“I don’t know why they stopped, and the pain will go away. I shouldn’t have let you run out of the cave. It was my responsibility to make sure you stayed safe.”
I half-snorted, half-groaned and the obscene sound echoed around the cave. “Kinda messed that one up, huh?”
“Yes and no. You’re alive.”
“Why did you tie me up and point a gun at my head?”
“Your gun.”
“What?”
“I pointed your gun at you.”
Relief flooded my senses and masked the pain for a minute. “You have my Glock? Can I have it back?” He had to give me the gun. One, it was my dad’s. Two, I needed a weapon. And three, if I turned into a Rasper, I needed to be able to end it. I hoped I didn’t have to.
Adam reached to his back, withdrew the gun, and handed it to me, grip first.
I snatched it from him and ran my finger over the notch. “Why did you tie me up if you were trying to keep me safe?”
“I had to make sure.”
“Make sure of what?”
“That you hadn’t turned into a Rasper. Your skin stayed the same color and you don’t have a stinger.”
I flexed my index fingers. Still the same. My stomach churned. I couldn’t be a Rasper. “How can you know for sure?”
He grinned. “I knew when you called me an asshole.”
“You are an asshole, but how did that tell you I was Bug-free and not a damn mutant?” I tapped the muzzle of the gun on my thigh. I wanted to shoot something. Not him anymore, but something. Anything to release the energy threatening to explode.
“Your breathing, and Raspers don’t use emotion in their voices. They’re all monotone. Your words were full of anger.”
“You’re sure I’m good?” I hoped he was right. I’d rather be dead than a Rasper. I didn’t feel like a Rasper. But then again, I didn’t know what being a Rasper felt like. I clutched the Glock tighter.
“You’re not a Rasper. In an hour or so, the pain should stop and we can test out your skills.”
“Skills? What are you talking about?” He was so damn calm while I teetered on the edge of freaking out.
He pulled a bottle of water out of his bag and took a long drink. “The actual sting hurt worse than you shooting me. After the sting, it seemed like heat burned through my veins, but it stopped after a few hours. Like the venom, poison, or whatever it was, shot through my body, but didn’t work.” He took another drink. “The Bugs made an ear-piercing sound and looking back, I think maybe they were communicating.”
“What happened then?”
“Mom reached for me…as did the other two who got back up, but…I still had pain in my side. I took off running. I used to run track at school, so I was faster than them. But the funny thing was, I was much faster. Beyond my normal faster. Heightened somehow. Eventually, the rest of my senses got stronger, too.”
“You’re like superhuman now?” My head spun and the cave rotated with it. I couldn’t take it. His story was too much. It couldn’t be real.
“I think maybe.” He shrugged. “You might be, too.”
“Can you hear better now?” I twisted my ponytail. I needed to focus, to process the information. To figure out what to do now.
“Hear more, see farther and in the dark, move faster than I should be able to, and lift heavier stuff than I could before. Not sure if my sense of taste is increased, because I haven’t had any real food.” He laughed without humor. “For me, the muscle strength was instantaneous. Then the hearing a few hours later, my vision the next day or so.”
Well, that explained how he had heard me at the church house. But it didn’t make me feel any better. “When you went out to get the wood, you could see where you were going?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t comprehend what it all meant in the long run, like what would happen to me—or him—in a month or more. We could transform into Raspers at any time. “You’re scaring me.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. What if it kills us or something?”
“I hope not.” He licked his lips. “You’ll probably get some headaches. I did.”
Shivers sliced across my skin. I might now have superhuman skills. While it sounded cool, it scared me shitless. The real question was if I could trust Adam or not. I’d given up on following Rule Number One. “Tell me why I should trust you.”
He ran his index fingers under his eyes and pressed on his sinuses as if he was trying to relieve pressure. “I don’t know. Maybe you shouldn’t. You’ve been somewhat of a bitch. I mean, you did shoot me once already. Say the word and I’ll leave, but I would like the company. Besides, we’re stronger as a team than alone. Don’t you think?”
Blood sizzled under my skin. Bitch? He had the nerve to call me a bitch? What an ass. I balled my fist. I so wanted to hit something. Or someone. But, damn him, he made too much sense. And if I was honest with myself, I had been a bitch.
My shoulders rounded and sagged under an invisible weight. “How about this? We can hang together, but if you betray me, or I even think you’ve betrayed me, I’ll shoot you like the heartless bitch you think I am.”
“Well, I guess I’ll need to make sure I don’t piss you off, then.” Adam smiled an I-may-or-may-not-be-kidding smile.
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I turned away from him. The sun peeked through the trees. “Hey, it’s daylight.”
“I spotted a cabin in the woods. We need to check it out once your leg stops hurting.”
My stomach rumbled an audible groan. “I need to eat first. I’m starving.”
Adam had not only recovered my gun, but he’d brought me back to the cave. I pulled granola bars and water from my bag. I was so sick of granola bars.
“Here. You can have this back.” He tossed me the rope ball and I stuffed it into the bag.
Once the pain in my leg subsided, we headed out and hiked along the hillside until we came to a clearing.
“You ready to test yourself?” Adam dropped his bag on the ground.
I shrugged. “I guess. What should I do?”
“Run to that tree.” Adam pointed to a large oak about fifty yards away.
I set my bag next his and took off. I moved faster than I ever had. All without any pain in my knee or leg. I reached the tree in no time and my breathing remained normal. Wow. Cool! Freaky. Scary.
“Can you hear me?”
“Of course I can hear you if you yell,” I called back.
“I’m not yelling. I’m whispering. Try it. I should be able to hear you.”
Yeah, right. “Well, can you hear me, Hotness?”
“Hotness?” His voice had a teasing tone.
Shit. He could hear me. And I was making a total ass of myself. “Uh…”
Disbelief tap-danced through my brain. Holy crap. Maybe I was superhuman. Like a superhero or something. I ran back to Adam, moving faster than I had before. I flew past him, then backtracked. And tried to forget I’d called him hot. Again.
“What’s going on? Why can I do this stuff?” I wasn’t sure I really wanted the answer.
Adam turned and his arm brushed against mine. “I don’t know. Must have something to do with what we were injected with.”
“Why are we immune to the poison or whatever it is? What if we aren’t immune? It could be slowly shifting through our veins before it kills us.”
“I don’t want to think about that. Truth is, I have all those questions too. Come on, I’ll race you.”
We picked up our bags and took off to the tree. I matched Adam stride for stride and we reached the oak at the same time.
“How long ago were you stung?”
Adam turned to me. “Maybe three and a half months ago. Why?”
“Just hoping we won’t drop dead.”
“Me too.” He tugged on the bottom of his shirt. “You know, I never asked. Is Val short for something?” He tilted his head to the side and his hair framed his face.
&nb
sp; My cheeks ignited. Damn, why did I have to blush? I clutched at my backpack strap and squeezed. “Valentine. My name’s Valentine Moore. My mom named me after the day I was born. I mean how corny is that? I hated going to school and the teachers calling me Valentine.” I clamped my mouth shut.
Adam inched closer to me. “If the calendar on the wall back at the house was right, then yesterday was your birthday.”
I nodded.
“Well, happy birthday, Val. I’m sorry it was so awful for you.”
“Yeah, it rates as the worst one so far.” As much as I still distrusted him, I was beginning to think meeting him was the best part. There was no way I was telling him that, though.
“How old are you?”
“Sixteen. You?”
“The same.” He grabbed a twig from a pile of branches. He drew something in the dirt with the stick.
“What are you doing?” I leaned closer, but couldn’t make out his drawing.
“Hang on.” He scratched the dirt more with his makeshift pen. “Okay, come see.”
I walked to his side. He had drawn a cake with sixteen candles on it. My heart beat faster and twisted itself in a knot.
“Sorry, I wish it could have been a real cake.”
Damn him for being so nice. My eyes stung with unshed tears. “Thanks. I wish it were a real cake, too. Jeez, doesn’t that sound delicious?” I rubbed my stomach.
“Don’t start talking about food again. It’s too painful.”
“You’re right. No more talk of real food anymore. I swear.” I held up my right hand.
Adam grabbed my hand. Heat radiated up my arm. “It’s a deal then. No more discussing real food.”
His eyes locked on mine. I couldn’t think. He leaned toward me. I couldn’t breathe. He was going to kiss me. Oh. My. God. I couldn’t do it. I backed up, consumed with panic. I had never kissed anyone before. And I couldn’t remember the last time I had used mouthwash. I cleared my throat. “So, this cabin? Where is it?”
Adam closed his eyes for a second, ran his hand across his face, then turned away. “This way.”
I’d killed the mood for sure. Maybe I had misinterpreted his actions. There was no way he had planned to kiss me. Was there? The moment played on a never-ending loop through my brain as we hiked back into the wooded area and came to a stream. It had to be the stream from last night. In the light, it looked serene and calming, not the scene of my almost death. “What happened to the Rasper in the water?”
“The others took him away once I grabbed you.”
“Was he dead?”
“I’m not sure.”
I rubbed my throat. “What about the Rasper that stung me? What happened to it?”
“I don’t know. I think he took off.”
“Did they call you by name?”
“No.”
“Well, they knew my name. Creeped me out.”
“That’s messed up.”
“They stalked me. Why do you think they did that?” The vision of the Rasper’s face shattered the replay of Adam’s almost-kiss.
“I wish I knew. Seems like they’re evolving, though—look, there’s the cabin.”
I tried to let Adam’s comment about the Raspers evolving go, but it circled in my mind like a vulture looking for the dead. If they could get smarter than they already were, I doubted we’d reach seventeen. The sting had helped us. Made us stronger. Would we be able to use it against the damn creatures? I hoped we could. “Hopefully there’s a car so we can get to your safe house. And have a doctor or something make sure we’re not going to become Raspers.”
“I think this will be our lucky day. We’ll be able to check out the address and get to Site R soon.”
I glanced at the cabin in an attempt to quiet my whirling thoughts. It wasn’t just a shack, but an honest-to-goodness one-story log cabin with a large tower behind it. Black panels covered the roof. The grass in the front yard was wild and up to windows, but a concrete walk ran from the gravel driveway to the front door. A dirt road extended out from the driveway. Well, after the rain, it currently classified as a mud road. I wasn’t sure it was going to bring us the luck Adam hoped for.
I pointed at the metal structure. “Isn’t that a radio tower like the other house?”
“Yes.”
“What’s on the roof?”
“Looks like solar panels,” Adam whispered. “Think anyone’s inside?”
I drew my gun. “One way to find out.”
We took up positions on opposite sides of the black-stained door. There wasn’t a doorbell. Adam knocked.
We waited. I counted out thirty seconds in my head. “Hear anything?”
Adam shook his head and knocked again. Still no response.
I reached out, grabbed hold of the doorknob, and opened the door. We entered the cabin, trying to imitate the cops on old TV shows. The scent of lemon furniture polish filled my nose. The place was clean and decorated in a rustic style. We stood in the living room and surveyed the layout. The kitchen stretched out across the back wall, and three closed doors lined up along the left side. I tapped Adam on the shoulder and gestured at them with the Glock.
Adam walked to the first door and stood on the left side. I took the right. He held up three fingers and proceeded to drop them in a countdown. When he put down the final finger, I opened the door to a clean and empty bathroom. We repeated the procedure with next door. It opened to a small vacant bedroom. The final door revealed shelves of canned goods. Jackpot.
“Soups and veggies.” Adam grabbed a couple cans from the shelves. “Want to eat?”
“You don’t have to ask. Think this place has power and water?” I didn’t wait for his response, but went to the kitchen and flicked the light switch.
The light above the small table and two chairs came on. I broke into a smile bigger than I had when I went into Disneyworld. The movement made my face feel funny. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d smiled. I said a silent prayer at the faucet, then pushed the lever. Clear water flowed into my hands. I cupped the clean liquid in my palm. Sniffed it and didn’t smell anything funky. I almost cried. I might be able to get a real shower.
“Does the stove work?” Adam came up behind me.
I turned the knob and the range roared to life.
Adam gave out a whoop sound and jumped up. “I need a pan to cook the soup. I’m so hungry.” He bent down and searched the cupboards. I pulled open drawers, located a can opener, and opened the cans.
Within minutes, the tantalizing scent of tomato soup filled the small kitchen and my stomach gurgled. Adam reached into the pantry closet. “Tea bags.” He held up a box. “Not coffee, but still awesome.”
A teakettle sat on top of the range. “Bring them here.” I filled the kettle and Adam found bowls, silverware, and mugs.
We sat at the table and devoured the food. When I got to the bottom of the bowl, I lifted it to my lips and slurped the rest. Adam grinned and did the same. I inhaled the steam from the tea and warmed my fingers on the mug. It was so good to have something hot.
“What now?” Adam leaned back in the chair.
“You could use a shower, but I’m taking one first.” I rinsed off my dishes, then grabbed my bag. “You’ll keep watch?”
Adam picked up his dishes. “Of course. Don’t take too long. Who knows how long the water will stay warm.”
I went into the bathroom and locked the door. I hadn’t taken a shower in forever. Did I dare get naked long enough for a shower? Logic said no, but every inch of my skin screamed for me to get in. The fall in the stream had left a layer of imaginary grime all over and I itched to wash it off.
I turned on the water. The temperature was perfect. I put my gun on the ledge out of the way of the water, but close enough for me to reach it, if I needed to, then I stripped and got in.
It was heaven. I had missed the scent of shampoo and soap. I scrubbed every inch of my skin until it turned pink. And after about five minutes, I got out. Before I
put my clothes on, I eyed my calf. The sting looked like a small bruise. I got dressed, wrapped a towel around my wet hair, and crossed to the mirror. I wiped the small amount of steam off.
My skin was more tanned than normal and it brought out the spatter of freckles across my nose. My eyes seemed browner than I remembered them, but that might be a result of no eyeliner. I pulled the towel off my head and rubbed my hair. I’d put it back in my standard ponytail once it was dry. I stuffed my dirty clothes in my bag and grabbed the Glock. When I came out of the bathroom, Adam turned and stared.
“What?” I holstered my gun then tugged on a damp strand of hair.
Adam shook his head. “Nothing, just your hair…looks good.”
I tucked it behind my ears. Heat burned a trail from my cheeks to my feet. “Thanks. It’s all yours.” I waved at the door.
“Great.” Adam nodded. He walked toward me and stopped. He reached out and touched a strand of my hair. “I really like your hair this way.” Then he went into the bathroom.
I stood stunned. Maybe I hadn’t imagined him almost kissing me. I put my bag on the table and sat in the wooden chair. The sound of running water filled the room. I strapped my knife to my leg and then finger combed my hair. I debated about saying something when he came out. I was probably reading him wrong, though, and I’d make a fool of myself if I said anything. He was just being nice.
The sensation of being watched crept across my skin. I drew my gun, stood, spun around.
There was no one there.
I walked over to the bathroom door and tapped the barrel of the gun on it. “Adam, get out.”
The water shut off and the door opened. He clasped a towel around his waist. Water dripped from his hair. “What’s wrong?”
I had to tear my eyes away. “Something feels off. Get dressed.” I went back to the table, picked up my bag, and slid it onto my shoulders.
Adam came out of the bathroom, dressed and armed. “What happened?”
“Nothing, but I felt someone watching me.”
“Let’s do a search outside.”
We went outside, circled the perimeter of the cabin, but came up empty.
The Colony Page 8