Page 67 of The Shop on Hidden Lane

His voice came from the far end of the bed, not next to her. Startled, she opened her eyes and saw him. He was on his feet and in the process of clipping the auto-injector case onto his belt. His hair was damp from the shower and he looked, she thought, extremely fetching.

But if his wasn’t the warm body next to her, that left only one other suspect.

She turned her head and gazed into Bruce’s deceptively innocent eyes.

“You,” she said.

He tried to lick her face. She gave him her hand instead.

“You’re not fooling me,” she said. “That’s not a real kiss. I know what you want. Breakfast. Go talk to the guy who controls your rations.”

Evidently concluding there was no point pleading his case, Bruce got to his feet, bounded off the bed, and greeted Luke, who leaned down to rub his ears.

Sophy started to push aside the covers and then paused, flushing. “Excuse me,” she said, putting a little ice into the words.

Luke looked up, surprised. “What?”

“I would like some privacy, if you don’t mind.”

It evidently occurred to him that he was standing at the foot of the bed staring at her. “Sorry.” He turned and went to the balcony windows. He gazed intently into the predawn darkness. “Make it quick. The sun will be up soon.”

“I’ll hurry.”

She got up and rushed to the bathroom.

She was out in what she considered record-breaking time, dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt, and bright white sneakers. Luke was in his well-worn leather jacket and scarred boots. Bruce wore a leather vest studded with clips and a couple of pockets.

“I’m ready,” she announced, taking her trench coat out of the closet.

Luke tossed her a soft fabric bag that had some straps dangling from it. “You’ll need that.”

She examined the bag. “It looks like a day pack.”

“It is,” he said.

“Are we collecting rocks or something?”

“No, this is the desert, remember?” He selected a bottle from the carton he had brought up from the SUV. “You never leave home without water.”

“It’s just a short walk to the far side of the compound, right? A bottle of water is heavy.”

“That’s why everyone, including Bruce, carries their own.”

Thirty

“I may have neglected tomention this,” Sophy said, “but I’m not what you’d call an outdoorsy person. For example, I don’t go camping, and I never take long hikes while carrying a hundred pounds of bottled water on my back. This forced march had better be worth it.”

“You are very hard to please,” Luke said. “Here I am, giving you a scenic tour of a stunning landscape that is said to be a true natural vortex, and what do I get in the way of thanks? A lot of whining.”

“I happen to be very good at whining. You could say it’s a talent.” She stopped to catch her breath and adjust the straps of the pack. “Are we there yet?”

Luke halted beside her. “This is far enough. We’re almost a half mile out of range of the artificial lights in the compound.”

She turned to view the scene below. For the last quarter mile or so they had been hiking up a small but steady incline. They were now at the far northern edge of the valley, close to one of the canyon walls. The sky was illuminating rapidly, but the sun wasnot yet visible. The red rock cliffs were still shadowed with the remnants of night.

She stilled and cautiously heightened her senses. At first she heard only a few birds greeting the predawn light. But in the next moment she was aware of the deep chords of an ancient music.

The currents that stirred her senses would never be mistaken for human-generated energy. She knew she was listening to the beating heart and the lungs of the earth itself. Currents of power strong enough to generate earthquakes, cause volcanoes to erupt, and control the tides that oscillated just beneath the surface. That same power made it possible for life to thrive in the deepest ocean trenches and on the highest mountain peaks. It thrilled and chilled, leaving her awash in wonder and awe.