"That's true."

Liberty drove the point home. "We're doing well on our own."

"Fine, just, there's safety in numbers. And without Mitchathere is no safety net. No way to track hunting parties. You know what? Let's drop it." He leaned back in a huff.

"Good idea." No way would she ever rescind her pardon and go back to living with conspirators always on her mind. She turned to lay with her back to him.

Chapter Three.

They'd only been signaled once before, on the night Ellie died. Yet, near dawn, three loud stomps sounded on the hatch of the cavern.

Liberty and Nathaniel were halfway down the corridor when Katie hurried out of her chamber, Gabriel close on her heels.

"What is it?" Katie asked.

Liberty looked at Nathaniel. "It has to be Mitch."

Becky wouldn't come if it weren't an emergency.

"Everything's good," Nathaniel addressed Katie and Gabriel. "Rest for your trip. Go ahead. We need to see what's going on, but we'll be back as soon as we can."

Liberty swore Katie sneered before she and Gabriel disappeared into their room without another word.

Giving Becky a five-minute head start to walk back, they surfaced and headed for the farmhouse.

After they'd arrived and emerged from behind the part.i.tion, they stood face to face with a disheveled looking Becky. Her damp hair stuck to her forehead and her eyes bloodshot. She looked much older than her thirty-seven years.

"Oh no," Liberty choked out. "Is hea"?"

"No," Becky interrupted. "It's not that."

"Good." Nathaniel's shoulders relaxed. "Iawe were worried." He gave Liberty a half hug. She relaxed a bit, too. Maybe Mitch felt desperate, like he was almost out of time and needed to finish his story from earlier. Maybe wanted to show Nathaniel the pictures.

"I'm warning you two," Becky whispered, "the old man isn't happy."

"No?" They asked at the same time.

Becky shook her head, looked over her shoulder toward Mitch's room, "Uh uh. I've got no idea what it's about, he just told me I needed to get you both, then shooed me out like a fly in the fridge." Eyes downcast, she looked genuinely hurt.

"He's just in pain, is all," Liberty a.s.sured her. "Don't take it to heart, okay?"

Becky liked everyone to think her skin was made of turtle's sh.e.l.l, but in reality she was as fragile as an egg. She even sponsored an orphan in Ethiopia, sent money every month for his care. She'd shown Liberty some colorful drawings the child made her once, she'd had tears in her eyes as she traced the stick figures drawn in front of a block house and said it was her money that bought the crayons.

Liberty patted Becky's arm as Nathaniel pulled her toward Mitch's room. "It'll be okay."

Any notion she'd entertained about their summons being related to the picture show earlier evaporated as soon as she saw Mitch. Becky was right, he didn't look happy. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was downright p.i.s.sed. Tendrils of scarlet cut through his misty gray aura.

A couple of days ago she'd have said it was impossible for Mitch to look anything except close to death. Again, she'd have spoken in error because when they entered his bedroom, Mitch was dressed and sitting up in his chair. He wore a blue flannel work shirt with splotches of lavender paint up the sleeve, a pair of gray cotton sweat pants, and thick hunting socks on his feet.

His wardrobe looked comfortable, but his expression was stony. Icy blue eyes were fixed on them as they came through the door and she felt a temptation to look away. She had no idea what they'd done, but nonetheless she felt guilty. She guessed this is what the nurse meant when she'd told them to expect a surge of vitality near the end.

"Nate. Liberty." He motioned them in with a nod.

Liberty took a deep breath, sitting on the foot of the bed, across from his chair.

Mitch gripped a paper of some sort in his hands. He looked at it and shook his head.

The silence was uncomfortable. He didn't utter a word. He didn't have to. He turned the paper around and the photo did all the talking.

Stunned, shocked, and everything in between, Liberty didn't dare move. She saw Nathaniel out of the corner of her eye. The cords in his neck bulged against his skin.

"Got my second wind tonight and thought I'd do some putzing on the website. Figured I better check my messages while I was up to it, and look what waited for me." Mitch pointed a shaky finger at the figure in the photo. "This one of yours, Nate?"

Nathaniel and Liberty leaned in to take a closer look. The lamp on the nightstand, near the head of the bed, cast a pale glow, but they couldn't deny it.

Of course it was one of theirs.

Adrian, in Sasquatch form, stood like a dope with his mouth agape, staring at the camera lens. Liberty sat back, pulled the terry-cloth robe a little tighter around herself and nodded.

Nathaniel stared at the picture and shook his head in bewilderment, "I'll be d.a.m.ned."

Liberty's train of thought jumped the track. Getting photographed had to be one of the worst crimes you committed against your colony. Sure, their cavern was a separate domain, not technically Proem, but rules were rules. He'd put them all at risk.

Adrian and his parents would arrive back at Proem in two nights, at the latest. If Cutler found out, Adrian might not be around on the third.

Mitch handed the paper to them, and she looked down at the photo again. That had to be the first night Adrian and his family had arrived. She peered at the background, trying to figure out where he'd been, but it was close-up and the all of the trees looked ordinary. It could have been anywhere. She looked at Mitch with an apology ready on her lips, and then he started to hack.

Adrian had broken the rules in a big way. When this photo got out they'd be stuck underground indefinitely. The idea of banishment irked her, upended their plans. She hoped Mitch knew of a way to stop the photo from being released to the public. At least for a while.

Mitch wiped his mouth with a hankie. "I've always had high hopes for you two." He'd missed a spot near the corner of his mouth, and a few drops of pink spit lingered. Liberty couldn't help but stare. It was as if the cancer wanted everyone to see it.

She and Nathaniel didn't respond. Liberty's cheeks flushed in shame because in his painful condition, Mitch also felt disappointed in them.

"I'm sorry for what Adrian did, but you know Nathaniel and I would never do anything so careless."

Mitch raised his eyebrows. "He's your responsibility, is he not?"

Nathaniel cut in before Liberty could give her own less than positive response. "You're right. He is in my charge when he's here. I'll handle it. No need for you to worry." Nathaniel looked at his hands. "Not right now."

Mitch sighed, contemplated what Nathaniel had said. The pink spit made its way down his chin and Liberty wanted to reach over and wipe it off. She wished she could wipe off his insides, too.

"You do need to handle your business." Mitch looked between the two of them. "But until I'm dead, you're wrong if you think you're not my concern."

Liberty thought she caught a swirl of chartreuse in his aura.

"I got a plan up my sleeve for you two," he said.

They nodded. No need to argue with a sick man. The man who looked out for them with a vengeance. Who kept up a website as a cover for monitoring Sasquatch hot spots.

The thought of him putting in the effort for them brought tears to her eyes. Liberty pulled a tissue out of the box near his pillow. She took out an extra one without hesitation and moved to wipe his face. He accepted the gesture.

She sat back down glad the sight of pink death was gone.

"A plan is good to have." Nathaniel rubbed his hands together, appeared ready to tackle the problem. "Tell me what you think should happen. Is there a way to make this die down before it flares up to begin with?"

Mitch folded the paper and handed it to Nathaniel. "You go back and find out some details. After you get the information, send your people on their way and make sure they don't return."

Liberty sucked in a quick breath, slightly elated at the possibilities of not having to host them next time. She looked at Nathaniel. His mouth hung partly open, speechless.

"Don't act surprised, Nathaniel," Mitch said. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but every time they visit lately it seems an incident happens."

Understatement of the century, Liberty thought. But she did feel bad for her husband since it made him feel inadequate, as if he couldn't even govern his small s.p.a.ce without issue.

Mitch put his hand to his mouth, looked like he was either ready to stifle a cough or a yawn, but then gagged. "You should go," he managed. "I want to be alone."

Chapter Four.

They didn't bother to take the tunnel back to the cavern. As soon as they exited the bas.e.m.e.nt, Nathaniel pulled ahead in a run, his aura a storm of royal blue, crimson and yellow. Tense, angry, and a tad fearful.

Was it the fear of being hunted? Or was he afraid of losing Mitch and, in turn, their home? Liberty kept up the best she could.

Before she'd even lowered the hatch, she could hear the boom of Nathaniel's voice as it echoed into the vestibule. She shoved her legs into a pair of elastic waist pajamas, shrugged on a zip-up sweatshirt and slipped her feet into unlaced sneakers before she hurried to the guest chamber. When she entered, Nathaniel already had Adrian jacked up against the wall.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? What we're in for?" Nathaniel held the paper up to a wincing Adrian and, for extra emphasis, shoved Adrian against the limestone with every syllable. Gabriel and Katie appeared further down the corridor, worried and half-clothed.

Liberty stood just inside the entrance of the room, but stepped aside as soon as his parents reached it.

"Christ, Nate." Gabe grabbed Nathaniel's shoulders, attempting to pull Nathaniel away from his son, "What the h.e.l.l's going on?"

Liberty watched in mild fascination as the paper fluttered to the ground in soft arcs, oblivious to the commotion it had caused. Katie stood next to her, searched her face for an explanation. Liberty met her gaze blankly. Katie's face paled, her mouth quiet for a change as she stared wide-eyed at the unfolding scene in front of her.

"Your son can answer me that, too." Nathaniel tried to shake off a persistent Gabriel, and then finally lessened his grip as Gabriel wedged between the two. Nathaniel let Adrian drop, the boy hitting the ground with a thud.

Adrian didn't seem able to respond, covered his face with trembling hands and mumbled words that were unintelligible.

"Speak up, kid," Nathaniel yelled, as he tried to swat Adrian's hands.

Gabriel stepped firmly between Nathaniel and his son. "Nate, I'm losing my patience. Tell me right now what the h.e.l.l is going on."

Katie moved closer to them, honest concern written across her face.

Still mumbling, n.o.body could understand what Adrian was trying to say.

Nathaniel grabbed the paper from the floor and shoved in into Gabriel's hands. "See for yourself." He started to pace and looked ready to jack Adrian up again.

Gabriel stuck his arm out and motioned for Nathaniel to stay before looking at the photo. He blanched, turning to hand the paper to Katie.

Nate looked at Gabriel. "I don't need to tell you what Liberty and I are in for thanks to him." He motioned to Adrian and the boy flinched. "You need to leave. And you need to do it tonight."

Katie put her hand to her mouth, shook her head from side-to-side, slowly coming to terms with what her eyes and ears told her. Her hand and the paper trembled, matching her voice. "Adrian, how could you let this happen?"

Liberty nearly smiled. Witnessing Nathaniel's sister in a vulnerable state was a new and welcome experience.

Nathaniel appeared stoic, moved to the side with his arms crossed, and allowed Gabriel to take over the interrogation.

Gabriel took a couple of steps, stood in front of his son, and said, "Look at me."

Adrian, his mouth still covered, looked up at his father like a trapped fox.

"I'll give you one chance to tell me how, and more importantly why, this happened. If you liea" his voice trailed off.

Liberty knew Adrian had often told tales since he'd become a teenager, but before now it had been innocent. An issue of integrity. Not life and death.

Gabriel gathered himself. "If you lie, so help me, I'll take you to the woods myself."

Liberty held her breath. Gabriel hadn't acted this way the previous year, on the night Sage disappeared. Maybe he finally could understand how she felt. Now it was his child whose life was at stake.

Though the immediate danger Adrian had placed himself in had pa.s.sed, there was still the little matter of having to face Cutler. Liberty thought it was time Adrian be held accountable. Past time.

Katie started to sob.

Liberty enjoyed another wave of overdue justice. Good. Cry, Katie. How does it feel? Your son's behavior finally hit home, huh? Liberty's ears perked up when Adrian, the little Neanderthal, finally spoke.

"I know this is bad." Adrian took his hands away from his face. He appeared to be looking at the dead s.p.a.ce between all of them, cleared his throat. "And I'm sorry I got caught, but I couldn't help it. I saw her. A girla" Adrian dropped his head again.

Nathaniel yelled, the sound amplified in the small chamber, "Her? What's her? You've risked our lives for some girl?"

Gabriel grabbed onto Nathaniel's arm to keep him from pouncing on the kid again. Liberty looked at Katie and saw her eyes dart between her son, brother, and husband like she was trying to keep track of a wasp.

It was Adrian's turn to raise his voice. "Not some girl, Nate. Sage. It was Sage." Adrian's voiced hitched. "And she was human."

"What did you just say?" Liberty heard her voice before her mind registered the response.