Blood Memory: The Complete Season One (Books 1-5) by Perrin Briar Page B
Authors: Perrin Briar
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going to undertake, and ignoring Light as if it wasn’t there.
“Well, I’d better get ready,” Anne said a fter eating. She headed below deck. Joel caught up with her.
“Anne,” Joel said, speaking in a hushed whisper, “can I have a word?”
They moved into the main living area. The suitcase full of their salvaged goods sat on the sofas, their innards open, contents spilled across the dining table.
“ Anne, I want you to stay here.”
Anne blinked as if she’d been slapped. “What? No. I’m coming.”
“There’s no point in all of us being at risk for no good reason.”
“There is good reason – the more of us there are the better.”
“Not this time. The Lurc hers will all be dead.”
“You hope. What if they’re not?”
“I want you to keep an eye on Stan, Mary, and the girls.”
Anne folded her arms and looked away.
“Anne, we need you here.”
“What if something happens?”
“Then I’ll feel relaxed knowing you’ve got my back.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t about you. This is about what’s best for all of us.”
Anne, after a pause, nodded, but she still wasn’t happy. “Fine. But next time you get to babysit.”
“Fair enough.”
Jordan finished off his last sausage. When Joel and Anne emerged from below deck, Joel was wearing his armour, and Anne wore a heavy frown.
Joel approached Jordan and said, “Are you ready?”
“Just about.”
Anne helped Jordan with his armour. She pulled the fastenings, tugging them as tight as they would go, cutting off his circulation. She glared at him, daring him to complain. He didn’t. That only made her angrier.
Stan cranked the gangplank. It extended with all the slow energy of impending doom. Only one hook of the gangplank fastened onto Light’s soft decking , the other hung suspended in mid-air. With the added weight of the water in the engine bay, Light had listed even further during the night. The stern had been pulled down, forcing the bow to lift up from the waterline.
Jordan and Joel crossed the gangplank, Jordan with a lot less apprehension than the day before, though still not quite with the same confidence as Joel.
As they walked across Light’s deck toward the bridge, Jordan sidled up to Joel. “Do you think Anne will do as you asked?”
Joel looked at Jordan out the corner of his eye. “How would you know what I said to Anne?”
“The temperature dropped ten degrees whenever she looked at you. And, she’s not here.”
Joel smiled and eyed Jordan with newfound respect. “There’s no telling what Anne will do.”
From Haven ’s deck, Anne watched them disappear out of view as they stepped into the bridge and went down the stairs. The rattling sound of Stan winding the gangplank back in echoed the twisting of apprehension in Anne’s gut.
18.
Nowhere was Light’s listing more obvious than on the vehicle parking level. The square box shape of the vehicles somehow heightened the lop-sidedness of the room. But the vehicles had not moved, their handbrakes holding firm.
Joel opened the door that led to the stairwell. They caught the strong salty iodine smell of the sea that they previously could not smell until they were at the bottom of the stairs. They shared a look.
“You don’t suppose the door could have snapped open under the pressure?” Jordan asked.
“The Lurchers having escaped and organised a nice welcome party for us?” Joel raised his knives. “We’ll have to go down and see.”
Four steps from the maintenance floor, Joel’s boot set foot in water, soaking him to the ankle. He crouched to see down the corridor. His flashlight revealed the water was deep at the stairs, then tapered off and became shallower as the incline reduced, the water only barely stroking the door’s bottom. It was shut.
“That’s disappointing,” Joel said. “No welcoming party.”
Joel waded into the pool, the deepest pointing up to his waist. He kept his arms above the waterline. As
“Well, I’d better get ready,” Anne said a fter eating. She headed below deck. Joel caught up with her.
“Anne,” Joel said, speaking in a hushed whisper, “can I have a word?”
They moved into the main living area. The suitcase full of their salvaged goods sat on the sofas, their innards open, contents spilled across the dining table.
“ Anne, I want you to stay here.”
Anne blinked as if she’d been slapped. “What? No. I’m coming.”
“There’s no point in all of us being at risk for no good reason.”
“There is good reason – the more of us there are the better.”
“Not this time. The Lurc hers will all be dead.”
“You hope. What if they’re not?”
“I want you to keep an eye on Stan, Mary, and the girls.”
Anne folded her arms and looked away.
“Anne, we need you here.”
“What if something happens?”
“Then I’ll feel relaxed knowing you’ve got my back.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t about you. This is about what’s best for all of us.”
Anne, after a pause, nodded, but she still wasn’t happy. “Fine. But next time you get to babysit.”
“Fair enough.”
Jordan finished off his last sausage. When Joel and Anne emerged from below deck, Joel was wearing his armour, and Anne wore a heavy frown.
Joel approached Jordan and said, “Are you ready?”
“Just about.”
Anne helped Jordan with his armour. She pulled the fastenings, tugging them as tight as they would go, cutting off his circulation. She glared at him, daring him to complain. He didn’t. That only made her angrier.
Stan cranked the gangplank. It extended with all the slow energy of impending doom. Only one hook of the gangplank fastened onto Light’s soft decking , the other hung suspended in mid-air. With the added weight of the water in the engine bay, Light had listed even further during the night. The stern had been pulled down, forcing the bow to lift up from the waterline.
Jordan and Joel crossed the gangplank, Jordan with a lot less apprehension than the day before, though still not quite with the same confidence as Joel.
As they walked across Light’s deck toward the bridge, Jordan sidled up to Joel. “Do you think Anne will do as you asked?”
Joel looked at Jordan out the corner of his eye. “How would you know what I said to Anne?”
“The temperature dropped ten degrees whenever she looked at you. And, she’s not here.”
Joel smiled and eyed Jordan with newfound respect. “There’s no telling what Anne will do.”
From Haven ’s deck, Anne watched them disappear out of view as they stepped into the bridge and went down the stairs. The rattling sound of Stan winding the gangplank back in echoed the twisting of apprehension in Anne’s gut.
18.
Nowhere was Light’s listing more obvious than on the vehicle parking level. The square box shape of the vehicles somehow heightened the lop-sidedness of the room. But the vehicles had not moved, their handbrakes holding firm.
Joel opened the door that led to the stairwell. They caught the strong salty iodine smell of the sea that they previously could not smell until they were at the bottom of the stairs. They shared a look.
“You don’t suppose the door could have snapped open under the pressure?” Jordan asked.
“The Lurchers having escaped and organised a nice welcome party for us?” Joel raised his knives. “We’ll have to go down and see.”
Four steps from the maintenance floor, Joel’s boot set foot in water, soaking him to the ankle. He crouched to see down the corridor. His flashlight revealed the water was deep at the stairs, then tapered off and became shallower as the incline reduced, the water only barely stroking the door’s bottom. It was shut.
“That’s disappointing,” Joel said. “No welcoming party.”
Joel waded into the pool, the deepest pointing up to his waist. He kept his arms above the waterline. As
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