Hunted (Talented Saga # 3) (31 page)

Even in Mac’s rage-fueled tirade, he had the wherewithal to fear Erik’s temper.
He swallowed hard as he drew back. Mac drew his right arm across his chest and I knew what was coming. I pulled out of Alex’s head, yanking Alex out of his vision in the process. I had witnessed enough of Mac’s wrath and I had no desire to watch as he tried to further beat my whereabouts out of Erik.

I used my own powers to calm Alex and without much extra prodding, he fell asleep, exhausted from the vision.
I, however, wasn’t so lucky. My mind was too busy plotting and planning. If Adam could get me into Coalition territory, then I would still actually have to find Crane and I somehow doubted he would be in Nevada after I’d infiltrated his Las Vegas base. I debated allowing Crane’s men to capture me. The odds that they would kill me on sight were too great. While on my own, it might be a risk I’d take, Alex was too important.

From my limited knowledge of the Coalition, I understood the citizens of the rebel states were intensely loyal to Crane.
There was a possibility a member of the Underground could get word to Crane that I was there and wanted to talk. Again, I couldn’t be sure Crane would agree to the meeting. And even if he did, he might shoot me as soon as he got the chance. But something told me that he’d be curious enough to want to hear me out.

Leaving Alex here with Adam and his people was an option.
They would look after him and keep him safe. His presence would slow me down and time was not something I had an abundance of, not when Erik’s life hung in the balance. But the boy had been through so much and separating him from the only person he was comfortable with, me, seemed like a worse decision than bringing him on the journey.

“Talia?”
Adam asked, shaking my shoulder gently.

I blinked my eyes rapidly, not realizing I’d managed to fall asleep.
“I’m awake,” I mumbled.

I sat up quickly, taking stock of the room.
Leisel was sitting, statuesque, on the bed opposite mine. Jules and Iris were watching me tentatively from the floor, where they sat pretending to play a card game. A fine-boned man with light blonde hair stood in the doorway, illuminated by a kerosene lantern.

“Frederick?!?”
I exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Talia,” he nodded gravely, moving further into Adam’s quarters.

“Frederick has agreed to escort you across the border,” Adam spoke up.

“You’re part of the Underground?” I stuttered.
Why that came as a shock, I don’t know. After everything I’d learned, Frederick’s involvement in the movement shouldn’t have been a big revelation.

“I am,” Frederick affirmed.
“I have been for a while now.”

“If you hurry, we can get you out of the city tonight,” Adam said.

“Let’s do it, then,” I agreed.

“Why don’t you let Alex sleep while we pack your things?” Frederick suggested.

Leisel promised she would look after him while I prepared. I followed Frederick and Adam down to the kitchens and filled a backpack with dried fruits, nuts, dehydrated meats, several loaves of stale bread, chunks of cheeses, and several large jugs of water. Then we returned to the guest room. I packed the clothes and toiletries that I’d brought with me from the Hamilton.

I felt guilty taking rations from Adam’s supply, but he assured me they wouldn’t be missed.
I knew he was only saying so to relieve my guilt and his generosity warmed my numb insides.

Frederick offered to carry the heavy pack with our belongings so I could carry Alex.

“Talia, I’m happy to keep Alex with us. We’ll keep him safe,” Adam said as we reentered his suite.

“I know you would, Adam.
But he’s my responsibility and I’d prefer to take him with me. Besides, we’ve imposed on you long enough.” I smiled my gratitude.

Adam nodded kindly.
He meant what he’d said, but he’d anticipated my refusal.

Alex was still asleep on the bed and I hated disturbing his peace.
I gently rubbed his back to wake him. Frederick helped me attach the carrying sling to my back and load Alex in. As soon as he was settled, Alex closed his eyes and began to breathe heavily against my neck.

I said a hasty goodbye to Jules and Iris and told them I hoped to see them again.
I did. Their accommodations and lifestyle were not enviable, but the simplicity and harmony with which they existed was. Under the circumstances, they were happy and carefree and I wanted nothing more than for one day to see them living above ground and experiencing all the trivial joys I’d taken for granted.

Adam and Leisel accompanied us to the exit, where a young man I didn’t recognize stood guard.
Leisel gave me a brief hug and wished us luck. Adam held me a little longer than necessary, promising if any person could get me into Coalition territory without incident, it was Frederick. To Frederick, Adam expressed his appreciation for taking on such a mission. He didn’t wish us luck; I’d need more than that if I were to succeed.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Alex was light and his added weight only made the shaft down to the tunnel slightly awkward to navigate.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask Frederick, but I refrained until we were climbing our way across the ancient train tracks. I assumed he knew Erik had been apprehended and I hoped he would be able to give me more positive news regarding Henri and Cadence’s fates.

“So, how is Henri?” I asked quietly, keeping my eyes on the broken beams beneath my feet.

“He’s a little beaten up, but alive and safe,” Frederick replied, shining his flashlight forward to illuminate our darkened path.

“So, he got away?” I asked, relief washing over me like a warm bath.

“He did. So did the girl. She’s a little worse off. She broke her leg and suffered several nasty cuts. They’re both at an Underground compound in South Carolina. I haven’t seen them yet, but I talked to Henri earlier today,” he explained. “I’m so sorry about Erik,” he added quietly.

My lungs tightened painfully as I recalled Alex’s visions.
“Do you think they’ll kill him?” I asked in a small voice. I lost my footing as my legs became weak and Frederick grabbed my elbow to steady me.

“Not yet, Tal.
Toxic wants you and the boy very badly. They’re betting on you coming for him. They’ll keep him alive for that reason alone,” Frederick replied, nearly echoing Adam’s earlier sentiments.

We wound further into the depths of the old railway in silence.
Every passage looked the same as the one before it and I couldn’t fathom how even the most experienced navigator could keep his bearings.

Frederick seemed to sense that I didn’t want to talk and he didn’t push.
After what felt like hours, the tunnel began to slope perceptibly upwards. As we ascended, the space became narrower. When we reached the top, Frederick had to stoop. Where there had once been an exit, there was now only a concrete barricade. But off to one side, there was a dim circle of sunlight shining through the ceiling. Frederick removed a long metal bar with a hook on the end. He wedged the hooked end in the tight space letting the light through. He wiggled the bar back and forth until the heavy metal slab came loose, enabling him to move it to one side, his arms straining under the weight.

Frederick reached through the hole and pulled himself up with considerable ease.
Then he offered one hand to me. I gripped his forearm and with our combined effort I, too, passed into the daylight.

The sky was shades of deep pink and vibrant orange, a hazy outline of the moon still visible.
The warmth above ground enveloped me and my mood lightened instantly. Just being out of the dark, dank tunnels gave me hope, invigorated my senses. We were standing in the rich green grass on the bank of a fast-flowing river. Remnants of a bridge that had once connected our side of the water to the other still stood, but there was no longer a complete structure. A tiny boat bobbed up and down as the water underneath lapped the shore.

“We’ll take the boat down river a couple of miles.
There is a vehicle waiting for us on the other side,” Frederick whispered, taking my hand to help me down the embankment.

“The Agency doesn’t patrol over here?” I asked in disbelief.

“Nah, they do a couple of routine patrols a day, but the morning one was already done. The guard in Virginia is part of the Underground. He’s expecting us,” Frederick explained.

Frederick climbed unsteadily into the small craft before helping me board.
He quickly untied the rope anchoring the boat to shore and used an oar to push off. We drifted, letting the current carry us for a while before Frederick began to paddle.

Alex was still fast asleep, still exhausted from the viewing he’d done the day before.
Being on the open water made me feel truly free and part of me wished we could have just floated there forever. Several planes passed far overhead, but none so much as slowed to indicate they had seen us.

“Do you do this often?” I asked.

A light sheen of sweat had broken out, dampening Frederick’s silky hair and causing it to stick to his forehead. His muscles seemed to strain as he rowed us quickly toward the opposing shore, his brown eyes pure concentration.

“More in the recent months than I have in a while,” he answered evasively.

“You’re a Conductor on the Underground?” I pressed, suddenly desperate to know more about this mysterious movement.

“Yes, ever since I left the Agency,” he confirmed, averting his eyes.

“Why?” I inquired suspiciously. Not that I had any room to question another’s motives for betraying Toxic, but I was curious what had made Frederick defy the organization he’d once called home.

“I left the Agency because I witnessed some of their more nefarious deeds,” he answered carefully, measuring his words.

“But I thought you were a low level Talent and that you left rather than take some remedial job as a janitor or something,” I accused. Then I realized that was the story Donavon had told me. And seeing as almost everything Donavon had ever told me was a lie, it shouldn’t have been astonishing that his claims about Frederick were, too.

Frederick snorted, rolling his eyes.
“Hardly. That’s what most Operatives believe, though. I’m an Elite Level Talent, actually.”

“Then why did you leave?
Why did they let you leave?” I asked, confused. I’d been shocked when I’d learned Frederick had been granted permission to leave Toxic. That just wasn’t done. As an extremely low level Talent, I assumed the Agency hadn’t been too concerned about losing his gifts. But Elite Level Talents were increasingly rare and I seriously doubted that Toxic would be willing to let one go without a fight. Particularly in light of the fact they were willing to send in extraction teams to retrieve children thought to have superior powers.

“On a mission, I was exposed to some questionably legal actions, so I made a deal with the Director.
I agreed to keep my mouth shut if he granted my request to leave the Agency,” he replied, rowing with a little more zeal.

“You were a Hunter?”

“Not exactly. I was an Extractor,” he admitted.

“Were you part of Graham’s team?” I wasn’t sure how many Extraction Teams the Agency had, but it seemed as if they were the bastard child no one wanted to admit existed, so I assumed there was only one.

“No, Graham wasn’t the team leader then,” he replied shortly.

I had so many more questions circulating in my mind that I wasn’t sure what to ask next.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance. A flare began blinking on the shore Frederick was paddling us towards. It blinked several times in fast succession, then went dark and I briefly wondered if I’d imagined the light. Then it came to life again and stayed lit for several seconds before going out. Alarmed, I looked at Frederick.

“It’s a signal.
The guard is telling us that we’re safe to land,” he explained. Frederick picked up the flashlight rolling around at his feet and sent a reply, then directed our craft toward the flare.

A slim boy with bright yellow hair and cat-like eyes came in to view as we approached the dock.
He was dressed in fatigues with Toxic’s logo sewn on to one arm. Frederick extended an oar in the boy’s direction and he grabbed it, reeling us in. The guard quickly looped the rope around a metal hook on the wooden dock before offering me his hand. I gripped the boy’s arm and let him pull me out of the boat. Alex stirred restlessly as I climbed on to solid ground, but didn’t wake.

“You’re late,” our ally declared, looking at Frederick.

“Got here as fast as we could,” Frederick replied apologetically.

“I have the car ready, but we need to hurry.
My replacement will be here soon and I need you guys hidden before he does,” Yellow Hair said, gesturing for us to follow him.

We walked the short length of the dock and climbed a small, grassy hill to a gravel parking lot with an Agency SUV.
Yellow Hair remotely popped the trunk and indicated for us to climb in. Frederick unhooked Alex from my back. The boy whined in protest. I took Alex from Frederick and climbed into the hatch.

There were a pile of blankets and pillows, so I used the pillows to make a bed for Alex and tucked him in.
I curled up beside his small body, covering both of us with the blankets. Frederick clamored in next and crawled under the blankets with me. The guard spread several more layers of fabric over us before shutting the trunk.

Alex groped for my hand, encircling my thumb with his tiny fingers.
“It’s okay, Alex,” I soothed. “I need you to be quiet and lay still for now, sweetie.”

“Kay,
Tals,” he whispered in his little kid voice, snuggling closer to me.

Frederick took my free hand and squeezed.
“Don’t worry, Talia. I’ve done this hundreds of times. We won’t get caught.”

I had a strong suspicion “hundreds” was a gross exaggeration.
But I also knew it wasn’t his first escape, so I tried to take solace in his assurance. Being on the water had been calming after the suffocating enclosure of the Underground. Under the heavy blankets, I once again felt claustrophobic, trapped. My heart rate quickened and I began to sweat. Frederick had failed to fill me in on the details of his plan. The not knowing made me anxious. I had no choice but to trust the yellow-haired guard, so I tried to relax and force my breathing to become even. I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled out of my mouth.

Frederick’s pine-scented aftershave dominated the small space.
I focused on the smell because it reminded me of Henri. He wore the same kind. Thinking of Henri reminded me how much so many people had risked for me and for Alex. The thoughts revitalized my determination. I had to escape. I had to get Alex somewhere safe. I had to rescue Erik.

Hours seemed to pass before the guard opened the driver’s side door and started the engine.
The vibrations of the machine coming to life jostled us, causing Alex to whimper. I kissed his hair and sent him calming thoughts. He quickly quieted down, relaxing into his pillow-bed. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as they rolled across the parking lot.

I held my breath when the vehicle stopped and our get-a-way driver spoke to another guard.
They exchanged light banter about nothing meaningful before the latter let the car continue. Soon, the road became smooth and the tires glided soundlessly, carrying us to our next destination. The guard didn’t speak as we drove, instead favoring blasting music from the speakers.

“Hungry,” Alex whispered once we’d been driving for a while.

Frederick fumbled with the zipper on the backpack and then handed me a bag full of crunchy banana chips. I extracted a handful and placed them in Alex’s palm.

“Thank you,” he replied, beginning to munch on the fruit.

“You should eat something, too, Tal,” Frederick insisted.

“I’m okay right now,” I said.
Although I couldn’t recall the last time I’d eaten, my stomach was in knots and my throat was too constricted to be capable of ingesting solid food.

The car rambled along for nearly an hour before pulling over.
The guard didn’t turn off the engine when he opened his door and came around to pop the hatch. Frederick drew the covers off of the three of us. Sunlight assaulted my eyes, the brightness of the day nearly blinding me. The sky was now a clear blue, without a cloud in sight. I had to squint as the orange sun burned my retinas.

Frederick climbed out and exchanged several words with the guard before gesturing for me and Alex to follow.
Frederick walked around to the open driver’s door and hopped in. I thanked the guard. He nodded curtly and held the back door ajar for me and Alex. I lifted Alex on to the black leather seat before sliding in. Frederick maneuvered the vehicle back on to the deserted road to continue or journey.

I spread out a more elaborate breakfast for Alex on the seat between us.

“Where are we going now?” I called to Frederick once Alex was once again eating.

“We’ll stop for tonight at an Underground compound in Kentucky.
It should take us most of the day to get there since we’ll have to take back-roads, but we shouldn’t run into checkpoints or anything,” he replied, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

“How long before we make it to the border?” I asked anxiously.

Frederick looked back again, debating what to tell me. “Since we have to take some roundabout routes, a couple of days at least, maybe more.”

I sighed.
A couple of days were too long. In a couple of days, Mac might unintentionally beat Erik to death trying to coerce mine and Alex’s whereabouts out of him.

“I know you’re anxious, Talia,” Frederick began.

“I’m worried about Erik,” I mumbled.

“I know, Tal.
But what are you planning on doing once you’re there? How does going to Coalition territory help Erik?” he asked.

“It might not,” I said evasively, not ready to share my plan quite yet.
Admitting what I wanted to do aloud would remind me just how farfetched the whole idea was. The last thing I needed was Frederick confirming I was nuts. “For all I know, Crane might hunt me down and kill me once I’ve crossed into his territory,” I added.