The Gathering by K. E. Ganshert Read Free Book Online Page B

his wheelchair at one of the tables. He’s looking old and worn. In need of a haircut and a shave and a really good night of sleep. I take a seat across from him. “How’re the interrogations going?”
    “Largely uninformative.”
    “And our game plan?”
    “Still being solidified.”
    “When are we leaving?”
    Cap massages the bridge of his nose. “Tomorrow, most likely.”
    “ Tomorrow ? Isn’t that a little risky?”
    “You said Claire wasn’t an immediate threat.”
    I try not to squirm, or think too hard about DeVant’s accusation. You would do the same thing. “What about Clive? He knows our location. He had a Greyhound ticket to Detroit.”
    “According to you, the enemy was already aware of our location in Detroit. It’s a big city. Anna has her cloak up and Non is standing guard.” Cap sets his hand over a walkie-talkie on the table. “She’ll send an alert at the first sign of danger.”
    “Non’s fallen asleep before.”
    “I know what I’m doing, Tess. I need you to trust in my leadership.”
    The words sting. Luka’s reservations weren’t the only ones I ignored. Cap had them, too. He didn’t want to rush into a rescue mission. He wanted more time to research and plan. But Clive was a Cloak. What more was there to research? I never stopped to consider the fact that he might be a backstabbing Cloak. I didn’t care to consider it. Not when I’d been so focused on freeing my grandmother. Shame creeps into my cheeks. “I really messed things up, didn’t I?”
    He shrugs. “We learn and we move on. That’s what leaders do.”
    “I’m not a leader.”
    “Yes, you are.”
    I shake my head.
    His eyes hold steady on mine. Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to know him fairly well. He took me under his wing. Pushed me to be stronger than I thought possible. In return, I’m certain there’s nobody in the hub who gives him more pride, or more fits of exasperation, than me. Somehow, this man who I first knew as a file marked Josiah Aaronson has become as close to a father figure as I’m going to get apart from my own. And right now, that father figure looks like he’s about to impart some wisdom.
    “I believe in you.” Cap doesn’t do flattery. Doling out compliments is not part of his DNA. If he says it, he means it. I just don’t understand how he can speak those words. He folds his hands on the table. “But I also know how the enemy works. Fear is his weapon of choice. He uses it to sow seeds of division, doubt, mistrust. We can’t let him get a foothold.”
    “I thought that’s what these interrogations were for.”
    “I don’t mean among us. I mean within us.” Cap leans forward. His silver eyes don’t just look, they penetrate. They dissect. They eviscerate. It’s like he’s examining the very depths of my soul, where the enemy’s weapon runs rampant. “Fear only has power when we let it make our choices.”
    My fingers start scratching again.
    “I believe in the prophecy. I believe you’re The One.”
    I pull at my sleeves. He’s talking crazy. The One is supposed to save lives, not put them in danger. That’s all I can seem to do.
    “But hear me on this. What I believe? It means very little unless you believe it, too.”

Chapter Eleven
    A New Home
    C ap told everyone to meet in the common room after dinner, but he’s with Link and people have started without him. I sit on one of the couches next to Luka as heated conversation floats around us.
    “What are we going to do with Clive?”
    “We can’t bring him with us.”
    “We can’t let him go. He knows too much.”
    “What if we lock him up and leave him here?”
    “He’ll starve to death.”
    “Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”
    “That’s an awful thing to say.”
    “He’s the enemy, isn’t he?”
    He’s just a dad who wanted his family back.
    The thought comes out of nowhere—an intrusive, uninvited guest I want nothing to do with. I don’t want to sympathize with Clive. I