His fingers linked with mine again.
When we got close to the ship, Colin ran out from underneath and raced our way.
“He’s dead.” Colin stopped in front of us, panting. He raked both hands down his face, leaving trails in his flesh. “Holy all hell, Jay’s dead.”
A rock plunged through my belly, falling all the way to the ground, and I whimpered.
I shouldn’t have left Jay. Why had I? Shoving my shaky limbs into overdrive, I sprinted after Colin with Malik beside me. Someone had mounded sand and laid a glolight on top. The tiny beam lit up the camp. While I’d been distracted, the sun had been setting.
Colin cast long shadows as he strode forward. “He’s just lying there, stiffenin’ up big time.”
Tiff jumped in front of me. “Hey, I’m sorry. I…” Tears welled in her eyes. “He was there and then he wasn’t.”
I dashed around her and stuttered to a stop. Jay lay on his side, where I’d left him, and his eyes were open and fixed.
Malik squatted beside me, his sorrow-filled gaze meeting mine. “Shit.”
“Well, isn’t this nice?” Riley hobbled over and dragged his attention back and forth between us. “Lesha abandons patients, and Malik loses people in the desert.”
“Loses people in the desert?” Malik jumped to his feet and faced Riley. “What are you talking about?”
Felicia stepped out from behind Riley, wringing her hands. “Piper said something about sketching a bird she saw.” She pointed to the dunes. “When she didn’t come back, I went looking for her, but couldn’t find her.”
Malik yanked on the back of his collar. “When was this?”
“I don’t know.” Felicia wiped her eyes. “Half an hour ago?”
Malik strapped on his pack and lifted his crossbow. “Can I borrow your glolight, Lesha? I need to go find her.”
“You can’t leave.” Riley grabbed Malik’s arm. “We need you here for protection.”
“Fuck your protection.” Malik shrugged him off. “Take care of yourself.”
“It’s your job.” Riley drew himself up. “As your leader, I demand you remain here.”
“You can demand all you want, but I’m going after Piper.”
“You’re refusing a direct order?” Anger infused Riley’s voice. “I could have you whipped.”
“You and what fucking army?” Malik shook his head. “You’re really something else. Why don’t you go ahead and try.” Shoving past Riley, he knelt beside me and tapped my crossbow. “Keep this handy? No telling what the local dictator will get up to while I’m gone.”
I tightened my hand on my weapon. “I’m coming with you.”
“Piper can’t have gone far.” His eyes lingered on my face. “I imagine I’ll find her over the next rise.”
I stood. “I’ll look in the opposite direction.” I tightened my grip on my crossbow. “This way, we’ll find her faster.”
He nodded, and I turned to Tiff, who stood close, wringing her hands. “I won’t take long. You’ll stay with the kids?” At this point, I almost hated to ask her, but if nothing else, I knew she’d watch out for Mandy and Joe.
“I will.” Her spine tightened. “And Lesha? Be careful.”
With a nod, I trotted after Malik, out from underneath the ship.
“I’ll head north, travel about fifteen minutes out, then loop around west and return by the southern route.” Malik squinted in that direction. “Why don’t you do the opposite, head south, then east?”
I’d started in that direction when he called out to me. “Hey, be careful. I…I don’t like this.”
My heart tripped, and I struggled to pull air in past the lump of dread in my throat. “You think something bad has happened to her?”
“I don’t know. It’s just…” He dragged his gaze away from the horizon to me. “Something feels off about all this.”
I peered toward the dunes rolling away from us. The sun had set, and the blue moon had crept higher. But it shared little light. Shadows dominated the area, causing a trickle of fear to slide down my spine. “What do you mean?”
“It’s probably nothing. But call out if you find anything.” He headed north.
“I will.” With my crossbow primed, I jogged south. My treds crunched on loose gravel, sending tiny stones pinging down the slope of each hill I crested. I directed my glolight in broad sweeps, expecting to find some sign Piper had come this way. But I saw nothing.
The fact that she hadn’t returned on her own kept my pulse charging in high gear. I kept darting glances over my shoulder and to the side, though I didn’t see anything for concern. I even called her name.
Had she fallen and been too injured to return on her own? As I climbed each dune, I hoped to find her on the other side but this area of Eris consisted of nothing but rocks, small bushes with spiky leaves, and endless sand.
When it felt like I’d jogged about fifteen minutes, I turned east and head north, where I’d loop around and return to the ship.
I’d reached an extra-high peak, when a scraping sound behind sent me spinning. Flashing my glolight in that direction, I didn’t know what I’d find. If I was lucky, it would be Piper.
There. Was that someone moving farther out in the desert? Or were shadows playing tricks with my mind? Unease razored across my skin.
“Hello? Piper!” Silence greeted my shout, and whatever I thought I’d seen remained hidden.
A high-pitched shriek jarred through me, making me freeze. Catching my tred on a rock, I stumbled down a hillside, almost dropping my glolight. Holy shit, what was that? I returned to the top of the hill and spun in a slow circle. “Piper?” My voice came out weak and timid, but I was scared. It was all I could do not to run back to the ship.
What I’d swear was soft laughter drifted to me from my right, in the opposite direction of the ship.
“Hello?” I called out, cursing my voice for shaking. My pulse hammered in my throat, and I gulped down each breath. Everything inside me shouted hide. But why would I need to hide from Piper? She’d never hurt me.
Gather yourself together.
“Piper?”
An endless hush filled the night, broken only by insects chirping and the distant cry of a bird.
Maybe I was just imagining things. I was still creeped out from climbing through the ship. It was only natural I’d be easily spooked. If Piper was near, she would have replied which meant she wasn’t in this section of the desert.
I continued north, slogging up dunes and jogging down the other side. After continuing north for a few more minutes, I looped around again and started toward the ship. Hopefully, I’d find Piper and Malik already there when I returned.
But a prickle between my shoulder blades suggested someone watched me.
This was crazy. We were totally alone out here.
With my heart lumbering in my chest, I reached the ship at a full-out run, feeling squirmy and silly that I’d let myself be spooked by an empty landscape. But this place was just too damn frightening.
Joe barreled into me, hugging my legs. “Lesha. I was worried about you.” His voice broke. “I’m always worried about you.”
I stooped down, realizing how little time I’d spend with my brother. In what was becoming a race for survival, I’d focused only on his physical needs, making sure he ate and drank and remained close by the ship. I’d left him with Tiff more times than I should. From now on, I would make more effort to play with him, to show him life could still be fun. Assuming that was even possible.
“I’m sorry, kiddo.” I rustled his hair, and he didn’t swat at my hand or reel away; he leaned into me, welcoming my touch.
My heart shattered. “Joe. It’s going to be okay.” Somehow. I’d do all I could to make it okay. Please, world, bring us some peace. “Where’s your cape? We can play Space Cadet. I’ll be the bad guy if you want.”
“Bad guys are scary.” Shadows flitted through his eyes, and his gaze drifted past me, to the desert. “I don�
��t want to play scary.”
Couldn’t blame him there. “Then we’ll play one of the fun episodes, like the one when Mally-Mae makes him a cake.”
“Yes,” he said eagerly. “I like that one.” His shoulders drooped, and his voice lowered. “But I don’t want to think about cake. It makes me hungry.”
If help didn’t come soon, we’d starve. My brother didn’t have much excess body fat to lose, which as another thing I had no control over. It was torturous to see.
“Besides,” he said. “Dad’s gonna be here soon. We can play when we reach the colony instead.”
I straightened. “You’re right. We’ll play there.” Someday. Assuming they ever got out of this.
Tiff came toward me, and her face creased with concern. “No Piper?”
I shook my head and scanned our hideout. “Malik hasn’t returned yet?”
“No.”
“Where did they take Jay?” I asked.
Her gaze drifted toward the back of the ship. “Colin and Trey took Jay into the dunes to bury him.”
The realization that Jay was truly gone shot through me again, and I blinked back tears. We hadn’t been close, but he’d been a nice guy. I couldn’t stop feeling responsible for his death. If I’d been here, if I’d taken better care of him, would he have lived?
“Don’t expect an A this time around, Lesha.” Riley limped toward me. “Your medical technique is sorely lacking.”
Damn him. His asshole attitude pushed me over the edge.
“Where were you?” Striding forward, I shoved him. “You’re the fucking paramedic. Why didn’t you take care of him? He needed you, but you left it to me.”
Riley took a step back, but I didn’t knock him down for long. Fire shot into his cheeks, and he grappled with my forearms. Finding his grip, he shook me hard enough my teeth rattled. “Don’t push me, girl.”
The rage radiating from him seared my skin like hot coals.
My anger transformed into skeletal fear.
His hand cocked back.
Tiff gasped. Her gaze flew from his face to mine as her jaw unhinged. “What the…Riley?”
Halting his arm mid-flight, he redirected it toward his hair as if he’d only raised it to straighten his locks.
“Go ahead.” My voice trembled, but I swallowed and stiffened my spine. “You may fool everyone else, but you’ve never fooled me. Show them who you truly are.” Fear screamed for me to flee, but I refused to fall for his sick mind games any longer. No more cowering. No more running. It was time to make my stand.
Joe rushed forward and shoved Riley. “Leave my sister alone! I’m gonna beat you up if you don’t.”
“Joe.” My little hero. But I didn’t trust Riley. I tugged Joe to the side and glared at Riley.
He must have realized how this looked, because he lowered his arm, although his fingers flexed and released. “I wasn’t going to hit you.” Sulkiness flew across his features but he recovered fast, flashing a campaign smile. Fake laughter burst from his throat. “Everything’s all set here, guys. Go relax.” His glare encompassed Joe. “You, too, kid. Why don’t you take a long walk?”
Grinding my teeth, I raised my fists and crowded his space. “You touch my brother and I’ll kill you. Just try me.”
Tiff shoved between us. “Enough.”
“Back off, girl.” Riley pushed Tiff hard enough she fell on her butt. “This is between Lesha and me. My role as our leader gives me the right to discipline those who step out of line.”
What a horrifying notion.
“I think we need to talk privately.” He reached for my arm.
I reeled away from him and helped Tiff stand. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Talk? Ha. “Who do you think you are, anyway?”
“I’m your…” His jaw clenched, but he took in the open-mouthed people gathered around us and stiffened. “I’m your Team Leader, that’s who.” He gestured toward the end of the ship with his head. “Time for an overdue conversation.”
“You stalked me on Earth. You sent me nasty com messages.” No more pretending it hadn’t happened. “You followed me in the hall. You would have…I don’t know what you would have done if I hadn’t gotten away but it sure wouldn’t have been nice.”
Joe snarled at Riley, a feral pup. But Riley would hurt my brother if Joe tried to defend me. I tugged him close and wrapped my arms around him, partly to give reassurance, but mostly to keep him safe. For now. But I’d have to watch out. The moment my back was turned…
“Wait a minute.” Tiff gasped. “What did you say?” She glanced between Riley and me. “He’s the one who…?”
Riley shook his head. “I’d never do anything like that. Stasis lag affects the mind. You dreamed it up, Lesha.”
Kalani came over and rested her cheek against Riley’s arm. “What’s she talking about?”
Riley kissed the top of her head. “Absolutely nothing. She’s just messed up.” Leaning forward, he glared. “Nothing happened on Earth, did it?”
I jutted my chin forward. “You’re trying to manipulate things like always.”
“Actually, I’m glad you brought it up.”
I blinked. “You are?”
“I’ve been meaning to speak to you about this obsession you have for me.”
My breath sputtered out of me. “What?”
He shook a finger in my face. “It’s gone on long enough. You followed me around on Earth. It was awkward. Embarrassing.” His arm snaked around Kalani’s waist, and he pulled her close. “It’s got to stop.”
“You’re the one who’s out of their mind. But it’ll stop, all right.” I jabbed my fingernail into his throat, causing his breath to squeak. “Don’t come near me again.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Come with me.” Tiff grabbed Joe’s hand and took him to Trey. “Watch him, would you? I really need to talk with Lesha.”
“Sure.” Trey nudged his head toward a pile of parts and pieces of things he’d retrieved from the ship. “Want to help me assemble something? I need someone to hold my tools.”
“Oh, cool,” Joe breathed. He rushed toward the parts with Trey on his heels.
Tiff took my hand and tugged me away from Riley. This was probably a good idea. Any more jabs from him, and I would have pulled my knife or introduced him to a crossbow bolt.
I stomped behind her, anger fueling the rapid pace of my heart. We reached the end of the ship. Keeping hold of my hand, she nodded to the sand, and we sat.
“Jeez, girl.” Tiff ran her fingers through her hair before securing it with a band at her neck. “You okay? Things cranked up for a minute there. I can’t believe he was the one sending those messages. In fact, I thought you and he might be—”
“I hate him.”
“I’d say so.” She released a breath fast. “I must have missed it. Like I missed a lot of things. Some friend I am.” Her shoulders caved, and tears glistened in her eyes. “You should have told me. You know I would have been right beside you. Hell, I would have reported him if you weren’t comfortable doing it yourself.”
The sadness on her face stole my anger. I slipped my arm around her and rested my chin on her shoulder. “You’re right. I should have said something as soon as I found out.”
Her head rested against mine. “Why didn’t you?”
“I literally discovered if after I left your room the day of departure. There wasn’t time at the spaceport and who’d want to get into something like that? We were all scared, nervous. Then we crashed here, and it’s not like we’ve had much time to sit around and talk. And then… Okay, I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Why would you think that?” Her throat shifted when she swallowed.
Because no one had listened when I told them about my uncle.
She leaned away from me and lifted a stone. The scrape of her fingertips on the rough surface sparked unease in my belly. Why wasn’t she looking at me? A curtain of hair fell across her face, shutting me out further. “
I did kind of push you at Riley back home,” she said. “Sorry about that. I, uh, had reasons, not that they matter right now.” She sniffed and shoved the hair behind her ear. “I didn’t realize he was an asshole.” The stone plopped on the ground, and she smoothed sand over it before her eyes darted to mine. Multiple emotions flitted across her face, anxiety being my primary read.
Her expression raised my frustration level. “What aren’t you telling me? What’s going on?”
“Going on?” Her laugh held no kick. “Nothing’s going on.”
“Then why…You look scared.”
“How else should I look? We’ve crashed, we’re watching out for killer snakes, Piper’s missing, Jay’s dead, and the colonists haven’t come for us. Isn’t that enough to scare someone? It’s a wonder I’m not lying in a heap somewhere crying my eyes out.”
Maybe I’d read more into her behavior than I should. We were scared, and frightened people often made poor decisions like voting for Riley.
I shoved away my reservations and hugged her. “Okay. I’ll stay out of Riley’s way from now on.”
“And I’ll stop trying to fix you two up.” She fiddled with her collar. “I think he’s into Kalani now. Or she likes him, weird as that idea is.”
Sure was.
“How are your burns?” I asked.
Her hand drifted up to hover over the area, but she didn’t touch. She only flinched. “It hurts but I’ll be okay.”
“Should we ask Riley to check you out, make sure you’re healing?” As a paramedic, he might have better advice than I could offer. As much as I hated approaching him, I’d do it for my friend.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll pass. I’m sure it’s nothing. I used the ointment you gave me a couple of times today.”
“Let me know if you don’t start feeling better.”
“I will.”
We sat there, saying nothing, just staring out at the sky. Our slivered blue moon shone down from higher in the sky, and in the distance, a chorus of insects rose and fell in a soothing wave. But rather than feeling relaxed, my tension mounted.
Piper had gone missing. Malik had yet to return. Dad and the colonists hadn’t arrived.
Phoenix Arise: YA Sci-fi Thriller (From the Ashes Book 1) Page 13
