8. CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

The tension on the ship the rest of the way down the Missouri was thick enough to threaten to crush them all with the weight of it. But if that had been bad, nothing could compare to what happened once they entered the Mississippi River. They had been warned if anyone caught sight of Lowen or guessed who their boat belonged to, as well as if they realized it was filled with Omegas, they most likely would be swarmed by Alphas and they just could not stave off another attack.

For one, they were all exhausted. Second, they were running low on ammunition. And if all of that wasn't bad enough, because they hadn't dared slowdown in case any other Alphas got the idea to chase them, they were entering the Mississippi in the middle of the day.

There would be no way to hide. No way to outrun the faster boats. They would be sitting ducks.

Because of this, it had been decided Westland, Oxley, who insisted Fennec be allowed to join him, and Raman would board their speedboat and follow at a distance in case another ‘rescue' was needed. In the end, they collectively held their breath the moment their ship hit the mighty river.

Both Lowen and Gulliver were watching the radar on the bridge, while Renzo and ten of the Omegas stood watch with guns at the ready. Six of those Omegas crouched low to stay out of sight while keeping their eyes peeled for any problems. The rest stayed below, prepared to join the fight if it should happen.

Typically, in stressful situations, Renzo was known for his calm, cool head. He wasn't one to fidget or become restless. It served him well as a doctor who needed to remain alert and not become distracted when treating patients.

Yet, in that moment, he found it nearly impossible not to seek Coleson out and reassure himself the Omega was okay. It was only his years of training to keep himself in check at all times so he could become the best physician possible that kept him firmly rooted to his post and his eyes scanning the water instead of searching the ship for Coleson instead.

Even though he was still on edge, Renzo had to admit to breathing a bit easier when minutes later the Omega found him, standing close enough to feel the heat of his body seep into him. "We have another thirty minutes until we reach the mouth of the Des Moines." Coleson kept his voice pitched low to keep it from carrying across the water.

They probably didn't have to be quite as careful during the day, as most crews were busy working to sail up and down the river with their wares and wouldn't hear them, but it never hurt to be careful. Nighttime, he learned during their escape, made sound not just carry but almost echo as only those standing watch were on deck, making little if any noise.

"Good," he said just as softly. "Do we know if Westland is still following us?"

Even though he'd gotten a good vibe from the three Alphas who had helped them, he'd felt Coleson's tension whenever they were around. His Omega was leery of them. What he didn't know was why.

"Yes," Coleson confirmed. "They just made contact a few minutes ago."

It had been Westland's idea to stay far enough back that it either appeared as if they were tailing the ship filled with Omegas to attack, or they did not know they were even there. It meant staying out of radar range. In order to reassure both parties they were still safe, Westland would speed up every ten minutes to ping the radar before falling back once more.

It wasn't ideal as Westland's group wouldn't actually know that they were safe, but so long as they could see their ship was still moving forward, it was felt that would be a good enough indicator. They had also come up with a prearranged signal on the radio to let Westland know if there was a problem. All they could hope for was that it would be enough.

Sensing the fear pouring off the Omega, Renzo did his best to distract him. "I get your reasoning for going west of the Mississippi, but how did you find the town you settled in?"

Coleson relaxed just a bit as a soft smile curved those full lips. "Luck. And lots of it."

Renzo knew there had to be more to the story than that, but he wasn't in a hurry to push Coleson. It was his tale to tell if he so chose, and Renzo was more than content to wait for him to tell it.

Minutes later, he was rewarded for his acceptance of waiting for Coleson to decide if he wanted to continue or not. "I know that sounds trite to say it was all luck, but there were factors that had me traveling when I wouldn't have normally been, allowing me to meet the right people to not only find out about Pella, which we changed to Sanctuary but also those who could get us there in secrecy."

"So, it was you who ended up finding this place?" Renzo was fascinated by how things had worked for the original group of Omegas. Coleson had told them the brief story of how he and his friends had dreamed of one day finding a place free of the oppression of their Alpha dominated society. That they had succeeded because of an unplanned trip made it seem as if maybe, just maybe, that God he thought didn't care about the humans there on Earth, was looking out for them.

"Yeah." Coleson ducked his head briefly as his face flushed with a rosy glow that left Renzo breathless. "Don't get me wrong, it was Damon who knew about it as he traveled the rivers with his Alpha father, but it was our dream, as well as the hard work we'd done growing up to learn all that would be needed to keep a town like that running."

His Omega–and yes, Renzo couldn't stop thinking of Coleson as his –chuckled lightly. "The only thing none of us had really considered was food." He glanced over his shoulder toward the direction of the bridge, even though neither of them could see inside. "Don't get me wrong, we brought a lot with us, but we'd never actually considered what would happen when it ran out. If it wasn't for Lowen, we most likely would have starved within six months of moving there."

Again–lucky.

"How long have you been there?" he asked, wanting to know everything about this amazing man.

"Just over four months." When Coleson chuckled again at his dubious look, Renzo couldn't deny the way his dick firmed up at the sound or how he could barely contain the smile trying to bloom on his face. "I know, he technically couldn't have saved us if we haven't even been there six months yet, but we knew, without a doubt, we were in trouble within a few days of arriving."

Then he scowled and Renzo found himself wanting to kiss that expression off of him. Coleson should always smile. "It wasn't until Lowen and Ford had brought in all those rescued Omegas that we truly had to thank Lowen for his hard work of providing us with food for everyone."

"I'm sorry, but how much does he produce?" Renzo was still uncertain how big this farm was. "Can it truly provide for a town filled with Omegas needing a safe place?"

"Yes. I forgot how big he said it was, but between the crops and cattle, it's huge." Coleson seemed certain, but if it had only been Lowen and his Omega dad for years, how big could it possibly be? "He traded most of it, not only along the Mississippi, but there is a group of settlers that travel mostly by land. They are kind of like a co-op from what Lowen says."

Confused, Renzo asked, "Isn't that the same as the ports?"

"Yes and no." Coleson cocked his head as if considering his words. "According to Lowen, their beliefs are much like ours. They don't believe Omegas should be treated any different and many of the traders are Omegas, not Alphas. But because the roads are no longer paved and often deeply rutted, it makes the trip too difficult to do more than twice a year."

That made no sense. "Then why do it? Especially Lowen. Traveling the river has to be easier than going overland with a heavy load."

"Because Lowen is one of the good guys. He believes, as his Alpha father had before him and his Omega dad also feels, helping Omegas who are just trying to live their lives as any Alpha would is too important not to do." The challenge in Coleson's eyes was unmistakable.

He was waiting to see how Renzo would answer and would be judged based on that. "I agree. It just seems like a lot of effort when there are easier ways, especially if he has such a big farm to work with only his dad for help."

Those blue eyes narrowed as Coleson stared at him for several long moments. Renzo let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Coleson nodded once. "That's true, but, like I said, he's one of the good guys."

One day, Renzo hoped he'd been looped in on that assessment. He'd always tried to treat everyone as if they mattered, because in his eyes, they did. That said, as he was realizing, sometimes more was needed.

Omegas were oppressed. If he truly believed they shouldn't be, just treating them as equals, which they were in his opinion, wasn't enough. Minds had to change in order for the situation to alter. Otherwise, Alphas would always feel they had the right to do what they wanted, while Omegas suffered at their hands.

A shift under his feet alerted him something was happening. Coleson's hand was suddenly on top of his on the railing. "We're turning into the Des Moines. Another fifteen minutes at most and we'll be completely out of sight."

Renzo felt his body begin to relax. They may not be completely out of the woods, but if no one was following them already, they should be safe. He just hoped the rest of the Omegas in Sanctuary would accept them because the longer he was around Coleson, the less inclined he was to return home.

Hopefully, his Omega felt the same.