Page 26 of The Pale Rider
Cougar held up her hand.
“Ariel, why do you think he’s keeping secrets?”
I couldn’t help it. I fell out laughing. Why did Ithinkhe was keeping secrets? He even lied about not having a last name.
“I woke up in a hospital with no memories. I didn’t even know my own name. The only living person in the hospital was this asshole, and he hands me a Smurf blue baseball bat and expects me to remember something. He was at that hospital for a reason, or he wouldn’t have had my old bat and my clothes from my apartment. He even lied about not having a last name!”
“I get why you’re upset, Ariel. I do. But it’s the end of the world. Does it really matter if you know his last name? Cougar is not my real name. It’s what I prefer to be called now.”
“What if he’s keeping his last name from me because he knows it’ll make me remember him?”
Cougar sighed.
“Ariel, I met Aeron before the war broke out. He warned us about the water then, and he let us know that they were about to drop bombs. Even back then, Aeron was working with a team trying to end this. He was trying to put all the pieces together, and there were things he needed to find. How do you know his entire team didn’t spend years gathering a file on you, and you are a piece to this puzzle?”
I threw up my hands and wanted to shriek in frustration.
“Try asking him that! He won’t answer either way.”
“Aeron? Care to chime in?”
“You know I hate it when you mediate me, right? Neither of you understands. The way Ariel’s memories were taken from her wasn’t natural. The person who took them didn’t want her to ever remember. They didn’t want her ever to be found either. That research facility was like Fort Knox with security. I suspect one of the doctors or nurses got a bite outside and said nothing. They came to work like everything was normal and turned on their shift.
“That’s the only reason I was able to get in that facility. It was safer to fight my way through a bunch of Rage Heads than get through the security they had in place. Do you get that? You weren’t supposed to wake up, Speedy. And if you did, they put precautions in place in case anyone tried to help you remember. I can’t tell you a fucking thing because of what they did to you at that facility. Cut me some slack. I want you to remember just as much as you do.”
I just sat there with my mouth gaping open. Who the fuck did that to me, and were they still alive? Smurfette would like to meet them.Whywould anyone do that to me? I didn’t remember much, but what I knew of myself was that I was an artist who played on a recreational softball team and liked to attend concerts. And I was totally fucked because he couldn’t tell me why.
“I don’t remember much, but I remember a little. Why would anyone bother?”
“Now, Ariel,” Cougar said, resting her elbows on her knees. “I know how frustrating this is for you, but can you understand that it’s frustrating for Aeron too? You are clearly crucial if someone went to such lengths to take you out of the equation, and it would help all of us if Aeron could just tell you everything.
“None of this is fair. If it were up to me, I’d be living in a house with electricity and access to a grocery store teaching kindergarten again. I don’t know why you are important either, just that you are. I don’t want Aeron to tell you anything either because we need you functioning for whatever his plan is. Can you be patient?”
Did I have a choice? I didn’t ask for this, but if the end of the world was happening and I was somehow important, then I just needed to nut up and deal with it. I’d have to stop giving Aeron a hard time.
“I guess.”
I’d be patient, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Good. And you, Aeron. You have a bad temper, and you can be rough around the edges. I know you are frustrated she can’t remember, but imagine how she feels. She’s desperate for anything to hold on to.”
Aeron crossed his arms and grumped.
“I guess.”
“Good. Now, both of you be nicer to each other, and you might just complete your mission. Do you need anything for the road? We found a huge stash of MREs when we found your booze. I can send you with a few.”
“Anything you can spare would be great. We found a supply closet, and that was where I found your chocolate, but I’d like to ride straight on with as minimal stops as possible. We will be sleeping rough along the way. Some cities along our route are overrun with Rage Heads, and our options for sleeping are as safe as I could make them.”
Cougar narrowed her eyes at Aeron.
“If you went through so much trouble to find this girl and you keep pissing her off, then make them safer. If she’s a piece of your puzzle, then you do better at making things safe.”
“Yes, ma’am. We do need to be headed out soon.”
“Then, come pick out some MREs and get on your way. I mean it, Aeron. If harm comes to this girl, you will have all of Gabriel’s Haven after your ass.”
Chapter 15
