Page 79 of Bound By Water
CHAPTER39
WILLA / GREER
“Where did you meet Mason?” I ask, looking at the strip mall next to us. When he lifts an eyebrow, I almost shake my head. Guys and their nicknames. “I mean Blink.”
“Atlanta,” he tells me. His head swivels around, and he motions to the car rental place. “We need a car. The place we’re going is twenty miles west of here, but first, I need to pick up a hat and fake glasses.”
Using my fingertips, I stretch the sweatshirt out. “New clothes. Normal ones. Non-negotiable.” I didn’t dare ask Oliver if he’d gotten me the clothes I requested.
“There’s a Wal-Mart about a mile that way,” he says, pointing down the dark street. Even with the streetlamps, it’s tough to see much. “We need to hurry, though. I don’t know how much longer the rental place will stay open.”
Taking my hand in his, he takes off. A few minutes later, we turn a corner, and bright lights shine across a busy parking lot. Relieved to see people and normal life, I flash a smile at River.
Instead of his usual relaxed smile, his lips curve halfway, then flatten. “If someone calls my name, don’t turn around. Keep walking. If they stop me, pretend you don’t know me, okay? A lot of the guards come here.” He stops at the entrance. “You remember their uniforms, right?”
An image of the bird’s beady red eyes comes to mind. “Yep. Why don’t we split up and meet back at the front in ten minutes?” I reach over and hand him the hundred I’d stashed in my jeans earlier. Then I walk through the doors directly to the clothes section.
I grimace at the sweatshirts, even the pretty ones, and settle for a couple of long sleeve t-shirts, a jacket, and pair of jeans. Plus, a few underthings. I head into the dressing room to make sure everything fits, which it does, but I also pull out several bills and stuff them in my jeans.
There’s plenty of cash in here still, remembering the day Brad handed it to Lionel. I wonder where the money came from. Zipping it closed, I grab the clothes and head to the front.
I look around, but there’s no sign of River. With a shrug, I move to the side of the aisle and wait. And wait. Surely he wouldn’t leave me here in the middle of nowhere while he went and saved his family, would he? I bite my lip. He would. Just when I think he’s ditched me, I see him striding down the aisle with a man in blue fatigues with a familiar armband.
I ease into the clothing rack behind me and watch the two of them laugh as they walk by. River catches my eye and subtly shakes his head. The two of them get in line to check out. Weaving through the clothes, I head to a cashier farther down. Slinging the clothes on the conveyor belt, I watch the two of them out of the corner of my eye, but not once do I turn my head.
Quickly paying, I head straight to the restroom to change clothes. I tear off the tags but keep them in my hands to show the person who checks the receipts by the door. Happily, I stuff the grey sweatsuit into the trash. When I get out, I look around, but neither of them is close by. I head out the front door. The minute I step outside, a hand grabs my elbow, and I jerk my head to the right and see beautiful green eyes staring at me.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I whisper to him. “Where did he go?”
His eyes are bright with excitement. “He’s off shift. Going home for the night.” He holds up his hand to show me a plastic key card. “Our ticket into the facility. There’s a side door with no guards.”
I smile because I’m not sure what else to do. Sneaking into a government facility is absolutely terrifying. My eyes catch on the dark T-shirt and jeans he’s wearing. They make his green eyes pop. “Much better than the grey sweats.”
He leans forward and nibbles on my lips. “I can’t imagine not having you by my side, but before we do this, I need you to promise me something.”
I shake my head. “No, I won’t leave.”
He places a finger on my lips. “Promise me that if something happens, you’ll think about me every once in a while. Good or bad. I don’t care. Touch a plant, smell a flower. I’ll feel it wherever I am.”
“Promise,” I murmur, barely able to get the words out. I know there’s a good chance neither of us is going to make it out tonight. Stepping into his arms, I breathe in the spring smell that is such an intrinsic part of him. Honeysuckle and flowers and the earth.
“Do I smell like water?” I ask suddenly, wondering if my powers have changed the way I smell.
His lips twitch with laughter. “No? I mean, you smell nice. Very clean. But not like the ocean or anything.”
I slug him in the arm. “Stop laughing at me. You smell like spring. I thought… never mind.”
He laces his fingers in mine. “Let’s go. We need to get to the rental place.”
Aware of the clock ticking against us, we walk quickly back to the strip mall. River goes in and comes out a few minutes later with a set of keys. He walks over to a dark grey Altima and unlocks the door for me.
Nervous, I rub my hands on the rough denim, trying to ease the nerves attacking me. I have no clue what I’m walking into. If only I could have joined the raid… Instead, I have brutal images of what a place like this will do to its captives. I shiver. More reason not to get caught.
Fifteen minutes later, River pulls into a park. “It’s a five-minute walk to the facility. Last chance to back out. You can wait here.” His eyes drift from my eyes to my lips. “Please don’t say no.”
In answer, I get out of the car and slip my backpack on over the black jacket I just bought, then pull up the hood. A second later, he gets out and comes over to my side.
“You’re so stubborn,” he says with a sigh. “My mom’s going to love you.” He points to a dirt path. “We’ll take this through the park to the side of the facility. Everyone thinks it’s being used as a warehouse because there are so few windows. It’s not very big, though. We can get in and out quickly.”
