Chapter 15
Stuart jumped down from the van as soon as he’d hidden it off the main road, prepared to take off on foot to connect with Maya and whoever she’d found who needed to be brought into the fold. He thought she’d found a few women, but the radio connection he’d made with Jay yesterday hadn’t been clear. Jay had her coordinates, but he’d cut out when telling him who was with her.
No way would Stuart risk anyone seeing or finding the van, so he left it about a mile from where he was supposed to pick up Maya’s latest recruits and headed toward them on foot.
He knew the location. They’d used it several times. It wasn’t as secure as some of their outposts, but it worked in a pinch. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been close enough to come last night. He’d waited until early this morning so he could arrive in daylight.
When he got close enough to see the corner of the cabin, he squatted down to survey the area first, always careful not to walk into an ambush. After watching a few minutes, he pulled out his radio and reached out to Maya.
“Hey. Guess you made it.”
“Yep. We clear?”
“Yes. Come on in.” Maya stepped out of the small cabin and looked around.
Stuart rose from his spot and headed toward her. He did this sort of pickup often, but every time it made his hackles rise. When he reached her, he pulled her into a bear hug. Maya was a private person. She didn’t touch many people, but she always let Stu hug her.
“You look good.” She grinned. “I heard through the grapevine there might be a woman in your life?”
He smiled in return. “Yep.”
“Come inside. Tell me about her.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the cabin. “Cora is still asleep, so we’ll need to whisper.”
Stuart nodded as he followed her inside. There was a small cot in the corner of the room, and indeed a woman was curled up in a ball sacked out on it.
Maya pointed at the two chairs next to a rickety old table. “I know I should let you get back ASAP, but I want to catch up at least for a few minutes.”
Stuart dropped onto the chair. “There’s just one woman with you?”
Maya glanced at the woman she’d called Cora. “She was with another woman until a few days ago. Grecia. They were hiding in a rundown shack on the other side of the compound. Grecia is pregnant and getting close to giving birth. Cora thinks the baby is breech, so she went out in search of help. She must have walked right over the top of the compound. I ended up finding her wandering around in this area.”
“Jesus.” Stuart frowned. “Someone needs to go get the other woman.”
Maya nodded. “Already on it. I spoke to Jay who radioed into the compound to let them know. I think a team left to find Grecia last night.”
“Good. Kester is there. Hopefully, he made the run.”
Maya glanced at the sleeping woman and then leaned closer to Stuart, keeping her voice low. “Talk to me. Who is this woman you’ve hooked up with? Do I know her?”
“Yeah.” He felt kind of sheepish about talking to Maya about his happiness, but he wouldn’t leave her hanging. “It’s Ariel. You rescued her and her sister a few months ago.”
Maya smiled. “Ah right. The blond sister. Jay and his family unit ended up hooking up with the other one, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve only been in the compound a few times in the last few months, but I thought you weren’t fond of her.”
He ran a hand over his head, probably making a mess of his hair. It was getting too long. He wondered if Ariel could cut it. “I might have been lying to myself.”
She chuckled. “And everyone else?”
“Yes. She blindsided me. I thought if I ignored the attraction, it would go away. I tried pissing her off by acting like she was too young for me, but she’s relentless.”
Maya laughed again, covering her mouth to keep her voice from carrying. “Sounds perfect for you. Is it just the two of you?”
Stu winced. “No. The man I share my apartment with, Kester, and…” He drew in a breath. “Tarin.”
Her eyes shot wide. “Tarin? How the hell did that happen? Have you even spoken to him in five years?”