And hope there is decent wireless coverage.
She’d wait for Chad to return and send him to use the satellite phone.
A few men lined up behind her, and she covertly studied them, wondering if any were the two she’d overheard yesterday.
She got her food, spotted Eden at a table in the mess hall, and sat beside her, curious about what had happened to Noah in town. The girl nodded at Mercy’s greeting and continued to pick at her scrambled eggs, resting her head on one hand, her eyes red and swollen.
Clearly Eden hadn’t heard any news about Noah.
Mercy realized the teen must feel as alone as she did with Chad gone. Eden currently didn’t have a brother or father. Or mother. Mercy committed to keeping the teenager close and distracted from thoughts of her little brother. And maybe Eden’s presence would help Mercy forget how isolated and vulnerable she currently was in the compound. Mercy ate and, even with the mass of turmoil in her head, the breakfast was one of the most delicious meals she’d had in years. Amazing what supreme hunger could do.
Pete entered and scanned the room. Spotting Mercy, he strode toward her. He didn’t look like a man with a mysterious plan of destruction. She wiped her mouth, fear and hope battling in her stomach as she wondered if he had news about Noah. Eden saw him approach and gave a small gasp. She sat up straighter on the hard bench, anticipation on her face.
He stopped at their table, a light dusting of snow in his hair and on his coat. “The urgent care center transferred Noah to a hospital last night. He was dehydrated.”
A knot untied in Mercy’s chest. No doubt fluids and antibiotics would make a world of difference in the boy’s health.
“The hospital insisted Noah have a parent present,” Pete continued. “They said they’d assign him a county caseworker if a parent didn’t appear.” Annoyance weighed heavy in his tone. “That is part of what I wanted to avoid,” he said, pinning a harsh look on Mercy. “We don’t need the government telling us how to take care of our children.”
Yet I have to force you to take care of them.
“I called Jason in Portland and told him,” Pete said. “He made it to the hospital late last night to be with his son and sent Sean back here.”
“Is Chad at the hospital too?” Mercy asked.
“No. I rented him another vehicle to stay in Portland and get the shipment.” Pete looked behind him, checking on the other mess hall residents. “All of my order hadn’t arrived like they told me. They swear it’ll be there in a few days, so I told Chad to wait for it.”
Mercy’s heart dropped. Chad was out in the wide world without an escort; he had the ability to communicate with the ATF, take long showers, and get Starbucks. But Mercy was stuck in the compound with news of a big event occurring tomorrow and no means to warn anyone. At least Pete’s news meant Chad wasn’t the driver they were waiting for. He might know nothing of the plan. Relief hit her, and the tension evaporated. She hadn’t realized the level of her agitation, wondering if Chad was part of Pete’s plan.
Sean passed behind Pete’s back, a tray of food in his hands. His gaze collided with Mercy’s, but he walked on.
Pete glanced at Sean as he took a seat a few tables away. “Sean barely made it back home in the middle of the night. The roads are insanely slick, and a lot more snow is forecast over the next few days. County won’t send plows up here unless I ask them to, and our landlord says the cost would be on me.” His face was grim. “Good thing we’re prepared for winter.”
Mercy had seen their stores; this compound wasn’t anywhere near prepared. Uncertainty swamped her. “But what about Chad—and Jason? How will they get back if the roads are bad?”
Am I stuck here? Possibly for the rest of the winter?
The ATF needed to know what she’d overheard.
Pete was already walking away. “We’ll figure out something,” he said without concern. He stopped at another table, greeted the men, and joined their conversation.
At least Noah is getting treatment.
“Eden, want to come with me?” Mercy asked the teen. The girl nodded, looking encouraged, and took care of her tray without asking where Mercy was going. “That was good news about Noah,” Mercy added. “He’ll quickly get better in the hospital.”
“I’m so relieved.”
Mercy understood.
Outdoors, Mercy pulled on her gloves, eyeing the snow. Finding the satellite phone was completely out of the question. Frustration made her want to hit something. She was powerless.
Will innocent people die as a result of their plan?
Eden adjusted her hat and then tucked her hands under the armpits of her thick coat.
“Do you have gloves?” Mercy asked as she pulled up her hood.
“No.”
“Then our first stop is to requisition some gloves for you.”
Eden made a face. “I doubt they have any left.” They took the broken path through the snow toward the supply depot, their boots crunching in the white fluff.
“I probably should hide while you ask for gloves,” Mercy admitted, not wanting Beckett to deny Eden something simply because Mercy was there.
“Beckett’s a dick.”
One side of Mercy’s mouth rose in a half smile. “You noticed that, did you?”
“Hard to miss. Where did you want to walk after that?” Eden’s cheeks were pink from the cold, and Mercy’s heart did a double beat at the sight. Kaylie’s cheeks flushed the same way.
A craving to see her niece stole her breath. She desperately missed the teenager and wondered if that was why she was so focused on Eden.
“Nowhere,” Mercy said once her lungs returned to normal. “I wanted to roam around a bit. Enjoy the sight of the snow. Maybe go up to the clearing, where the new building is.”
They passed several people heading to breakfast. Nods were exchanged, but no one spoke directly to the two of them. Mercy wondered if that was normal behavior, or if she’d been identified as a troublemaker already.
She didn’t care what they thought. She should care, since Chad had told her not to make waves, but she couldn’t sit by and let shit hit the fan.
“I saw you the first day I was here.” Mercy put the other residents out of her mind and concentrated on Eden. “Vera was giving me a tour, and you were hiding in the women’s cabin. I didn’t say anything to Vera. I figured if you were hiding, there was a good reason.”
Eden’s cheeks grew pinker.
“No one was supposed to be in the cabin,” Eden admitted. “You and Vera surprised me. Cindy was dead asleep before you came in. I never worry about waking her.”
“What were you doing?”
The teen kicked at the snow. “Just looking around.”
Mercy said nothing.
“Vera often has candy,” Eden said after a long silent moment. “No one is supposed to have it in camp, but somehow she gets it.” The girl frowned. “I don’t take it all—just some. I think it’s funny that she can’t report that someone is stealing from her—”