Nalina looked up at Orin, he thought, somewhat contritely when he came back to the bunker the next morning. Maybe it was relief he saw in her eyes as she searched his face. He wanted to hold her in his arms and cuddle her head against his chest. He would do anything to protect her, even die if that’s what it took. How could she not know that?
She could see it in his eyes if she only looked, but then maybe she didn’t understand.
Orin shook his head and sighed, lowering himself to the floor against the opposite wall from where she was sitting. He'd come back to say goodbye. That was a mistake. It would have been easier to walk away if he hadn't looked into her soft dark eyes again. Orin gave Nalina a sad smile and reached into the plastic bucket beside him for one of the last pieces of fruit there.
He tossed it to her, and she caught it, offering him a shy smile. She bit into it as Orin watched intently. She looked good in the red suit he had found in the wreckage of the house. Her gown was in tatters, and he had nothing that would fit her small frame. With a couple of cuts and tucks, Nalina had made the boy's tunic, and pants fit with some ornamental pins from her gown.
Orin hadn't thought her pretty at first, but she was soft and feminine. In her own way, she was very attractive. At times, she was almost beautiful---especially when she smiled at Lanimer. If only...
He shook his head and got up. There were no if-onlies in his present, only reality. "I'm leaving now. You'd better go out to the orchard tomorrow and see if any more kwashes are ripe." He bent to pick up one of the sweet red and yellow globes for himself. "There's plenty of food. You two will be fine here."
Nalina nodded but did not meet his eyes. Disappointment stabbed Orin. She wasn't going to ask him to stay.
Lanimer watched them both, sensing the undercurrent between them. Even Orin's strong mental shield couldn't entirely hide his emotions from the young telepath. Sometimes, adults were just too dumb to see what they should do. It wasn't their fault they weren't mind readers like him. He wanted to tell them a thing or two. But, he knew from experience that it wouldn't do any good. Adults didn't care that he was a telepath. He was just a kid. What did he know?
Zev was in its yellow morning phase as Nalina and Lanimer watched Orin pack his gear. When he finished, they followed him out of the bunker with murmurings about picking some fruit before it got any hotter.
Orin stopped short, barely two meters from the doorway as a whining sound filled the air around them. Nalina and Lanimer bumped into him.
"What is it, Orin?" Nalina asked in alarm.
"A military transporter," he told her grimly. "There could be anywhere from six to twenty men inside. Back in the bunker, both of you! If they start looking around, they'll know someone is living here. They won't stop looking until they find us."
Orin didn't add that he doubted they would take any prisoners. By now, the military would have figured that he had killed the other soldiers at Mikal's agricomplex. He would be lucky if they killed him on sight. Otherwise, he would wish for death many times over.
Inside the pump house, Orin took out all their weapons and put a fresh power pack in his ion rifle. He gave Nalina his military issue laser, which was more powerful than hers then put hers into his pouch for a backup weapon. Then, he strapped on his canvas pouch belt and put several extra power packs for his rifle inside it.
"Nalina, stay here and keep Lanimer inside with you. Don't come out for anything until I tell you to. If they come, shoot them . . . And if I don't come back stay inside until morning. Maybe they'll think I was the only one here."
As Orin turned to go, he felt her hand on his arm. There was fear in her eyes, but it was a different kind of fear than he'd seen before. She was afraid for him not of him.
Mother of Life! She was so small and vulnerable. He hated to leave her unprotected. But what else could he do? His best chance to protect all of them was to second guess the other Tregans and try to draw them away from the bunker before they got close enough to see it.
They were already too damn close to suit him. He didn't dare think what they could do to Nalina and Lanimer before he could stop them. Orin looked away from her dark eyes as the vision of Damon torturing that girl shook him again. He shuddered as he saw Nalina in her place.
"Keep hope, little one." He managed a tight smile as he stared into Nalina's somber dark eyes. "My life won't come cheaply to them if that's my destiny. I won't let them hurt you!"
Then, he turned and strode out of the bunker, unable to look back.