Seeds

by Chris Mandeville

  The back door was unlocked. He went through the house room by room, but didn’t find any sign of recent occupants. When he went back outside, Justine and Advani were standing beside the car.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he growled. “I told you to watch her.”

  “It’s not like she’s going to get away from me,” Advani said.

  “You idiot,” Pascal said. “Get the food bags.”

  “What are we doing here?” Justine asked, scratching her head. “What time is it?”

  Pascal ushered Justine to the house. “It’s afternoon. We’re stopping to eat.”

  “My legs feel weak,” Justine said. “Did I sleep all day? What about my regular walks?”

  “We got you up every hour,” Pascal lied. He took her inside and deposited her on a green velvet sofa. “You don’t remember?”

  “All I remember is my mother’s voice, and something about a boat. I must have been dreaming.”

  “Maybe you heard the doctor telling me about her childhood. Did you know her father was a pirate? Maybe that’s why you dreamt of a boat.”

  “Maybe.” Justine’s eyelids drooped and her head tipped back against the couch.

  Advani brought in the bags containing foodstuffs. “She’s asleep again?”

  Pascal pulled Advani into the kitchen. “What concerns me,” he said in a low voice, “is what happens if she won’t sleep tonight.”

  “Handcuff her to the bed again.”

  “I can’t sleep unless she sleeps. When can you give her more sedatives?”

  “Not anytime soon. It could harm the baby.”

  “I don’t care about the baby. She might not even be pregnant. My only concern is that she wakes up in the morning. Otherwise, we’ll have come all this way for nothing.”

  Advani frowned and her nostrils flared. “If she eats, I can give her a small dose.”

  “Fine, make some food.” Pascal balked at the thought of Advani cooking, but he needed time to discern what Justine remembered.

  He returned to the couch. “Wake up.” He sat beside Justine and patted her hand, but she didn’t stir. “Justine, wake up.” He gave her cheek a light slap.

  She snorted like she’d swallowed her tongue, and her eyes opened wide. “What? What is it? Where am I?”

  “We’re in Fresno, remember?”

  “Fresno?” She looked confused. “How did we get here?”

  “You were sick in Bakersfield. You had me drive here.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “You said it was urgent we get to Fresno, but you were too ill to drive.”

  “Oh my God, what day is it?” Justine came forward on the couch, hands clutching at the fabric. “Is it the full moon?”

  “Not until tomorrow.”

  “Good, there’s still time. I need to see the map. Where’s the map?”

  “Doctor,” Pascal called. “Get the map from the car.”

  Advani came out, rolling her eyes as she wiped her hands on a towel. She sighed as she went through the door, like she’d been assigned a monumental task. He looked forward to when she was no longer necessary.

  “Justine,” Pascal said. “What do you remember from today?”

  “Nothing.” Justine narrowed her eyes. “Did the doctor give me sedatives?”

  “Not to my knowledge,” Pascal said. “That could harm the baby.”

  “I feel drugged. I’m groggy and nauseated, and my head hurts. She’s been giving me a lot of pills. She says they’re vitamins, but I don’t believe it.”

  “So don’t take them. It’s your body. It’s up to you.”

  “You won’t force me?”

  “To what purpose?”

  Justine’s brow furrowed. “Maybe I misread the situation.”

  Advani came in and thrust the map book at Justine, then huffed into the kitchen.

  Justine thumbed through to a map of Fresno. “Show me where we are.”

  Pascal pointed.

  She studied the page for a moment. “Okay, I know where we need to go.” She stood, swayed, and sat back down.

  “You should eat first.”

  “I can’t.” Justine grimaced and held her stomach. “And I can’t sit wasting time. The meeting place could have changed in the last two years. I need to go to church right now and pray about the location. Then, even if they’ve moved it, we should still have time to get there.”

  There was obviously something to the praying thing, some kind of code or hidden message. “How far to the church?”

  Justine looked at the map again. “About five miles.”

  “We’ll leave the doctor to finish cooking. Maybe you’ll be hungry when we get back.”

  Justine nodded and stood, using Pascal’s arm for support.

  “We’re going out,” Pascal called.

  “What?” Advani said, poking her head out of the kitchen. “We’re leaving?”

  “Not you,” Pascal said. “We’ll be back soon.”

  Advani looked alarmed, but wisely kept silent. He would love to leave her there and not come back, but he still needed her to direct the Travelers to the meeting place once he was “drugged.” Besides, abandoning her wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as killing her.

  Justine leaned on Pascal as they went down the walk.

  “Shall I drive again?” Pascal asked.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Pascal helped her into the car, then settled in his seat before handing her the key.

  “Look away,” she said, inserting the card.

  Pascal stared out the side window as she punched in the code. There was a momentary pause, then he heard the tapping of her finger on the keypad again.

  “What did you do?” Justine demanded. “You broke it. It’s not working.”

  “I didn’t do anything. Try again.”

  Justine pressed the start button, but nothing happened. She did it twice more with the same result. “Don’t look. I’m going to try the code again.”

  Pascal shielded his face, but took the chance of peeking through a crack between his fingers, hoping Justine was too stressed to notice.

  She entered 8-6-7. He’d seen that before.

  0-3-0-1. These numbers were new to him.

  8-4-2. Enter. Now he had all the numbers.

  Justine pressed the start button again, but the engine remained silent.

  “Ugh! Did you enter a code?” she demanded. “I don’t know what happens if you enter the wrong code.”

  “You entered the code for me. I didn’t enter anything,” Pascal said, keeping his tone even. “Think. Is there something you’re forgetting? Did Reid mention anything that might help?”

  “No! You must have done something.”

  “I didn’t, so calm down and let’s figure this out.”

  Justine glared at him. “I’m not missing that meeting tomorrow, even if I have to walk.”

  “Focus,” Pascal said. “How does the vehicle get power? Maybe we need to refuel it.”

  “I have no idea. Reid never said.”

  “There’s got to be a power source. Try to remember.”

  “There’s nothing to remember,” Justine shouted. “I don’t know a damn thing other than it won’t start.” She opened the door.

  Pascal grasped her arm. “Where are you going?”

  “Church.”

  “Walking? Be reasonable,” Pascal said in his most soothing tone. “It makes more sense to figure out how to fix the car.”

  “We can’t fix it! We don’t have any idea what to do. I need to start walking now if there’s any hope of making it to the meeting place by tomorrow night.”

  “How far is it? Assuming it hasn’t changed.”

  “About a hundred miles.”

  “You can’t walk that in a day, Justine.”

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  “You’ll never make it without the car. Maybe all it needs is a cooling down period. It could be as simple as waiting until morning.”

>   “I can’t wait.” She got out of the car and headed down the road.

  He caught up to her easily. “You’re not thinking clearly.”

  “Leave me alone.”

  “You don’t have water, food, a coat. You didn’t even bring the map.”

  Justine’s face contorted. One loud sob escaped her lips.

  He was by no means glad that the car had stopped working, but it did seem to be pushing her to a breaking point. He sensed she was close. Just one more little nudge. “I’m here to help you, Justine. Let me help.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “We can figure this out, but you must tell me everything.” He steered her to the house and sat her on the porch steps. “Start with what happens at the church. Why do you need to go there?”

  She wiped her nose on her sleeve and let out a jagged breath. “To pray.”

  “Justine, we don’t have time for any more lies.”

  Justine met Pascal’s gaze, then looked down at her lap. He could feel her resignation, could almost taste victory. He waited. Five seconds, ten, twenty. It stretched out like an eternity until she finally looked back up at him.

  “We’re taught to open the Bible to a certain passage of scripture. The meeting place is written on that page.”

  He took a breath, forcing himself to go slowly. He didn’t want to scare her now that he was so close. “Okay, that’s good. How do you know which church to go to? Your people can’t put the message in every church.”

  “Any church could have the message, but the Temples always do. The church I chose is the only Temple in the region. If the meeting place changed, I guarantee the message will be there.”

  “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? Come, let’s get some water from inside and we’ll walk to the Temple together. Hopefully the car will work when we get back.”

  Pascal led her inside.

  “You’re back already?” Advani said, running out of the kitchen.

  “Shut up and get us a couple bottles of water,” Pascal said. He steered Justine into the bedroom. “Sit down here a moment while I pack up some things.” He patted her on the shoulder and went to get his handcuffs.

  One Hundred Thirty-Seven

  Fresno, California

  Pascal cuffed Justine to the bed. “It’s for your own good.”

  “Damn you!” Justine yanked her arm, clanking the cuffs against the metal bedframe. “I shouldn’t have trusted you. I never should have told you anything.”

  “I’m doing what’s best for you and the baby,” Pascal said. “I only hope we can still make the deadline tomorrow. I’d hate to wait another month.”

  “Let me come with you,” Justine pleaded.

  “Tell me where to look in the Bible.”

  “If I did, what would prevent you from going to the meeting place without me?”

  “Absolutely nothing. But why would I? My chances of getting what I want are far greater if you’re with me. Besides, I’d be stupid not to come back to try the vehicle. However, time is short, Justine. Even if the car starts, we could miss the deadline if I take too long looking through the Bible at the church. Why don’t you save us time and tell me where to look for the message.”

  “I guess you’ll eventually find it, and either you’ll come back or you won’t.” Justine pursed her lips. “Fine. Book of Mark, chapter ten, verse six.”

  Pascal made sure the key to the cuffs was securely in his pocket with the keycard, then slung a small pack of provisions over his shoulder and left.

  He slid behind the steering wheel, inserted the keycard, and entered the code. He took a deep breath then pushed the start button. Nothing happened. He tried twice more, then got out.

  He wasn’t taking the car to the church, but neither was he walking.

  The Traveler’s camp wasn’t far, and it felt good to stretch his legs after being cooped up in the car. He arrived at the outskirts of the park in no time and could see his men gathered under a pavilion.

  “Halt!” a soldier shouted, pointing a gun at him.

  “Stand down,” Pascal commanded. “It’s Chancellor Worth. I need to see Minou.”

  “Yes, sir,” the soldier said. “My apologies. I recognize you now.” He pointed across the park to the pavilion. “She’s there, sir. Shall I stay at my post?”

  “Yes, dismissed.” Pascal continued toward the makeshift base camp.

  Before he reached the pavilion, Minou headed toward him.

  “Sir?” Minou said with an uncharacteristic look of surprise on her face.

  “No need for alarm,” Pascal said. “I need a bike. Put someone else in charge—you’re coming with me.”

  “Yes, sir.” Minou turned toward the pavilion. “Heinz!” she shouted.

  A soldier broke away from a group and headed toward them.

  “We may have a problem with the vehicle,” Pascal told Minou. “Who are your most technically-minded?”

  “Zakarian and Sinclair,” she said without hesitation.

  “Get them and whatever tools they have, plus munitions and bikes for the four of us. We leave immediately.”

  Minou saluted and jogged toward the pavilion, already shouting orders.

  “Heinz,” Pascal said. “I need Minou for a short mission. You’re in command while we’re gone. Pack up camp and wait at the ready until we return.

  ❦❦❦

  Pascal opened the Bible and smiled. He didn’t need the doctor anymore. He didn’t have to hide the Travelers. He was no longer at Justine’s mercy. He had the location of the meeting.

  A church in Oakdale, California. The exact address.

  He pulled the map from his pack and flipped to the page Justine had last used. Oakdale was less than a hundred miles. Even if the car didn’t start, they could cover that on the bikes before sunset tomorrow. Whoever waited at that church would be no match for his Travelers.

  Everything was falling neatly into place.

  Back at the house where the women were waiting, Pascal laid the bike on the driveway and motioned for Minou to join him. He pulled the Ruger from his pack and went to the car. He had a feeling it was going to start this time, and he didn’t want to take the chance of anyone getting the grandiose notion to overthrow him. Not that he thought that likely, but now was no time to get complacent.

  He pulled the keycard from his pocket and slid behind the wheel. After switching off the Ruger’s safety, he placed the gun on the center console in easy reach, then shoved the card into the reader. If he believed in a god, now would be the time to pray. But if there was a god, Pascal had no use for him. Pascal believed in no one but himself.

  Shielding the keypad, he punched in the numbers. Then, without hesitation he punched the start button. The motor whirred to life.

  “Ha!” he exclaimed, beating his hands on the steering wheel. “Yes!”

  Minou smiled. “Well done, sir.”

  “Go get the women. They’re inside the house.” Pascal pulled the key to the handcuffs from his pocket and handed it to Minou through the window.

  Something like joy bubbled up in his chest and came out as a laugh. He looked in the mirror and rubbed his hand across the gray stubble on his face. He looked good—the smile, the sun-kissed skin, the burgeoning beard. He felt good. Powerful. Unstoppable. He felt like himself for the first time since Brandt and Reid murdered his son.

  “You bastard!” Justine shouted, struggling between the two soldiers who brought her out.

  “Put her in the backseat,” Pascal said. “Get in with her, one on each side.”

  Justine fought as they shoved her in.

  “Hey, she bit me!” one of the soldiers said.

  “Put the cuffs back on,” Minou said. “I’ll get some tape for her mouth.”

  “Will that be necessary, Justine?” Pascal looked at her in the rearview mirror. She shook her head. “Minou, get in the front seat.”

  Advani stood on the walk with the bags of supplies. Her ugly face contorted in a scowl. “Where am I supposed to sit?”
>
  Pascal picked up the Ruger and shot her in the chest.

  Justine screamed.

  “Aaahh. I’ve been waiting a long time for that.” Pascal placed the gun back on the center console and put the car in gear.

  One Hundred Thirty-Eight

  Stockton, California

  The nearly-full moon lit the road, but not well enough to keep Reid from tripping over a rock. His hands were scraped and his knees were bruised from several falls, but he kept on. He’d long since stopped wondering how far they had to go, concentrating instead on placing one aching foot in front of the other.

  He found himself thinking about bathing his sore muscles in the hot shower at his grandparents’ house, and his mind wandered to Kayla. It felt like an eternity since he’d really let himself think about her. He’d used his infatuation with Mia to crowd out his feelings for Kayla, but it hadn’t made those feelings go away. He pictured Kayla now, her belly full with the baby, though in reality, she’d barely be showing. How could it be that so much had changed and he hadn’t even been gone a month?

  He remembered how it felt to hold Kayla in his arms. The smell of her hair. The sound of her breathing. He still loved her. He’d never stopped.

  He recalled Tinker’s advice to tell Kayla how he felt, and he realized—

  Brian was gone. There was no reason to keep his promise to his brother anymore. He was free to tell Kayla, but did he want to? If she could never return his love, wouldn’t it be better not to know?

  He imagined Kayla looking at him with green eyes full of love and longing. Was it possible she could look at him that way and not imagine Brian?

  He twisted Tinker’s wedding ring on his finger. He had to take the chance.

  I’ll tell her, Pops. I’ll get back home and I’ll tell her. I promise.

  Reid tripped again. “Damn!”

  “Did you find a way to sleep while you’re walking?” Brandt asked.

  “Huh?”

  “That rock,” Brandt said. “You had to have your eyes closed not to see it. You okay?”

  “Yeah, fine.” Reid wiped his eyes. “But I will end up sleeping on my feet if we don’t stop soon. How much farther?”

  “You really did have your eyes closed,” Brandt said. “We passed a sign a ways back that said ‘Stockton city limits.’ We’re here.”