Adrian, Kenn, Kyle, Doug, and Neil were sitting at a round table on the top deck of the bowling alley. The Eagles were watching, laughing, and letting the camp have their fill first, but the leader's eyes were on his right-hand man.
Kenn was playing with a new deck of cards, fanning them out in different shapes and scooping them back up like a pro. His face was pale, uncomfortable, and at that moment, Adrian found it hard to accept that the Marine might be...special. Loyal and hardworking? Yes. Psychic? No, and it wasn't because Adrian didn't believe in it. He did, deeply, and while he longed for one of his circle to have such a gift, he just couldn't place it with Kenn.
Then how did he know? Adrian asked himself the important question, and the blunt, quick answer made him frown. Kenn was in contact with someone not in this camp, and he was either lying, or about to.
Almost as if Neil had picked up on that thought, Adrian's most steadfast man turned to the quiet Marine, unable to hold back any longer. "So, come on, Kenn. How'd you know?"
Neil's question had the attention of the entire table and the Marine dropped his eyes. "I'd rather not say."
"Why? You're the hero now," Todd insisted.
Kenn didn't look up. "You won't believe me."
There was a thick silence as everyone looked at Adrian, and Kenn understood his moment of betrayal had come when those sharp eyes turned to him, searching. He sucked in a breath. "I feel things...sometimes," he said carefully, not looking up.
It was the answer Adrian wanted, the magic he'd been looking for, but it fell awkwardly from the Marine's lips. He was right. None of them believed it.
"Oh."
"Okay."
No one questioned though, that was Adrian's chore, and the leader said nothing yet, still evaluating.
"Who's ready to bowl?" Kenn asked cheerfully, distracting he hoped.
All but Adrian agreed and started getting up. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up after I make rounds."
Kenn opened his mouth to offer his company and snapped it shut, sensing Adrian's unease. Let the boss man have some time to think about how big an advantage it would be to have a bad weather alarm that was never wrong. With that skill on his list, he'd never lose his place here.
"Until the real deal comes," his mind reminded, and Kenn pushed it away. She wouldn't make it this far west even with help. There was no way one of her weak-assed hospital friends could keep two people alive through a thousand miles of this. She might even be dead now. Kenn grinned widely and went to be admired by his followers.