Page 36

Chapter Thirty-six

A fter a quick shower and dressing in my nicest set of jeans and plain shirt, the ones with the least amount of blood stains, we make our way back to the town. The hall stands in the middle of the village, surrounded on all sides by shops and quaint little homes with picket fences and bright colors. The hall itself is an intimidating structure, made up of stone pillars and metal doors. Bars coat the sparse windows and I get the distinct impression this place serves as more than just a meeting place, my suspicions confirmed when Hunter tells me this is where they hold prisoners as the town does not have a jail block. It is also built as a last-ditch safety hold-over if the walls were ever breached. There are apparently supply cellars that everyone contributes to throughout the year in any way they can, for just such an emergency.

I get nervous as we climb the short set of stairs, my palms starting to sweat as I become profusely aware of all my imperfections and weak spots. My limp, my shoulder with limited movement and poor reflexes and my overall malnourishment. I’d be easy to overpower right now, with only my knife at my side and wounds that disable much of my movement.

Chase sidles up beside me at that point, taking my hand in his, as Nate does the same on the other side. They don’t even flinch at how sweaty I am. Their presence settles me as we enter the building as a united team, Hunter leading the way as my other guys flank me in quiet support. Hunter takes us directly through the heart of the building, nodding his head in greeting to those we pass, but not stopping to talk. When we reach a set of oak double doors, he doesn’t even pause, flinging them open with such force they bounce off the wall with a bang, making me jump and the conversations inside stop abruptly. Oh, so we are going for a dramatic entrance.

In the sudden silence, as every eye turns towards us, I hear the unmistakable patter of urgent feet slapping against the polished concrete floor and turn in time to see a young man, brown hair and pale skin, come sliding around the corner and careen into the meeting room, huffing as he stops abruptly and looks around him.

“Uh, Alpha team have arrived.” He pants out sheepishly, ducking his head to the council while talking over our shoulders at the room. I can’t help but bark out a laugh, which I quickly smother with a cough, as no one else cracks a smile.

“Yes. Thank you, Zack.” An older man says dryly and Zack backs away quickly as I flush bright red, remembering what he heard us doing. I focus my attention back on the room, noticing for the first time the half circle of six chairs filling the space behind a large counter that sits directly in front of the door. In the middle of the floor a single chair waits and I fidget nervously.

“Come in, come in.” says the same older man, his dark eyes shining as he beckons us forward enthusiastically from his seat in the middle of the table, directly across from the chair in front. Isabella sits to his left with two people I haven’t met yet seated on her left side. The older man has two other people sitting to his right as well. I focus on the old man as the guys usher me forward, moving on autopilot toward the seat offered.

The man has dark hair, shot through with grey at the roots. His hair is worn long, and his lined face is now stretched into a happy grin as he watches my guy's usher me forwards. His darkly tanned skin and broad nose hint at native American descent.

“Hello, you must be Angie!” he greets me warmly before his eyes flick to each of my guys and he gives them each a nod of greeting. “Hello to you too, boys.” He says, affection clear in his tone. “My, you all look awfully tense. Take a seat Angie, this won’t take long I promise.”

“Can they stay?” I blurt out and the man arches an eyebrow at me in question, so I elaborate. “Hunter and Nate and Chase. Can they stay with me? Please.” Already, I’m panicking about what to do if they say no.

“Of course, child!” the man exclaims, cutting off whatever Isabella was about to say, and she glowers at me. “Whatever makes you most comfortable. My name is Charles, but most people call me Web.” He says with a wink in my anxious direction. “To my right are Annie,” the African American woman sitting next to him lifts her hand in greeting to me, she is arresting, and much younger than the men sitting on either side of her. I wave back lamely. “And Rick.” The red headed giant at the end of the table gives me a wholehearted smile that crinkles his weathered face, as he waves enthusiastically.

“I think you already met my daughter, Linda, while you stayed at the hospital.” He booms, pride evident in his voice and I can’t help but smile back at him.

“She was an excellent nurse.” I murmur, not sure what else to say.

“Yes, yes.” Isabella cuts me off, forcing my attention over to her. “That’s very lovely, but let me introduce myself to you formally.” She says and I have to wonder what wasn’t formal about our earlier introductions. “I’m Isabella, head counsellor for the refugee’s side.”

Annie rubs the bridge of her nose like she’s getting a headache. “For god’s sake Isabella, give it a rest. For the last time there is no ‘us’ or ‘them’, we work for the same team! And we don’t have a leader, that’s the point. Everyone equal.”

I can practically hear the hiss in the stare Isabella sends Annie’s way but the other woman just rolls her eyes.

“As I was saying,” Isabella continues boldly “this is Damien and Ethan.” She gestures dismissively at the other two council members, who nod politely at me but seem a little ticked off and I wonder if it’s at me or Isabella. I wave at them both anyway and earn a tiny smile from Ethan at the end of the table. “Now, we are here to discuss your position here. What makes you think you have the right to stay here?” Isabella questions aggressively and Annie scoffs, but says nothing.

“I-” I actually don’t know the answer to this question and I flounder, looking to Hunter for guidance. He moves to stand close to me, pushing Nate behind me as he takes his spot.

“Angie is an asset to any community, especially this one. She is brave and talented with weapons. She has proven herself to us over and over again in the short time we have known her.” He states to the room with full confidence. My eyes prick as I listen to him and I can’t help the starry-eyed quality to my stare as I gaze up at him. It has been such a long time that anyone stood up for me so openly. “Besides all that though, your question is obviously moot, Isabella. Angie told you yesterday. We have a claim. That means she belongs.” He concludes, staring Isabella down as her face scrunches in anger.

‘What?!” exclaims Web in a happy voice. “No one bothered to tell me about a claim! Why are we even here then? Let the poor child go home and rest!” he demands and all the others at the table agree. They move to rise and I suddenly realise I have to tell them, that maybe I’ve put this entire town in jeopardy by coming here. They deserve to know about Jacob if they are so willing to accept me into their fold.

“Wait.” I say and every set of eyes turn to me, even as they all settle back into their chairs. “There’s something you should all know before you welcome me.” Hunter’s hand tightens on my shoulder and Chase whispers in my ear that I don’t have to do this, but I know I do. “There might be someone… someone coming after me.” I state and that seals their attention as I tell them about Jacob and his compound.

When I am finished the silence stretches long and thick, until Isabella crows with triumph.

“I told you all she was trouble. Knew it the second I laid eyes on her. We can’t possibly offer her safe harbor now, it’s far too dangerous for our people.” To my dismay Damian and Annie both nod in agreement, though Annie looks particularly pained to do so.

“Nonsense.” Web snaps, cutting through the murmur of hushed conversations that started up as soon as Isabella started talking. “You heard Hunter; these boys have a claim. That makes her one of us, no matter the trouble that brings with it.” He says with a frown.

“I agree with Web.” Rick pipes up and Isabella mutters something that sounds like ‘what’s new’ as she rolls her eyes. “And besides all that, we can’t just let some deranged psycho gallivant about the place, destroying people’s lives. God knows there’s not enough life left on this earth to allow a scourge like that to take root.” He declares fiercely, thumping his big hand down on the bench.

His speech sends the table into a tail spin, each member of the council talking over the other until they are nearly shouting to be heard. I shrink into my chair and grope blindly for Hunter and Chase’s hands, Nates fingers soothing through my short hair a moment later. The squabbling council don’t hear the door bang open a second time, but we do, and we turn to look at the dishevelled young guard stood in the doorway, blood and dirt smeared across his leather vest liberally. I make a sound of surprise but Hunter…

“SHUT IT!” he bellows into the room, silencing the council immediately. “Report.” He barks at the young man, who snaps to attention, though he’s far too young to have been in the real military.

“Sir! Council. We need you in the cells, we captured an intruder.” The boy snaps the words off in a clipped tone, but his hand shakes as he holds it out to indicate we follow him. Everyone gathers themselves and follows him out the door, their argument clearly forgotten for the moment. Me and my guys take the lead as they drag me along between them. I have a bad feeling about this.

We descend a level and come to a barred door that is opened from the inside by another guard, this one wearing a similar outfit to the one who led us here, but distinctly lacking the blood and dirt of the other man. A short corridor houses four cells, dimly lit by flickering fluorescent lights, but it is the first one that captures and holds my attention. I feel my body sway as the prisoner inside looks up and meets my eyes in a hate fuelled stare. The blood drains from my face and both Hunter and Chase reach to steady me, concern in their eyes, but I can’t remove my gaze from the bloodied body sitting propped in the corner of his cage.

“Caleb.” I whisper.

To Be Continued.