“I doubt they will. It’s too far below theground for them to pick up your scent.”
“Good. Because driving at night is a hugerisk.”
“I’ll stay quiet the next several hours tokeep the sound at a minimum, but take the laptop with you for thecar drive and boat voyage. It contains a new microchip in it thathit the market about a month before the plague broke out. You know,the one that never loses its charge?”
“Will do.”
“Oh and sis?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
She frowned. “I refuse to respond tothat.”
“Yeah, I guess that goes withoutsaying.”
Veronica wished her brother well and toldhim she’d talk to him in the morning. She gathered up everythingshe wanted to take with her in the car and made her way down to it.The garage took up the entire lower level of the undergroundcompound, its driveway a long ramp that would spit her out of theground once its doors had been opened by remote.
The further in the ground she was, the safershe felt. As Victor had already surmised, she too doubted anyeaters could pick up her scent this far into the earth’s belly.Still, she was taking no chances. Her movements remained quiet anddeliberate.
While the vehicle was not state-of-the-art,it was one of the fastest moving electric cars on the market. Orwhat had been the market when the world had all but ended. Sheopened the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel, careful toclose the door softly. As promised, the car was fully charged, asteady, small, green light on the driver’s panel indicating asmuch.
Sighing, she ran her hands through her hairand stared at nothing. Time travel? Highlanders? Veronica couldn’tfathom any of it. She supposed that was okay for now. Tonight shehad to concentrate on survival and tomorrow would be much of thesame. She would let herself think about the seemingly impossiblelater, when it was safe to.
Her mind wandered back to the reanimateddead outside. There was no security camera screens to monitor fromdown here. She would have to remain alert and vigilant for theentire six-hour wait. If even one of those things found the door tothe underground ramp, she’d take off in the car like a bat out ofhell and chance driving in the dark.
Veronica hoped it didn’t come to that. Theeaters, she knew, held the advantage in darkness.
Chapter Five
It felt like nigh unto forever afore sixhours came and went. Finally, the hour was at hand.
Lachlan watched through stoic eyes as theman-made contraption called acarappeared to burst from outof the verra ground itself and, Veronica navigating it, squealed asit plowed through dozens of hungry monsters. He blew out a breathwhen she evaded the remaining creatures and traveled onwardunscathed.
He wasna accustomed to being naught but anonlooker and hadn’t a care for it. Were it up to him and not thefates, Lachlan would be there with Veronica, protecting her. Hisinability to do anything aboot her predicament filled him with anervous energy he couldna contain. Pacing, he threw a hand towardVictor. “Tell me what your conversation was aboot. Leave no detailout.”
“From the beginning?” Victor asked.
“Aye. From the beginning.”
Victor briefed Laird Gunn on the entirety ofhis conversation with Veronica. It left him filled with questions,yet he knew better than to set the mon to talking aboot hisinventions. The scientist—a word he still dinna ken—was given tolengthy speeches Lachlan dinna wish to hear. Like as naught, hewould fail to understand them leastways.
He latched onto that which he couldcomprehend. “You are certain she has enough food and water aboardship?”
“Yes.”
“And you are certain this boat can bring herfrom the unchartered side of the world to Scotland?”
“It’s chartered in our time and yes.”
“How long will the voyage take?”
“It depends on many factors. A month at themost, three weeks at the very earliest.”
“I see.”
“I know the waiting is difficult,” Victorsaid quietly. “She’s my sister. There’s nobody alive who I’m closerto. Imagine how I’m feeling right now.”
