MEGAN
Megan and Nikita were allowed some respite whilst the boys and Frost took turns at driving but the girls opted to take over for a while once they’d reached South Carolina. Frost directed them to a small forest like area, just on the outskirts of the state, where she had planned to dump the bus.
After unloading everything from the bus into the back of the black van, Uncle tossed them a packet of sterile wipes and they set to wiping off all traces of them from the bus. They worked from the inside out whilst Frost and Uncle pulled branches from trees and bushes and started piling them along and atop the vehicle as a camouflage.
“That ought to do the trick.” Uncle mumbled as Frost meandered back to the van.
“How long do you think it’ll be before it’s discovered?” Jack asked.
“I need to talk to you.” Nikita whispered in Megan’s ear, pulling her farther into the thicket of trees.
“Slow down, Nikki. What’s going on?”
“I need to show you something. Do you think she can hear us?”
“Who?”
“Frost!”
“Nah, I doubt it. She went back to the van to take a call on her cell. There’s better reception out by the road. What’s up, Nikita?”
Nikita took Megan’s hand in her own and pressed an empty clip into her palm. Megan stared at it quizzically wondering if the state of shock her friend had gone into had somehow addled her mind.
“What…?”
“It’s empty, I took it from Frost’s gun as I went to reload it at the hotel.”
“So?”
“Look closer.”
Megan looked at it again, still lost for any significance that Nikita could surely see. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking at.”
“They were blanks.” She hissed.
Megan’s brows went up in surprise, staring at the empty clip, Megan realised she was right. Both girls, wordlessly, started moving out into the clearing, where the boys were having a heated discussion about camouflage, past the bus and out towards the road.
“Don’t tell her I know. I replaced it with another round of blanks.” Nikita whispered.
“I’m not going to say anything. I just want to hear who she’s speaking to.”
“Yes,” Frost was saying as they hid behind a large bush bedecked in wild berries, “I understand. I just don’t want to believe… all right, James, I’ll take your word for it. I’m just disappointed is all.”
“James?” Nikita asked.
“Shroud.” Megan said in a quite growl.
“I won’t be long. I don’t know,” Frost said impatiently, “a few more hours at least.” There was a pause before Frost rushed on. “What’s she doing? Don’t let her kill her, James. We could use her. Do you know how big an asset she could be? I know, I know, I’m sorry. There’s no need to shout.”
“Ready to go?” Megan said, bounding forward with a false but bright smile on her face.
“Sure, hon. Listen I got to go, I’ll speak to you real soon.”
“Who was that?” Nikita asked, following Megan’s lead.
“Oh, no one. Just an old colleague looking for Mama too.”
YOU ARE READING
Close To Embers (formerly known as Modern Love)
Science FictionSP: Double crossed, cheated, victimised and torn - yet the girls are still standing strong. LP: Not even a week had passed since the girls had parted ways to do Mama Goody's bidding. They were successful, if not unorthodox, in their roles. Flame...
