“It’s been a stressful couple of days.” The temptation of the grilled cheese grew to be too much and she finally took a bite. While it wasn’t hot-off-the-over, it was still deliciously warm. “Hey, is there something besides cheese in this?”
“Uh yeah, I mix a little bit of garlic powder into my butter when I grill it. Got three different kinds of cheese, too.”
“Not bad.”
“Thanks, I try my best.”
Jaelle took another bite before gathering her thoughts. She needed to stop letting him distract her with his stranger. “So, what is this, another attempt to woo me over to the dark side?”
“I guess, yeah. I feel like I might not have explained myself very well to you last time.”
“Before or after you destroyed my boyfriend’s car?”
He laughed lightly at that. “I do have a bit of a temper, don’t I?”
“That’s a mild way of putting it.”
“We all try to make ourselves sound better, don’t we?”
“Sure, but some of us are neglecting to mention our snoring or nervous ticks. You’re trying to soften murder and the eradication of entire towns.”
“Of course, it seems like murder when you look at things from their side.”
“Murder is murder no matter what side you’re on.”
“Really? That’s funny from someone who smells like the blood of a few La Fuerza. And I’m guessing that wasn’t the first time you’ve used your abilities to end someone’s life.”
“That’s different. I’ve only ever fought for my survival, when running wasn’t an option and my back was against the wall.”
“And what do you think I’m doing?” He made a broad gesture, but there was no violence to it. “You’re the only other of my kind I’ve ever met because they’re trying to exterminate us. If you and I don’t do something about it, that’s not gonna change.”
“I doubt killing all the Clan Leaders is how you should go about it.”
“Is that what this is all about? You were literally in one of the towns where they’ve killed thousands of us, you walked the same path as innocents who were executed, and you want to give them the mercy that they denied us?”
“I just don’t think mass murder is the way to go about it. Clans will be thrown into chaos, they’ll be a power vacuum, innocent people will die.”
“Innocent people are dying now! Dammit, why is that so hard for you to understand?!” There was the temper she was so used to, the psychopathic edge that lurked just below the surface. She flinched back and the Aberrant seemed to realize he was growing threatening. “Sorry. It’s just frustrating that you’re protecting the people who’ve taken everything from you.”
“I’m not protecting them,” she answered. “I’m just not willing to sign onto a fight that would just prove to everyone else that we’re dangerous madmen who need to be stopped. Sure, you can kill every Clan Leader you want, but then can you fend off an entire population? Or are you gonna kill every single Shifter, too?”
“If needs be.”
“See, that’s why we can’t see eye to eye. You’re setting yourself up for failure and a whole lot of death.”
“And what are you setting yourself up for?”
“Right now?” She took another bite of her sandwich, trying to find the answer. She thought of David, being admitted somewhere in the hospital, alone and possibly wondering where she was. She thought of Bradley and his Hunters, driving along some road in the complete opposite direction of where they needed to be. She thought of the efficient and creepy system they had in place to deal with captured Aberrants. She thought of all the children who had come before her, and all the ones that were yet to be. “I… I don’t know.”
“Fair enough. I know I just recently dropped the whole ‘we might not be crazy’ bomb on you, and that it might be treatable if we are. It takes time to acclimate to something like that.”
“A whole hell of a lot of time.” She finished her grilled cheese and drained her entire water bottle. “So, if not a recruiting speech, what is this? Trying to wine and dine me to create a bunch of beautiful Aberrant babies to take over the world with?”
“Hah, the idea is tempting, but no. You should probably know my name before there’s any talk of baby making.”
“And what is it?”
“It’s Creed.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “Really? A pair of suburban, white Shifters called their son Creed?”
“You forget, my parents gave me up to be executed. Their son is dead and so is his name.”
“Right. So, Creed it is. You already know my name, so I suppose this will be a one-sided revelation.”
“That’s fine,” he said with a little roll of his shoulders. “I know this will probably be hard to believe, but I really didn’t have some great, mastermind plan for this. I don’t for a lot of things. I just knew that if the fates brought you and I together again that there had to be a reason.”
“Maybe it was for me to kill you.”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’m supposed to kill you. That would be a terrible resolution, wouldn’t it, though? Two of the oldest Aberrants in existence forced to kill each other over a difference in how something should be done? That seems particularly tragic.”
“But you know that is what’s going to happen, right? I’m with the Hunters now. Either they win, and you’re dead, or you win, and we’re all dead.”
“I know. When I gave your boyfriend the info to find you, I didn’t think you’d end up running with the bad guys.”
“Bad guys? Funny, that’s exactly what they call you.”
“And do you think I’m a bad guy?”
“I watched you murder and entire town.”
“To save you! They were going to kill you, Jaelle!”
“You could have just rescued me. Then there would have been minimal damage.”
“But then what’s to stop the next Aberrant who’s turned in from getting killed? I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but this isn’t just about you and me.”
“No. It’s not.” She sighed. “I want peace, I do. But the way you’re going about this is wrong and, I’m sorry, but if your solution to everything is to kill everyone, I can’t get behind it.”
“Fine.”
“Fine?” she asked, surprised by the lack of rage in his voice. “What do you mean, fine?”
“Come up with a better plan. If it’s viable, and in results in both of us having a decent chance at survival and Aberrants having the right to live, then I’ll hop on board and direct all of my abilities into making sure it works. I’ll even give you a whole month.”
“And if I don’t have one by then?”
He stood, wiping off his pants and flashing her a smile. “Then I’m going to stick to the one I’ve been working on for the past year and you’ll have another choice. Either join me and live, or die with all the rest of the scum that think it’s fine to kill children.”
She opened her mouth to say more, to object that the issue with the Hunters wasn’t so black and white. They were just honor bound men who were brainwashed by all of society to think that they were doing the right thing by their people. But Creed didn’t stick around. He took a running leap off the building, only to turn into a falcon in mid-air.
Jaelle could have followed him. She had plenty of bird forms that could catch up to him and wreak all sorts of havoc. But now was neither the time or place. She had a last goodbye to say.
*
It took her much longer than she would have liked to find David again. At first, they gave her a hard time over her lack of ID, forcing her to take the form of a dog and trot along next to a blind old man, then duck into a closet and try to find him the old-fashioned way.
By smelling him.
It was like a more boring version of her garage hunt with her systematically going hall by hall and trying to find some sign of him.
A whole lot of elevator rides and one very dry nose later, s
he finally found him. He was in a fairly standard room with another person, IV hooked up to his arm and everything. The sour smell was gone and she could smell fresh bandages on him.
“Oh, David,” she murmured. He looked so peaceful laying there, and most importantly, he was no longer pale and covered in sweat. She went over to the chair beside the bed and turned it so it faced him then sat down.
She didn’t know when he was going to wake up, but she could wait a while. He had earned a little peace and quiet. Besides, these were her final minutes with the only man she had ever loved. she didn’t want to rush it.
In the end, it took a little over talk shows on the television before she heard David start to drift to consciousness. She knew it would be so much easier to just ghost off into the night and rejoin the Hunters, but she couldn’t. She had to say goodbye. She had to let him know that – although it broke her heart – this was the end. No more coming after her.
“Hey, there, didn’t expect to see you here.”
She pulled herself out of her thoughts to see his eyes slowly open, that kind, loving gaze resting on her like she was still somehow worthwhile.
“What, did you think I would run off into the night like some sort of mysterious superhero?”
“Well,” he chuckled lightly, still obviously very weak from going through hell and back. A hell he would have never even known about if not for her. “It’s not like you haven’t before.”
“Touché.” She reached over and took his hand in hers. “I almost lost you there.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t exactly the best experience I’ve ever been through. Next time, let’s make sure we have some higher-grade antibiotics.”
“David,” she whispered, the words sticking in her throat. “There’s not gonna be a next time.”
He sighed and sank back into the pillows. “Haven’t we already had this conversation about ten times?”
“Yes, but that was before.”
“Before what, before I made a mistake? Jaelle, it was one mess up. Don’t tell me you’ve never made a bad move and gotten hurt.”
“No, it was before I knew how much I loved you.” That seemed to surprise him, and she continued on before losing her nerve. “David, everyone I’ve ever loved has been killed. My father before I even really knew him. My mother. My best friend who took me in when I was on the run after college. You’re alive, David. And I need you to stay that way.
“My entire life I’ve never had anything to hold onto. Not a future. Not a legacy. But now I have one. You’re my legacy.”
“I… I don’t…”
She clenched his hands harder. “I know it’s hard to understand right now. I know this is going to hurt. I’m not going to pretend that this is going to be easy for me, either. But I need you to stay here, to heal, and then to forget about me.”
“How on earth could I possibly forget about you?”
“Time,” she answered. “And distance. Maybe find yourself a pretty girl with an apple bottom to distract you for a bit.”
He laughed lightly but the sound was anything but happy. “You make it sound so easy.”
“It’s not, not at all. But it’s what I want more than anything else in the world; for you to be happy and healthy, and you can’t do that in my world.”
His mouth pressed itself into a thin line and he stared at her for several beats. She could feel the tears welling up, but she willed them down. She needed him to think that she was going to be okay, and she wasn’t going to get that across by bawling in front of him. Finally, he sighed. “You’re right. I just… is it selfish for me to wish I could be like you so we could stay together?”
“No, not at all. I’m sure I would feel the same if the situation was reversed. But promise me that you’ll move on? You’ll find some girl to give you cute little babies and win rodeos until you become too old and fat to find a horse that’ll tolerate you?”
“That’s a tall order.” She could see his own eyes reddening with retrained emotions. God, why was doing the right thing so hard. “For now, let’s settle on that I won’t come after you. Third time ditching me will be the charm.”
“Good,” she whispered, unsure she could muster up anymore volume without losing her cool. Standing up, she bent over to deliver one last kiss. David reached up to meet her, pulling her into his arms with a feeling of finality.
“If you ever change your mind,” he murmured when they parted. “You know exactly where I am.”
“I won’t,” she answered softly, wiping the tear that was beginning to travel down his cheek. “I’m never going to forget the farmhand who beat out two different sets of Hunters to save my life.”
“And I’ll never forget the woman who came into my life on a storm, then left on one. I love you, Jaelle.”
“I love you.” She stood, disentangling himself from him. “Goodbye, David.”
Without another word, she turned her back and left.
Chapter Thirteen: The Long Cry Home
Jaelle remembered watching late night movies where the heartbroken heroine would drive through the car in rain while ugly crying after some tragedy or another. She had always smartly commented that there was no way they could see or keep their wits about them enough to drive. She had thought she was so funny, but now that she was in the situation itself, it wasn’t very amusing at all.
The GPS beeped at her again. She had missed her turn between wracking subs. That wasn’t good. She knew that she should probably pull over and have a good cry, but she couldn’t lose even more time. She needed to get back to the Hunters.
Then again… did she?
What was she thinking? Of course, she had to keep her word. Bradley had put a lot on the line and even let her take his vehicle. Leaving him without it would put him at a massive disadvantage. A disadvantage that could end up getting him killed.
But she also was suddenly faced with the challenge of coming up with a plan that could sate Creed and stop his plan of wiping out hundreds of Shifter lives. Was she supposed to tell the Hunters about that? Would they understand? Man, she wished when the biggest questions in her life used to be whether to get the double cheeseburger at the Braywire Diner or the Turkey Club.
Out of nowhere, the walkie talkie beeped, nearly scaring her out of her skin. She wasn’t exactly an engineer, but she was pretty sure that the thing didn’t have a very long range. Who on earth could be trying to contact her.
“Hello?” she asked shakily, sniffing back her tears.
“Oh, god, Jaelle, you’re okay.” She was relieved to hear Bradley on the other side but instead of a happy sound, she let out a bit of a heart wrenching whimper. “A-are you okay?”
“Yeah,” She squeaked out, trying to contain herself. Where was the calm, collected woman she had once been? The one that no one was able to rattle and always had her own best interests at heart?
Somewhere else in the wreckage of that Shifter town, apparently, buried in the rubble there.
“I just,” she took a deep breath. “I just said goodbye to David. That’s all.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do.”
“I know. I know it was.” Dammit, a couple of sobs escaped her and she had to gain control of herself again. “How am I hearing you? These aren’t long distance walkies, are they?”
“No. We got a couple hours ahead of you when the trail doubled back. Dannon says we’re getting close.”
“Well, you were,” she answered, finally pulling over to the side of the road. What was the point of driving when the Hunters were already on their way to her?
“What do you mean by that?”
“I saw him. Had a whole little picnic and everything.”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“Wish I was.”
“Was it some sort of trap? How did he know that you were there? Does he have some kind of beat on us?”
“Believe it or not, it was a coincidence. Apparently, he gets transfusi
ons of human blood whenever he needs to buy some time and gets some distance from you. Hides his scent almost completely.”
“Seriously?” There was the sound of several people talking in the background before he came back on the line. “That’s actually pretty impressive.”
“Yeah, I never would have thought of that myself.” She wished she would have. It might have made her younger years a little less stressful.
“So, was there anything he wanted in that little rendezvous of yours?”
“Oh, you know, the usual. Recruiting me to his side, half-joking about making Aberrant babies.”
“Sounds like—”
“Oh, and he gave me a chance to come up in with a different plan that would make Aberrants legal. If mine is better than his, he’ll stop killing Clan Leaders and outposts and turn himself in.”
“…wait, really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“I don’t know if that’s incredible or impossible or a trap.”
“Who knows. Maybe all three. But I have to do it now, Bradley. There’s got to be a way to have the Elders change their minds about my kind that doesn’t involve and Aberrant coming to slit their throats.”
“I…” Bradley started to say something, but then cut himself off.
“What? What is it? You have an idea?”
“No. I mean, maybe. Possibly. I—”
A sound of frustration came over the walkie and then Dannon’s voice was coming over the line. “Dammit, man, if you’ve got something to say, then spit it out.”
“I think this would be better said in person. We’re about a half hour from the junction of the ninety and four-ninety. Can you punch in for Wilkins rest stop and meet us there?”
“Yeah.” She did as she asked and sighed when the machine gave her and ETA. “It says I’m about forty-five minutes away.”
“All right. Meet you there. Try not to run into any other mass murderers, if you can.”
She smiled and laughed bitterly, wiping her tears from her cheeks. “No promises. See you there.”
She set the walkie aside and pulled back onto the road. So much for her rest where she could wait for them and cry her eyes out. She guessed that just meant more road-crying on her way there.
The Aberrants Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 23