Page 35 of Blade

“Dark.”

In frustration, I dragged my hand down my face. “I don’t know how to describe it. I feel stifled. Like my skin is too tight. I don’t know.”

She reached between us and took my other hand in hers. In silence, we waited. And waited. Finally, Adelaide came back in, but went through the beaded curtains.

So, we waited some more.

By the time she came out, the sun was going down. I could hear Sage’s stomach growling as she dozed. I think even in sleep, her body noticed that one of the scents in the small cabin wassomething cooking. We hadn’t eaten all day and we’d only gotten up to use the bathroom. Sage had dozed off periodically and I let her sleep as I kept watch.

“Shit,” Adelaide muttered, and Sage jumped awake. “Sorry, I got so tied up that I forgot to tell you there’s gumbo on the stove.”

She bustled to the kitchen area and pulled bowls down off a shelf. Then she ladled up the thick concoction and set the bowls on the table, then propped her hands on her hips. “Well, what are you waiting for? Eat.”

We both shot up and rushed to the table. In the center was a caddy that had silverware in it. We each grabbed a spoon and dove in.

It was the best damn gumbo I’d ever tasted. Then again, I was starving, so maybe I was wrong, but I didn’t think so. Especially when Sage moaned and said, “Miss Adelaide, this is delicious. Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” I chimed in, embarrassed that I hadn’t thanked her immediately.

“Ah, it’s just gumbo. There’s plenty so help yourself to more if ya like.” When we sat there fat and happy as ticks after two helpings, she leaned in.

“In two days time, I will take you down the swamp. My man Yeti and his brother will have a box truck waiting. We will load you two up and they will take you up to Arkansas where you will meet up with more friends—also brothers of Yeti. They will take you to Iowa to my daughter and my grandson. You will be safe there.” She paused waiting to see if we had questions.

“What about my bike?”

“They will pick it up tonight and store it until you leave. It won’t be an overly comfortable ride into Arkansas, but I’ll try to make it as bearable as possible.” She stood up. “Sage will sleep inthe room on the right. You can sleep on the couch. It’s late and I’m tired. Too much action for these old bones today.”

With that, she went into the bathroom, then into the room on the left and closed the door.

Old bones? She barely looked in her forties or fifties.

“Do you feel like we’ve gone to Oz too?” Sage whispered as she fought but it slipped out—the first real smile I’d seen on her face in weeks.

I slouched back in the chair. “Yeah. I feel like we just landed from a whirlwind.”

“You think we’re safe here?” Sage sobered and chewed on her lower lip.

With a calculating gaze, I scanned the small home again. It was a bit cluttered, with a lot of bookshelves crammed against most of the walls, but tidy. “Yeah. Crazily enough, I feel like we are.”

“Okay.”

“Please sleep with me?” she softly begged.

Nervous, I cast a glance at Adelaide’s door. Then I remembered her weird observation that we weren’t romantically together. “Yeah,” I replied.

I slept harder that night than I had since leaving Florida.

Like Miss Adelaide had promised, two days later, we were in the small boat, headed through the swamp. By the time we arrived at a rickety dock, I didn’t think would hold my weight, I was lost as fuck. The swamps were like mazes.

Surprisingly, the dock was much sturdier than it looked. There were two men waiting up the hill by a white truck that had peeling stickers that at one time must’ve read Gator Tail Plumbing. Now, it readGato ail Plubing.

We followed Adelaide up the path to where they were parked. One man was a mammoth of a man, with a mostly salt, salt-and-pepper beard. Adelaide stepped into his arms, and he huggedher. Then she tilted her face up and they spoke quietly. He appeared to be chastising her, but she only smiled at him.

“Addy, what am I gonna do with you?” he asked in a voice that rumbled.

She grinned wickedly, making her look even younger than I first thought. “Oh, I could think of a few things.”

He snorted, then brought her to his side to face us.