question marks too many, but who was counting? Although he didn’t know what she was talking about, he figured there was nothing else to do. “Probably will,” he replied. She gave Theo a melting smile as she skirted away, walking toward the house.
“Spends more time lookin’ in the damned mirror or scavenging for clothes,” Frank grumbled, “or talking, than doing anything else.”
“She lives around here?” Theo asked, bending dutifully to the strawberries. A basket had appeared on the ground next to him, ostensibly from Frank, and he began to pick the ripest berries.
“In Yellow Mountain. ’Bout five miles down the hill,” replied the old man. “Supposed to relieve Selena, but spends more of her damn time talking to Sam and Tim than working. And when she’s around, they don’t do nothing either.”
Theo hid a smile. Sounded just about normal for young people with raging hormones. He hadn’t met Sam or Tim, but he figured he’d need to make a point of doing so—if for no other reason than because if they hadn’t found him, he’d still be dead.
He paused for a moment and thought of Lou. Damn. And as he sat there, in the hot sun, red stains from the berries on his fingers, he opened his mind once again to his brother.
Chapter 3
Lou was working in the subterranean computer lab when a familiar sizzle of awareness zipped over his shoulders. His hands stilled over the keyboard.
Theo! he thought, and opened his mind. You there?
Yeah.
Lou’s fingers collapsed onto the keys, creating a jumble of letters. Relief blitzed through him. Are you okay?
He didn’t know for certain whether Theo could actually understand those specific thoughts, but he tried anyway. On his end, it was more of a feeling that communicated whatever they were trying to say to each other. But it had been more than a day since he’d had that brief connect from his brother, and Lou wasn’t certain if he’d imagined it or not. So to have that feeling again was a great relief.
I’m safe.
That came through loud and clear. Solid.
Lou opened his eyes and was mortified to find that they were damp and stinging. He wasn’t ready to lose his brother, not quite yet. Thank God, he’s still here.
Good, Lou sent back vehemently. He waited, wondering if Theo had anything else to say. Ever since the whole thing with Sage had gone down, Theo had been a little more reticent and quiet. And snappish. But although there had been silence from his twin, now the connection was open and Lou took comfort in the familiar bond—simply the awareness that he was still there.
Lou looked at the computer screen on which he’d been writing a new program to analyze numerical information they’d obtained from a journal stolen from the Strangers, who were also called the Elite. The jumble of letters and numbers was, ironically, comforting to him, despite the fact that he hadn’t figured out the significance of the sequences.
Now he could concentrate. Now he’d be able to set his mind to the task that he’d merely been using as an escape from fear that he was once again alone.
Elsie had died a little more than a year after the Change, trying to have their baby in a world without Pitocin, without epidurals, without emergency C-sections. A little flutter of her presence brushed over the back of his neck, beneath the silver-gray ponytail.
Where are you? he asked Theo.
You won’t believe me.
Where?
I’m at Brad Blizek’s ranch.
Lou’s eyes widened. Holy shit.
He could almost hear Theo’s chuckle. I have to look around. More later.
Report back ASAP with deets. I’m expecting Tony Stark’s lab, you know.
Me too. Later.
Brad Blizek’s ranch. Sweet. Would there be anything left of his office? With that tantalizing thought, Lou returned his attention to the computer screen, deciding then and there that if it was even half as amazing as he imagined, he was going there too. No matter what Theo said.
----
“What’s up with that new guy
“Spends more time lookin’ in the damned mirror or scavenging for clothes,” Frank grumbled, “or talking, than doing anything else.”
“She lives around here?” Theo asked, bending dutifully to the strawberries. A basket had appeared on the ground next to him, ostensibly from Frank, and he began to pick the ripest berries.
“In Yellow Mountain. ’Bout five miles down the hill,” replied the old man. “Supposed to relieve Selena, but spends more of her damn time talking to Sam and Tim than working. And when she’s around, they don’t do nothing either.”
Theo hid a smile. Sounded just about normal for young people with raging hormones. He hadn’t met Sam or Tim, but he figured he’d need to make a point of doing so—if for no other reason than because if they hadn’t found him, he’d still be dead.
He paused for a moment and thought of Lou. Damn. And as he sat there, in the hot sun, red stains from the berries on his fingers, he opened his mind once again to his brother.
Chapter 3
Lou was working in the subterranean computer lab when a familiar sizzle of awareness zipped over his shoulders. His hands stilled over the keyboard.
Theo! he thought, and opened his mind. You there?
Yeah.
Lou’s fingers collapsed onto the keys, creating a jumble of letters. Relief blitzed through him. Are you okay?
He didn’t know for certain whether Theo could actually understand those specific thoughts, but he tried anyway. On his end, it was more of a feeling that communicated whatever they were trying to say to each other. But it had been more than a day since he’d had that brief connect from his brother, and Lou wasn’t certain if he’d imagined it or not. So to have that feeling again was a great relief.
I’m safe.
That came through loud and clear. Solid.
Lou opened his eyes and was mortified to find that they were damp and stinging. He wasn’t ready to lose his brother, not quite yet. Thank God, he’s still here.
Good, Lou sent back vehemently. He waited, wondering if Theo had anything else to say. Ever since the whole thing with Sage had gone down, Theo had been a little more reticent and quiet. And snappish. But although there had been silence from his twin, now the connection was open and Lou took comfort in the familiar bond—simply the awareness that he was still there.
Lou looked at the computer screen on which he’d been writing a new program to analyze numerical information they’d obtained from a journal stolen from the Strangers, who were also called the Elite. The jumble of letters and numbers was, ironically, comforting to him, despite the fact that he hadn’t figured out the significance of the sequences.
Now he could concentrate. Now he’d be able to set his mind to the task that he’d merely been using as an escape from fear that he was once again alone.
Elsie had died a little more than a year after the Change, trying to have their baby in a world without Pitocin, without epidurals, without emergency C-sections. A little flutter of her presence brushed over the back of his neck, beneath the silver-gray ponytail.
Where are you? he asked Theo.
You won’t believe me.
Where?
I’m at Brad Blizek’s ranch.
Lou’s eyes widened. Holy shit.
He could almost hear Theo’s chuckle. I have to look around. More later.
Report back ASAP with deets. I’m expecting Tony Stark’s lab, you know.
Me too. Later.
Brad Blizek’s ranch. Sweet. Would there be anything left of his office? With that tantalizing thought, Lou returned his attention to the computer screen, deciding then and there that if it was even half as amazing as he imagined, he was going there too. No matter what Theo said.
----
“What’s up with that new guy
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