The Bearens' Hope: Book Four of the Soul-Linked Saga

by Laura Jo Phillips

  Jackson transformed back to his human form and gently extricated the pilot’s remains from the wreckage. He retrieved the young man’s jacket from behind his seat, and draped it over his face just as Rob and Clark joined him. They transformed into their human forms and knelt down beside the young pilot with Jackson, their fists raised to their shoulders as they granted him the honor of a warrior killed in battle.

  A few moments later they all rose to their feet.

  “The one that lived took off running east,” Rob said. “It won’t take much effort to catch him.”

  “I’ve called the base,” Clark said. “Another VTOL has been dispatched and will be here in a few minutes, but they only have the one available. The others are on maneuvers in the mountains.”

  “Contact Phoenix II,” Jackson said. “Apprise them of the situation. It shouldn’t take them long to get a couple of VTOLs out here. This ground-car is equipped with Blind-Sight. We can’t leave it here unattended.”

  In the distance a baby cried.

  Jackson’s head came up. He had promised Ellicia that they would act as fathers to her children, and right now, those babies needed them. Yet here they were with this poor, deceased pilot instead.

  None of the emotions they were feeling, as complicated and conflicted as they were, mattered as much as those children. He, Clark and Rob needed to be fathers to those boys, and they needed to start right now.

  Jackson turned and hurried back to where Ellicia lay, Rob and Clark beside him, but this time they avoided looking at Ellicia and focused on the babies. Jackson slid to his knees in the sand beside Hope just as she finished wrapping a baby in what looked like a sheet. He held his arms out and Hope gave him the boy without hesitation. He glanced at her as he took the precious bundle and saw that she was beautiful, even with the dust and tears staining her face.

  “This is Harlan,” she said, her voice breaking on the name. Jackson nodded as he pulled the tiny infant closer to his chest. Hope turned back to her tasks and Jackson studied the boy’s little face. He was so small, red, and funny looking that Jackson couldn’t help but smile at him. The baby’s eyes were closed against the bright sunlight so he turned slightly so that his body shaded little Harlan’s face. Harlan opened bright amber eyes and stared up at Jackson with a frown.

  Jackson felt his heart swell and knew that this was why he and his brothers had been sent to Earth. He looked up in time to see Hope hand a tiny bundle to Clark.

  “This is Mattlan,” she said.

  Clark pulled the infant close to his chest in a protective gesture that nearly brought tears to Jackson’s eyes. A few moments later she handed the third baby to Rob.

  “This is Weldan,” she said. Rob gazed down at the tiny baby, the expression on his face a mix of grief, wonder, and love. The same emotions Jackson felt himself.

  “Clark, what was it that Saige said again?” he asked.

  Clark looked up. “Yes, you’re right,” he said. “She said the bearer of hope will bestow upon them, and only them, a gift beyond price for the Jasani people.”

  “So Ellicia was the bearer of hope,” he said as he gazed back down into Harlan’s eyes. “And these babies are a gift beyond price for the Jasani people. That is certainly true.”

  Hope watched the three men with the three babies, knowing that she was looking at what should have been her future. She had gone all the way to Jasan to find these three men, and had found them here on Earth instead. Too late. She felt their sorrow for Ellicia, and knew that it was as deep and strong as the sorrow she felt for Harlan. She also felt their love for her.

  Well, fate certainly seemed to have a sense of humor, she thought as she shook her head and stood up, turning to go back to her small camp to check on Karma. She thought she might use some of her remaining water to rinse the blood off of her hands as well since they didn’t need to conserve it any more.

  “Where are you going?” Jackson asked before she had gone three steps.

  “There is still an injured woman over there,” Hope replied. “I need to check on her.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Jackson said, leaping to his feet while taking care not to jostle the baby in his arms.

  “Fine, but would you mind telling me your name first?” Hope asked, forcing herself to speak calmly, though the flood of emotions she was feeling from all three men had her feeling anything but calm.

  “I apologize,” Jackson said with a careful bow, mindful of keeping Harlan’s face shaded. “I am Jackson Bearen. These are my brothers, Clarkson, and Robson.”

  Clark and Rob rose to their feet and nodded as Jackson said their names.

  “Nice to meet you,” Hope said, not altogether sure that was true. But manners didn’t always make allowances for truth. “My name is Hope Strigida.”

  “We are pleased to meet you as well, Hope,” Jackson said. Hope nodded politely, then turned and walked away.

  “Clark, do we have an ETA on that VTOL?” Jackson asked.

  “Three minutes,” Clark replied.

  “Let them know we have an injured woman here as well,” Jackson said over his shoulder as hurried to catch up with Hope.

  Hope led the way over to what had been their small camp on the far side of a long mound of rocks, and knelt down beside Karma.

  “Damn, that came close, didn’t it?” Jackson said.

  Hope looked up to see what he was talking about, following his gaze to the slanting wall of the incline just above her head. There, sticking out of the sand and gravel, was a short piece of metal. Hope frowned at it, wondering where it had come from. Then she remembered the strange whistling noise, and the spill of sand and gravel.

  She stood up and reached out to touch the piece of metal, then grabbed hold of it and pulled. It was stuck fast and deep just at the height of her chest. If she hadn’t stayed inside the enclosure with Karma, it very well could have gone right through her.

  “Thanks, Karma,” she said.

  “For what?” Karma asked weakly.

  “For saving my life.” Hope knelt down beside Karma again. “If I hadn’t done as you asked, I think I’d be dead. And I also think that if I’d lit that fire, the moment the wind blew in here it would have scattered all over both of us.”

  “That’s what he said.”

  Karma’s eyes were bright with fever, but this time Hope didn’t put her words down as delusional ramblings.

  “Harlan told you, didn’t he?” she asked.

  “Was that his name? Can I have a little more water, please?”

  “Sure,” Hope said, reaching for the bottle that had rolled out of Karma’s reach. “You can have as much as you like. There will be a VTOL here in just a minute or two to take us out of here.”

  “What about Aisling and Berta?” Karma asked.

  “We’ll get them too,” Hope promised. “Don’t worry, we won’t forget them.”

  “Who are Aisling and Berta?” Jackson asked as he watched Hope gently lift Karma’s head so she could drink, hardly able to take his eyes from her. She was courageous and strong, but at the same time, tender and compassionate. He found himself wanting her to look at him, just so that he could gaze into her stunning turquoise eyes.

  “There’s a compound out here where four of us were kidnapped and brought to,” Hope said. She lowered Karma’s head and set the water bottle beside her. “One of the other women, Aisling, remained behind with Berta, an older woman who has been a prisoner for many years. We promised we would come back for them.”

  “Your promise will be honored,” Jackson said.

  Hope glanced up at the formal note in Jackson’s voice.

  “Efharistos,” she replied with a solemn nod.

  Jackson cocked his head, an expression of such genuine curiosity on his face that Hope nearly smiled. “That’s Greek for thank you,” she said.

  “You know Greek?” Bearen asked.

  “Yes,” Hope replied, as she reached for another bottle, poured water over her hands and scrubbed the
m together. Jackson made a mental note to ask her more about her knowledge of Greek at another time.

  “How far is the compound from here?” he asked.

  “It’s difficult to say, but I think we made fifty miles. Maybe more. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes for a VTOL to get there.”

  “Should we go back for the other women, and then head for the base, or should we take this woman, and the babies, directly to the base and send the VTOL back out for the women?”

  Hope poured a little more water over her hands as she considered the question.

  “Get Aisling and Berta first,” Karma said. “I can wait.”

  Hope picked up the scrap of sheet she’d been using as a cloth, poured water on it and gently patted Karma’s face. “That’s generous of you,” she said. “But the babies are very tiny. I would prefer to have them safely under a physician’s care as soon as possible.”

  “I agree,” Jackson said as he gazed down at the infant in his arms. The baby was not much bigger than his hand, and that was worrisome.

  Shortly after Princess Lariah had given birth to her daughters, the Bearens had been among a group of warriors granted the honor of seeing them. Even though Lariah was smaller than her sister, her daughters had been larger than Ellicia’s sons by a good measure.

  Jackson looked up at the sound of the incoming VTOL. “Hope, if you will hold Harlan, I will go speak with the pilot.”

  Hope nodded and stood up to take the baby from Jackson. Harlan looked up at her and Hope was surprised to see that he had his father’s eyes exactly. She was glad when Jackson turned and left as she did not want him to see the tears in her eyes.

  Not now, she told herself firmly. There will be plenty of time for grieving later.

  “Who had a baby?” Karma asked.

  Hope knelt down near Karma and explained what had happened. She was shocked to see tears in Karma’s eyes.

  “That’s why he was here,” Karma said. “He was waiting.”

  “Yes,” Hope replied.

  “He saved your life, and mine,” Karma said. “Who will raise the children?”

  “Ellicia has asked that the Bearens and I accept that task,” Hope replied.

  “I’d like to be a part of their lives, Hope. Their Godmother, maybe. Or, if not that, at least a good friend.”

  “Why would you wish to do this?” Hope asked curiously.

  “I want to help watch out for them,” Karma said. “It’s the least I can do for Harlan, after what he did for us.”

  “I don’t know how much influence I’ll have over such decisions,” Hope said, “but I promise that if you wish to be a part of their lives, I won’t stand in your way.”

  “Thank you,” Karma said.

  Hope turned at the sound of approaching footsteps and smiled to see Grace.

  “How you doing, Karma?” she asked as she knelt down beside them.

  “I’m good,” Karma replied weakly. “Thanks for bringing help.”

  “You’re welcome,” Grace said. She turned to Hope. “The pilot of the VTOL that just landed said that there are two more on their way from Phoenix II, but its going to be about half an hour before they can get here. I think he should take you, Karma, the Bearens and the babies back to the base for medical treatment, and one of the VTOLs on the way can take me to the compound for Berta and Aisling. That sound good to you?”

  “I don’t know,” Hope replied. “Wouldn’t that leave you here alone until the next VTOL gets here?”

  “Yes, but that’s fine. There isn’t anyone after us any more, right?”

  “That’s the question,” Hope said with a frown. “Did the Bearens say anything to you about whoever was driving the ground-car?”

  “No, they didn’t,” Grace replied. “I just assumed they were dead.”

  Both women looked up to see the new VTOL pilot and Jackson approaching. Jackson was carrying a stretcher board, and the pilot had a small case which he set down in the sand and opened. He removed a syringe and broke the seal on it.

  “I’m going to give her a pain killer,” he said, moving up beside Hope. “It will allow us to move her without too much discomfort.”

  Hope and Grace got up and moved out of the way so that the pilot could kneel down beside Karma.

  “Is that all right with you, Karma?” Hope asked.

  Karma nodded. “Absolutely,” she replied.

  “I apologize, Miss,” the young man said. “I thought you were unconscious.”

  “No,” she replied. “Just wishing I was.”

  The man smiled and reached for her arm which he lifted gently from the blanket. Seconds later he had administered the injection and released Karma’s arm.

  “That should take just a few moments to kick in,” he said.

  By the time he was finished speaking, Karma was already feeling the effects of the drug. The mind numbing pain she had been struggling with since the moment she’d fallen down the side of the incline the day before was finally fading.

  “Thank you,” she said softly as her body relaxed.

  “You’re welcome,” the pilot said. By the time he finished saying it, Karma was out. Seeing Karma relax into a deep and painless sleep was a relief to Hope.

  “Jackson, what about the guys in the ground-car?” Hope asked.

  “Two of them are dead, and one ran off,” Jackson replied as he helped the pilot slide Karma onto a stretcher board. “Rob and Clark were going to track him, but they can’t do that and take care of the other two babies at the same time.”

  “You can’t stay here on your own, Grace, not with one of those guys running loose,” Hope said. “He could be anywhere right now.”

  “What should we do then?” Grace asked. “I know you need to get the babies and Karma to medical help, but we can’t just leave Berta and Aisling. We promised we’d come back for them.”

  “I don’t know,” Hope said, as they followed Jackson and the pilot back toward the VTOL. After they slid Karma into the VTOL, the pilot climbed in to strap the stretcher down, and Jackson turned back to Hope and Grace.

  “I think the best thing is for us to load up, go back for the other two women, then head to the base,” Jackson said. “We need to bring Ellicia and the pilot of our VTOL with us though. I don’t want to leave them here.”

  “Of course,” Hope said. Clark stepped out of the VTOL where he and Rob were sitting out of the sun with Mattlan and Weldan.

  “If you’ll hold Mattlan, I’ll go take care of our pilot,” he said to Grace. Grace swallowed hard, but held out her arms. She had never held a baby in her life, but she wasn’t going to admit that to this giant of a man who was handling the baby as though he’d been doing it from childhood.

  Clark laid the baby in her arms, then bent down to kiss him gently on the head before turning away. Grace glanced at Hope in surprise, only to be even more stunned at the expression of sad longing on the other woman’s face.

  Chapter 43

  Jackson asked Grace for one of the blankets still tied to her strange looking pack, and carried it over to where Ellicia lay. He knelt down beside her, gazing into her face for a long moment before reaching over to close her eyes with gentle fingers.

  “The feet of your spirit now carry you to the next world, Ellicia Daniels,” he said softly. “May your journey be quick, your destination filled with the peace and joy you have earned.”

  Jackson shook out the blanket and laid it over Ellicia, pulling it up to gently cover her face. Once he had her covered, he remembered something, and reached beneath the blanket so he could slip his fingers into the pocket of Ellicia’s jeans. He found the tiny gold and pearl earring she had used to track Hope and placed it carefully in his own pocket. Then he tucked the blanket back in place.

  “On behalf of all of the people of Jasan, I thank you, Ellicia Daniels, for the gift of your sons,” he said. He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. “Goodbye, little Sister,” he finished in a whisper.

  Hope stood
with Grace near the VTOL, listening to Grace talk with only half of her attention. She felt the sadness rolling off of Jackson, his grief so intense her own heart burned with it. Clark and Rob felt just as deeply sad as Jackson did, but at the moment they were each occupied with other things, so the emotions coming from them were not as intense as they had been earlier.

  She didn’t really understand why she sensed their emotions so clearly, but she wished she didn’t. It was difficult enough to hold her own grief in check without feeling theirs on top of it. Hope felt anger begin to well up inside of her, but she pushed it away. She would not allow herself to travel that path. Anger had nothing to offer her, would not help her, would not change things. If she allowed anger to rule her, she would hurt only herself.

  Jackson rose to his feet and headed for the ground-car which still sat with its front end inside the cabin door of the VTOL. He opened the rear door and leaned in, ignoring the remains of the human looking male in the back seat. Careful not to touch anything, he checked out the interior of the vehicle.

  It only took a moment to identify the components that, by a process of illumination, had to be Blind Sight. If they had a working Blind Sight system, then they were only a step away from figuring out how to nullify it. He hoped. The problem was, he didn’t know if the ground-car’s sudden appearance just before it crashed into the VTOL meant that the Blind Sight system had been turned off, or if it had failed to work.

  Jackson backed out of the ground car, then climbed over it to get into the VTOL’s cabin. He found Ellicia’s purse still stashed beneath the seat she had been using. He retrieved the purse, climbed back out of the VTOL and took it over to where Hope still stood with Grace.

  “Hope, would you please look for Ellicia’s vox?” he asked, holding the bag toward her.

  Hope looked at him in surprise, then she looked at the purse, then the small bundle she was holding, then back up at him again.