Freefall (New Reality Series, Book Three) by Bella St. James

by St. James, Bella

  “We’re not leaving without cotton candy,” she warned him as Clancy led her to a bench beside the cattle barn.

  “Pink or blue?” His smile seemed genuine and served to reassure her. She shoved her doubts away and watched as he went through the steps of bringing the phone to life. When that was done, he suggested they make the most of their stop and have a little fun.

  Clancy had planned to get in and get out. But the delight on Nadine’s features when she spotted the Ferris wheel and Tilt-a-Whirl was hard to resist. The life she’d been living didn’t allow for carnivals and cotton candy. Hell, she probably hadn’t seen anything like this since she’d been taken from her parents.

  “Come on, let’s find a ride.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led the way to a scary-looking contraption that took its riders straight up and dropped them straight down.

  “No way.” Nadine dug in her heels and stopped before they could join the line. “Let’s go over there.”

  He looked the way she pointed and shook his head. He wanted thrills and stomach-churning excitement; she wanted to ride the carousel horses.

  They weren’t the only adults on the ride, but they were the only ones not supervising a child. Clancy lifted Nadine onto the back of a white swan with painted doe eyes and stood beside her, his arm at her waist. She leaned against the golden pole of her swan as the attendant helped the others mount horses and dragons, and the tinny music played.

  Desire flared again as he studied her. Beneath that delicate exterior was the heart of a warrior. He wasn’t sure which excited him most, the beautiful body of the seductress she had been or the power and determination she didn’t seem to recognize. Duty demanded that he fight the growing need to touch her and be touched by her, and he had always lived up to his duty. Yet, he’d given up so much to help save his country from the insidious poison that created programs like the Jezebels. Wasn’t he as entitled to a few moments of pleasure as any man?

  “Hold on.” The attendant gave the warning as he passed them. A few seconds later, the carousel began with a slight jerk that brought a small “Ooh!” from Nadine.

  Clancy leaned against the swan, his arm tighter around her small body. She smelled so different from when he’d operated on her. The shower at Mother’s had washed away the expensive perfume; her scent now was floral shampoo and fresh air, wholesome and incredibly tempting.

  Her laughter as the ride ended touched him in an unexpected way. Immersed in the struggle to protect ordinary citizens from extraordinary government intervention, he’d nearly forgotten how other people lived. The crowds that surrounded them enjoyed the moment. They shared popcorn, tried to win cheap prizes and stopped to talk openly with people they knew. They didn’t look at everyone who came near as a possible enemy or potential assassin.

  For the next hour or so, neither would they. He pulled Nadine toward the bumper cars, laughing as they crashed into one another as well as other drivers who came near. Pleading terrible thirst, Clancy bought them both huge plastic cups of lemonade made while they waited, which they sipped as they scouted the various food booths. He chose a corn dog on a stick while Nadine opted for curly French fries made from a whole potato.

  When the last of their food was gone, they headed for the animal barns. Clancy stood back, smiling, when Nadine knelt to pet the baby goats in a pen. He laughed out loud when she got close, and a cow mooed directly at her, causing Nadine to skitter backward in surprise.

  “Hey, we didn’t have farm animals at the school,” she protested when she saw his face. “There were a couple of outside cats, but they learned to run when they saw us coming.”

  “Then I know where we should go next.”

  Despite her pestering, Clancy refused to tell. He peeked into several of the smaller show barns until he found what he wanted.

  “Here.”

  “Oh, they’re so cute!” Nadine rushed forward to admire the caged rabbits. After oohing over them, she wandered over to admire the chickens. Clancy decided it was time to go when a gaggle of children rushed into the building. This little idyll had been great, but he was beginning to feel like they were pushing their luck.

  He did stop once more as they left the fairgrounds to buy her the cotton candy she’d originally asked for. When she wavered between colors, he bought a cone of pink and a bag of yellow.

  “I cannot remember the last time I ate this stuff,” she said as they pulled back onto the street and headed out of town. She pulled off a bit of fluff and offered it to Clancy, popping it into his mouth when he opened it. Her fears of just a few hours ago had dissipated. No way would he have let her wander through the fair if his intent had been to give her back to her handlers or worse. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d serve flash fried food and spun sugar as a last meal.

  She studied his profile in the later afternoon light. Only the tight discipline she’d learned had kept her straddling the line between just spending time with Clancy and giving in to the yearning to be more to him. Envy spiked when she saw couples embracing on the rides and kissing behind the buildings. She wanted that, dammit it. She wanted to care about nothing except how he made her feel. She wanted to revel in lingering touches and tender caresses that led to sex without an agenda.

  She didn’t need her psychic ability to know Clancy wouldn’t resist. If men’s sexual desires were taught in college, she’d have a master’s degree. She’d been trained to recognize it and take advantage of it.

  Which was another reason she trusted this man. She knew what women like her were called in the resistance: Jezebels, named for the seductress from the Bible. A Jezebel was considered – by both sides, she suspected – to be driven by base desires, satisfied with a life of luxury and bedding men. And, with the drug regimen the government provided, the act became tolerable. She’d learned to focus on her assignment and not what she was doing or what was being done to her to make information acquisition possible.

  The drugs were out of her system or nearly so. She counted back the hours since she’d sought sanctuary. She’d missed three shots and the pills given between injections. The sedation Clancy had given her had helped, too. The dimly remembered erotic dreams her mind had created while she was under might easily have been carried-out scenarios if she hadn’t been chemically restrained.

  “What’s wrong?” Clancy asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Something.” He traced her cheek with his thumb. “Because you’re crying.”

  Nadine blinked and felt moisture escape. He was right. He also probably thought she was a big baby.

  “Just allergies,” she lied. “From the dust and stuff at the fair.”

  “Ah.”

  The single syllable was non-committal, but she was sure he didn’t believe her. To his credit, though, he didn’t pry. He hit the radio’s scan button until static gave way to country music. She stared at him when he began singing along to a song about plastic drink cups.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “The anthem of a generation.” He grinned. “You never know. Mozart might have loved it.”

  “He’s probably rolling over in his grave.”

  “Yeah, from the sheer excitement of this song.”

  His mood had been great ever since they’d reached the fair. She knew this was a momentary lull from the mess that was her life, but she’d take it and treasure it. If she got caught, if she was taken back and put back into the program, no one could take this away from her.

  And right now, it was one of the best moments of her life.

  Chapter Four

  “Hello, Mother.”

  She stopped her rocking to cock her head at the man stepping onto her porch. She murmured a hello and waited to learn why he’d come.

  “Reed missed the transfer.”

  “Shouldn’t have.” Mother put the chair into motion again. “Left here in plenty of time.”

  “Woman still with him?”

  “Was when he left here. Turned
right out of the drive, and that’s the last I saw of either of them.”

  “How long ago?”

  “Couple of hours more or less.” Mother stopped again. “Are you hungry? I’ve got potato soup on, and it will only take a minute to make a sandwich to go with it.”

  The man shook his head. “Nah, I’ll take a rain check. Something isn’t right here.”

  Mother watched Vince Madison walk away. He was a big man, and she figured he had a streak of mean in there somewhere, too. He didn’t come by as often as Clancy and his friend, Nate, but she’d give him whatever he needed. She’d promised her Sam on his deathbed to carry out his duties; the pride he’d felt in helping thwart what he considered a cruel and corrupted government was now hers. But she was mighty glad Clancy hadn’t confided his plans in her. She didn’t cheat, and she didn’t lie, which was why living in ignorance seemed like a fine state to her.

  “I need to check in.” Clancy pulled into a roadside gas station and diner. “Thought you might need a break, too.”

  He’d been watching Nadine as she seemed to wilt. The enthusiasm she’d shown earlier this afternoon had waned. He wasn’t surprised. Between the drug withdrawal and the trauma to her flesh, she’d been through a lot in a very short period of time. Trapping her in a car with her back pressed against the seat couldn’t be good for her. He needed some time to think as well. He needed a plan that would get her to safety without implicating him as her transport.

  Inside the restaurant, he leaned against the wall opposite the ladies’ room while she was inside. The clerk cast curious glances at him; he was certain she had decided he was a controlling jackass. He preferred the disdain of a stranger to letting Nadine out of his sight. No way could anyone be following them, but paranoia wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  One nice thing about being a guy, he decided, was being able to stop along the side of the road and take a whiz. Women took forever, or so it seemed, as he waited for her to come back out. He could tell when she did that she’d used the opportunity to wash her face. He hoped the reason was because she needed a wake-up and not because she’d started crying again. He realized her emotional down was a side effect of the drug therapy she’d been on and wondered if she did.

  “I seriously need caffeine,” Nadine said.

  “Tell me about it.” Clancy yawned. “I’m used to having a pot at my elbow all the time. This stuff’s got to be a whole lot better than the mud I make.”

  It was. He could tell with the first sip that it was fresh and strong. He added ice to cool it to a drinking temperature and noticed that Nadine doctored hers with fancy creamer and artificial sweetener. He grabbed some bags of snacks and candy bars on the way to the front counter where Nadine picked up bananas and apples. Of course, she’d eat healthy.

  Back in the car, Clancy turned from Nadine and tapped a number on the prepaid phone.

  “Sing me a lullaby,” he said a few seconds later in response to a simple “Hello.”

  “Aren’t you a little old for rock-a-bye baby?” Mother answered with a chuckle.

  “You would if you were a real mountain mama. I’m planning to make it an early night. I’m going to check out some horses in the morning.”

  “Take a look at their teeth,” Mother advised. “And call to let me know if you’re bringing one home.”

  “Will do. Night now.” Clancy ended the call and tossed the phone onto the floorboard by Nadine’s feet. He’d made the call as casual as possible while giving her as much information as he could. She’d know he was in West Virginia and heading into Kentucky in the morning. That was all he felt comfortable confiding. For all he knew, Mother had visitors at her small house who might be listening in.

  Their most urgent need was a place to hole up for the night. There were other safe houses within a couple hours’ drive, but he didn’t know the guardians there. Until he could figure out who had found the warehouse where he’d operated on Nadine and what they’d wanted, he planned to shy away from any Underground-connected person or place.

  He’d been staying off the Interstate, preferring smaller roads where it was easier to spot a tail. He’d seen a motel or two, but they hadn’t looked like the kind of place where Nadine would be comfortable. When he saw a sign for a country inn, he hit the brakes and took the turn.

  The inn loomed before them a mile or so later. Housed in a large, two-story brick home, it boasted a wide porch with rattan furniture and a small paved parking area at the side of the house. Clancy thought he saw several small buildings through the trees when he brought the car to a stop.

  The owners turned out to be a couple in their sixties who offered Clancy and Nadine the choice of a room in the house or one of the cottages out back. Clancy wavered between the two. The privacy of a cottage immediately appealed to him but being in the same house as others added a bit of security. His decision was made when the innkeepers offered a piece of advice.

  “Turn your cell phones and computers and such off while you’re here,” their host said. “There’s no reception. We don’t even have televisions in the cottages and just the one in the salon in the house.”

  “We’ll take a cottage.” Clancy pulled out cash and paid for the night.

  “You’ll love it,” the innkeeper’s wife offered. “We’re expecting a couple tonight, but they’ll be in the presidential suite upstairs. The other two cottages are empty, so you won’t have any neighbors.”

  Clancy backed the sedan amid the trees and handed Nadine her bag of clothes. He grabbed the medical bag and the handled plastic box he’d packed up at Mother’s then followed her to the door. The key slid in smoothly, and the door opened without a sound.

  “Stay here,” he ordered after he closed the door behind them. He went through the three rooms – bathroom, bedroom and great room that included a kitchenette – closing the curtains and checking window locks before flipping on the lights. After giving Nadine the all-clear, he opened the plastic box and added another layer of security.

  “What is that?” Nadine asked as he installed a small box at the bottom of the first window.

  “Sensor.”

  She followed as he moved to the remaining windows and did the same thing. He focused on the task in an attempt to ignore her nearness. It didn’t work. He could almost feel her small movements as she leaned against the wall to watch him, could almost sense each breath she took. He concentrated on keeping his hands steady and his attention on his work even when she straightened up.

  Stretching her arms above her head, she said, “I’ll get those snacks from the car.”

  “No!” The word was sharp and loud. He followed it up with a quieter, “Sorry. I don’t want you going out there. I’ll get that stuff in a second.”

  “Okay. I understand.”

  Clancy hoped she did. She was used to the continual presence of bodyguards and handlers; now all she had between herself and trouble was him. Then again, maybe it was better if she didn’t realize how thin a line of protection stood between her and the government that had invested so much in her.

  He left her on the couch as he ran out to retrieve the sacks from the small store. Once back inside, he put a sensor on the door in addition to the ones already on the windows.

  “What about the animals out there?” Nadine asked.

  “These are fancy ones.” He flashed her a smile. “They’re set off by heat, not motion. Something little like a cat or a raccoon can go by, no problem. A person… that’s another story.”

  “So we ought to sleep well, huh?”

  “Yep.” She would. Clancy intended to stand watch all night. He’d had enough sleep at Mother’s to keep him going, and he’d stocked up on sugar and caffeine to jack up his system.

  Nadine grabbed the sacks from where Clancy had dropped them and headed for the kitchen. He did a final walk-through before joining her. The aroma of coffee was already filling the air by the time he sat down at the small drop-leaf table. He watched her economical movements as she pee
led and chopped an apple into slices. She slid them onto a plate and opened a bag of party snack mix. When she poured coffee into two cups, he wondered if she was going to be able to stand it without creamer or sugar.

  “This place comes well-prepared.” Nadine reached into a cabinet above the sink and took out a small container of dry creamer and packets of sugar. “The note inside the cabinet says to enjoy our beverages compliments of the inn. There’s also herbal tea and hot cocoa mix if you’d like something different.”

  “Coffee’s good.” He accepted a cup from her before she placed the snacks on the table and sat across from him with her own doctored drink. The coffee was good, and he was soon on his second cup. He watched Nadine and wondered how soon she’d bring up the one subject he wanted to avoid.

  Only minutes, as it turned out.

  “What happens in the morning?” she asked.

  “Let me build a fire before we talk,” Clancy replied, stalling for time. She seemed strong right now, but he wasn’t sure how she’d react when he told her his plans ended here. He was so far out of familiar territory that he might as well be walking through a rain forest without a guide. Conductors were trained in this crap; he sure as hell wasn’t.

  He took longer than he needed to get the fire burning although he didn’t think Nadine noticed. She was curled up in a corner of the couch, and he was pretty certain he saw her yawn. He decided it was probably a good idea to check her incisions before they had the talk he wanted. She might not want him close to her once he admitted he wasn’t sure what the morning might bring.

  “Let’s take a look at your back.” He opened the medical kit and took out alcohol, gauze pads and new bandaging.

  “Sure.” Nadine pulled off the hoodie and lay on her stomach on the couch. Clancy felt her tense when he slid up her tee to expose the stitched area. His touch was light as he examined and cleaned the area. When she shivered under his fingers, he wasn’t sure whether it was a pain reaction or something entirely different.