian’s—whatever it was, my lips softened under Ian’s before my head caught up with my body.
But it was too late to tell him he had it wrong.
Ian groaned and pulled me against him.
His hands roamed everywhere—up my back, brushing along the sides of my breasts, cupping the back of my neck—while his heat warmed me.
It was his heat that snapped me back to the present.
The last time I’d felt heat against my body like this had been in the forgotten corridor in the Inner Sanctum. When I’d been against Davin. The only man I’d ever loved.
What am I doing?
I abruptly stepped back and broke the kiss. “I’m sorry.” I looked down, breathing heavily. “I . . . I don’t know why I did that.”
The floor stared back at me. I kept my gaze glued to it.
“Oh.” Ian’s words sounded dumbstruck. He stepped back. “No, I’m sorry, I should be the one, uh, the one . . . Shit. I just thought when you . . .”
I squeezed my eyes shut and wrung my hands. Finally meeting his gaze, I floundered with what to say. “It’s my fault. I should have stopped you immediately. I don’t know why I didn’t.” I took a deep breath and then blurted out, “I love somebody else.”
Ian’s eyes widened. “I see.” He cleared his throat and took another step back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
I ran a hand through my hair, my fingers catching in a few strands. My cheeks felt hot. I could only imagine what I looked like.
Pulling my fingers free, I gripped my hands tightly together. “He’s not someone I can ever be with.” I shrugged helplessly. “But it doesn’t matter, I only want him.”
Silence filled the room for at least a minute. It weighed down on me, as if pressing me to the floor.
Finally, Ian asked, “Is he a Kazzie?”
I hesitated a moment before nodding stiffly.
“Is that why you care so much about this? You want to free him?”
“That’s one of the reasons.”
“It’s Davin, isn’t it?”
I snapped my head back. “How did you know?”
“That’s whose name you were screaming in your dreams last night.” He sighed heavily. “Right. It all makes sense now.” With an abrupt turn, he pulled his bag onto the bed and unzipped it. The sound of the zipper echoed in the void. “So . . . we should probably go to bed. It’s getting late, and Cate will be here tomorrow.” He pulled out his flannel pants and T-shirt.
I stood frozen. Cate. I’d forgotten about her in all that
had transpired tonight. We could only hope she would be able to pull rank and gain admittance into the reservation.
Swallowing uncomfortably, I shuffled from foot to foot. “What time is she flying in tomorrow?”
“Early. She thinks she’ll arrive at Mobridge’s landing strip around nine.” His words were stiff and formal.
I nodded tightly. “Okay. Yeah, we better go to bed.”
I whirled away and ran into the bathroom as despair and confusion rained down on me. Why did I just do that?
Closing the bathroom door behind me, I leaned against it, wrapped my arms around my waist and sank to the floor. But I knew the answer. I knew why I’d done it.
For a brief moment, I’d imagined it was Davin kissing me, not Ian, and that was something I wanted more than anything.
10 – DR. HUTCHINSON
We left the hotel first thing the next day. All of us were starving. Other than our makeshift meal before meeting Cash, we hadn’t eaten anything.
The first thing on the agenda was finding a restaurant that was open. Luckily, the checkout guy at the hotel pointed us in the right direction. Bismarck had two diners that opened early, so Mitch pulled into the closest one.
The doughy scent that greeted us when we entered the cozy restaurant made my mouth water. A part of me was glad to be out of the hotel and back with the group. Last night had been awkward and uncomfortable after my disastrous kiss with Ian. We’d both gone to bed after that botched encounter, but this morning when we woke, I swear neither of us could turn or walk anywhere without bumping into the other.
I’d wanted to crawl under a rock and hide, even though Ian had been nothing but polite and a complete gentleman since the incident. But I had sensed a change. He’d raised a wall. A barrier now separated us that hadn’t been there a day ago. I knew he was protecting himself from further embarrassment.
It just made my shoulders slump even more.
“What time is Cate flying in?” Amy slid into the large booth the waitress showed us to.
“Nine o’clock at the landing strip outside Mobridge.” Ian picked up his menu. He hadn’t glanced at me since we left the car.
“We better hurry then.” Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, look. They have pancakes. I love pancakes.”
We placed our orders and sipped coffee while the cook prepared our food. Charlie, Mitch, and Amy seemed perfectly happy and at ease. Only me, Sharon, and Ian were quiet. I knew Sharon’s detached mood was from what she’d seen last night. No mother could witness that and not be affected.
As for the strained vibe between Ian and me . . . well, I was glad nobody knew why that was or seemed to sense it.
Once our food arrived, we all dug in. Normally, I would have savored the cinnamon roll and omelet, but it tasted like cardboard in my mouth. Not only were thoughts of Davin still swirling through my mind, but now thoughts of upsetting Ian were too.
I forked a large bite and forced myself to chew. I suppose I should count my blessings that the only male I’m feeling awkward with here is Ian.
Mitch didn’t seem to be holding any grudges about me rejecting him. There had been a few times where I’d caught him watching me, but for the most part, he acted like he always did. Thank goodness for small miracles.
Ten minutes later, Mitch wiped his mouth and threw his napkin on the table. “Right, should we go? It’s already seven. We need to get moving.”
We paid our bill and hopped in the SUV. The morning sun lit the horizon as we sped back to Mobridge. Blue sky shone overhead. Nervous energy hummed in the vehicle.
Cate was arriving soon, and she was the last chance we had. Because if she couldn’t get us into the reservation today, no one could.
MOBRIDGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT lay just east of the small town. It was as empty as the prairie around it. The runway was in dismal shape. I eyed the cracked tarmac and brown weeds poking through the pavement that stood waist high.
“Will they be able to land on that?” I pulled my hat out and stuffed it over my head. It was even colder today than yesterday.
Ian crossed his arms. He stood on the other side of Amy. “They’ll have to. Let’s hope it goes well.”
The sound of distant jet engines in the sky soon reached my ears. It was the only sound in the quiet prairie. Here they come.
“Does anyone see them?” Charlie shaded his face.
Sunlight glinting off the fuselage caught my eye. I pointed. “There.”
The jet approached, descending lower and lower.
“Fingers crossed this goes well!” Mitch put both hands on his head.
He was right. The landing strip looked heinous.
Sharon stepped closer and put her arm around my shoulders. “They’ll be fine.”
The jet flew closer to the ground. The pilot did an excellent job lining it up with the runway. When it reached the end, the pilot lifted the jet’s nose as its back wheels hit the landing strip. It bounced. A huge heave in the concrete made the plane fly back up.
I tensed.
Ian did too.
The jet’s wheels again descended and made contact with the ground. The pilot set the entire plane down, and the engines screamed when thrown into reverse to slow the plane.
“Oh boy . . . this is gonna be close!” Mitch’s statement had my heart pounding.
He was right. The landing strip wasn’t long and the plane was still going too fast.
“Brake! Brake!” Ian muttered the words under his breath.
The end of the runway grew closer. Twenty yards. I held my breath. Ten yards.
“I can’t watch.” Charlie closed his eyes.
The jet’s front wheels rolled off the tarmac as it came to a halt. It then ground to a stop.
We all let out a sigh of relief.
Charlie peeked between his fingers. “Did they make it?”
“Yes.” Amy clapped his back.
Luckily, the pilot was able to sharply turn the front wheels and turn the plane back onto the runway. I only hoped they would be able to take off. The dips and heaves on the tarmac would probably make that difficult.
A few minutes later, the jet’s door opened and Cate stepped out. Her short blond hair whipped in the wind. She pulled her long coat tighter around her as she descended the stairs.
We all hurried out to greet her. When she spotted me and Ian, she smiled. “I have to say, after that landing, I’m glad to be in one piece.”
Ian shook her hand and grinned.
“Cate, these are my co-workers from Compound 26.” I nodded toward them. “Amy McConnell, Mitch Hess, and Charlie Wang.”
Cate shook all of their hands.
“And this is Davin’s mother, Sharon Kinder.”
Cate’s eyes softened when she clasped Sharon’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t been able to visit your son.”
Sharon nodded, her eyes growing moist. “We’re hoping you can help with that.”
“Speaking of which.” Mitch rocked back on his heels. “Did you get a special pass, or whatever you want to call it, from the president?”
Cate’s expression darkened. “No. She wasn’t able to see me this week. With Christmas coming up, things are busy right now since D.C. basically shuts down over the holidays.”
“But if you didn’t see her . . .” My stomach plummeted.
“I know.” Cate held her hands up in surrender. “It’s not ideal, and I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to help, but I still want to try. We can still go to the reservation and demand to be admitted.”
“There’s more that you need to know.” I fished the USB out of my pocket and reminded myself that we’d eventually need to return it to Cash. “We have proof now that the Kazzies are being abused. You need to watch these videos.”
Cate’s brow furrowed when she took the USB. “Where did you get this?”
I glanced at Sharon. She subtly shook her head.
Right. She doesn’t want anyone else knowing.
&nb
sp; It made sense. She was protecting Cash. I didn’t blame her. If Dr. Roberts found out about the local farm kid who was sneaking around the reservation shooting videos, I’d be worried for Cash too.
“I’m not sure we can say right now, but you need to watch those videos.” I closed her fingers over the external flash drive.
Cate put it in her pocket. Her questioning expression told me she wasn’t entirely sure what to think about my revelation, but she nodded acceptingly. “Okay. We better go. I need to takeoff in three hours so I don’t have much time.”
WHEN WE REACHED the reservation’s gates, the sun was shining brightly overhead. It was completely opposite to the two other times I’d tried to gain admittance to Reservation 1. Mitch pulled onto the side of the road. The watch tower guards all turned in our direction when we stepped out.
I could see them now.
There were four guards in each tower, and those were only the towers flanking the gates. More towers dotted the perimeter, and more guards manned those.
In a way, it was amazing that Reservation 1 had been constructed so quickly. The actual perimeter didn’t encompass the entire original reservation of Cheyenne River and Standing Rock. It wasn’t nearly that big. Still, it was quite the feat for the MRRA to have pulled off this large of a construction build during the summer.
In the daytime, I was better able to see details. Four large windmills spun in the breeze to the south of the reservation. That was no doubt their main power source. There were no barns or gardens that I could see, which meant all of their food was either produced elsewhere on the rez or driven in. I had no idea which Distribution Center accommodated them. I wasn’t privy to any of those details.
After Mitch parked, we all stepped out of the vehicle. Sharon stayed close to my side. Tense lines puckered her mouth.
The blaring voice from the megaphone wasted no time addressing us. “State your intentions for approaching Reservation 1.”
I gritted my teeth and tried to figure out who was speaking this time. “As you know by now I’m Dr. Meghan Forester from Compound 26.” I waved to Cate. “And this is Dr. Cate Hutchinson, she’s the Director at Compounds 10 and 11. We’d like to be admitted to the reservation to see how the people infected with Makanza are doing.”
The Complete Makanza Series: Books 0-4 Page 69