Hidden Flames (19 page)

Owen made his way downstairs, his heart heavy that he was going to have to tell Prue that her sister wasn’t here and he had no idea where she might have gone. He was making his way back through the formal living room when he spotted it—a piece of paper with a pen by its side.

Mom and Dad,

I’m safe and at the high school. Everyone in town decided the gymnasium was the safest place and we didn’t think we could make it to the East Coast. Come look for me there.

I love you,

Rosa

Owen snagged up the note and then quickly made his way outside, finding Prue exactly where he’d left her on the sidewalk. She was searching his face carefully as he walked toward her, only cracking a smile of relief underneath her mask when she warily took the sheet of paper out of his hand and used his flashlight so that she could read the content.

“We didn’t pass a high school on the way into town,” Prue said, looking up at him for confirmation. She was right, but this was a small town. The school had to be located off of one of the side roads. They both got back onto their bikes and he indicated that he would take the lead, wanting to keep her out of harm’s way if the citizens of this town had someone guarding the area. “I wonder if her parents ever made it back.”

Owen wasn’t surprised that Prue hadn’t added on the word
adoptive
when describing the man and woman who raised Rosa. They’d had conversations about what it was like for him to grow up in foster homes and he’d witnessed firsthand those children who’d found permanent homes. The husband and wife who’d given them a place to grow up
were
their parents, regardless of who their biological mother and father were. He was glad to see that Prue wouldn’t take that away from the two people who’d raised Rosa as their own, providing a loving atmosphere for a three-year-old girl who’d gotten caught up in the system because her older sister was months shy of the age limit to take custody.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Owen said, not bringing up the fact that there wasn’t a way to take three people up to Washington on the bikes they had, at least not without a sidecar. It was possible for Prue to rig up something that could get a four-wheeled vehicle on the road for a couple of hours at a time, but it wouldn’t be easy. The likelihood of Rosa leaving her parents were less than one percent, so he would have to find a way to make it work. First they needed to locate her. “There it is.”

Owen spotted the playground of the elementary school first, the swings and slide covered in grey ash. He spotted fresh tracks across the parking lot that led to the high school and followed them around the large building. The shoe treads appeared to be from three people and they’d walked through recently. No doubt they’d heard the engines on the bikes, so Owen cautiously stopped a good twenty feet from what he assumed was the double steel doors to the gymnasium. He cut his engine and sat for a moment, pondering scenarios.

“Prue, keep idle,” Owen instructed, pointing down at the tread marks that he’d been following. One of the three had veered off and continued around the side of the building. The size was average, but he would still guess it was from a male subject. “You leave at the first sign of trouble and I’ll meet you at the onramp of the highway.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Prue insisted with an angry shake of her head. She unsheathed her knife, holding it against her leg as her eyes narrowed underneath the clear plastic shield of her mask. “I’ll stay here to keep an eye on the supplies, but I’ll be in there within seconds if I think you’re in trouble.”

Owen tightened his jaw in irritation, wishing Prue would heed his instructions. He’d been in situations like this time and time again and he understood the importance of following orders under a command. Why couldn’t she? He’d have to figure out another way to handle things should their circumstances change. He surveyed the area as he got off of his bike and started walking toward the double steel doors. No one appeared to be coming around either side of the building, but maybe he or she was waiting for Prue to be alone before closing in.

Owen weighed his options and chose to knock on the door with the side of his fist, hoping to ease any worries for those inside. The town wasn’t that big. He estimated between seven and eight thousand people, but at least half would have left and taken their chances trying to cross the Canadian border. Some would have gone in search of other family members, and some very brave souls would have tried to cross to the East Coast like the President of the United States advised. He heard the sound of someone opening the door from the inside.

“Come on in,” a man said, using a small cloth to cover his nose and mouth as the ash circled in the air, trying to find a way inside the building. Owen glanced over his shoulder to see Prue solely focused on his entrance. He gave a wave, indicating he wouldn’t be long and then entered behind the older gentleman. “That’s some mask you have there.”

Owen wrapped his fingers around the circled filter and then pulled it back, lifting the bulky contraption off of his head. It always felt good to remove the mask. He didn’t consider himself claustrophobic, but being in that device for hours a day wasn’t something he could get used to. The mingled odor of sweaty asses and dirty socks hit like a ton of bricks, bringing back memories of his high school days.

“It allows me to travel outside,” Owen replied, lowering his arm and holding the gasmask to his side. He did his usual sweep of the perimeter, noticing at least two hundred people lying on sleeping bags, sitting on cots, and wrapped in blankets. The gymnasium wasn’t that large and he had to wonder where all the other people were residing. “My name is Owen Quade and I’m looking for a woman named Rosa Hernandez. Do you know her?”

“Why are you looking for her?”

Owen instantly recognized from the man’s question that Rosa was indeed here. He wanted to lecture the man on how to keep people safe should this ever happen again, but he wouldn’t. He’d learned in the military to phrase sentences to delay answering in order to discover the truth before revealing any information. The
why
question was a dead giveaway that Rosa was on the premises and now he just needed to figure out where.

“It’s personal, but I can assure you that I’m just here to make her an offer,” Owen answered, having seen the man’s eyes drift down to where the weapon was secured in his shoulder holster. Owen remained relaxed, doing his best not to appear threatening. “I don’t even have to enter beyond this point if you’ll just let Rosa know that her biological sister is outside and would very much like to speak with her.”

That bit of information got the man’s attention. He deliberated for a moment and then slowly nodded, instructing Owen to stay. He waited and occupied himself by observing everything and everyone, noticing there were a lot of children in the gymnasium. It caused him to realize something.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” Owen caught the attention of a young woman retrieving a basketball that had escaped the hands of a young child. “Are the others in the auditorium?”

“Yes, as well as the classrooms, offices, and cafeteria,” the woman replied with a small smile. She appeared tired but content. “It’s better to be together in this type of situation than it is to be apart. We can help each other and we have everything we need here until help arrives.”

Owen gritted his teeth, having heard that phrase too many times over the course of the hellish week they’d just endured. Help? The National Guard would only be able to do so much, especially considering the fact that a volcanic winter would last at least ten years with a mini ice age directly behind it. Doors on the other side of the gymnasium opened, revealing the man who’d gone in search of Rosa…and the woman herself.

Owen stared, amazed by how much Rosa looked like Prue. This woman’s hair was shorter, almost to her shoulders, and she was a tad bit thinner. Her brown eyes zeroed in on him immediately, a glimmer of hope shining through. The way she carried herself made it more than apparent she didn’t bear the burdens that Prue had over the years. This was a young woman who’d been raised by loving parents and brought up in a nice neighborhood with neighbors that cared for one another.

“Mr. Quade?” Rosa held out her hand, shaking his fingers after he’d removed the glove from his right hand. “Tom said you mentioned something about a biological sister? I was adopted, but I think you’re mistaken. I don’t have a sister.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Rosa.” Owen nodded his appreciation to Tom, who was standing only a couple of feet away watching things closely. It was nice to see that such a close-knit community took care of their own. “We’ve come a long way to find you.”

P
rue wondered what
was taking so long as she kept her eyes glued to the doors of the school. At least ten minutes must have passed by since Owen had entered the building. She shifted her weight to her left leg, the chilled air making her muscles a bit stiff. It was in the back of her mind that someone else was still out here with her after Owen had pointed out the third set of footprints, but there wasn’t a sign of the person anywhere. The two doors didn’t budge.

She tightened her fingers on the handle of her knife, contemplating on how much more time she should give Owen. A lot of things could be taking place inside while she did nothing out here but worry. She understood why she needed to stay with the bikes and supplies, but it wasn’t smart for her and Owen to be separated for long periods of time. They were going to have to come up with a new plan because this was hell on her nerves. Maybe some walkie-talkies. Who was to say someone hadn’t taken Owen’s weapon and wanted to negotiate for the gasmask or whatever other supplies they thought he had?

The door burst open, causing Prue to jump and raise her weapon. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Owen. Adrenaline coursed through her as he strolled toward her with purpose. His mask prevented her from seeing his expression so far away and she sheathed her knife to give her something to do. She ignored her trembling fingers, her thoughts on her sister and wondering if they would finally get to meet…even under these horrible conditions.

“Well?” Prue asked, holding her breath as she waited for Owen to get closer.

“Rosa is here, Prue,” Owen confirmed it with a nod of his head. Prue could have doubled over with relief, but she managed to stay upright. She took a few seconds to let her some of her worry ease, multiple thoughts going through her mind while he scanned the area. Prue could have told him that no one had made an appearance, but he would have checked anyway. “She’s waiting for you just inside those doors. I’d say take all the time you need, but the two of you can get reacquainted when we hit Lost Summit. We should really leave as soon as possible.”

“Did she say she’d come with us?” Prue asked, searching his gaze for the answer she was seeking. Her heartbeat skipped when Owen shook his head and she reacted before she could stop herself. “No? Are you shitting me? Doesn’t she realize that—”

“Prue, I didn’t ask her,” Owen cut in softly, resting his hands on Prue’s shoulders and grounding her. She noticed that he touched her often when she became worked up over something…it was effective and she took a deep breath when his words finally penetrated. This couple thing wasn’t that bad. “I thought I’d leave that up to you.”

“We don’t have an extra gasmask,” Prue pointed out, leaning slightly to the left to peer around Owen’s body. The doors were still shut. Nerves made her stomach turn over. She thought she’d been ready to meet her sister, but she wasn’t so sure now that the time had come. Prue purposefully didn’t ask Owen if Rosa had given any indication that she knew she had an older sister. She wasn’t ready for that answer. “How will we get Rosa to Lost Summit without her breathing the ash into her lungs?”

“I’ve got that worked out, so you come out here after the two of you have a heart-to-heart talk. Once you two have figured things out, we’ll get everything arranged that we need to do.” Owen literally shifted her until she was facing the school. “Go, Prue. This is what you’ve been waiting for.”

Prue agreed with Owen, but then she didn’t. It might have been best to leave Rosa here with her family. She had a mother and father who loved her, regardless that Prue felt resentment for how they isolated Rosa from anything to do with her past. Who was Prue to take that love and support away from her sister?

Prue had taken a good ten steps and then another five before she slowed down. She reminded herself that she wasn’t a coward. She was a strong woman who had purpose and never once doubted herself. So why then did she feel as if she were walking to the guillotine without ever having accomplished anything in her life?

The door was now in front of Prue and she turned around, seeing that Owen wasn’t even watching her. He was switching out the bags on her bike and securing them to his. It was as if he had all the faith in the world that she would finally succeed doing what she’d anticipated for years, unlike herself who was standing here delaying the inevitable. His actions and her inactions sent a dose of determination through her and she turned around, placing her hand on the doorknob and swinging it open.