Redemption (Enigma Black Trilogy Book #3) by Sara Furlong-Burr Page B
Authors: Sara Furlong-Burr
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amplifying the world around you. Everything seems brighter, full of hope that wasn’t there before. It’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, it is,” Ian answered back.
I looked up at him, expecting to see him staring at the steadily rising sun, but instead, he was looking directly at me. My face grew warm, flushed. “I think we should head to the Capitol,” I said. “Hide the bikes, find shelter and the remaining rebels. We’ll have to earn their trust first, of course.”
“That’s not going to be easy, you know. Especially with that doctored speech you gave on national television.”
“That’s why we need to find Marshall Leitner.”
“What? Have you forgotten the reason why you were shot? No, Celaine, absolutely not. Are you crazy?”
“It wasn’t his fault, Ian. He’s different than what we’ve been led to believe, which really shouldn’t be too shocking since truth and lies all seem to intermingle in Victor’s world, so much so that you don’t know where one ends and the other one begins.”
“But what if he is the man he’s been made out to be? What if he lied to you about Lucy and his real intentions?”
“I’d rather take my chances and find out that Marshall Leitner is just another liar in the sea of liars we’ve been cast into than serve President Brooks and become just another mouthpiece for his regime any day of the week.”
“So me trying to convince you that we should just run away together and forget that the whole world even exists would be a complete waste of my time, then?” I smiled at Ian, who shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I tried,” he said.
“Maybe we should find somewhere to rest for the day,” I said, yawning. “We’ll pick up where we left off at nightfall, use the cover of darkness to our advantage.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” he agreed. “Daylight would be too risky given the fact that we’re neither allies with the rebels nor the soldiers.” He put his helmet back on and extended an arm out toward the open road ahead of us. “Lead the way.”
Side by side, we traveled down the desolate road, searching for a place to rest, a plan steadily forming in our heads.
*****
Paige sat at her father’s bedside, his hand in hers, tears cascading down her face. Through the window, the sun shone through, warming her back and casting a faint light on Paul’s face, half obscured by a ventilator. Across the room, Chase sat watching her grimly, already knowing what she refused to process.
“It’s morning, Paige,” he said softly. “You may want to think about getting something to eat and taking a break for a while.”
“I’m not going to leave him,” she answered without turning around. “What if he wakes up and I’m not here? He’ll think I abandoned him.”
“He’d want you to take care of yourself. We won’t be long, I promise. We’ll come right back.”
“No,” she said sternly. “I’m not going anywhere, Chase. He’s been there for me my entire life, the least I can do is be here for him now.”
“Okay,” Chase said, noticing her body beginning to tremble. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll go down to the cafeteria and grab you something.”
“That would be great,” she said after a brief pause. “Coffee, please. Cream and sugar.”
“You got it.”
“Oh, and bring one back for dad, too. Make his black. I’m sure he’ll want his coffee when he wakes up. It’s always the first thing he goes for when he wakes up in the morning.”
Chase nodded, trying his best to muster a smile. “Of course,” he said as he turned to walk out of the room. In the hallway, he steadied himself against the wall, emotionally drained.
“Chase,” a familiar voice spoke his name.
“Dr. Morton,” he acknowledged his colleague.
“How is your fiancé doing?” she asked. “Still holding out hope?”
“You don’t have anything if you don’t have hope.”
“That is very true.”
“Tell me, Nicole, is there hope? Do we know how long his brain
“Yeah, it is,” Ian answered back.
I looked up at him, expecting to see him staring at the steadily rising sun, but instead, he was looking directly at me. My face grew warm, flushed. “I think we should head to the Capitol,” I said. “Hide the bikes, find shelter and the remaining rebels. We’ll have to earn their trust first, of course.”
“That’s not going to be easy, you know. Especially with that doctored speech you gave on national television.”
“That’s why we need to find Marshall Leitner.”
“What? Have you forgotten the reason why you were shot? No, Celaine, absolutely not. Are you crazy?”
“It wasn’t his fault, Ian. He’s different than what we’ve been led to believe, which really shouldn’t be too shocking since truth and lies all seem to intermingle in Victor’s world, so much so that you don’t know where one ends and the other one begins.”
“But what if he is the man he’s been made out to be? What if he lied to you about Lucy and his real intentions?”
“I’d rather take my chances and find out that Marshall Leitner is just another liar in the sea of liars we’ve been cast into than serve President Brooks and become just another mouthpiece for his regime any day of the week.”
“So me trying to convince you that we should just run away together and forget that the whole world even exists would be a complete waste of my time, then?” I smiled at Ian, who shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I tried,” he said.
“Maybe we should find somewhere to rest for the day,” I said, yawning. “We’ll pick up where we left off at nightfall, use the cover of darkness to our advantage.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” he agreed. “Daylight would be too risky given the fact that we’re neither allies with the rebels nor the soldiers.” He put his helmet back on and extended an arm out toward the open road ahead of us. “Lead the way.”
Side by side, we traveled down the desolate road, searching for a place to rest, a plan steadily forming in our heads.
*****
Paige sat at her father’s bedside, his hand in hers, tears cascading down her face. Through the window, the sun shone through, warming her back and casting a faint light on Paul’s face, half obscured by a ventilator. Across the room, Chase sat watching her grimly, already knowing what she refused to process.
“It’s morning, Paige,” he said softly. “You may want to think about getting something to eat and taking a break for a while.”
“I’m not going to leave him,” she answered without turning around. “What if he wakes up and I’m not here? He’ll think I abandoned him.”
“He’d want you to take care of yourself. We won’t be long, I promise. We’ll come right back.”
“No,” she said sternly. “I’m not going anywhere, Chase. He’s been there for me my entire life, the least I can do is be here for him now.”
“Okay,” Chase said, noticing her body beginning to tremble. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll go down to the cafeteria and grab you something.”
“That would be great,” she said after a brief pause. “Coffee, please. Cream and sugar.”
“You got it.”
“Oh, and bring one back for dad, too. Make his black. I’m sure he’ll want his coffee when he wakes up. It’s always the first thing he goes for when he wakes up in the morning.”
Chase nodded, trying his best to muster a smile. “Of course,” he said as he turned to walk out of the room. In the hallway, he steadied himself against the wall, emotionally drained.
“Chase,” a familiar voice spoke his name.
“Dr. Morton,” he acknowledged his colleague.
“How is your fiancé doing?” she asked. “Still holding out hope?”
“You don’t have anything if you don’t have hope.”
“That is very true.”
“Tell me, Nicole, is there hope? Do we know how long his brain
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