The Spirit Guardians Book 3: Fated

Chapter 29

Irene glanced at the paperwork sitting under her flickering desklight and bit the tip of her pen. Her fingernails clacked against the wooden desk as she reviewed the map in front of her. If those in hiding had already knocked out multiple bases to the east, that didn't leave much more, except...

Her gaze fell on the large military base to the west. It housed the most Preserver weaponry outside of the their headquarters and was heavily guarded. Without taking down that base, Irene knew they would never stand a chance. Taking down that base would guarantee powerful weaponry for the rebels and would pose a threat to Lynch's reign.

She began jotting down the location's coordinates on her notepad, deciding she'd leave the message itself up to the technicians when she got the chance to meet with one of their spies later that day.

A knock at the door made Irene's blood turn cold. She shoved her things away and tucked them under her bed as the knocks sounded again. Had Lynch found out after all? He had seem so composed their last meeting that she was certain he knew nothing.

Her limbs trembled as she crept to the door, but when she opened it, she only found her mother with a wooden basket lined with red fabric.

"I brought some muffins for you, dear," the older woman said, stepping inside. She glanced around Irene's tiny apartment, frowning.

"I know it's a mess. I'll clean it up," Irene promised, accepting the basket from her mother.

"I worry for you. You should really come back and live with me and your father. This place a is a pigsty," her mother said. She crouched down, observing Irene's cupboards and refrigerator. "And you have no food! You're going to starve."

"I'm fine, Mom," Irene assured her, becoming irritated.

"Aren't you lonely all the way over here?" her mother asked, tucking a strand of her graying blonde hair behind her ear.

"No. I go to work and come back home and get along fine," Irene stated simply.

"Miguel's parents visited the other day. They baked us some pastries for all the trouble," her mother stated.

Irene eyed the muffins. "Are those from them?"

Her mother paused. "Well..."

"I don't want them," Irene said, glaring at her mother. "Take them back."

"Why did you two have to end on such bad terms? His folks are very nice. I understand you two fought often, but I don't—"

"You don't understand, Mom. This was better for me. I don't want to talk to Miguel or his family. My life is better without him," Irene growled.

"Oh, but you had a child together. I find it hard to imagine that you could cut him out of your life so easily..."

Irene clenched her fists. She had neglected to tell her parents that she hadn't loved Miguel in years, and she wasn't going to, as well as the fact that he'd been emotionally and physically abusive. It had been easy to leave a man that she hadn't felt affection for in so long.

"One day, you'll get Elijah back. I just know it," her mother said.

"Mom, take the muffins and go," Irene said.

"What's gotten into you, dear? You've been in a sour mood."

"I have a lot going on," Irene grumbled.

"You work too much. You should really visit home more. I hate walking all the way over here just to make sure you aren't dead—"

"Mom, I'm twenty-two! I can manage! Take the goddamn muffins!" Irene shouted, becoming unglued with anger.