Price of a Bounty - By S. L. Wallace Page 0,43
that one too.
“May I see the others?”
I sat up, turned and lifted my t-shirt.
“There’s nothing here.”
“You can feel them.”
He ran his fingers over my back. “Yes, there they are.” His warm soft lips kissed each scar in turn.
***
The next morning we drove closer to the falls. Their raw power was a beauty beyond words. We drove back in silence, and then ate a picnic lunch in front of the cabin. Afterward, we lounged on a blanket on top of soft pine needles and discussed the ballet we’d attended a few days ago, my first ever, when I remembered something from weeks ago.
“Guy?” I asked lazily.
“Yes?”
“Eberhardt told me that you chose your name. What does it mean? Why did you choose Guy?”
He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at me. “I needed a new identity, for the Resistance.”
I nodded.
“So I did some research. I wanted my name to reflect who I was, my new role. I read somewhere that the name Guy may come from the ancient word “guie,” meaning guide or leader. That was exactly what I wanted, to guide people to safety.”
“And Bensen?”
“It means warrior.”
“Ah, and you’re fighting the whole world.”
He laughed. “Sometimes it feels that way.”
-Guy-
An Evening at the Lake
That night, after a light dinner, I asked Keira if she’d like to go for a walk. This had been, by far, the most relaxing holiday I’d ever been on. Along the way, I paused to grab the blanket from the porch railing. Then we strolled along a path toward the lake. I reached for Keira’s hand and gently laced my fingers through hers.
The path we followed wound through the woods and into a small glade. We continued on. Pebbles crunched underfoot as we neared the lake and found a large flat stone upon which to sit. Keira helped me spread the blanket on the ground. Then we sat and listened to the wind blow through the pine trees. We watched as black and white geese flew in a low V and settled onto the surface of the water. Keira leaned against me, and I rested my arm around her shoulders.
“They’re beautiful! It’s all so beautiful. I had no idea being away from the city would be like this. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Shhh…” I whispered. “Just enjoy it.”
I pointed to the orange tinted sky. As the sun settled over the water, and the noise from the geese subsided, stars appeared and new noises began.
“What is that?” She sounded surprised and curious, not fearful.
“Those are frogs. It’s their mating season.”
“Oh, really? Are you trying to tell me something?” she teased.
“Only that those are frogs, and it’s their mating season,” I replied seriously.
“They don’t sound like frogs.”
“Not all frogs say, ‘Ribbit.’ Those are grey tree frogs.”
“I like their call. How do you know so much anyway?”
“Education, experience and curiosity.”
“Does it bother you that I have less education and very different experiences than you?”
“No, does it bother you?” I’d been learning a lot about Terene lately, precisely because of our differences.
“A little, I guess. Yes. April and I were talking about this recently. I told her I think it’s wrong that some children have so little while others are given so much. She seems to think it’s just the way of the world and that we have little to no control over our lives.”
“April?”
“Yes, my sister, April. I’d like you to meet her when we get back.”
“You’ve mentioned her before. Is she anything like you?”
“No, not at all! We don’t even look alike. Scott and I have Dad’s darker coloring, and April looks more like Mom. Her hair is long and straight and the color of honey, the color of mine right now. She’s every bit the youngest. Scott and I were able to protect her from a lot, so she’s usually more optimistic than me and more naïve.”
A grain of concern began to sprout in my mind. “What does she do?”
“She’s a maid at the Beckett estate. When I first met you, I used some of her information to try to reel you in.”
I stared at the lake for a long time after that. What were the chances? I still had my arm draped over Keira’s shoulders. She tilted her head back and kissed me gently on the cheek, but I didn’t respond, couldn’t respond, not how she was expecting me to.
“Keira, there’s something I have to tell you.”
She pulled away. “That doesn’t sound good.”
I turned to look at her in the ever deepening night. “You