So I hope you are still with me because now the drama begins…..
Oh yeah, and I'm still waiting to hear from you. Yes, you.
Dumb Luck
When I awoke, I found myself slung over Ian's chest like a rag doll. He was sprawled out on his back as always and taking up most of the bed. It reminded of the conversation he and I had when he called himself 'big and goofy'. When he was awake he was athletic and handsome, but when he slept he definitely looked big and goofy. I laughed to myself. I decided to get up and shower without waking him. As I slid my leg off of him, his arm came up and pulled me down onto his chest. Getting out of this bed might not be as easy as I thought. I slowly slipped myself out from under his arm and slid off of his chest totally freeing myself from his body. He suddenly reached out grabbing at air and his eyes popped wide open. "Wanda?" His eyes were still focusing.
"Good morning."
He grabbed me and pulled me to him. I was facing him with my elbow on his chest.
"Are you okay?" He seemed worried.
"Never better."
"You fell off the bed. Twice."
"I did? Hmm. I must have been dead to the world or I fell on my head."
He placed his hand on my cheek and he looked uneasy. "Well, I think it was more I pushed you off the bed. I'm sorry Babe."
"Huh. That it explains it then." Even in his unconsciousness, he had been trying to keep me close.
"Explains what?"
"Uh, nothing." I kissed him quickly and sprang from the bed before he could pull me back down. He rolled to his side grabbing at air.
"I'm going to take a shower." That was something I hadn't done in over a year, since I was in Melanie's body living in a small apartment and lecturing at the university. I grabbed my bag and headed off to the bathroom which was located just off the living room. As I came down the hall I could hear cartoons playing on the television. Burns must be up. I was not expecting what I saw when I came to the end of the hall and stepped into the room. There were two girls a few years younger than me and Burns and an older man sitting together watching the cartoons. All eyes turned to me as I entered. I pulled my bag up over my chest since all I was wearing on top was my silky camisole that was meant for Ian eyes only. One of the girls bounced out of the chair she had been lounging in.
"Wow!" She came closer. She was staring at my face. No, she was staring at my eyes. "It is a parasite."
I hated that word. "Burns!" I moaned.
"I know! I'll talk to her." He answered in exasperation.
As I entered the bathroom, Ian made his entrance into the living room.
"Check you out." I heard the same obnoxious girl say to him. It pulled me back to the door to watch.
"Hi. I'm Ian." Ian held out his hand to shake the obnoxious girl's hand.
"What are you? Like the body guard?" she asked.
"Something like that." He smiled.
Ugh. Disgusting. "Burns do you have any conditioner?" I hadn't looked yet but I was trying to break up the obvious adulation this obnoxious girl was doling out to my Ian.
"I'll show you." It was the other girl who rose from the couch. She was a little taller than me. She had soft brown curly hair cropped short. Her eyes were crystal blue and her skin was sandy colored unlike the bronze of Ian's skin from the intense sun of the desert. She had an incredibly tiny waist. "Hi. I'm Megan," she said as she offered to shake my hand.
"Wanda."
I followed Megan into the bathroom and she showed me a small closet that rivaled a professional dressing room. Inside were a dozen different types of shampoos, conditioners, soaps, razors, shaving cream. She opened a drawer. It was a cache filled with hair accessories and make up.
"This is incredible!" I blurted out in my excitement.
"We all shower here. Burns is really good at trying to please everyone." Megan had a soothing voice. If she were a soul, I could see her as a comforter.
"I guess he is." I was still pawing through the assortment of hair ties, clips, eye shadows, mascaras, and the like. No one wore make up back in the caverns. This clan seemed to be much more advanced than we were. We had the necessities. They had that and so much more.
"Well, I'll leave you to shower. Towels are in the cabinet under the sinks. I'll see you soon." Megan slipped out of the bathroom closing the door behind her.
I took my time in the shower. I washed my hair and left the conditioner in while I shaved my legs. When I got out I wiped the mirror with my towel and I proceeded to beautify myself. I pulled my hair up out of my face and clipped it at the back of my head with a pretty barrette that had pearls woven through it. My curls ran softly just past my shoulders. I was having the time of my life. When Pet inhabited this body she had been such a prissy thing. Hair and make up were always a priority before leaving the house. Even though she had never been in love there was no shortage of admirers. As I was putting the finishing touches on my make up, I heard a light knock on the door.
"Babe, are you okay?" It was Ian.
"Be right there!" I called as I grabbed my toothbrush and bed clothes and shoved them into my bag.
When I exited the bathroom, Ian stepped back and his mouth fell open. He looked like he was in a trance. I placed my hand under his chin and snapped his mouth shut.
"You look pretty!" The obnoxious girl called out in a 'sing songy' voice.
The sound of her voice had snapped him out of his trance. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the bathroom. As the door shut, he pushed me up against it with his body. "Are you trying to drive me insane?"
"Is it working?" I smiled innocently.
"More than you know." He grabbed my chin and planted his lips firmly on mine. It was the explosive kiss again. He put his hands around my neck and up into my hair lifting it off of my shoulders. My arms felt like Jell-O. At first I didn't even know where my hands were until I was able think clearly. My hands were grasping his strong biceps. I ran them from his shoulders, down his spinal cord, past the top of his jeans to the small of his back. I was ready for anything at this moment.
He pulled himself away. I wasn't ready for that. He was breathing heavy trying to catch his breathe. I almost had him. He almost lost control. Damn!
"You should go." He murmured.
"Ian!" I moved closer.
"Wanda, please," his voice was low.
"Fine." I pouted at him as I sulked out of the bathroom.
Back in the living room, all eyes were on me.
"Is that your boyfriend?" It was the obnoxious girl again.
"I'm sorry. What is your name?" Even though I was only two or three years older I felt much older than these girls.
"Sarah." She said as a matter of fact. The name did not fit her. She was tall and gangly. She had long dark brown, almost black hair down to the middle of her back and her eyes were hazel. Her face, her nose and her chin were long and thin. For some reason she reminded me of a Jessica although I didn't know why.
"No he's not my boyfriend. He's my fiancé." I snapped at her defensively.
"Get out!" she blasted. "Is that even possible?"
Before I could get into a defensive tirade, Nate came through the back door. "Good morning, all! Whoa! Wanda, you look especially delicious this morning." He walked over to me and hugged me, pausing a few seconds with his face buried in my hair. "I trust you slept well?" He still had one arm around my waist.
"Apparently I slept like a log, once I fell asleep." I said shooting off a sly grin that Nate was famous for giving me. I thought to myself, 'turn-about is fair play'.
"Huh."
Sarah now ran up to Nate. "Good morning. I missed you while you were gone." She threw her arms around his waist and pulled him away from me. He looked alarmed at the obvious attention she was giving him in my presence. I turned away because I didn't want him to see me laugh. Nate had a stalker. Perfect.
"Is everyone ready to go?" He asked.
"Ian is still in the shower." I answered. I walked over to the couch and sat down next to the man I had not met. I addressed him. "Hi. My name is Wanda, well Wanderer really."
He looked at me. "Good to meet you Wanderer but I'm a little confused."
"Confused at what?"
"I was under the impression you were here for Burns." He replied flatly.
I looked over at Burns who was holding his head in one hand and shaking it back and forth in denial. Apparently Burns had never had more than a platonic relationship with any of the humans. Maybe this was the reason for his interest in Sunny.
"No. I don't think so. I'm here to meet all of you and share my knowledge."
"Are you a teacher?"
"Well, no. I am more of what you would call a guest lecturer, I guess. My stories are for everyone, not just the children."
Nate spoke up. "She's lived on nine different planets that aren't even in our solar system."
This caught his interest. "Really? There are more people out there?"
"Well, no; but there are other types of species."
Nate interrupted. "Okay, lecture time hasn't begun yet. Let's get back to caves. Our visitors are awake and we need to be hospitable." He turned his attention towards Burns. "Burns, please bring Wanda and Ian when they are ready."
Burns nodded his head in acknowledgement. The others rose and headed out the back door. I was alone with Burns.
"Kind of closed minded. Aren't they?"
Burns lifted his head towards me. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. They won't deny that they need me but I'm still very much an alien to them."
"That's sad." My thoughts were broken by the sound of a bell ringing. "Is that a cell phone?"
"Yeah." He held his finger to his lips as he picked up the phone.
Wow. They even had cell phones. Our way of living in the caverns was starting to seem pretty primitive.
"Burns, here" … "How many?" … "Where?" … "You have them there?" … "Yeah." … "Let me finish up here and I will be right down to pick them up." … "Oh, Searing Flames?" … "Good job." He hung up the phone.
"What's going on?"
Again he held up one finger as he dialed the phone. "Nate. I got a call. They caught two women over at Kohl Mountain near the campground. Seems they were raiding the campers and they got caught. I'm going down to get them" … "Okay." … "Are you sure?" … "Yeah." … "Thanks." … I'll call you when I've got them." He snapped the phone closed.
I planted myself in front of him. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
Ian came out of the bathroom. "Did I hear a cell phone?"
Burns took a step back. "Yes to both of your questions." He paused a moment before speaking. "I am a Seeker."
I took two steps back in alarm.
"You son of a bitch!" Ian was ready to fight.
"Now hold on. It's not what you think. The townspeople think I am a Seeker so when the police manage to catch humans in their territory; they call me. I either try to find them which usually doesn't happen or if they have already been caught as in this case; I go and pick them up. I bring them back here. Then we figure out what to do with them."
"What do you mean, 'figure out what to do with them'?" Ian asked still being cautious.
"Well, sometimes, the human or humans are on the run and don't have any other allies. They are just rogues trying to keep alive. Usually, after they come here, they stay."
"Like those who accidentally find the caverns." Ian acknowledged nodding his head.
"Yes. We have acquired eleven new members since I started doing this. Sometimes they are raiding for other cells that they belong to. In that case, we try to return them to where they belong. This can be very tricky because you don't want to get shot." He looked up at Ian. "Would you like to come with me?"
"No. He doesn't want to come with you!" I snapped.
"We're just going to pick them up from the station. Nate usually comes with me. He'll ride in the back where he can't be seen." He turned and spoke directly to Ian now. "Your job is to calm them down after I get them into the back of the truck. Let them see that you are human and that we are taking them to a place that is safe."
"I'm going too." I was adamant.
"No, Wanda. You can't go. Having two souls is not going to be conducive to calming panicked humans down. Besides, Nate is coming up here to get you. He has a lot planned for you today."
Ian walked to me and took my hands in his. "I want to go, Wanda. I'd rather feel useful than follow you around all day." He kissed my forehead. "I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone." He dropped my hands and turned to Burns. "Let's do this thing."
The boys left through the back door leaving me standing with my arms folded across my chest in protest in the living room with cartoons blaring in the background.
It was only a few minutes before Nate came in. He was whistling. Another characteristic of Jeb's. "Hello, gorgeous!"
"Did you plan this?" I was annoyed.
He looked up with a guilty smirk. "What? You think I planned for two women to get caught?" He approached me and took my elbow. "I call it dumb luck. Don't be angry, Wanda. Now I get to be your escort for the day." He gestured towards the door. "Shall we?" When we reached the bottom of the step he added, "By the way, have I told you that you look ravishing today?"
"I believe it was delicious." I said flatly.
"Ahhh yes. That too." His smile reached all the way to his eyes.
It was nearly a mile walk to the cave where the clan lived. As we approached, there were 'obstacles' that we had to conquer before getting to the mouth of the cave. First there was a fence, then a trench that had been cleverly covered with leaves. If you didn't notice it and you fell in; the chances are you would sprain your ankle at the very least. You could avoid the trench if you knew where to cross. Finally there was another fence made of rocks, giving the illusion of a fortress. There was a gateway through this fence but it wasn't obvious as to where it was. Finally we approached the cave. The entrance was built into the side a mountain. It was carved from the rock. It was wide and not very high. All of the people who lived here could stand in the 'doorway'. The real door was deeper inside the cave. It was made of wood and it was strong. If they wanted to keep someone out they could. I remembered that Nate had spoken of an emergency hidden exit so I assumed that if they were trapped that there would be a way out. I found Mel, Jared, Aaron, and Lily at the mouth of the cave. They were enjoying the warm sunshine as they waited for me to arrive.
Jared was the first to speak. "Where's Ian?"
Nate raised his hand. "He went on a mission with Burns."
"Is he okay?" He looked to me for this answer.
"Yes, he's fine. He wanted to go."
Mel approached me. "Look at you! You are so pretty!"
Lily came up to look at me. "Yeah. Where did you get the make up?"
"Wait till you see Burns' bathroom. It is spectacular!" I gushed.
Lily barked. "I'm so jealous!"
Nate intervened. "Ladies! Everyone will have a chance to use the facilities. I promise. Now, can we get a move on? Everyone is waiting!"
He led us through the cave. The hallways were similar to ours, but they were all dimly lit. Nate provided us with information to our questions as they arose. It seemed all of the lamps were run on reusable batteries. The batteries were recharged in the root cellar which also served as the laundry room. They had two washers and two dryers. Use of the laundry room was put on a schedule by a lady named Maria. She seemed to be the matriarch on the ladies side. She was American Indian by heritage.
The one thing that I didn't like was the bedrooms. We had small independent rooms that housed one to three people. They only had five bedrooms altogether. They were much larger so they had to accommodate a minimum of four people each. You could tell the rooms that had been inhabited longer because there were cubicle walls inside to separate one space from another. Those that had not been here as long had sheets or blankets separating their space.
Food was cooked outside. They had a grill and a wood stove. Anything baked was done in Burns' kitchen. In the wintertime, it was a cold endeavor. There was a central cavern similar to ours in which the people congregated throughout the day. This is where the visitors slept. A stack of mattresses was piled up along the wall. Next to the mattresses sat the bags with our personal belongings. There were several couches up against the walls. Coffee tables sat between them. Each one had a battery powered lamp so the room was well lit.
The majority of their time was spent outside the cave. They played a variety of sports and in the winter they played in the snow.
Burns' home was used almost every day. Some watched television. There was a schedule for this also. Certain people watched certain shows on certain days but the children were the majority of the viewers. Of the twenty three people including Burns, eight were younger than me. The youngest was five years old. Ben and his mom, Nadine had been brought back on one of Burns' calls. Her husband had been previously caught and she and the boy had been on the run trying to stay alive for six months before they were caught by the local police. He was just three years old at the time. There was no way a Seeker could have tracked her to these caves.
The use of the shades with the word "NO" had been revised. There were actually two sets of shades on the windows on the back side of the house. A green shade drawn meant 'No' and a white shade meant 'Yes'. Burns did not get many visitors, but they were still very cautious.
Everyone was gathered in the main cave. The younger ones climbed the mattresses like they were mountains and perched themselves on top. The older residents got first pick of the couches. The rest of the adults had brought blankets and sat on them. Nate stood in front of the crowd. The meeting lasted about two hours. He spoke about the initial encounter with us. He told them about what he saw in our caverns. He talked about Jeb and Doc. He went around the room and introduced everyone in the clan. He mentioned something significant about each person in the room. He was a good speaker. I wondered what he had done for a living before the takeover. He introduced each of us and had us tell of how we had come to the caverns. He saved my introduction for last. For this he asked Melanie to come forward and tell her story which was my story too. I think our story surprised most of them especially the older ones. Nate ended our meeting by telling them that Burns could not be here because of the phone call and that Ian was traveling with him.
After the meeting, we all broke for a late lunch. It was nearly three o'clock. In honor of the occasion hamburgers and hot dogs were grilled for all. Everyone mingled with each other. I noticed that the younger set had less difficulty approaching me than the older ones. Usually they came with a younger person and stayed in the background. I found out that the man I had met in the living room was Megan's Dad and his name was Carl. He had lost his wife due to a car accident before the takeover. Megan had been raised by her Aunt Sue who was here in the cave as well. Sue was older than Carl. She was one of the oldest here. She was in her forties. The oldest resident was a man named George. He was sixty three. He was a friend of Burns' parents and he knew of the caves, so when everything happened he hid with his daughter and her family. It seems Nate was part of this original family. George was his uncle.
Eventually the crowd thinned and Nate found his way back to me. "How are you doing?"
"It's a little overwhelming."
"Well, we have less people here than you do at home."
"True. But I spent my first weeks in solitary confinement. There wasn't much to tell initially other than Mel's body had returned with a 'parasite' controlling it. I didn't need to do much talking."
"I just have a hard time believing you are not human." He looked perplexed.
"Oh but I am. I bleed just as you do and if you strangled me right now this body would die. As far as me, the soul, you would have minutes to save me. Would you even want to try?"
"Truthfully, I don't know."
"Well Jared, Ian, and Doc did."
"So are you still the same person … er I mean soul that you were before?"
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let me try to put this into perspective for you. Nate, you are a good looking, personable, and charming guy."
"I thought you'd never notice." He grinned.
"I noticed. But that is not my point. Let's say they took the essence of 'you' out of your body and put it into a body like Burns. Would you be the same? Would you still be charming? Burns is not charming. He's sweet but he's not charming. Maybe the only reason you are charming is because you have that body." I paused allowing him to soak up my words. "You see Melanie over there? She is tall and strong and outgoing. She's not afraid of anything."
"Well neither are you."
"I wasn't when I was in her body but then again she was with me."
"What about Rides the Beast?"
"Good point. Maybe I was like Melanie in that body. I am insecure in this body."
"You shouldn't be."
"That may be true, but it is what it is. People like to do things for me. I can't help wondering what I would do if there wasn't anyone to do for me."
"I wouldn't worry about that. I would do for you anytime."
I smiled at him. "Thanks Nate but that wouldn't do much to help my insecurities now would it?"
Megan and Sarah burst onto the scene ending our conversation. "Aunt Sue and some of the others want to know when Wanderer is going to start her lecture."
He turned to me. "Are you up for a question and answer session?"
"Sure."
"I'll get you started. Then I am going to take your friends up to the house and show them around. I know the ladies especially will want get into the shower."
I spent the next few hours fielding questions just as I did back in the caverns in the desert. The more information I offered the more questions they asked. Nate had returned after only a half hour and had taken a front row seat. He was eager to hear my stories as well.
By the time my question and answer session was over, it was late. Four of the women on the couches including Aunt Sue and Maria left in a hurry. Nate had been the one to call the session to an end citing his own rumbling stomach as the cause. He was at my side as soon as the others began filing out of the cave.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Yes, that would be great." My brain was humming like a high voltage power line from all of talking I had done.
"Come with me."
I followed him to a small room that was filled with food and beverages that had been neatly stacked and stored.
"What's your poison, Water, Soda, or Juice?" he asked.
"Um juice. Grape, if you have it."
"Grape it is." He handed me two cups and filled each of them from a half gallon bottle. "We should go outside. It's too nice to be stuck in these caves all day."
Once outside, he brought me to where the children were playing. There were two adults supervising them.
"We call this the playground. This is Professor Maxim and his lovely wife Miranda. They teach the children. Even little Ben knows how to read already." Maxim and Miranda were a middle aged couple who spoke with a foreign accent, maybe Russian. I wasn't sure. They seemed well suited to each other.
After the introductions, Nate turned to me and said "I've sent someone to retrieve your friends from the house. They should be here momentarily. As much as I hate leaving you I must attend to some business. I will see you after dinner." He bowed and took my hand like a true gentleman and kissed it gently. "You will be okay here?"
"Yes." I answered. My face was pink with embarrassment. He was always portraying a character and when it came right down to it; he was charming.
I spent my time alone watching the children play. It was nice to see them in the fresh air, running and laughing. I wondered where Ian and Burns were. Eventually, I saw Mel, Jared, Aaron, and Lily coming towards me. Rachel was with them.
Mel rushed up to me and blubbered, "The bathroom was exquisite. Jared and I took a bath in the Jacuzzi!" She leaned in real close and whispered, "It was heaven and then some!" I was extremely happy for her. Now Jared approached looking like that cat that swallowed the canary. No words needed to be spoken.
Lily was wearing make-up so I assumed she had enjoyed the powder room as well. Aaron was, well … Aaron. He wasn't about to gush about anything; least of all, a bathroom. We decided to explore the area. We found the field that was used for sports functions. It was freshly mowed, so they must have a lawn mower somewhere on the premises. By the time we had circled back to the cave, everyone was lining up for dinner. I saw no sign of Nate so I had no idea what he was up to. Ian and Burns also were 'no shows' for dinner. This worried me. What if they got caught? I bit my lip at the thought.
Dinner was delicious. It consisted of spaghetti with sausage, salad, and bread. Mel and I volunteered to help with the dishes. They had huge tubs filled with heated water for washing set up outside the cave. The sun had gone down but the area was well lit with lanterns. Mel and I dried the dishes as they were handed to us.
I stayed close to her as I spoke in a muted voice. "So, this romantic interlude with Jared, today. Did you tell him?" I was curious because Jared did not show any signs of being upset.
"I wanted to. I did, but … we were in the tub. The water was swirling around us and …" She didn't need to finish.
"Mel you have to tell him!" I hissed.
"I know." She sounded disappointed in herself. "I will. I'll tell him when we get back to the caverns."
"It might be best. You will both have more support there." I knew Jared would need Jeb. He looked to him like a father.
After the dishes were done, I noticed some of the elders standing together and talking. They were looking at us and nodding their heads. Finally, George, the oldest of them came directly up to me and said flatly, "You will not sleep in the caves with us. It's a rule. Not even Burns sleeps in the cave. It's not because we don't like you, you understand."
It was like he had stabbed me in the chest. My eyes stung with the tears I was holding back. I didn't know what to say.
Lily came to my defense. "She's waiting for Nate so he can take her back to the house."
From behind me I heard, "Did I hear someone say my name?"
It was Nate. I turned and threw my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest. "Well now, whatever I did to deserve this, please tell me so I can do it again." He folded his arms around me.
"They are so mean!" I croaked.
He backed away and cupped my chin in his hand so he could see my face. "Are you crying?"
"They told me that I couldn't sleep in the cave!" I was wiping back the tears.
He pulled me close and enveloped me in his arms. "Awwww. You don't want to sleep there anyway. You've got a whole bedroom to yourself! They all have to share whether they like it or not."
I said my good-byes to my friends and then Nate and I headed back to the house. As we were walking I stumbled over some tree roots and Nate grabbed my hand to steady me and then he didn't let go. When we arrived at the house, the shades were already pulled. He plopped on the couch and turned the television on. "I suppose that you want to wait up for Ian?" That was a no brainer.
"Why are they so late? The town isn't that far away, is it?"
"No. But the illusion would not be complete if he turned around and brought them right back here. He drives out about two hours and then hangs out for a few hours before he returns. The road runs directly through the center of town and we don't want to give anyone a reason to suspect anything. By my calculation, they should be back pretty soon."
I sauntered over to the couch and sat down on the opposite side. He pretended not to notice me, but he kept leering sideways. He was being obvious about it. I pretended not to notice. Then he flipped onto his back with his head in my lap. He made faces at me. I couldn't keep a straight face any longer. I giggled.
"Why do you always flirt with me?" I was still giggling.
"Because I like you."
"I like you too." I wasn't lying. He was fun to be around.
"Good." He rolled over onto his side to see the television but he kept his head on my lap. I gingerly laid my hand on his shoulder.
After a while, the truck pulled into the driveway. Nate shot to his feet. "They're here."
We both raced to the back door and down the steps. Burns was just backing the truck up towards us. Nate carefully opened the back door. Ian backed out of the truck slowly. As he stood upright and turned, I was on him in a second throwing my arms around his neck. "You're home!" I was relieved.
He put his arms around me and lifted me off the ground. "Hey Babe, did you miss me?"
Stupid question. I was facing the back of the truck and my gaze fell upon two women with horrified looks on their faces. Nate was trying to keep them calm. "Ian, I need you. Wanda, say good night to Ian."
I didn't get it. "What do you mean say good night to Ian?" I didn't let go of him.
Ian pulled my arms from around his neck. He growled at Nate. "You didn't tell her?"
"Be serious. Would you have told her?" Nate said in his defense.
Burns came around Ian and grabbed me by the waist and started hauling me up the stairs. As Ian's hands were pulled from mine he lamented, "I love you!" The last thing he saw was my flailing arms and legs as they were carried through the door.
Burns put me down on the couch. "Stay!" He said rigidly.
I was fuming. I was rocking back and forth ready to jump off the couch and run back to Ian.
Burns towered in front of me. He took a deep breath and then he spoke slowly and deliberately which was his style whenever he wanted to be taken seriously. "You can blame this one on Nate. He knew when he sent Ian that this would happen. It is the way it is always done."
"What are you talking about?"
"Whenever we go to do a 'pick up' it is always me as the driver and Nate in the back. I go to the station posing as the Seeker. After I place the Humans in the back and close the door, it is his turn to calm them down and try to gain their trust. When we get back here, we can't just let them out of the van to run away. We keep them in the root cellar. I have five cots that I keep there. We've never picked up more than three at a time. Nate and one of the others stay with them for a couple of days until they are ready to meet the others. I stay out of the picture until they are comfortable enough to meet me."
"You mean Ian is going to sleep with those two girls in the root cellar?" I was livid.
"Just for a few days."
"NO!" I was enraged now. Burns was quick though, he grabbed both of my wrists.
"Wanda, I know this sucks. I'm sorry. Look I have to go and lock them in for the night."
"I want to come."
"No." He was already turning towards the door.
"I want to say good night to Ian. It's not fair. If you know what is good for you, you will let me come. I'll keep you up all night. You'll be sorry."
He stopped. He let out a low growl. "Come on." He said in a low voice.
When we got to the cellar, Burns knocked on the door as he ordered Ian to come out. As he appeared, Burns warned him, "You have five minutes."
As I dragged him into the darkness he apologized. "Look I'm sorry, Babe. I didn't know about this."
"Ugh! Please don't call me 'Babe'."
He seemed surprised. "That's why you are mad? Because I call you 'Babe?'"
"No … Yes … I don't know. I'm mad because you made me a promise."
He seemed confused. "What promise is that?"
"You told me that as long as we were together, I would never sleep alone."
"Babe, I didn't mean to break the promise. You have to look at the big picture. We found two more humans … alive. This is huge! I feel so … so"
"Three more minutes!" Burns called out.
He took my face in his hands. "Look, I don't want to fight."
I started to cry. "But I want to be with you!"
"I know." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. My salty tears had become a part of the kiss. He kissed my eyes. Then he parted my lips with his tongue and the passion began to build. I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding. I was praying that he would scoop me up and carry me off to the bed. Burns called "Time's up!" but we didn't stop. He put his lips to my ear and whispered. "I'll see you in my dreams, my Love, my little Wanderer." He started to pull away but I clung to him. He scooped me into his arms. Was my dream coming true? As he approached the root cellar door he handed me over to Burns. As my body dropped into Buns' arms he said "Take care of my precious cargo. Okay?"
Burns nodded.
I was too angry and keyed up to go to bed. I didn't want to talk to Burns so I decided I would soak in the Jacuzzi. I had to admit, it really was luxurious. My venomous thoughts of Nate's plot slowly faded to the back of my head. Instead, I concentrated on my memory of my five minutes with Ian. His warm hands on my face and his precious lips on mine … I sighed. I wanted so much to be able to wake up in his arms again. By the time I decided to get out of the tub, my mind and body were both more relaxed. It was late. I was surprised to see Burns still lounging on couch watching the television.
"Aren't you going to bed?" I was curious because he looked tired.
"Are you?" He replied.
I realized that he had no intentions of going to bed until I was safely tucked away in mine. "What am I? A prisoner now?" I was annoyed.
"Nope. Just 'precious cargo'." He said in earnest.
His answer caught me by surprise and diffused the ire that was bubbling to the surface. Instead, I smiled at him. "Let's go to bed."
I had a hard time falling asleep and I was restless throughout the night. It seemed like hours before exhaustion finally dragged me under.