Girl Called Fearless: A Girl Undone Part 16

"You put him up to this!" I said. "You hate Jouvert, and you're manipulating Luke into doing your dirty work!"

"No, he isn't, Avie."

I wheeled and faced Luke. I don't believe you. Say it isn't true.

"It was my idea. Not his."

I looked back and forth between the two of them, and I didn't know who I hated more, but I had to get away from them. Now!

I wrenched open the door and ran, forgetting I had no shoes on until I hit the third step and my ankle folded under, and I fell, slamming my shoulder on the ground. Pain shot up my left side.

I scrambled to my feet, knowing my ankle was sprained, but I had to put distance between me and Luke and that monster he'd sold his soul to. I tore down the drive, snow pelting my face, the gravel hammering my feet through my socks. The road was empty. No cars, no houses, no signs of life in either direction. I turned right and ran through the pain.

Luke must have planned this all along. That's why he brought us here.

He lied and led me on. He pretended this was about honoring Maggie's sacrifice and continuing her work, but it wasn't.

I trusted him!

"Avie! Avie! Stop!"

Luke was sprinting after me, so I ran harder. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

I was running full out, but he was gaining on me. Rocks littered the drainage ditch on the side of the road, and I swooped down and s.n.a.t.c.hed up one the size of a baseball. Then I stopped, and took a stance, sinking my weight on my good ankle, and drew my arm back. "Stay away from me."

Luke came to a halt, and hunched over, breathing hard. "Avie, we gotta talk."

"You lied to me. You were planning this all along."

"No I wasn't. I swear."

"I don't believe you. You brought us here. To Streicker's house. You keep saying you want justice, but I think what you really want is revenge."

"Yeah, sure I want revenge." Luke straightened and faced off with me. "I admit it. Jouvert gave those agents the order to attack my family. He gave them permission to kill my parents."

"Killing Jouvert isn't the answer. It's murder. It's a sin."

"I don't care if I go to h.e.l.l."

"Well, I care! I care!"

There was the slightest s.h.i.+ft in Luke's face, a flicker in his eyes.

I realized I had to stop him. That I was the only person who could stop him. "Killing Jouvert won't bring justice for your family. It will just make him a hero. Is that what you want?"

"No, it's not. But you said yourself, we got no more options right now."

Snow was soaking through my sweater, and I was losing the energy to stand. My foot burned from the ice coating the road. Okay, fine, I give up, I thought, and tossed the rock onto the shoulder.

Luke needed me to help him get Maggie's testimony to the reporters. He wouldn't go to Canada, and I couldn't leave him with Streicker.

I knew what I was about to tell him might get us both killed, but I had to give up believing we could come out of this in one piece. No matter what we did, we'd be lucky to survive.

"We can get Jouvert," I said. "There's another way." I teetered on my good leg, then dropped in a heap on the pavement.

Luke s.h.i.+fted his weight, and I sensed him fighting with himself not to rush over and pick me up.

"Streicker heard about two reporters who are investigating the cover-up of Sparrow's suicide," I told him. "They're looking for the proof of Jouvert's crimes that she claimed she had."

The blowing snow was a screen between us. "I wish you'd told me before now," Luke said.

"I'm sorry. I probably should have."

"So I'll go to D.C. and you'll go to Canada."

"No."

"No?"

"I'm coming with you. Maggie asked me to see this through and I am."

Luke crouched down beside me, and sighed. "I don't need to tell you how dangerous this could be."

"Nope. I already know."

"There's a truck coming. How about you put your arms around my neck and we'll get you off this road?"

I clasped my hands behind his neck, and Luke lifted me into his arms and I saw how Streicker's house was barely visible in the distance. "Ugh," I said. "I didn't realize how far I ran."

"Yeah, it's a good quarter mile. You can sure fly when you get going."

Luke carried me toward the house, and after we'd gone only twenty feet the truck blew by, pelting us with wet snow. Luke stumbled in the truck draft, before he caught himself.

"You should let me walk," I told him. "I'm too heavy to carry that far."

"Nah, you don't weigh more than a day-old foal."

Our faces were so close, his breath warmed my cheeks.

"Why'd you hold off on telling me about the reporters?" Luke said.

"I was afraid it was either a rumor and you'd risk your life to chase it, or if it was true, I was scared those reporters wouldn't have what it takes to not get themselves or you killed."

Luke didn't answer, so I was sure that meant he was mad. But when he started up the porch steps, he said, "Maybe I'd have done the same if it was you."

He lowered me onto the porch, and I stood facing him, my hand lingering on his shoulder. He looked into my eyes, and I knew that if things had been different, we would have kissed.

My heart tumbled with emotion. What Luke and I were going through together was so intense, so extreme, and what we knew and had learned about each other made it feel like we'd packed years into only a few days. But these feelings weren't like the love I had with Yates-they couldn't be-I'd known Yates my whole life. I tried to steady my heartbeat, slow it down.

"Come on, let's get you patched up," Luke said.

I dreaded facing Streicker, but luckily, he'd ducked out the back. Lola sat me down in the kitchen so she could bandage my ankle, allowing me a clear view of Streicker talking to Hanna. Lola finished wrapping, and pulled out another chair. "Put your foot up. I'll get you ice."

I glanced at the kennel. "I will, but I need to do something first." I got up and wrestled on my boots and coat, and hobbled out to the back.

"What the h.e.l.l do you want?" Streicker snapped as I approached.

I waited to answer until I got to the kennel, and shoved Sparrow's forged pa.s.sport through the chain-link fence. "I'm giving Hanna my pa.s.sport."

Hanna s.n.a.t.c.hed the pa.s.sport off the ground and hugged it to her chest. "Thank you!"

If looks could kill, the one Streicker gave me wouldn't have left a trace behind.

"Her father will pay to bring her home," I said.

Just you wait, his look told me.

I stared back. Go ahead.

"You need to act like you're being auctioned today," I told Hanna.

"I will. I will. Thank you so much. You saved my life."

"Not yet, she hasn't," Streicker said.

The snow stung my face as I limped back to the house, but I had a fire inside me. I wasn't getting out, but Hanna was. I couldn't guarantee Luke and I would be successful in our mission or even survive, but at least now Luke wouldn't destroy himself trying to get revenge. Dad used to say that sometimes there are no good choices, only choices that are less awful.

Now we had to get the h.e.l.l away from Streicker before anything else happened.

20.

A couple hours later, Streicker gave Luke the keys to the white van. Streicker must have been counting on me selling Luke out so I could go to Canada, because one quick call, and the two reporters were on a plane for Denver.

"Leave the van with this guy," Streicker said, handing Luke a sc.r.a.p of paper with an address. "He'll hide you and get you a ride into the mountains."

"Great," Luke answered.

Streicker thought for a moment before he added, "You might want to ask the reporters what they know about the rumor that the Saudis are pressing Jouvert for nuclear weapons."

"Nukes? That's what this is about?"

"Only two powers in the Middle East have the bomb: Israel and Iran. And they're both enemies of the Saudis. If Jouvert gets nukes for the Saudis, no other candidate will be able to touch the money they'll pour into making him president."

I turned away, sick to my stomach, and went down to the house to say good-bye to Lola. When I returned, the magnetic signs on the van had been changed to ROCKY MOUNTAIN FARRIERS.

As I walked up, I heard Streicker say, "She's dragging you down. I can take her to Canada in my next s.h.i.+pment and free you up to do what you need to do."

"No, thanks," I said.

Streicker wheeled around.

"We're going together," I told him.

"That's right," Luke added.

Streicker shook his head at Luke. "You're making a mistake, but I guess I can't stop you."

Earlier, after he and Hanna's dad negotiated the price for her return, Streicker had turned from cool toward me to arctic. I didn't care, because seeing him release Hanna from that cage made it all worth it.

We went to get in the van, and Streicker pulled Luke into a hug, tossing me a creepy smile over Luke's shoulder that made me s.h.i.+ver. So I was more than happy to strap into the seat behind Luke, and drive off, leaving Streicker behind like something nasty I'd peeled off my skin.

We got on a two-lane highway south of Laramie, headed for Fort Collins, Colorado. It was an hour and a half to Fort Collins, and if we didn't run into problems, another hour or so to Denver.

My swollen ankle throbbed, even though I'd popped more painkillers. Luke seemed to relax once we hit the road, and I felt lighter, knowing in a few hours we'd have the weight of the evidence off our backs.

I rested my chin on his shoulder. "It feels good, knowing that when the reporters get this story out, Jouvert and the other Paternalists will have to answer for what they did."

"We're going to stop him, Avie, I know it. And just in time." Luke tilted his head so it leaned on mine. "Hey, I want to say I'm sorry. I know I've put you through a lot-"

"Yeah, well, I haven't always been that easy myself." I had enough regrets for both of us. "Let's forget about all that. Deal?"

"Deal." I felt Luke's shoulder relax beneath my chin. "Avie, when this is over, and the feds aren't hunting us anymore, what do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know. I'd say go home, but Jessop Hawkins still owns me. And I'm nervous about trying for Canada if it means having to deal with people like Streicker."

"Maybe you'd consider moving up to the mountains?"

Our eyes met in the rearview mirror and there was the Luke I'd first come to know in the snow-frosted woods. His chestnut-colored eyes invited me to dream, and in that moment, I saw us together. Building a cabin with our own two hands. Riding horses into the hills. Hanging out with Jonas and Sarah and all the other kind people in Salvation.

A life with Luke was idyllic and tempting, but it was a complete fantasy. I wasn't a mountain girl. I couldn't take off with Luke when I still loved Yates.

"Luke, I-" I didn't know how to answer, how to explain my mixed-up feelings. And I didn't want to hurt him.

"I thought I'd ask, what with your situation the way it is-"

Yates in jail. Me Contracted to Hawkins.

I went to speak, but Luke stopped me. "I know your heart's with someone else."

Yes, but-I couldn't let him think he was wrong to ask. "It might have been yours if I'd met you first."

Luke drove for another mile, then he pulled the van onto the shoulder. "Is there a problem?" I said.