“The very bitter end?”
“Hopefully it won’t be too bitter.”
“There are a lot of innocent people onboard the Trident. A lot of them once believed in you.”
“Casualties of war.”
“You’d sacrifice them…”
“It wouldn’t be a sacrifice, but it would be a tragedy. I don’t know Riley and the others are on that yacht, remember?”
Keo squinted his eyes. If Mercer was feeling triumphant, it didn’t show on his face.
“Where?” Keo asked.
“The Comm Room,” Mercer said, and stood up. “After you give me your gun. This is the only way it’s going to work. The Trident and all the lives onboard it are in your hands. That’s a hefty responsibility. I know a thing or two about that.”
The gun was suddenly very heavy against Keo’s palm, the trigger more resistant than usual against his finger.
He thought of the Trident.
No, not the boat itself, but the people on it.
Lara. Carly. Carrie. Bonnie. The big Mexican and the small Texan. The girl who Lara had adopted and Carly’s little sister. But most of all, he thought of Lara on the Ocean Star, telling him not to be an asshole and to at least try to survive Black Tide Island.
“Clock’s ticking,” Mercer said. “Make your choice, son.”
“I’m not your fucking son,” Keo said through gritted teeth.
Mercer didn’t react at all, but he didn’t sit back down, either.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Keo said.
“I’m listening…”
“Let the Trident go. Tonight. Tomorrow. Just let them go. Don’t look for them again.”
“And in return?”
I’m sorry, Jordan, he thought, and said, “I don’t put a bullet between your eyes. I step out of this door and we never see each other again.”
“I need more than that.”
“I’m all out of candy.”
“You might not care about Riley’s people, but what about your friends?” Mercer asked.
Keo didn’t say anything.
“The only thing left is to ask yourself one question,” Mercer said. He held out his hand with the palm up. “How much of your friends’ lives are you willing to sacrifice to claim my one?”
26
Lara
“There,” Lara said, pointing at the heavily marked map spread out on the table inside her cabin. “The Bengal Islands.”
Riley nodded. “That’s the one. Or ones, to be more specific.”
“And you know what’s there?”
“On the islands?”
She nodded.
“Are you talking about potential survivors?” Riley asked.
“No,” she said, watching him closely across the table.
He was probably leaning too heavily against the wooden edge and putting more of his weight on it than he might normally have if he wasn’t a little drowsy from the meds. Zoe still didn’t want him moving around on his own power even with the crutches, but Riley was right when he said he couldn’t stay bedridden forever, and not with his people crowded onboard the Trident. This was one of those times when they needed to see him, if just to be reassured they hadn’t made the biggest mistake of their lives.
“You know what the islands are mostly used for, right?” she asked him. “Who goes there? And why?”
“It’s a haven for criminals,” Riley nodded.
“So you know.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I guess I am, a little.”
“I was an auditor before all of this. I spent a lot of time freelancing for the U.S. government, looking for places where people hid their money when they thought Uncle Sam had taken enough of it.” He gave her a wry smile. “I know how I know, but how does a third-year medical student know about the Islands’ reputation?”
“Keo told me about it.”
“Him again. Too bad I never got the chance to meet the guy, though Hart had some good things to say. Was he a soldier or something?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what Keo used to be before all of this.”
“You never asked him?”
“He’s never been all that anxious to talk about it.” She shrugged. “Besides, what happened before doesn’t have anything to do with now. And right now, he’s a good friend and someone I wish had come with us.”
“Instead he’s going after Mercer.”
“He has his reasons.”
“A lot of people have reasons to want Mercer dead.”
“He’s done some bad things. They’ve hung men for less.”
Riley nodded, then, “So what else did you want to talk to me about?”
“Your soldiers. How good are they?”
“I wouldn’t really call them soldiers.”
“So what are they really?”
“They’re trained, don’t get me wrong, but they didn’t volunteer to run around Texas creating chaos for a reason. They’re not killers. Aside from skirmishes here and there before R-Day, they haven’t really been in prolonged conflicts. At least, not the kind of gun battles that we might encounter if the aforementioned criminal elements are still hanging around the Islands when we get there.”
“But you trust them to stand up in a firefight?”
Riley seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding—though not quite with enough confidence for her liking. “I don’t think they’ll run from a fight, if that’s what you mean.”
That’s not what I meant at all, but I guess it’s good enough…for now.
“What about your people?” he asked.
“We’ve been surviving out here for the better part of a year. We’re not going to run from anything.”
“You guys have been through a lot.”
“We have.”
“Lost a lot…”
“Everyone’s lost someone, Riley.”
For a moment, his eyes drifted away, as if some long-buried memory was rushing back to him. She knew what it was because she had seen that expression on a lot of faces these days, including her own when she stared in the mirror. She didn’t want to ask him who he’d lost, because eventually the question would get turned back to her.
“And you’re okay with us not going straight to the Islands?” she asked him.
Riley nodded. “In your position, I’d do the same thing. Besides, the Islands aren’t going anywhere. They’ll still be there waiting for us when we reach them tomorrow or next week or next month.”
That’s what I keep telling myself, and maybe that’s why we never seem to get there.
“When do you expect them to radio in?” Riley asked.
“As soon as they’re able.”
“It’ll be nice to have an Army Ranger around.”
“What about those kill teams Mercer has running around Texas?”
“They’re mostly civilians, though Benford was in the National Guard. I’m not sure how long ago, though. He and a couple of ex-Army guys did most of the arms training back in the early days.”
“I take it you didn’t have a lot of weapons training while auditing for the U.S. government?”
“You took it correctly. The first time I ever picked up a weapon was after all of this happened. It was a huge learning curve.”
Lara felt like laughing. If Riley only knew the things she’d had to do, how much she’d had to change since the world ended. They were things no one had ever taught her—not her parents or any of those long and hard years in school. Sometimes when she thought about what she’d been through, she had a difficult time understanding how she was even still alive.
Adapt or perish, right, Will?
“I have a question for you,” she said, looking across at Riley.
“Sure.”
“What if Keo succeeds?”
“I don’t understand…”
“Would you go back?”
“Where?”
“Black Tide Island.”
“Go back, after wh
at I did?”
She nodded. “Think about it: How many other people like Erin are out there running around killing for Mercer right now? How many of them are exactly like her in that they just need someone or something to get them to do the right thing? Mercer’s death could be that catalyst.”
“Go back to Black Tide Island,” Riley said quietly.
“You could make a difference.”
“How?”
“If Mercer’s dead, there’ll be a power vacuum. Someone will have to step in and assume command of all those people, all those guns.” Lara let that sink in before continuing. “I’m willing to bet there are more people like you and Erin than you think.”
“There are,” he nodded. “But why would any of them listen to me? After what I did?”
“Maybe they’ll listen to you because of what you did.”
He stared at her, confused.
“You did what many of them, including Erin, couldn’t—you finally said no to Mercer,” Lara said. “You disobeyed him at great risk. How many of them wanted to, but were too afraid? Maybe that’s why they’ll listen to you.”
“Or maybe they’ll just shoot me as soon as I step onto the island.”
Lara gave him a wry smile. “Or that.”
He chuckled. “That’s not very reassuring, Lara.”
“Sorry. Anyway, I was just thinking out loud.”
“Your friend would have to succeed first for any of this thinking out loud to matter,” Riley said.
He was looking at her, but not really at her. She could tell that she had planted a seed in his head and it had taken root.
“There’s that,” she nodded, remembering the last time she saw Keo, and their last conversation on the Ocean Star.
“Don’t be an asshole, Keo,” she had told him. “If you won’t stay with us, if you won’t come back to the Trident with me, at least promise me you’re not going out there just to get yourself killed. Tell me you’ll at least try to make it back, and mean it.”
“What if I can’t?” he had answered.
“You can. You just have to make the choice.”
“I’ll do my best,” he had finally relented.
Do your best, Keo, she thought now. You better do your goddamnest best, or I’m going to find you and kick your ass.
“How goes it?” Maddie asked when Lara stepped onto the bridge.
“You tell me,” she said.
“We’re on course. The question is: How long do we wait for them?”
“As long as it takes.”
“Does Riley know that?”
“He knows.”
“And he was good with it?”
“I didn’t give him a choice.”
“That’s my girl,” Maddie said.
The small Texan was planted behind the helm where Blaine usually was and looked just as comfortable, even if she didn’t quite fill out the room the way Blaine did. If it were anyone else but Maddie guiding them across the endless expanse of the Gulf of Mexico right now, Lara might have been worried, but next to Blaine, there was no one else who knew more about the Trident.
“Any word from them yet?” Lara asked after a while.
Maddie glanced at the dashboard. “Nothing yet, but we’re not expecting them so soon, right?”
“No…”
“You worried?”
“I’m always worried.”
“I mean, more worried than usual?”
“No. They know better than to do something stupid while it’s still dark out there.” She leaned toward the wraparound front windshield, as if she could see her friends out there, hiding among the thick blackness that covered the ocean. “They should be hanging out in the water right now, far from land, waiting for sunup to go ashore.”
“Still feels weird with everyone separated like this.”
“You want me to ask someone to keep you company?”
“No, I’m good,” Maddie said. “I’ve been spelling Blaine all this time, so I’m used to being all by my lonesome up here. Anyway, I like it; gives me time to reflect.”
“On what?”
“Life and other stuff.”
“Sounds deep.”
“Oh yeah, it gives me headaches, too.”
“Did you ever come up with something insightful? I could use a little good advice right about now.”
“Just keep doing what you’re doing, boss lady.”
That’s what I was afraid you’d say.
“That’s it?” Lara said.
“You’re doing all right in my book. Anyone who says differently doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”
“I guess I’ll take that. Thanks.”
“No prob.”
“Any complaints so far about Riley’s people crowding the boat?”
“No one’s said anything to me yet. Besides, it’s nice to have more people around. Was starting to get tired of staring at Blaine’s ugly mug all the time. There’s a couple of cute guys in the bunch, too.”
“I’m sure Blaine will appreciate hearing that.”
“Eh, he knows he’s ugly. God knows why Sarah doesn’t think so.”
Her radio—and Maddie’s, perched on the dashboard—squawked, and they both heard Benny’s voice. He sounded noticeably anxious as he said, “Lara, come in, please.”
Lara keyed her two-way. “What’s up, Benny?”
“I’m at the back of the upper deck right now and saw something that… Well, I’m not sure. I could use a second pair of eyes.”
“I’m on my way.” Lara glanced at Maddie. “You sure you don’t want some company up here? How about one of those cute guys?”
“Maybe you can ask Hart to come up here.”
“Hart’s old enough to be your father.”
“What can I say, I like ’em gray,” Maddie smiled. “They know how to appreciate a woman.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
She hurried out of the bridge and through the hallway, then across the upper deck. She could already hear the din of people moving around and talking in nervous but excited voices from the entertainment area beyond the narrow corridor. She walked through the group of people, exchanging nods with a few of the men, though she didn’t spot Hart anywhere.
To keep any one area of the yacht from becoming too congested with bodies, they had spread out Riley’s people across all three decks, with the majority in the lower and main floors. The Trident wasn’t the Ocean Star and it didn’t have the space to accommodate all forty-something of Riley’s people comfortably, but everyone seemed to be making the best of the situation as far as she could tell.
But she had to keep reminding herself they were just a few hours into their arrangement. It was going to take time—maybe a few days—before restlessness set in and people began to notice the lack of freedom to move around. When that happened, she was going to need Riley and Hart to help her deal with it. The good news was that she was sure she could rely on both of them.
Lara maneuvered her way to the back of the floor and pushed out of the door and found Benny bracing against the railing, peering up at the sky with binoculars. There wasn’t a whole lot of moonlight tonight, and all she could see with the naked eye was a darkened sea of nothing, which was appropriate since it correctly mirrored the ocean around them at the moment.
“Benny,” she said, closing the door behind her.
He lowered the binoculars and looked over his shoulder. “I don’t know for sure, but there was something up there.”
“What was it?”
“It looked like…”
“What was it, Benny?”
“I thought it might have been a plane, but…”
“But what?”
“It’s gone.”
“When did you first see it?” she asked, taking the binoculars from him.
“About five minutes ago,” Benny said. “Then it just disappeared. It looked like a black dot up there, but it’s so dark it’s hard to be sure.”
She wanted t
o ask the teenager if he might have imagined it, but she didn’t want to undermine his already fragile confidence. Lara peered through the binoculars instead. It was equipped with night-vision and rendered the world in a sea of green. There were barely any clouds above them, but she spotted a few in the distance.
She scanned left, then right, but there was nothing up there.
“I don’t see anything,” she said, and turned around in case whatever the “something” Benny had seen (or thought he had seen) was now behind them.
“False alarm, I guess,” Benny said. “Maybe I’m just a little paranoid?”
“You okay?”
“Maybe it’s all the new people on the boat. Feels weird having so many people suddenly around.”
“I know how you feel.”
“Yeah?”
She looked back at him and nodded. “We’ve been out here by ourselves for so long. Suddenly adding a bunch of new faces can be disconcerting.”
“That must be it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said and handed the glasses back to him. “I’d rather you stay a little paranoid than sleep on the job. I need everyone as alert as possible until we’re in the clear, which won’t be for a while.”
“We’re not leaving the others behind, are we?” he asked, though she knew what he really wanted to say was, “We’re not going to leave before we pick Gaby up, are we?”
“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” she said, and thought, Not again. Never, ever again. She smiled at the young man and gave him a pat on the shoulder, feeling more than a little weird doing it since they weren’t that far apart in age. “I promise.”
He looked relieved and went back to scanning the horizon. Lara watched him for a moment, feeling as sorry for Benny as she did for herself when she finally accepted that Will wasn’t coming back, that he was gone for good.
At least Gaby’s still around to be seen, Benny. So there’s that.
Lara didn’t have the urge to face the crowd inside the floor again so soon, so she walked over to the side railing. She hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps when a speck of something black and nearly indistinguishable against the darkened sky flickered across her vision. It might have been completely invisible if it hadn’t been moving across a stream of white clouds when she looked up.
The Purge of Babylon Series Box Set, Vol. 3 | Books 7-9 Page 71