Fractured Refuge

by Annabelle McInnes

  Maybe they could orchestrate something during the night. Under the cover of darkness, her sex would be difficult to distinguish. A riot helmet or scarf could conceal the delicate colour of her hair. A protective vest could safeguard the precious heart beneath. Between Nick and himself similarly clothed, she would blend, disappear and become nothing more than another hungry boy, searching for shelter.

  His hands moved up her arms. His coarse palms scraped against her soft skin. The tiny hairs stood to attention in his wake. They could do this. If they were careful, if contingency plans were put in place. He could make it happen.

  Across the living room, Nick opened his mouth to speak—

  —just as the intruder alarm blared ominously throughout their underground home.

  The incessant beep sent Euan’s protective instincts into overdrive.

  His hold tightened around Kira as she stiffened in his arms. He turned her until they faced one another. The anger had cleared from her eyes, and determination took its place. Her jaw was hard and her chin was set. She held all of his focus.

  ‘Could just be another false alarm,’ he attempted to reassure her.

  It could be. But it was unlikely, and Kira knew it as well as he did.

  Her breath brushed his dry lips when she spoke. ‘Panic room?’

  Euan squeezed her close. Breathed. ‘Panic room.’

  There it was. The beauty that was her. The phenomenal brilliance of not just a woman, but of Kira. She had stood in the centre of her anger, the eye of her despondency, only to step through the maelstrom for the sake of safety. They were not free from the whirlwind, but in this moment of cataclysm, she set it aside. Euan did too.

  Nick had already moved toward the gear that had been strategically set aside for this situation. Their constant alertness, the planning and drills had prepared them for this moment. But the groundwork had not accounted for the racing hearts, the sweaty palms, the escalated rise and fall of their chests. Nick fumbled as he pulled on a thermal shirt. It was inside out.

  Euan bent, brushed his lips over Kira’s as he spoke. ‘You’ll be safe down here.’

  ‘You stay safe up there.’ Her eyes were still glassy and her cheeks retained the slight flush from her anger. She smelt of salt and determination.

  ‘Always,’ he vowed.

  On tiptoes, she pressed her lips into his. Her petite curves moulded to his body. The ferocious thunder of her heart beat against the skin of his chest. It solidified the lump in his throat. Instinct took over. He answered her tender kiss with a barbaric claiming.

  It was only when she panted, and the whistle of air chilled his slick lips, did he pull back.

  ‘Go,’ he told her.

  She reluctantly tore herself from his arms. Her hold on his body lingered longer than necessary. But there was no hesitation in her direction. She moved directly to Nick.

  He stood with his feet planted wide and his arms crossed over chest. His gaze was shuttered. His emotions were banked behind a wall built from hurt. His shirt, still inside out, was tight against his tense muscles.

  Kira was not cautious in her approach. She moved to him without hesitation, her steps long and purposeful. In contrast, Nick stood unmoved by her advance. That was until she reached him. She stood on tiptoe and brushed her soft lips against his firm mouth, lips that were still slick with traces of Euan. She quietly whispered, ‘I’m sorry.’

  The tension bled from Nick’s muscles as effectively as if his wrists had been slit. His lean arms wrapped around her slender shoulders and a long-fingered hand buried itself into her white-blonde hair. His gaze softened. He closed his eyes and bent. There was no hint of jealousy as Nick took her apology into his body and gave her one on his own. Their kiss was brief, but passionate.

  She exited his embrace as quickly as she had entered it. Nick’s hold was slower to release. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. His thumb traced the wetness left behind, their gazes locked until Kira watched his fingers intertwine with hers as a slight blush coloured her cheeks. They shared a final glance before she threw Euan a kiss over her shoulder and disappeared into the darkened hallway.

  Euan spoke to Nick when Kira was finally out of sight. ‘Let’s get this over with.’

  Nick nodded. He jerked in surprise when he noticed the visible seam in his shirt.

  Chapter 2

  Kira remained underground, hidden in the small panic room they’d created around their surveillance system. It was the compromise Euan had made when they’d negotiated her indefinite internment. She had promised to stay underground, undetected, as long as she had eyes to see them at all times.

  It was not ideal, but he understood her need, and had subsequently relented.

  His clothes scraped against the concrete. The constant clatter of the rifles echoed down the tunnel. The single torchlight strapped to Euan’s forehead wavered and swayed. It created shadows against the curved walls of the cement pipe. The layers of warm clothing hindered his movements. The protective vest was too tight against his chest.

  ‘Should of taken the handguns.’ Nick muttered as the weapon he lamented snagged in the grove connecting the pipes for the third time. His voice was hushed as they shuffled through the small escape tunnel that led to the undergrowth of the forest that surrounded their aboveground home.

  Euan didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. Nick understood that the rifles strapped uncomfortably to their backs had better range. He had no intention of apprehending the threat.

  The curved steel rungs of the ladder that led to freedom was Euan’s first indication they were almost free of the cramped darkness. The second was the smell. Damp air laced with iron changed until it was lighter, fresher. The scents of oak, pine and earth filtered down the tunnel. A long sigh of relief escaped his chest.

  Euan climbed the rungs slowly to avoid excess noise and shouldered the scoped semiautomatic rifle. Nick noiselessly shuffled in close behind. His body pressed up against his. He aimed his weapon over his shoulder to cover him as they prepared for a quick exit.

  They’d practiced this possible scenario, so each knew their role. But Euan’s mouth was dry as he gripped the ice-cold handle of the hatch, and pushed.

  The door was silent as it swung outwards. But the crackle of dry leaves and breaking branches were loud as the iron hatch forced back the scrub and undergrowth from its path. A cold blast of mist hit them as they emerged into the silent winter-logged forest. The wildlife was hushed as it waited. Unease was heavy in the air.

  ‘Alert and controlled,’ Euan breathed. His eyes faced outward, but his focus on the man at his flank.

  ‘Alert and controlled,’ Nick repeated.

  Slowly, stealthily, they climbed out of manhole and into the dense thicket of leafless, deciduous trees.

  The landscape was barren. The naked branches stretched out from dark trunks like long, skeletal arms. They did not move in the windless space. The brittle mulch beneath their feet crackled as they pulled themselves from the darkness and into the wan morning light. Dawn had not fully penetrated the dense trees, despite the stripped canopy. Their exhalations misted with the exertion of their ascent. Nervousness and trepidation caused clouds of condensation to blur their vision and highlight their position. Their dark, thermal clothing camouflaged their bodies and woollen beanies hid their distinctive hair. Winter was almost here, and Euan had no intention of remaining in the cold for longer than necessary.

  He was resolute in his approach. A minute turned into ten. Ten minutes stretched to an hour. Soon they would be upon the hidden wire that had been tripped.

  One foot in front of the other. His eyes were to the trees and his rifle was held high as they travelled. The woollen beanie scratched his forehead. He was hot, despite the chill in the air. His fingers were numb even as his heart raced. He stepped over the moss-covered boulders and watched the shadows.

  ‘Nothing is to sway us. No temptation will alter our judgement. This is a predetermined act that we’ve prepared fo
r, trained for. The outcome, the resolution, will always be the same. Feel me?’

  Nick snorted. His steps shadowed Euan’s. ‘I feel you.’

  ‘I mean it, kid. Silent bullets. Stealth and distance. Then we’re out. No alternatives.’

  Nick’s hand was suddenly a sharp pressure on his forearm. The solid grip made him halt. When Euan’s focus whipped his way, his face was a bloodless mask. Nick licked his pale lips and pointed his chin towards a grove before them. The weak sun was slow to burn off the mist that hovered over the scrub as a lingering cloud.

  There was movement, a rustle. The fog parted and Euan’s resolutions evaporated.

  The finger that caressed the curve of the trigger of the rifle paused mid-motion. So did his breath. He blinked, testing his vision, but each time his eyes refocused, the sight before him was unchanged.

  It was irrefutable.

  There was a woman. But beside her, there was also a man.

  The grip of the weapon was solid in his palm. It was an unyielding power that brought him comfort. But in the face of such a tragic female form, in desperate need of care, Euan was outmanoeuvred, no matter the intended verdict before this moment.

  ‘No …’ Nick’s anguish was prolonged. The air passed his lips long after the word had been voiced. Euan made no outward sound in response, but his heart echoed a similar despairing cry.

  He could foresee no happy ending in this. For anyone.

  ‘Wait for my signal,’ he murmured as he crouched. When Nick joined him, he spoke again. ‘Let see where this goes.’

  He took his silence as assent.

  A quiet moment passed between them where neither man spoke. Both of their bodies were hidden by the dense undergrowth. A ripple of tension vibrated through Euan’s muscles without his consent. It further exasperated the feel of dread that settled upon him like a suffocating shroud. His emotions were a dramatic painting of montages that conflicted. The opposing forces battled. To destroy, to cherish …

  To simply close his eyes and ignore it all.

  That was until Nick spoke again. ‘I want to be the one to kill him.’

  Nick’s declaration, though discreet, quivered with aggression. Euan reached out and gripped his thigh. The bunched muscles vibrated with the effort to suppress his emotions. The anger, the fury, was as visceral as the air that misted before his faces. Green eyes flashed sparks of fire. His top lip curled as Euan watched.

  ‘No,’ Euan hissed in reply. ‘I told you. I won’t be swayed on this.’

  Nick would never take another life, not while he lived. The man bore too many internal scars already.

  Nick huffed in frustration. He shouldered his weapon and relented, sitting on his heels in the dirt. Under his palm, the tension was there, vibrating under the layer of dark waterproof fabric. Euan gave him one final squeeze before he released Nick’s thigh. His focus returned to the pair hiding in the scrub.

  They were hard to distinguish through the undergrowth. Wasted skeletons that moved in slow motion. Their meagre energy stores, flagging stamina and desire to stay concealed had them huddled together against the cold. They were wrapped in each other. Bony fingers were interwoven, limited clothing shared. The ratty nest of dark hair was resting on a lean male shoulder.

  The woman was clearly unthreatened by her companion.

  Euan sucked his teeth and frowned.

  But he had misjudged the beast at his side. As he sat back on his haunches, a cloud of condensation following a slow exhale, Nick surged forward, putting the full strength of his legs behind the intended attack.

  Reflexes had Euan’s arm snap out. His fist curled into the front of Nick’s protective vest with a force akin to a steel bear trap. He held Nick’s livid body back from its intended destination.

  ‘I said hold,’ Euan gritted under his breath, glad that the pair were far enough away that their exchange wouldn’t be overheard. But he wasn’t about to test his assumptions.

  ‘We have to get her away from him,’ Nick demanded, agitation lacing his voice. He struggled in Euan’s hold. It forced him to tighten his grip.

  ‘Wait,’ Euan snapped with a shake of the fist that held Nick. ‘Watch them for Christ’s sake. Look at their body language. See how they are together? She’s not there against her will, and he sure as fuck is not holding her back from anything.’

  Annoyed at Nick’s lack of focus, he let go of the vest and grabbed the man’s clean-shaven jaw to swing it back to the pair.

  Nick wrenched his chin free from Euan’s grasp in agitation and shuffled closer. He pressed his lean, muscular body against his side. Warmth instantly heated Euan’s skin despite the layers of clothing. In defiance of his ire, he found comfort in the contact.

  Nick repositioned his rifle, the heel against his shoulder, and peered through the mounted scope. ‘What the hell are they eating?’

  Euan lifted his weapon to mimic Nick.

  Deep green flashed between grubby fingers. At whatever was offered, the woman shook her head in response. Down the scope, it was easy to see her hollowed cheeks and the deep purple smudges under her eyes. Her slight body was hidden under a single layer of threadbare wool, the yellow stained until it had changed into a sickening orange. Her partner fared no better, even as he insisted that she take what he offered.

  Unable to rebuff his urges, she removed the item from his dirty, outstretched hand.

  Euan swore. Long, slim needle-like leaves, likely from the nearby conifers. They were one of the single sources of sustenance in a winter-logged forest for those unable to catch the limited game. His weapon wavered and he refocused as she put a handful into her mouth and chewed. Her lips twisted and her eyes scrunched closed as she endured the bitter taste.

  She offered half of the handful to the man. Under the unkempt blond beard, his jaw was hard. There was a terrible moment where his ravenous body warred with good intentions and he eyed the deficient fare with longing. Finally, after Euan had strained against his better judgement to jump from their hiding place and force them to consume the dried rabbit directly from his pocket, the man shook his head and pushed the needles back to her.

  She was undeterred, and continued to insist. Her hand outstretched. Her dark eyes implored for his acquiescence. Her voiceless entireties were nails that hammered into Euan’s fortitude. Her desire for her companion to nourish his body with their limited supplies evident with every cloud that formed around them.

  When the man’s frustration finally overflowed, he forced her hand back with aggression, a rumble of anger accompanying the action. The look of desolation that crossed the woman’s emaciated face was painful for Euan to witness. The man remained steadfast; eventually it was evident he could no longer tolerate her despairing gaze and, unbeknownst to him, turned in the direction where Euan and Nick crouched.

  Nick sucked in a sharp breath as the man’s features came into full view. The shards of morning sunlight highlighted his obvious Nordic heritage. His cheekbones slashed across his face, ice-blue eyes bore through the lifting mist and despite his gauntness, broad shoulders loomed over the thick undergrowth.

  But it was his evident youth that had Euan realising who he was, and why Nick quivered with hostility at his side.

  ‘It’s him,’ Nick hissed. ‘You recognise him, right?’

  ‘I recognise him,’ Euan answered stoically, his own good intentions warring with the ignited need for vengeance. It exploded inside him, incinerating his focus, his control, his rationality …

  His ability to damn well think.

  Past the beard, and the filth-ridden tattered clothing, the emaciation, it was undeniable. Nick’s rage was audible. ‘He’s one of the two lieutenants who was at Mickey-O’s side when you were forced to fight in the pit in Nirvana.’

  Euan didn’t take his eyes from their enemy. ‘I remember.’

  A sickening dread was curling his stomach. Twisting it, wrenching it. Making his breakfast crawl up his throat.

  This was no coincidence.
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  ‘I’m gonna fucking kill him,’ Nick grated, attempting to move from Euan’s side.

  ‘You’re gonna wait,’ Euan contradicted, reaching out to hold Nick at bay with a firm hand on his quivering shoulder. Again. ‘Then you’re gonna get that girl, and you’re gonna take her inside the house. But not underground. I want to remain careful.’

  ‘But look at her,’ Nick admonished Euan’s demand.

  Euan was unrepentant. ‘Something’s off,’ he told him, his attention still riveted on the man who stood, hands on bony hips, his eyes of ice scanning his surroundings.

  ‘You going to make him talk to find out what it might be?’ Nick asked, his gaze locked on their target.

  Euan turned his head and waited. Eventually, the heavy weight of his stare had Nick shifting until jade-green eyes met his. They were the eyes of the man he loved, the eyes of the man who held one half of his heart and who he’d do anything to protect.

  Including torture and mutilate a man for information on why he was in their territory, and why he had an emaciated woman in his care.

  They stared at each other for a further heartbeat and Euan suffered through a barrage of sensations. Nick’s intentions were as visceral as if they were written word, carved in granite. There was no humanity in them, and the fire that blazed behind the irises of jade was beginning to manifest into an inferno.

  But it was Euan who controlled the flame.

  Unrepentantly, he murmured, ‘Yes.’

  Euan attempted to convey his intentions through his frown, but the anger that stared back at him was unrepentant and unpredictable.

  His own frustration built. His hand snapped out and grabbed the protective vest at Nick’s chest. The canvas was rough under his palm as he tightened his fist. Brute strength brought Nick’s rigid body towards him until he had no option but to fall forward.

  Euan swiftly repositioned his rifle just as Nick began to tumble. His second hand reached for the square jaw. He tilted his chin and directed him until their faces collided. Noses and lips smashed together ungracefully. Both men grunted with the pain.