Renegade, page 3
I heard him tying his shoes, tugging at the laces hard, and then his soft footfalls as he approached. I opened the door and stepped out.
I gulped down huge breaths of salty humid air—useless, since my lungs weren’t really lungs, though I seemed to have a hard time remembering that. Not many pedestrians were out at this hour. Weeknight, off-season.
Hunter shut the door behind us and tested to make sure it was locked. Then he stepped up beside me and threaded his fingers through mine. “Let’s head down to the boardwalk.”
As we walked along, a little orange dot blinked on a map before me, showing my trajectory and every street option nearby. I was thankful that my internal GPS system had finally kicked in again after conking out for a while post-escape. Not that I needed the GPS right now. Hunter was guiding me.
We reached the boardwalk. The fragrance of the salt air seemed heavier, and a cool breeze surged off the ocean, whipping my hair in periodic bursts. An almost-full moon dominated the sky, lighting patches of inky water with a soft, silvery glow.
“Thank you for coming out here with me.”
Turning his head slightly, he met my gaze. “That’s why I’m here.”
As if summoned by his sincerity, the truth bubbled up in my throat. Right here, right now. I could end the subterfuge. I wanted to. Desperately.
I glanced back out at the ocean, at the secrets churning underwater, and the moment passed.
“What about school?” I asked.
He tipped his head to the side. “Fall break. We have a week before we have to be back. Not a lot of time to find your dad, but enough maybe.”
Maybe, and if not, I couldn’t ask him to flunk out because of me. But the thought of moving forward with no one to turn to—
“Hey, you’re shivering,” he said.
“Little cooler than I expected it to be out here.” Another lie.
In a gesture as natural as breathing, he slipped his arm around my shoulders, brought me in against his side. I put one arm around his back.
Suddenly, everything seemed so very . . . effortless.
We continued on down the boardwalk, the planks reverberating and echoing our footsteps. I could see the stationary Ferris wheel again.
“Shame the amusement park is closed,” he said.
“I don’t know. Our last date at the carnival didn’t turn out so good.” It had been going well—up until I recalled torture inflicted at General Holland’s hands.
A devious grin crawled across his face. All of a sudden, he removed his arm from around my shoulder, closed his hand tightly around mine, and started jogging down the boardwalk toward the amusement park. I was able to keep up easily, could have outraced him, but all I wanted was to stay near him.
It seemed there were even fewer people now than when we first stepped out of the hotel. Only an occasional straggler. Hunter slowed down, glanced around, then walked past the entrance and continued on down the street, taking a turn down a dark path that seemed meant for special personnel.
“What are we doing?” I asked.
“Finishing our date from before.”
We stopped. I shifted my weight from foot to foot. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Just hold on.” He released his hold on me and began examining the wire fence in front of us. “Here,” he finally said. “I think we can get in here.”
“We’re going to break in?”
He shrugged.
“It’s illegal.”
“What’s the worst thing that could happen? They’ll kick us out. It’s not like we’re stealing, or damaging property.”
True. At least, that was the worst thing that could happen to him. He didn’t have my baggage with the law.
I chewed my lip. Even so, he had a point. If we were caught, surely they wouldn’t haul us in. But I didn’t know how far of a reach General Holland might have right now. Had he alerted authorities? Or had he hired some sketchy PI to track me down?
This seemed too risky. Until my sensors proved otherwise.
Search radius: 100 yards.
Human targets: Zero.
No threat detected.
Even so, I felt nervous.
“Look, if someone comes, you can tell them I coerced you.” Hunter bent down and intertwined his hands, providing me with a stepping place so he could vault me over the fence.
Never mind that I could most likely rip a hole through the fence with my bare hands.
“Brawk, brawk,” he teased. I let out easygoing laugh, but I could feel pinches of worry hitting me at the base of my neck. Still, I had to put my trust and faith in what my scans were telling me. Hunter and I were alone; no one would see us. With all the rides turned off, all we could do was walk around.
I owed him this silly and sweet romantic gesture.
More than that, I wanted it. For me.
I placed my foot on his hands, and he hoisted me up. I grabbed the fence and vaulted over, landing firmly on my feet. Then I watched in amazement as he scaled the taut web of metal and wires in the blink of an eye.
“Impressive,” I said.
“Used to go rock climbing with my dad.” He took my hand and began leading the way.
“Are you and your dad close?” I asked.
“Not so much anymore. But let’s not talk about him. This is a date. We’re supposed to talk about you. What’s your favorite ride?”
He was probably not going to believe that I had no idea because I’d never been on any rides, but as we passed the carousel, an image flashed through my mind—a wooden horse that was going up and down, small hands clutching the pole. The world spinning by, faster and faster.
Another errant pseudo memory. I was sure of it.
Only this time, recalling these thoughts caused the faux skin near my temples to burn and my vision to blur. When I tried to take a step forward, I stumbled and caught myself by latching on to Hunter.
Weird.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, sorry, just missed my step in the dark.”
He studied me for a moment. “You sure? We could head back if you wanted.”
I gazed into Hunter’s eyes and thought of how close we had been to kissing on our first date; how I had pulled away from him when those disturbing images of the first MILA being tortured had suddenly flashed before me.
How from there my life had crumbled to pieces.
But if I could just forget everything for a few hours—forget the reality of who I was and how I got here and what I’d lost along the way—maybe he and I would have a chance to make something out of whatever was happening between us. Even if it only lasted for a little while.
“Are you kidding me? We’re so doing this.”
“Yes! I knew you had it in you,” Hunter said, full of unabashed glee.
I smiled and took his hand, my sensors immediately recognizing his racing pulse. It seemed all too clear he was more excited about this adventure than I was.
“So you never answered my question,” he said, leading the way for us.
“Hmmm?”
“Your favorite ride.”
“Oh, right,” I said. “The carousel, I guess.”
Hunter gave me a funny look. “Seriously?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
He tapped his chin in faux concentration. “What isn’t wrong with it?”
My mouth fell open in mock dismay. “Take that back. The carousel is a classic.”
“Classic? How old are you? Forty?” he replied.
Um, more like a few months old. If we were using created-on dates. “You’re just jealous of my excellent taste in rides.”
“No. It’s just that I picture you on the front of a roller coaster, screaming your head off and laughing with your arms in the air.”
Something guarded inside of me gave way. I could see the image clearly, and I wanted it. I wanted to be that girl. Happy and free; excited about the unexpected. I wanted to see myself through Hunter’s eyes.
Acting on a whim, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him. His chin rested on my head, my cheek against his chest.
Subject’s heart rate: 92 bpm.
Inspiration levels: Elevated.
Hyperventilation unlikely.
“What was that for?” he whispered.
I glanced up at him, whispering the words in my head I wasn’t brave enough to voice. Because you make me feel alive. But ultimately, “Just because” was all I said aloud. His lips grazed my forehead. The contact was brief, but the warmth inside me lingered. “So, are you going to prove me right?”
“About what?”
He tipped his head in the direction of a gigantic roller coaster named the Blazing Inferno. The ten-foot sign for the ride was engulfed in flame-like streamers and the winding track was painted bright red.
“I would, but I don’t think we can run the roller coaster by ourselves,” I said.
“You happen to be looking at a trained professional.”
I raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“Nope. Back in California, I spent a whole summer working as a carnie.”
“You never mentioned that before.”
He took my hand and began pulling me along, his smile broadening. “So I have a few secrets.”
As we closed in on the ride, prickles of concern traveled up my arms. Starting up the roller coaster was going too far, wasn’t it? Were there silent alarms on these things? What if some security guard showed up and found us here trespassing? We’d be brought somewhere for questioning—and questions about who I was and where I came from were pretty unanswerable at this point.
“Hunter, this is crazy,” I said the moment we arrived at the Inferno’s entrance.
“We’re not going to get caught. Trust me.”
“It’s not that,” I lied.
God, I was getting so freakishly good at it.
He squinted at me curiously. “Would you rather go on another ride? The Ferris wheel would be easy. All I’d have to do is throw one lever, and we’d be up so high, we could see for miles.”
I had to admit, that sounded wonderful. So wonderful I was finding it hard to say no.
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” he pleaded.
I closed my eyes for a minute as my android brain performed another scan. This time to make sure there weren’t any cameras or secret security systems hidden in the shadows. This amusement park seemed rather antiquated, so maybe the owners didn’t have the right technology in place. We did hop their fence, after all.
Advanced perimeter scan.
Video capture capabilities: Zero.
Alarm triggers: None.
I opened my eyes to Hunter biting his lip with anticipation. Resistance was futile.
“All right. One lap on the wheel.”
“You won’t regret it,” he said.
That was the problem. I didn’t regret any of the time I spent with him. Not even when it wasn’t in his best interests.
We jogged over to the entrance gate of the ride, our fingers loosely intertwined. I climbed onto the bench seat while Hunter got behind a few of the controls, his brow furrowing together as he tried to familiarize himself with them.
“You okay over there?” I asked, my legs swinging back and forth, the tips of my shoes skimming the ground below.
Hunter glanced up and winked. “Piece of cake.”
He flipped a switch and the frame of the ride lit up with hundreds of tiny white lights. My stomach plummeted and we weren’t even moving.
Wattage: 10,000 watts.
Visibility: High.
A voice inside my head said I should put a stop to this. All of it—this date; this relationship or whatever it was. Especially when a giddy-looking Hunter dashed over, slid next to me on the seat, his eyes beaming.
What was I doing? Every second I spent with him was putting him in danger. I just had to accept that, no matter how much it scared me. No matter how lonely I’d be without him.
Without anyone.
“I have it on autopilot. Prepare to be dazzled,” he said, locking the bar into place. It reverberated with a metallic clang and suddenly I felt trapped—like I was being held in that coffin-like device within Holland’s nightmarish compound.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I mumbled.
“Are you afraid of heights?” Hunter asked, and I heard the skepticism in his voice.
I shrugged, even though that so wasn’t the case.
“We don’t have to, if you don’t want to,” he said softly. “I can go stop it now.”
The disappointed slump of his shoulders sealed it for me. “No, it’s fine.”
With a slight jerk, the huge wheel began turning and we were slowly lifted toward the sky, our feet dangling beneath us.
“I have a confession,” I said quietly.
These words came out and I hadn’t meant them to.
“Yeah?” He looked at me intently.
More silence. Even though I was trying desperately to eke out the truth. Then I realized I could just simply break things off with him. Tell him we have to go our separate ways after this. I didn’t even need to give him a real reason. I could just say what boys in Clearwater would tell my ex-friend Kaylee when they were done with her: It was for the best.
But eventually, the truth won out.
Well, not exactly.
“I’ve never ridden a Ferris wheel.”
Hunter looked at me, stunned, before his lips twitched up. “You see? This is what happens when you like the carousel. You go all soft.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. Hunter joined in.
He wanted to be here with me. Why was still a bit of a mystery, but I knew that sending him away—whether I told him who I was or not—was going to hurt him. Not physically, of course. But there was no way he’d understand. Calling him across the country to see me one minute, sending him away the next. He’d think I was playing some kind of cruel joke.
I turned my head and looked out toward the edge of the park, watching as the world below grew smaller. I started telling myself I could spare him that hurt. I could protect him, better than I protected Mom. Together we could make it.
Together was for the best.
“Not bad, huh,” Hunter said, gesturing at the view.
Scattered lamp posts lit the boardwalk, the moon reflected off the ocean. It was all so beautiful, peaceful. The salty breeze wafted over us. Hunter’s fingers lightly squeezed my hand, and I realized he was doing it without thought.
Like we were a couple.
As we reached the top, I wanted to stay here forever, just Hunter and me above the fray, away from all the troubles that plagued me. I found myself wondering if finding Richard Grady was something I needed to do right now. Hunter only had a week with me—maybe the search could wait. We’d still have to go on the road, though. There were too many people trying to track me.
Actually, capture and dismantle me was more like it. If Hunter was with me when I was found by Holland or the VO, I didn’t even want to think about what they might do to him.
“I have a confession, too,” he said, his voice snapping me out of my thoughts.
I turned to face him as the wind ruffled his hair. “Should I be scared?”
“No,” he replied. “Well, maybe a little bit.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
He blew out a nervous breath. “Mila, I really like you.”
An embarrassingly goofy grin started forming on my lips so I quickly tried to cover my mouth with my hand.
“Wait, did you already know?” he said, smiling.
“I had a feeling,” I said.
Too many feelings, in fact.
Always.
“Well, I don’t just say that to every girl I meet,” he said as the Ferris wheel embarked on its second revolution. He paused a beat, and then added, “Only every third one or so.”
I poked him in the ribs, and he fake winced before pulling me closer. “I’m joking. I only say that to girls I travel cross-country for. Which, to date, has only been you,” he whispered, his mouth close to my ear.
I closed my eyes, forgetting how many times we circled, forgetting everything but how close Hunter was. Tonight was special, a memory that was real and that I could call my own. No one would be able to take this moment away from me. Ever.
Another reason why I wasn’t sure I could let him go.
He made me want to live a life I wanted to remember.
THREE
My sleep cycle ended at precisely 8 a.m. the next morning. I opened my eyes to Hunter sprawled across his mattress, one hand flung out to the side, the other curled up on the pillow. The blue comforter had long ago been kicked to the floor, and the sheet was bunched up over his chest. He had earbuds in his ears, totally unaware that we needed to remain vigilant and alert to any strange sounds. Unaware that I was a moving target.
Unaware that I wasn’t worthy of his Ferris wheel confession.
He looked so innocent, with his long eyelashes resting on his cheeks. And so very kissable, with his lips softly parted.
The mattress squeaked as I climbed out of my bed, but Hunter still didn’t move. Carefully, I sifted my fingers through his hair, relishing the silken feel of the strands. He breathed deeply, but thankfully didn’t stir.
I knew I shouldn’t be touching him. No, I didn’t deserve to touch him. What I should do was send him home, where he would be safe. My hand wavered hesitantly, before I gave in and traced the curve of his cheek, the rasp of five-o’clock shadow on his jaw.
His eyes flew open, and his hand shot up.
Threat detected: Feint back.
My body started following the android command and then I remembered—this was Hunter. With effort, I forced myself to relax and let him tug my hand over until my palm covered his mouth and I felt his lips press a soft, feather-light kiss to its center.
My other hand braced me, flat against his chest, and beneath it, I felt his heart race. As if momentarily hypnotized, I lowered my head to his, slowly, like the invisible line that connected us together was shortening and I had no choice but to obey its pull. I didn’t know how long I’d been imagining this kiss, and even though I knew deep down doing this was woefully inappropriate of me, I wasn’t able to reel myself in.
