𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 || 𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐎

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was the longest drive of Joshua's life. He'd done half a dozen journeys hidden under smothering blankets, terrified that he was about to die, but somehow they didn't compare to this. When he wasn't staring at John's pocket, hoping his phone might ring with more news, he was looking impatiently out the window, wishing they were moving faster.

"We're going to the orchard?" he asked, when he suddenly realized that no one had actually said their destination out loud.

"We're taking you where we've been told to take you," John said.

"That doesn't sound like a yes," he muttered, tapping his fingers on his knee.

"Just be patient a little longer. This is almost over."

"Assuming Seokmin can pull this off." Whatever 'this' was. He trusted Seokmin and knew the alpha was doing what he believed was best. But he didn't trust the Kilborne family. Would Seokmin's plan be enough to scare them off? Enough to ensure his safety?

John's phone rang, and he answered it, his tone curt. "Yes?"

Joshua strained to hear the other side of the conversation, but it was no use.

"We're five minutes out," John said and ended the call.

"Five minutes from where?" he asked.

"You'll see."

"John..."

"Need to know, Joshua. If something happens between here and there, the less you know the better. That's how these things work. More isn't always a good thing."

With a sigh of frustration, he twisted in his seat and stared out the window again. Five minutes to what? The orchard? The area they were driving through didn't look all that familiar, so he didn't think so. Maybe they were switching cars? He was pretty sure they'd done that at least once on the journey to the bunker. He stopped himself from kicking the seat in front of him, knowing that as much as it might make him feel better, it would look petulant to John. And as stupid as it sounded, he cared about what John thought of him. No matter how scared he'd been or how angry, he hadn't wanted to seem weak in front of the alpha. John, for his part, had treated Joshua with respect and patience. He could have said nothing, never told Joshua an iota. Instead, he'd always made sure Joshua had as much information as he felt he could give. Hard as it was, he had to trust him now. John said he was going home. That this was almost over. He wouldn't dangle those promises if he wasn't going to follow through on them.

"That's them," John said sharply. "Pull in."

Joshua craned his neck to see. It was a small dirt track leading off the road. Parked on it was a car he didn't recognize. Maybe he was right and they were just switching vehicles again.

"Stay here. Keep your head down." John got out, and Joshua slumped lower in his seat, eyeing the driver. Mike didn't seem worried, but he wasn't sure that was a good metric. John and the people who worked with him seemed pretty unflappable. Military training helped with that, or so he guessed.

He tried to keep John in view without showing too much of himself, but the alpha stepped around the side of the car and out of his line of sight. Joshua waited, his heart thudding, his palms sweating. The tension built and built as nothing happened, and just when he felt like he could scream from the pressure, the driver spoke.

"You can get out now. John's calling you over."

The door beside him unlocked, and he wasted no time shoving it open and stepping out. He expected to see Minghao and Mingyu waiting for him, but it wasn't them who caught his eye a split second later. It was Seokmin. He froze, staring at the alpha as if he were a mirage, afraid that he would shatter if he so much as breathed too loud.