Read Online Sabotage (Powerless Nation Book 3) by Ellisa Barr - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ellisa Barr
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should go now while it’s still early.”
“Are you sure?”
“Totally. I’ll try and make it out there another day soon.”
Dee was glad Sena declined to go. If Dee hurried and left now she could see Mason in less than an hour and spend the whole day with him.
Dee gave Claire a quick kiss on the cheek. “Tell Dad his plan worked.”
“Have fun, honey. I love you.”
Before the EMP, Dee and her parents rarely said ‘I love you’ to each other. When they did now it still caught her by surprise.
“I love you too, Mom.” The words came more easily each time she said them. “I’ll try to be back by dark.”
Claire handed Dee the key to the snowmobile. “It’s parked out back. Be safe.”
*
Dee waved at the guards at the northern entrance into town and raced along the road, anxious to see Mason. She congratulated herself on getting away before Captain Downey arrived. Her heart felt light. She tried to sing and laughed when the wind snatched the words from her.
Her happiness drained when she spotted several military vehicles coming toward her. So much for avoiding attention.
Captain Downey was behind the wheel and he signaled for her to stop. She slowed, but when she saw the look on his face, she wished she’d taken another way out of town.
“Where are you headed?” he asked. “I was hoping we’d see you at the recruiting event today.”
“Of course,” said Dee, the lie coming easily. “I’m running a quick errand right now.”
“No doubt it can wait,” said Downey. “Why don’t you come on back with us? I’d hate for you to miss the excitement.” Dee was sure she detected an unsavory glint in the man’s eye. He reached down for something beside him on the seat and Dee panicked. What if it was a gun?
“All right, got it. I’ll follow you. Thanks. Bye!” Before the words were completely out of her mouth, she gunned the engine so hard she almost stalled it.
“Come back!” Downey shouted behind her. Without stopping to think, Dee swerved behind his truck and shot out the other side into a wooded area, thankful it wasn’t fenced. The trees grew too close together for the army vehicles to follow her out here.
She wove through the woods, hardly daring to glance back. Was she overreacting? Maybe he’d been reaching for a cigarette. She thought about the steel in his voice and was glad she hadn’t waited to see.
CHAPTER NINE
T HE WIND CLAWED AT her face, leaving her cheeks raw. She blinked in the cold air, tears leaking from eyes. The snowmobile blasted ahead through the snow and she almost laughed. She’d gotten away and she’d see Mason soon.
As she passed the Turner home, she slowed. Darla Turner was outside in the snow. Dee looked more closely and realized the woman was in a robe. She pointed the snowmobile for the house.
Once she was closer, Dee saw tire and boot tracks ravaging the once pristine drifts. Darla was holding her new baby in her arms, kneeling over the body of her husband. He lay crumpled on the ground, his blood still steaming, melting the snow into pools of sorrow. There was a bullet wound in his head. Both Darla and her baby were wailing.
The woman wasn’t even wearing shoes, only thin slippers.
“We have to get you warmed up,” said Dee. “Come on.”
Darla didn’t move.
Dee shook her by the shoulder. “Mrs. Turner— Darla! Lizzie is going to freeze out here. She’s too little. We have to get her inside.”
Darla seemed to register Dee for the first time. “They took my son.”
Dee took the baby from Darla’s stiff arms and helped the woman stand. “Lean on me,” said Dee.
Inside, Dee put baby Lizzie in her bassinet near the stove. While she built up the fire, she asked Darla what had happened. “Where’s Charlie? Who took him?”
Darla stared into space. She didn’t speak until Dee began helping her put on dry clothes. “There were army men, first thing this morning.”
Dee’s mind immediately flashed to
“Are you sure?”
“Totally. I’ll try and make it out there another day soon.”
Dee was glad Sena declined to go. If Dee hurried and left now she could see Mason in less than an hour and spend the whole day with him.
Dee gave Claire a quick kiss on the cheek. “Tell Dad his plan worked.”
“Have fun, honey. I love you.”
Before the EMP, Dee and her parents rarely said ‘I love you’ to each other. When they did now it still caught her by surprise.
“I love you too, Mom.” The words came more easily each time she said them. “I’ll try to be back by dark.”
Claire handed Dee the key to the snowmobile. “It’s parked out back. Be safe.”
*
Dee waved at the guards at the northern entrance into town and raced along the road, anxious to see Mason. She congratulated herself on getting away before Captain Downey arrived. Her heart felt light. She tried to sing and laughed when the wind snatched the words from her.
Her happiness drained when she spotted several military vehicles coming toward her. So much for avoiding attention.
Captain Downey was behind the wheel and he signaled for her to stop. She slowed, but when she saw the look on his face, she wished she’d taken another way out of town.
“Where are you headed?” he asked. “I was hoping we’d see you at the recruiting event today.”
“Of course,” said Dee, the lie coming easily. “I’m running a quick errand right now.”
“No doubt it can wait,” said Downey. “Why don’t you come on back with us? I’d hate for you to miss the excitement.” Dee was sure she detected an unsavory glint in the man’s eye. He reached down for something beside him on the seat and Dee panicked. What if it was a gun?
“All right, got it. I’ll follow you. Thanks. Bye!” Before the words were completely out of her mouth, she gunned the engine so hard she almost stalled it.
“Come back!” Downey shouted behind her. Without stopping to think, Dee swerved behind his truck and shot out the other side into a wooded area, thankful it wasn’t fenced. The trees grew too close together for the army vehicles to follow her out here.
She wove through the woods, hardly daring to glance back. Was she overreacting? Maybe he’d been reaching for a cigarette. She thought about the steel in his voice and was glad she hadn’t waited to see.
CHAPTER NINE
T HE WIND CLAWED AT her face, leaving her cheeks raw. She blinked in the cold air, tears leaking from eyes. The snowmobile blasted ahead through the snow and she almost laughed. She’d gotten away and she’d see Mason soon.
As she passed the Turner home, she slowed. Darla Turner was outside in the snow. Dee looked more closely and realized the woman was in a robe. She pointed the snowmobile for the house.
Once she was closer, Dee saw tire and boot tracks ravaging the once pristine drifts. Darla was holding her new baby in her arms, kneeling over the body of her husband. He lay crumpled on the ground, his blood still steaming, melting the snow into pools of sorrow. There was a bullet wound in his head. Both Darla and her baby were wailing.
The woman wasn’t even wearing shoes, only thin slippers.
“We have to get you warmed up,” said Dee. “Come on.”
Darla didn’t move.
Dee shook her by the shoulder. “Mrs. Turner— Darla! Lizzie is going to freeze out here. She’s too little. We have to get her inside.”
Darla seemed to register Dee for the first time. “They took my son.”
Dee took the baby from Darla’s stiff arms and helped the woman stand. “Lean on me,” said Dee.
Inside, Dee put baby Lizzie in her bassinet near the stove. While she built up the fire, she asked Darla what had happened. “Where’s Charlie? Who took him?”
Darla stared into space. She didn’t speak until Dee began helping her put on dry clothes. “There were army men, first thing this morning.”
Dee’s mind immediately flashed to
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