Chapter 453 Enemy  

~ ZEV ~

When they left the cave he'd known, though he'd been unwilling to say, that their time alone was limited. Not only would Nick be certain to go back and raise the alarm, but he suspected Sasha would have no real comprehension of just how determined the humans would be about finding them again.

While they may have threatened to end the project and kill the Chimera many times—and Zev knew those threats were real. He'd seen the notes on the meetings—he also knew that the Team had new hope as a result of he and Sasha's child. And that the Chimera were a rich resource that they would have stripped for as much money and power as they could.

To have them all simply disappear one day was not a blow the team would take philosophically.

He'd told her that they needed to be sure Nick actually left. And he knew he could easily hunt and provide food for them for the weeks they needed to stay.

He was less certain of being able to maintain her safety if the humans truly decided to throw all their resources into searching Thana.

So, when he began to run from the cave, instead of following the valley floor and the trail back towards the village, and then the City, he'd turned east, across the valley, then back up into the foothills of the mountain on the other side.

There was a place he knew, one he rarely used because it wasn't easy to reach, but it would give them both a view of the valley and anyone coming and going through it, and it would shelter them from the worst of the elements.

When he'd finally climbed to the small clearing on a flat divot out of the side of the mountain, Sasha had sighed with relief. She was exhausted—and both of them were frustrated. He'd shown her the small cave at the back of the clearing, nestled into the mountain, and he'd shown her how he could see the trail to the cave mouth from here—and anyone passing on it.

Sasha said she could squint and see if there was something moving. But that she couldn't see any of it clearly.

"That's okay, I'll watch," Zev said, his voice colder than he'd meant it to sound.

Sasha immediately frowned. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head.

How to tell her he was angry because he knew that even without Nick, the humans were still going to be haunting their lives? Were already haunting their lives simply by holding their son—but they needed the Team at this point. They needed them to keep their son alive.

He reminded himself of that. But it didn't stop his anger.

Although there were plenty of resources at the City and the village, Zev didn't want to risk travelling there until he was certain Nick was gone. So he hunted in wolf for and brought down two small birds that they roasted over a fire as the afternoon turned to evening, then twilight.

Sasha had watched the trail while he was gone and was certain no If he'd known Nick was gone, he might have run to the village to grab a few items just to make life a little easier.

one had arrived on it, from either side of the Gateway.

But that just set Zev's teeth further on edge.

If he'd known Nick was gone, he might have run to the village to grab a few items just to make life a little easier.

They'd sent their bags ahead with the pack, assuming they would be reaching the Safe Place that night. He hadn't prepared for this eventuality, and that felt like a failure, too.

Then finally, just as night was falling—which must have meant he was desperate, Zev, sitting on the outcropping facing the cave—saw two figures. One a human, shuffling with a limp, the other somewhat human, but with several extra limbs, scuttling along behind him.

Zev stood quickly, eyes locked on Nick's back.

Sasha tensed. "What is it?"

Zev didn't answer immediately. He lost sight of Nick behind a copse of trees for a moment, but then the bastard reappeared, on the last twenty feet to the cave mouth.

"Just watching a coward run from the burning ship," Zev said through his teeth, finally.

Sasha watched him, her face worried, but she just put a hand to his arm and didn't say anything. He was grateful. He didn't want to take his anger out on her.

*****

The next morning, Sasha woke in the cave alone. Zev had covered her in his furs that he'd been wearing, keeping himself just in the black clothing from the Team. Her back ached and her shoulder hurt from the odd angle of sleeping with her head resting on her arm. But at least she was alive.

Then she sat up because she also realized she was alone.

The gray light of early, early morning was creeping in through the open mouth of the small cave, and she got to her feet slowly, groaning, brushing herself off, and pulling Zev's jacket around her shoulders.

He was outside, on his belly, on the outcropping. He'd lain with her for a while after Nick left—when she'd fallen asleep. But obviously at some point he'd come out here. Because it was clear he hadn't slept.

When she stepped out of the cave, he turned to look at her, his eyes were dark and puffy.

"Stay down!" he hissed.

That's right. He'd warned her that while they were there they needed to stay low in the first half of the day because the light shone and would show their silhouettes to anyone watching from below. Sasha immediately crouched, looking around for intruders, but she couldn't seen anything but trees, rocks, and Zev. And he was just laying there.

He looked out into the valley and shook his head, beckoning her to stay low, but to come to his side.

She scrambled awkwardly towards him on hands and feet. He kept her low and urged her to stay on her belly as she crawled onto the rock next to him.

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Oh, Zev, you don't have to guard me all the time. I promise. I trust you. You'll hear if anything comes near—"

"No, Sasha, it wasn't that. I couldn't sleep. I had a feeling. My instincts. And look, I was right."

He nodded out over the valley and Sasha pulled herself up to his side to look down. Then her mouth dropped open.

The trail from the cave, and the valley floor were crawling with people.