Page 55 of Lily's Eagle

“OK, now I’m officially freaked out,” I say. “Do you think we have something to worry about?”

“Well, I don’t like how it’s just sitting there,” he says. “I’m thinking it’s too far to actually see us, but whoever’s in there probably saw our flashlight, and if they have night vision goggles then the story is also completely different.”

He knows a lot about things like this. I never thought much about that, but he is one of my father’s men and a killer, so it makes sense.

“I’m just hoping it’s not some of those guys from town, looking for justice,” he says in a calm voice. “We should head back to the camp. We’re too out in the open here.”

I look around at the darkness and I can just about tell where we came up the slight ridge but beyond that, I have no idea where the camp is. So much for that magnetic pull tugging at me before. It’s not working now.

“We’ll find the river and follow it back to camp,” he says, answering my unasked question. “We can’t miss it that way.”

I can’t tell if he’s joking or he actually knows what he’s talking about. But I do feel a change in the air around him. It’s gone from the carefree, calmness that encircled him all day, to a hard, cold air of purpose and determination. I’m glad for it, because this reminds me so much of my nightmare that my heart is racing just like it always does when I wake from it. Even the silvery light of the moon washing over everything reminds me of it.

“Go down,” he says, pointing at the slight incline. “Watch your step and try to make as little noise as possible.”

I do as he says, and nearly have another heart attack as I reach the grass and he’s not behind me. I can’t see the headlights from here and that’s about the only good thing.

“I’m here,” Eagle says. “I went a ways ahead and left the flashlight on behind one of the trees. If we’re lucky, whoever’s in that car thinks we’re still there.”

“And if they don’t?” I hate how much fear can be heard in my voice.

He takes my hand and starts leading me across the grass. “Don’t worry, we can take whoever’s in that car, no problem. But I’d rather do it on my terms.”

“How are we even going to find the river?” I ask.

Everywhere I look, it all looks the same and I’m pretty sure the moonlight is waning. My step was so light on the way here, but now my feet snag every little thing on the ground.

“I can feel the cool coming off it, and smell it too,” he says. “Can’t you?”

I take a deep breath and let myself feel the night air on the fear-heated skin of my face. Yes, I can smell the river, faint but unmistakable. Coming this way, I thought I was just smelling my drying hair.

We both keep glancing back as we walk, but no headlights follow us, nor can I hear any sort of engine, or footsteps other than our own, for that matter.

When we finally reach the river I’m so relieved you’d think we’d found a way back to my bedroom behind the thick walls of Sanctuary. The cold wafting off the river is more pronounced now than it ever is during the day.

“This is good,” he says in a very quiet voice. “We have the river on one side and the tall grass on the other. I also can’t hear anyone following us. But sound carries better over water so we should talk as little as possible and walk quietly.”

I nod and motion for him to lead the way. Moonlight is reflecting off the water, lighting our way better than it did across the field.

The silvery mist rising off the river is uncomfortably cold against my sweaty face, but I ignore it as I trudge along behind Eagle, trying not to let worry and dark thoughts get the better of me.

Just hours ago, the pure wild world was ours for the taking and we were one with it, and now that same world is a very dangerous place. Maybe. It sure feels like it. But as in touch as I was with my feelings before, I can’t trust them at all now. They’re all over the place. Part in the fear my nightmare always brings in me, part back in town with all those guns pointed at us, and part in that place where nothing makes sense and I don’t know up from down, or left from right. As for the here and now, I hardly feel myself here at all.

I lose all track of time as I just concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, and trying not to breathe too loudly. And eventually, I sort of start recognizing the bank. Nothing in particular jogs my memory, but I know it.

Eagle stops abruptly. “Do you smell smoke?”

I lift my head and take a whiff of the air. “It smells like our fire.”

He bends down to stay below the level of the tall grass growing just beyond the narrow riverbank, and motions for me to do the same, then advances forward. And in about twenty paces, the roof of the main hall of the campground becomes visible. As does the large bonfire in the pit in front of it.

Voices, male and female and plenty of them can clearly be heard. I can’t hear Tina’s among them, but she must be there too.

“Sounds like Tina’s back with the volunteers,” he says and straightens up.

“Maybe it was one of their cars we saw,” I say.

“Yeah, maybe,” he says, but doesn’t sound at all sure about it. Neither am I. It was too far and just the one car…

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