So, I allow Kingston to dictate our time in the city, allow him to smother me in protection. If this is what it’ll take to keep me safe and to give Wolfe peace of mind, then I’m willing to accept it. I can be a reckless bitch sometimes, but I can also recognize the value in continued breathing.
We’re just about to wrap up our day, entering the palace underground parking. I’m deep in discussion with Kingston about the rest of the week's activities, when a guard comes rushing toward us. Kingston steps in front of me, his hand dropping to the gun on his belt. We both recognize Denny at the same time and relax.
Denny is no longer my full-time guard, but still occasionally rotates to my detail. He has served the city well and has earned his place in the palace.
"Miss Skye, I must speak to you right away!" he says breathlessly as though he's been running.
"Yes," I tell him as he comes to a halt in front of us. "Is everything okay?"
He shakes his head. "No, we have an emergency at the water treatment plant. An accident, one of the women. She's been hurt, she needs a doctor right away."
"Who is it? Dolly or Anita?" I demand. "Has she been brought into the city?"
He shakes his head. "I don't know which one, but one of them has been hurt badly. She's too injured to move. We need to take the doctor out to her."
"Of course," I say briskly and then turn to Kingston. "Go to the hospital and pick up Dr. Summers. Meet us at the treatment plant."
Kingston hesitates, clearly torn between his duty to me, the Warlord’s orders to never let me out of his sight, and his desire to protect one of the most important citizens of our sanctuary. We can't afford to lose either Dolly or Anita, their knowledge is too valuable.
Eventually, he bows to my wisdom, nods and turns away. I call after him, "We’ll meet you out there."
"Take your guard," he shouts back before disappearing.
I look at the men surrounding us and say, "Follow us. I'll go with Denny."
I don't wait to see if they listen, but rush out of the palace, Denny on my heels. I look around for a vehicle. "Which one?"
He points at a rusty car that looks as though it shouldn't be roadworthy. I frown at it. Wolfe is very good at making sure that all of the palace security has access to solid, well maintained vehicles. This one looks as though it's on its last tire. Maybe Denny got the short straw today and had to take whatever was left over. I don't question him, sliding into the passenger seat while he goes around to the other side.
He turns the ignition and we speed off together toward the city gates. I glance behind me, but I don't see the guard car. I briefly wonder if I should tell Denny to wait for it, but decide not to. It's more important to get out to the treatment plant and see to the women than it is to wait for my guard.
I wave at the security on the gates and they open the doors allowing us to drive through. Denny guns it and we fly through the desert toward the treatment plant.
Forty-Three
When we arrive at the plant, there’s no one in sight. I’m confused, as I had guards posted at both the gates, the doors and inside the facility. I don’t wait to find out what happened to them though. I follow Denny from the car and inside the building.
"Which way?" I shout to him, now feeling panicked by the darkness inside the building and the eerie silence.
"This way," he yells back and takes off down a hallway, toward the back of the plant.
It must be Anita who’s been injured. Dolly would be up in the control room with the computer system. But Anita works in the main area of the plant itself, trying to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure.
I fly through the halls, chasing after Denny. His pace is only increasing my panic. He wouldn’t be running so fast if Anita wasn’t gravely injured. Only as I round the last corner and follow through the door onto the facility floor do I realize I’ve made a very stupid mistake.
Standing next to one of the massive treatment tanks is a group of ragtag men. They’re a rough group, clothes dirty and ill-fitting, hair wild. Big and mean-looking. Most have beards, all have a plethora of weapons pointed straight at us. I reach for my own weapons and attempt to dive back through the door, but Denny catches my arm.
I immediately go into self-defense mode and strike his arm hard in the bicep with my fist, deadening it. He drops his hand but brings his other fist up and slams it into the side of my head. Blackness engulfs my vision and I drop to the floor. I’m only unconscious for a few seconds, but it’s enough that the surrounding men are able to take my weapons from me.
I groan in pain as I’m dragged to my feet by a huge man. He holds me up and stares down at me, his expression both fierce and satisfied. I recognize him. He was on the side of the mountain the night Wolfe and I were attacked. He was bellowing at the other Outsiders. Must be their leader.
"What the fuck do you want?" I snarl at him.
He ignores me and reaches for his pocket, pulling something shiny from the interior. He tosses it to Denny who catches it. I think it might be an old turn of the century watch or something else that holds little value. Money has no meaning in Sanctuary, but people still trade goods and services. There are some who still treasure gold and other precious metals, despite their holding little value anymore.
"There’ll be more where that came from when we get the other woman." His voice is deep and raw, as though he spends most of his time shouting and tearing up his throat.
"What other woman?" I demand.
They’re talking about a specific woman and I can only think they must mean one of my friends. They’re all highly skilled and would make excellent commodities to an Outsider willing to peddle in flesh.
Again, the Outsider ignores me.
"Let’s go," he snaps at his men.
I’m dragged through the facility to an exit and then out into the open. The sky is cloudy and it looks like we might have rain, a somewhat rare event for our Sanctuary. I look around and catch sight of three vehicles, all in rough shape, all similar to the one Denny had been driving. Is Denny an Outsider or is he just working with them? I’m confused and frightened, but also completely and utterly pissed off. The second I get my hands on a weapon, these men are fucking done.
The door to the nearest vehicle is yanked open and I’m shoved inside. I grip the edge of the seat, slowing my descent, and frantically search the vehicle for a weapon. Instead of a weapon I see the terrified pale face of a person I recognize. Scarlett. My mouth falls open in shock and I allow myself to be shoved completely into the back seat of the car, where I fall against her. She catches me and helps me sit up.
When I find my voice, I immediately demand, "What are you doing here?"
She shakes her head frantically and stares in horror as the Outsider rounds the vehicle to get into the driver’s seat. Another Outsider takes the passenger seat.
I grip her chin and force her to look at me. "I don’t give a fuck if they’re listening. Talk to me, right fucking now! What are you doing here, where’s Deacon?"
Her eyes fill with tears and she shakes her head again. Before she even says the word, I already know. "Dead, I think."
My heart is crushed as the last year rushes through my memory. Deacon and I were friends. We had a relationship based on mutual respect and an understanding that the vaccination we were carrying was the single most important thing we could do with our lives. Now he’s gone, Scarlett is sitting in the back of an Outsider car and I have no idea what happened to the rest of my vaccination team.