The Alliance (24 page)

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
63

My new partner is distant and cold. We live in a large house, not far from my former friend, but I am afforded no guests since the streets are deemed too dangerous for a female to travel alone. I find this hard to believe since we are in a gated community but comply nonetheless.

—­The diary of Megan Jean

The ranch was beautiful, but given Alex's taste that did not surprise Mia. He was trying his best to make the place his own, and Mia's mother and sister were eager to help.

“I want sky-­blue ceilings in every room,” Alex said.

“Won't that distract from other colors?” Corinna asked.

“It will be subtle,” Alex said. “At first glance you will think they're white.”

“Why?” Corinna asked.

“Because if I need to feel like I'm outside I can, just by looking up,” Alex said.

Mia knew he needed that feeling after having been buried alive but hoped he'd spared Corinna from that detail.

“The nearest store is fifty miles away,” Frank said. “And I'm only making one trip this month, so you better make sure your list is as detailed as possible.”

“Let's move on to the other rooms, ladies. You can help me decide on the color schemes there too,” Alex said.

The group of three walked off; Mia didn't follow.

“I can't stay with you,” Mia said. “Alex is trying to make this place a home, but with me here you risk losing everything.”

“We've been over this,” Frank said. “If Grant finds us—­and that is a big if—­it won't matter whether you're here or not. He will want his revenge on us for helping you. That damage is done and we're safe here.”

The group had been here for three days now, and Andrew was still unreachable. Frank was the only person Mia could speak to about the events that had happened before they left. She knew Alex could handle it but he was too good at keeping the other women distracted.

“How did you find this place?” Mia asked.

The house was one floor and spread out. There were five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a giant kitchen, along with three rooms for gathering and a giant unfinished basement. It was designed to look rustic but Mia could tell it couldn't have been more than ten years old. She walked to the back of the kitchen and looked out at the scenery. A mountain range decorated the sky and lush greens were everywhere. A cow let out a long moo from the group in the distance.

“I built it,” Frank said. “Before I met Alex I thought I would move up here. I came to visit a few times over the years but knew this wasn't his speed.”

“You lived in the middle of nowhere at your last house,” Mia said.

“There's a big difference between neighbors five miles away and fifty,” Frank said.

“How do you know Grant can't find it?”

“It was nothing when I first bought the land,” Frank said. “Paid for it with the money I earned form ser­vice; I knew I didn't need to save for a wife.”

They laughed a little.

“But I took a job elsewhere,” Frank said. “The years went by and I saved up enough money to build the house. It's self-­sufficient. I was about a year out from moving up here when I met Alex. Living alone in solitude didn't seem like such a good idea after that.”

“Still,” Mia said. “There must be some paper trail.”

“There's not,” Frank said. “Besides, before I took Alex's last name I was Frank Smith. My guess is there are at least one hundred of him across the county. By the time Grant can narrow it down your plan will be in full swing.”

“My plan is nothing at the moment,” Mia said. “Keep my mom and sister distracted until Andrew comes back into reach.”

“If that's what you think is right, we'll all back your play,” Frank said.

“It's the only option I have at the moment,” Mia said.

“Glad to hear you've learned some patience,” said a voice that carried through the room.

Frank spun around and Mia felt his hand grip her shoulder. Mia did not share his tension over the new arrival. Standing in the entrance to the kitchen was Riley. Her red hair was pulled up in a ponytail; she wore her tight black pants and matching jacket, with a giant pack swung over her shoulders. Mia ran to her and wrapped her arms around her onetime trainer and friend.

“You came,” Mia said.

“You called,” Riley said, her Irish accent flowing off her tongue.

Mia released Riley and took a step back. The redhead dropped her bag to the floor.

“New haircut?” Riley asked.

Mia pushed her hair behind her ears.

“Interesting outfit . . .”

Mia looked down. She wore one of Alex's shirts; this one was bright blue with yellow swirls. A belt was tied around her waist and Frank's sweatpants hung off her figure.

“How did you get here?” Mia asked.

“You're not far from the Canadian border,” Riley said.

“About twenty miles,” Frank said.

“So you walked into the most guarded country in the world?” Mia asked.

“It took a little more than that,” Riley said. “I got your message three days ago. I had to monitor the border and then I stowed away on the bottom of a truck; if they hit one speed bump I would have been flattened. Then I waited until they stopped and followed the coordinates.”

“So you were in Canada when I called?”

“No,” Riley said. “Getting to Canada was easy. I hopped on a plane.”

“Did you find Nathan?” Mia asked.

She raised her hands to cover her mouth as soon as the words slipped out. Mia regretted bringing up Riley's missing husband. Riley gave her a sharp look. She turned her attention to Frank and held out her hand to him.

“Riley,” she said.

“Frank,” he said back. “You didn't tell anyone about this place, did you?”

“I am a strategist for the Irish government. They pretty much let me have free rein,” Riley said. “But even they would have a problem with me crossing into America. My location is known only to you. I take it you're the owner?”

“I am,” Frank said.

“I'm not one for small talk,” Riley said. “Mia, explain the situation and let's move on from there.”

“I need to rescue Roderick Rowe, Carter's father who is very much alive, from Grant Marsden's house, then take out the master server holding the Registry and ser­vice list,” Mia said. “And we have less than two weeks.”

Riley gave Mia a smirk. “And here I thought you would have a challenge for me,” she said.

“This is serious,” Mia said. “Grant's wedding is in eleven days, and Rod's deadline is in ten.”

“I know,” Riley said. “Let's take a few minutes and sit down. Then you can tell me everything and we will go from there.”

Mia was elated. Sitting around waiting went out the window. Riley was the smartest person Mia had ever met, and with her help Mia felt she could accomplish anything.

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
64

My wife is expecting, and I should be thrilled, but I am not. Being a government official has opened my eyes to the goings-­on of our new world, which includes children being raised by our government.

—­The journal of Isaac Ryland

“I feel like a girl in these pants,” Carter said.

Andrew thought he had a point. They were wearing the same tight clothes as the rest of the mountain ­people, complete with homemade shirts. Carter's was dark yellow and Andrew's green; outside of that they were dressed the same.

“Just say thank you,” Andrew said. He was happy to change out of the suit.

“We're lucky they're giving us clothes,” Trent said.

Agent Quillian was no more; now he was just Trent. Andrew noticed Trent was much more agreeable, though still annoying.

Andrew walked outside the wooden structure that was housing them. He looked down the tiny street at the other six buildings, all of which were connected. They were in disarray, much like the place Andrew was staying. He'd offered to fix the roof on their first day here, hoping Mikey would give him a task to distract his thoughts.

“No, thank you,” Mikey said.

“I know what I'm doing,” Andrew said. “Don't you want to protect your ­people from the elements?”

“I want to protect my ­people from your ­people,” Mikey said. “We found this place like this and intend to leave it that way. I don't know who left this here, but I'm grateful. We must be ready to move into hiding at any moment. Fixing these buildings up would let someone know ­people lived here.”

Though the only ­people Andrew had seen were Mikey, Dustin, JR, and the two who escorted Carter and Zack. He didn't think five ­people needed so much space.

“We have a week left here,” Andrew said. “Let's keep under the radar and then be on our way.”

“What are we doing today?” Trent asked.

Andrew hoped it would be something more exciting than what they'd done the last three days. They hadn't been allowed to leave their building. Then last night Mikey had dropped off the new clothes. She said it was a trade for the luggage they'd brought with them. Andrew knew that meant their few belongings now were Mikey's property.

“No clue,” Andrew said.

“Good morning, boys,” Mikey said.

She walked out from one of the other buildings.

“Are we going to see Zack?” Carter asked.

Their blond leader was being housed somewhere else. Mikey explained it was due to his gunshot wound. Zack didn't object to his relocation so Andrew hadn't either.

“Didn't your mother teach you any manners?” Mikey asked.

Carter stared at her blankly.

“Oh,” Mikey said. “Sorry, I forget about the outside world sometimes. Here's a lesson: wait for your elders to speak first.

“There's a week until the car comes back,” Mikey said. “We have agreed it is too long to keep you cooped up. My ­people are getting tired of having to avoid your building and I don't want to move you out of my sight, so today you're going to meet everyone.”

Mikey eyed the three men. Andrew opened his mouth to ask a question.

“I'm not finished,” Mikey said. “Close your mouth.”

Andrew did as he was told. Being instructed that way would normally have raised his ire, but for some reason he felt guilty for not following Mikey's instructions.

“There are forty-­two ­people under my care,” Mikey said. “I don't expect you to remember all their names, but I do require you to act gracious and show them the respect they deserve. Not everyone will want to talk with you and not everyone is aware of what life is like in the rest of this country. I will not tolerate you spoiling their minds.”

She gave the three a stern look. Trent looked confused and Carter acted like he was about to burst with questions. Andrew had a few of his own he wanted to ask.

“If you have a question raise your hand,” Mikey said.

Carter and Trent both shot their arms up. Mikey picked Carter.

“What do you mean?”

“We don't tell the little kids about the Registry or ser­vice,” Mikey said. “They don't know about RAG agents, wars, or life outside this settlement until they hit their teenage years. Then we break it to them slowly.”

“Why?” Trent asked.

Mikey reached out and smacked him. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, just to shock him. Andrew snickered and Mikey looked at him with a sharp glare. He stopped laughing.

“Raise your hand,” Mikey said.

Carter shot his up again before Trent got the chance and Mikey pointed to him.

“How did you end up here?”

“I fell in love with a boy when I was sixteen,” Mikey said. “We ran away together. Over the course of our cross-­country expedition we met a few others who wanted to join us and we kept running. There were eight of us when we stumbled upon this place. We decided to stay for a night, which turned into a week, then a year. Relationships developed and we had children. As our children grew up some of them fell in love and had more children. That does not mean we're inbred; get that idea out of your minds.”

Andrew didn't know what that meant but didn't bother to ask.

“Any more questions?” Mikey asked, staring at Trent.

He raised his hand and lowered his head at the same time.

“Who do they think we are?” Trent asked. “The children. Should we have a cover?”

“Don't talk to them,” Mikey said. “They've been told you're from a neighboring community. We couldn't have you walking around in suits. The older ones know who you are though. Try to keep to yourself.”

Mikey turned and started walking. Andrew followed, curious what he was about to see.

“One more thing,” Mikey said. “Stay away from the girls. If they'll let you.”

She didn't turn around, but Andrew could tell from her voice that she was smiling.

 

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins
Publishers

....................................

Chapter
65

I gave birth to my first child. I could not tell you if it was a girl or a boy because it was taken from me. My husband informed me the baby did not survive, but I heard a cry. Whatever plans are in motion regarding the children in this country they do not involve a family unit.

—­The diary of Megan Jean

Mia waited for Riley in the kitchen. The rest of the group had met their newest member and were waiting outside, per her instructions, but Mia needed to talk with her first. She heard Riley's footsteps coming down the hall and stood up.

“I knew you would still be in here,” Riley said.

“You didn't say anything when I explained my situation,” Mia said.

“Well,” Riley said, “you have two problems. Number one, you cannot bank on reconnecting with Andrew and Zack, which makes stopping the Registry nearly impossible.”

This was not the news Mia wanted to hear.

“Number two, it is too risky to pull off two operations so close together,” Riley said. “If you don't want to involve Affinity you need to pick one or the other and we can focus. Would you rather attempt to save Rod or attempt to stop the government?”

“I want both,” Mia said.

“The way I see it,” Riley said, “Rod has a deadline. I know that you're scared about Grant taking over the grand commander position, but the deadline to stop the Registry is arbitrary. You don't have the code that Affinity was supposed to supply, so there is no rush. Rescuing Rod I can help you with. After that we regroup and put our minds on the next mission.”

“How long?” Mia asked.

“Until what?”

“Once we rescue Rod, how long do we wait to take out the Registry?”

“A year,” Riley said. “At least.”

“Well what if Andrew comes back and they have the code?” Mia asked.

“You can't worry about what-­ifs,” Riley said. “Do you even have a way out of the country?”

“Zack was the only one with a way to contact Affinity,” Mia said. “Rod might know how though.”

Mia cringed at the thought of his affiliation with Affinity, a fact he had kept hidden from her.

“That's another reason it's important to get Rod out,” Riley said. “Affinity is more capable of smuggling ­people out of the country than I am. If you want to save your mom and sister you're going to need Rod.”

Mia sighed but nodded. Riley was right. It made perfect sense and had been staring her in the face the whole time. Mia tried to push stopping the Registry to the back of her mind. Getting Rod out should be her focus, but Mia knew it would eat at her still.

“Let's regroup,” Riley said. “I want to see what I'm working with.”

Riley led the way out to the yard.

“Line up,” Riley said.

The group looked confused for a moment.

“Come on, shoulder to shoulder,” Riley said.

Frank went first, then Alex stood next to him. Both men had on jeans. Frank wore a white shirt while Alex was in a skintight ribbed muscle shirt. His arms did look larger. Mia's mother had on a blue T-­shirt that hung on her thin frame like a dress, with a pair of long underwear as her pants. Corinna had put back on the outfit she'd fled the house in, a pair of fitted jeans and a baggy flannel shirt. None of them looked intimidating.

“Frank and Alex,” Riley said. “You both served? Do you remember how to fight?”

“I think my fighting days have passed,” Frank said. He ran his hands through his silver hair.

“I didn't ask if you wanted to fight,” Riley said. “I asked if you remembered how.”

Frank nodded.

“I want to see you and Alex,” Riley said.

“I am not fighting him,” Alex said.

“Would you rather fight me?” Riley said.

“You're a woman,” Alex said.

Riley raised her fists.

“If you want to help Mia I need to know what task to assign you,” Riley said. “I need to know you can defend yourself.”

“Trust me,” Alex said. “I can. Worry about the ladies.”

Riley dropped her fists and marched toward Alex. She brought her leg up and kicked him in the side. He wasn't expecting the blow and fell over. Frank started to drop to the ground but Riley put a hand on his chest.

“He's fine,” she said. “Now you.”

Mia watched as Frank glanced down at Alex, who gave Frank a thumbs-­up. Riley threw a punch and Frank got out of the way. She circled around him, avoiding his attack. Riley went to bring her leg up, but Frank blocked the kick. Mia was familiar with Riley's training and knew she was going easy on him.

“You're not bad,” Riley said.

She relaxed her stance. Alex had stood back up and she signaled for him to come forward. He did much better this time and almost avoided her hits altogether. This back-­and-­forth went on for several minutes until Riley backed away.

“That's it?” Alex asked.

“I know your skill level and what it takes to beat you,” Riley said. “That's all I'm looking for at the moment. Now you, Mrs. Morrissey, step forward.”

“Please call me Laura,” she said.

Mia saw the fear on her mother's face. There was no way she had ever seen anything close to combat, but Mia trusted Riley to know her limits.

“Handsome,” Riley said. “Since you don't fear women, step forward.”

Alex walked over.

“Laura, I want you to hit him as hard as you can,” Riley said. “Alex, you stay still and take whatever she throws at you. It might be best if you closed your eyes.”

Riley backed away and Alex shut his eyelids. Mia's mother looked nervous.

“It's okay,” Riley said. “You won't hurt him. Give it all you got.”

Mia's mother nodded her head. She brought her hand back and flung it at Alex's face with full strength. The slap echoed off the mountains in the background. Alex grabbed his stinging cheek and Mia's mother looked shocked. Frank burst into a fit of laughter. Riley joined him.

“Sorry,” Riley said. “I should have been more clear. I meant punch him.”

“That really hurt,” Alex said. “Stay away from the face.”

“I'm so sorry,” Mia's mother said. “She told me to.”

Mia knew Alex was exaggerating; she had been on the receiving end of a slap once before. It wasn't pretty, but the pain would fade.

“I think we have our work cut out for us,” Riley said.

Mia crossed her hands over her chest and watched the rest of Riley's assessment. She felt a calmness wash over her. Mia had trained with Riley once before, and their efforts had resulted in the rescue of Andrew and Carter. Mia had no doubt Rod would be out of Grant's home safely in the upcoming days.