Jake and I sit up at the same time, the sun fully into the sky. I rub whatever sleep we had gotten from my eyes, standing up to try my muscles.
Playfully, I pull Jake off the ground, wrapping my arms around him.
“Sleep well?” I ask.
“No, you?” Jake teases.
“Why yes,” I say, “I was so comfortable in this plush, feather bed.”
Jake laughs, kissing me slightly on the lips.
Our moment as usual is cut short by the sound of clunky boots walking our way.
“Good morning, Rose,” I say.
“Good morning,” she responds, “did you sleep well?”
“As well as to be expected.” Jake smiles diplomatically.
“Very good,” she says dryly.
An awkward silence stretches forth between us.
“Was there something you needed?” Jake asks, finally breaking the silence.
“Yes,” she says… “We need to talk.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jake and I exchange a glance. Does she know about our plans with Cara? Have we overstayed our welcome? Is she going to ask us to stay longer to be yet another army in the making?
“Now?” I ask.
“No,” she says, sure of herself. “You and your people may have your meeting first, then we will talk.”
We both nod our agreement, and she walks away, head held high.
“How does she know about our meeting?” I ask.
“Tawnya,” Jake says. “I said it in front of her last night.
“It must be.” I nod.
“Meeting of our people in ten,” Jake’s voice sounds through the building. “Except for you,” he says, looking at Robert.
Robert looks at Jake as if he might be his least favorite person.
“I will never take you there,” he spits the words at Jake.
“We will see, then,” Jake comes back.
Ten minutes pass with our group minus Robert in the front room of the store house.
“We need to talk,” Jake begins, “but we have to talk low, so they don’t hear us.”
“Agreed,” Shawn says, “Tawnya was telling us last night to watch out for Rose. She said that she loves her, but she is not someone to mess with.”
“Why would Tawnya have told you that, and then turned around and reported our meeting to Rose?” I ask.
“She is indebted to Rose,” Leah speaks up. “If she lied, or didn’t tell her, and Rose found out, then she could kill her.”
“She owns her,” Shawn finishes.
“Owns her?” Samantha pipes up, still rotating her shoulder to loosen it up.
“Yes,” Leah begins, “Rose traded a weeks-worth of food to some nomad voyagers twelve years ago for her.”
“What about her son?” Magi asks.
“He is Rose’s grandson!” Shawn whispers. “Although, she doesn’t claim him or Tawnya.”
“Yuck,” Zac says, wrinkling his nose.
“Anyway,” Leah says, “Tawnya said she knew Cara will want to come with us. She says we should take her away.”
“We plan to,” I say, “Jake and I have a plan, that’s why we called this meeting.”
They all exchange a knowledgeable glance.
“So…what…we just go up to this woman and ask for Cara?” Mar asks sarcastically. “I don’t think she will like that very much.”
“Just like the weeks-worth of food and the nomads,” Eli interjects, “we have to buy her.”
“With what?” Dia says, sounding like the innocent five-year-old that she is.
I wish she didn’t have to be a part of this, but if she must be out here in the real world with us, then she needs to know about all that happens in the real world.
“A couple Colt 45s and a truck,” I answer.
“Where in the world are we going to get a truck?” Samantha asks.
“Do you remember your near-death experience yesterday?” Jake asks sarcastically.
“Why no, I don’t have any idea what you are talking about,” she answers with a condescending smile.
“The IOUSC truck?” Leah says, putting all the pieces in place.
“The IOUSC truck,” I confirm.
“Let me get this straight,” Magi begins, “we tell this Rose lady that we want to buy Cara from her with two crappy guns, and a truck that may or may not run, and what? Hope for the best?”
“Pretty much,” I laugh.
“Then we take off towards The Elected with a man who most likely will not cooperate,” Leah says, “and pray that none of us will get killed, and all of this without knowing that the girls are still alive.”
“It’s a plan,” Shawn says, smiling at his new girlfriend.
“Baxley too,” I say.
“Who in the world is Baxley?” Eli asks looking confused.
“He’s Cara’s little brother,” Jake answers. “He was taken by The Elected about five years ago, but it’s a long story…”
“And her story to tell,” I finish.
“Can we trust her?” Zac asks, being brave and much older than he is.
“Yes,” Jake and I say at the same time.
“It will be nice to have another medic with us,” Magi smiles, while rubbing at her gunshot wound. “I mean in case something like this happens again… or worse.”
“Let’s not think about worse.” I cringe.
“Everyone in?” Jake pipes up.
We all give our consent in one way or another, allowing our nerves to heighten just a tad, but not enough to lose our focus and self-control.
“So, we request an audience with Rose, then?” Shawn asks.
“We already have one, she came to us this morning,” I say.
Our group slowly filters out of the small room and back into the large space. Mar lingers long enough that everyone except for her, Jake, and I are gone.
“Can we have a moment?” Mar asks Jake.
“Sure,” Jake answers.
Jake walks out of the room, never looking behind him. He knows that with Mar, I am safe and happy.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“Are we okay?”
“Yes,” I squeal, “why wouldn’t we be?”
“We would be,” she answers smiling, “it’s just, that with Eli and I, and you and Jake together so much, even though we are
