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“Glad you’re pleased,” he murmurs, unbuckling his belt and stepping out of the car, turning to me. His face is stern and unhappy as he opens my door and lifts his hand, offering to help me down.

“Why so grim?” I ask, quite cheerful myself as I take his hand, hopping down and looking up into his face.

“Because,” he says, voice low. “YouknowI’d have preferred it if you’d stayed behind, Nadia. It could be dangerous here.”

“I thought you said it had been cleared several times over?” I ask, pulling my hand away. Cole tightens his fingers momentarily, like he doesn’t want to let go, but then loosens them. I slip my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie as Shayne and Tommy get out of the car.

“I wouldn’t have brought any of you if I thought it was unsafe,” Cole murmurs, glancing around, clearly using his superior senses to attempt to detect any threats. “It’s just…out here, all alone like this? More opportunities to be surprised.”

“I’m going in!” Rose calls, waving over her shoulder and striding forward.

Cole sighs and hesitates, looking after her, clearly feeling the need to protect her and also stay by my side. “Would you please?” he asks, looking down at me. “Just…come along? Make my job alittleeasier tonight?”

It’s the pleading on his face that makes me nod once, agreeing to it quite simply. Hehasbeen very willing with me tonight, bending to my whims, so I don’t mind. Cole nods and starts after Rose. I follow along at his side, glancing back over my shoulder at Tommy and Shayne, who walk behind at a much more casual pace, letting ten or twenty feet come between us on their special date.

“That’s so cute,” I whisper, mostly to myself.

“Didn’t know you found abandoned villages so adorable,” Cole murmurs, glancing down at me. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Don’t bother,” I toss back, my words dry. But something very light flutters in my stomach anyway.

Hmm. I must be hungry. I push the feeling aside.

Rose walks quickly to the center of the little town, towards a large and well-kept building. Cole and I come to her side as she takes picture after picture.

As much as I’m aware that I insisted on coming on this trip mostly out of stubbornness, now that I’m here? I have to admit – I’m fascinated.

“What is this place?” I murmur, gesturing to the big house. I turn, looking out at the rest of the buildings, which appear to be in worse and worse repair the further away they get from this one.

God, the people who lived here…what were their lives like?

Chapter 27 – The Big House

Nadia

A low hum has me turning back to Cole, who runs a hand through his dark hair as he looks up at the big building. “I don’t know as much about this town as I wish I did,” he says. “We’ll get further confirmation once we send Rose’s pictures to Jude so his friend can analyze them.”

“See?” Rose says, taking her eye away from the camera for a second to send me a crappy little grin. “Unlike some people,Iam very useful on this trip.”

I ignore her, looking back up at Cole.

“But,” Cole says, giving Rose a pointed glare, silently ordering her not to start trouble, “from what our satellite and droneimagery suggest, this big house was Slaken’s. Apparently, he lived here with his select few. His inner circle.” Cole sighs and puts his hands into his pockets.

“Did we capture any of those inner circle people?” I whisper.

Cole hesitates and then nods, once, not looking at me. I smirk a little, realizing that he’s telling me insider information. “Just one. He’s not talking yet, but…dad has high hopes.”

“Good,” I whisper, looking up at the big house again, my chest and stomach filling with dread. I don’t know why – the house seems pretty normal for a house built in the middle of nowhere. But still, I get…a weird feeling about it.

“Can we go inside?” Rose asks, excited.

Cole nods once, terse. “We can. But not for long – dad has asked that you document the entire town, Rose, as best you can. And to use your journalist’s eye to pick up on things that the military might have missed.”

“You got it, sir,” Rose says, giving him a cute salute and a wink that makes me look away, my teeth clenched.

Rose laughs, clearly having a great time, and hurries up the steps to the house.

“Mind if we stay outside?” Tommy asks, looking at Cole. “We’ll keep watch.”