"Don't need one."
"Every hero thinks that at first. But they always learn, eventually."
Drake was about to argue some more when someone knocked on the door. He opened it to the smell of food. A man in a white apron wheeled a small table in and left them two silver dome-shaped plates. Toby and Drake sat down to eat, each anxiously pulling off the cover to reveal the world's smallest cheeseburgers.
Toby started laughing. "Man, no wonder there's lots of skinny rich people if you all eat like this."
Drake laughed with him and scarfed down his burger in one bite. He wiped his mouth, sucked down some soda, and stood. "Time to pack up and get going. We've got to get to Washington as fast as possible, but first, let's grab a real dinner and pick you up some clothes that aren't covered in holes. How's that sound?"
"Awesome!" The kid jumped up and down and whooped.
They checked out, stopped for a very filling Mexican dinner, and each picked up a few changes of clothes and backpacks at the store. With the cheap car Drake had picked up using Steele's cash, they started their drive to Washington.
The sun set and Toby, finally clean and full, fell asleep in the front seat.
So far, they were in the clear. Steele hadn't called yet, so he must still trust Drake. He must not know Drake was on his way to Sam. But it would be a temporary reprieve. He'd call eventually, and if Drake didn't answer, or didn't do what Steele wanted, then Ana would pay the price.
They had to act fast to put an end to it all so he could bring his family back together and be the kind of father he'd always wanted.
A sign to the right of the freeway caught Drake's attention, and he pulled off to follow it. Before he saw Sam again, he had one more stop to make.
Chapter 93 – Lucy
The sound of pigs mating woke Lucy. No wait, did I just dream that or hear that? She wiped sleep from her eyes and took a moment to relieve herself and freshen up, then did a light stretch routine to keep the skin on her back from shrinking as it healed. She wished for some lotions or creams to use. Maybe she could find some aloe vera plants, or ask Mr. K if there was an equivalent around here that would help. She really didn't want horrible scars across her back forever—especially from a lizard.
Now a wolf mark, that would have some dignity. But lizard? Didn't the Native Americans believe that if you were scarred by an animal and survived, it became your animal guide? She wasn't sure, but she really didn't want to get stuck with a giant mutant lizard for hers.
On a patch of sand near the water, Luke and Hunter sparred with each other—the source of the grunting that had woken her. Topless and in shorts, with their bare skin reflecting the sun and white waves crashing on the smooth beach, they looked like a PlayGirl Calendar photo shoot. But one of those hot bods belonged to her brother, so it didn't quite have the same impact on Lucy that it might have had on others.
They moved a bit slower than normal, with controlled speed, but still.... "Aren't you two supposed to be resting from your injuries?"
Hunter shrugged, and the muscles in his chest flexed. Lucy flushed at the sight of it, and he smiled a lopsided grin, as if he knew what she was thinking. "We were."
"We might have healed," said Luke.
Hunter winked. "Only one way to find out."
He hopped around like a boxer, back and forth between the balls of his feet, fists up and ready, and made a few jabs at Luke. His natural, fluid grace was almost animal-like, yet despite his grin and playful attitude, Lucy knew the lethal speed and ferocious skill that lurked underneath. He was a natural fighter, and had been well trained.
But then, Luke was no amateur, either. He dodged the jabs easily enough, and didn't seem to be favoring his foot—much.
Lucy sat on the grass and studied them, noting the small tells they both had that revealed where the next attack would come from. This was her specialty. Rarely could she overpower an opponent with strength, but she was fast, skilled, and could read a fighter like the Sunday Times. Maybe her lie-detecting abilities gave her a heightened sense for it, but wherever it came from, it made her just as dangerous as the two hopping around in front of her. She smothered a smile at the thought of sparring with Hunter.
Weeping willow branches rustled and shifted in the still air around her. Through the parting curtain, Mr. K filled the valley with his booming voice. "Who you rooting for, Lucy?"
Luke guffawed and took a swing at Hunter. "Her brother, of course."
Hunter ducked and brought his right fist up toward Luke's jaw in a powerful uppercut. "Pfft. If she had half a brain, she'd root for the better of us two. That's me, naturally."
The fist missed Luke by a fraction of an inch. He cocked his head. "So the question is, does she have half a brain?"
"Oh thanks, Luke," Lucy huffed and crossed her arms. "You helped me make my decision. I'm rooting for Hunter."