The Collection

by Shannon Stoker

  Dedication

  For Andy

  Contents

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Coming Soon

  About the Author

  Also by Shannon Stoker

  More from William Morrow

  Credits

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to my agent, Paula Munier, especially for listening to me when I go a little crazy. To my editor, Amanda Bergeron, I am in awe of your skills. To the entire HarperCollins team for your insane abilities and assistance. To my family, especially my parents, who don’t mind a midnight phone call every now and then. To my friends, thank you for being there. To Katie and Dalmy, who always let me know when it was break time. To the Alms family, Laura and Mary Lynn, for being an awesome help. To GBPL for fostering my love for books. Finally, thank you to Andy and Nucky, whose help means the world to me.

  Chapter 1

  THE REGISTRY: A CULTURAL TRADITION OR A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE?

  —Global Reporter

  The waves were thrashing in all directions. Mia tried not to look down as she flung herself from the helicopter. The noise from the propellers and the sirens signaling the imminent crash flushed all thoughts from her mind. Right before Mia hit the deep blue water one idea worked its way back in: she didn’t know how to swim.

  In that second she reached her arms out and kicked her legs, as if she could fly away. This only made her landing more painful as she slapped against the surface and then slid under. The salt water filled her nose and burned her eyes. All of the scrapes on her body filled with fire from the water’s invasion. She was sinking. Fast. She clawed toward the surface and tried to kick her way up, but nothing was working.

  Mia ignored the pain and turned her head toward the rays beaming down through the crystal clear waters. She let out a gurgled scream. For a moment her concentration was broken. She heard the metal machine crash into the water, the propellers coming to an eerie stop.

  Mia looked over at the chopper. It had flown her to freedom and would now rest in a watery grave. She refocused her efforts on reaching air. She wanted so badly to take a breath. Mia tried to fight the urge, but her instincts overtook her will. She felt the water enter her lungs, and everything went black.

  Pain brought Mia back to consciousness. She gasped hard at the air, but water spewed out of her mouth. Someone rolled her onto her side and started smacking her back, forcing the salty liquid out of her body. Mia alternated between coughing and forcing breath into her lungs. The face in front of her was hazy.

  “I thought I lost you too,” Carter said. “Why didn’t you say you couldn’t swim? I would have held your hand for the jump.”

  Mia felt relief; one of her companions was safe.

  “I wasn’t thinking . . . ,” Mia said.

  She scanned the beach. She propped herself up on her elbow and tried to stand. Her legs were like jelly and she fell down. Carter caught her and lowered her back to the sand.

  “Take it easy, princess,” Carter said. “You almost died.”

  “Where’s Andrew?” Mia asked.

  She wondered if he knew how to swim; she’d never bothered to ask. As if on cue Mia saw him step out of the water and onto the beach, waves nipping at his heels. Andrew’s clothes were sopping wet; his sweatpants and T-shirt hung off his lean, muscled frame. Mia remembered he’d been ready for bed when they’d had to escape. She closed her eyes and a sense of calm filled her heart.

  “We did it,” Mia said. “We’re free.”

  But the silence next to her was a reminder of the hefty price.

  Carter pulled his hands off Mia’s arms and slumped down. Rod, Mia thought to herself. He didn’t make it. She stared at Carter, who was focusing on the sand. There were too many emotions flying around for her to know what to say. Carter’s father was a great man. He had sacrificed himself not only for his son but for Mia as well. Before Mia could cry, Andrew fell down on the sand next to them. He was breathing heavily and almost laughing. Mia knew he shared her relief.

  “Is everyone okay?” Andrew asked.

  “No,” Carter said.

  “Physically?” Andrew corrected himself.

  “Mia almost drowned,” Carter said.

  “You can’t swim?” Andrew asked. The relief in his voice was replaced with a sharp tone. “Why didn’t you say something? Mia, you could have died—”

  Mia interrupted Andrew. “I’m fine.”

  She knew he was right. Mia didn’t have a defense and didn’t want to argue. Not right now at least. If Andrew was angry, it seemed he didn’t have the energy to lecture. He took a breath and stood up, taking in their spot.

  It was a small stretch of sand surrounded by a cliff about ten feet high. Rocks lined the area closest to the overhang.

  “The tide’s out,” Andrew said. “We’re lucky or else the waves would have smashed our bodies against those rocks.”

  “Tide?” Mia asked.

  “The water levels change,” Andrew said. “It’s not important, but we need to get out of here now.”

  “Can’t we sit? I need a rest,” Carter said.

  Andrew shook his head. “Someone saw that crash, and I’m not ready for a welcome party.”

  Carter let out a groan, but he stood. Andrew scanned the coast and pointed to a spot with a tall boulder. Mia started to stand, but her legs were lead. She knew she’d fall again. Carter paused by her and bent down. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward the cliff. Mia was grateful.

  “Carter, I’m going to help you over first, then I’ll pass Mia up to you, and then you two pull me over,” Andrew said.

  Carter sat Mia down on a smaller rock, then joined Andrew at his chosen point. Andrew stood on the large rock, making him tall enough to see over the bluff, but Carter was just a l
ittle too short. Andrew balanced himself and gave Carter a boost. He scrambled up the cliff with ease.

  “I can’t carry you up here,” Andrew said to Mia. His cheekbones looked prominent and his deep brown eyes pierced her. “Do you think you can try walking?”

  Andrew was never one to coddle. Mia’s legs were shaky, but she forced herself up. If they were delayed she didn’t want it to be on account of her. As she made her way over the rocks, her foot slipped under her, but she caught herself. Andrew never took his eyes off her and waved her along. She was close enough to grab his hand. Right when she reached for it a familiar noise filled the air. A motor. Andrew’s eyes widened. He signaled for Mia to work her way against the cliff.

  She moved as fast as she could. Once she was closer to the wall she saw two large rocks against each other with a space between them. Mia slid down; the boulders were tight and went past her waist, hiding her legs. She pressed her back against the wall of the overhang, barely fitting in the tight spot. She looked up and all she could see was the top of the bluff jutting out over her head.

  The motor came closer.

  “Andrew,” Mia said, “what’s happening?”

  “Stay quiet,” Andrew said. “Don’t make a sound, no matter what.”

  “Come down here,” Mia said.

  Andrew never turned to look at her. Instead he brought a finger to his lips. Panic filled Mia. Why wasn’t Andrew ducking down? Whoever was approaching could see his head peering out. The motor drew closer and then it was followed by a stranger sound: silence. Mia heard a bird in the distance and the waves rolling in. She knew Carter wasn’t alone up there.

  “Help me,” Andrew said.

  Mia looked over at him. He wasn’t talking to her. She saw Carter’s hand come down and Andrew locked arms with him before gliding over the cliff. Mia was alone now. She pressed her hands against the rocks and tried to force herself up. The space was too tight for her to bend her knees. She was trapped. Her struggles stopped when a new sound came. A car door opened and slammed shut.

  “Well, well,” a man’s voice said. “What are you two doing out here?”

  His accent was thick. He rolled his r’s. Before Carter or Andrew could answer he yelled in another language. Mia had never heard anything but English in her life. The strange sounds heightened her fear. The sound of another door opening came next.

  “Just the two of you out for a joyride?” the same voice asked.

  “Yes,” Andrew said. “We’re alone.”

  The man gave instructions in the other language. Mia flattened her body against the cliff as best she could. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she craned her head upward. She had the feeling someone was right on top of her.

  “Sí.” The new voice was deep. Mia heard a foot turn and saw some dirt fall down right in front of her. “Two sets of footprints in the sand.”

  “This is no place for American boys,” the leader said. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  “No,” Andrew said.

  “It wasn’t a question,” the man said. “You’re lucky I found you. Most would deport you right back over the border. Not me.”

  “We’ll be fine on our own,” Andrew said.

  The voices started to trail off. Everyone was quiet. Mia wished she could see what was happening.

  “Get in the car,” the voice said.

  Mia wanted to scream. Her companions were being taken. They were going to leave her here. She needed to help them, or at least join them in their capture. Instead, she did nothing but plaster herself against the cliff. She heard a shuffle and the engine coming to life. It zoomed away. Mia stayed frozen until the sound was too distant to hear.

  She tried to calm down, her breath ragged as her mind raced desperately back to what felt like an eternity ago. When she’d been a happy, naïve little girl who could only think about a husband. She’d woken up, risked—and lost—the lives of people who cared for her, and at last escaped the Registry.

  But for what? To die alone on a rocky beach. She couldn’t react like the fierce fighter she’d been a few hours earlier. Now fear overtook her and she stayed still against the rocks.

  It felt like seconds had passed when Mia snapped out of her trance. Her face was met with the spray of mist. Her legs were locked in place and new pains filled her body. The sun had moved across the sky and the water was coming in. She felt some splash against her ankles. A new, smaller wave rolled toward her and this time the water hit her shins. Mia was getting a crash course in what the tide was. Survival. Mia had to survive. It was the only way she would find Carter and Andrew. The only way she could make things right.

  She pressed her palms against the rocks and tried to jump up. Her knees slammed into the boulders. It wasn’t going to work. She twisted her body around and tried to force herself up again. The space was too tight; without her knees she couldn’t get out. She started to claw at the wall of the cliff. Her hands found some edges and she pulled herself up. Everything hurt, but the water was up to her knees now and as soon as the wall got wet, climbing wouldn’t be an option.

  Mia worked her arms through the pain and climbed high enough that she could try to use her legs again. Her knees hadn’t yet cleared the tight spot, but she thought she could sit. Mia readied herself for more agony and pushed herself back. Her rear met the hard rock and her tailbone throbbed. She didn’t waste time thinking about it though. She wiggled herself back and soon her knees could bend again.

  Moving the joints brought misery. Mia didn’t stand; instead she slid herself out and onto another massive boulder. A wave came in, spraying the rocks and Mia. She looked down and saw the blood coming from her scraped kneecaps. Her hands were covered in cuts from grasping at the wall. Everything hurt, but she wasn’t safe yet. Andrew’s words filled her mind. Once the waves were tall enough they would pick her body up and slam it against the rocks.

  She kept on moving. Mia made her way to the rock Andrew and Carter had climbed over from and stood up. When she held her arm in the air her fingers could just reach the solid ground. She went up on her toes to see if she could get a better grip. Now her hand was flat. She moved her wrist around, trying to see if she could grab hold of anything, but was met with dirt.

  Another wave came in, hitting her feet. Soon the water would be high enough that standing on the rock wouldn’t be an option. Mia was going to die here. No, she told herself. She wouldn’t give up. She would never give up. Mia moved both her hands to the top of the ridge.

  Mia needed to jump high enough that she could grab hold of the ground and pull herself over. One chance was all she had. If she missed it would mean slipping and slamming onto the rocks. A new wave came in, higher still, and Mia knew she was running out of time. This was it.

  She bent her knees and kept her hands right above her. Mia forced her legs straight and jumped in the air. Slamming her arms down on the ground, she began grabbing at the loose dirt. Her elbows were bent right at the cliff’s edge. It was seconds, but Mia knew she was failing. Her body was sliding backward. She kicked, hoping to find some footing, but none came. She continued to slide and braced herself for the hard landing.

  Mia’s hands were about to make one last attempt to grip the ledge when she felt something grip her wrists. Andrew, Mia thought. He’d made his way back to save her. The falling stopped.

  Mia took short breaths. She wouldn’t crash onto the rocks. Andrew was pulling her over. Mia opened her palms and grabbed on to his arms. She shut her eyes tight, scared she’d be tempted to look behind her and see the rocks below. She used her legs to propel herself against the wall and soon her head and shoulders were above the cliff. Her stomach and knees followed. She stayed on the ground, unable to believe she was alive.

  The relief she had felt earlier returned, but not for long. She was so happy Andrew had come back for her. She felt safe from the rocks below . . . but now, without the pure terror of dying clouding her mind, the idea that it could have been Andrew was insane. Mia looke
d up, frightened to see who had offered her the assistance. The fear changed to shock. It was a woman. She was dressed in a skintight black dress and breathing heavily.

  Mia couldn’t know if it was from the injuries, the loss of her friends, or the shock of seeing a woman as her savior, but everything went black for the second time that day, and Mia collapsed in the dirt.

  Chapter 2

  Statistics show that America is the safest country in the world. The number of attacks against women is 93 percent lower than the world average.

  —American Gazette

  The jeep bounced up and down against the gravel road. They drove along the coast and Andrew kept his eyes glued on the ocean. His wrist hurt where it was handcuffed to the roll bar at the top of the vehicle. It made it difficult for him to sit down. Carter didn’t have the option of trying to sit. His cuffed hands forced him to squat inches above the bench.

  The open top created a wind tunnel, making conversation impossible. Andrew was left alone with his thoughts. He’d abandoned Mia. She was alone, trapped between two rocks. When his captors pointed their guns at him, he hadn’t had time to react. Saving her would be impossible. He hoped she’d made it out okay and told himself he had done the right thing by leaving her.

  They started slowing down. Andrew looked ahead; there was a town coming up. Instead of taking the road straight, the jeep veered left, closer to the coast. They drove outside the tiny village and the road started descending. Soon they were driving along a sandy beach and the speed picked back up. Sand was flying into Andrew’s face. He tried to keep his head down and avoid the assault of the tiny flecks, but it wasn’t doing much good.

  He felt something slide over his head. He fought, but part of him welcomed the shield. He opened his eyes again; now he was surrounded by darkness. Andrew tried his best to count and pay attention to the turns. If he knew the amount of time it was taking to travel then he could get back to the beach and back to Mia.

  Mia. Her face kept creeping into his mind. Her eyes had been wide and brimming with tears, her chin shaking, and he had left her. Andrew told himself not to focus on that now. Twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four. Could she get out of there? It seemed like such a good hiding spot. Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three. How could he have let this happen? Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two.