Page 42 of Beacon

He doesn’t answer, but I can hear and feel him breathing.

So, braver than I ever knew I was, I say one more thing. “You’ll always be the only man for me.”

8

We’resilent as we drive back to the cabin. I’m not sure what Mack is thinking, but I’m internally processing the conversation we just had.

Maybe he is too.

As I think back, I wonder if this is the first time I’ve ever heard or seen Mack act even slightly insecure around another man. I honestly can’t remember it happening before—not in all the time I’ve known him.

Ever since Impact, former sources of power like money, fame, social status, and political influence have been made irrelevant. Now the only power that matters is numbers or physical strength and skill.

And Mack has always been on the top of that hierarchy. He’s bigger than almost anyone else we know. He’s bigger than Jackson. Bigger than Grant. Bigger even thanCal. And in a physical altercation with anyone else, it would take a lot of luck on the other side to beat Mack.

All this time, the only thing stopping him from imposing his will on everyone else is the goodness of his heart.

Logan isn’t a physically intimidating man, but he possesses a different sort of power—one more akin to what was common in the old world. It’s startling. Daunting.

No wonder Mack reacted the way he did.

But surely he doesn’t believe I’m so weak and clingy that I’d immediately attach myself to the man with the most power around me.

Maybe that’s what he thinks I did with him.

It’s an upsetting thought. So upsetting my throat tightens and tears burn in my eyes. I try to keep my body relaxed and natural, but after a couple of minutes, Mack glances back at me over his shoulder, like he senses something and wants to know what’s wrong.

I might have told him, but I don’t get the chance.

It’s impossible to drive very fast in this forest, even on the trail, and Mack has to slow down even further as we reach a part of the trail that goes up one of the steepest hills and winds around in a deep switchback. As we come around the curve, we’re suddenly confronted by someone taking the trail in the opposite direction.

There are two of them. Both on motorcycles, which is rare enough in The Wild this long after Impact that Iget tingles of alarm in my fingertips and the back of my neck. Men. Both relatively normal-looking. They’ve slowed down the way we have. The one behind has lifted a shotgun in the same way I’ve pulled out my pistol.

He doesn’t fire though. We pass each other with wary vigilance, and neither side makes an aggressive move. It’s not until our quad is side by side with the first motorcycle that I realize behind the driver is someone else.

A little girl. A dark-haired girl with huge blue eyes and a doll secured to her middle with a long scarf of some kind.

It takes every ounce of my control to not react. I nod politely at the second driver, whose posture is stiff and guarded.

Then we’re past. As soon as we complete the curve, we’re out of sight.

“Mack.”

“I know. I saw.”

“That poor little girl. She looked so scared.”

“I know.”

“We have to do something.”

“Iknow.” He pulls to a stop on the trail and pivots on the seat so he can see me. “We’re not going to be able to catch up with them on this thing. Those bikes can really move.”

“Maybe we can follow them and scope out the situation. Logan said that we only need to get a message tohim. I’m sure he’s capable of making the move once he knows where they are.”

“Yeah.” Mack clears his throat. “Yeah, okay. We’ll need to stay pretty far back, or they’ll figure out we’re following.”

“Okay. The dirt is soft enough that those motorcycles made groves in it. We can follow their tracks without getting too close.”

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