Long Live the Rebel

by E L Irwin

  “Thanks,” I breathed. “You’re not half-bad yourself.”

  Ryler chuckled at that and then swore under his breath. His voice held just enough violence that I jerked my gaze from our enjoined hands to his face. But he was staring through the windshield at something ahead of us. Following his gaze, I took in the sight of the car parked in the driveway, dangerously close to Jake’s house, completely engulfed in flames.

  The Bronco slid to a stop, and Ryler turned to me. “Dial 911, get the fire department up here. I’m going to see if I can put it out. Stay here. Keep the doors locked. If something happens…” He trailed off as he looked down at the walking boot on my still-healing leg and slammed his hand against the steering wheel, swearing once more. “Son of a… you can’t drive. I never should have taken you out tonight.”

  “Ryler, what’s the matter?” My voice trembled with my fear as I tried to keep up with his path of thought.

  “You’re in danger. This is most likely a setup or trap. I need to get you out of here.” Ryler slammed the Bronco into reverse and got on the line to Chief as he sped down the driveway. He reached over and gently pulled me as far down as the seatbelt and my ribs allowed. “Keep down. Just stay there.”

  “Chief!” he cried as the other man answered. “Get a fire truck to Jake’s, stat. There’s a car on fire in the driveway. I’ve gotta get AJ out of here. Have your boys check out the area, make sure it’s secure.”

  The call ended as suddenly as it had begun. “Where are we going?” I asked. “What about Shiv? And Josephine? And the house! We need to go back!”

  “No! Chief and the boys will take care it. I just need to get you to safety.”

  “But — but we could go the back way. We can’t leave them there!”

  “AJ, it’ll be all right. Just let me get you somewhere safe.”

  The euphoria from earlier today over having learned to handle a weapon with proficiency faded fast under this new assault. Would this nightmare that had dogged me these last several months ever end? Ryler drove long into the night, repeatedly checking the rearview, making sure no one followed us. After what seemed like hours, but was probably much less, he pulled the Bronco off the road, killing the engine and the lights. And then we waited. For what, I didn’t know. Several minutes went by, and my heart pounded out a steady rhythm. “You can sit up now. Just… sit still and… stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  And then he was out of the Bronco before I could respond. I tried to ascertain what he was doing, but it was too dark to see. He’d walked toward the rear of the vehicle and had disappeared into the gloom. The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow as I waited for him to return. When he did, he climbed in and started the engine once more, then pulled back onto the highway and continued driving.

  “What’s going on?” I whispered, then cleared my throat and continued. “What were you doing?”

  “Making sure no one followed us, even with their headlights off.”

  “What… whose car do you think that was?”

  Ryler scratched his chin, “I don’t know. Could be any number of possibilities.”

  “Such as?”

  He glanced at me then back to the road. His hand reached for me. “AJ, you need to try and relax. Trust me. I won’t know anything — we won’t know anything — until Chief and the fire marshal and the police are finished with their investigation.”

  “Yeah, I understand that, Ryler. But I’d still like to know what you think. Who, or what do you think that was?”

  “Obviously the car didn’t end up there by mistake. Someone drove that car there and set it on fire. Now, my money is on your attacker, whoever they are. What the purpose was for this act, I don’t know.”

  Nodding, I faced the front again. “Where are we going?”

  “Chief has a hunting cabin. There’s only a handful of people who know of it. We’re heading there. It was the safest place I could think of to take you until we know more about what happened.” Ryler squeezed my hand again, offering reassurance.

  I gave him a small smile and then leaned back in my seat and tried to relax. The headlights illuminated a sign indicating that we were entering the Olympic National Forest. Ten minutes later, we turned right off the highway onto a dirt track. We followed that for maybe a mile then the cabin came into view. It was single story, built basically in the shape of a square.

  Ryler shut off the engine, and we sat quietly for a moment or two. Then, wordlessly, he got out and came around to my side. He helped me down from the Bronco then led me to the cabin door. A couple minutes later, we were inside and he’d closed the door and then hit the lights.

  The cabin was simple with a strong sense of mancave. Two mismatched and well-loved couches, a woodstove, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The color scheme was varied shades of green and brown.

  Ryler shook out and swept off the cushions of one of the couches then turned to me. “Not sure when the last time this place was used, but it should be free of spiders.”

  Instead of sitting on the couch — the word spiders cured me of any desire to sit there — I headed for the table in the little kitchen. I couldn’t help the shiver that shook me. Seeing me shake, Ryler crossed to the woodstove and quickly and efficiently got it blazing. Soon the heat began to permeate the small room. As I began to warm up, exhaustion settled over me like a heavy blanket.

  Ryler stood near the woodstove and surveyed me. “I’m going to check in with Chief, then I’ll see what he has in the way of provisions. He generally keeps this place pretty well-stocked.”

  “How long do you think we’ll have to stay here?”

  “Not sure yet. Hopefully no longer than tonight.”

  I nodded, and he walked to the phone mounted on the wall beside the fridge. “Hey,” he said when Chief answered. “We’re here. No one followed — I made sure of it. What’ve you heard so far?” He was quiet for a moment, listening to whatever Chief had to say. Then, “A body? Man or woman?”

  My heart skipped a beat after that. A body? What?

  “All right,” Ryler continued. “Keep me posted.”

  “Ryler, was… What was that about a body? Who died?”

  “There was a body in that car. They can’t tell who they were, if they were male or female. The coroner will be doing some tests, trying to identify the person. Meanwhile, the police are running the plates.”

  “There was a body in the car.” I needed to verify that piece of information. “That’s what you’re saying, right?”

  “Yes. That’s what Chief said.”

  “But… who could it have been? Do you think it was Amber? Do you think she killed herself in my driveway?”

  “I think there was a body. That’s it. I don’t like to speculate.”

  “But, maybe…maybe this is all over with. Maybe…”

  Ryler moved to me, he took my face in his hands and gently kissed my mouth. “AJ, shh… don’t think about it. Don’t. Just relax. Speculation does nothing to help.”

  I couldn’t help the tears that formed and fell from my eyes. Today had been filled with such highs and lows. My mind seemed broken, somewhere beyond exhaustion. Thoughts refused to formulate into any sort of action. My limbs were heavy, useless. Ryler caught me as I sagged. He lifted and carried me over to the couch. Then he sat, me in his lap, and just held me. His hands stroked gently down my back. His mouth pressed against my temple, every touch obviously meant to comfort, to keep me sealed in reality. My eyes drooped, and I let the exhaustion take me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Find Me

  When I woke, the sun was just coming up. I looked around the unfamiliar cabin, trying to place where I was. Then everything came crashing back, and I jerked upright. Ryler was instantly awake, his arms tightening around me. I was still on his lap, still in his arms.

  “Shh… it’s all right. I’ve got you,” he rumbled.

  “What time is it?” My voice sounded raspy to my own ears.

  “Just after seven. Are yo
u hungry?”

  “No, not really.”

  “AJ, come on. You should eat something.”

  Sighing deeply, I agreed with the barest dip of my head.

  Ryler stood with me still in his arms then set me on my feet. He took my hand and led me to the table.

  Before sitting, I stretched, trying to loosen up some. “Have you heard anything else?” I asked as I sat down.

  Ryler pulled a canister of coffee out of the cupboard then ran the water in the sink for a moment or two before he filled the coffeepot. As he placed the filter in the maker and measured out the proper amount, he said, “No. Chief checked in to see how we were doing, but there’s been no news. We’ll eat, freshen up as best we can, then we need to get to the police station for a statement.”

  Nodding, I just sat quietly and listened to the coffee as it percolated. Two birds chirped happily as they fluttered around on the branches outside the kitchen window. I watched them silently, lost in thought.

  We left about an hour later and headed back to Sequim. The sun shone brightly through the trees as we turned onto Jake’s drive. My heart was in my throat, wondering how that beautiful house had fared, if the fire had destroyed it. As the trees gave way and the house came into view, I had to choke back a sob. It was still standing, though the side nearest to the garage, was blackened and somewhat damaged. We got out and looked around. Ryler held my hand, grounded me, keeping me secure. The car was gone. Only a damp, blackened area remained to mark that it had been there.

  The fire marshal was still there. He walked toward us, clipboard in hand. As he reached us, he shook Ryler’s hand in greeting.

  “Rod,” Ryler said.

  “Ryler. It’s been a while. How are you?”

  “I’ll be a lot better when you give me the status on this place.”

  Rod looked in my direction. “You must be Jake’s kid. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He extended his hand to greet me as well.

  Accepting it, I said, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. “AJ. How’s my house?”

  Rod turned back to the structure. “It’s basically fine. Only has some superficial damage, though the wall there near the kitchen will need to be replaced. Could’ve been much worse. Glad you’re all right.”

  Ryler squeezed my hand. “We’ll get it fixed, AJ. It’ll be good as new. No worries.”

  Offering him what I hoped equated to a smile but was probably more of a grimace, I turned back to the house. Tuning out the conversation between the two men, I just let my eyes travel over Jake’s house. The idea of losing this house somehow seemed equivalent to losing Jake all over again. And even though I had no real memory of him, of knowing him when he’d been alive, being here in his house had felt like I’d known him. Or, at least, that I’d been getting to know him. And the thought of losing that made me want to vomit. It cracked my heart right down the middle. I had to take several deep breaths.

  Arms wrapped around me from behind. Ryler pulled me into his chest, one arm around my waist, the other across my collarbone, and he just held me. He let me work through my emotions. Occasionally, he’d kiss me — at my temple, behind my ear, on my neck. And all the while, he just held me.

  After several minutes, I pulled away and swallowed down my still turbulent emotions. Ryler hollered to Rod that we were leaving. The drive to his cabin was a silent one. As exhausted as I was, I knew we’d need to drive back into town to give our statement to the police.

  When we arrived back to Ryler’s cabin, Chief and his boys were waiting for us. They’d thoroughly searched it and the surrounding area and made sure the animals were all right. Now, they sat on the porch watching as we pulled up.

  Shiv charged toward us and nearly barreled Ryler over in his greeting. His deep-throated bark booming, tail wagging. Ryler knelt and affectionately grappled with him. My eyes pricked with fresh tears. I’d been so worried about the animals. Shiv came to me next, whining in his excitement to see me. He rubbed against me like a huge, vibrating feline.

  Chief pulled me in for a hug then gently patted my back. “Go on in, AJ. It’s safe. I’ve made sure of it.”

  Nodding, I turned and thanked those standing around then headed inside. I needed to see Josephine, and then, I wanted a long, hot shower.

  Ryler watched her walk away, saw her close the door, then he turned to Chief. “What do we know?”

  “The body is male.”

  “And the car?”

  “Still working on that.”

  “Darrante come up with anything else?”

  “Not as yet, but he’s still digging.”

  “All right. Thanks, Chief.”

  Chief glanced toward the house. “How is she?”

  Ryler ran his hands over his close-shaved head in agitation. “She’s freaked, though she’s trying not to show it. I want that bastard yesterday. He should have been dead already.”

  “What are we missing?” Chief asked him, leaning against the railing.

  “That’s the question now, isn’t it?” Ryler sat on the step, and as he did, the others settled down around him, waiting to hear what new direction this mission would take. They were all former military and highly trained, no strangers to violence. Franklin, or Red as he was known by due to his deep red hair, had been with the Seals and served three tours. Then there was Kero, an old-school Marine. And lastly, there was Kohl; he’d been with the Army and then the Washington National Guard.

  Kero leaned a broad shoulder against the side of the cabin. His dark eyes were always scanning the area. He crossed his arms over his chest, the tats barely discernable on his dark skin. “Lay it out for us, Rye,” he rumbled in his deep voice.

  Ryler looked them all over, took a deep breath, then launched into a short, yet detailed description of the situation. They talked for several minutes, discussing and debating various options and possibilities. At the end of it, the only things that had been settled were that the utmost caution would need to be taken, and the fact that this person needed to be stopped quickly.

  It was two weeks before we heard anything more from the police. Ryler and I had gone to the station and given our statements to Detective Andrews the day after the fire. Afterward, he’d just advised us to go home and wait, and to stay safe. It had been a quiet two weeks. I read and wrote a lot, and finished my first draft of my latest piece, Rebel Ranger. I’d sent it off to a few beta readers along with a handful of questions for them to answer.

  And now, as I sat on the couch and watched as Ryler opened the door for Detective Andrews, I tried to calm my pulse.

  After greetings were made, Caleb sat across from me on one of the armchairs. “We received the preliminary forensics report back this morning. Thought you’d like to know. The vehicle was a Toyota Camry registered to a Paul Ashland.”

  “What?” I gasped. “No! Paul’s dead? Oh my gosh… no, no, no.”

  Ryler put his arm around my shoulders, holding me.

  “Ms. McAdams, how did you know Mr. Ashland?”

  “He… he was a roommate of mine back on Coronado.”

  “Was he here visiting you?”

  “No. No, he wasn’t.”

  “Do you know what he was doing in this area?”

  “Um, yes. We, we saw him a several weeks back.”

  “At the benefit ride,” Ryler intoned.

  “Paul is — was — a travel writer and photographer,” I continued. “He said he was here doing a piece on the Olympic National Forest.”

  “When did you see him last? Be as specific as possible if you can.”

  “At the ride,” I told him. “It was mid to late afternoon. Maybe around three?” A shiver shook me, and I was glad for Ryler’s presence. I hadn’t wanted Paul involved in any of this. I hadn’t wanted anyone hurt. Mrs. Carson was dead, and now Paul probably was as well. He’d always been so private and quiet. And now… now he was dead. Maybe. Looking up at Detective Andrews, I asked, “Are you certain then that the body in the car was Paul?”

 
; “It’s looking that way. The car was registered to him. We found photography equipment and a suitcase with his clothing inside. And the victim was the right height, age, and gender.”

  “When will you know for certain?” Ryler asked.

  “We’re waiting on dental records right now. It shouldn’t take more than a month at the most.”

  The detective stayed another ten minutes then left with a promise to be in touch when he received more information. Ryler walked him out, and while he was gone, I went to my laptop. I wondered if Amber had anything else to say. She’d been quiet, no new comments, though I hadn’t checked since the day before yesterday.

  Sure enough, early yesterday morning, she’d posted the following message: “How many more have to be hurt before you pay attention?”

  I shivered again, and my breath lodged in my throat. I felt equal parts fear, anger, and anguish course through me. “Find. Me,” I whispered to the screen, past the lump in my throat. “You stupid, sorry excuse for a human being.” My voice shook with emotion, and tears ran down my face. “You come after me! You find me!”

  “AJ?” Ryler asked from behind me. “Hey now… talk with me. What’s going on?”

  I hadn’t even heard him return. My mind was consumed with Amber and the destruction she was causing. All over me. All because of me. “I’m done running, Ryler. If Amber wants me, she can have me. I’m done with others being hurt because of me. I’m just done. I won’t go through it any longer.”

  Ryler pulled me to my feet; his hands grasped my face, holding me carefully. “Now, what kind of crazy talk is this? Are you quitting? Giving up? You’re going to let her win?”

  “I won’t have anyone else hurt because of me, Ryler. No one else.”