CHAPTER 12
RACHEL.”
The voice was her father’s. So soft and gentle. Rachel opened her eyes. She could see the outlines of the nearest trees clearly; dawn was coming soon.
“Rachel.”
It really was her father’s voice—not a dream she had been having. Rachel sat up. He was awake too, a few feet away from her. She rummaged for a water container and brought it to him.
“Here. You should drink.”
He looked at her for a long time before he took the water. Then he drank, deeply. She saw that he was crying. She didn’t know what to say to him.
“I can’t believe it’s you.” He whispered, so as not to wake the others.
“I feel . . . the same way. I—”
“. . . thought you were dead.” They spoke the same words at the same time. Rachel smiled, and Daniel reached out his hand. She took it in both of hers.
“Well. Neither one of us is dead, Rachel. And I am so happy to see your face.” He clasped his other hand over theirs, and squeezed. “I can see the three-year-old you in your features, believe it or not.”
Rachel didn’t say anything.
“I know.” He nodded at her. “You probably don’t remember me.”
“I saw digims of you.” Rachel wanted him to know he had been in her life.
“Only digims of me, and of a much younger me. I don’t imagine I look anything like them right now.” Daniel fell silent. He squeezed her hands again. “Rachel. Your mom. Is she really . . .”
“She’s alive.”
He bowed his head, his tears finally overcoming him. Rachel waited until he had wiped his eyes dry before she spoke again.
“She loved you, Dad. She still does. She never stopped hoping you were alive, all these years, even if she never said it out loud.”
He nodded. “I thought you were both dead. All these years, I thought you were both dead.”
“Dan.” It was Peter. “Are you feeling like you can travel?”
“Peter.” Daniel gave a half laugh. “I cannot believe this. You and Rachel, both here, both alive and well.” Daniel frowned. “And Rachel tells me Vivian truly is alive and well. You told Indigo’s man she was dead.”
Peter looked confused. “What man?”
“There’s a man in Bensen—Jard Thompson is what he goes by there. He’s one of the Others. He’s been there for many years—he was there before Indigo, even. He came to you soon after I was Called to Serve, didn’t he? After they said I died?”
Peter nodded. “He did. He asked me about Viv, asked me if he could pay his respects for her loss. Everyone was under the impression you had died in the war, and that she was a widow. Even I didn’t know for certain, though I had my suspicions that they had just used the Call to Serve as a way to get rid of you. He’s one of them?” Peter looked astounded. “I thought he worked with you at the firm, or something like that.”
“Why did you tell him Vivian and Rachel were dead?”
“I didn’t. I told him exactly what I knew, which was that the apartment was empty and I couldn’t find them.”
Peter looked at Rachel when she snorted. “I tried to find your mom and you, Rachel. But the place where you lived was abandoned. I couldn’t find any sign of you, or find out where you’d gone. I actually did think you were dead—I thought they came and took you. But that wasn’t what I told Thompson—I only said I didn’t know where you were.”
“I don’t believe you!” Rachel sneered at Peter. She turned to Daniel. “He said he’d bring us a key, and he brought the EOs instead.”
“There’s a misunderstanding, Daniel.” Peter was calm.
“Rachel.” Daniel reached out and took her hand. “Peter has been a friend of mine for many, many years. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
Rachel wasn’t happy, but she grudgingly agreed.
“I still don’t know exactly what Viv was up to, Danny.” Peter smiled faintly. “She showed up out of the blue, after all those years—showed up on my doorstep asking for a key. It was right after they Identified Jolie and Trina—”
“They what?” Daniel looked horrified. “Oh Peter. I’m so sorry.” He frowned. “But who is Trina?”
“Trina was . . . is our daughter. She was born after you got the Call to Serve,” said Peter. “I still hope to see them again. I plan to use the maps, Daniel. I’m going to try to negotiate a trade.”
“I don’t have them, Peter. I left them with Viv when I went to Serve.”
“I have them,” said Rachel. She answered Daniel’s surprised look. “Mom put some things in my pack.”
Peter nodded. “She told me you had them that night when the EOs showed up at Ms. Moore’s. That’s why I Crossed. I hoped to find you and get you back to your mom, and also get the maps. I think they’ll work a deal with me if I have the maps.”
“So you really brought her a key?” Rachel was still skeptical.
“I really did.”
“But you used a key to Cross.”
“I did.”
Rachel’s lower lip was trembling. She did her best to sound brave. “So we can’t get back.”
“Well, that’s the thing . . .” Peter stopped speaking. Both he and Daniel stared at the tree line.
“What’s that?” Rachel whispered. Something was growling, low and loud.
“Where’s the laser saw?” Peter didn’t take his eyes off the trees.
“It’s here.” Rachel felt for the saw—she had tucked it in her bedroll before she slept. She found it almost immediately and held it up. Peter grabbed it.
“Try to get close to the fire. They’re afraid of fire. Move very slowly.” Malgam spoke in a hushed voice. He too had heard the growl.
Rachel looked over and saw that everyone else was awake, all eyes glued to the tree line. Nipper appeared from nowhere and crouched in front of Nandy, a snarl coming from his throat.
“What is it?” Peter’s finger hovered on the laser saw switch.
“It’s a baern.” Malgam sounded grim. “It’s hunting.”
“I guess it eats people?” Peter didn’t sound happy.
“Yes,” Malgam whispered. “It eats people.” He stared at the tree line. “You and Daniel and Rachel are the closest to it. You need to move first. Get around to the other side of the fire as quietly as you can. Don’t move fast.”
“Peter, take Rachel. I can’t move well enough to get out of its way.” Daniel didn’t look at Rachel.
“I’m not going. Not without you.” Rachel stared at her father, tears stinging her eyes. “I’m not losing you again.”
“Rachel, now’s not the—”
There was roar and a flash of movement. Rachel got only an impression: of muscled legs and yellowed teeth, of something huge coming down from above. She heard a scream, and wasn’t sure if it was coming from her own mouth or from someone else. But then she heard it again, and she knew it was Peter. The baern had landed on him, knocking him flat on the ground. There was a flash of light in the predawn dimness, and another terrible scream, one that didn’t come from human lips. The baern writhed and screamed again, then moaned, and collapsed on Peter. It quivered and then was still.
Only Peter’s head and shoulders were visible. Rachel ran to him. He was still breathing. He opened his eyes and stared at her face, but she wasn’t certain he saw her. He coughed, a weak, strangled cough, and scarlet spilled from his lips.
Pathik and Malgam were seconds behind Rachel. They shoved the baern off of Peter. He’d struck the thing’s heart with the laser saw beam. But not before it managed, with a single claw, to slice him open from neck to navel.
Rachel felt cold. There was so much blood. Peter was gasping and reaching toward her.
“Rachel. Two . . . keys. In my pack. Two.” He smiled weakly. “I always planned to give your mother one.”
Rachel took the hand that kept reaching for her, and gripped it hard despite the blood that covered it. Peter seemed to feel it, to know she was holding his hand. “You tell Daniel to get my girls. Tell him to get Jolie and Trina back. Like I would have for him.” He whispered the last words. And then he died.