Bounty Hunter

Chapter 21

Sara's jaw was set as firmly as her hands on her hips. "You've developed a bad habit of bringing home strays, Joe Ballast. Just because you send credits my way, don't think you can send all your trouble my way."

Joe fidgeted, wiping at a grimy spot on his helmet, which he'd taken off, before returning his gaze to Sara. "I know it's not fair to you, and I'm sorry, but Clearwater isn't safe for Romy, and I might need to disappear for a while."

"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"

He furrowed his brows. "The murc kind."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd find the worst kind. You know something, Joe? You can't keep trouble from showing up at your doorstep, but you don't have to let it in."

"They were going to kill her. She's just a kid." When Sara's features began to soften, he added, "She's the same age as Nick."

Sara's chin wrinkled for a second, as though biting back the urge to cave.

"I just need to leave her here for a few days until Sheriff Vane finds a home for her."

Sara stiffened taller. "Damn straight you and that sheriff will find a home for her. You didn't see a sign outside that reads 'Swinton Orphanage for Wayward Children,' did you?"

He shook his head. "No ma'am, I did not."

She wagged a finger at him. "And don't 'ma'am' me. I'm a year younger than you."

The door behind Joe opened, and Nick's brown mop of hair peeked in. Champ squeezed through the opening and ran toward Joe. He scratched the dog's ears.

"Mom, can I go meet Romy now?" Nick asked.

She pointed to the door. "Not yet. Go take a seat outside and be quiet. Joe and I aren't finished talking yet."

Nick's features fell. "Come on, Champ," he said, as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He held the door open for the dog to follow him back outside.

Sara eyed Joe for a length, then blew out a breath. "Let me go see to the poor child. She must be terrified with everything going on."

"You want me to—"

"Go outside and wait with my son," Sara interrupted.

He pressed his lips together, and gingerly stepped upstairs and outside while Sara walked to Nick's bedroom, where Joe had sent Romy to wait.

Joe found Nick sitting on the ground, kicking up dust, cupping his chin in his hands with his elbows on his legs. Meanwhile, Champ was checking out every rock in the small yard.

Nick looked up when Joe took a seat next to him. The boy pouted. "Mom's mad at me."

"No, she's not." She's mad at me.

"She only tells me to sit down and shut up when she's mad at me."

Joe squeezed Nick's shoulder. "Don't let it get to you. Parents do stuff like that when they're stressed. Besides, it's one of the ways parents get to mess with their kids' heads. Once they teach you how to walk and talk, they start telling you to sit down and shut up."

Nick watched him for a moment with a confused expression before shaking it off. "Do you know, does Romy get to stay?"

Joe shook his head. "Sorry, kiddo. Romy's just staying with you until she finds a new home."

"But I want her to stay."

"Romy's not a puppy like Champ."

He scowled. "I know that. It's just that I never had a brother or a sister, and I think it'd be nice. That's all." Nick looked up at Joe. "Did you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No. I was born before the Revolution, back when Zenith State only allowed one kid per couple."

Nick's eyes widened. "Really? Why?"

"We'd been told the Earth was still poisoned, so we lived in the silos still, and resources were a lot tighter than they are now." Joe tried not to think of his childhood, of his earliest memories. He was the first generation to see Earth's surface, as desolate as it was. Seven generations had come and gone before him underground, never to feel natural sunlight on their skin. Like every person born in a silo, he'd been taught the history of the world. First came the year of the great pandemic, which was followed by the year of the even greater domino collapse: environment, economics, politics, law, and just plain life in general after an "accidental" nuclear war erupted. The surface was no longer hospitable to humans. Most relocated to massive underground shelters. Some clung to the surface; no one knew what happened to them. Life continued that way for seven generations until Joe was born. He knew many still lived in the silos, rather than building the tiny subterranean homes like Sara's, and he wondered how different life was for those who continued their lives fifty feet below ground.

"Wow. Mom told me that she couldn't go outside when she was just a kid, but I didn't really believe her. The way she tells it, everything was harder for her than for me. Like I have things so easy now." He rolled his eyes.

Joe smirked. "I know you've got it tough, but she had it tough, too. Take it easy on her. She works hard to make things nice for the two of you."

Nick shrugged. "I guess."

They sat there. Nick looked up and shaded his eyes against the hot sun. "You know what I learned yesterday?"

"What's that?"

"That the sun is a star," the boy answered.

"Oh yeah?" Joe said, his lips curling upward.

"Yeah, and you want to know why it's so bright?"

"Why's that?" Joe went along with him.

"Because it's a whole lot closer to us than other stars. The other stars are this far away from us"—he held his hands as far apart as he could manage—"and the sun is this far away." He brought his hands so close they were nearly touching. "So, all the stars would be bright like the sun if they were closer."

"Interesting stuff," Joe added.

"Yeah. Did you know that the stars are out there even during the day? You just can't see them because the sun's so bright." Nick frowned. "The only thing I don't get is why we call it 'the Sun' instead of 'the Star.'"

"That's because we like to name things that are a part of our world. Just like how you named your dog Champ rather than calling her Dog all the time."

The dog looked up at the mention of her name.

Nick laughed. "Dog is a stupid name."

The door behind them opened, and Sara stood above them. "Come in. Nick, I want you to meet Romy."

Nick was to his feet in a split-second, followed by Champ, who never let the boy stray out of sight; Joe entered last.

Sara stood next to Romy, who was hugging herself, looking timid. "Romy, this is my son Nick. Nick, Romy will be staying with us for a little while."

Nick stepped up to the girl. Romy's skin was paler than Nick's brown skin. It was hard to believe they were the same age. Nick was at least three inches taller and twenty pounds heavier.

"Want to see my room?" he asked.

Her brow furrowed. "Wasn't I just in there?"

"Yeah, but did you see my pellet gun?"

She shook her head.

He grinned and grabbed her hand. "Come on. I'll show you."

The kids went back to Nick's room, and Champ followed, happily wagging her tail.

"Looks like they'll get along just fine," Joe said.

"Let's hope. But your sheriff friend better be working on finding a home for her."

"Don't worry, she is." He didn't mention that Val currently had her hands full trying to find hiding places and escape routes for a hundred-plus runaway slaves while avoiding Roderick Sloan's murcs. He inhaled and raised his helmet. Before putting it on, he said, "I have to get to Haft's to check in with Reuben. If he hasn't heard about what happened in Clearwater yet, he'll hear soon."