Everyone gathered around the couch. Leslie and Payton sat down next to Michelle, while Brook leaned against the wall with his arms folded. Paige sat on the ledge of the couch with one leg over the other and Jett pulled up an office chair on wheels and sat back to front on it. Soriano stood in the middle of the group.
"Okay, now that we're all present –" Jett began, but Paige cut him off.
"Can we just get on already? Skip the lame speech."
"I think Michelle should speak. We haven't heard her story yet." Soriano said. Everybody looked at Michelle.
"Um... first of all, thank you, guys, for letting me stay here." She said. Leslie smiled.
"It's nothing kiddo. You're welcome here," she said. Paige scoffed but said nothing.
"But I want to know what's going on. Do you guys know anything about those cars that were chasing me? And why hasn't anyone called the cops yet? I mean, Leslie said my car blew up and I'm stranded here – wouldn't it be better to get the cops? I'm sure those men are wanted or something. From what you guys were saying earlier, it doesn't sound like I'm the first victim to get thrown off the road by them." Brook looked down to avoid Michelle's eyes.
"You've got your facts mixed up, angel face. Your car didn't blow up; it was blown up." Paige said, examining her nails.
"What? But I thought –" Michelle turned to Leslie.
"She probably didn't tell you because you look so – fragile," Payton said. "Those," he called the men a word that made Michelle wince, "tracked you down and set your car on fire. It's their way of saying they're after you. They won't leave you alone. No one gets away from them." Payton said.
"She doesn't need to know all that Payton!" Brook growled. Payton grinned humorlessly.
"What, are you trying to protect her? Pathetic. Anyway, she asked for the truth." He said.
"Wait, you didn't answer my question. Why can't we call the cops? Shouldn't they be the first to be notified about this?" Michelle asked again. Everyone avoided her eyes. Soriano stepped forward and spoke.
"There are no police around here. And even if there was, they wouldn't be any good."
"Why?" Michelle asked. Soriano looked at Brook. Brook nodded.
"Time's up. It's time for you to go to bed." Brook said, coming and taking Michelle's arm.
"What? No! I want to know why –"
"Because they'd kill us okay?! Sheesh, shut up about the cops already." Paige snapped.
"But... I don't understand. Why would they be after you? And who are those men? Who's gonna get them?" Michelle asked, staring straight at Paige.
"What do you think, we're all model citizens?! And those men," she spat the word out, "are the law around here! Nobody touches them, they control everything!"
"Shut up Paige!" Brook yelled. He tugged Michelle's good arm.
"Get up. It's time you left." Michelle stood up having no choice but to be led away by Brook. She heard Payton clap his hands in sarcasm.
"Well done Paige. Jett, looks like you keep your money." He said in a snide tone. Michelle didn't know what to make of them as she walked away.
"You can have the lower bunk. Leslie and Paige will be in the same room but you're not allowed to ask them any questions till morning. That's an order." Brook said, showing her to a bunk. Michelle noticed that her bag was already lying beside it.
"What makes you think you can order me around?" Michelle asked. Brook turned around so quickly that Michelle fell back on the bed. He clutched the bedpost above her head and leaned over her almost menacingly.
"I saved your life. I think I have the right." He said, staring down at her. Michelle stared back trying to think of a reason to contradict that but could not. She realized that Brook knew it too and saw a hint of a smile tug his lips.
"Get some sleep. You've had a long night." He said letting go of the bedpost. He was almost at the door when Michelle called him.
"Brook?" he turned.
"Thank you for saving my life."
"Forget it," he said. He turned out the light and left. Michelle laid down her pounding head. The painkiller had started to take effect and she felt sleepy. She closed her eyes, letting everything that happened replay in her head. Eight hours ago she never would have imagined she would be stranded in an unknown underground base, battered from a car crash, without a ride and her trip cut off throwing her into the middle of an unusual set of people.
Michelle was thankful for the painkiller – it had knocked her out like a light. She was sure she'd have nightmares of those men pursuing her otherwise.
She woke up feeling groggy and stiff but still better than the night before. She rubbed her eyes wondering why it was so dim – the only light she saw was through the curtain of a tiny skylight high on the wall. She got up and took out her toiletries from her bag using the light from her phone and navigated her way to the bathroom Leslie had shown her. After freshening up and showering, she pulled on a checked shirt and denim skirt and stepped out into the living room. Jett was on the couch snoring. Leslie was cooking something on an induction stove.
"Morning kiddo. You sleep okay?" Leslie asked. Michelle nodded.
"Morning. Is everybody still asleep?"
"No, they went out hours ago. Jett here is usually our baseman and I stayed behind to cook you a bit of breakfast – or should I say lunch, it's almost noon."
"Noon?" Michelle asked in surprise, glancing at the clock.
"Ah, it's okay. You're allowed to sleep in after all that last night," Leslie joked. Michelle smiled.
"Thanks." She sat at the table. "So... where did everybody go? Do they work in town?" Michelle asked. Leslie paused a moment before answering.
"You could say that. We do what we can to survive," Leslie answered. Michelle didn't miss the meaning between the lines.
"I understand," she said. Leslie turned around with a plate of beans and bread.
"Mexican style. Try it." Michelle took a spoon and scooped up a helping of beans into her mouth.
"Hmm... this is good." She said savoring the warm flavor.
"It was canned but I made some adjustments."
"Thanks, Leslie."
"No problem." She sat down opposite Michelle.
"So where are you coming from? I don't mean to criticize, but it wasn't the smartest thing for a girl to do, driving alone in the desert at night. If it weren't so dangerous already, you could've been stranded or – well anything could've happened."
"I was on a road trip, just touring the country."
"Been on the road long?"
"No actually I just left yesterday afternoon."
"That must be a bummer for you, having this happen. Your folks must be worried."
"No... they're not. I'm on my own." Michelle said. Leslie looked at her with pity.
"That must be pretty lonely."
"Not really. I don't mind being alone. I've been alone pretty much most of my life. I just - finally decided to make it worthwhile and see the country. It's also the only kind of vacation I can afford on a college student's minimum wage pay." Leslie laughed.
"That's understandable. But it sounds like there's more to it than that." Leslie said. Michelle blinked. Was everyone from the desert this perceptive?
Jett grunted in his sleep and mumbled something that sounded like 'cheese monsters'. Michelle hid a giggle.
"So what about everyone here? How did they get stuck here?" she asked.
"Nobody got 'stuck' here. Everybody's here by choice. This was like a safe haven from where they were coming from. So we decided to stick together and increase our odds of survival."
"Don't they have – families waiting for them?"
"Some of them do... but it's not my place to talk about that." Michelle understood not to pry.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"Do you like being here?" Leslie folded her fingers on the table.
"It's better than being out there, trust me."
"That's understandable," Michelle said, quoting her. Leslie studied her face for a minute.
"You're alright kiddo. I like you," she said. The door opened and Brook came in.
"You're awake," he said on seeing Michelle. She smiled.
"Is that all you know how to say around me?" she teased. He ignored her and spoke to Leslie.
"Soriano says you can go, I'll see to her," Brook said, indicating Michelle with his eyes.
"Then I'll be taking off. Don't go crashing any more cars okay?" she added with a smile to Michelle. She picked up a jacket and left.
"And he's got work to do," Brook said, turning to Jett's sleeping form. He went over and kicked his foot.
"Jett, get up. It's past noon." Jett yawned and stretched looking around.
"Hey Michelle, you're up. Did you get up before me?" Jett asked with wide eyes.
"Everyone did, now get to work. Chief said you had some stuff to look up." Jett rubbed his eyes sleepily. He got up, took a packet from the fridge, and went out.
"Come on. I'll help you with your bandage." Brook said to Michelle.
"That's not necessary; I can take it off myself." She said feeling uncomfortable.
"Who says you're taking it off? It needs to be changed." He took her wrist and pulled her towards the infirmary. Michelle noticed the base was much brighter during the day since sunlight came in through the small skylights located some twenty feet high on the wall.
"Do you like to play doctor?" Michelle asked as Brook replaced the bandage. The cut was better but still needed to be covered up.
"I don't play," Brook said without looking at her. She flinched a little as she felt his cool fingers on her waist.
"So what do you do when you're not out rescuing girls in the desert or patching them up?" Michelle asked.
"I don't usually do this." He said checking her arm. "Soriano gives us jobs to do in town and we do 'em. It pays the bills and lets us survive." Michelle swallowed. She wondered what sort of jobs he did but didn't think she wanted to know.
"So why are you doing this for me?" she asked, watching his expression. He looked up at her eyes, an unreadable look in his own.
"Isn't it what anyone would've done? You look like the type who'd do it anyway." He said. Michelle thought he sounded evasive.
"You're good to go," Brook said. Michelle got off the bed and walked back to the base.
"Are you going out now?" she asked Brook as he followed her out.
"No, I have to work on a car." he pointed to a blue and bronze-painted car that was parked near the entrance of the base.
"Mind if I come watch? It's not like I have anything better to do." Brook hesitated for a moment but agreed.
"Fine, but don't distract me. I usually work alone so I'm not used to the company."
"I get that," Michelle said.
"You do? You don't look like the type to go brooding alone in corners avoiding people." Brook said, giving her a once-over. Michelle turned away.
"Looks can be deceiving." Brook noticed the change in her tone.
"Then let's sneak away to a corner and be alone together." He said with a serious face. Michelle grinned at that, the mood lightening.
You can sit on my car. I don't mind." Brook said as he kicked out a creeper from under one of the cars. Michelle went over to the black car which she had come in last night.
"Not that one; mine's the black Bugatti," Brook said, pointing to another black car opposite the one he was going to work on. It had a thin stripe of purple painted along the sides.
"Oh, sorry." Michelle sat on the hood of the Bugatti, her feet resting on its hood. Brook lay on the creeper and began to examine the underside of the blue car.
"So what's the difference between this black car and that one? Other than the purple stripe." Michelle asked.
"Tell me you're joking," Brook said, his voice slightly muffled from under the car.
"I'm no car expert. All I see are two black cars."
"The one I drove last night is an Infiniti Q50 hybrid. Best for stealth. She can do fifty mph in seconds." Michelle blinked. That was unnaturally fast.
"The one you're sitting on is a Bugatti Veyron. Built for speed. Good for getting away."
"What would you want to get away from?" Brook didn't speak for a moment and Michelle thought he didn't hear her.
"Shouldn't you know the answer to that from last night?" he said finally. Michelle closed her eyes. She did know that.
"Who owns the car you're working on?" Michelle asked.
"Reece. The guy with the blue hair."
"I remember."
"It's an Acura NSX. Horsepower in the back wheels. V6 engine. Fast, but nothing on my Bugatti."
"You seem to know a lot about cars."
"I – worked as a mechanic for a few years."
"Is that how you learned to 'read' cars?" She heard him grin softly.
"Cars are like people. They have personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. You learn them and use them right, they cooperate with you. You try to make them work your way – they'll fail you." Michelle wasn't sure if he was talking about people or cars.
"I wish you could read my car," Michelle said regretfully. "Too bad it's long gone."
"I saw your car. It was a V8 Nissan. Not the best choice for hitting a hundred. You would've outdriven those cars on a bike better than in your car." Michelle frowned.
"Look, I know I made a mistake last night, but does everyone have to keep harping about it? I get it – I messed up. But it's not like I did it on purpose."
"You shouldn't have driven out there in the first place. What were you doing out there anyway?"
"I – was on a road trip."
"By yourself?"
"You're not the only one who's not used to company."
"Present company included?" Brook asked. Michelle was surprised.
"No... you're okay. When you're not being a jerk." Brook grinned.
"When have I ever been a jerk? Payton already has that role down." There was silence as Brook fiddled with some tools.
"So where were you heading?" Brook asked.
"Nowhere in particular. I was just taking in the sights, cruising."
"You're idea of a vacation?"
"Something like that. It was – more of a break from everything."
"Searching for adventure?" Michelle smiled at Brook's question.
"You could say that."
"Must be hard."
"What?"
"Having your trip cut short."
"It doesn't have to be. I still don't understand why I can't go to a police station and report those men." Brook rolled out from under the car and stared at her.
"How do you propose getting there?" Brook asked. Michelle opened her mouth but closed it. She forgot she had no ride.
"So I'm grounded here?" she asked.
"You're safe here. Until we decide what to do with you, you stay here."
"Why do you get to decide? I could just –"
"Just what? Walk out of here? We're in the middle of the desert." Michelle stared at him with exasperation. An idea came to her.
"There are a lot of cars here... I could drive off in one of these. Maybe this one." She said, patting the hood of Brook's car. Brook laughed sarcastically.
"I can't even get started on the number of things that could go wrong. One, you won't get the keys to any of these cars, two, you won't know how to drive them, and three, you don't stand a chance alone." His last words riled her up and she stood up intending to walk away in fury.
"Where are you going?" Brook asked, getting up from the creeper.
"None of your business! If I want to leave this place I will! I don't need – Ah!" Michelle was so angry that she didn't see a spanner lying on the floor and slipped on it. Brook was behind her in a second and caught her before she could fall flat on her back.
"You can't even walk straight. How are you gonna drive out of here?" he teased in a low voice. Michelle stood up and winced, the cut in her side cramping. Brook noticed her pain.
"Hey..." he said, coming and supporting her from behind, "Don't get offended. I didn't mean to make you mad." Michelle looked up into his luminescent blue eyes and her anger melted.
"Come with me," he said, pulling her back to his car. He opened the driver's door.
"After you," he said, gesturing to the seat. Michelle debated whether to walk away or give in to him. Finally, she got in. Brook got into the passenger seat.
"Wow..." Michelle said, feeling the leather seats. She now understood the difference between four-figure used cars and seven-figure branded cars. It was like sitting on a cloud. Even the scent of the leather was different – the feel, the texture, everything.
"What are we doing in here?" Michelle asked.
"I'm gonna teach you the ins and outs of a real car," Brook replied smoothly. Michelle blinked.
"Why?"
"You know... in case you ever want to bail – nobody else is gonna let you steal their cars."
Er... you'd let me steal your car and run away?" His eyes were smoldering as he gazed intently at her.
"Only if you really wanted to." Michelle found her throat closed and her air supply cut off. This boy could really set something off in her.
"How old are you?" she blurted. He looked taken aback by the question and grinned widely.
"What, were you dying of curiosity to know that?"
"No... never mind." Michelle looked down at her high-tops in embarrassment.
"Twenty-two." He said. She risked a glimpse at him.
"Oh." She thought he might have been older – he definitely gave off a vibe of being mature, at least in his looks. And yet there was something boyish in his behavior... something boyishly attractive...
"Go on. Take the wheel." He said. Michelle turned back to the slippery looking steering wheel and gripped it with cautious fingers.
"The car is gonna take off on its own if you don't take control, Michelle." Michelle noticed it was the first time he said her name.
"Here –" Brook placed his hands over hers, curling her fingers tight over the steering wheel.
"If you ever go over a hundred, grip it like this." Michelle felt the skin of her hands scorch beneath his touch.
"What's the fastest you've ever gone?" he asked.
"A hundred."
"Last night?" he asked with a suave smile.
"Driving to the supermarket and back usually only requires a thirty." Michelle wished her breath didn't come out so uneven. Why was she going to pieces around him? She had never been this nervous since the finals in her first semester.
He finally took his hands away and started pointing out the various meters and buttons.
"It goes to a maximum speed of two sixty plus but I wouldn't recommend that for you. if you need to get away, a hundred and fifty should be enough."
"I don't think I'd be brave enough to even try a hundred and five," Michelle said.
"Someday, you might not have a choice. When that day comes, you can't let fear hold you back." Brook said. Michelle wondered if he was talking from personal experience.
"I'm no racer or even a regular car person. The only reason I ever got a car was to not be the odd one out." She said.
"Coz everyone at high school had a set of wheels and you didn't?" He asked.
"Everyone in college." Brook frowned in thought.
"Wait, how long have you been driving?"
"I got my license only about six months ago and there's not a lot of driving to do in college. I must have driven maybe five or six times in the last six months. Yesterday was actually the first time I ever really drove on real roads."
"Sounds like you missed out on a lot. Half a dozen times is not enough. Most kids learn to drive at sixteen and are comfortable behind the wheel by college. You need practice. I'll teach you everything you need to know." He said with a wink.
"Wait, now?" Michelle asked. He scoffed.
"DO you think I'm gonna let you go a hundred and fifty per hour after last night? I mean when you get better." Michelle nodded. She didn't understand why he would bother to teach her in the first place. Or what good it would do now that she didn't have a car anymore? Did he really think she would take his car? She didn't know what to make of him.
"What's the fastest you've ever gone?" she asked. He smiled.
"Two thirty-nine." Michelle's jaw dropped open.
"Whoa – wow." Brook reached out his hand and lifted her chin, closing her mouth.
"Doesn't take much to impress you does it?" he asked rhetorically.
"What does it feel like?" Michelle asked her eyes aflame with a fire that was new to her. She found herself leaning over the gearshift, clutching the seat in excitement.
"What?"
"Going at that speed?" Brook stared at her eager heart-shaped face, the blaze from her eyes reflected in his. He leaned closer, cutting the distance between them as he spoke.
"It feels like... the first time you taste freedom and you get addicted to it from that moment like a drug. Like flying while still being in control. Like... falling in love for the first time... and wanting more." His voice lowered near the end and his gaze intensified. Michelle couldn't look away; it was like his gaze was magnetic and held her eyes with a force she couldn't break... or didn't want to break.
A flicker of his eyes to her lips sent her pulse into overdrive. Her heart beat so fast and loud in the stillness of the car she was sure he heard it. He leaned closer, his lips barely an inch from hers. She even felt his breath on her face – it was warm and inviting. She knew he wouldn't feel hers because her lungs were frozen in anticipation.
"Breathe." He whispered. She let her breath out of her mouth, her lips drying. She had an irresistible urge to moisten them with her tongue but didn't dare do it in front of him.
"Michelle..." his voice was low and sent an electric rush through her.
"There you guys are!" Jett's voice startled them both apart; it was like being jolted out of a dream by falling out of bed. Michelle leaned back breathing heavily, her fingers white from clutching the seat.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! What are you doing in there?" Jett asked, peering through the glass. Brook got out of the car.
"None of your business. I was showing Michelle my car." Jett laughed.
"Yeah, I bet she's never seen anything that cool. You coming? Chief wants to have a word with you." Brook turned and glanced at Michelle still sitting in the car.
"Go on, I'll catch up." He told Jett. Jett walked away whistling.
"I should go..." Brook said, jerking his thumb backward. Michelle got out of the car.
"S-Sure." She stuttered. He hesitated.
"Um, Brook?"
"Yeah?"
"You promise you'll show me how to drive soon, right? I mean really drive." He smiled.
"It's a date." He said and walked away. Michelle clung to the top of the car to steady herself. Nothing even happened but she felt like she just flew to the sun and back. Her cheeks were on fire. His very presence made her go weak; his blazing eyes were enough to undo her. His touch from earlier made her skin tingle.
What was this? These feelings were new to her... She couldn't even get them under control... what was wrong with her heart? It wasn't even this bad the night before when her adrenaline was rushing and terror gripped her. This was way stronger – way more intense.
She tried to keep herself from thinking what would happen if he kissed her... what his lips would feel like... would she become completely undone by a kiss? His kiss?