The Rising
Page 59
When I faltered, Daniel would reach over and squeeze my hand. Just a reassuring gesture. But Chloe and Derek noticed and it was as if I could hear them mentally processing the information, drawing the same conclusion that Ash had, that Daniel was my boyfriend. Did it really look that way?
I mentally cursed Rafe some more before pushing on with my story.
“So my biological father helped us escape and sent us here, to you guys,” I said as I concluded.
Derek peered at me, brow furrowed. “How the hell did he know we were here?”
“That’s what we came to warn you about. He got the information from someone who works for the St. Clouds. They know exactly where you are.”
Derek scrambled up so fast his legs tangled and he nearly went down again. “What?”
Chloe was on her feet, too, eyes bright with alarm. “They know?”
We rose and Daniel put out his hands. “It’s okay. Well, not really okay, obviously, but it’s nothing new. They’ve known for a few months.”
“And you sat there, chatting away, without saying anything?” Derek stepped toward Daniel, looming over him.
Daniel stood his ground. “Like I said, it’s not an emergency. If you run in the middle of the night, it might be . . . considering they’ve got a tracking device on your van.”
Derek didn’t seem to hear him, just peered into the forest, braced for attack.
“Where are your friends?” he said.
“Over—” Daniel began, pointing.
“Take us to them. Now.”
We ran to the others—it was clear Derek wasn’t accepting a leisurely stroll. I took the lead so this huge guy wouldn’t come barreling down on them. That wasn’t the way anyone needed to wake up. It was still chaos. Derek barked orders. Chloe tried to calm him. When he didn’t listen, I snapped that he wasn’t helping matters. He snapped back. Ash jumped to my defense, snarling like an alley cat. Daniel intervened to mediate. Derek turned on him. Corey rushed to Daniel’s side, fists ready. Rafe braced to join in if a fight broke out.
It was fun.
Eventually Chloe, Daniel, and I got everyone calmed down enough to grab our stuff and head to the house.
FORTY
DEREK BANGED THROUGH THE side door, leaving us on the porch.
“Dad!” he shouted, loud enough to make my ears ring. “Dad! You need to get down here!”
Chloe held open the door and whispered to me, “I could say he’s not always like this, but I’d be lying.”
She ushered us all in. I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see a man in jeans, pulling on a T-shirt as he hurried down. He was about my dad’s age, Daniel’s height, and slender. Kit Bae, Derek’s adoptive father. Kit’s son was coming down behind him. He looked like his father, except for his light brown hair. Simon Bae.
“Hey, bro,” Simon called sleepily. “What’s—?”
He stopped. His gaze traveled over the kids crowding into his hall and he gave a sharp shake of his head.
“Apparently, we have visitors,” he said. “I gotta hear this one.”
A woman appeared at the top of the stairs. A petite blonde, pulling her robe tight. Lauren Fellows. Chloe’s aunt. The doctor who’d worked with the Edison Group.
A girl pushed past her. Taller than Dr. Fellows, with short dark hair and piercing dark eyes. Kit’s daughter. Simon’s half sister. Victoria Enright. Antone’s message said she was related to the Nasts’ witch, but distantly, which explained the different spelling of the surname. I was just really glad Antone had given us all the details—and that I’d listened to his message about a half-dozen times on our trip—or I’d never keep all the relationships straight. I suppose they were about to have the same problem with us.
“We need to go,” Derek said. “Everyone, back upstairs, pack your things.”
“Wh-what?” Simon said.
“Slow down,” Kit said as he reached the landing.
Derek towered over him, but moved back so he wasn’t looming. “They know where we are. The St. Clouds. They’ve found us.”
Kit’s gaze swung to us, and I stepped forward to explain, but his gaze moved to Chloe and she took over.
“These kids are from Project Phoenix. They escaped. Maya and her brother”—she pointed at me and Ash—“their father told them to come here.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Derek cut in. “The St. Clouds know where we are. Which means we need to leave. Now.”
“Hold on,” Kit said, raising his hand.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Yes, Derek, I did, but—”
“Derek?” Dr. Fellows called as she descended the stairs. “Why don’t you go upstairs while we talk. I think that would be best for everyone.”
From her tone, you’d think she was talking to a misbehaving puppy.
Chloe shot her a look. “That isn’t necessary. We all just need to give Maya and Daniel a minute to explain.” She glanced at Derek. “Please.”
Derek looked from Chloe to his father, then nodded. Simon brushed past Kit. He gave us a smile, friendly but cautious, and went to stand by his brother and Chloe.
“You are explaining, right?” a voice said.
I looked up. It was Victoria, still on the steps, staring at me.
“Waiting for that explanation,” she said.
I lifted my brows and turned to Kit. “The St. Clouds know where you are. They’ve known for months. They’re just wearing you down, waiting until something goes wrong or you get tired of running, then they’ll pounce.”
“How did they find—?” Kit began.
“Not important right now,” Derek cut in. “She’s explained it to us; we’ll explain it on the road. The point is that our cover has been blown.”
Kit moved quickly to the window. “They’re watching us now?”
I shook my head. “They have someone doing spot checks, but since you’ve only got one means of escape—your van—that’s what they’re monitoring. With a tracking device.”
“So now can we leave?” Derek said.
“How?” Victoria said, walking down the rest of the steps. “Set off on a midnight hike to town? Like that’s not going to be noticed.”
“Tori’s right,” Kit said. “If they’ve been monitoring us for months, there’s no need to rush off in a panic. Tomorrow we’ll look for the tracking device. If we can’t find it, I’ll get to town and rent us another van. Then we’ll leave.”
I mentally cursed Rafe some more before pushing on with my story.
“So my biological father helped us escape and sent us here, to you guys,” I said as I concluded.
Derek peered at me, brow furrowed. “How the hell did he know we were here?”
“That’s what we came to warn you about. He got the information from someone who works for the St. Clouds. They know exactly where you are.”
Derek scrambled up so fast his legs tangled and he nearly went down again. “What?”
Chloe was on her feet, too, eyes bright with alarm. “They know?”
We rose and Daniel put out his hands. “It’s okay. Well, not really okay, obviously, but it’s nothing new. They’ve known for a few months.”
“And you sat there, chatting away, without saying anything?” Derek stepped toward Daniel, looming over him.
Daniel stood his ground. “Like I said, it’s not an emergency. If you run in the middle of the night, it might be . . . considering they’ve got a tracking device on your van.”
Derek didn’t seem to hear him, just peered into the forest, braced for attack.
“Where are your friends?” he said.
“Over—” Daniel began, pointing.
“Take us to them. Now.”
We ran to the others—it was clear Derek wasn’t accepting a leisurely stroll. I took the lead so this huge guy wouldn’t come barreling down on them. That wasn’t the way anyone needed to wake up. It was still chaos. Derek barked orders. Chloe tried to calm him. When he didn’t listen, I snapped that he wasn’t helping matters. He snapped back. Ash jumped to my defense, snarling like an alley cat. Daniel intervened to mediate. Derek turned on him. Corey rushed to Daniel’s side, fists ready. Rafe braced to join in if a fight broke out.
It was fun.
Eventually Chloe, Daniel, and I got everyone calmed down enough to grab our stuff and head to the house.
FORTY
DEREK BANGED THROUGH THE side door, leaving us on the porch.
“Dad!” he shouted, loud enough to make my ears ring. “Dad! You need to get down here!”
Chloe held open the door and whispered to me, “I could say he’s not always like this, but I’d be lying.”
She ushered us all in. I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see a man in jeans, pulling on a T-shirt as he hurried down. He was about my dad’s age, Daniel’s height, and slender. Kit Bae, Derek’s adoptive father. Kit’s son was coming down behind him. He looked like his father, except for his light brown hair. Simon Bae.
“Hey, bro,” Simon called sleepily. “What’s—?”
He stopped. His gaze traveled over the kids crowding into his hall and he gave a sharp shake of his head.
“Apparently, we have visitors,” he said. “I gotta hear this one.”
A woman appeared at the top of the stairs. A petite blonde, pulling her robe tight. Lauren Fellows. Chloe’s aunt. The doctor who’d worked with the Edison Group.
A girl pushed past her. Taller than Dr. Fellows, with short dark hair and piercing dark eyes. Kit’s daughter. Simon’s half sister. Victoria Enright. Antone’s message said she was related to the Nasts’ witch, but distantly, which explained the different spelling of the surname. I was just really glad Antone had given us all the details—and that I’d listened to his message about a half-dozen times on our trip—or I’d never keep all the relationships straight. I suppose they were about to have the same problem with us.
“We need to go,” Derek said. “Everyone, back upstairs, pack your things.”
“Wh-what?” Simon said.
“Slow down,” Kit said as he reached the landing.
Derek towered over him, but moved back so he wasn’t looming. “They know where we are. The St. Clouds. They’ve found us.”
Kit’s gaze swung to us, and I stepped forward to explain, but his gaze moved to Chloe and she took over.
“These kids are from Project Phoenix. They escaped. Maya and her brother”—she pointed at me and Ash—“their father told them to come here.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Derek cut in. “The St. Clouds know where we are. Which means we need to leave. Now.”
“Hold on,” Kit said, raising his hand.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Yes, Derek, I did, but—”
“Derek?” Dr. Fellows called as she descended the stairs. “Why don’t you go upstairs while we talk. I think that would be best for everyone.”
From her tone, you’d think she was talking to a misbehaving puppy.
Chloe shot her a look. “That isn’t necessary. We all just need to give Maya and Daniel a minute to explain.” She glanced at Derek. “Please.”
Derek looked from Chloe to his father, then nodded. Simon brushed past Kit. He gave us a smile, friendly but cautious, and went to stand by his brother and Chloe.
“You are explaining, right?” a voice said.
I looked up. It was Victoria, still on the steps, staring at me.
“Waiting for that explanation,” she said.
I lifted my brows and turned to Kit. “The St. Clouds know where you are. They’ve known for months. They’re just wearing you down, waiting until something goes wrong or you get tired of running, then they’ll pounce.”
“How did they find—?” Kit began.
“Not important right now,” Derek cut in. “She’s explained it to us; we’ll explain it on the road. The point is that our cover has been blown.”
Kit moved quickly to the window. “They’re watching us now?”
I shook my head. “They have someone doing spot checks, but since you’ve only got one means of escape—your van—that’s what they’re monitoring. With a tracking device.”
“So now can we leave?” Derek said.
“How?” Victoria said, walking down the rest of the steps. “Set off on a midnight hike to town? Like that’s not going to be noticed.”
“Tori’s right,” Kit said. “If they’ve been monitoring us for months, there’s no need to rush off in a panic. Tomorrow we’ll look for the tracking device. If we can’t find it, I’ll get to town and rent us another van. Then we’ll leave.”
