Page 17 of Empowereds

17

C harity and Enzo didn’t encounter any other problems on the road. When she got near enough to the farm that she had phone coverage, she called her mother and, in a mostly coherent manner, related what happened.

She had to tell her parents the story twice. Her father generally only listened to news reports while winding down for the night and hadn’t even heard about the border skirmish.

“I had no idea the roads would be dangerous,” he said. He didn’t say more on the subject since the government could listen in on phone conversations. But his tone of voice told her that he’d had no foreknowledge of what would happen.

That didn’t seem like a good thing. If the visions failed to warn him of danger, they could all wind up dead. Did the lack of a vision mean she was supposed to have done the safe thing and stayed with Enzo in the city? Trying to guess the logic of visions made her head hurt.

When Charity pulled into the farm, she felt a sense of déjà vu. Her family stood in front of the bunkhouses waiting for her, just like they’d done after the run-in with slavers. Zia looked worried. Milo seethed. Even that was the same. Though what his anger was directed at, she couldn’t tell.

Enzo’s truck reached the group first. He got out to talk to them. Milo’s sternness disappeared. He and her father seemed to be thanking Enzo for keeping her safe. Her father looked as though he was barely restraining himself from hugging Enzo.

Charity pulled up behind them. Before she’d even parked the truck, her mother rushed over. When Charity got out, her mother threw her arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I never want to go shopping again.”

“You don’t have to. After this, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

While Enzo and Gregor examined the front fender of the new truck, Milo shot Enzo a suspicious look. It vanished by the time Enzo straightened, but Charity saw it.

Well, yes, there was also that to discuss. She’d known she would need to have a conversation with her family about Enzo as soon as he’d fired into the brown truck’s window. Enzo had not only known what to do to protect them, he’d managed to shoot through a small space in an even smaller amount of time. Two shots. Two men dead.

How likely was it that Enzo really was a data entry clerk?

The family wasn’t able to meet privately for a council until the evening. Before lights-out, they all climbed into the van and drove to the back of the property. The buildings might be bugged. Their van was the most secure location. Charity and Gregor sat in the middle seats while Zia and Milo claimed the back row. Her father took his usual spot in the driver’s seat with her mother next to him.

“Things are getting more and more lawless,” her mother said. “It’s too dangerous to keep living as harvesters. Haven’t we done enough recruiting? Now that Enzo has shown up, there’s no reason for us to stay out here. We should just take him with us and go to New Salem.”

“Enzo might consider that kidnapping,” her father said. “We have to wait until we’re sure we can tell him about New Salem, and he chooses to go.”

Milo grunted. “Don’t tell him anything yet. He’s hiding things. I asked him at dinner where he learned to shoot so well, and he wouldn’t tell me the truth. He said it must have been luck or the grace of God.”

“Perhaps it was,” Charity’s mother said.

Milo coughed in disbelief. “I’ve heard a lot of sermons. I don’t recall Reverend Russell ever saying God would help you shoot people.”

“Whatever the cause for his accuracy,” her mother said. “I’m thankful he was with Charity today. She could’ve been killed.”

Zia leaned forward, looking at Charity’s father. “Why didn’t you have a vision about that? I thought the visions always came if a family member was in danger.”

Her father was silent for several moments, considering the matter. “Perhaps because she didn’t need to do anything different to be safe. No paths needed changing.”

“So fate knew Enzo would protect her?” Zia asked.

Her father shrugged. “I don’t know exactly how the visions work, but I’m assuming, yes. Enzo was there to protect her.”

“I don’t trust the guy,” Milo said. “He’s probably a government agent sent here to spy on us.”

“He could be ex-military,” Charity said, unwilling to paint him with such a dark brush. “His skill set doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a spy.”

Gregor tilted his head back, thinking. “If he’s ex-military, he would’ve told us so. Having someone who can defend the group is a bonus, not a drawback. Why claim to be a data entry clerk unless he’s hiding something?”

Charity fluttered a hand in Gregor’s direction. “Maybe he deserted, and he’s afraid we’d turn him in. Or maybe he’s from one of the breakaway states. Although,” she admitted reluctantly, “if he came from a breakaway state, he wouldn’t have been so familiar with the streets of Kansas City.”

So that meant he was most likely ex-military. Probably went AWOL. “There are worse things to be than a deserter,” Charity said. “He might have left for moral reasons. Maybe he saw soldiers doing horrible things and didn’t want to be a part of it anymore.”

“We can’t jump to conclusions,” her mother said. She twisted around in the passenger seat to better see the others. “We have to find out the truth. It’s too bad the roads to the city are dangerous right now. Otherwise, a couple of us could visit Callum and see if he could hack into the city’s employment history database. That would give us some information.”

“That’s a big request,” her father said. “I wouldn’t ask him to break the law lightly.”

Her mother huffed. “If Enzo is working for the government, then you wouldn’t be asking lightly.”

“Yes,” her father agreed, “and perhaps when Callum has recovered from surgery and is settled, the roads will be safe enough that we can go to the city. Callum might be able to find out something about Enzo that sheds light on the situation.”

“How long will that be?” Milo asked. “Weeks? I say we give Enzo the truck and any payment we owe him and send him on his way. That truck is worth more than he’d make in two years as a harvester. He can use it to find work somewhere else.”

Gregor nodded. “If he deserted, the military will be on the lookout for him. One way or another, the guy is trouble.”

“We can’t send him away,” Charity said, alarmed.

“Right,” Zia said. “The one thing we know for certain is he’s supposed to marry Charity. That means they have to be in the same vicinity.”

“Not necessarily,” Milo said. “We don’t know when he’s supposed to marry her. Maybe the two of them will meet again in a few years. We can’t keep the guy around now.”

Her father rubbed his chin, a habit while he considered options. “I wish my visions told me more about the timing.” His attention turned to Charity. “What are your thoughts? Do you feel like you and Enzo are developing a relationship?”

All eyes turned to her. She swallowed. Should she tell them about the kiss? Tell them how he’d rejected her after it? She didn’t want any of them to know. “I … um … I…”

“It’s not fair to ask her that,” her mother said. “They’ve only known each other for a few weeks.”

Milo rolled his eyes. “It usually doesn’t take a guy weeks to decide whether he’s attracted to a girl. She should at least know whether he’s into her or not.”

“How would I know that?” Charity asked. “My experience with guys has mostly consisted of keeping them at arm’s length while I waited for Enzo to come.” He’d said he wanted the two of them to start over, but maybe he’d meant to start over as friends.

“You spent most of the day with him,” Zia said. “Did he flirt with you or tease you?”

He’d told her he could’ve stolen her truck and abandoned her in the city. Did that count as teasing? True, he’d smiled and been friendly, and he’d been caring when he thought she’d gone into shock, but he probably would’ve done the same to any other woman he’d been forced to spend the day with. A part of him seemed so … closed off, as though he wanted to keep her away. “I get mixed signals from him. Sometimes he acts interested and other times…” She lifted her hands in helplessness.

“Men,” Zia said with sympathy. “Sometimes they’re like that. They don’t know their own mind, so you have to make it up for them.” Her gaze shifted to Milo, and she patted his leg. “Not that I’d ever do that with you, dear.”

Milo tilted his chin down. “Mmm-hmm.”

Zia’s attention went back to Charity. “He probably just needs more time.”

Was that the case? Milo didn’t think so. Charity bit her lip, considering. “He did spend his own money to buy me chocolate.”

Her mother brightened. “That’s not a mixed signal. He’s interested.”

“Or he’s trying to buy her trust,” Milo said.

Zia nudged him. “It’s been a long time since you’ve bought me chocolate.”

He slid his arm around her shoulders. “That’s because I already have your trust, babe.”

A memory came to Charity—at the pharmacy, Speedy had called Enzo “officer”. At the time, she’d thought the man was being sarcastic, that he was pointing out anyone could be an undercover policeman. But what if Enzo actually was a police officer and Speedy had known that?

Had Speedy said the word sarcastically? She couldn’t remember anymore. All the events before the raiders seemed disjointed and blurred into insignificance. “He saved my life,” she said to reassure herself. “If he was a government operative sent to hurt us, would he have done that?”

“He saved his own life too,” Gregor pointed out. “You may have just been a byproduct of him taking care of himself.”

But Enzo hadn’t only been thinking about himself on the road. He’d been so concerned about her. He’d been willing to give up the raiders’ truck if she didn’t feel capable of driving. He’d told her jokes on the way home in an attempt to cheer her up.

Charity’s mother leaned toward her. “What are your feelings for Enzo? Do you care for him?”

Yes, but her mother was really asking: are you falling in love with him? And Charity couldn’t answer that question. She was attracted to him, wildly, stupidly attracted. He was handsome, smart, brave, and she couldn’t stop thinking about him. But love required more than that. Love required respect, loyalty, and reliability. She needed to be able to trust him—with her heart and with her family’s safety.

And yet, the thought of Enzo leaving after she’d waited for him for so long filled her with a panic she hadn’t anticipated. “I don’t know who he is. He may have a bad past, but I don’t think he’s a bad person. And he’d have to be a bad person to be here spying on us for the government. He knows what the government does to Empowereds. He wouldn’t do that to us.”

Her mother smiled. “You do care for him.” She seemed relieved. Maybe she’d worried Charity was having second thoughts about fulfilling her father’s prophecy.

Her father nodded, taking in the discussion with his usual thoughtful expression. “Making Enzo leave might be detrimental to our safety.” He sighed. “I don’t always know what the visions mean, and I haven’t always liked following them. I only know that they show me the best solution for keeping my family and our city safe.” The visions kept New Salem safe because his mother, brother, and brother’s family lived there. “You understand that?”

Charity had always understood. What she didn’t understand was why he was emphasizing it now.

Her father started the van and turned back toward the bunkhouses. “We’ll wait, watch him, and assess the situation. Until we get more information, that’s really all we can do.” His eyes found Charity’s in the rearview mirror. “Remember to keep the rules about touching. Don’t be too close, but don’t be too distant.”

It seemed like a contradiction. “I’ll try,” she said.

Her answer didn’t seem to reassure him. “Just remember to be careful when you’re around him.”

She fiddled with her seatbelt strap. “Careful not to mess up the prophecy or careful because he might be a government agent?”

“Yes,” her father said.

It wasn’t a comforting answer.