“You stopped.”
It felt like an accusation—because he was right … she had been so tired—but he did not seem angry. “I was tired. Am tired.” And in pain now. “I cannot believe they are here. They found me …”
It seemed hours before Rage directed her down a particularly quiet and dark street. No lights. In the distance, she saw the fields and hills. “There.” He pointed across the road … to an open field. “That hut. We’ll hideout there.”
Under the gentle caress of moonlight a hut beckoned. Or threatened. Gave her chills. “It looks abandoned.”
“Exactly,” he said with a near smile as he struck out toward it.
Kasra hurried after him. “Meaning, no roof.”
“Just need walls to stop the bullets if they come.” Hiking with intent, he crossed the road. How was he not out of breath or tired?
She scrambled to catch up, too afraid of repeating her mistake from earlier. “Why would we hide? Should we not find your people? Figure out what happened, where they are?”
Hunched against a bitter wind raking the long grass that had grown up over the field, he said nothing. “We all scatter when there’s a breach.”
Hugging herself, Kasra abandoned the questions, since he would not answer.
The lean-to was quite literally leaning to. Worn and torn, the sheet that covered the door let more wind in than it kept out.
He shrugged beneath it and glanced around. “You were wrong.”
Kasra slipped in and frowned.
He pointed up to a wood-and-thatch roof that slumped wearily toward one side. “Half a roof.”
“But only three walls.”
He shrugged. “Threeand half.”
“Do you think this is funny?” she demanded.
Rage pushed into her face. “No. In fact, I’m ticked off. Because ofyou, I got separated from my team. Because of you, I nearly ate lead. Because of you—”
“Okay! I get your point.”
“Do you?” he challenged. Then nodded. “Good. Because this is a major snafu. If you want to go back and find a comfortable place, be my guest.Afteryou give me that name.”
Wind gusted through said hole, and he lifted a dingy, nasty gray feathered mattress. Mice squeaked and squealed, scattering.
So did Kasra, watching the rodents rush out of the hut. Thinking to do the same.
Rage set the mattress against the hole. The chill seemed to abate a fraction. He shrugged out of his pack, tugged open a compartment and drew something out. “Here. You’ll need this.”
Surprised that he handed her sweatshirt, she took it. “I … don’t understand.”
He looked up at her. “It’s a sweatshirt. You put it over your—”
“Why are we here?” She hated that he would make sport of her. “Why aren’t we trying to make it back to your team? To the safehouse?”
“Besides the fact you were already so exhausted you nearly got us both killed?” On his haunches, he stared at her. Pushed to his full height. “C’mere.” He stepped out and that wind snapped at her. “See that?” He pointed to the city.
Lights and buildings. “Yes?”
“No,look.”
“I am!” She scanned, lost for his meaning, what he indicated.
