CHAPTER 10
The next two days I let Maya teach Adelaide self-defense. I thought it was best if I took a step back: I still had so much to learn. Heading over to the gymnasium, I opened the heavy metal door, hearing a loud creak. “Adelaide?” I called. The lights were off, the room empty. I walked further inside, flipping on the electricity as I had a look around. “Adelaide?” I tried again, hoping I'd find her. She was supposed to stay with Maya until I came to pick her up. I couldn't believe she'd just up and disappear. Heading out of the gymnasium, I searched the recruit training facility. The cafeteria was empty, as were the sleeping quarters. “Adelaide?” My feet pattered quicker against the hall as I checked every corner and crevice, including the bathroom. She was nowhere in sight. I knew she had to be somewhere. Shadow wasn't that big of a town and I could trust all the residents. Where could she have disappeared to? I headed back the way I came, through the gymnasium, shutting off the lights as I stepped outside and shivered. The wind whistled and I glanced up, glad the skies were clear of any drones. “Adelaide?” I tried again, walking along the crunched path where vehicles had traveled between the recruit center and town. It took no time at all to spot Maya talking to Collins. “Hey!” I jogged over towards her. “Have you seen Adelaide?” I caught my breath, feeling my heart slam into my chest. “She wasn't in the gymnasium.”
“Oh, I told her she was done for today.” Maya shrugged, as if it were no big deal to let a six-year-old run free in town.
“Where'd she go?” I glanced around, running a hand through my hair.
Maya turned around on her heels, having a look around. “I can't remember. Did you check home?”
“I just came from there.” I shook my head. “She's not at the recruit center; I don't know where she'd be without me. It's not like there's a playground around here.” I knew it was a cheap shot but it was the truth. Adelaide had only what was made specifically for her, the town wasn't set up for kids.
Collins glanced at Maya. “How about I help you look for her?” he offered. I knew he was trying to be helpful but I didn't think he'd have any more ideas than I did where to look for her. “Did you try Cate's house?”
My stomach flopped. “No.” I knew I should be relieved. If she was visiting Cate and considered her a friend, at least she'd be safe. I felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought that Adelaide would prefer Cate over me. No, I couldn't think that way.
“Let's try there first,” the Chancellor suggested, offering a warm smile as he gently took my elbow, leading me away from Maya.
I heard it first: the loud high-pitched scream of a child. It was Adelaide. No doubt in my mind. I took off running in the direction of the sound, west. Her screams didn't diminish in the slightest. “Adelaide!” I called, hearing the ear-piecing scream of a child. She sounded afraid. My heart pounded and my nerves wrestled with me. There was nothing I had to be frightened of. Adelaide was okay, she was screaming, right? That had to be a good sign?
“Olivia!” Her voice answered me with another shrill scream as I tore through tall grasses, running towards the stream where I'd been just before our last council meeting. I could hear Collins lag behind me, trailing in my footsteps. He wasn't far but he wasn't as fast either.
“I'm coming,” I answered, my knees lifting higher as I stopped dead in my tracks, finding a bloody corpse. I glanced up, seeing Adelaide bent over the body, her clothes covered in blood. Her cheeks flushed and eyes filled with tears.
“He's dead!” She wailed as I bent down to pick her up, trying my best to shield her from what she'd seen, though I knew it was too late.
I could hear Collins’ muttered curse as he finally caught up, seeing the disfigured corpse. “This isn't good,” he rasped, glancing from me to the little girl. “Take her home, get her cleaned up. We're having an emergency meeting this afternoon,” he announced. “There's an outlaw near Shadow.”
I carried Adelaide all the way back to town and home. I locked the doors, something we'd never done, and helped her trembling body up the stairs and into the shower. I turned on the faucet, making sure it wasn't too hot before leaving the bathroom while she stripped down to shower and wash the blood away. Glancing down at my own clothes, caked in blood from carrying Adelaide, I sighed and took a quick shower of my own.
It wasn't long before Adelaide was downstairs, curled up on the sofa, snuggling into a pillow I'd brought down for her. Her eyes were heavy and after the morning’s events, she was exhausted. I heard a knock on the door and quietly walked to the front, having a look before opening it to Joshua. “Hey,” I smiled weakly, throwing my arms around him.
I felt his warm embrace and closed my eyes for the briefest of moments. “I heard what happened,” he whispered. I nodded faintly, pulling back to secure the lock on the door behind him as he took off his coat.
“Adelaide's asleep on the couch right now. She's showered and cleaned up. Collins is planning on having an emergency council meeting this afternoon.”
Joshua nodded. “I know. I ran into him outside. In about an hour, everyone's getting together to figure out how to handle this situation.” I studied his features, his face hardened.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I'm not thrilled with leaving Adelaide on her own while we're at the meeting. How long do you think she'll sleep?” Joshua asked, glancing towards the living room.
I had no idea. I shook my head. “Maybe we could ask Taron to watch her? Just while we're at the council meeting.” He wasn't my first choice to look after Adelaide but my first six or seven options were all involved with the council.
Joshua nodded slowly. “That could work. It'll only be an hour. Hopefully, Adelaide won't even wake up while we're gone.”
I left Joshua with Adelaide while I ran down Taron and asked him to keep an eye on her for a little while. He seemed a little hesitant to be around a child, but after I assured him she'd likely sleep the entire time, he agreed to it. Joshua and I locked up the house as we headed together for the council meeting. I reached for his hand, giving it a tentative squeeze.
“Nervous?” He asked, glancing down at our adjoined hands.
“I'm not sure nervous is the right word. Stressed? Yes.” I nodded vigorously. “I don't think I'll sleep until we find whoever killed that man out by the river.”
Joshua glanced at me as we headed inside. “Do you know what Adelaide was doing out there on her own?”
I shook my head no. It didn't seem a good time to ask her either. Walking into the council room, I took my respective seat at the table. Joshua sat beside me, our hands no longer entwined as I tapped my fingers over the wooden surface, a nervous habit I couldn't consider breaking at a time like this.
Chancellor Collins stepped into the room last and took a seat at the head of the table. “Thank you all for meeting on such short notice.” He looked frazzled, dismayed by what had occurred only a few short hours ago. “By now, most of you know we have a killer just outside of our town, an outlaw. It worries me that not only one man but two have found our town. We would have suspected the two were working together, except one was brutally murdered.”
Cate frowned, her face looking slightly disgusted. “It doesn't mean they still weren't working together. Maybe one of them turned on the other?”
Collins nodded. “It's a possibility, but the body was mutilated.” He cleared his throat trying to keep himself composed. “I can't fathom how we were found or even if we were. This man we found was on the outreach of town. Our community was barely visible but it's possible we've been spotted.”
Aidan spoke up, “Do you think the government is coming to destroy us?”
Collins sighed, “I don't believe that's the case, at this point. We know there are outlaws, men who were banished from cities in Cabal. It's not unfeasible to think one may have found his way to Shadow.”
Joshua's face was hard. “But there were two men, Chancellor.”
Collins agreed. “Yes, and that's why we need to take action, to ensure no more will follow. We need to send a message, a strong one, and protect our town.”
“How?” I asked, feeling as though I already knew the answer.
The Chancellor cleared his throat. “We're going to send a team out to hunt down and kill whoever's out there. Do I have any objections?”
