Fear (Gone #5)(50)

Cigar’s thoughts fell to pieces again.

He stood up and made his way to the door that vibrated and pulsed and called to him.

There was a knock on Penny’s door.

Penny did not fear a knock at the door. She opened it without even checking the peephole.

Caine stood framed by silvery moonlight in the door.

“We have to talk,” Caine said.

“It’s the middle of the night.”

He came in without waiting for an invitation. “First things first: if I see anything I don’t like, even so much as a flea, anything that comes from your sick imagination, Penny, I won’t hesitate. I’ll throw you through the nearest wall. And then I’ll drop the wall on top of you.”

“Hello to you, too. Your Highness.” She closed the door.

He was already sitting, flopping down in her favorite chair. Like he owned the place. He had brought a candle. He lit it with a Bic and set it on the table. So very Caine: he would arrange to be dramatically lit, even though candles were rarer than diamonds in the FAYZ.

King Caine.

Penny swallowed the rage that threatened to boil over. She would make him crawl. Make him scream and scream!

She said, “I know why you’re here.”

“Turk said you were ready to get real, Penny. He said you wanted to negotiate some terms. Fair enough. So spit it out.”

“Look,” Penny said, “I screwed up with Cigar. And I know what happens if the food supply dries up. I’m not as pretty as Diana, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”

“Okay,” he said cautiously.

“So, like I told Turk to tell you, I’m going to leave town. I already packed a few things.” She gestured to a backpack lying in one corner. “I just don’t think it should look like you made me go, because then it’s like Quinn won. I think I should make it be like I just chose on my own to leave.”

Caine stared at her, obviously trying to figure out what she was up to.

Penny showed a little anger then. “Hey, I’m not happy about it, all right? But I’ll get by. Believe it or not I can survive without you, King Caine.”

“Take all the food you want,” he said.

“How generous of you,” she snapped. “The deal is I leave, but you have to make sure I don’t starve. Once a week I’ll meet Bug out on the highway, right by the overturned FedEx truck. If I need something he brings it. That’s my demand for leaving and making it easy for you.”

Caine relaxed a bit. He tilted his head sideways and looked at her, considering. “Fair enough.”

“But we have to talk about how to make it look good. Let’s face it, Caine: you and I can still be useful to each other in the future, right? So I need you to stay in charge. Better than the alternative.”

“What do you have in mind?”

She sighed. “Right now I have in mind some hot cocoa. Taylor brought me some from the island. Have a cup with me and we’ll work something out.”

Caine didn’t ask why Taylor would have brought her something as precious as cocoa from the island. Taylor no doubt used Penny’s fantasy-making powers for something.

Penny saw the look of distaste on his face as he worked it out. She went to the kitchen, to the little Sterno stove she used to heat the water and the cocoa.

She lit the Sterno.

Caine did not follow her into the kitchen.

He was still sitting there with a puzzled look on his face when she handed him the cup.

They each sipped.

“So I guess if I’m leaving and making it look like it’s not your fault, we should maybe act like we’re fighting,” Penny said.

“It would have to be where people can overhear. But not right out in public, because that’ll look phony,” Caine said. And sipped again at his cocoa. “Kind of bitter,” he said, grimacing at the cup.

“I have a little sugar I could add.”

“You have sugar?”

She fetched it. Two sugar cubes, and she plopped them into his cup. He swirled it around to stir the sugar in.

“You’re right about one thing, Penny,” he said. “You’re useful. Crazy, but useful. No one has sugar, but you do.”

She shrugged modestly. “People like to get away, you know? Think about something more fun than just life and work and all.”

“Yeah. Still: actual sugar? That’s worth a lot.”

“I guess you know I have a crush on you,” Penny said.

“Yeah, well, no offense, but it doesn’t go both ways,” he said.

It took all her self-control not to lash out at him, to cause his skin to burn and bubble.

“Too bad,” Penny said. “Because I can be anyone … in your imagination.”

“Do me a favor; don’t give me any details,” he said. “Now…” He yawned. “Let’s lay plans here. I’ve had a long couple of days, and I want to get this over with.”

So Penny made a suggestion.

And Caine countered with another.

And she smiled and made a small objection.

And he yawned. A long, long yawn.

“You look tired, Caine. Why don’t you close your eyes and rest a few minutes.”

“I can’t…” He started to say, but yawned again. “Talk later. In the morning.”