as she healed, coaxing them to take their first full breaths, feeling their hearts beating strongly again.

“Please,” she begged.

Her father turned away, refusing to listen.

Zeke, Jacob and Kele had left the stronghold from a rarely used exit that allowed for foot rather than vehicle traffic.

A gust of wind whipped their garments and drove dust into their faces. Squinting, Zeke held his hand over his nose and mouth until the air settled. His brother and Kele did the same.

The sun beat down from a flawless sky, heating the ground to a point that it shimmered in the distance, creating a mirage that resembled a large pool of water. Bleached rocks and stunted vegetation disputed that notion. Plant life ran uninterrupted along the base of the mountain range. Some of the soil glittered from minerals within it.

Zeke turned, then gestured for Jacob and Kele to follow.

They carried assault rifles and their two-way radios clipped to their jeans. It hadn’t been Zeke’s idea for Kele to join them. She’d insisted, wanting to prove her loyalty.

“It doesn’t matter if I die,” she’d said to him when he demanded she stay in the stronghold.

“It matters to me,” Jacob argued. “It matters to all of us. You’re being foolish.”

“I have to do this,” she said to him, then spoke to Zeke. “I’m asking you to let me. Give me a chance to prove my loyalty.”

He hadn’t wanted to take the time to argue with her, so here they were, circling the area, coming upon the intruder from behind.

His vehicle was nowhere in sight, his attention on the ground. If he was an ordinary hiker, it might be that he was looking for some pretty rocks to take home with him. Could be he was a grad student, studying desert flora or insects and was in the desert to collect samples of each, storing them into his backpack that hung over one shoulder.

Of course, he might be studying the ground because he was searching for tire tracks that would lead him to the stronghold’s location. That wasn’t something Zeke had worried about until now. This area was so remote there were no roads or trails nearby. No hikers had ever come this far. No hikers had ever been in one of his visions.

Carefully, Zeke and the others approached. The wind was on their side, blowing in their faces, not delivering their scent or the sound of their footfalls to the intruder.

He focused on something to the right, then moved toward it.

The white plume of a jet streaked across the sky. Closer to earth, birds flew past, perhaps on their way to the corpses of Carreon’s three lieutenants.

This man hunkered down and studied the soil. Past him, the wind had whipped up a dust devil that whirled for several moments only to blow itself out.

Perspiration coated the back of Zeke’s neck. A drop rolled down his spine. He held his breath.

Now.

He signaled to Jacob and Kele. They raised their assault rifles in concert with him. However, they’d promised not to fire unless Zeke gave the signal. No way was his vision going to play out with bullets striking this man in his belly and heart. Even if that happened somehow, Liz would never know. Zeke would see to it, not allowing her to reanimate this guy or anyone else.

“Show me your hands or you’re dead,” Zeke said.

The young man turned and stared at the three rifles pointed at him. He raised his hands as he pushed to his feet.

The wind pulled at his hair just as it had in Zeke’s vision. Dust coated his clothing as though he’d been out here awhile. Why?

“I mean you no harm,” he said.

Sure. “Drop your backpack.”

He did instantly. It landed on the ground with a muted whap, dirt scattering around it.

Zeke gestured to Jacob. His brother grabbed the rucksack. When he was a safe distance from the young man, Jacob opened the top flap and examined the contents.

“It’s just water and food,” the intruder said.

Jacob nodded. “He’s right.” Leaving the item, he went to the man. “Hands behind your head.”

Immediately, the intruder assumed the position. Jacob patted him down. He even checked his socks and shoes, then stood. “No weapons.”

That should have been a good thing, but it didn’t ease Zeke’s tension. If this man was nothing more than a hiker or grad student, letting him go could prove problematic. Back home, he’d talk about being threatened by a group of people with weapons. He might interest the cops in why anyone was in this particular location. The authorities might believe drugs were involved and could possibly investigate.

To avoid that, they’d have to keep the young man here as their newest prisoner. Surely he had a family, possibly a wife and maybe even a kid. What would they think when he didn’t return? What would they do?

Shit. “Why are you here?” Zeke asked.

The young man lowered his arms, then froze as though he realized the movement might get him shot because he hadn’t obeyed. When that didn’t happen, he blurted, “I’m looking for Liz.”

Of course he was. Carreon had sent him after all. That made all of this so much easier than having to keep him from a normal life, a wife and child that certainly didn’t exist.

With the mention of Liz’s name, Jacob had grabbed his two-way radio. He spoke into it. “What are the cameras showing?”

“Nothing,” the voice crackled back. It sounded like Ike’s.

“How far away are you looking?” Jacob asked.

“As far as we can go. No one’s out there. No vehicles are headed this way.”

Zeke didn’t get it. This guy was alone and unarmed but was still looking for Liz? “Check the food,” he said, half expecting some toxin or explosive to be inside.

“I’ll do it,” Kele offered.

She sniffed the bottled water, then poured it out and waited. After several seconds, she said, “The ants are still alive.” She next opened the candy bars and trail mix, showing both to Zeke.

The food proved to be exactly what the packages said.

“Hidden compartments?” Zeke asked.

“There are none,” the intruder said.

Kele checked anyway. “Nothing.” She held the backpack at an angle so Zeke could see there wasn’t anything inside.

“How do you know Liz?” Zeke asked.

“All of our clan knows who she and her father are. That she’s healed for Carreon.”

“Your leader,” Zeke said.

“No.” The young man matched Zeke’s frown. “My half brother. I’m his oldest sibling, Diaz.”

Chapter Nine

Unable to tolerate the unacceptable, Liz left her father’s room.

She heard him scrambling to his feet behind her, the bedsprings creaking as he left the mattress. He called from the doorway, “Liz, don’t. Zeke wants you in here.”

Zeke wanted a lot of things she didn’t agree with, couldn’t accept.

She walked backward, away from her father as she spoke. “I’ll be fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

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