Catalyst (20 page)

             
But I liked it. It was strange. I liked having his marks on me, claiming me, possessing me. I was his.

             
"You've got to go," I whispered when he gave me a second to breathe.

             
"Yeah," he sighed agains
t my forehead. "I love you
. I'll be back before you know it."

             
"I love you," I croaked.

             
"Please don't cry after I'm gone. You know what it does to me."

             
"But you won't be here to see it," I joked and even tried to smile for him.

             
"But I'll know," he said ominously. "Remember everything Lily does while I'm gone. I'll want a full report when I get back."

             
I laughed and
sniffed as I
told him, "Oh, don't worry about that. I'm sure she will chat your ear off when you get back."

             
His loving fingers caressed my cheek and then reached down to run in the ends of my hair. When he leaned his forehead to mine he said, "I love you, baby, so much."

             
"I love you more."

             
"Not possible," he promised and kissed my forehead as he left with a sad smile. He waved to Lily and then with
one last look at me he was gone with one just last word in my mind.

             
Always…

             
I smiled
through my tears
and then hugged Danny as he finally made his way out of their room.

             
"Be careful, brat."

             
"I will. I've gotta go or Merrick will leave me
on purpose
," he said quickly.

             
"Watch out for each other, Danny. Love ya."

             
"Love ya, shorty."
             

             
"We'll be fine, Sherry," Celeste assured me as I hugged her to me. "I'll make sure they both behave."

             
"I have no doubt," I said and laughed as she swatted his butt.

             
"Let's get moving, hottie," she said as she pushed him forward.

             
"Ok, ok," he laughed and called over his shoulder to me, "Bye, little sister. Don't worry so much."

             
"Like that's possible," I rebutted and then they too were gone.

             
"Bye, Sherry," Josh said from behind me and I turned into one of his all encompassing
hugs.
His Keeper, Racine, had a wicked case of the flu, and
that
was the only reason he was going without her right now. She was fevered, almost to the point of worry.
"We'll all be together so
w
hat could go wrong?" he said trying to cheer me up
,
but I just felt worse. So not only could I lose
one
,
but I could
lose
all of them. I smiled at him regardless though. "Make sure Ryan works on his lady skills while I'm gone," he said in jest
and lifted an insinuating eyebrow
.

             
I laughed as I said, "Oh sure. I'll get right on it."

             
He waved to everyone as they all wished him well in yells and goodbyes. He was the last one to leave…

             
I gulped at the utter empty feeling of the bunker.

             
I saw Lillian watching the stairs in a stupor. I slowly went her way and just before I reached her she jerked her attention to me.

             
"Hey," she said
and
cleared her throat. "They're all gone, huh?"

             
"Yep," I answered. "You ok?"

             
She nodded and gave me a contesting look.

             
"Are you?"

             
"Not really, b
ut I don't have much choice."

             
"He said he loved me," she whispered and covered her lips with her fingers like she was remembering something. She smiled a little
,
but stopped herself.

             
"That's great, Lillian." I paused
,
but she stayed silent. "Do you love him?"

             
"Mmhhmm," she answered with a nod.

             
"Then what's the matter?"
I asked softly.

             
"
I just can't lose him. I always lose."

             
"You won't," I assured her and put my arm through hers. "Come on. Let's get Lily and make some cookies or something.
Then I should probably take some soup to Racine.
"

             
"Ok,"
she agreed with a vigorous nod, e
ager to have something take her mind off things.

             
"We don't have much in the way of cookie stuff
,
but we have flour and sugar."

             
"Sugar cookies are my favorite."

             
We passed Ryan and Ellie who were playing cards on the floor behind the couch. She was trying to teach him
to play
to Spades. They were laughing and he was animated. I even saw him smirk once as he pulled the end of her hair playfully. It was curious behavior. He had no notion to go on the run with them at all and was perfectly happy to stay her
e
with his two charges.

             
Katie and Sky were in the rocker as we went by. Katie was
fighting a yawn
and Sky was about to wail away, I could tell.

             
"Here," I told her with a smile, "let me take her for a while."

             
"Thank you, Sherry," she sai
d as she handed her off gently.

             
"It's ok
. Go do whatever you need to do.
" I looked down at Sky who was fascin
ated by the taste of my hair. "W
e'll be fine."

             
Lillian followed me to the kitchen and we both laughed when Sky burped loudly.

             
"There'
s no
way
to cover that one
up
as lady-like," I laughed. Lillian continued to watch Sky even as she dumped ingredients in a bowl. "
You want to hold her?"

             
"Nah," s
he said and shook her head. "I just love babies. Michael didn’t want any."

             
"What?" I asked completely shocked by that. "Why not?"

             
"He said he wanted
to wait, that he wasn't ready; t
hat he might not ever be ready." She smiled sadly. "I was devastated by that, but now, I think it was probably a blessing." She came closer and rubbed Sky's cheek before the baby promptly gnawed on her finger. We laughed
,
but Lillian still said, "Can you imagine having to keep this little one safe? The worry would eat me alive."

             
I thought about that. It was true but I still felt that little ache for it, the little itch that never
quite
went away. Being told you couldn't have something made you want it more. I didn't think the want would ever go away, however irrational it was.

             
Lily marched in, making her horse gallop and neigh, before she looked at me. She pursed her lips and scrunched her nose in disapproval.

             
"What you doin' with that baby?"

             
I tried to stifle my laugh as I said, "I'm holding Sky for Katie. Do you want to see her?"

             
"No
,
thank you," she said haughtily and marched right back out of the kitchen.

             
We couldn't help it as Lillian and I
laughed in fits that we desperately needed.

Roof
Under Foot

Chapter 13 - Merrick

             
"Sherry packed up way too much food," Danny was saying but I was barely listening. "Dude," he said and waited for me to
look at him in the mirror
.
He
and Celeste we
re
smu
shed together with Josh,
who was clearly not happy with the seating arrangement, in the back. Miguel sat next to me up front.
"The sullen look is not working for ya."

             
"Bite me," I muttered and went back to sulking
and driving. Our group was to take the west side of the outskirts of town.
We'd spend as much daylight as possible looking through abandoned houses and buildings. Look
for any signs that someone may
be there, even if they didn't want to be found.

             
"I know I have no room to talk, because my girl is with me," he continued and I gave him a look to agree with that, "but still. You know she's safe there, nothing will happen to her. I feel better about her being there. I wish
someone
else had stayed behind as well."

             
"Me too," Kay sulked from the trunk space. She was the smallest person to fit back there and she swatted her red hair away from her face as
it blew everywhere from a tiny
hole in the soft top.

             
Danny
gave Celeste a poignant look and she stuck her tongue out at him before saying, "You can use me on this run and you know it. I can find people, and though I'm not sure if I can find people I don't know yet, I think this is a perfect opportunity to test that."

             
Miguel leaned over in the seat and whispered loudly, "Are they going to be like this the whole time?"

             
"No doubt," I answered.

             
"Bugger," he groaned and leaned back into his seat. I heard him mutter, "I'd rather be fed to a Marker."

             
I held in my chuckle. We were minutes away from the first place on the map to search. We'd test Celeste's gift theory soon.

             
As we turned into the
first building I pulled all the way into the back. The Jeep's brakes squeaked loudly echoing off the walls. I cringed
,
but it didn’t matter. We wanted them to know we were here so hopefully they didn't jump the gun, literally.

             
"Alright, let me do the talking, please," I told them and gave Celeste a look to make sure she understood.

             
"Of course! Why do I get the look and no one else?" she said and scrunched her nose.

             
"Babe," Danny said sarcastically and lifted his eyebrow with meaning. "Come on."

             
"Ok, fine. Whatever," she said and pushed Miguel's seat back. "Let's go, Bush Man."

             
"Watch it,
s
heila," Miguel growled and opened the door. "You're stuck with me for three days so let's not start off on the wrong foot."

             
"Miguel, in those shoes, you're always on the wrong foot," she said and laughed
,
leaning on Danny like it was hilarious. I sighed and waved Miguel off who was inhaling for a rebuttal.

             
"Alright guys. Leave all the stuff here and let's go
,
"
I told them. I knew right then that this whole operation was probably going to be more of a pain than it was worth. I was away from my girls and if something good didn't come of this run, I was going to be one unhappy Keeper.

             
"
So, should I try now?" Celeste said and I was pleased
that
she sounded serious now.

             
"Please."

             
She kneele
d on the ground, just like that day in front of the Mayor's Manor. Her eyes took on that greenish freaky look. Her mouth opened slightly and though her breaths were steady, she looked a little peaked, like she was exerting herself.