by Adele Huxley
He took comfort from Penny’s touch, her solid hand in his, warm and reassuring. He tried to be strong for her, all the while understanding she didn’t need him to be.
The guards came in fast. Still decked out in their camo gear and face masks, a dozen flooded into the barn on a mission. They’d forgone the red flashlights for normal bright white ones. A lump of panic wedged itself in Phoenix’s throat as he watched their beams dance through the thick smoke collecting at the ceiling.
“This isn’t good.”
“No shit. What do you think they’re doing?” Penny asked.
The seconds stretched like minutes. It felt like forever before they got a hint of what was happening. The guards worked swiftly to untie each couple and move them deeper into the barn, many out of sight.
Phoenix craned his neck to watch, hoping to see a moment where he might break free.
A guard knelt at the feet of Hadley and Rebel. As he reached between them to unfasten their restraints, Hadley hoisted her legs up and gave him a swift donkey kick to the side. It was hard enough he toppled over, rolling across Rebel’s feet. His headlamp popped off and rolled away.
Hadley let out a loud, raucous laugh that was in direct contrast to the horror going on around them.
The guard sprang to his knees and swung a looping fist at her face in one movement. Her head snapped to the side, unable to block or shield the blow.
Across the aisle Hunter thrashed against his bindings, growling like a feral animal.
“Calm down, man,” Phoenix hissed. “If they’re willing to deck her, imagine what they’ll do to you.”
It made no difference. The man had already been shot, for fuck's sake. He pulled so hard, it was almost as if he were trying to yank his arms from their sockets just to get free.
With the help of Rebel's calming presence, the guard guided Hadley down the narrow path, around the clutter, and to the left.
The guards moved quickly and before long, they’d worked their way up to them. Most of them jogged from the building, leaving only two behind.
One worked to untie a pair of young girls who’d been placed beside Hunter. The remaining guard looked at Hunter, then to Phoenix and Penny, seeming to debate which one to untie first.
Wrong straw, man, Phoenix thought as he knelt by Hunter. You very much picked the wrong straw.
The ball of muscle that was Hunter stayed perfectly still. He lulled the guard into a false sense of security, thinking he’d made a better choice of picking one over two. Little did he know, Hunter had the strength of three, even four if Hadley was in trouble.
Phoenix gave Penny’s hand a brief squeeze to alert her to what was going on, just in case she wasn’t paying attention. Turns out, he didn’t need to.
The moment Hunter’s hands were detached from the wall, he flung himself forward head-first. With no care for his own physical well-being, he launched himself straight at the guard. For as unprepared as the guy seemed to be, he rolled with the attack well. Although he took a hard blow to the gut with Hunter’s head, he didn’t topple over. With his hands bound behind his back, he put up a good fight.
Penny shot her foot out as the guard struggled to get Hunter under control. The noise of the scuffle brought in another two guards who jumped in fists flying.
As they dragged Hunter away, kicking and screaming, they were the last to be untied. Any considerations he’d had about trying to escape were erased as more and more guards flowed through the door. He and Penny were roughly dragged to their feet and as they were being pushed down the aisle, it became clear why.
Each new guard ushered in pairs of coughing, sputtering, and sooty hostages.
They had come from the burning barn…
* * *
The fire turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When they were first led into the barn, their group had been spread to the four corners. As they were shifted and moved to make room for the new hostages, they found themselves packed closer together. He and Penny were originally near the main entrance, but were now tightly crammed into a disused animal stall.
Rebel and Hadley were only a few feet down and across. The former was trying to soothe the latter, who was alternating between spitting blood and cursing. Claire and Charlie were on the opposite side of the thin wall, in the stall next door. Hunter was on his side, struggling to sit upright. He’d managed to get his feet bound as well as his hands for causing trouble.
There was a couple of younger girls weeping in the corner and a quiet pair Phoenix couldn’t see from his angle. He desperately wanted to speak with Penny, but with the guards coming in and out, it felt dangerous. With their bindings wrapped through a metal hook embedded in the ground, it was harder to reach out for her fingers. On the other hand, it was comforting to feel her shoulder and side pressed against him.
Now at the back of the barn, they were closer to the fire. Judging from the sound of it all, they were having a difficult time trying to put it out.
Penny nudged him with her shoulder. “This is good.”
He scanned their surroundings, nervous about being overheard. Even in the chaos and screaming and crying, he felt like his voice carried impossibly far. “How is this good?”
“You know how they used those red lights to move around? Those are usually used because they’re harder to spot visually, like, from above.”
The first genuine hope bloomed in his chest. “So a massive bonfire in the night probably isn’t something they’re happy to have right now.”
“Not when they’re trying to hide a hundred hostages.”
The hiss of water hitting fire was followed by a sharp dimming of ambient light. The screams outside had stopped, only to be replaced by a chorus of cries closer inside their over-crowded barn.
A guard walked by and stopped at the open gate to their pen. The flashlight beam swept across them, leaving a blind spot in his vision. He then waved his flashlight left and right out in the main part of the barn and gestured back in.
Phoenix tensed. He felt like this constant emotional rollercoaster was going to be the death of him… if a quicker death didn’t come first.
Two other guards led a calm man inside. The guard with the flashlight pointed at the space beside Hunter. There was a silent conference between the three, as if they weren’t sure they wanted to go near him again. But in the end, they secured the new guy in the only empty spot left in the barn, attached to Hunter.
In the dim light cast by the flashlights, Phoenix could’ve believed this guy was Ethan’s brother. Longish, light hair, similar jaws and noses. As soon as he was tied up to their satisfaction, the guards double-timed it out of the barn, presumably to help put out the fire.
“Oh my God, will you stop?” Hadley growled at the two crying girls.
He barely heard Rebel’s chastisement over their increased sobbing.
Just as he was about to ask the new guy how he was, Penny nudged his shoulder again.
“I grabbed something,” she whispered.
He liked that he was able to turn his head and see her now, look her in the eye. “What do you mean?”
“When Hunter went for that guard. I don’t know what it is, but I saw it when they were fighting. It’s metal and sharp.”
“No shit!”
“I think I might be able to cut myself free,” she grinned, her teeth glowing in the darkness.
Chapter 8
As the mayhem calmed down a bit, so did their nerves. The smell of wood smoke still hung heavy in the air, but the adrenaline was wearing off. The jittery relief came out in bursts of nervous laughter and conversation. They were all happy to be alive, to have survived yet again.
“What’s going on over there?” Rebel whispered. “You guys okay?”
Phoenix met Penny’s eye and shook his head. He didn’t need to tell her that raising people’s hopes would be a bad idea.
“Nothing, just getting settled,” he replied.
“Are you still tied to mega bitch?” Hadley ask
ed.
He shook his head at Penny again, this time more violently. He could see her run her tongue along the inside of her mouth, across her teeth, biting back a comment of her own.
“I’m still tied to Penny,” he replied diplomatically.
“You okay, babe?” Hunter called out.
Phoenix expected another snarky remark, but she replied kindly instead. “Yeah, you?”
“Fucker didn’t know who he was messing with,” he laughed.
In the dim light, Phoenix couldn’t tell if the gaps in his mouth were missing teeth or a trick of shadows.
Penny wriggled beside him, twisting around to get a good angle on the restraints.
“How’s it going?” he whispered.
“I’m not sure. It’s a nylon rope or something, so it’s not cutting that easily. Plus, I cut myself so the blood is making it hard to—”
“Are you okay?” He was surprised to hear the alarm in his voice. And in true Penny fashion, she didn’t miss it either.
“I’m fine, Mom.”
Phoenix gritted his teeth to keep from snapping at her. “Good. Great.”
He tried to ignore her odd twisting and pulling as the others continued talking around them. The energy in the place was weird, an almost buzzing excitement. Maybe everyone sensed that the fire could be their salvation, the beacon that would bring help. Or it was just another burst of adrenaline and soon they’d all crash.
“Claire. Are you okay?” Rebel whisper-yelled.
“Yup. All good.”
The new guy next to Hunter looked around and spoke up finally. “Seems like y’all know each other.”
“Yeah, you could say that,” Phoenix snorted. He swiftly introduced everyone he knew, glossing over the crying girls and the couple he couldn’t see.
“Well, I’m Miah.”
The group mumbled their greetings. Hard to be friendly under the circumstances.
“How’s it going?” Phoenix whispered to Penny.
“I can’t really tell. It feels like I’m fraying it a little, but my hand doesn’t stretch that far.”
Phoenix shifted. “Let me see if I can—”
“No!”
Without thinking, he loosened the tautness of the rope between them as he twisted. He had no way of knowing she was using the tension to help and that she was cutting on his side of the ring. His fingers brushed the sharp sliver of metal just as it tumbled from her hand.
“Shit,” he mumbled, bracing himself for the verbal explosion.
Penny inadvertently slammed his hands against the metal ring as she searched the hay-covered floor for the scrap of metal. Her silence was more disturbing than any shouting. He’d really fucked up now.
“What’s the little traitor doing?” Hadley called out. “You keeping her in line?”
Penny ignored her again, meeting Phoenix’s gaze with a terrified look in her eye. “It’s gone. I think it fell through a crack or something.” He was astonished to not hear any blame in her voice.
“Zabel?” Hunter asked, pushing him to reply.
“Yeah, no. We’re good. It’s all good,” he said, trying to sound at ease.
A new wave of conversation bubbled around them, blocking out their hushed whispers.
“Now what?” Penny demanded. “I only got through a couple strands.”
Phoenix groped along the length of rope and discovered the tiny notch she’d created. They might be able to pick at it with their nails or fray it against the ring, but it’d take forever. That was time they simply couldn’t afford.
Just as his heart began to sink, he had a thought. “Can you reach into my pocket?”
Even in the dark, he could almost see her expression turn incredulous. Before she had a chance to come back with some snappy comment, he explained.
“I have a pack of matches in one of my pockets,” he sighed. “I’m not trying to get you to feel me up.”
As he contorted to try to give her enough room, he couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.
“What exactly happened over there?” Rebel asked, leaning forward to speak with Miah.
“I’m not entirely sure. One second I was drifting off to sleep, the next the whole place was filled with smoke.”
“Sounds horrible,” Rebel replied.
“Do you know how it was started?” Hunter asked. “Do you think it was… them?”
“You doof. Why would they set fire to the barn and then save everyone?” Hadley snorted.
“Why are they fucking doing any of this?” he snapped back.
“I don’t know how it started,” Miah interrupted. “But it spread so fast. All the hay and wood…” He audibly shuddered. “Went up in minutes.”
Penny and Phoenix froze. When their eyes met in the dim light, they reached a wordless agreement.
She pressed her cheek against his to whisper into his ear. “Maybe if I stretch it out far enough I can slip my legs through.”
He almost didn’t listen to the words. He was so enthralled with her proximity and heat, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. However, he did have the presence of mind to nod.
“It might hurt,” she warned, testing the lengths of the rope. To get as much as she could, she’d have to pull his wrists hard against the metal loop.
“It’s fine. Do you what you need to do.”
There was no hiding her odd grunts and contortions. The discussion had moved on, Miah folding into the personalities of the group nicely, but it only took a moment for Hadley to notice Penny’s movements.
“Phoenix! Keep control of your mongrel over there.”
“You know what?” Penny grumbled as she sank back to her ass.
“Don’t…” Phoenix begged.
“No. I’ve swallowed enough abuse for one—”
“Not the only thing you’re swallowing, I’m sure,” Hadley snorted.
“At least I’m trying to do something to get out of here. Unlike you, whose main defense seems to be batting your eyelashes at the newest cock in the neighborhood.”
Hadley snarled and kicked out in Penny’s direction. Her futile lunge did nothing but hurt Rebel who let out a squeak of pain.
“Will you two knock it off?” Phoenix begged. “You’re gonna draw attention to us.”
He didn’t miss Penny’s little snicker as she got back to work.
It seemed like she was trying to stretch the rope out and wiggle her hips at the same time. He was mesmerized by her movements, simultaneously believing she’d be able to pull it off and thinking it was pointless to try. Each shift ground his wrists against the metal loop. At some points, he had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out.
She seemed to sense his doubt and tried to reassure him when she had to take a break. Panting with exertion, she leaned close and whispered in his ear. The scent of her sweet sweat overwhelmed him once again.
“I’ve done it before, don’t worry.”
“Don’t hurt yourself.”
Penny pulled away with a grin. “I have freakishly long arms.” She wiggled her shoulders forward a touch and started to fold in half.
As he watched her struggle, Phoenix was caught up in a surprising sense of pride. Only a few hours before, he couldn’t have imagined anyone worse to be linked to. After all the revelations back at the Lodge, he’d convinced himself he would’ve been happy never to see her again. But now, with her obvious tenacity and drive, he was thankful to be attached to her.
It was difficult to see in the darkness, but it looked like her arm was inching slowly forward over her hips. Her hands were obscured beneath her ass, pulling and tugging. The rope, however inflexible, did give a little when she pulled.
The muscles in his jaw ached as he clenched his teeth. The rope was either going to break his wrist or saw right through the skin. But he couldn’t cry out, couldn’t let on what they were doing.
There was no way of knowing if the whole barn was bugged and on top of it, he didn’t want to give anyone else in the pen false
hope of escape.
As he gritted through the pain, he had a thought that they must look absurd to anyone watching. Fortunately, they were too caught up in conversation to notice. Phoenix tried to concentrate on that rather than the misery radiating from his arms.
“Why didn’t you bum-rush ‘em?” Hunter asked. “There’s more of us than there is of them.”
Miah answered without a shred of humiliation. “Dunno, really. I think we all just wanted to get away from the fire. Didn’t think of it at the time.”
“See, that’s why these hostage things drag on. You have to find an opportunity and take it,” Hunter insisted.
“Yeah, cause that worked out real well for you, right sweetheart,” Hadley laughed. “How many teeth do you have now?”
Hunter leaned forward to reply into the darkness. “Original or fake?”
Miah ignored their banter again, almost as if he were used to a bickering couple. “It’s true you have to wait for the right opportunity, but you rarely know when that is.”
Ever the alpha, Hunter let out a condescending laugh. “Lot of experience with kidnappings, huh?”
The new guy hung his head. Phoenix thought he detected a slight shrug to his shoulders. Before he could reply, Rebel cried out in surprise.
“Oh! Holy crap, I know you!”
“You do?”
“Miah? Miah Marsh? Holy heck, you’re the Blizzard’s nephew!”
Penny froze, unfortunately stopping on a particularly painful position.
“Keep going,” Phoenix urged through his teeth. She quickly picked up the pace.
“I’m married to his cousin, actually. I don’t think that makes me his—”
“You took your girlfriend’s name?” Hunter laughed. “Kind of a pussy move, don’t you think?”
“No, not at all,” he replied, totally unfazed.
Hadley spoke up. “Well, I think it’s cool. It’s nice to meet you, Miah.”
“Actually, Hadley, we’ve met. A couple times.”
“Oh, right.”
“It’s cool. I’m not memorable.”
“Not memorable? Come on,” Rebel gasped. She dropped her voice to a low whisper, barely audible. “You went through that whole kidnapping thing before. What should we do?”
