“Take cover.”
Jack dove. The force of the second explosion propelled him backward. The blast rolled through the house, shaking the foundation and ripping the remaining walls to shreds. Pieces of drywall flew through the air and then fell from the sky like rain. Jack landed on the ground hard. The impact knocked the wind out of him. He rolled to his side, taking chunks of ice and sand with him.
Static pushed its way into Jack’s ear and then the mike went cold. A big balloon of smoke rose stealing both oxygen and moonlight. He lay on the ground trying to catch his breath. His ears were ringing. Slowly he climbed to his feet and stumbling forward. He reached up for the headset, but it was gone. He searched the ground, ignoring the thick black smoke pouring from the inside of the house outward. He found the earpiece and set it back into place. There was a loud static and then Eric’s voice sounded in his ear.
“Jack.” He said. “Jack, do you copy?”
“Copy.”
“I got one, but it wasn’t Ringo.” Eric said.
“Could we be so lucky that he blew himself up?”
“Not likely.”
Jack staggered forward, his front door lay in kindling at his feet. Eric and Shift suddenly appeared. Before Eric could give the command, shift went inside.
Shift was heading straight for the safe room. Jack and Eric followed moving over pieces of glass and debris. The doge stopped in front of the false door. Chunks of material and wood blocked any possible entry. The dog sat down and whined.
Jack and Eric grabbed chunks of broken and twisted material and tossed them to the side. When Ryan appeared jumped in to help. They were silent as they continued to move pieces of the house away from the safe room’s door. They worked fast, shifting debris as the fire behind them grew.
“The gas?” Eric said, looking shoulder.
“We shut everything down. We’ve got several men hosing down the flames.” Ryan glanced at the stove. “Lynn’s going to be pissed.”
Once the panel was free, Jack moved through the rubble. Wires that used to be the access pad hung from where the wall used to be.
“Where’s the override switch?” Eric asked.
Ben came up from behind them. They turned only for a second.
“I need to get to the side. Over there.” He pointed to a mass of metal and rubble. “It’s near the floor.”
Jack adjusted his headset. He and Eric moved fast hoisting huge pieces of structure away from the wall.
“What’s the status on Ringo?” Jack asked into his mike.
“He’s gone.” Scott answered.
“I need to get back to Pam’s.” Jack said beginning to lose his temper. This was slipping out of his control. He looked down at the debris thinking of his family trapped in the safe room.
“We got to get them out.” Ben said.
“I know pops. I know. I’m working on it.”
“Son of bitch blew our house up.” He said again.
“We’ll build a new one Pop’s. Okay.” Ryan replied. Jack glanced back at the old man to see the look of despair and anger on his father’s face. He forced himself to regain his composure.
“It’ll be nice Pop’s.” He tried to ease the trauma his father was experiencing.
“Should I take Jeremy to go get the others.” Scott asked through the mike. “Copy.”
Jack paused for a split second, wishing he could be in two places at one time. He fished for the wires that controlled the override. He refocused calming the adrenaline surging through him.
“Thanks Scott. Be safe and alert.” Eric said into his mike.
Jack paused moving more wires and then stepping in closer to the door. “Bring them back here. We’ll figure out the rest later.”
“Copy that.”
The fire inside the house was beginning to grow, as was the smoke. The air was forming a burnt blend of metals and plastics making the air they were taking in toxic.
“Where’s the snow now?” Jack coughed. He waved Eric over to help him. “Get the boys over his way with the hoses.”
“Get some water on the backside of the house.” Ryan said into the mike.
“Copy.” John said.
Within seconds, John was pushing his way through an opening in the kitchen, showering the flames with water. The fire hissed refusing to die down. Water pooled on the hardwood floor mixing in with debris.
Covered in sweat and dirt, they were getting closer to the switch. They’d stripped down to just their t-shirts now moving through sludge and debris. When Jack knelt down, water dripped from his face. Relieved, he hit the override button. The door clicked open, but then stuck in place.
“Everybody’s okay Jack.” Blake said through the opening.
“Okay. We’ll get you guys out.” He said, pulling on the door. “I need you to push.”
He wrapped his fingers around the lip pulling hard, but the heavy steel door was jammed in place, torqued by the explosion. Jack grabbed a pipe and stuck it into the opening. Eric stepped in behind and together they used the pipe as a lever. The door moaned and then opened.
“One more time.” Jack said. They put all of their weight into the pipe. The door creaked, caught, and opened.
“Follow Kid.” Jack said as his family came into view.
SIXTY-ONE
The first thing Riley felt was warmth and then softness, but then she tried to turn. The pain in her side, leg, and head exploded into a throbbing sensation causing her to catch and hold her breath.
“You have three broken ribs, a broken wrist, and stitches in your cheek again, and one hell of a shiner, probably a slight concussion.” The voice softened. “Nick took the bullet out of your leg. There’s no real damage, but I bet it hurts like hell.”
Her own personal fogginess spoke to her. She tried to open her eyes. She knew the voice. It was her hero, Jack Colton.
“I feel like a truck hit me.” She said, moaning.
“It wasn’t a truck. It was a Ringo. And you look like a truck hit you.” Jack said in a low tone. He stood, lowering the blinds.
“Gee, you know how to make a girl feel good.” She said smelling the slight aroma of smoke somewhere in the room. She wasn’t sure, but maybe she’d missed having a campfire last night. Riley took in a shallow breath figuring a deep one would hurt like hell.
“Sun will be setting soon.”
“Megan?” Riley asked.
“She’s still unconscious, but stable. Nick thinks you can bring her out of it.” He sat next to her.
Riley looked at the cast on her wrist through the one good eye and saw there was already some writing on it.
“Your wrist was broken in two places. Nick used bailing wire to put it back together.”
“No way.”
“Just kidding.” He was quiet for a minute. “The pain meds will make you sleepy.”
Consequently, Riley looked like a zombie and if she never went to a zoo again it wouldn’t break her heart. She melted into the softness of the bed, allowing every inch of her body to hug its comfort. She felt safe, safe enough to fall back asleep. When she woke a few hours later, she felt something in her hand. It was a white feather. She remembered dreaming about Utah and a white feather.
“Thank you for coming back to get me.” Riley said, knowing he was still there.
“It’ll cost you.” He teased. “You hungry?
“Starving.”
“Welcome to Prescott. A group of women in town cooked last night for us. Some of the best apple pie I think I’ve ever eaten, but please don’t tell my sister that.” Riley heard a slight clatter of utensils. “You like ice cream?”
“More than …” She stumbled for words and then thought of something other than the word sex. “Anything.”
“Anything?” He chuckled.
“How long have I been sleeping?” She asked. “Where are we?”
“You’ve been out for a few days. You’re at my ranch or what used to be a ranch just outside of Prescott.”
“A few days? What happened to the ranch?” She’d only been awake a few minutes and she was confused.
“Ringo blew it up.”
“I thought maybe you had a campfire last night.”
“You can smell it huh?”
“Slightly.”
Jack set a tray down on the nightstand. Out of one good eye, Riley saw him for the second time. He was so handsome in a strong sort of way. His hair was a bit on the longer side, curly and salted with grey. He kept it pulled back so that it appeared shorter than it was. His eyes were a mix of green and blue with a hint of gold. If looks were intimidating, than Jack Colton was a dangerous man maybe even lethal. It showed in his eyes and just as sexy. He was sporting a two-day shadow and beyond the smoke, he smelled of something spicy and wonderful.
“If your house was blown up, where are we?”
“The barn.” He stared at her.
Great! I feel and look, like I’ve been in a train wreck and you look like you just stepped out of GQ magazine. She tried to cover her face.
“Nice barn.”
“Everyone else is in the bunkhouse.”
“I’m sorry about your house.” She said.
“Why? You didn’t do it.” He smiled. “Change is good. Sometimes.”
“The little boy Ringo spoke of. Is he here?”
Jack shook his head. He leaned forward closer to her. She felt warmth creep over her face. She could smell him again and dam if he didn’t smell good.
“Ready to sit up.” He asked. “It’s going to hurt.”
The big heap of vanilla ice cream topped over apple pie gave her encouragement. Then, she realized she was in a pair of oversized flannel pajamas. Riley looked at the pajamas and then at him.
“I didn’t look.” He smiled. Riley flushed and he chuckled. “Lynn dressed you.”
“Lynn?”
“You’ll meet her later. She is the better half of the family. The glue that holds us all together.”
He reached out, stabilizing her. Before long and with some painful breath holding she was sitting up in the bed. Her ribcage wrapped in something soft was giving her some support. There was an immense amount of swelling in the left side of her face. She could not only feel it, she could see it. Riley reached up with her casted hand to touch it, but instead she clunked herself with the cast. Riley winced and withdrew her hand. Jack grinned.
“This isn’t my best moment. Is it?” Riley asked.
“Depends on who’s looking at you.” He answered, setting the tray on her lap.
Riley made sure the feather was safe before she looked at a beautiful chicken Caesar salad with a slice of homemade pizza topped with olives, onions, and Greek feta cheese. She moved my jaw, but it was sore and possibly a little out of place. Ringo. Her mouth began to water as she went for the pizza first. It exploded her taste buds like a tiny army of mouthwatering flavor soldiers. She chewed slow. Closing eyes, she ignored the pain and chewed.
“Mmmmmm.”
“Margret’s Pizza. We’re remodeling a building in town for her to open her own Pizzeria.” He sat back in his chair and watched her eat. Riley pictured him on a billboard wearing a pair of Ray Bans and possibly sitting on an old classic Harley motorcycle. Jack Colton was eye candy.
“Where’d you come from?” He asked.
“California but Eric was supposed to meet me in Oregon at his cabin.” She said. “So I went there first.” The stitches pulled and a tingling sensation crawled across her cheek.
“You came a long way.”
“I actually thought everyone was dead until the girls found me.”
“You have some pretty good scars.” He said lowering his voice.
“You peeked.”
“Maybe just a little.”
Riley took a huge bite of apple pie and ice cream. He waited and she said nothing. She chewed carefully, starting to feel a little light headed.
“I was a game officer in Sacramento.”
“Dangerous line of work.”
“Can be. Instead, I ran into some bad guys the night of the Shift.”
“You fight like your brother.” He said.
There was a tap on the door. Jack lifted his gun.
Eric appeared. Silent, he moved beside her, but she could tell that at the sight of her wounds, he was pissed.
“I’m going to kill him.” He whispered.
Eric had a way of looking like a reckless twenty-year-old one-minute and a strong well-refined military instrument the next. His blonde hair was shorter than she’d ever seen it and he’d gained a wrinkle or two, mostly where the forehead creases when one is worried. He was worried. His eyes mirrored hers, a brilliant blue. The two men standing in front of her were like day and night, but they were both fighters, somehow finding the other and then her.
“How you feeling?” Eric asked. “Cuz you sure look like hell.”
“Thanks for that. Because you always come out of things looking like a million dollars.”
“It’s a curse.” He replied. He looked over at Jack. “I just came from my place and things are pretty quiet”.
“Hurry up and wait then.” He turned to Riley’s plate and then her. “You all done with that?”
She nodded. He dropped a pill into her hand. “Doctor’s orders.”
“Thanks.” She said already feeling sleepy.
“I sure missed you.” Eric said, touching her hand.
“Dito.” She replied.
“I’ll be close by.” Jack said, his voice already fading as she fell asleep.
SIXTY-TWO
“He’s a walking dead man.” Eric said once they’d moved into the living room.
“He would’ve killed her.” Jack said.
Eric paced the room. “I never got to thank you for finding her the first time.”
“Wished I would’ve gotten there a little sooner.”
“He won’t stop until he has what he wants.” Eric replied.
Jack sat down in one of the chairs pressing his fingers to his forehead.
“You get any sleep yet?” Eric asked.
“Yeah. Do I look like hell too?”
“Yes.” Eric sat down on the couch across from Jack. “Let him come to us. If he doesn’t show, you and I will go looking for him.”
“He could be long gone by then.” Jack said irritated. “Thanks to the Shift, I was delayed in taking him out the first time.”
“I don’t think he’ll be gone. Ringo thinks like a hunter. He’s scouting the land, planning his next hunt.” Eric leaned back, closing his eyes.
“What if he succeeds? Are you willing to jeopardize Riley or Jonah’s life?” Jack asked.
It was Eric’s turn to rub his forehead a sure sign he was frustrated as well. “I don’t think we have any other alternative.”
A moment of silence fell between them. Eric sat forward and started to say something when a soft knock stopped him. He moved to the door gun in hand.
“It’s Shay.”
Eric looked to Jack.
“Let her in.” Jack said. “It’s time.”
Eric opened the door. At first Shay stood in silence, her face pale.
“I knew it,” She whispered.
Eric stood still. “Shay,” he said.
She stepped closer to him, “Oh my God, Eric. I thought you were dead.” She whispered. Tears rolled down her face.
“I’ve been looking for you a long time.” He replied softly.
Shay stepped closer to him and slowly she put her arms around him. “I would’ve let you known sooner but…” Eric stopped talking.
“I should go.” Jack interrupted.
“Stay.” Shay pleaded. “Please. Stay. You saved my life and Jonah’s.”
Jack nodded, but would have rather left.
Eric’s face softened. “Jonah.”
“He looks just like you.” Shay replied.
Jack cleared his throat. “I’ll let you two alone.” Jack said patting Shay on the shoulder. “This is what I call an
ironic and a happy ending.”
SIXTY-THREE
A few weeks before Christmas, Riley dressed in a pair of jeans and a long sleeved button up shirt after having a nice breakfast delivered by Jack’s sister Lynn, whom she adored. She supplied her with some much-needed makeup and clothes. A swell of memories flooded her head as she stared down at the pair of rough out cowboy boots sitting at end of the bed. Riley smiled when she heard the neighs of a horses coming from the breezeway. She was in her element finally. It felt good. Good.
Riley was on a mission. She pulled on the boots careful not to over extend her ribcage and then looked in the mirror. It’d been nearly five weeks since Ringo took her hostage. Now the swelling in her left eye was gone. The bruises had turned another shade of light green. It was an improvement. The stitches were gone, but the scar was ugly. She reached over fishing through the makeup Lynn brought her. She felt silly and unconfident in her choices. Her hair smelled like coconut and for the first time in a long time, she let it fall free.
Riley covered the odd color around her eye and even brushed on a little mascara. Though her reflection in the mirror wasn’t what it used to be, it was acceptable. She applied colored lip balm to her lips. It helped. She took one last look in the mirror, knowing it was all she could do.
Jack let out a soft whistle as she passed through the door. She blushed and then smiled at him. He opened the front door without saying anything, but she felt his eyes on her. The sun was shining brightly, but the air was chilly. Jack seeing her squint handed her a pair of sunglasses. He’d been coming to get her as soon as she’d been able to walk and every day she was more than anxious to see the girls. Jack opened the door to the bunkhouse and then stepped outside.
Utah wrapping her arms around her always careful not to press too hard. “It’s time for her to wake up.” Riley whispered to Utah. “Maybe this will work for her.” Riley pulled out the feather and handed it to her. “What do you think?”
Not Alone: The Beginning (The Fighter Series Book 1) Page 27
