Omega's Run by A. J. Downey, Ryan Kells Page B

pun as I continued. “We’ll figure out where we’re going after that.”
    She considered that silently for a moment before she nodded once, sharply, and let out an explosive sigh. “There’s an apartment,” she said. “In Ashland, up in Northern Wisconsin. It belongs to me and it’s completely under the radar so we’ll go there after we hit the other side of the lake.”
    I shrugged. “Sounds like a plan to me.” I was honestly getting too tired and felt too worn out to care much one way or the other.
    She glanced at me and then hit the turn signal to pull us off the freeway.
    “What’re you doing?” I asked.
    “You need some clothes and we need some food. Can’t have you running around in some scrub pants that don’t even fit.
    I grunted. “Not gonna be doing much running around at all.”
    “Boo-hoo,” she mocked. “Suck it up, Butter Cup.”
    I couldn’t help the annoyed growl that slipped out of me. The wolf and I did not like being mocked. Not in the slightest. And considering she was the one that’d shot me in the first place, neither one of us felt particularly charitable on that front. She pulled into a parking lot of some large department store or other, I couldn’t be bothered to see which one, and pulled smoothly into a space. “Look, stay here, I’ll run and grab you some clothes and then we’ll grab something to eat.”
    Without another word she opened her door and jumped out. I grunted and leaned back in my seat, my eyes slipping closed almost of their own accord. She was right. Clothes would be good. But honestly? I didn’t feel particularly hungry. And that scared the shit out of me.
     
    ***
     
    I jerked awake to find the sun was setting and we were driving again. Ava had a fast food cup in one hand and was just finishing off what smelled like a cherry coke. She set her cup in the Jeep’s cup holder next to a second, full cup, and glanced at me.
    “Morning Sunshine,” she muttered and I grunted a barely coherent response. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she snapped. You’ve been out for hours, I wasn’t sure what to do so I just kept driving.”
    “Not feeling so hot,” I muttered. That wasn’t entirely true. I felt pretty damned hot, feverish in fact. My body was alternatively burning up and wracked with chills that set me to shivering uncontrollably.
    “There’s food if you want. I ordered a metric-fuck-ton of the stuff. Hope you like cold burgers and fries.” The smell hit me then and I wretched, body convulsing as my stomach heaved attempting to expel the nothing in it. I had no idea when it was that I last actually ate or drank anything. I reached blindly and rolled the window down and stuck my head outside to rid myself of the smell of the food. Honestly I was tempted to just throw the bags out, but she was right, food was needed and it wouldn’t do to waste it.
    “What the fuck?” she yelped. “Remus, what’s wrong?” Her voice was tight. Not with fear, not for herself at least. I could almost think that she was worried about me.
    “Worried about me?” I said in a languid kind of drawl. I felt drunk, delirious almost. Something was severely wrong. Wolf-kind don’t get fevers. We don’t get sick, but this all seemed familiar. I couldn’t quite place it but I was sure I had seen my symptoms in someone else before. If I could just concentrate...
    “Not really. I need you alive. You’ve got information I want.”
    “Information on Mathias and his deal with my father, Declan Rees?”
    “Among other things.”
    “Tit for tat,” I muttered, letting my eyes close again as the cold air from the open window caressed my overheated skin. “Quid pro quo. I tell you something you tell me something.”
    “Like what?”
    “Why is the Red Cross a front for the Hunters?”
    “Not all Hunters,” she said. “Just our... chapter... I guess you could say.”
    “Alright, then why is the American Red Cross a front for your Chapter?”
    “Because our