“Good.”
“How’d you get the first gash?” Jack asked.
“Bad shopping experience at Walmart.”
Riley felt Jack’s breath on her. His skin was tan and the slight wave in his hair held a slight shade of grey. He was a good distraction for her as he leaned in close to stitch up her wound. Riley tried to ignore him.
He raised his eyebrows. “Wal-Mart?”
“I had a disagreement over a purchase.” Riley said. She jumped as the needle hit a nerve. “Ouch.”
“Don’t jump.” He said.
“Don’t go so deep.”
He smiled.
“Hey Sherry, how bout a little more juice.”
It does look a little on the angry side.” She said handing Jack a small syringe. “Nice stitch job though.”
Riley looked at the needle and pulled back.
“You want me to deaden it or not?” He asked.
“Yes.” She said leaning toward him.
The needle hurt like hell, but after a few seconds, the pain subsided. I hope I’m not drooling she thought. Jack fed the needle through her skin, but this time Riley felt nothing.
FORTY
Ringo’s laughter filtered inward. The hunter was enjoying this vicious game of survival but the prey was not. Jack stood next to the door his shoulder pressed into the door jam, anticipating Ringo’s entry. Blake poised himself with his semi-automatic just behind Jack, locked and loaded. The sound of metal tapping on steel echoed inside of the small apartment. Sherry pulled Riley gently back down onto the chair to finish what Jack had started. The needle and thread sat between her fingers and then she started stitching. Riley reached for her pistol letting her gaze fall on Jack and Blake.
“Hurry.” Riley whispered to her.
The taunting continued, but Sherry steadfast put the last of the stitches in. “That’s going to hurt later on.” She said softly, slipping a few white pills into my hand. “For the pain. Now let’s see that shoulder.”
“Nerves of steel Nurse Sherry.” Shay replied behind her. “We would have died without you.”
Riley pulled off her bulletproof vest. “How do you know Ringo?” Riley asked, but somewhere in her subconscious mind, she already knew.
“It’s a long story.” Sherry said.
The monster behind the door stopped and a hushed silence fell. Riley glanced back at Utah.
“You’re going to have to take your shirt off. I can’t get to the wound.” Riley looked down at the blood covered shirt and then at the two men standing in the room. There was no way in hell her shirt was coming off.
“It’s fine.” Riley said.
“It’ll get infected. They’ll turn their backs.” She said as another round of pounding echoed through the room. Sherry jumped nearly toppling a vial to the floor. Ringo was trying to rattle cages and he was doing a good job of it.
Blake and Jack turned back towards the door, but before they did they both grinned at Riley.
Riley pulled her shirt over her head exposing a black lacy bra. Sherry smiled at her.
“Shopping spree at Victoria Secrets” Riley said.
“Very pretty.”
“Can I see?” Jack asked.
“No.” Sherry and Riley said it at the same time.
“Then don’t talk about it.” Blake said.
Sherry cleaned the flesh wound, but this time Riley didn’t complain. Jack glanced over at her more than once, but she ignored his gaze. Sherry’s stitch job was neat and her bandaging job snug. Riley layered back up with the exception of the bloody t-shirt. Riley moved to check on Megan.
“We need to get them out of here.” Riley heard Shay whisper to Jack.
At least they were all on the same page. She needed to get Megan to a doctor everything else was put on hold, even finding Eric. The Ringo roller coaster of terror went on hiatus as he went silent once more. They waited leaving time to evaluate the current situation. The room had steel plates in place of windows. The door, it was steel as well. Someone had planned for worse. Out in the hospital, were Ringo and Dave. While the storm raged outside, Riley and her newfound fighters remained trapped inside.
“If they really wanted to get in here. They would.” Shay said.
Kissing Megan’s forehead, Riley fought off exhaustion making the odds for mistakes even greater. “We’re not far from Prescott are we?” Riley asked.
“No. 55 miles.” Blake replied. “The problem is the weather.”
“The problem is Ringo. He’ll kill us or feed us to the animals. Either way, Shay and I won’t leave here alive.” Sherry said.
“Yes you will.” Blake said.
“She’s right.” Shay said. “I escaped, found you, you killed his brother, and then we took his herd of women. Oh and burned down his house. Jack will be on his list as well.”
There was a wash of fear on Sherry’s face. “I’d rather die than go back.”
Riley listened, she’d spent the past two years thinking about finding Eric. Now, in the past few hours all she could think of was living long enough to get Megan to a doctor. She’d picked the wrong place at the wrong time and now all she cared about was the girl’s safety. That’s how fast life had changed. Riley looked up to see Sherry watching her.
“I’ll be on that list too.”
“Whatever happens, don’t let him take you.” Sherry’s expression had changed from the confident nurse to a woman desperate and afraid.
Leaning forward, “I’m not about to let that man.” Riley said. “And neither will you.”
“There’s two of them and five of us. I say we take them out and get the hell out of here.” Blake said.
“There're six of us and two of them.” Riley said.
“That we know of.” Jack said.
“You think he has more coming?” Blake said.
“He seems like that kind of guy.” Jack said.
Riley looked at the faces around her, strangers only an hour ago, or were they but somehow in just over an hour they’d become a part of her moment. Riley paced the room analyzing their expressions. She’d taken in every word, filed every expression and she couldn’t stop from thinking how familiar it all was. With this uncanny feeling, Riley felt as though she was a part of a bigger plan.
The warmth of the room had spoiled them because when the generator stopped, shutting down the power, all light and the heating system, Riley felt an immediate chill. Once again, they were in complete blackness. Ringo wasn’t going to make anything easy now.
“He is trying to draw us out so he can hunt us down.” Shay whispered.
“Unfucking believable.” Riley heard Jack say in the dark. Riley grinned.
FORTY-ONE
Jack had been gone for over 24 hours causing Ryan to drive everyone on the ranch crazy. Had things gone as planned they would have been out of there with Dan. The pout on Ryan’s face had become semi-permanent after Jack and the others had left. He had nothing but time to think while waiting for them to return. Dan delivered the four women, a three year old full of energy and the hummer to the ranch leaving the youngest Colton on edge.
To top it off the wind had come in steady gusts all night wreaking havoc on anything not nailed down. By one in the morning, it was a full-blown whiteout. The snowstorm hit the ranch in hard gusts, knocking several trees over, almost completely blocking the entrance to the ranch.
It was around two in the morning and the stitches in Ryan’s chest pulled and itched. It was bone cold outside, but inside Lynn was stroking the fires and keeping the team supplied with fresh hot coffee. He’d attempted going out to open the gate so the cattle could get under shelter, but Nick had intervened.
“I got it.” Nick said pulling on his jacket and gloves.
“Great. I’ll look for the keys while you’re gone.” Ryan said.
“Good luck.” Nick said slipping out the back door.
Ryan growled a few words at Nick and then checked on the horses for the tenth time. His fever was gone, th
e drain in his chest was doing its job and with enough antibiotics in him to cure a horse, he was more than ready to retrieve his brother. When he returned he found Nick sitting at the table. Lily was just walking in holding Jonah’s hand.
He woke up and I can’t find mommy.” Lily said sleepily.
“Lily Bean.” Nick said playfully. “You’re so sleepy.”
“Daddy.” She murmured in a sleepy breath while rubbing her eyes again, but then she saw the snow. “Oh my gosh.” She wailed in excitement. She forgot her sleepiness and rushed to the window. “Can we make a snowman?”
“Oh sweetie. It’s pretty nasty out there.” Nick said, but then he and Ryan both saw the disappointment. “Later.”
“I love you daddy.” She said wrapping her arms around Nick’s legs.
“I love you back Lily Bean.”
Lily grabbed Jonah’s hand. “We’re going to make a snowman today Jonah.”
The two disappeared up the stairs.
“Lily’s up already?” Lynn asked stepping into the kitchen. Ryan jumped.
“Jumpy”. She teased.
“Bored.” He said, pouring more coffee into his cup. “Both of them are up.”
“Jonah’s cute.” Lynn said.
“Want another one huh?” Ryan said kissing his sister on the cheek.
“Still no word?” She asked throwing him a slight punch and changing the subject.
“No. The winds are picking back up. Crazy damn weather!”
“They’re riding out the storm.” Lynn said. “So should you.”
“Yeah. How are the girls…women doing?” he asked, pressing his fingers into the cup.
“Sleeping.” Lynn said gently. “It’s awful what they went through. I rounded up clothes and shoes, but I need more. I need to look in our supplies from that truck that wrecked on the road a few months ago. It was loaded with clothing.” Lynn sipped her coffee.
“I’ll take a look out there.” Ryan said and Nick glared at him. “What?”
“No lifting Ryan. You’ll bust those stitches.” Nick said, shaking his head. “Then your brother will kill me.”
“Lily likes having Jonah around.” Lynn said changing the subject yet again.
“We need a boy in the family.” Ryan hinted.
“Who’s the lucky mom?” Lynn asked.
“Very funny. We need a boy in the family.” He said, softening his voice. “I’m a little ways off from having kids seeing as how I don’t even have a woman and Jack, hell Jack may grow old before he decides to have any kids let alone a woman.”
Lynn laughed. “Sounds like you have this all figured out.”
“What’s going on in here?” Ben said peeking through the doorway.
“We’re talking kids.” Lynn teased.
“Awe. You’re pregnant?” Ben asked. “Better be a boy this time.”
“No dad. I am not pregnant.” Lynn said grinning at Nick. “Yet.”
The conversation got quiet again.
“He’ll be back.” Nick said. Ryan disagreed. He had a gut feeling Jack had run into some trouble.
“What if they’re stranded on the road?” Ryan said trying to get them to agree. If he knew where the keys were, he would’ve been out of there hours ago.
“Jack would’ve got them to shelter. More than likely they took Matt to Pam.” Lynn lowered her voice a notch.
“Dan said Matt was in pretty bad shape.” Ryan said.
“Dan said Sherry is a nurse. Pam is a doctor. It makes sense they’d pull over in Drake.” Nick said.
Ryan sighed. He had a feeling trouble was heading their way regardless.
“I feel like I’m back in high school.” Ryan continued. “Just give me the damn keys before I have to call someone to pick me up. I’m going out there!”
“I can’t let you go. You know it.” Nick returned.
“You promised Jack.” Ben said pointing a finger.
Ryan glared at Nick and Ben. “I never promised! For God’s sake Nick, it isn’t as if I need your permission or yours pops. If they’re at Pam’s then they’re only fifty miles from us. I never promised.”
“I’ll get the truck ready.” Ben said. He was out the door before Lynn or anyone else could say anything.
Lynn turned to face Nick, but didn’t say a word. All three of them, Jack included, knew Ryan would come for them if they didn’t show. Nick took a long sip of his coffee and the reality settled in between all of them.
“I want to take a look at those stitches before you go.” Nick said. “Take the hummer.” Lynn added.
Ryan looked down at his watch. It wasn’t even three in the morning yet.
FORTY-TWO
Kid camouflaged himself in a blanket of darkness with Shift resting at his side. They’d found a semi warm space in the southwest section of the hospital, but weren’t spared the internal unhappiness of beastly hunger. Pam’s sanctuary had become a cement jungle of sound and destruction and Shift’s ears were acting like miniature radar devices honing in on things Kid couldn’t hear.
Kid closed his eyes. In his mind, the image of the little girl taking a bullet haunted him. From where he’d been standing the marker with the gun was the most dangerous. Shooting her hadn’t been an option. It wasn’t long after Colton and his team had moved in that he’d heard voices coming from the corridor. Kid had overheard the one called Ringo radioing for backup. More trouble would soon be heading their way. He’d wait for Colton to make the next move. Either way he’d help him get his team out. With his eyes closed, but very awake the storm began to calm and the clattering from the wind seized. Now in the obscurity of shadows, he waited.
The lights in the corridor flickered once and then twice. Then there was a loud click and the building went black. It had only been a matter of time.
“Game on.” Kid whispered.
Ringo’s voice trailed down the empty space separating the rooms and doors. “I see you.”
Ringo wanted to draw his prey out, but Colton had gone stealth. Kid set his hand on Shift’s back feeling her warmth. Animals knew what humans didn’t and Shift didn’t like Ringo’s voice. On top of that, the scents of the cats were keeping her alert. Shift would get her time, but for now, Kid played it safe keeping the dog at bay.
Unmoved, he separated the sounds trickling down the corridor. A gust of wind slapped the sides of the building as if announcing that Mother Nature’s fury hadn’t quite simmered. The force of the pressure sent a long howling sound through the hospital along with a frigid draft of cold air. Then as if hell had broken loose a loud explosion rocked the foundation they were sitting on. Shift lifted her head letting out a deep growl.
“I hope that wasn’t our ride.” Kid whispered.
FORTY-THREE
They’d taken two shifts until all of them were able to rest at least a few hours. They couldn’t see it, but dawn was breaking outside. Riley hoped the light of morning would lend some comfort through the dark and weary hospital walls. The big concrete building seemed to ward off any predawn light, keeping them entombed in total darkness. After huddling near the propane heater for most of the night, they agreed to make a stand. Unheard, it seemed the storm had calmed.
Matt was up and moving, but Megan was fighting for her life. The only thing Riley could do for Megan was help to find a way to escape. The hunters hunting them were still roaming the hospital reminding them of their intent every so often.
Sherry, seeing Riley’s hesitation reassured her. “The quicker you get us out of here, the faster we can get Meagan to Jack’s brother.” She said. Utah rushed over and wrapped her arms around Riley.
“Be careful Riley, be very careful.” She whispered.
“I’ll be back.” She said holding her head to her chest.
“He has a black heart.” She said. Riley bent down towards her and forced a worried smile.
“I’ll be back.” Riley said. “I promise.”
Even now in this craziness, Riley saw that special attribute in Utah, a sor
t of purity in her eyes and aura. Riley felt comforted in her presence, but her words scared her.
Jack and Blake were checking their weapons. Riley quietly got herself ready. The lantern in the center of the room lent little light making the situation seem dimmer. The heater, which had been a warrior through the night, clanked unexpectedly.
“Antiquated piece of…..” Jack said giving it a slight hit with his hand. The machine hiccupped and then hummed on.
Jack turned to Sherry extending a pistol out to her. “You ever handle a gun before?”
“No.” She said taking the gun. She pressed her fingers around the grip.
“It’s ready to be fired. Point to kill. Got it.” He said. She nodded.
Her hands shook, but she listened as he gave her a slam course in gun handling 101.
“I’ll be here.” Matt said slowly sliding to a sitting position.
“I don’t think you should be standing.” Sherry said.
“I need to stand.” Matt said. “You can’t carry both of us out of here.”
“The stitches.” She replied. “And you’ve lost a lot of blood.”
“Give me a little more of that good stuff and let’s get the hell out of this place.” Matt said. “How can anything bust, I’m wrapped up like a human burrito.”
Pulling the jacket over the bulletproof vest, Riley started to pick up her beanie, but Jack shook his head no. She happily tossed it off to the side. However, Jack moved over next to her and handed her a fresh full-face mask making her frown.
“We’re not robbing a bank,” she said.
“Put it on, you’ll thank me later.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Are you always so tenacious?” He said standing only inches away from her. Faintly through the light, Riley could see a ring of gold in his teal eyes.
“Yes and you do know cats can see in the dark.” Riley said. He placed the earpiece into her ear, his fingers touching the edges of her earlobe sending tiny bolts of electricity across her skin. He slid the mask over her hair, careful not to disturb the earpiece. He connected the radio.
The Fighter Series (Book 1): Not Alone (The Beginning) Page 18
