Take Me Tomorrow Page 4

  “This way,” Broden whispered as he pulled the tree branches to the side.

  Despite Miles’ heavy jacket, I shivered and leaned into Broden, our biceps pressed against one another. In the darkness, his copper eyes focused beyond the leaves, and his jaw locked as he army-crawled through the congested space near the trunks. I followed his swift movements, careful not to fall off of the rocky ledge and into the parking lot below us.

  The manmade cliff was a decoration for the offices we had trespassed in, but now I understood why Broden had chosen the spot. The cliff hung directly over the main road across from the lumberyard, and the separated streetlamps left patches of darkness across the asphalt. The dim lighting would allow us to dart across without exposure.

  Broden pointed at three tiny trees in front of us. “Stay as close to me as possible,” he spoke in a perfected low tone. “I’m going to yank the branch back. You have to jump first, so I can hold it back for you.” The conversation made my head spin. “It’s not a long fall,” he promised with a meek smile.

  My fingernails dug into the cool dirt. Leaves crunched beneath my feet, and my blood burned my insides. I could barely breathe.

  Broden’s index finger moved from the ledge to the road. “I’ll jump after you, and then, I’m taking off. Keep up,” he ordered, even though he knew I was a fast runner. Probably faster than him. “Do exactly what I do, and don’t hesitate. Got it?”

  I nodded, and the branches tugged at my curly hair as if to hold me back. I ignored them.

  “And Sophia?”

  I turned to my best friend, close enough to touch foreheads, and his eyes briefly searched mine. “Yeah?” I breathed, and his fingers skimmed the cuts on his brow. It was then that I realized his black eye was slowly fading.

  “We—” Broden paused to look over the street. “We can’t make mistakes,” he clarified, reaching up for the last branch. “Understand?”

  I nodded for the umpteenth time, and he yanked the branch back. “Then, go.”

  …

  I sprung forward and jumped before I had a chance to glance at the ground. Miles’ sweater rippled against the wind as air exploded into my lungs. The drop was higher than I was expecting, and I yelped as I hit the ground. My feet slid beneath me, and I fell, hearing my jeans rip. Before I could stand, Broden dropped out of the sky. Unlike mine, his body recollected gracefully.

  He stood up and darted into the streets without hesitation. I staggered, pulling up grass as I raced after him. The grass beneath my feet turned to asphalt in seconds. We were darting across the street − only one yard apart − when Broden leapt toward the sidewalk. He disappeared into the blackness, and my heart slammed into my ribs.

  I had seconds. My eyes shot back and forth, desperately searching for my friend, but I only saw the dark field in front of me. Suddenly, without catching sight of him, I fell into a storm ditch. My feet slammed against the drain, and my hands sprung up in front of me before I slammed into a concrete wall.

  The sound of my panicked breath echoed around the tunnel with a hiss, but Broden’s soft chuckle is what I focused on. He had known we would fall from the beginning.

  He patted my shoulder. “You did good,” he praised me in-between breaths.

  I glanced over. “You could’ve warned me about the second drop, you know.” The drop had to be over six feet because it covered his head.

  “I thought you’d enjoy a surprise.”

  “The first drop was surprise enough,” I mumbled, leaning back to survey my leg. My knee was scraped, and my jeans were ruined.

  “Not so bad,” Broden stated before looking at his watch. “We have to go.”

  He turned, following the drain as the concrete curled under the fields. I followed him without questioning his directional capabilities, and his speed increased with every turn. He kept looking at his faulty watch, and I was beginning to suspect the silver jewelry wasn’t as broken as he wanted it to seem.

  “Do you think the patrolman saw us?” I asked, quickening my pace to stand next to him.

  He climbed up from the drain to a dirt trail. When I joined him, he answered, “He’s caught us once.”

  Apparently, he had done this before, numerous times, and not alone. My only question was a stereotypical one − why? − but I didn’t have enough information to ask yet. If I had learned anything from my father, it was that most people didn’t offer information, and if you’re going to ask for it, you better know they will answer. At this point, Broden was keeping his mouth shut, even if I pried it open. If I wanted an honest answer, I would have to wait for a better opportunity to begin an interrogation.

  Broden slowed down, his freehand tightening on the backpack. “Listen, Sophia,” he whispered as the dirt trail turned into a hooked, gravel path. We were closing in on the lumberyard. “This whole situation—” his voice sounded like a hesitant apology. “Miles is right when he says you shouldn’t be involved.”

  “It can’t be that bad.”

  “It is,” he said, trying to turn away, but I had already seen his expression. The mixture of contempt and dread made me lose my breath.

  As we neared the last curve, the sounds of rushing water surrounded us. “Don’t speak. Don’t do anything rash. Just let me talk to Noah, and then, I’ll get you out of here, and we never have to talk about this again.”

  I nodded, but I doubted he saw me. His stride turned into a march as we made our way around the last corner. The trail ended at a river, and a bridge arched over it, enveloping us in shadows. Full of rainwater from the previous storm, the creek rushed over rocks and logs, and I gaped at the site. Considering I was never near the lumberyard, I was oblivious to the beautiful bridge. In fact, I was shocked by it. This area wasn’t a park. It was an abandoned forest. To see a manmade creation in isolation made every alarm in my body go off.

  Unfazed, Broden walked in front of me, and I managed to tiptoe behind him. Gravel beneath my feet disappeared and reappeared as clouds flew across the sky, covering the moon only to conceal it again. One second, I could see the glittering water in front of me, only to have it disappear the next. I kept pushing forward, allowing my ears to be my eyes. The running water was soothing, but Broden’s voice was defensive when he spoke, “Noah.”

  My neck snapped up as I stared at my best friend talking to the shadows beneath the bridge. It wasn’t until I stepped closer that I saw the boy he was speaking to.

  Noah was leaned against the stone wall, but his green eyes focused on Broden with a stillness I was already familiar with. Shadows lingered beneath his gaze, and his black t-shirt blended into the darkness. If I weren’t closer, I wouldn’t have been able to see him. The only light part about him was his hair, blond and frayed, yet it hung over his forehead like a masquerade mask.

  Broden’s old friend – the boy that Miles seemed terrified of – was the same boy I had encountered in the forest behind my house. He was the stranger who had my address in his hands.

  I stepped back, hoping to hide behind Broden’s tall body.

  Broden, though, kept moving toward him. “It’s me,” he said.

  Noah stepped forward, and the darkness fell behind his shoulders. His face was lit up, but it was his gaze that shattered any safety I had previously felt. Noah’s eyes had flashed. He had cat-eyes. He had taken tomo, and he had consumed it recently.

  I pulled my hands out of my pockets as Broden yanked the black bag off of his shoulder. When he threw it at Noah, the boy caught it, almost as if on instinct. In reality, he had probably seen Broden throwing it before Broden even knew he would throw it. That was what tomo did to a person. They could see everything, even the future.

  Noah’s green eyes flashed yellow once more before his stare focused on Broden’s arm. “What the hell happened to you?” he asked.

  Broden’s injured arm was completely covered by his sweater, but Noah somehow knew.

  “What do you think?” Broden spat before throwing the recorder at him.

  No
ah caught that, too. “Where’s Miles?” he asked, placing the recorder into his pocket.

  “Watching the car.”

  Noah’s expression remained unreadable. “I saw the Jeep,” he noted. “You’re working for the State nowadays?”

  Broden gestured toward me. “The car was hers.”

  When Noah’s gaze landed on me, I held my breath, but Noah’s attention quickly returned to Broden. Despite knowing everything else, he didn’t seem to recognize me.

  “You’re really back,” Broden continued to speak.

  Noah grimaced. “How have you been?”

  “Better,” Broden answered. “They let me out of military school,” he added, “but it looks like I’m going back in.”

  Noah’s eyebrows furrowed, “I’ll get you out.”

  “There’s no getting out this time.”

  The boy’s face turned to the side, and his gaze focused somewhere far away from the park. He looked as if he was mentally transporting himself elsewhere, somewhere that didn’t have this moment in existence, somewhere that was completely still. He had done the same thing when he faced me only a few days prior. He wasn’t the type to care about his exposed back. At least, I knew that about him.

  Broden shifted. “Why are you back?” he asked, and Noah’s jaw locked. From where I stood, I watched his bone flinch as if he were holding his words back. Broden sighed heavily at his friend’s silence. “There’s a reason.”

  “I need it back,” Noah snapped. “I need the tomo back now.”

  “What?” Broden’s voice rose. “No way,” he remarked. “I’m not giving it to you. Forget it.”

  Noah’s eyebrows raised beneath his long hair. “So, you kept it?”

  Broden had broken my father’s first rule − never offer information – and he was already dealing with the repercussions.

  “Noah,” Broden dug his feet into the gravel. “Border patrol knows you’re here. Phelps knows, and he’s looking for you.”

  “He’s looking for someone,” Noah corrected, his voice dancing with amusement. “They don’t know who.”

  My father’s conversation flickered through my memory. Phelps had brought my dad back to look for someone who had illegally passed the regions. Phelps was looking for Noah, my dad was looking for Noah, and Noah was looking for tomo.

  Broden was right. The situation was bad.

  “I need it,” Noah continued, crossing his arms. “I’m not going to use it, but I need it back.”

  Broden raised his chin. “I don’t believe you.”

  “You really think I came the whole way back just to use it myself?” Noah asked. His smirk never left his lips. A challenge lingered in his expression.

  Broden glared, “You seem to be using it now.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “Then, what are you doing with it?”

  “I’m going to be boarded up in the military hostiles as some kid from the Boise Region,” he changed the subject. “Nate Harper. That’s my name.”

  “Nate Harper,” Broden stuttered over the false identity.

  “Looks like we’ll be in school together again.” Noah touched the concrete wall behind him as if to remind himself where he was standing. “I shouldn’t be here for long.”

  “So, you’re not staying.”

  “Is that a surprise?” he asked in a low tone.

  “No,” Broden admitted, “I guess not.”

  Noah ran a hand through his blond hair, and his bangs stuck up. Neither of the boys spoke for a moment, and we were buried in the sound of the rushing water, cool and calm. I didn’t dare move, as if moving would suddenly bring Noah’s attention to me, and I didn’t want him to recognize me if he hadn’t already.

  I didn’t want to listen, and now, I was wondering why I had gotten involved in the first place. Whatever was going on here − crossing the border, military school, and tomo − I didn’t want to believe Broden was involved with someone like that. Even worse, I wanted to believe that Noah wasn’t either.

  Broden held his splinted arm. “Does your dad know?”

  “He’s the one who sent me,” Noah answered, his voice rough.

  “You’re not telling me something,” Broden growled, suddenly enraged. “Do you realize how much trouble you’re in?” he ranted. “Do you realize how much trouble you could get me in? Miles in? Anyone in?”

  Noah’s green eyes squinted into the same predatory glare he had when I snatched up his paper in the forest. “I’m not here to be lectured.”

  Both tensed, and their eyes moved over one another as if they would start fighting at any second.

  “I’m not giving the tomo to you,” Broden said.

  Noah’s arm shot down, and his fingers danced on his leg as if he was contemplating his next move. His movements were faster than they should’ve been. I recognized his stance from my father’s training. This boy, like my father, was also trained for combat.

  When he stepped forward, Broden stepped back, but Noah spread his fingers and laid his palm out. He wanted a simple handshake.

  “It was good seeing you,” Noah spoke, his watch flashing moonlight into my eyes. Aside from the black color, Broden’s watch was a replica of Noah’s.

  Broden was hesitant, but he forced himself to step forward. I stopped myself from pulling Broden back. I doubted Noah wanted a handshake. If anything, I expected the boy to crush Broden’s face into the ground, but the only thing that crunched was the gravel beneath their feet as they shook hands.

  They locked eyes, and then, Broden let go. He spun around and walked toward me without any trouble. When his hand landed on my arm, he nudged me. “Let’s go,” Broden whispered.

  We started walking away when I whispered Broden’s name, but I had to grab his arm to get his attention. I had to tell him about the forest. “Wait.”

  Broden pulled away from me. “Don’t talk yet.” His voice was tight as he continued to walk, but I froze, hearing Noah’s steps behind us.

  I spun around just in time to see Noah. He halted when I met his eyes, but he was only a foot away. I hadn’t even heard him approach.

  He smiled. “It was good seeing you again, Sophie.”

  Broden’s footsteps stopped, but I didn’t dare look behind me. I cleared my throat. “Sophia,” I corrected my name without thinking. It was automatic, and now, I was the one who had broken my father’s rules.

  “I like Sophie better,” he said, clearly remembering my name. I had to remind myself that he also knew where I lived.

  Broden marched to my side, speaking, “You two know one another?”

  “No,” I squeaked. “It’s not like that—”

  “Not exactly, anyway,” Noah completed my sentence like we were the ones with a history.

  “Keep her out of this,” Broden snarled, and his face creased in places I had never seen them crease before. He was angry, and his violent past suddenly seemed like the present. All of the stories that I had heard from Lily had become real in only a flash. He was preparing to attack.

  Noah’s smile never faltered. “You’re the one who brought her.”

  “She drove me here,” Broden glowered.

  Noah nodded.

  Broden’s face paled. “You,” he spoke, shoving a finger into his friend’s chest. “You planned this.”

  “I saw it,” he corrected, referring to his tomo-use.

  Chills ran up my spine, and I latched onto Broden’s arm. My nails dug into his skin.

  Noah studied my grasp. “I want my stuff.”

  “No.”

  Noah looked away from my hold to focus on Broden. “Fine, then,” he spoke as he turned around. His broad shoulders shifted beneath his black t-shirt as he stretched like a lion under the sun instead of a boy under the moonlight. He was wearing the same clothes from the forest. “I’m sure someone else could always help me,” he said, glancing over his shoulder, his green eyes meeting mine.

  All I could think about was my house, my home that no longer see
med safe. My father was rarely in the Topeka Region, and Lyn worked almost every day, leaving me alone. My only protection was Argos and my weapons, and Noah hadn’t been frightened of either one. Not in the slightest. And now, he had a knife. One of my father’s knives.

  Broden stepped in front of me, blocking my vision from Noah. “What do you want?”

  “Your help,” he answered. “I need those drugs,” he sounded borderline apologetic. “I have to get them.”

  Broden paused, but ended his pause with a firm nod. “Leave Sophia alone, and I’ll help you.”

  Noah leaned over to see my reaction. I leaned over to hide from him.

  “Meet at the ravens,” Noah instructed. “3:21 a.m.” It was the second time I had heard them use some sort of code that night.

  Broden read his watch and agreed. As soon as he confirmed it, Broden grabbed my arm. He dragged me behind him as he marched up the trail. Stones crunched, and powders from the gravel floated up like a fog. My heart pounded in my ears, and we reached the top of the trail in seconds, but I turned back to look. I half-expected the stranger to follow us, but Noah was standing on the path. His hands were in his pockets, and his eyes flashed yellow through the blackness. Intense as it was, he was frozen, and his lips settled neither into a frown or a smile. It wasn’t until his cat-eyes disappeared that he lifted his hand in a slight wave. I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming at him.

  “Sophia,” Broden grumbled, shaking my arm as if he had sensed my stare.

  “I’m okay—”

  “Stay away from him,” he continued as he led us over the concrete. The cuts above his brow seemed to bleed beneath his stressed stitches.

  When I didn’t respond, he stopped us and spun around to face me. He grabbed both of my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. “Promise me that you’ll stay away from him – and from me.”

  My jaw dropped. “From you?”

  “He can’t find you then,” he said, oblivious to the fact that Noah knew exactly where I lived. “Promise me.”

  My eyes traced over Broden’s injuries, wondering how Noah had known about them. Tomo didn’t show the past. It only revealed the future. Obviously, he was watching, but we had no way of knowing what he had seen. I still didn’t know who had even hurt Broden, and he was my best friend, but even I didn’t know my best friend had been involved with someone like Noah.