Tears started streaming down her face. “Thank you so much,Jeremy.”
She moved forward to hug him and he backed up, putting a hand out. “Fist bump,” he said, holding out his fist and looking at the ground. Damien told me he’d taught him to do that when he’d been uncomfortable with too muchtouching.
Ronnie recovered quickly, making a fist and bumping his lightly. “Thank you,” she saidagain.
He nodded. “I’mtired.”
Damien chuckled behind me. “All right, bud. Let’s get somesleep.”
* * *
Ten minutes later,we were all in bed, stacked with more weapons than I ever remembered, a new mewing kitten added to our lot. She lay in a soft black, breathable sling pouch around Ronnie’s neck, cracked out on coffee and attacking thezipper.
I’m in control. I project peace. I give protection. I harnessstrength.
I was so tired I didn’t even stay awake for Brisk’s “Oorah,” sleep taking me hard andfast.
Nine
The moment I dropped in,I knew something was wrong. I felt the weight leave my hip, and instead of landing on my feet, I opened my eyes to see I was still lying in bed. I looked down frantically to see that the RPG launchers didn’t make it in—and the beddid!
What thehell?
I pulled my gun and popped up on the bed, spinning around. I was by one of the lakes, a pod forest at my back, standing on the bed from our Vancouver loft, with half the weapons I’d brought in. I glanced to my wrist and tried not to panic. My plasma cuff wasgone.
What. The.Hell.
Damien dropped in next, with Jeremy right after him. They landed on the bed and when Jeremy saw it, he freaked out. Damien launched over to grab him, and I swooped around the side to make sure he wasn’t going torun.
Jeremy made a distressedsound.
“It’s okay, bud. Let’s get your cards out,” Damien said, searching his pocketsfrantically.
“I’m down half my weapons.” I told him. I had both samurai swords, one gun, and my hunting knife, but no plasma brick, cuff or the RPGlaunchers.
Shit. Well, at least this stupid hat made itthrough.
Damien looked alarmed, searching his body. “So am I. And Jeremy’scards.”
Jeremy started whining and rocking on his heels. I stepped down from the bed and picked up a broken piece of wood. If we didn’t calm him down, he was going to lose it. “Hey, Jer, do you know how to play tic-tac-toe?” I asked, drawing a quick board in the dirtsurface.
His eyes flicked up to me briefly and he nodded, getting off the bed—with Damien by his side—he reached out for the wood piece. I drew an X and handed it to him. He bent down and stared at the markings, planning hismove.
“What does this mean?” I whispered to Damien, as the rest of the gang, sans Maxine, droppedin.
He swallowed hard. “It means they’re gettingsmarter.”
Dammit. That was the last thing we needed. If these flesh eaters figured out how to import us without weapons, we were beyonddead.
I started pacing as Ronnie and the rest of the gang realized they were light on weapons and the bed was lying in the middle of the DreamWars.
“Okay, the second we wake up from tonight, Nox will give us a course in weapon making. Right, Nox?” Iasked.
Nox looked a little shocked but nodded. “Yes, spears, knives, bow and arrows. I can teach you to make them from any foundobject.”
My nerves settled a little. “Okay, so that’s our plan going forward if this gets worse.” I needed a plan. The commander in me was always one step ahead. If we came in without weapons, then we would just makethem.
The ground shook then, and my eyes snapped up to meetDamien’s.
