A history that didn’t involve Fade kidnapping and tracking me through the ruins, but I left that part unsaid. Though I nursed no grudge because I, too, was a realist, Stalker would never be my first choice. It wasn’t his fault where he had been born, or how he’d come up from brat-hood, but that didn’t mean I wanted him as more than a friend.
“I see.” His gaze flickered away from the forest. “Then I’ll have to try harder.”
He was persistent when he wanted something; I gave him that. But not like Gary Miles, at least. I didn’t see why Stalker would be so set on winning me, except the challenge of my resistance. Or maybe it was more rudimentary, cast on a primitive level. He recognized me as a strong, suitable mate, capable of protecting myself.
“I still want your promise you’ll keep your word. You’ve never lied to me.”
Reluctantly, he nodded. “I won’t go back unless we’re ordered otherwise.”
“That’s good enough for me. Thank you.”
I turned from him and went back to Fade. Stalker’s gaze followed me, hungry and intent. That night, I dreamed of a boy with wolf eyes, waiting to devour me.
Taken
That awful day, I’d gone about my normal morning routine, cleaned my teeth, and spot washed in my tent. The others all had to share, but since I was the only female, I got one to myself. From time to time, I heard complaints about it, but everyone was too tired for it to be virulent. The summer had been tough on all of us, and nobody truly thought I didn’t pull my weight.
When Fade failed to meet me for breakfast, I searched for him. I explored the outpost thoroughly and found no clue of where he might be. He’d taken no gear, not even his weapons—and then I knew something was terribly wrong. I slid into the tent he shared with Frank, wondering if the older boy had heard anything, but he was gone too. None of his things appeared to be missing, but as I knelt, I sniffed at their blankets. Blood … and the unmistakable stench of rancid meat.
The other guards hadn’t believed me about the stolen fire. Not really. Our watchmen must still be falling asleep, and last night, they’d imagined we were safe because of our decisive victory. Which is when the Freaks crept in and stole two of our men. We hadn’t received replacements for the ones we’d lost yet, either. Now there were only sixteen of us.
And Fade was gone.
Fade. My boy.
I bit down on my hand until my teeth drew blood to muffle the urge to cry. Physical pain helped me balance the emotional anguish. Stay calm. I had to think. Then I had the answer; Longshot would know what to do. I bolted from the tent and crossed the camp at a run. He was still eating his breakfast when I found him.
His gray caterpillar brows puffed up. “What’s the matter?”
“We have to mount a search party. Fade and Frank were taken in the night.”
“Whoa, girl, back it up. Taken?”
Impatient, I grabbed his hand and dragged him to their tent and invited him with an anxious gesture to examine the evidence for himself. He took his time, dragging the blankets out into the morning light to hold them up and turn them in his hands. Eventually he gave a heavy sigh.
“That’s blood, all right, and a fair amount. Head wounds bleed a lot.”
Knocking Fade out would have been the only way to remove him from camp without him fighting so hard he’d have woken everyone within a hundred yards. He must have been unconscious when they dragged him off. We’d find him, though. We’d get him back. I refused to consider any other option.
“Tell me who you can spare, and I’ll set out now.”
Longshot stared at me, head cocked in puzzlement. “Why? I understand you were close, but there’s no call to waste resources retrieving their bodies.”
The bald words drew a groan from me. I wrapped my arms around myself in defense against the horror. The truth hammered me down, inexorable as the sun that shone. Freaks didn’t take prisoners. If they were gone, they must be dead.
Then I thought of Momma Oaks’s son Daniel, braving the wilderness alone because he believed he could save that child. Shame heated my cheeks. If I didn’t try, then I was no better than the rest of Salvation. I wanted to be better. I’d find Fade somehow; maybe faith alone could keep him safe until I saw him again.
I shook my head. “With respect, sir, I can’t continue without making an effort to retrieve my lost comrades. I’ll go with or without your permission, and if that means I can no longer serve in the summer patrol, so be it. If disobedience means I will be banished from Salvation…” I lifted my shoulders in a careless shrug.
No matter. I refused to stay in a place where they declined to rescue their loved ones. And if he didn’t change his mind, then he wasn’t the man I admired.
“Hold up,” Longshot said, lifting his face skyward as if in supplication. I had the sense I was a trial to him. “I never said anything about exile. Going off half-cocked will get you killed. I appreciate your courage and loyalty, but what good is throwing away your own life?”
“It’s worth nothing without courage,” I said quietly.
He sighed. “I can’t condone your mission, but here’s the truth. I’m not willing to order you to stay. You’ll sneak off first chance you get—and well do I know it. So here’s my offer. Talk to the men. If anyone’s willing to accompany you on this harebrained mission, you’re welcome to take him. Wait long enough for me to get replacements from town, and then you’re free to go.”
Though I chafed at the delay, I wouldn’t get a better deal. There was enough of the Huntress left in me, who believed in putting the good of the whole first, above her own feelings, that I realized I couldn’t just take off with however many men wanted to go Freak hunting, leaving the outpost vulnerable. The Freaks might be hoping we’d do exactly that, giving them the chance to slaughter those remaining and destroy the crops, which were nearly ready to be harvested. I couldn’t take the chance that this was a lure.
“Agreed,” I bit out, and then went in search of Stalker.
It didn’t take as much pleading as I expected to get him to agree. He’d tired of sitting around weeks ago. After that, I made the rounds, explaining the situation, and what I intended to do about it. I wasn’t surprised when nobody volunteered. They shared Longshot’s opinion that it was a waste of time—Fade and Frank were already lost. I’d imagined some might want vengeance for our fallen, but they weren’t warriors at heart, even if they could shoot rifles from a wall.