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After my breathing slowed down, I leaned over and peered at Iggy. Her eyes were at half mast, her breathing slow and deep. I reached out and touched her cheek.

Her eyelids stretched open and she slurred, “I’m really…pissed off now.”

Chapter 11

Cael

After taking back roads to get to Sweetwater, I chose a motel with doors that opened to the outside instead of to a hallway. I had Cody go into the lobby alone since his face hadn’t been all over the news. A few minutes later, he reappeared with a key and we parked right in front of the room. I backed in so that no cops could see the license plate if they drove by. Then I carried Iggy inside, and Cody brought in what was left of our supplies.

I laid Iggy down on one of the double beds; she didn’t stir. She’d felt cold in my arms, so I folded the other half of the bedspread over and cocooned her. Then I dropped into a chair and leaned my head back against the wall. Cody lay on his back on the other bed and stared at the ceiling. Minutes passed without either of us making a sound.

“We’re going to go to prison for the rest of our lives, aren’t we?” Cody looked over at me, unusually sober-faced.

“Yeah. We are.”

He exhaled loudly. “Funny thing is, I’m more weirded out by what Iggy can do than by the thought of spending time in jail.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Don’t let her hear you say that. She seems kind of defensive about it. But I get what you mean. Life seems more like a movie than reality.” I crossed my feet at the ankles. “I’m sitting here wondering if she’s going to be angry that I took her farther away from Atlanta.”

“Why?”

“She probably doesn’t want to help find my parents anymore. She probably wants to go to to get Wesley.”

“How much can anyone do when it’s the FBI who took him? Especially right now with all that’s happening. She wouldn’t even know where to look for him.”

I looked over at Iggy, wondering just exactly what she could or would do. Sometimes she seemed every bit as strong willed and impetuous as she was when I knew her as a kid. Other times, she seemed vulnerable and sweet. It hit me that I didn’t know her well enough to predict her actions or choices. And for some reason, that bothered me. But no matter what she wanted, I was here to find my parents, and I was going to do exactly that. Backtracking to take her home would waste time my parents might not have. I assumed their car had been stolen, which meant my parents might not be anywhere near here. They could still be back in New York for all I knew. Or they could be dead. And I was scared I might not ever find out what happened to them.

I asked Cody, “Have you talked to your parents lately?”

“A few days ago,” he mumbled.

“How did it go? Did they want you to come home? Are they worried?”

Still staring at the ceiling, Cody replied, “
You
are my family, Cael. I’m closer to your parents than my own. And if you don’t mind, I’ll stay with you.”

“You’re my brother, Cody. You don’t ever have to wonder if I mind you hanging with me.”

While Cody ripped into an MRE, I peeked out the window from behind the cheap curtain. I wondered if we should ditch the minivan. I didn’t believe that the cops had time to find someone’s missing vehicle right now, but maybe I was wrong. I switched on the television, hoping to get an idea of law enforcement’s priorities before setting out to steal another car. After watching several different newscasts over a half an hour, I was certain I was right. Policemen in more quiet, rural areas were being recruited to help in metro areas. More businesses were abandoned or looted, a majority of gas stations were either out of gas or had been robbed, trucks were no longer hauling supplies to stores due to hijackings, and people were camping out around churches, claiming it was the end of the world. The National Guard in every state had been mobilized and nationwide curfews had been put in place. Another huge problem was that jails were filling up fast and the wheels of justice hadn’t just been slowed, they’d skidded to a halt. Fire departments and emergency services everywhere had called all employees into full-time active duty, but there still weren’t enough people and equipment to fight all the fires and rescue all the people who were in danger.

Cody had stopped eating and was staring at the television with lips formed in a round ‘O’. I shut the TV off and sat there trembling. I felt as if I’d just watched the most heinous horror film ever created, and I never wanted to turn the television on again. Apparently, news stations no longer had the privilege of censorship. All the blood, all the inhumanity…you could see it all with the simple press of a button.

Cael

Iggy was having a nightmare. I sat up in bed, facing her but unable to see much in the darkness. Beside me, Cody was snoring. I waited for her to stop mumbling and slip back into deeper sleep, but that didn’t happen. The mumbling turned into crying and hushed pleas for the person in her dreams to stop. I sat down beside her on the bed and grasped her shoulders. “Iggy. You’re having a bad dream,” I whispered, shaking gently.

Her breath caught and her body tensed up. After a moment, she said, “Cael?”

“Yeah.” She sat up and threw her arms around me. It made me happy to know she trusted me and that I could offer comfort, so I held her tightly. She was trembling, and I thought she might be crying, but I couldn’t tell for sure. The Iggy I’d known in my childhood never cried…even when she’d broken a bone, even when her dog had gotten run over. But then she sniffed and wiped at her face, and I knew I was wrong.

We stayed that way for a long time, and when she finally seemed calm, I pulled away. She released me but said softly, “Please don’t go.” She sniffed again, and I could feel her breath on my neck as she stared up at me.

I moved to lie down beside her, and after Iggy fitted herself against my side, I pulled the bedspread over us. She draped an arm across my stomach, her fingers splayed out over my chest, directly above my heart. My shoulder was her pillow.

She whispered, “I’m scared.”

I hadn’t expected to hear those words from the girl who’d tormented me in my pre-teen years. I reached out and felt for her face, and then I smoothed back her hair. I opened my mouth to say, “Me too,” but instead of admitting that, I planted a kiss on her forehead.

Chapter 12

Cael

For the second time in my life, I awoke next to Iggy. I liked it. I tightened my arms around her and breathed in the shampoo scent of her hair. Her breathing was deep and even, and our legs were tangled together. I didn’t want to wake her, so I rested my cheek against the back of her head and closed my eyes.

I heard distant thunder and figured today would bring more rain. I intended to drive into Spring City and look through my parents’ car if I could find it. Thanks to Chris’s connections, I knew exactly where it was, and I figured it would still be there since no one would have the time or inclination to move it. I wanted so much to find out what happened to them, but I didn’t honestly feel as though my search would be helpful. I was struck by a pang of guilt — guilt that I’d take Iggy away from the safety of her home and her parents in a futile attempt to find mine. Because of me, her best friend and protector had been taken from her. Because of me, she’d been taken by Granger’s men. If I had refused to let her come, then none of this would’ve happened. She and Wes would have been riding horses and motorcycles in the safety of their compound.

I hoped Iggy would feel okay when she woke up. I didn’t know what medicine was in the dart she’d been stuck by, but it had kept her asleep for quite a while. I wondered if Wesley was still out and what was happening to him. What were they doing to him right now? Were they testing him? Iggy had said she’d rather die than be their lab rat. Did Wesley feel the same way? Would he try to kill himself rather than be the victim of Jensen’s plan?

I was drifting between sleep and consciousness when a crack of thunder told me the storm had moved closer. Iggy’s breathing hitched. She turned so that we faced each other, her head tucked under my chin and her breasts pressed against my stomach. Her hand slid across my side and up my back. Her nails scratched lightly through my shirt, causing goose bumps to rise. I kissed the top of her head while imagining so much more. She whispered, “Good morning.”

“How do you feel?” I asked, scared to move but wanting so much to touch her. What would she think if I kissed her? Would she be angry? Would she kiss me back?

“I’ll be good to go after a cup of strong coffee. Think this place has any?”

“I’ll go to the lobby and see if I can get us some.” It was a good excuse to move away, and when she pulled back her arm, I quickly got to my feet and smoothed out my wrinkled jeans and shirt. I took a moment to look out the window at the parking lot, empty except for our van. Then I grabbed the key card off the kitchenette table and slipped quietly out, not wanting to wake Cody.

The wind was warmer than expected for a mid-November morning. Black clouds were rolling in quickly and swirling overhead. I smelled pre-rain ozone, and I inhaled deeply while walking to the lobby. Before stepping inside, I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head and kept my eyes on the ground. Once inside, the attendant turned his attention away from the TV to greet me, and I asked about coffee. He directed me toward a coffee maker next to a stand of brochures about local attractions and called out a quick set of directions.

While the coffee brewed, I checked my phone and kept my back to the attendant. I had no signal. The desk clerk said, “I think cells are out. Land line phones are, too.” He added, “And after you guys check out, we’re shutting down the motel. Do you know about what time you’ll be leaving?”

I could tell he was anxious for our departure. I replied, “Within an hour.”

“No problem.”

Once the coffee pot stopped sputtering, I filled four cups (two for me), stuffed some creamer, sugar packets, and stir sticks into the pocket of my sweatshirt, and headed back to the room. I didn’t have a free hand to open our door, so I banged on it with my toe of my shoe. Iggy pulled it open and relieved me of two cups. She had taken a shower and braided her hair in some complicated-looking style down the back of her head. She smelled like her usual sugar-vanilla self, and I figured she must be carrying a bottle of body wash in her backpack. She was wearing a pair of worn but soft-looking jeans and a loose, dark sweater. She was beautiful. Despite all the ugliness going on in the world right now, I could look at her and forget to be sad or angry. Her smile made me smile.

Cody was singing from the shower as I tossed the coffee supplies onto the table. Iggy and I exchanged amused smiles, she mumbled something about him being a decent singer, and then she worked on heating up a couple of MRE entrees for us.

We sat down across from each other at the little table, and I watched Iggy pop off the lid of her Styrofoam cup and stir two creamers and one sugar into her coffee. She said, “I tried to call my parents, but I can’t get a signal.”

“My cell has no service, either. The guy at the desk said land line phones are out, too.”

“Are we heading to Spring City this morning?” She sipped her coffee and made a face like she’d burnt her tongue.

“Cody and I are, yes.”

She scowled at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I didn’t know if you’d still want to help us look for my parents. I thought you’d want to go down to Atlanta. If so, you can take the minivan and we’ll steal another car.” Strange to think that pilfering vehicles was becoming as trivial a thought as deciding what to eat for dinner. “I don’t think you should travel alone, but I understand if you want to go home and see about Wesley.”

Iggy looked down at her cup and gently blew into it. “Believe me, I
will
go see about getting Wesley back. But honestly, there isn’t much I can do at this point. The place is heavily guarded and has a state-of-the-art security system. It’s gonna take some planning.” She took another sip and licked her lips, looking angry. “I am going to help you find my Aunt Ava and Uncle Daniel. I can come up with a plan for Wes while we look for them.” She took a gulp of coffee and winced. “Wesley is the toughest guy I’ve ever known. He can take care of himself.”

“What makes you think he’s at the CDC when it was the FBI who took him?”

“Because the only person who needs Wes is Jensen. The doctor probably convinced the FBI to help. Maybe government agencies can work together like that. But I’m even more worried now. Jensen must’ve had a really good reason for the FBI to go along with his kidnapping scheme. And I can’t figure out what that reason is. I don’t know why we’ve suddenly become important enough for the bureau to get involved.”

We were silent a moment, listening to Cody’s whistling. Then I asked, “What was your dream about last night? Do you remember?”

Her eyes darted up to meet mine and she bit her lip. “Yeah. I remember. It was the same dream I used to always have after I stopped going to Jensen’s lab.”

“What was it that you wanted them to stop doing?” She looked confused, so I clarified, “You were talking in your sleep…begging someone to stop.”