“Ryder,” I cried out. When only silence answered me, I began to lose all hope. “Where are you?” I whispered, my voice hoarse from the screaming and the yelling.
And it was as if someone has answered my prayers, finally listening to me after all this time. Only at least ten yards away, I spotted Ryder’s still form just on the bank of the river, lying on his stomach. Still and unmoving. He had somehow made it past the area of rapids and rocks to a calmer part of the river where he could pull himself out.
“Julius, look,” I shouted as I pointed toward where Ryder lay, barely moving as I watched. His arm moved, and his head turned in my direction, but he didn’t get up and just fell back down.
Then I was off, running toward him no matter how much my body hurt and the water soaking my clothes weighed me down. My movements were sluggish and, once I was finally by his side, I dropped to my knees and attempted to rouse him. He hadn’t been seriously injured. That much I was sure, or he wouldn’t have been able to pull himself out of the river. He was exhausted from the fight with the current, as we all were. Terror gripped me when he didn’t move again despite my shaking him, my heart breaking into only pieces he could put back together by opening his eyes and taking even just one breath. I turned him over onto his back and placed my hands on either side of his face to lean over him, staring at his gorgeous features, his green eyes shooting open as he took a deep breath in from shock. A shiver moved through him that I could feel inside my body like it was my own. There was fear in his eyes as I pushed his hair back from his forehead and made soothing sounds, trying my best to calm him and bring his anxiety to an end.
“Ryder, it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s me,” I whispered in an attempt to comfort him, but even my voice or my touch could do nothing to soothe him.
He bolted upright, looking around for our assailants, not seeing and them and visibly shaking from the terror of what had just happened. “Where is that bastard?” he asked, his eyes meeting mine as he slowly rose to his feet. We both stood with him, my hands out to keep him from falling as he swayed and stumbled. But he never fell, his arms shooting out to the sides. No doubt he was dizzy.
“He’s gone, man,” Julius stated as he stood next to me and placed one large hand on Ryder’s shoulder. Ryder took in a deep, steadying breath and let it out through pursed lips in an attempt to center himself. I could’ve told him that wouldn’t do any good, but I let him do what he felt was necessary to stay calm.
“I’m going to kill him if I ever get my hands on him,” Ryder promised through his clenched jaw, his chin trembling with rage and fear as he held back the tears I could see rimming his eyes. I knew exactly how he felt, my body still shaking from the adrenaline pumping through my veins from the crash. I wanted Nero dead, and I hadn’t before, even after what happened in the compound, but everything had changed. Even after he had hit me in anger, I still didn’t see him any differently. Not until he betrayed us in favor of King. Now Nero was after us, and he wanted to see us fall at the hands of King and his regime.
“Trust me, I think we all feel the same way right about now,” I said as I took his hand in mine and gave it a squeeze in an attempt to bring him back to the here and now. “My first question is, did you guys happen to see the direction the others went before getting separated? I know we are far away from where we started, but maybe we can find them somehow.”
Both men shook their heads and looked at the ground as silence fell around us for what felt like the millionth time the same evening. So, the rest of our group was gone with no way to find them. Everything we could have used rendered useless even if we could make our way back to the Humvee we left behind.
“No, but it’s not like you and I were exactly raised to be trudging through the wilderness or anything,” Julius replied, his tone snarky and combative as he looked down at me. The look within those gray eyes made me shiver along with the chill running through me from my drenched clothes.
“All I know is which direction we need to move in. Our plan should be to keep moving and get to headquarters and hope the others make it there. But, for now,” he paused, “we need to find a decent place to make camp and get warm. Mila, that power of yours any good at starting a fire?”
“Ummm…” I started, both Julius and Ryder watching me expectantly.
I pondered that for a moment, knowing that it could achieve something I hadn’t ever imagined I was capable of, but could it do more? Could it be used for more practical methods besides just death and destruction? I shrugged and stared at both Julius and Ryder, knowing that Ryder had to have been trained to do so without anyone’s help. Maybe he was just trying to get me out of my rut in assuming this was all I was capable of. Who really knew? Not even I did and I was certain that King didn’t.
“I’m going, to be honest here. I have no idea. I didn’t even know what all I could do with it till we were in the compound, but it’s not a bad idea to test it out at least. But,” I studied Ryder’s face with skepticism as he watched me, “aren’t you trained to do this stuff anyways? You definitely don’t need my help to do it.”
He dropped my hand and put his up into the air. “You caught me. That was a test to see if you were willing to test out the theory, but I guess you’d rather not so I won’t push it. Alright,” he dropped his hands to his sides in defeat, “I think we should get moving and find at least some kind of shelter, huh?”
Julius’s eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. “Yeah, I guess.”
We all turned back toward the trees in search for a place to build our makeshift camp. I was more than happy to sleep on the forest floor as long as there was a fire at my back and I could see past my hand in front of my face, which I could barely do now the farther into the forest we went. We had been quiet for a while; the only sound those of the insects, nocturnal animals, and the brushing of fabric against plants as our legs carried us.
I completely zoned out as we moved through the forest, the only thing to guide me the feel of Ryder’s hand in mine, which he had taken in his as soon as we crossed the tree line and headed back into solitude. He was taking us in the direction of headquarters, but we were going to stop to rest and further assess each other’s physical state until the sun came up, and we could see better. And my mother was out there somewhere, afraid and very possibly alone. I was hoping she wasn’t alone. The only consolation there was the fact that she knew where she need to go and which direction she needed to be going to get there. Or, at least, I hoped. And, at that moment, I was more than glad that Gaia or Cecilia weren’t out here having to brave the elements like this. She wouldn’t have been able to handle the violence and the death like I had. That much I knew for certain.
Ryder stopped in his tracks, causing me to collide with his back. He wrapped his arm around my waist and spoke into the near-perfect darkness. I could see the wet shimmer in his eyes in the dim moonlight that was our only light source, muting every color, so everything was black and gray. The sound of the rushing river in the distance was a welcome sound, calming even though it had nearly killed us all.
“Okay, I think this is a good place to stop. We are far enough away from the bank not to be spotted, have the tree cover, and we are just close enough to the river to be able to use it without having to go too far away from the group,” he explained as he looked around our immediate vicinity for anything that could be of use. “Now, let’s get that fire going.” His hand moved under my soaked shirt and rubbed my hip for all of a second before he pulled away and began to gather anything we could use to build the fire we needed, picking up pieces of wood and any brush we could use.
He built it in record time while Julius and I watched him in wonder, his eyes thoughtful and his fingers sure. I wasn’t sure about Julius, but I was absorbing every bit of survival skills I could learn from Ryder while we were stranded out here trying to make it to a place I wasn’t even sure existed besides his insistenc
e that it did. So much was happening I wasn’t even certain what I believed anymore. Once Ryder had the sticks and pieces of foliage arranged his eyes flicked up to me, and he smirked. I knew exactly what he was going to ask before he even had to open his mouth.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t even know if it works that way. And I can barely control it half the time,” I said as I picked up a leaf and inspected it, heat creeping up into my cheeks as the power flared inside of me just slightly. It was that moment of embarrassment that made me happy no one could see me very well.
“You don’t know until you try,” Julius pushed as he nudged me with his elbow.
I wasn’t in the joking mood, but he seemed to be in such a great mood despite everything that the small push was something he was willing to give.
“And what about you? You don’t think your acid spurter there can start a fire, do you?” I joked, half-laughing at the peer pressure to use my power when I didn’t want to for something I didn’t even believe I could do, to begin with. I was great at killing people and moving a few things around, but I didn’t see this as something I could add to my resume.
Julius laughed loudly, short and clipped as he slapped his thigh because of the hilarity of the question. “Absolutely not. My power is best for melting people’s faces off, as you have witnessed yourself.”
I rolled my eyes and sat down on the ground, feeling the water from the recent rain soak into my pants, causing me to cringe at the uncomfortable feeling. “In all seriousness, I don’t think I can do it. I barely know how to control it. You’re just asking for trouble, believe me.” My eyes met Ryder’s in the near darkness, the tiny shock of moonlight filtering through the leaves above us making it so I could only see his perfect smile and the gleam in his eyes from laughter. His expression changed, sorrow filling his gorgeous green orbs.
“In all seriousness, I think you can. I’ve seen what you can do first hand. We all have. So, maybe it’s worth a try,” he urged as he sat on the ground across from me, crossing his legs to sit Indian style on the forest floor. “You can do it.”
Julius joined us and leaned back on his arms, eyebrows raised as he observed while I took a deep breath and placed my hands on my knees palm down, staring at the man across from me.
“Are you sure about this? What if I accidently hurt you?” I asked, sincere in the fact that I couldn’t control my ability as well as I wanted to be able to and that I could very well hurt him and Julius both. He had taken so many chances on what he believed I could do, and I didn’t want to disappoint him. I didn’t want to let down the memory of Cato either. “I may hurt you.” I knew I had said the words once before, but was I willing to see if his answer had changed? It was highly likely that hit hadn’t, but you never knew sometimes.
He smiled and replied, “That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
One of my eyebrows raised in interest as I mirrored his smile. “You don’t think you’ve taken enough chances on me by now?”
He shook his head. “Not at all.” He remained sitting directly across from me and behind where I would focus my will, trying to create fire much like the first caveman. “I’m willing to take every chance in the world on you.”
I heard Julius groan in mock disgust from beside me, and I chose to ignore him, nodding and turning my attention hesitantly to the pile of wood before me that was meant to warm us and light our small camp. If you could even call it that. Well, as long as I could get it lit. If I couldn’t, I was confident Ryder was fully capable, but here we were. Both men were putting their faith in what I could do, trusting me not to lose control and kill them both or myself in the process. I took another deep, steadying breath as my body shook with anxiety, focusing on the flames as I reached deep inside of myself and awoke the power I held within me. A power that someone, whether an entity or just fate, had deemed me worthy of holding onto. And I would change things. I would change how the world would see people like me and how they would treat us. No longer with fear, but with respect. There would be no ill-will. No urge to use us and to lock us away. All of that would be gone. Well, that was the hope anyways.
I felt the power uncoil inside of my gut, the heat spreading over me and causing me to break out in a sweat that poured down my back and soaked my clothes again within seconds. Then a chill rippled up my spine and outward as I remained focused on the spot where I would need to create a fire that would warm our bones. The physics of it was simple. I would cause the same structures within the wood to shift and vibrate against one another, making that speed increase until the heat brought about the next possible reaction. Flame. I just had to be able to reel it in enough to where I didn’t cause the atoms to fracture, which was how I had killed previously. How I had killed Cato without even realizing, I could do it. The power attempted to wriggle away, but I used my invisible hands to focus it, helping it remain on the small pinpoint that my vision pointed it toward. My will would drive this reaction as long as I could stay in control and not let the power go on its own merry way without me.
I could see the atoms in my mind, and I fixated on them, causing them to move just enough to cause the friction necessary, but no more than that. I had learned what was too much and what was too little quickly with Cato’s death and had learned fast enough how to stop the reaction, but the control still wasn’t entirely there. It was all about the willpower to be able to prevent it from taking that final step. As the power moved through me and out toward the pile of carefully placed sticks and kindling, I saw a tiny bit of smoke begin to rise and then a spark. The fire roared to life just where I had pooled the energy just as I intended. Just like both Julius and Ryder knew I could. I smiled and pulled the power back as the fire grew, illuminating us and everything directly around where we sat. The smiles I saw on the two men’s faces weren’t just smiles of a job well done. That was pure and unadulterated joy and reverence.
Julius whooped next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, turning for a high five I knew was coming. I turned to him and raised my hand and let him do what he felt he needed and turned back to Ryder, who was watching me with such intensity I almost felt the urge to hide from his stare. It was as if he would devour me and even I was perfectly alright with him doing so. I couldn’t stop the giggles of delight that I had accomplished something new even as he watched me and who knew what else I was capable of? I was definitely looking forward to finding out.
ChapteR
TWELVE
I fell into a fitful sleep, Ryder across from Julius next to me. My back was turned to the fire so I could see out if necessary, which I had hoped there wouldn’t be a reason I’d need to. Julius had offered to take the first watch, but Ryder wouldn’t let him. Ryder felt most comfortable taking the first watch, and I couldn’t say I blamed him for that. He wanted to feel as if he still had a semblance of control over our situation, which I understood wholeheartedly since I would want the same thing. He had been facing me when I fell asleep, but I had turned my back to him because I hated being watched, which had always been a problem of mine. That didn’t stop the feeling of his eyes on my back, but I could handle that better than being able to see him staring while I attempted to sleep. And darkness had overwhelmed my exhausted body quickly.
Now I was in an empty clearing, the stars blinking brightly overhead without anything to block their shine. In the major cities smog typically masked their glow, but out here, nothing could. Recognition hit like a ton of bricks. I knew exactly where I was because I could see the wall bordering the United States just off in the distance like a towering neighbor. Cato and I made biweekly trips on the weekends to the bordering wall, staying within the forest to avoid guards so we could just talk, about anything and everything as well as what lie between. The drive was worth it for the both of us, and it was uniquely ours. Something that we took pleasure in together and only together. It was something that would never happen again, and a pang of guilt
and sorrow struck my heart.
Then there it was. Cato’s antique car sat in the middle of the clearing, but not a single person to be seen. Not even Cato. I was alone. He adored his old car even though it gave him trouble. The two-thousand and fifteen Ford Mustang Cobra was now at least eighty years old and still ran like it was brand new except for when it decided to break down on him for no reason, and he took great care of it. The black paint was always polished and waxed, in pristine shape despite its age and he took care of the leather interior like he was taking care of a baby. With care and vigilant watchfulness. The black faded to a crimson red at the bottom of the tires, making it look even more sinister than it had, to begin with. The rims were always a shining silver, and he always made sure he had top brand tires on it. One of the many things I loved about it was how well he took care of what he cared about. His friends and family included. And now he wouldn’t be able to ever again.
I remained within the tree line, and I took a step closer to the car, classic rock music from a long time before the rising of the wall one-hundred years ago floating toward me and caressing my skin like a soft blanket. He loved the oldies stations, which were close to dying out with the growing popularity of electronic music, only leaving one he could listen to. And he did. All the time. We had come here and laid on the hood of the car, staring up at the stars as we talked and I taught him the constellations and pointed out each sparkling planet that could be seen during certain times of the year. It was something my father taught me before he died and I remembered every last bit of it even though it had been so long ago and I was so young. Instinct and familiarity pulled at me, driving me to take the final steps to close the distance between myself and the car and climb onto the hood to lie down on it and stare up at the darkened sky. My long hair fanned out in a halo, my worn jeans and tank top pressing against my skin with an aching familiarity that I knew was long gone. One that I would never feel again as long as I lived. Or so I thought.
The Pursuit (The Permutation Archives Book 2) Page 12
