The Guardians (MORE Trilogy)

by Franklin, T. M.

  “What is it?” Ava whispered, trying to see under his arm and failing. She moved to the window to peer through a gap in the curtain.

  “Don’t let him see you,” Tiernan snapped.

  “Who?” Ava still couldn’t see anything—only the back of a car parked at the motel office.

  A black and white car.

  “Oh no.” She yanked the curtains closed, panic rising in her chest. “Is that the police?”

  “It could be nothing.” Tiernan kept his voice low, still looking out the crack in the door. “Or . . .”

  “Or?”

  He glanced at her. “Or, it could be that the motel manager also watches the news.”

  “Crap.” Ava ran her hands through her hair, tugging lightly before pulling it into a ponytail. “What are we going to do?”

  Tiernan shut the door quickly, trying not to slam it. “He’s coming this way.” Tiernan headed for the bathroom, frowning when he spotted the tiny window over the toilet. Striding back into the room, he tossed his bag on the bed and squared his shoulders. “I’ll try not to hurt him too badly,” he said, meeting Ava’s frightened eyes.

  “No!” She hurried back to the window, thinking quickly. “I think there’s another way.” She willed her heart to slow, reaching for her Race gift through the layers of panic and fear and freaking out. “Give me a second.”

  “We don’t have a second.”

  Ava ignored him, her gift swelling through her, responding to her call as she focused on the bumper of that black and white car. “Come on . . .” she murmured. She envisioned the brake releasing . . . the gearshift sliding down to neutral . . .

  “Ava?”

  They could hear the footsteps approaching now . . . low voices . . .

  The police car began to roll backward, and Ava’s lips curled into a victorious smile. The car turned, coming to a quick stop then started rolling forward. “That’s right, a little faster . . .” she whispered, pushing it with her gift.

  A startled cry outside told her the diversion had worked, and she saw the police officer and motel manager running toward the car, chasing it as it rolled into the street.

  “Now.” Ava hitched her backpack higher onto her shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.” She kept her focus on the car, increasing the speed as they ducked out of the motel room and headed in the opposite direction, keeping to the shadows.

  “Nice job,” Tiernan said grumpily, as though it hurt him to say it.

  Deciding that was the best she was going to get, she asked, “Where are we going?”

  “I’m to check in every hour for directions,” he said, scanning the parking lot then setting off toward the center of town.

  Ava trailed after him, hitching her backpack onto both shoulders and giving the police car one last push as it turned a corner heading away from town, the police officer running full speed behind it. “Shouldn’t we get out of town? That cop isn’t going to be kept busy for long.”

  “We need a ride,” Tiernan said tersely. “It’s the only place to get one.”

  “What about the sensor? I thought he was coming with us.”

  “Apparently, he doesn’t need to.”

  He strode quickly, but Ava knew he was holding back so she could keep up. Barely.

  “He must be quite powerful. Andreas said he could track Caleb from where he is,” he said.

  “Wow. That’s pretty impressive.” She jogged alongside him, her pack bumping against her back. “Can a lot of sensors do that?”

  Tiernan was silent for a long moment. “He’s the first one I’ve heard of.”

  He seemed a bit uncomfortable about that, and Ava wondered if it was because he was leery of the sensor’s power or because Tiernan had been unaware of his existence. She tended to lean toward the latter. Tiernan didn’t seem to be the kind of guy who liked to be caught off guard.

  They came to the town’s main street, the storefronts on either side closing down for the night except for a restaurant and what looked like a biker bar. A slow grin eased onto Tiernan’s face when he spotted the bar.

  He didn’t look at her, just threw a “Stay here,” over his shoulder before starting across the street.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll be right back,” he said. He slipped into the shadows as he neared the bar and disappeared inside.

  “Oh, crap.” Ava glanced nervously up and down the street as she figured out his intent.

  Tiernan lounged against the brick wall near the entrance, eyes wandering purposefully as people passed by. After a few moments, he walked into the bar, following a group of scruffy men in leather jackets.

  Ava wrung her hands and stopped abruptly when she realized she was doing it, annoyed at the cliché. She started to cross the street then thought better of it, returning to a bookstore window and pretending to examine its contents. Her gaze darted to the bar entrance every few seconds while she kept an eye open for the police. Tiernan eventually emerged, glancing up and down the street before approaching a group of motorcycles. He hovered over them for a moment before he straddled one, the lights flipping on a moment before the engine roared to life. He pulled a wide turn in the road and stopped at the curb next to her.

  “Get on,” he said, scooting forward a little on the seat.

  “You can’t be serious,” she said, eyeing the bike with dread. “Those things are dangerous.”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “Not as dangerous as the drunk guy I stole the keys from once he notices it’s missing.”

  Ava’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, like you’re really scared.”

  To her surprise, Tiernan laughed.

  “It looks kind of old,” she said, not getting any closer to the bike. It was big and shiny . . . with metal studs all along the seat. Definitely not her.

  Tiernan practically caressed the bike as he ran his hand over the emerald-green gas tank. “Seventy-two Harley Softail. It’s a classic.” He reached back to pluck a black half-helmet emblazoned with a skull and crossbones off the backrest and held it out to her expectantly.

  She frowned but took it, her stomach fluttering nervously as she buckled it on. “Don’t you have one?” she asked.

  Tiernan revved the engine. “Quit stalling. Get on.”

  Resigned, Ava did as she was told, wrapping her arms around Tiernan’s thick waist and clenching her eyes tightly shut as they sped out of town under the darkening sky.

  They continued west, stopping every hour or so to stretch their legs and call Andreas, through South Dakota and across the Wyoming border, angling slightly north toward Montana. Then, after a late-night call, they were ordered to turn abruptly south at Sheridan.

  “Sensor says Caleb’s trying to lose us,” Tiernan said, cracking his neck as he shoved his phone into his pocket and climbed back onto the bike.

  Ava’s heart sank at his words. “Maybe he’s doing what I’m doing. Trying to find a way to clear his name.”

  “Maybe.” Tiernan didn’t seem convinced, but to his credit, he didn’t challenge her. Instead, he jerked his head toward the back of the bike. “You coming?”

  Ava yawned widely as she got on behind him.

  “I hate to do it, but we’re going to have to ditch this bike,” he said. “We need to keep going, and you’re going to fall asleep and fall off.”

  “No, I won—” Ava’s yawn gave her away.

  Tiernan smirked and started the bike.

  They traded the motorcycle for a Jeep at a park and ride at the edge of another nondescript town, then zigzagged their way southwest through Wyoming, stopping midmorning for a few hours of sleep at an isolated rest stop, and again that evening to fill up with gas and grab some food at a mini-mart in Riverton.

  Tiernan’s phone rang as they wolfed down stale doughnuts and coffee. Ava was still exhausted, but she fought her drooping eyelids, swallowing the last of her coffee and retrieving another from the store while Tiernan spoke to whoever was on the other end. He was in the Jeep, its engi
ne idling, when she returned.

  “Caleb’s stopped,” he said, peeling out of the parking lot. “The sensor says he hasn’t moved in the last hour. He must think he’s lost us.”

  Ava was suddenly alert, her stomach churning wildly. “Where is he?”

  Tiernan checked the rearview mirror and stepped on the gas. “Utah. Andreas said the sensor’s closing in on a more precise location, but for now, we’re heading to Salt Lake City.”

  Ava leaned against the passenger side window, snoring lightly, as they finally crossed the border into Utah.

  The sky lightened, the second sunrise since Tiernan had gotten any decent sleep himself, and he yawned, shaking his head and blinking to try and stay alert. He picked up his phone, pressing the speed dial for Andreas as Ava sighed in her sleep next to him.

  He had to admit the girl had impressed him a bit. Other than the need for conventional transportation, she’d been less of a burden than he’d expected. She did ask a lot of questions, which was annoying, and never failed to state her opinion, no matter how wrong or irritating, but overall, she was . . . not horrible.

  He smirked at the thought, his expression growing grim as Andreas answered the phone.

  “We’re a little over an hour out of Salt Lake City.”

  “ ‘We’?” Andreas repeated, and Tiernan winced. He’d been so careful to avoid mentioning Ava until then. Obviously the lack of sleep was making him sloppy.

  “Yes, sir,” he said, clearing his throat. “Ava Michaels is with me. She was . . . rather insistent about it.” He wondered if he should relay his suspicions about Officer Simmons’ death and the Rogues, but to his surprise, Andreas laughed.

  “I’ve known Miss Michaels was with you all along, Ross,” he said. “This sensor is surprisingly talented. He’s not only been tracking Caleb, but you as well. He recognized right away that you weren’t alone.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I should have mentioned it.”

  “Yes, you should have,” Andreas said, his voice chilling. “You should also remember that keeping things from me—from the Council—is a futile effort and also one that could prove quite dangerous. For you.”

  “Yes, sir.” He quietly relayed the information about the murder and Ava’s suspected involvement. “She claims innocence,” Tiernan said, glancing at Ava, who was still sleeping peacefully.

  “Yes, well. She would, wouldn’t she?”

  “She’s not a killer, sir.” Tiernan was a little surprised at how strongly he believed it. “Someone is setting her up.”

  “Well, that is neither here nor there at the moment,” Andreas replied. “We’ll deal with the problems of Miss Michaels at a later time. Your priority is Caleb Foster. I’ve assured the rest of the Council you have matters well in hand. Do not prove me wrong, Ross.”

  Tiernan bit back a retort. “Yes, sir.”

  “There is some interference keeping the sensor from zeroing in on Foster’s precise location, but he is confident he will break through it soon,” Andreas said, the topic of Ava forgotten, at least for the moment. “I suggest the two of you find a place to lay low for a little while. Maybe get some sleep. You’ll need to be on your game to confront Foster. And Ross . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “Miss Michaels. Will she be a problem when it comes to Foster? I don’t need to remind you what your responsibility is in this situation, do I?”

  “No, sir.”

  “You’re to bring him to me. Will she try and stop you?”

  “She’s not convinced he’s helping Rogues,” he said, watching his words in case Ava was listening. “She wants to talk to him. Her biggest concern is his safety.”

  “Then you’ll convince her he’ll be safe here,” Andreas said shortly.

  Tiernan glanced at Ava just as her eyes opened, fixing him with a quiet look.

  “Yes, sir,” he said, unable to see any other option.

  They pulled off the highway onto an isolated gravel road that wound through a thick canopy of trees. A couple of miles into the forest, Tiernan finally pulled off the road, crashing through some brush before parking the Jeep out of sight.

  “Nice spot.” Ava shot him a wry look.

  He ignored her, leaned his seat back, and closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “There’s nothing we can do until I get word from Andreas, so you might as well get some sleep.”

  “I’ve been sleeping.”

  He opened one eye and frowned at her. “I haven’t. So be quiet.”

  She was. For about thirty seconds. “What’s going to happen?” she asked quietly, as if speaking in lower tones made it all good. “You know, when we find him?”

  Tiernan sighed. “I need to take him to the Council.”

  “But . . . you’ll let me talk to him first, right?”

  He sat up and rubbed at his eyes before answering. “If it’s possible. Yes.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He might try to run again. I’ll have to stop him if I can.” He turned to her. “He’ll be safer with the Council than he would be on the run.”

  She nodded.

  “Will you try to stop me?”

  Ava considered that for a long moment. “I don’t know,” she finally whispered.

  Tiernan shook his head and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes, he was breathing deeply, asleep.

  She turned to look out the passenger window at the trees and brush beyond, letting her mind wander. She jumped when her phone vibrated in her pocket. With a quick glance at Tiernan, she fumbled for it, her breath catching at the text from Caleb.

  It’s not what you think. I’m sorry.

  She stared at the phone in shock and worry and reached for the car door handle.

  Tiernan stirred. “Where are you going?”

  “Little girls’ room. I’ll be back in a second,” she said, willing her voice not to wobble and praying she could get out of the car before her phone vibrated again and Tiernan noticed.

  Luckily, he just shifted in the seat, tucked his chin into his chest, and went back to sleep.

  Ava got out of the car and walked into the cover of some trees. She wanted to call Caleb, craved hearing his voice, but she couldn’t risk Tiernan overhearing. And she didn’t dare walk far enough away to ensure that wouldn’t happen.

  It would probably take an hour anyway. Stupid super hearing.

  She texted Caleb back instead, erasing and retyping several times thanks to her trembling fingers.

  Are you all right? Where are you? What’s happening?

  She paced back and forth in the little clearing between two trees, waiting anxiously.

  I’ll explain soon. Everything will be all right. Just trust me.

  It took all of Ava’s self-control not to scream in exasperation. She did let her gift loose a little—enough to throw a couple of pinecones zinging off through the forest.

  How? The Council thinks you’re working with Rogues! They’ll send assassins if you don’t come in.

  She’d almost given up getting any response at all until her phone buzzed once more.

  Don’t trust the Council.

  And that was it. She texted him three more times, but got no response, and finally gave in and dialed his number. It went directly to voice mail. Again.

  Ava reached up and touched her necklace through her shirt, fighting tears. She wanted to trust Caleb, wanted to believe him that he could explain the whole mess, but she couldn’t fight the feeling that she was missing something. Something big. She closed her eyes and felt for her gift, the necklace warming under her fingers. She didn’t let her power loose, just let it trickle through her body, centering and calming her. After a while, she took a deep breath, letting her gift settle within her again.

  She turned to walk back to the car and got in quietly. Tiernan didn’t stir, so she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.

  Chapter 7

  “You got anything?” Tiernan asked as they pulled to a stop somewhere in the mountains ea
st of Salt Lake City. They’d finally gotten a call, the sensor directing them to the isolated area, but they’d had to abandon the Jeep, taking to the rough terrain on foot.

  “Not yet,” Ava replied, tightening the straps on her backpack as she set off after him. “Maybe when we get a little closer.”

  “You can feel him, right?” Tiernan asked, not meeting her eyes. “I mean, you and Caleb . . . you . . . uh . . .”

  Ava flushed, realizing what he meant. “Yes. I feel him,” she said, clearing her throat. “Just not at the moment.”

  Tiernan nodded and climbed up a rocky slope, Ava scrambling up behind him. “The sensor said due south from where we left the car,” he said, lifting a hand to shade his eyes as he looked up at the sun. “Should be close in about an hour. Let me know as soon as you feel him . . . or anyone.”

  “You think there are others?”

  “Well, someone may be shielding him,” Tiernan replied as he started walking again. “Andreas said that’s why the sensor was having so much trouble.”

  “And you think it’s a Rogue.”

  Tiernan didn’t answer.

  They trudged along for several minutes, and Ava appreciated that he didn’t complain once about her slowing him down. For a huge, scary monster, Tiernan really wasn’t such a bad guy.

  The silence was getting to her, though, her mind on a constant repeat—the look on Caleb’s face as Tiernan confronted him, Caleb disappearing without even looking her way, his texts . . . her feeling for a while now that something had been off with him. She knew Caleb. She knew she could trust him. But all of the evidence against him was . . . unsettling. Frightening. And she had absolutely no idea what would happen when they finally caught up to him. Sure, Tiernan had promised she could talk to him. The problem was the Council had evidence against him. Of course, from current personal experience, she knew that evidence didn’t always prove the truth. And if Caleb was found to be a traitor, even his mother couldn’t save him, regardless of her position with the Council.