Winter's Storm: Retribution (Winter's Saga #2) (5 page)

“
Come on, you. No digging through other people’s leftovers. It’s bad manners,” I said sleepily.

A few doors down, and we were back in mom’s room. I locked the door behind me and checked on mom. She was breathing softly and her monitors showed her heart rate, oxygen levels and blood pressure all normal. Evan hadn’t moved since I saw him last. I found my pile of blankets on my cot and flopped down. Maze curled up at my feet. The night was still, again.

Back down in the lobby, Creed watched the numbers light up above the elevator she had taken. It stopped on the seventh floor. He smiled to himself remembering their conversation and how guarded she was. He began whistling as he shuffled casually out of the building and back to his rental car waiting in the lamp-lit hospital parking lot. Something about that wild-haired beauty made Creed’s heart leap in his chest. Tomorrow he would have to find a way to bump into her again. Maybe this assignment wouldn’t be that bad after all.

Of course, there was the small issue of killing the woman. Creed shoved his hands into his pockets frowning now against the thought. He sat in his car and leaned his head back staring up through the sun roof. The stars were faint here compared to back at the Facility. Things seemed much less clear cut.

Sitting in Williams’ office, it didn’t seem too hard to agree to terms of this arrangement: one thief killed and three metas returned in exchange for information about his long lost parents. The ends justify the means, right? Williams gets back the metas that were rightfully his. Creed gets to be reunited with his kin. Thief gets her comeuppance.

He found the more he watched the Winter family and how they interacted, the more he liked them. They were good people. They were a family. And, now that he looked into the girl’s dark eyes and watched them flash with anger. Now that he heard her voice, angelic and soft even through her attempt at sounding irritated. Now that he could imagine her smile, her laugh. Now everything felt as hazy as this night sky looked.

In his pocket, his cell phone began to vibrate. One glance at the caller I.D. confirmed it; it was Dr. Williams. Creed touched the screen accepting the call.

“
Sir.”

“
Status report.”

“
Surveillance still successful. First contact with M57 has been made.”

“
Excellent. Your condition?

“
Ninety percent recovered.”

“
It’s been long enough. It’s time to complete your assignment.”

“
Yes, sir.”

click

Creed sighed deeply, slipped his phone back into his pocket and started the car. He needed a little shut-eye before trying to figure out what to do next. Hopefully, Farrow would leave him alone when he got back to the hotel. He made sure she did not have a key to his room, but she was resourceful. If she wanted to, she could be sitting on the edge of his bed ready to pounce him for information when he got back.

He pushed Farrow out of his mind and focused instead on the girl—Meg. Creed had to think of a way to get the girl to trust him, and fast. She was the key to the brothers.

He yawned deeply.

How was he going to forge more of a friendship with the girl? Maybe he should keep a steak on him next time to see if that’ll win over the coyote. Or, would that seem overly anxious? It’s not like Creed had ever tried to woo a girl before. Sleep, he thought. He needed sleep and then things will seem clearer in the morning.

As Creed was pulling out of the parking lot, Meg rolled over in her cot, repositioned her pillow and draped her leg over Maze.

5 Fifteen-Year-Old with a Driver’s Permit

“
Cole, you coming?” Alik yelled up the stairs. “Your dad’s already in the car.”

“
Yeah, I just…darn it. Hey, have you seen my magic thumb?” Cole yelled back, sounding out of breath and frustrated.

“
Your what?”

“
My thumb! I can’t find it anywhere and that’s one of their favorites,” Cole moaned.

“
You can borrow mine. Come on. We’re gonna be late and you know how upset they get when we’re late. Remember last time,” Alik gave Cole a look as he met him at the bottom of the stairs, thumb-less.

“
I know. They drew us pictures of frown-y faces. It was depressing as heck.”

The boys hurried out the front door, jumped down the steps and jogged to the car. Cole tapped on the driver’s side window.

“
Dad, can I drive, please?” he yelled through the glass miming the request as if his dad didn’t already know what his son wanted.

Dr. Andrews rolled his eyes at his teenager. Ever since he got his driver’s permit three days ago, Cole had not let up about wanting “practice time” behind the wheel.

“
Fine, but this time, please drive the speed limit. I don’t want to get pulled over for obstructing traffic because you’re going so blasted slow,” Dr. Andrews teased as he got out of the car and walked around to the passenger seat.

“
Dad! What are you saying to me? You want me to speed? Do you know the statistics on speeding and fatalities? Safety first, old man,” Cole teased back.

“
Good grief,” the doctor groaned.

Changing the subject to take his mind off of Cole’s one mile per hour attempt at reverse down the driveway, the doctor asked, “Alik, is it your turn for Mom Watch?”

“
I relieve Evan at noon,” Alik responded cringing at the trash bin they were inches away from hitting.

“
Hope everyone had a good night up at the hospital,” Cole mumbled.

“
Less talking, more driving,” his dad said, only half teasing. “I’m sure everything’s fine up there. My staff has strict orders to contact me directly if there is any change in our patient.”

“
Mom’s not recovering as fast as I thought she would,” Alik confided.

Dr. Andrews nodded softly, “She’s not a metahuman with rapid healing abilities like you, Alik. And she’s not as young as she used to be. Her body is doing the best it can to heal. She just needs time.”

“
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, sir. I’m just worried. We’re sitting ducks right now. Williams could…yellow light.”

“
Williams could what?” Cole asked

“
Yellow light! RED!”
Alik yelled, pushing himself back in his seat.

“
STOP!”
Dr. Andrews yelled to Cole.

Four seconds of squealing tires later, they were stopped a little too far into the intersection and car horns were already honking.

“
Sorry, ‘bout that,” Cole blushed.

“
Son,” Dr. Andrews said calmly.

“
Yes, sir?”

“
Slowly back the car up.”

“
Yes, sir.”

“
So, you were saying, Alik?” Dr. Andrews asked, trying to act calm about the whole teenager-behind-the-wheel thing.

“
Um…I was just saying how worried I am about Williams sending a henchman or five to come finish what he started. This time, he may send another metasoldier like the one that got to Meg. Even with us standing guard, if he sent meta assassins, chances are very good they’ll accomplish their task. They may even come after you two.”

“
Is that why Mom Watch schedules one of you kids to stay at the house with Cole and me every night? Because you are worried we’re in danger, too?” Dr. Andrews asked.

Alik just shrugged, trying not to worry the doctor. The truth was that was exactly why the kids had arranged the schedule the way they did. They didn’t want the doctor or Cole to be defenseless if the house was attacked. It was hard not to feel responsible for everyone’s safety.

“
After what happened, your worries are valid. I’m just not sure what to do about it,” the doctor said thoughtfully. “Let me call Greg to see if he has any new information or suggestions. Maybe he knows something that will make our options more clear.”

Alik stayed silent, as was his way, brooding over all that could take place.

“
Listen, I don’t want anything to happen to your mother either. I want us all safe, and I’ll do everything I can to keep it that way. We’ll figure this out. Somehow.”

And with that Cole pulled safely into his father’s reserved parking spot at the hospital. “Is the love-fest over? Can we go entertain the sick kids with our magic tricks now?” he chirped a little over anxiously.

Alik gave his friend a sideways look and thought, not for the first time, how difficult it must be for Cole knowing everyone else was expected to protect him because he would be helpless against a metahuman.

I guess if I were him, I’d change the subject, too
, Alik thought to himself.

6 Cafeteria Food

Morning shook the fog from my mind. Did last night really happen? Did I take Maze for a walk and run into a guy outside last night? A guy who wouldn’t get the hint that I wanted nothing to do with him? A guy with handsome blue eyes and a wide, dreamy smile?

Yeah, that’s it. It had to be a dream.

Who in their right mind would go by the name ‘Creed?’ I thought to myself smugly. Good grief. That was a soap opera name, not a real guy’s name.

Still groggy, I let the morning sun from the hospital window warm my face. I slowly batted my eyes open and turned to watch my mother breathe. Her chest rose and fell faintly, but definitely.

“
Evan, wake up,” I whispered so as not to disturb mom. Evan mumbled in response. “Evan, it’s seven o’clock, and I’m starved. Do you wanna go get breakfast, or do you want me to?” Her littlest brother mumbled more and rolled over on his way-too-small cot.

He sure was cute when he was sleeping. That sandy blond hair falling in wisps over his long eyelashes just made him look so sweet—like he used to when he was a little boy. His birthday was fast approaching, though. He was nearly thirteen-years-old. Where did my baby brother go? I reached out and touched his unruly hair away from his eyes. Maybe I should just let him sleep.

“
Okay, kiddo. I’ll go fetch breakfast for us. You sleep,” I whispered to him.

“
Maze, you coming?” I looked over at my loyal coyote fast asleep at the foot of my cot. He opened his eyes just a crack and blinked once before letting his sleepy lids fall back closed.

“
Okay, you guys. I’ll bring back food. Just don’t complain if I didn’t grab your favorites,” I whispered to the room full of sleeping family.

After a quick kiss to my mom’s cheek, I turned and stepped out of the hospital room, and listened for the door to lock automatically behind me.

The hospital’s cafeteria was located in the basement. It usually had the standard stuff with one “daily special” posted on an old-fashioned green chalk board. Today’s turquoise chalk proudly announced, “Sausage and Eggs with Flour Tortillas, Beans and Salsa!”

Now, that sounds delicious! I thought to myself. I haven’t had good Mexican food since I left our Texas ranch. Not wanting to get my hopes too high, I placed my order. “Three daily specials, three milks and six biscuits to go, please.” I said to the cook behind the cafeteria-like counter.

“
Ah, a girl after my own heart and a hearty appetite, too!” the cook chirped happily. I just smiled back, not wanting to explain that I’d just ordered for myself, my bottomless pit of a brother, and my sixty-pound coyote.

“
Wow, you must be hungry,” a vaguely familiar voice laughed beside me.

I turned and saw the blue eyes from my dreams; only, this wasn’t a dream. We were standing side-by-side in the hospital cafeteria line under glaring florescent lights. He was real, and the immediate magnetism I felt was enough to knock me silent.

“
I’ll have two orders of the special, please,” he called over to the cook. He glanced at me and added, “To go.”

“
You seem to be making a habit of doing that,” I said trying to regain my composure.

“
Doing what?”

“
Sneaking up on me.”

“
I almost didn’t recognize you without your fur coat,” he teased, referring to Maze no doubt.

“
I almost didn’t recognize you in the light of day,” I tried to counter smartly, but came across smug instead.

“
You never told me your name last night,” he said under his breath.

“
I told you the name of my ferocious coyote. That should be enough.” I could feel his sleeve brush my arm, barely grazing the fine hair, sending sparks to my tummy. Self-consciously, I scooted my plastic orange tray further away from him.

“
I only have a passing interest in your coyote; it’s you I want to know.” His voice was barely audible above the noise of the room. I had to force myself to concentrate on breathing because the room was getting very thick and my senses were feeling overwhelmed. The sounds of the clanking pots and pans, food sizzling in pats of butter, scraping of griddles by metal spatulas, voices murmuring, laughing, talking all around me.

“
That’ll be $30.35, miss,” a female voice said. “Miss?”

I shook my head in a feeble attempt to clear it. “Oh, yes, of course,” I answered stupidly while shuffling through my small purse for mom’s credit card.

“
Ours are together,” Creed responded smoothly and passed the somewhat impatient cashier a hundred dollar bill. The cashier looked over at Creed with a wide smile and even wider eyes.