“Okay, but when you’re up for it, I want to hear about what happened over there. Anything you’re willing to share.”
I dread opening up about the hell I faced from the moment Clint identified me, but I don’t want to be a victim of my own memories and make them even more powerful. “I’ll tell you everything once things settle.”
River and Josh walk to the mayor’s house while I find a dirt road leading to the eastern part of town. Not many people live around here, and there are no military tents as far as I can see. After a few minutes, I’m surrounded by silence, the moon my only source of light. I find a patch of grass at the bottom of a tree and sit down with a tired sigh. My stomach grumbles until I start to eat my dry sandwich.
I wonder if the fighting continues in Denver, but my gut tells me that whoever survived has either surrendered or fled. I don’t doubt that some gangs will continue to be a problem, but they will be easier to hunt down now that their heart has been destroyed.
I finish eating and crane my stiff neck from side to side. I’m eager to check on Caden, but he needs to rest and heal. As the adrenaline fades from my body, my eyes grow heavy. I should walk to the mayor’s house and find a bed, but I’m too exhausted to get up. I slide down onto the soft grass to get myself comfortable, and in seconds, I’m carried away by sleep.
*
Dino is standing by one of the tents surrounding the clinic, drinking what I’m hoping is coffee. I managed to sleep for a few hours, but he clearly hasn’t slept at all.
I’m nervous about facing him after our last conversation ended with my resignation. I still would have done it all over again, but I know I disappointed him. When he notices me approaching, he pours another cup of coffee and hands it to me. I take it gladly, enjoying the warmth against my palms and the bitter taste when I take a sip. “How is he?”
“He’s been falling in and out of sleep since the infusion. His tests are good, but they don’t make much sense.”
“How come?”
“The high number of white cells should have killed him. Maybe it will go down once he’s recovered, or maybe it will stay high and he will handle it.”
I can hear an additional option in his tone, one where Caden dies once the infection passes and Timothy’s white cells remain. As long as I have the privilege of ignoring that option, I choose to do so.
Dino plucks a leaf from my hair. “Did you sleep on the ground?”
“Yes, I needed some time alone.”
He nods. “I checked on Timothy earlier. He’s eager to get back to work.”
“That’s good.” I take a sip of coffee, wondering if I should apologize for going against his will.
“Check up on Caden,” he says, “then get something to eat. Once you’re refreshed, come find me so we can go over your assignments for today.”
“But I resigned.”
“Should I have put the war on hold and started interviewing for a replacement?”
“No, sir.”
“Then I suggest you start your day and get to work. We’ll have a proper catch-up once the dust settles.”
I put the empty cup down, relieved and grateful. “How did the attack go?”
“Better than expected once we got hold of the drones. The intel from Elijah made slipping through their defenses easier. High Hope’s troops overwhelmed them from the sky, but they lost a lot of good soldiers to those machine guns.”
“Are there any captive Raiders?”
“A few, but those who weren’t killed managed to escape. We’ll track them down in the coming weeks. The Semi-Humans will help with that.” He leans closer and asks, “Is Hector really dead?”
I nod. “The substance from Pueblo fought him in the sewers before he could escape.”
“Where would he have escaped to?”
I’m surprised he doesn’t know the answer, but that’s on me for not providing a detailed account of the events I witnessed. “Hector assumed he was going to lose Denver. He planned on taking his lizard men and invading Unity while the Defenders were fighting over Denver. It was supposed to be his new base of operations, and the Hivers were going to become part of his army.”
“He was going to turn them into those creatures?”
“Yes, with his blood.”
