Chapter 10

Distantly, Axel heard Laura scream, but his concern was more about the snapping jaws that were trying to crush his head. He gripped the spongy flesh of the monster's jaws, well aware of the teeth that would tear him to shreds. He hit the ground hard, the beast on top of him. He recognized it.

A spotted jackena. Common in the Humps. And where there was one. . .

Their yipping echoed all around even over the rumble of the engine. He had to move quickly. The moment they smelled blood they'd come running.

The jackena thrashed in his grip, slavering wetly, making him happy the scarf covered the lower part of his face. Drawing his knees to his chest, wedging them between their bodies, he managed to launch the spry beast from him. The jackena hit the ground and immediately scrabbled back in Axel's direction. He pulled the gun from his holster and shot.

Amidst its three eyes. It hit the ground, dead. Bleeding. And the yipping in the mists turned to excited howls.

Dinner was served. Time to get out of here.

Axel gained his feet and ran for the vehicle, diving in to see Laura wide-eyed and terrified.

"You're alive!" She seemed surprised.

"It will take more than a jackena to kill me," he said, slamming the door shut, casting out with his senses but the fog muffled his ability to connect with the nature outside.

"There are things that live out here," she said, almost musingly as she glanced past him to the fog outside.

"I don't know why you'd think otherwise."

"Everyone knows only those in the underground cities, the best of humanity, survived the Impact Event."

"The what?"

Her eyes widened. "The Impact Event, the catastrophe that broke the Earth and almost exterminated humanity.

He snorted. "Out here, it is more commonly known as the day Old Earth died or, for short, the Fall. I won't deny there was a time when nothing could live above ground, but that was a long while ago. So much has changed since then. The Earth survived, and so did many of those who used to hunt its surface." He put the buggy into gear and eased his foot off the brake. In the cities, he'd heard their vehicles tended to drive themselves. Out in the Wasteland, he only trusted his instincts to keep him safe.

They shot off, leaving the carcass of the jackena behind but not before he saw the swarming shapes in his mirror, emerging from the swirling mist. Not all of them were spotted jackenas. One monster he'd definitely never seen before. It stood on its haunches and appeared to be staring right back at him.

The fog thickened again and hid everything from view.

Laura held on to the bar, jostling in her seat as he ripped through the low swells between the humps. A little reckless, especially if he suddenly came up on something; however, getting far from the blood-crazed beasts seemed more important. Besides, the buggy was made to bounce and roll, the reinforced bars able to handle rough riding.

"You had a name for those things," she remarked through vibrating teeth.

"Jackena. Spotted, not quite as heavy as a human, but vicious. They'll rip out your throat in seconds if you don't protect it."

"Did you know it was out there when you stopped?"

"There's always something out there," he remarked.

"Why stay out here then?"

"Are you asking why I don't live in a dome?" He glanced at her. Despite her white knuckles, she was calmer than expected.

"You. The others. I spoke to some of the people you live with. Some of them claim to have left the domes."

"Told you so. And not one wants to go back."

"I do," she said softly. "But if it makes you feel better, for a long time I hated my life there. Wished I could live somewhere different."

"And now?"

"Now I'm outside its walls and terrified. I never knew how much the Enclave protected me."

He snorted. "More like they imprison. The Enclave enslaves its citizens. I don't know why anyone would want to go back."

"What would you like me to say? You see the Enclave as this evil entity that wants to hurt us. Yet my entire life, they represented safety. A way to stay out of dust clouds and mists." She glanced out her side window. "Food. A bed. Clothes. Things I took for granted."

"You mean the basics to survive? How kind of them. How generous. And what do you give in return?"

"I work."

"What if you don't want to work?"

Her nose wrinkled. "Why would I refuse?"

"Maybe you're having a lazy day. Or you're tired. Perhaps you need to do something fun."

Rather than reply, she asked, "Do you ever have a lazy day?"

"Not in a long while," he admitted.

"So how is your everyday work different than mine? We both have an obligation we can't shirk."

"Because, if I wanted to, I could take a day of doing nothing. Even two. No one would punish me. Things might go to shit in Haven, but no one would begrudge me. Can you say the same?"

She shifted in her seat. "For our society to work, everyone must always do their part."

"And what do the people in the city do to earn all this fealty?"

"The Emerald City rules the domes."

"Does it really? Do you have any idea how many people live in the city? Living off the work you and the other domes provide. They are provided with the most luxurious of things, and their job is the least taxing of all. Some don't even work at all and live better than you. Are you really okay with that?" he prodded. It fascinated to see how truly indoctrinated she was. And yet, he'd seen hints of a feisty side. Could it be she still feared to speak against the Enclave?

"I'm not familiar with how things are in Emerald City," she said.

"If you were, you'd be rebelling harder." The satellite domes were all about feeding the needs of the cities, Emerald City being one of the largest. Or so he'd heard. There wasn't much travel between the fiefdoms.

"I know what you're trying to do," she announced as they finally shot free of the mist.

They tore across the cracked lands known as the Wastelands. On maps, the majority of the Emerald demesne was comprised of barren patches with only pockets of green land struggling free of the dead spots.

"What am I trying to do?" he asked

He checked his mirrors and even the tiny camera showing him the path behind. The mist kept swirling, but nothing emerged from it. He eased up a bit on the speed. At least now he could see, but if he moved too quickly, the heat panels would have a harder time charging the battery for later.

"You're trying to convert me."

"Why would I do that?" he asked. "Because let me assure you, it is the furthest thing from my mind."

"Good, because nothing you say will convince me to stay. I want to go back to a dome."

"Even knowing you might suffer abuse?" he asked.

"I'm sure Nikki exaggerated. More likely she got punished because she didn't obey the rules," she said.

"What if they ask you to do something you can't?"

"They won't."

"What if they do?" he asked again.

Rather than reply, she glanced out at the land around them. "This looks just like the area around the Creche Dome."

"It's not. You'll find this kind of scenery pretty much everywhere. These barrens spots tend to act as a winding road around the different dome areas."

"Meaning?"

"Pull out the map in the pocket in front of you."

She pulled out a folded map, opening it and puzzling over the images. "It's a picture."

"It's a depiction of what you call the Wasteland. More specifically, our kingdom, Emerald."

"This is a dome." She pointed to the ornately drawn globe with its metallic sheen panels. "And this is what?" She pointed at balls of green with brown and black lines.

"Forest."

She snorted. "If that's supposed to be how big it is compared to a dome, then I know this is not done to scale."

"The forest you're looking at is huge." The Ajatarai formed a border on one edge of Emerald.

"Nothing is that big."

"Whatever," he muttered.

"What's this?" She jabbed at an almost glowing green glob.

"A lake but not something you want to ever drink or even swim in."

"It's toxic?"

"Very."

"What's beyond those mountains?" She frowned.

"Other kingdoms."

She was silent for a moment as she kept studying. "The world is a bigger place than expected."

"If you want to really feel insignificant, then keep in mind that the map you're looking at only represents a small part of it."

Putting the map away, she was quiet for a while until the view changed. She pointed to a smudge in the distance. "What is that?"

"That is the Ajatarai Forest. The one you claimed must be drawn too big."

"A real forest of trees?" she asked.

"Kind of why I called it a forest," he mocked. "Let me guess, never seen one before. Has the Academy told you they're also extinct?"

Her tone emerged annoyed. "I know what a tree is. We have some inside the dome. Grass, too. I just didn't think any existed outside of it."

"I guarantee these trees are nothing like the ones you've seen before. And never forget they're dangerous." Like him.

He would do anything for his friends in Haven. Even sell this woman.

"Dangerous?" she snorted.

"Don't believe me at your own risk."

The conversation tapered, and he concentrated on driving, especially once the thin line of barren land split between the encroaching edge of Ajatarai and a chasm. The crack in the ground went deep. Not a place you ever wanted to visit, not even in the daytime. He also wanted to be far from it before nightfall. Because things lived in the Chasm. They came out at night to hunt.

It had been hours since they'd left Haven, and he'd long ago switched back to the electric energy, saving his fuel for when it ran out again.

Having napped, Laura woke with more questions. "How did you end up in charge of all those people?"

"By accident."

"They look up to you," she noted.

"They'd look up to anyone who offered them a hand."

"But you gave them more than that. Why?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

She slanted a gaze at him. "You obviously had a reason to help them. To share that underground space. You could have kept it to yourself, or allowed only a few in, but you took all those people in."

"They had nowhere to go."

"Why do you care?"

Did she seriously want him to explain empathy? He almost said something sharp to her. Should have. But she was looking at him with true seriousness in her gaze.

"Living out here is hard enough already. The land fights you. The weather. The animals. Even the plants in some places. It just doesn't seem right that we fight each other as well. We are stronger together."

For some reason that statement quieted her, and she spent a long time after staring out her window. The forest and chasm were left behind as they entered a vast stretch of the wastelands. The sun was getting close to setting when something ahead in the distance caught her attention.

"What are those things sticking out of the ground?" she asked.

"It's the remnants of an Old Earth city." And where they'd stop for the night.

"An ancient ruin?" Her eyes turned wide. "I thought they were all gone."

"As you can see, it mostly is." The ravages of time had mostly buried the traces of their past.

"The Academy teaches the Ancients were sinful. Their greedy ways were what led to the Retribution Years."

"I don't doubt they had their issues, but the meteor shower would have happened regardless."

"It is said our ancestors did many wicked things."

"Wicked is in the eye of the beholder," he murmured.

"You are heading for the ruins." Stated more than asked.

"Care to declare something more obvious?"

He approached the first of the monoliths jutting from the hard-packed dirt. Most stood straight, their gaping windows dark maws that could hide anything. A few leaned, and he knew those were to be avoided, as they were less stable.

"How deep are they buried?" she asked as they passed between a pair, the size causing shadows to fall on them.

"Deep." Deep enough that no one ever found the bottom, mostly because of the danger the farther underground you went.

He found the building he wanted and parked the buggy alongside it.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Because I need to sleep."

"Here?"

"Yes here. In that building." He pointed.

"Is it another place like Haven?"

"Nope."

Although he'd debated taking over the exposed levels in these ruins. There was enough space for everyone, plus some. But it didn't take Gunner telling him, "That place is spooky," for him to squash that idea. A handful of people spending a night discreetly was one thing. He knew better than to tempt the monsters that lived below.

"Is it dangerous?" She chewed her lower lip she stared out the window. Fear shivered off her, and he had to make an effort not to reach out and comfort her.

"What do you think?" was his sarcastic retort.

Exiting the buggy, he reached into the back for the travel pack. He also holstered his gun down his spine. He'd been stupid before, leaving the buggy without it, not just because he might need it. He'd left it in Laura's reach. His prisoner.

She could have easily grabbed it and used it.

Could have and yet he doubted the thought even occurred to her. She took the term naive to a new level. She just refused to see the truth.

Axel closed the door and realized she'd yet to get out. He leaned against the vehicle and spent a moment waiting. And waiting.

With a sigh, he pushed away and stomped around. He pulled at the door, only to realize she held on to it from the inside.

Seriously? He yanked, and she practically fell out of the buggy as the door responded to his strength.

"Get out," he barked.

She glared at him. "I'd rather stay in here."

"Don't really care what you want. This is not a negotiation. You are coming with me." He grabbed her arm, hauling her upright. Releasing her, he slammed the door shut.

She appeared quite stubborn. "What happened to your fine words about having a choice?"

"They don't apply to you."

"I should have known. Liar."

"I'm a liar?" he shouted. "You do realize I've done nothing but try and give it to you straight. It's not my fault you're too dense to believe the truth when it's looking you in the face."

"I don't like you." She stomped away from him.

"Good because I don't like you either." An utter lie. The more he got to see of her, the more drawn he was by the feisty spirit hiding underneath the obedient layer. "You're going the wrong way," he remarked.

"Does it really make a difference?" She pointed. "Broken building, broken building. They all look the same to me."

"Yet they're not. So, turn around and come back before your stupidity gets you killed."

"I'm not stupid." She stamped a foot.

"Says the woman without a weapon who walked away from me, the one person that can protect her."

"Surely nothing can live out here?" She glanced suspiciously at the ruined remnants of the Ancients.

"Always assume something is waiting to kill you." His boots thudded the ground as he approached her. While he didn't think anything would strike in daylight, those who didn't show caution usually didn't live to a ripe old age.

"This is why I can't wait to go back to a dome," she huffed.

"Where the death is slow and torturous instead. Hopefully the boredom numbs you to the monotony."

"Nothing wrong with boring and safe." She glared at him through wisps of hair, her features flushed.

"Bet the suicide rates are high," he muttered.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you so mean?"

"I'm mean?" he repeated at a high pitch. "You're the one who went wandering off without a second thought. Weren't you the one freaking out before about how dangerous it is in the Wasteland? How deadly? If I sound mean, it's because I'm trying to keep you alive rather than brutally savaged because of ignorance."

"You're right." The hanging head and soft admission took him by surprise.

"Right about what?"

"Everything. I have no idea how to live out here."

He hammered the point. "Keep that in mind. You won't last a minute if you decide to escape."

"Why would I? You're taking me back to a dome." Her shoulders rolled.

"Or so you assume? What if I'm not?" He couldn't have said why he did on purpose to antagonize the woman.

She eyed him. "Where else would you take me?"

The words conjured up a different meaning for him. He shifted. "I'd take you anywhere I like." The claim emerged gruff.

Rather than reply, her cheeks turned pink, and she stepped past him, heading for their vehicle.

"Now where are you going?"

"You made a point that I should have grabbed a weapon."

"Not sure how anything will do you any good given you don't know how to use it."

"Aim and shoot."

"Can you, though? I think you'll freeze instead of acting." He still recalled how she reacted under stress.

The rebuke straightened her posture. She glared at him. "You're not the only one who can survive in the Wasteland."

"I learned how over years," he emphasized.

"I am a fast learner."

"Fast does no good if you're not paying attention. You can't strut around as if you're in Enclave-protected lands with a dome over the next hill. There isn't any safety around here. Without a vehicle, you're days from finding something. Days where you'd be out in the open. Nothing to defend yourself with but your hands." He glanced at them, and she tucked them away. "How would you eat? Where would you sleep?" He barked the words. He harangued her much as he would have done anyone else if they'd put themselves in danger.

But there was an added element to his anger. She'd run from him. Hated him so much she would rather brave the thing that scared her.

"Stop yelling at me," she yelled.

He arched a brow. "How temperamental of you. Where is this vaunted obedience I keep hearing about?"

"I obey the Enclave, not some marauder."

"The Enclave isn't here; I am. I decide if you live or die, which means you listen to me. Or do we need to bring out the rope again?"

She burned him with her gaze. "I hope you die. A slow and painful death."

He almost smiled at the vehemence in it. Perhaps she could learn. "Better hope not because I'm your best chance of surviving out here. Let's go. Unless you truly would like to leave. If that's the case, be my guest." He swept her a bow and pointed to the jagged maze of monoliths. The setting sun showcased them nicely.

Her lips flattened. "Asshole."

He almost laughed. "I see you've been learning our language."

"Not funny," she snapped, reaching into the vehicle and rummaging before emerging with a crowbar he kept under the seat. Not a bad choice. She just had to swing.

Once again she went ahead, in the direction he pointed to. He followed close behind, a hand on his gun. He doubted he'd see anything. Nothing lived aboveground. Even insects avoided this place. Not that he told her that. She'd not even asked about danger before walking away from him.

Showing a hint of independence, and dare he say rebellion? He recalled Nikki telling him she'd seen hints of scarring on Laura's back. Was she always an obedient Enclave citizen?

"Which building are we entering?" she asked.

He caught up to her and pointed. "That building right there has a room that is secure."

"Inside." She had that worried look on her face again.

"Yes, inside and high enough above ground that probably nothing will come wandering in."

Her eyes slanted his way. "Not reassuring."

"Wasn't meant to be. Stick close." On the off chance something had finally taken up residence. Anything that didn't fear what lived below wasn't something he wanted to meet.

They stepped through a large opening, a perfect rectangle that once held a window from what he'd seen of the wrecks underground. Inside remained free of debris, the floor silted with dirt. The only steps in it appeared human and were long dusted over.

"Come on." To his surprise, as he took a step, she grabbed his bare hand. A fine tremor vibrated in her fingers.

"It's dark in there," she whispered.

Best not mention it would get even darker.

He laced his fingers around hers. "It will be fine." The reassurance emerged low. Gruff.

He angled his body so that his gun hand led the way. She kept quiet by his side, despite her fear. Yet even holding it tight, he could sense its presence tickling against him. It flared his nostrils. He used the added adrenaline to make him stronger. He had to be strong for both of them.

Like the entrance, the hallway appeared undisturbed. He passed several doorways, the rooms all empty as well, except for the one with cabinets. Most of the doors were long gone, but the two that remained were fascinating with their design and handle.

There was a door in front of them, barred from this side. A precaution.

He released her hand to remove a rod of metal. It made a snick and a small clang as he put it aside.

His fingers tightened on his gun as he stood to the side, gesturing at her to get behind him. He flicked a switch and listened.

The light that came on overhead made her gasp, but he was happy to see it. They'd installed this amenity a few years ago, and it came in handy. A few solar panels on the roof, receivers for the battery in strategic locations, and lights because no one wanted to fight monsters in the dark.

Hearing nothing, he flung open the door, aiming at the opening. The lights strung down the hall were lit; otherwise, it was empty. The floor was clean, the dust smooth since the last time he'd been here and run a broom over it to reset the trap for next time.

"How is there light?" she whispered.

"Shh," was his reply.

There was no evidence noise drew the monsters. He did know they avoided light. He reached for her hand, and she slipped hers in his, holding tight. He stepped quietly down the hall. The three other doors remained barricaded, as did the windows on either end.

The shaft, however, gaped wide. Benny, who'd seen one before in a dome, called it an elevator, a machine-controlled contraption that moved people floor to floor. Meaning it went through every single level in the building, even the deepest, darkest ones. Over the years, they'd tried to block it. Everything they ever put in place disappeared, so they gave up. Especially since nothing happened so long as they stayed above ground.

Standing by the gaping opening, he said, "Can you climb?"

She shook her head and backed away. "I don't think I can go in there."

"It's not a long climb. There's a ladder."

"I can't."

"We are not arguing about this." He grabbed at her arm and dragged her to him, only so he could toss her over his shoulder.

She thrashed. "Put me down."

He held on to her and headed for the shaft.

"I said put me down." The tremor in the words also hit with a force hard enough he winced.

"We are going up." He squared his jaw and forged onward.

The panic in Laura hammered at him, an almost visible presence that filled the air around him as he grabbed the first bar. He could feel her getting ready to scream again. He growled. "Keep yelling and see what comes running to find you."

That strangled her voice.

He clambered quickly up the ladder, making it to the next floor and more undisturbed dust. Stepping through, he set her on her feet before turning around to smooth the dust.

"What are you doing?" she snapped.

"Springing the trap. This lets me know if anyone's been by."

"Oh." She stared at the floor. Then the lights. "You really have used this place before."

"Having safe spots helps when you travel."

"You travel a lot."

"Enough. We have yet to find a place that provides everything we need."

"You need a dome."

"Are you suggesting we steal one?"

She gaped at him. "Of course not."

"It's not a bad idea." He winked just because her expression called for it. As if he'd do something so stupid. Attack a dome. Complete suicide mission. "Come on. Let me show you where we're going."

The next door opened at his touch, and they entered a place that wasn't completely destroyed. The metal shutters over the windows had kept the room intact.

"You might want to hold on to me for a second. It's going to get dark," he warned.

She stepped closer but didn't grab him.

A shame.

One hand on the wall, he shut the door behind her. It got dark. She eased closer.

He flipped a switch, turning off the hallway lights, then triggered the one for the bunker.

A lamp lit. She gasped.

"There's light."

There was more than that. She wandered deeper into the room, and he listened carefully. More importantly he looked around. Nothing appeared disturbed since the last time he was here.

"What is this?" she asked, trailing her fingers over the furniture. The glass table was grimy with dust, the sofa still surprisingly comfortable but fragile. The fabric on it had torn, and so he patched it with more material and glue.

"You are looking at a genuine remnant of Old Earth. This was someone's home."

"Were they rich?" she asked, looking around.

It got easier as he went around the room, lighting the other lamps. He'd added some after finding this place, looting the few remnants that remained, going below the surface in his youth, unafraid to hunt until he lost some friends.

He knew firsthand why you didn't go underground. Leroy never was the same after he got bitten. Couldn't stand the sunlight now and liked his meat raw. But at least he lived, unlike the others.

"This was how the Ancients used to live," he said.

"They were rich."

"Perhaps. They certainly had interesting objects." Things that had no functionality at all. A variety in furniture and lifestyle that showed theirs was a society driven by manufacturing.

She hesitated by a doorway, showing caution now where she didn't before.

"Do you want to look?"

She turned back and nodded. He reached her side, and while she didn't grab his hand again, she remained close. He took her into an area with long counters and cupboards.

"What is this room?" she asked.

"Open a cabinet," he urged.

She glanced at him then the handle. She pulled it open, as if expecting something to jump out at her. When nothing happened, she leaned closer for a look. "It's dishes. This was a kitchen?"

"Yes."

"Not for many if that's all the plates," she said. There were only eight.

"These habitats seemed to sleep only a few at a time."

"What a waste of space!" she exclaimed.

The answer amused and saddened. "Used to be people had room for themselves."

"And more dishes than needed. Look." She pointed inside a drawer. "So many odd devices. Pure waste."

"Some would see this as fascinating and wonder what they did." He lifted an oddly shaped thing and wagged it. "You might even be struck by the fact some things don't change." He lifted out a flipper. Waved it in front of her face before putting them back.

"You seem to know a lot about the Ancients."

"Those of us who didn't attend the Academy received a different kind of education."

While she wandered, he pulled out their meal. Benny had packed them some rations, not the same as the food she'd been enjoying the last two days, but she didn't complain.

Not until he said, "Time for bed."

"Where am I sleeping?" There were two bedrooms in the bunker.

"In the secured room I was telling you about. Follow me." He led her into the larger of the bedrooms, the massive bed in the middle of the room tempting but he'd rather wake up alive.

He led her into an old closet. The garments that still hung disintegrated at the slightest touch. He went to a second door at the end of the closet. Metal inset inside a metal frame. He opened it and swept an arm.

She hesitated. "In there?" She cast a longing glance over her shoulder. "Why can't we sleep out there?"

"This is safer."

She sighed. "Safer doesn't have a mattress."

"None of them fit, not to mention, they're kind of old and prone to falling apart if moved." Meaning instead they'd sleep on a pile of old blankets he'd lined against the far wall. There were also some more food supplies and bandages. Could never stash too many of those.

He closed the door behind her, the thud making her flinch. He cranked the wheel to lock it.

"How will we breathe?" she asked.

He opened the small vents, and dusty air wafted in. That caused her to breathe out heavily again.

"Why the drama?" he asked, not actually stripping down but loosening the ties on his boots and belt. He removed the weapons that would dig into them but left them within reach.

"By the time I make it back to a dome, I'm likely to be afflicted."

"This part of the Wasteland is fine. Just dry."

"And I'm supposed to take your word for it?"

"How about you think for yourself instead. I'm breathing it." He gestured to his chest. "Do you I look dead to you?"

"But those monsters we saw in the mist - "

"Mutated a long time ago. If they even changed. Keep in mind, we don't know about all the animals that used to live here before the dust cloud that changed the world. Just what's left."

"Some of the people in Haven are Deviant."

"Yup. But I can tell you right now they were all born that way."

"Are you Deviant?"

He nodded.

"In what way? I see nothing different about you."

"Did you just insult me by claiming I'm not Deviant enough?" he retorted, stretching out on the nest of blankets.

"Just wondering where you hide your strangeness."

He almost choked, mostly because, with anyone else, he would have replied, "In my pants." He wasn't sure she'd get the reference.

"What makes you think you're not Deviant?" he asked instead.

Her chin lifted in the dim light of the lamp he'd brought in. Charged, luckily, or they'd be sitting in the dark. "Those in the domes are tested."

"What if the test is wrong?"

"We are regularly checked in case we do become infected and don't present symptoms."

"Seriously?" He scoffed, only to see she told the truth as she knew it. "And when was the last time you were tested?"

For some reason her brave stance faltered. She shrank down. "Not long ago."

He had a hunch. "Right before they told you to get ready for a trip."

"I wasn't given time to prepare. I was informed of my departure on my way to the truck."

"Did they explain why?"

She shook her head.

"And yet you'll still go back." He blew out a breath. He didn't feel like fighting her over it. "Bring the light when you come to bed."

"That's not a bed."

"It is tonight."

"I'll sleep over here."

He grumbled at her stubbornness. "You'd rather sleep on the floor than here where it's warm and comfortable?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

"I'm not tired."

"Even if you were, you'd claim you weren't. Constantly arguing. It's a wonder you survived this long even if you did live in a Creche. I thought they were all about obedience to their rules."

"They are."

"And did you question every single thing they asked you to do?"

She squirmed. "No."

Axel sighed. "Aren't I lucky. Suit yourself." He lay down and closed his eyes.

"You're not going to tie me to anything so I don't escape?"

He didn't even bother opening his eyes. "Nope. You want to leave. Go ahead."

"You know I can't," she pointed out. "You said it yourself. I wouldn't last two minutes out there on my own."

"Would you feel better if I said ten minutes tops?"

"You're insufferable."

"If you think that, then you're in for a rude surprise when you get to the Incubaii Dome. I've been nice to you." The words were bitter in his mouth. A nice guy wouldn't sell her knowing she might be abused.

"Not this argument again." Her tone made him wonder if she rolled her eyes. "The Madre are revered."

"You keep telling yourself that."

"What other choice do I have?" she said softly.

"There is life outside the dome."

"The Wastelands are inhospitable."

"To those who never learned how to survive in them. And there are settlements of people. Haven is only one example."

"I'm not a Deviant. I wouldn't fit in."

"Do I seem Deviant to you? Nikki? Dottie? What about little Kylie?"

"It's too late for me."

"Only if you don't try." The conversation flowed back and forth. He couldn't have even said why he spoke to her so gently and honestly. Why did he keep trying to convince her? The whole purpose of this trip was to trade her, not save her.

"Maybe I will lie down," she said.

Which surprised him. He ended up scooting back when she chose to lie down in front of him, the lamp by her head.

"You turning it off?" he asked.

"Do I have to?"

"Keep the light if it makes you feel better."

"What would make me feel better is if I'd gone to the privy before we went to bed." She squirmed.

"I can arrange that. How do you feel using a genuine artifact?" Which he'd jerry-rigged to use the scant rainwater he collected in a barrel on the roof.

"That would be great." She rose with the lamp as he unlocked the door.

As he went to follow, she shook her head. "Some privacy would be nice."

They'd not had much on the road. Their one privy break, he'd practically stood over her as she squatted. Her red cheeks lasted a long time.

"Be quick, and if you hear anything, shout."

"Okay." She headed off quickly, the light moving with her.

He leaned against the frame of the secure room, wondering when she came back if she'd have changed her mind about lying beside him. He'd avoided her the previous night. He kind of regretted it now. He'd enjoyed waking with her splayed all over him like a blanket. Wondered what she'd have done if he'd given her a kiss.

No, that should be done with her wide-awake. He wanted to see her expression the next time he took her mouth. See if the passion he suspected truly did lurk.

She'd not yet returned, and he shifted, moved to the door of the closet, and listened. He heard nothing, yet his senses prickled. Especially since it was as if his mind whispered, Quiet, quiet, softly now. Mustn't let him hear.

Not something he'd ever say.

Yet he heard it, and it made him think of Laura. He exited the closet and realized she'd not used the privy beside it. He stepped out of the bedroom and into the empty living room. The other bedroom was just as vacant. The door to the small privy off the kitchen was ajar. He strode to the main entrance and saw the bar lying against the wall and not in the brackets.

The idiot had left.