Ohhh, I wanna see the Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat. Crossing my fingers.
The small talk continues, with Luke telling us about a friend of his that runs a ranch about halfway between here and HQ. He mentions hoping that we might be able to convince him to loan us a few horses, or perhaps give us a ride if not. That would cut the trip in half, and it’s obvious Luke is anxious to get there as quick as possible. I don’t blame him, the faster we get there, the faster we can figure out a plan to get Ash back.
After the five of us finish our chili, Easton leaves out the big barn door only to be replaced around the fire by Tommy a few minutes later. I guess they’ll be taking turns keeping watch throughout the night. I need to know which shift will be mine so I can mentally prepare myself for not getting a full ten hours of sleep.
“So which shift do you need me to take?” I ask Luke, looking between him and Tommy as they both break out in full belly laughs.
When Luke sees the daggers I’m shooting his way, he quickly wipes the smile off his face, struggling to stifle another laugh. “Oh, you’re serious.”
Oh, you’re serious? You son of a bitch. I’ll shove this shift right up your ass.
But before I can tell him that, he cut me off. “Anna, it’s very considerate to offer, but I don’t think that’s a good idea for several reasons.” And since the look on my face says you better have a whole lot of damn good reasons, he elaborates, “For starters, you don’t have any fighting experience. Let’s say someone was sneaking up on us out there, you could end up really hurt, making it even harder on the rest of us. We’ve already lost one friend, Anna. I can’t lose another one.” His head bows. “Plus, and this is probably the most important, you don’t know the land out here; don’t know what people are like; you don’t have any experience outside the walls of the church. I just think it’s best if you let us handle this for now.”
The woman in me who’s spent the last thirteen years in a church being taught men are better than us in every way, rears her head back and lets out a mighty roar. But the friend in me understands what he’s saying. This is Luke trying to protect me, yet again.
Even though it takes everything in me not to bite his head off, I acquiesce. “Fine, I’ll let this go on one condition,” I pause, waiting on his nod of confirmation, and then continue, “When we get to HQ, you are gonna teach me how to fight, how to defend myself. Deal?” I thrust my hand out, waiting for him to accept the deal.
He returns my grip with a firm shake as he says, “Yes, I had already planned on it. So, I’m not giving up much.”
He chuckles as he lets go of my grip, and I feel a little cheated. I should have asked for more. I don’t know, maybe chocolate or something?
Not long later, each of us with the exception of Easton, lay out our blankets on the cold earth, and with Cody on my left and Luke on my right, I drift off to sleep.
When we wake up the next morning it’s freezing and rainy, showing no signs of stopping.
Ha, I remember a Christmas song that said that. So, for the first of hour of our trip, that song plays on a loop in my head, and everyone around me stays silent.
When we’d put the fire out at our camp this morning, Luke had said we were looking at a good five hours before we’d reach what used to be Paris, and he promised we would take the time to trek the mile or so out of our way to see if the Eiffel Tower with the cowboy hat was still standing. It’s the little things, folks.
As we make our way toward Paris, we pass an abandoned military armory, an old gas station, and a few other buildings that are unrecognizable. For most of the trip I stay silent, but the guys make small talk here and there. Everyone is definitely in much better spirits today.
Luke slows to walk next to me. “You doin’ okay, Little Minx?”
I’m not sure if he means in general, or in regards to my haggard breath due to a lack of cardio, but either way I nod and smile.
Resting his arm around my shoulder, we walk a few more paces before he speaks again. “So, we didn’t get to finish our conversation back at the house.”
My breath hitches with his words, and I lean my head away from his shoulder, looking up at his beautiful blue eyes. I open my mouth to speak but my words are cut off by Tommy running back toward our group.
“Guys, we gotta problem.”
Are you f’ing kidding me, Tommy.
***
ANNA
Tommy had stayed ahead of us for most of the day as a look out, so when he reappeared out of nowhere saying we had a problem, my heart just about exploded. I am one-hundred percent certain I can’t handle another single thing, and if this is another run-in with David, I’m pretty sure I’ll kill him myself. Judging by the looks on everyone else’s faces, I think they feel the same way. But if it’s not David, then who?
When Luke speaks, I’m not expecting his words. “Titans?”
Shit, that thought hadn’t even crossed my mind, and Tommy’s nod of confirmation solidifies it. But is that a bad thing? Didn’t Luke say the leader of the Titans met with the leader of Diablo to discuss a joint attack on the church? So shouldn’t that mean they’re friends?
When Luke grabs my hand and directs me and everyone else to turn east,
