“I can’t just sit here,” Levi complained. “My truck has a full tank of gas and brand-new snow tires.”
Justus appeared at the table and sat next to Lucian. “I have de-icer, tire chains, winter gear, and a plow attachment if there’s room in the back of your truck. Whatever you need I can provide. I’m with you. The longer I sit here and think about it, the more uneasy I am about the whole situation. There is nothing we can do to stop them, but thereissomething we can do to help.”
Leo eased back in his chair, lines deepening in his forehead as he stared at Lucian’s dip.
Levi leaned forward, his voice steady. “Come with us, Leo. Finn and Lucian can squeeze in the back.”
“Finn may not want to go,” Leo suggested.
“Go where?” Finn rounded the table and sat down.
Levi looked over his shoulder at him. “We’re going after Logan and Silver.”
“I’m in.”
Leo locked eyes with Justus. “Will it ruin the celebration if we leave?”
Justus laughed. “Between the children and Simon, our hands are full. Nothing is ruined. We’ll still be here when you get back.”
Levi stood up. “Then it’s settled. We go.”
Justus rose to his feet and clapped his hand on Lucian’s shoulder. “I would accompany you, but—”
“No need,” Leo said, picking up the same scent they all did: guilt. “You have a family to protect. We’ll give you access to Lucian’s control room. Someone will need to periodically check security cameras and make sure all the alarms are operational.”
Justus inclined his head. “I only ask one favor: see that my Learner returns home safely.”
Chapter 15
Silver and Logan
We headed north, but the drive took much longer than it normally would have. Parts of the highway were treacherous where precipitation on the overpasses had turned into ice, and with the snow covering the streets, it became impossible to see the ice patches let alone the road. If it hadn’t been for the mile markers and guardrails, we would have driven into a ditch. The city highways had been sanded, but the farther we drove into the country, the worse the roads became.
Between Logan and myself, we owned three vehicles. One was his old silver car, and that wasn’t suitable for navigating wintry roads. Nor was mine. So we took the Chevy Tahoe, a joint purchase we’d made when we first moved into the building and realized family outings with the Cross brothers weren’t possible in a sedan. Sometimes we’d load our camping gear into the back and head over to Logan’s cave… for old times’ sake.
As we drove to our destination, we worked as a team to navigate. Logan slowed the vehicle down whenever we neared a sign to make sure we hadn’t passed our exit. There were a few abandoned cars on the side of the road, and each time we passed one, I looked closely to make sure no one was inside.
In the mad rush to leave, we hadn’t thought to bring water. There were no businesses out in this neck of the woods, and the few we passed were closed. So at one point, Logan stopped the car and filled a thermos with snow. We melted it down, added more, and shared the cup. It wasn’t the most ideal situation, but we had no alternative. While we weren’t exactly going to die from thirst, the last thing we wanted at a time like this was to become dehydrated and weak, especially if we might end up walking.
I gripped the armrest when the truck went into a slide. Logan coolly controlled the vehicle, never once flinching or showing signs of panic.
“This is it,” he announced, turning off the two-lane expressway and onto a rural road.
The sun must have gone down because the sky was growing dimmer by the minute. Logan flipped on the headlights.
“Looks like some of it’s freezing,” he said, pointing at the wipers.
The windshield was becoming a blurry mess, making it difficult to see. He switched on the defroster and leaned forward to concentrate. We didn’t have tracks left behind by truckers to follow anymore, and if we slid off the road, we risked not reaching the cabin in time.
“What are you looking for?” he asked, noticing I was looking in the back.
“Do you think it’s safe to carry all that money in a bag?”
He threaded his long hair away from his face. “She’s not going to take a check.”
We’d been putting aside our money in case we’d have to make a cash exchange, but we were still short and had to borrow some from Justus, even though Logan earned decent money as a tracker, and I wasn’t doing too shabby as an apprentice.
“Are you cold?” He adjusted the heater before I could answer.
