Page 88 of Freedom Mine
“The mine’s that way,” she said, pointing away from the shack.
“I get confused sometimes,” he said, a poor attempt at a joke.
She must have thought he was referring to the aftermath of his time in the cage, for a sadness crept into her eyes. He didn’t want her pity, never had. He wanted her, always would, even long after she left here. Until the day he died.
“I get confused at times too,” she said as she held out her hand for him. “I promise not to bite.”
Ignore it. Just an expression. Innocent words,he told himself, despite the stirring in his pants. He took her hand, hoping she wouldn’t look lower, not that she often looked at his crotch. He was nothing to her now, except some pathetic fool she believed needed her help.
Gods, heneededher more than he needed air to breathe.
Her hand felt so warm against his, like home. “I’m fine,” he said, pulling his hand away.
“It’s a good thing you’re here,” she said, a renewed glow lit her face.
Alli didn’t need others. She’d made that clear early on. She knew how to survive, how to take care of herself. This was a ploy then, a way of getting him to leave maybe?
“If you have a few minutes, I’d like to show you something further up the mountain.” There was a lightness to her voice that hadn’t been there before, and it called to him, like a siren’s song.
He nodded and followed her, without thought. He’d follow her anywhere, and for no reason other than she had asked.
As they passed the mine entrance, he spotted the waterline she’d installed. Jace was right, it was a great idea. Alli was smarter than she gave herself credit for. If only he could bring himself to say so. Any compliment now would seem meaningless. She’d be suspicious of his motives. Why had he said all those things to her?
The trek proved muddier than expected. The heavy rains over the last few nights had created a mess everywhere, so it was no surprise that up here wouldn’t be any better, despite the dense vegetation.
Where was she taking him? This path led nowhere significant. Maybe she had taken a wrong turn. He could tell her, but that meant stringing together more than a few words, and he didn’t exactly trust himself to do that, not after what had happened last week.
She glanced back at him, flashing a smile. It was sweet really, as if she’d forgiven him, though he didn’t expect forgiveness. Some things didn’t deserve forgiveness. Nonetheless, he’d take what she was willing to give, including that tenuous smile.
* * *
ALLI
She’d never expected to find Kayo at her shack. It was a pleasant surprise, given that he had barely looked at her during the past week. He wasn’t talking much, a few words here and there, but from what she’d heard, he had been quiet around the men as well.
The mood back at the compound was rapidly declining. They all knew what was at stake, and they all thought Kayo had abandoned them, mentally at least.
Jace had taken over the entire operation. He had to find a solution to the bills coming due, if one existed. Life continued and everyone worked hard, even though they knew what was coming.
Staying at the shack, away from the men offered peace, not safety. Why Kayo had come here of all places, she couldn’t say, but it pleased her, especially when he didn’t run from her when she’d entered.
He seemed more himself, or at least not as distant, not as desperate. Given what she’d been working on for the past few days, having him appear at the shack was indeed fortuitous. If they only had a few days before the creditors came and threw them all back into slavery, then so be it.
She’d spend her last days here doing something that perhaps could help Kayo. He deserved to be helped, even if he couldn’t save her or the men. He’d done more for her, for all of them, than anyone else in a long time. He’d given them a taste of freedom, a chance at complete freedom, and he cared. He truly cared about her and the men, enough to risk his own life, time and time again.
Alli picked up the large sheet of a semi-flexible plastic that she had set against a tree earlier. The plastic was about the size of her cot, though a foot or two shorter.
“That’s roofing material, from the longhouse that burned down the year I arrived here,” Kayo said.
The first real sentence from him in a week and it was about roofing material? Hmm. At least he was talking.
“Given the melted sides, I didn’t think anyone would need it for anything,” she said. “Plus with the edges curled like that, it made it easy to carry up here.”
“Are you building another shack?” he asked.
Oh, how he looked at her now, lost, hopeful, confused. It was hard not touching him, pretending as if nothing had happened. She had to ignore all of that and keep him talking. He was stuck in his head, struggling to find a way out.
“I already have a shack,” she said, as he lifted up the back end of the plastic to help carry it.
