Page 27 of Harbor (The Wanderers 3)

Dario started pacing. “Fuck.”

Keanu punched one hand into the other. “Shit. Did they say anything? Did they know he was a medic? Maybe they were looking for a doctor?”

Advic nodded. “Obviously, our packs had medical supplies, so they assumed one of us was a doctor traveling with two guards. Rush confessed that it was him and insisted we were simply traveling with him.”

Stuart released Maya’s shoulder and rubbed his hands together. “The good news is they didn’t seem intent on seriously harming him. They undoubtedly needed a doctor.”

“Fuck,” Dario shouted louder.

Silence filled the room for several seconds. Maya glanced from one man to the next over and over, reading the defeat in their gazes. She twisted around to rise onto her good knee on the couch as if she could slay a dragon. “Then we go after them. We get him back. What are we waiting for?”

Stuart drew in a deep breath. He touched her again. Gentler this time. Not saying anything.

Maya wasn’t stupid. She knew how this worked. Rush was long gone. Probably two states away by now. The Republic had access to helicopters and Hummers. There was no way in hell The Wanderers would ever find Rush or see him again.

She turned back around and slumped down on the couch, rubbing her temples with both hands. Life fucking sucked.

The silence in the room was deafening, all of them inside their heads, all of them furious and defeated. This was the world they lived in. If The Republic found one of them and decided to take them, that’s how it was.

“This is my fault,” Maya muttered.

Stu flinched at her side. “What? No. Not even close. What the hell did you have to do with it?”

“If I’d been more careful. If I hadn’t fallen. You wouldn’t have been at that outpost at that moment…”

“That’s shit, Maya, and you know it,” Stu argued. “You didn’t have a damn thing to do with this. Rush and I were at that outpost because we were headed here to pick up supplies. Sure, we knew you were missing, but we didn’t know where. We had nothing to go on. Your absence had nothing to do with The Republic capturing Rush.”

She knew he was right, but she hated it all the same.

“What we know now is we need to be more diligent,” Dario stated. “Apparently The Republic is in the area. Eyes and ears open at all times.”

The doorbell rang, making all of them jump in their places.

Maya jerked her attention behind her again, wondering who that could be. Rush? Hope filled her.

No one moved for several seconds, and then there was a knock.

Maya glanced at Dario and then Keanu. Neither of them looked hopeful as Keanu released the lock to open the hatch. He climbed the stairs two at a time.

Female voices mixed with a deeper male voice, and then Keanu backed down the steps, helping a very pregnant woman descend with him. She was panting and looked frantic.

Maya had seen women in labor many times. It wasn’t as if people could go to a hospital these days. Not that there weren’t any hospitals. There were still government-run facilities, but if you went to one, you might never see the baby you delivered, especially if it was a girl. You also might not be seen again yourself. The risk was high. People didn’t go there if they could avoid it.

Another woman descended behind the first, older. They looked alike though. Perhaps her mother. And then a man. The man was holding a gun. In fact, he was swinging it around.

Stu stepped in front of Maya, blocking her view. He held both hands in front of him.

Dario spoke first. “Put the gun down, Justin. You’re safe here.”

“Not fucking safe anywhere,” the man grumbled, but he did put the gun on the kitchen table. “My daughter’s in labor,” he announced. “Not sure how the hell we’re going to take care of a baby or keep it fucking quiet, but can you help her?”

Stuart stepped out of Maya’s line of sight now that the threat was abated.

The older woman glared at the man who was presumably her husband. “Stop grumbling, you old goat. Help me get her to a room.”

The man swooped down and lifted his daughter off the ground, cradling her as if she weighed nothing. The guy was huge, so it probably took no effort to lift his daughter.

“This way,” Dario announced. “Keanu, can you scrub up?” He glanced at Advic. “Advic, take a shower. Let me know if you need stitches.” And then the group of them disappeared through the door of the residence into the clinic, leaving Maya, Stuart, and Advic.

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