The Inception (Book #1 of The Inception Trilogy)

chapter twenty-six

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

HARRY FINDS AN ABANDONED townhouse not too far beyond the gas station. It's a small thing with only two rooms, but perfect for a temporary situation. Only one of the windows is busted, a grand achievement considering the other options lined up and down the road. The door is still on its hinges, though barely. Inside has been ransacked and scavenged, as expected, however, the mess is the least of their problems.

After he checks the perimeter once more, he grabs the drainpipe dangling from the gutter, completely detached by but a centimeter of metal still holding together. He snaps it off, stepping over the forgotten and trampled flower bed to the door where he loops the pipe through the outside handle, around the porch post nearest, and bends until the two ends twist twice. Someone desperate enough could hack the porch post down easily, but hopefully stragglers will get the hint to stay away.

They'll have to travel quickly, though.

He hurries back to the group, now all huddled in the parking lot of the gas station, and explains his findings. Leo says their camp isn't far away from where Harry described. The best plan, Harry figures, is to get everyone resting inside the house, then only those necessary lead Leo back to his camp. "Those necessary" meaning the two who volunteer to carry the girl.

As of now, Buffy offers, scooping the girl up as if she weighs nothing. She winces and Leo tenses, but then his attention is stolen by the guy who finally stood from the counter. Oliver, Harry thinks. He hadn't really bothered to remember his name after receiving a weird feeling in his gut just from looking at him. Not really a bad feeling--just a distrustful one.

"You coming back or what?" Leo snaps at him, eyes narrowing.

Oliver shrugs. "Guess so."

Leo merely rolls his eyes and turns his back on him.

Harry stays on full alert as they openly walk down the wide street, chatting amongst themselves or staying quiet whenever the tiniest noise perks their ears. What he doesn't want is more experiments attracted to the scene, which would practically paint a line to their location. He isn't up for anymore fighting--he never is--and he doesn't think anyone else is either. He feels more vulnerable out in plain sight despite the woods crawling with people trying to hide. He knows his way around forest better than anything.

The walk takes longer than Harry was hoping for due to the children traveling with them. Their shorter legs struggle to keep up and they each get tired fairly quickly. Somehow the girl isn't the only one being carried anymore, as Shade and Harry now take turns letting each child rest on their back. Evelyn even participates, taking Robbie so Harry has Sasha and Shade has Ress. Their pace picks up.

Hardly.

"I'm hungry," Sasha murmurs into the back of his shoulder, her arms tight around his neck as if she's afraid she'll fall if she loosens them any.

"We're almost there," he tells her, shifting so she's higher up and not nearly choking him.

"Am I heavy?"

"Not even a little bit."

She giggles, then her laughter abruptly dies down and the smile that had slowly been spreading across Harry's face fades. "I miss Nive," she whispers randomly, but Harry know it's not so random for her. Her mind has probably never left the woman for a moment.

"I know." He's not sure what else to say. He hadn't been taught to comfort others, hadn't been taught compassion.

"I named him."

He turns his head to peek at her, but her face is still buried in his shirt. "Who?"

"The baby. Nive said if she had a girl, she would name it Lola, and if she had a boy, she would name it Alex. So his name is Alex."