Part 20 (1/2)

Mayyybe.

He knew it was for her own good. But would she see it that way?

h.e.l.l, he'd seen and felt the resistance and apprehension in her as she approached the gate last night. Whatever it was she thought she was doing helping the zombies to die a humane death, it wasn't something she wanted wanted to do. He hadn't had to work hard to convince her to spend the night in his arms. to do. He hadn't had to work hard to convince her to spend the night in his arms.

Theo told himself all of those logical arguments, but he couldn't quite dismiss the fact that she was gone. That she'd left without waking him.

His thoughts, circular and greedy, were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs and a dull rapping on the side of the door.

Theo pulled to his feet from the couch when he saw Sam. ”Hey,” he said, shaking off the last vestiges of worry.

The kid had a tray with food on it-Bless Vonnie!-and he set it on the table next to the monitor that was still lit up. So much for a screen saver, because the image of the Cult of Atlantis still glowed there. Was probably burned onto the screen forever.

”Brought this for you,” Sam said, gesturing to the food. But he was looking at the monitors. ”I want you to teach me about these. What you're doing. Hey”-he froze, and his eyes goggled as he looked at Theo; suspicion, and maybe a little fear, glowed there-”I've seen that before.”

He was pointing to the labyrinthine symbol.

”You have?” Theo asked casually, taking a drink of sweetened tea for his dry mouth, and doing a quick glance around the room to make sure Selena hadn't left any signs of her presence. This sleeping with a mother had definite complications. ”Where?”

”The Elite. When they come here, they have it sometimes on their list. I think I saw it once, inked on someone's arm.”

”Do they come here often?” Theo asked, trying the thick hunk of bread. Slathered with b.u.t.ter, just a bit warm, it tasted like heaven. Zucchini bread. And scrambled eggs. Vonnie was a G.o.ddess. He could marry her.

”Yes. Once or twice a year. What are you doing?” Sam had moved forward and looked as if he wanted to touch the keyboard. Fascination warred with apprehension and he hesitated.

”Go ahead. Try it.” Theo came over and shoved the keyboard from the second computer toward him. Right onto the spot the kid's mom's bare rump had been only a few hours ago. He nearly blushed at the memory, and had to pull his thoughts back to the present. Yep, he had it bad if he was fantasizing about the kid's mom while the kid was here.

”I don't know what to do with it,” Sam said. But he sank onto the chair and tapped one of the keys.

”Why do the Elite-or the bounty hunters-come here?” Theo asked.

He had heard a variety of horror stories about the Elite-or Strangers-and their visits to settlements. Sometimes they were uneventful, but other times there were repercussions later. Only two months ago, he and Elliott Drake had been trying to save a group of teens about Sam's age from being taken off into slavery for the Elite. The Strangers had tricked the teens into becoming addicted to grit, the post-apocalyptic version of crystal meth, and had lured them away from Envy with the promise of more. ”You should stay away from them.”

”That's what Mom says,” Sam replied. He was pecking at the keys, typing nonsense on the coding screen. Theo let him get a feel for it.

”Listen to her. I've seen lots of bad things happen with them.”

Sam paused and looked up at him, his eyes wary. ”You seem a lot older than you are. I mean, than you look.”

”I am,” Theo replied. Not that the kid would believe him, but lying was never a good policy. ”What do they do when they come?”

But Sam didn't get a chance to reply, because they heard the sound of footsteps, followed by his mother's voice calling for him. The kid bolted from the chair faster than Theo had ever seen him move, and was across the room trying not to look at the pinball machines and video game consoles when Selena appeared.

”Vonnie said you were up here,” she commented, looking at both of them, but speaking to Sam. Her glance over Theo had been impersonal, but she generally was all business in front of her son. It didn't necessarily mean anything. ”Sammy, you and I are overdue for a chat, I think.”

Theo tried not to ogle, but it was hard not to. She just looked so good, so casual and warm and feminine with her dark hair long and loose, and in a deep-vee pink s.h.i.+rt that b.u.t.toned down the front. Her legs were bare beneath dun-colored shorts, long and golden, and-Oh boy-she was wearing something around her ankle. A woven cord with little beads on it, low and sagging just slightly over the curve of her ankle. Just loose enough that he could slip his little finger beneath it, slide it around the tender skin of her foot.

Anything he might have said was interrupted when she gave Sam a firm look and gestured to the stairway door. Apparently, she wasn't about to be dissuaded from her chat with him.

”Later,” Sam called, and trudged off.

Theo watched them go, trying to quell an uneasy feeling that bubbled up higher and larger than he liked. He couldn't talk to Selena now, but maybe in a little while they'd have a minute together.

Instead of worrying about something he couldn't do anything about for now, he snagged a spoonful of eggs and turned to the computer. Now that he knew the truth about Blizek, he had to dig into the system and find all of the data Brad had been hiding. He wondered if there were any other clues in his video message, along with the mention of Truth.

Lou. I could really use you!

His brother's response came back almost immediately, filled with hubris. Knew you couldn't handle things without me. I'm close, brother. Knew you couldn't handle things without me. I'm close, brother.

Theo smiled and sent back a f.u.c.k you f.u.c.k you. Then a hurry your a.s.s up. hurry your a.s.s up. He opened his mind and felt Lou's direction, and agreed that he was indeed close. Maybe tomorrow. He opened his mind and felt Lou's direction, and agreed that he was indeed close. Maybe tomorrow. Sure you don't want me to come get you? Sure you don't want me to come get you?

The f.u.c.k you f.u.c.k you came back just as swiftly as Theo had sent his, and he chuckled, returning to the computer puzzle at hand. Definitely, two brains would be better than one. Theo might be the better hacker, in general, but Lou was smarter about other things ... not that Theo would admit it to him. came back just as swiftly as Theo had sent his, and he chuckled, returning to the computer puzzle at hand. Definitely, two brains would be better than one. Theo might be the better hacker, in general, but Lou was smarter about other things ... not that Theo would admit it to him.

He sat and worked some more at it, focusing on the problem of getting even deeper into the annals of the computer system, then decided to take a break and play some pinball. He'd rebooted the Star Trek game the other day, and it had worked fine, although the ball shooter had stuck a few times. Today, in deference to his dream, he plugged in Aragorn and Legolas and waited for the lights to start up after the reboot.

The lights.

Blinking, rapid lights.

A p.r.i.c.kling started over him and Theo leaned closer, looking at the game and its bells and b.u.mpers and lights lights.

What had Selena said? Zombies don't like blinking lights like that. Zombies don't like blinking lights like that. It seems to confuse them. It seems to confuse them.

And then he had an idea.

The minute she saw the circling hawks in the distance, Selena had a bad feeling.

She was still tense and upset from her conversation with Sam earlier today, which had not gone as well as she'd hoped. And now, with his angry words still ringing in her mind, she was bringing a basket of vegetables from Frank's garden to Yellow Mountain, as well as delivering Robert's swaddled corpse to Cath, who would cremate the man for his family.

Sam was supposed to be the one doing it but stormed off in the middle of hitching up Thelma and Louise when Selena tried to approach him again, just to smooth things over. He was still not talking to her, and Selena decided she could use a change of scenery. She also thought she might have the chance to speak to Jennifer, if she was in the settlement.

Along with all of that tumult, she was trying not to think about last night for a variety of reasons-the least of which was how good it had felt to waken next to a man who felt so solid and comforting.

Theo had found her later, not long after her conversation with Sam. Just before lunch. Selena had been angry still; angry with Sam for his stubbornness, for his blindness in the face of love, for his unwillingness to talk about consequences-and, if she had to be honest, angry with Theo for stopping her last night, for giving her an excuse to stay inside. And, most of all, she was angry with herself for being so weak. For giving in to momentary pleasure in the face of responsibility, just because it was easier.

So when Theo approached her, seeking her out in the guise of informing her that lunch was ready, she wasn't in the best frame of mind. But then he said nothing; he merely gathered her into his arms in the storage room and held her.

And the rush of warmth, of comfort, flooded her. When she was in his arms, she felt so good. Home. Safe. As if she had nothing to fear.

”I just want you to be safe,” he said, reading her very thoughts. ”Selena. I don't understand it. I'm trying, but I have to be honest with you-I'm having a hard time comprehending why you put yourself in such danger.”

”It's not some big deal what I do out there at night,” she said in a rush, her face buried in his male shoulder. Oh G.o.d, here I go. Oh G.o.d, here I go. It was all going to come out. ”It's not that it's such a huge secret. I just don't tell people, I don't want them to know-because they might misunderstand. People It was all going to come out. ”It's not that it's such a huge secret. I just don't tell people, I don't want them to know-because they might misunderstand. People have have misunderstood. And it's-well, it's hard.” misunderstood. And it's-well, it's hard.”

”I know,” Theo said gently. ”Vonnie told me a little about Sivs. And Crossroads.”

Selena nodded. She wasn't surprised. ”Vonnie knows more than anyone else, and she tries-but she doesn't really understand either. No one does. They can't see what I see, and really comprehend it, here.” She pulled away and touched her heart so he could see. ”When I help them die, when I touch the zombies and touch my crystal, I feel like-no, I know know-that I'm saving them. They were human once, like you and me. And when I touch them, somehow I know that they're released. They can die in peace.”

”They were human, a long time ago. But they aren't any longer,” Theo said. His voice was quiet but firm. ”I know that you don't want to see anyone or anything hurt or tortured, and that you only want kind deaths for them. I can't understand that viewpoint, because I've seen enough of the damage they do. I've seen the bodies, the skin and bones and what's left after. There's nothing commendable or redeemable about a zombie, to me. But,” he said firmly when she opened her mouth to speak, ”I respect you and what you believe. And so I want to help you. Because I can't believe you want to risk your life like that, over and over.”