“We wait until night, and then we switch vehicles.”
“But if he’s tracking this vehicle, won’t he know when we stop? And won’t he know which vehicle we switch into.”
Killean had been hoping she wouldn’t think of that; he didn’t want her to worry any more than necessary. “It’s a possibility.”
“Killean…” Her words trailed off when the screen lit up again. Killean hit the red button, and it went black.
“He’s going to kill us,” she whispered.
“I’m going to keep you safe,” he vowed. He didn’t tell her they would probably prefer death if Joseph got his hands on them.
The screen lit up again, and Killean hit the decline button. This went on for the next five minutes before the screen lit up with words instead of a number.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Text message,” Killean replied. “Read it to me.”
Simone lifted the phone from the cup holder. “It says…It’s not Joseph. Answer the phone.”
She had no idea why, but a chill ran down her spine at the cryptic words. Unlike Kadence and Nathan, she didn’t have any gifts, but her instincts screamed a warning at her now.
“You have to answer when it rings,” she said.
The distress in her voice drew Killean’s attention. Somehow, he knew the creature in the bunker was the one who sent the message, and so did Simone. The screen lit up to reveal the same number once more. Simone stared at it while the seconds ticked by and the screen continued to glow.
“Please, Killean,” she whispered.
He hit the green button.
“Killean.”
The unfamiliar, ancient voice made him think of cobwebbed crypts and sandstorms blowing across desert roads. Killean rested a blackened hand briefly on Simone’s knee when she started rapidly tapping her foot.
“That would be me,” he said.
There was a brief pause before the creature spoke again. “I’m going to make you a one-time offer. I’ll let you keep the girl. I’ll even let you keep her as she is and not turn her into a Savage if you return to me now.”
“And why would you make such an offer?” Killean asked.
“Because it’syouI want. The girl is a nonentity.”
Simone’s back straightened as resentment boiled within her. She’d lived most of her life as anonentity, and she refused to be considered one by thisthing.
“I’d prefer not to kill you, but I will,” the creature continued.
“And what would Joseph prefer?” he asked.
“Whatever I say he does.”
So this thingwasthe brain behind Joseph’s operation, but what was that brain plotting? Killean pulled his hands off the wheel and propped his knee against the bottom to steer for a little bit.
“And what do you want me for?” Killean inquired.
“You can bring Ronan to my side.”
Killean almost laughed at the notion this thing believedthatcould be a possibility. However, he suspected laughing might bring the full wrath of this creature down on them. It may prefer him alive, but it would also splatter him like a bug on a windshield, and it knew where they were.
“I see,” Killean murmured.
