But what if she didn’t? What if we’ve been completely wrong all this time?
If anyone’s going to figure it out, it’s got to be me—both because shehasstarted opening up to me, and because none of the other guys are willing to even consider the possibility.
And if I’m going to figure it out, then for all our sakes, I’d better do it soon.
The train jolts and rattles, and Jacob looks up from the phone. “It’s taking the southwest route. This one isn’t good anymore.” He gets to his feet. “Everybody ready to jump?”
Twenty-Six
Riva
Stones rattle under my feet along the side of the train tracks. The occasional kicked pebble patters off into the brush where it’s too dark for me to follow its path.
Enough moonlight steams down over the tracks as they cut through the sparse woodland for me to make out the two guys ahead of me, though they aren’t much more than silhouettes. Jacob marches forward with purposeful strides like he could keep going all night—and maybe he could. Dominic looks like he’s drooping a little, though.
It’s hard to judge how Andreas and Zian are doing from the crunch of their footsteps behind me, but they don’t sound particularly energetic. No one’s spoken in ages.
My muscles could keep going for hours longer, but my eyes are starting to get heavy. I only managed to get an hour or two of sleep on the train.
I suppress a yawn and peer through the scattered trees alongside the tracks. We’re following the route that should take us closer to our intended destination, but since we set out, no trains have come rushing by. We haven’t spotted any ideal place to steal a vehicle of our own either, although I’m not totally sure what criteria Jacob is going by to make that decision.
After several more minutes of trudging, the tree line peters out at our left. Fields sprawl out for miles, leading to low hills faintly outlined against the night sky.
Dominic’s head turns to gaze out over the same landscape. I sense his pause before he speaks.
“There’s a house down there. No lights, and the garage roof looks damaged. I don’t see any vehicles in the driveway. Maybe we should scope it out and if it’s abandoned, use it to crash for the rest of the night?”
Jacob lets out a disgruntled sound, but he seems to consider the possibility before he answers. “That might not be the worst idea. We’re not making a lot of progress like this, and who knows when the next train will be by.”
“We might be able to scrounge up something useful in the house,” Zian adds.
Andreas comes up beside me, stretching his arms. “I could use a longer rest on a floor that’s not shaking me around.”
No one asks my opinion, but I’m perfectly happy to tramp with the others down through the weedy grass and across the field toward the house. Imagine if the place still hasbeds.
Such luxury.
As we get closer, I make out a sign on a post out front. By the time we reach it, I can read the thicker letters even in the darkness.
“The place is for sale,” Zian says in a low voice, frowning at it.
Dominic motions to the smears of dirt on the sign and the crumbling edges. “That’s been here for a long time. Doesn’t look like anyone’s been trying to show off the property lately.”
Jacob squints at the garage roof, half of which appears to have caved in. “Could be once the roof went, they gave up, or at least couldn’t be bothered to get it fixed right away.”
We poke around the edges of the property, confirming there are no vehicles squeezed into the still-roofed side of the garage or parked elsewhere out of view. No one else stirs in or around the house.
Zian scans the walls with the tensed expression that comes over him when he’s peering through things. “I don’t see anyone inside. It’s pretty empty—like they left some basic furniture for buyers to see but that’s it.”
Jacob walks up to the front door. “All right. Might as well make use of what we’ve been given.”
I can’t tell whether the door is already unlocked or if he uses his talent. Either way, we’re walking into the front hall moments later.
The place is still and silent other than the creak of the floorboards under our shoes.
Like Zian suggested, the furnishings are totally spartan. The living room holds only a futon sofa and a plain coffee table.
There’s a dining room with only the table and four chairs, nothing along the walls. All the kitchen appliances are on hand, but the fridge and the cupboards are bare.