New boards gleamed on the structure, which had been erected on a fresh slab of concrete. Four huge roll-up doors for vehicles filled the front of the building. Clearly it was new, and it was the nicest complex she’d seen in the compound.
Pete stood about ten yards from the new garage, his arms crossed on his chest as he watched her approach. Jason, Noah’s dad; Beckett, the quartermaster; and Chad were with him. Mercy’s steps slowed at the anger in Jason’s eyes. Beckett looked smug, and Pete’s expression was stone.
Uh-oh.
She finally looked to Chad, whose gaze pleaded with her to cooperate.
Fuck.
This had to be about Noah.
Mercy stopped a few feet from the line of men and looked each one in the eye, keeping her gaze soft. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes, something is the fuck wrong,” started Beckett. His shaggy beard quivered with his words. “You told me you had approval to medicate a child. You didn’t.”
“Yes, I did.” She looked at Jason. “You told me to do what I could for Noah.”
“I thought you meant through natural means—”
“You didn’t specify that,” Mercy pointed out. “Your son is sick. I’m not going to brew him a tea of pine needles. God wouldn’t have given us Tylenol if he didn’t want us to use it.”
“Watch your fucking mouth,” muttered Beckett.
The construction workers slowed, watching the small group, but they were too far away to hear the words. Curiosity and apprehension lined their faces. A few men stopped completely and stared.
“Jason says he met you on the way to the children’s cabin,” Pete said quietly, ignoring Beckett.
Mercy said nothing but gave Pete her attention.
“That would have been after you left the supply depot,” Beckett snapped. “After you told me you already had permission. She got real mouthy with me too.” His demeanor grew sulky.
To Beckett, her biggest sin had been her assertiveness at the supply depot.
She kept her gaze on Pete. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Chad constantly rubbing the back of his neck, his gaze darting from her to Sean, who stood behind her.
“I don’t tolerate liars.” Pete’s voice was calm. “There’s no room for that here.”
“Pete—” said Chad.
Pete held up a hand to stop Chad’s words. “Jessica can speak for herself.”
“Do you have kids?” Mercy asked Pete.
An odd expression flickered across his face and vanished. “No.”
She took in a deep breath. “Neither do I, but I want to one day.” She glanced at Chad. “Chad knows how I am about kids. Sick kids push my buttons. Noah is an exhausted shell of a little boy.” She lifted a brow at Jason. “He’s not usually like that, is he?”
He gave a short shake of his head.
“Simple medication like acetaminophen can make a world of difference. Why would I watch him suffer? We should have Tylenol drops on hand for the babies too. They can go downhill at the speed of light when they’re ill. I’ve seen it.” She looked back at Pete and softened her tone. “I’m sorry for crossing your line, but I’m not sorry for helping a five-year-old.” She lowered her gaze after spotting a hint of appreciation in Jason’s eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with helping a child be comfortable.”
I’d do the same again.
“The problem is your methods. This is your second day, and you’re already pushing the boundaries,” Pete stated. “You need to reevaluate if you want to be here. You are this close to going home.” He held up his thumb and finger an inch apart.
“Give her a break, Pete.” Chad turned to him. “She comes from a job where she told people what to do all day long. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t believe as we do.”
Judging by Pete’s face, Mercy didn’t think Chad was helping her case.
“Forty-eight hours,” announced Pete.
Beckett’s icy-blue eyes narrowed on Mercy as he grinned. Did that mean she had forty-eight hours to decide to stay? Confused, Mercy glanced at Chad. He looked stunned.
“Pete.” Chad took a few steps to place himself in front of Mercy. “I’ll take the punishment for her.”
Punishment? Mercy’s heart contracted. Swift and severe. Chad’s words from yesterday rang in her head, and she grew more conscious of Sean and his rifle behind her.
“You can’t do that,” Beckett burst out as he lumbered forward.
“I can,” Chad told him. “Right, Pete?”
What is going on?
Pete was silent, his gaze moving between Chad and Mercy. “He can.” Pete rubbed his chin. “But I’ll only let you take a quarter. Thirty-six hours for her. Twelve for you.”
“Thirty-six hours of what?” Her words were steady, but her heartbeat thundered in her chest.
“No rations. It’s level one.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t go to level two.”
“Thank you, Pete,” answered Chad, ducking his head.
He’s thanking him for denying us food? She could handle a day and a half of no food. That was no big deal. Forty-eight hours without food would have sucked, but it wasn’t impossible. Annoyance shot through her. Pete doled out punishment like a dictator.
He was a dictator; they were standing in his country.
“I’ll see that we get medication for the infants on the next supply trip,” Pete stated.
Relief swamped her. “Thank you.”
Now I’m thanking him.
Pete was smooth. He knew how to take away and then give a fraction back, so his people were grateful.
Beckett’s burning gaze caught hers, rattling her with its intensity.
She had an enemy.
***
“You’ve got to cool it down.” Chad’s words were harsh. “You’re gonna get kicked out—or worse—before we figure out what’s going on.”
Mercy spun to face him. “I get it. We’ve already been over this. You don’t need to tell me again.”
He grabbed her arm. “Apparently I do. You don’t understand these guys.”
Some of her anger faded. “I do understand them. That’s part of the problem. I grew up around people like them, and sometimes it makes me defensive.”
“And you can’t resist poking at them,” Chad added, a bit of humor in his gaze. “You’ve gotten under Beckett’s skin in a bad way. You need to step carefully around him.”
“The fact that I simply exist bothers him,” Mercy muttered. “I could wear a handmaid’s cloak, and I’d still annoy him.”
They held hands as they moved on, walking one of the paths under the pines, stealing a few minutes of lovers’ time away from the rest. Chad had said he’d planned to show her where he’d buried the satellite phone but changed his plans after her punishment session. He told her she’d have more eyes on her than before. Eyes she couldn’t see.
Mercy didn’t agree with that. She was perfectly aware of Sean’s presence several yards away. He was currently out of earshot, but his gaze burned a hole in her back. She glanced down at their clasped hands. Chad didn’t have a brand.
A tension she hadn’t realized she harbored evaporated.
“Several people have those brands on their wrists,” she said.
“It’s crazy,” Chad told her. “I swear they would die for Pete. He manages to pull extreme loyalty out of people. It’s a gift of some sort.”