Page 23 of Shelter (The Wanderers 4)

Rush shuffled the rest of the way and wrapped his hand around one of the bars a few feet from Storm. “I come from a large community of people whose mission is to provide safety. A group who believes in free will.” Rush was taking a risk, but he didn’t have much to lose. It wasn’t like he was sharing state secrets. The Republic was well aware of the existence of groups like The Wanderers.

It was quite possible Storm had no idea though. He was young enough that he might have spent most of his life in isolation, cut off from the real world.

“Can you tell me where we are?”

Storm lifted his gaze and swallowed. “I shouldn’t.”

Rush shrugged. “Okay. But think about it. I was drugged when I was abducted. I don’t have the first clue what direction I was taken or how long we traveled. If I knew where I was, I could help figure out how to get back to my people.”

Rush needed to shut up. He couldn’t be sure he could trust this guy. He was gambling with his life. If Storm turned around and alerted anyone that Rush knew the location of an illegal community, Rush could end up being tortured for information.

Storm ran a hand over his face and met Rush’s gaze. “Let me talk to my friends.”

Rush nodded. “Okay.”

Storm stared at him. “You’re not dicking me around? You really do know a place?”

“Swear to it. I will get you there. And, Storm…” Rush drew in another deep breath. “If the woman really is pregnant, I’ll move mountains to help you. She’ll be carrying my baby. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to either of them or anyone else who is important to her.”

Storm nodded. “I’ll get back to you. If I find out you’re lying to me and you breathe a word of this to anyone in this house…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but his warning was clear.

“We’re in the same boat, Storm. If you tell anyone what I’ve shared, I could be tortured to death.” He lifted a brow.

Storm nodded again, hesitated, and then turned to head back up the stairs.

Rush watched him disappear, gripping the bars of his cell. For the first time in months, he had hope. A possibility that someone might help him get out of this godforsaken mess.

He wasn’t kidding about the woman. He’d bet money she was young. Perhaps even purchased. Most likely actually. She was probably scared out of her mind. And if she was pregnant with Rush’s child…

He shuddered. He would indeed move mountains to help her.

He needed to know where the hell he was first. He assumed he was east of The Wanderers. The majority of The Republic’s citizens lived outside the D.C. area. Perhaps Virginia.

It would take a lot of organizing to get back to the Midwest, but hopefully, Storm and his friends had resources.

He was getting ahead of himself. He didn’t even know definitively Storm hadn’t gone right up those stairs and turned Rush in to the authorities.

He refused to believe that though. Now, all he could do was wait. Again.

This time he wasn’t simply waiting for food or clothes or conversation. He was also waiting to find out if the woman upstairs was pregnant with his child.

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