Rogue filed all of these facts away in her mind. It would not do to underestimate the man. He was dangerous. Dangerous and mad. But he was also crazy about her, an emotion she might be able to exploit if she acted the part.
It was close to nightfall, and he set about making camp while she remained tied to the stretcher. She watched as he sprinkled the clearing with a pungent yellow liquid. It stank of ammonia and reminded her of piss, but it couldn’t be. Right?
Afterward, he made a small fire and collected enough wood to last the night. From his bag, he produced a canteen and a small cooking pot. He filled the pot with water and placed it next to the flames to boil.
When he was done, he walked to her side and knelt on the ground. With his face cast in shadow, he asked, “If I untie you, will you promise not to run?”
Hope kindled in her chest, and she nodded. “I promise.”
“Because there’s nowhere for you to go. You’d never make it back to the Zoo. Not alive, anyway,” Bones added with a menacing growl.
“I know,” Rogue whispered, doing her best to look meek and docile.
With deft movements, he untied the vines that held her in place. Once freed, she sat up slowly. Every limb ached from being frozen in one position for too long. Her head felt as if it would explode, and she almost puked on the spot.
Bones eyed her with concern. “How do you feel?”
“Sore,” she muttered, rubbing her arms and legs.
“I hope I didn’t hit you too hard,” he added, reaching out to touch her temple.
Pain lanced through her brain, and she hissed. “Don’t touch me. It hurts.”
He yanked his hand away. “I’m sorry. I really am, but I had no choice.”
“You could’ve just asked,” she mumbled, gingerly examining her head. It was bruised and swollen, but the bone was intact. At least, he didn’t crush my skull.
Bones snorted. “You wouldn’t have listened. You haven’t seen it yet, have you?”
“Seen what?” Rogue asked, her eyes watering.
“Our future together. I have, and it’s glorious.”
Rogue wanted to laugh in his face, but that would be folly. Instead, she crawled toward the fire and extended her palms to the flames. The heat warmed her body and eased the ache in her joints.
Bones followed and sat down next to her, far too close for comfort. While she loathed his presence, she ignored him and focused on her breathing. It was hard to concentrate when her brain felt like molten lava.
“Here, have some water,” Bones said. “You must be parched.”
Rogue accepted the canteen and took several big swallows. As much as she hated taking anything from him, she needed to regain her strength. “Thank you.”
Bones took a cloth from his bag and dipped it into the pot next to the fire. He wrung out the excess before handing it to her. “Here. Press that against your wound.”
Rogue obeyed, and the hot compress did much to ease the throbbing pain. After a while, she felt strong enough to get to her feet. “I need to pee.”
Bones jumped up, his eyes narrowed. “Alright, but stay close. If you try anything, you go back to the stretcher.”
Aware of his watchful gaze, Rogue walked toward the nearest bush and squatted behind it. Her legs were far too wobbly to make a run for it, and she resigned herself to waiting. You’ll get your chance. Just be patient. He’ll let his guard down sooner or later.
After she’d emptied her bladder, she went back to the fire and sat down opposite Bones. Before he could move closer, she forestalled him with a question. “What’s that yellow stuff you sprinkled on the bushes?”
“It’s T-rex piss,” he replied.
“T-rex piss?” Rogue repeated, her nose twitching with distaste. “What for?”
“It keeps the other dinosaurs away. They smell that stuff, and they run a mile,” Bones explained with a smug smile.
“Wow, that’s quite…ingenious,” Rogue said, injecting as much admiration into her voice as possible.
“You think so?” Bones asked, his chest puffing up. “It thought it was pretty clever too.”
Rogue decided against asking him how he got the urine. Instead, she chose a more personal topic. “This future you’ve seen about us. Tell me about it.”
He eyed her with suspicion. “You really want to hear about it?”
“Of course. It’s not like we’ve got anything better to do.” At that moment, her stomach growled, loud enough for the entire world to hear.
“Hungry?” Bones asked.
“I could eat.”
He pulled two strips of dried meat from his pack and handed her one. “Here. It’s Parksosarus meat. I killed and dried it myself.”
“Thanks.” Rogue sniffed the meat, inhaling the aroma of smoke and salt. Her mouth flooded with saliva, and she took a nibble. It tasted fine, so she went at it with gusto. “This is good.”
Bones grunted. He rummaged in his bag and took out a tin cup and a bag of dried herbs. He mixed the herbs with the boiling water in the pot before putting it aside to steep. “We’re meant for each other, Rogue. I knew it from the first moment I saw you in the market square back at Prime.”
Rogue frowned. She remembered that day only too well. She was fourteen at the time and hungry. Scouting the stalls for something to steal, she stumbled into a member of the Watch: Bones.
He’d stared at her with that creepy look that made her skin crawl. Then, he’d asked for her name. Afterward, he always seemed to be around. No matter where she went or what she did, he was always there. Watching.
“I remember,” Rogue said. “I was just a kid, though. There’s no way I’d feel the same about you.”
“I
