“This is your last flight before surgery next week,” the man said. “Think you can handle being away that long?”
The other man chuckled. “No, but this hernia is killing me.”
Humans, not Immortals hunting me down! It also meant there were humans not too far away. I knew if I could get their attention before the Immortals found me, I just might have a chance.
The whirl of blades echoed in my ear. I craned my neck and squinted to look out across the horizon. I could see the low-flying black and white helicopter way off in the distance.
A soft groan carried from my right. “Sarah.”
I turned to face her. “I hear a chopper. Stay put. I’m going to try and get their attention.”
Her face was solemn as sweat poured from it. “What if it’s the Immortals coming back to dispose of the bodies?”
My breath quickened. “I don’t think...I’m pretty sure it’s not them.”
“Don’t do it, Sarah,” she begged. “Don’t let them see you. I can’t risk going back there. It was a living nightmare.”
I met her eyes briefly, then returned my focus to the sky. “I’ll be right back.”
“Please put out that fire. If you don’t, they’ll schedule me for more surgery in the morning. They always do.” She gripped my arm with her sweaty hand and pleaded with her eyes. “Can’t you see? They’re coming back to burn the dead bodies, and you’re leading them straight to us!”
I bit my lip as an another wave of pain shot through me. “No, I heard the pilots,” I said between gasps. “They’re human.”
She stiffened. “Even still, they’re working for the Immortals!”
I shook my head vehemently. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Are you really willing to gamble our lives over a hunch?” she asked in a weak voice.
My mind raced. “Yes, because I saw a vision of my dead baby. In this stage of the game, we have to take risks, Della.”
She stared at me for a minute, silent and shocked, then finally said, “We can’t let that happen, not to Victor’s child.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “My baby needs me, Della, and I have to do everything to save him.”
“This changes things. If we must, we will risk our lives to save your baby,” she said, struggling to breathe.
After her eyes fluttered closed, I continued to build the signal fire. I grabbed more wood, sticks, and dry logs. I worked through the pain, until I had a roaring fire. It suddenly dawned on me, though, that the signal fire would serve little purpose unless a helicopter was right on top of us. What if they don’t fly this way? I worried. We were stuck in a gorge, though, and I decided then and there that I’d burn down the entire mountain if I had to.
Even if it was the Immortals, I had no choice. I needed medical help. In my vision, I saw that my baby would be born dead within the hour. I’ll somehow work out a deal with them. Maybe I can buy some time for Victor to find me. None of my options seemed feasible, though, and none of them guaranteed the safety of my baby. According to the visions, Alexander would die either at the hands of the Immortals or out in the wilderness. I drew in choked breaths and peered around me as a sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. No! I refuse to let my son die. I’ll fight! I’ll fight for my child with everything I have, just like any mother would.
I took a step back. “Let’s take it up a notch.” I grabbed the kerosene and made a trail to a pile of dry, dead rotting logs. The fire followed the path and ignited the giant pile of vegetation. I squirted the remainder of the kerosene all over the surrounding trees. Everything was dry, so the fire blazed up the towering trees in a burst of flames.
As soon as the fire was lit, I swayed, a wave of dizziness washing over me. Holding my abdomen, I fell down next to Della as pain tore through me.
“What are you doing?” Della whispered. “You’re burning the whole forest, with us in it. Have you gone mad, Sarah?”
My head ached with every single breath. I pulled myself up and sniffled, determined not to give up. “I’m gonna get their attention one way or another. It’s the only way to save Alexander’s life.” I winced, my head reeling. Doubling over, I said, “I think we just took it to the next level.”
I waited, every muscle in my body tense. The acrid smell of burning timber and foliage and underbrush assaulted my nostrils, making me gag; I struggled to keep from puking. The strong scent of pine left a bitter taste in my mouth. The fire blazed high into the sky, sending tree after tree toppling to the ground. The forest was illuminated by a sea of flames and roared like a freight train. Trees crackled and snapped as they were devoured by the inferno of impenetrable heat rising all around us. The dense smoke, sizzling wood, and blinding heat made my heart race something fierce. I knew we wouldn’t die, but things weren’t going to be easy anyway.
“If this entire place goes up in flames, we’ll be burned alive,” Della said, her voice trembling.
My eyes burned from the black smoke. “Relax, Della. The wind is blowing up the mountain. We’ll be fine,” I assured her, though I had no idea what we’d do if the wind decided to shift.
Della grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “Come. We must find shelter.”
We were both in horrible condition, but we somehow managed to stumble over to a ledge. Biting my lip through more cramps, I crawled under it, and we waited.
“My body’s healing a little. I can feel it,” she said through the crackling of flames. Her voice came thin and raspy, as though she couldn’t quite control it. “I’m not strong enough to hike, but I sure can—”
“Hail a helicopter!” I finished. “I-I’m glad you feel a little better.” My fingers gripped the edge of rock and squeezed. It felt as if someone was cutting into my stomach with a hot knife. I wondered if I was having actual contractions or if the baby was dying inside of me.
Della took my hand and squeezed it lightly. Her skin was damp and hot as fire.
My heartbeat sped up, and dread suddenly overwhelmed me. I wanted to stay positive, but I wasn’t sure if our plan was going to work. Why can’t a vision come now, when I need it most? I wondered, but I had no such luck. I clenched my teeth as a sick feeling nestled in the pit of my stomach. I sucked in a deep breath while the fire crackled through the branches.
Della looked into my eyes—my terrified, desperate eyes—and touched my shoulder. “It’s okay, Sarah. Your baby is not going to die.”
I squeezed her hand as she reassured me. I was sure someone had to see the fire. I listened to the crackling howl as the blinding, intense heat made it hard to breathe. With my Immortal hearing, I listened for a plane or helicopter, but I heard nothing above the snapping of flames and the breaking of branches and the ground-shuddering roars.
We held hands, hoping and praying someone—anyone other than the Immortals—would see us. I was happy for any glimmer of hope I could get. More than anything, I just wanted Victor to hold me in his strong arms. I pictured that and longed for such a moment, such a sweet reunion. I imagined how beautiful our homecoming would be, picturing every single detail from his smile to his comforting embrace. I was so in love with the father of my baby, and it was that love that helped me feel confident that somehow, we’d make it through our ordeal. I just knew I’d be together with Victor again, and we’d be a real family with our beautiful baby boy.
Tears welled up in Della’s eyes as she stared at the leaping flames. She kept a firm grip on my hand. She was absolutely terrified of going back to that padded room the Immortals had kept her in for months.
The fire grew hotter, and I could feel the heat on my face. I gritted my teeth, mentally slapping myself for my own stupidity. I wondered if it had been such a smart idea to light the trees in the gorge where we were trapped. We had come so close to escaping the nightmare, but now it looked as if it would never end—at least not the way we’d hoped. “If we don’t get out of this gorge...” I started, then paused, not willing to consider the possibility.
Had b
oth of us had our strength, we could have easily climbed out, but we were stuck in a hole, a fate of our own making, and we were too weak and sick to do anything about it. Not only was I dying of thirst, but the cramps weren’t slowing down. I squeezed my eyes shut, wondering if things could possibly get any worse.
The smell of smoke drifted all around us. When the fire burned down to embers and still no one had come, we both sat among the smoldering rubble, fearing the worst.
Chapter 21
“The fire didn’t work,” Della said, stating the obvious. “Even more precarious, the Immortals surely picked up on it with all of their fancy equipment. They’ll be here any minute to take us back, but I-I just can’t go back there,” she repeated, her voice wavering.
I touched my stomach, choked by emotion on the deepest level. “I’m so sorry, Alexander. I’ve never fought harder for anyone in my entire life. I love you, and if you...baby, honey, if you do pass on, I just hope you know Mommy tried her best.” A tear slipped down my face. “But my best wasn’t good enough...and I hope in your little heart, you can somehow forgive me.” I met Della’s teary eye gaze. “I love him so much,” I said, “so much it hurts.”
She wept for Victor’s loss.
Wails erupted from deep inside my soul. I was wracked with uncontrollable sobbing, as I couldn’t bear the thought of living without my precious little boy, my beautiful baby, my son, my life. “He’s my world!” I cried out, then began to tremble. My world and life had been shattered, and I was sure I’d never get over it.
A sob erupted from Della’s throat, and there were more tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I wish I could’ve done something.” She pulled me into her chest and held me tightly in her arms.
I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe. I’d never wept like that in a stranger’s arms, but I couldn’t let go as grief washed over me like a tidal wave. “He’s coming, Della!” I said, gasping in pain. I gritted my teeth as tears flowed down my face. “My baby’s going to die out here.”
She held me at arm’s length. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“You have to help me deliver him,” I said.
She wiped her eyes. “You must try to wait, Sarah. If we deliver him here, he’ll die in minutes.”
“But I-I can’t stop it.” Pain tore through me, and I let out a scream so loud it echoed off every stone wall around us and scared a huge group of birds from the remaining treetops.
“I don’t know what to do,” Della said in a panicked voice. “I am not a midwife and—”
“Just guide the baby out...and you’ll have to clamp the umbilical cord.”
“Clamp it with what?”
“Use your shoe lace. Clamp it three inches or so from the baby’s naval.”
“Then what?”
I gritted my teeth in pain, trying to remember everything I’d read. “I’m not really sure myself, but you’ll have to cut the cord somehow, maybe with a sharp rock.”
“Shh!” Della said.
“Don’t try to pretend this isn’t happening, Della, because—”
She shook her head. “No, I mean...I hear, um...is that one of your flying machines? A helichopper?”
I listened closely and realized she was right. I could hear the familiar hum of the blades slicing through the air in the distance. “Helicopter!” I yelled.
A spark of hope lit up her eyes. “They must have seen your fire! They are coming this way!”
Listening intently, I could hear the noise of the whirlybird growing louder. My heart leapt in my chest. “We’re saved,” I whispered, then touched my stomach. “Hang on, baby boy. Help’s on the way!”
A frown was perched between Della’s eyebrows.
“What’s wrong, Della? Why aren’t you screaming and jumping for joy?” I asked.
“It could be the Immortals,” she said. “We must stay hidden until we know.”
My stomach clenched at the thought.
“No,” I said. “If it isn’t the Immortals, we can’t take a chance on them missing us.”
Della swallowed hard. “If they are humans who are working for the Immortals, we won’t be able to compel them with our powers.”
I blew out a breath and contemplated. “You hide. They won’t kill me. If it’s them, I have no choice but to go and try to bargain with them. Staying here will be a death sentence for my son. If they aren’t enemies, I’ll signal you or bring back help.”
She gripped my hand. “I do not want to leave you, Sarah. This is a gamble we chose together. Let us see how the cards fall, shall we?”
I stared into her eyes. “Is this...a truce?”
“Yes,” she murmured.
I jerked my gaze up. As the helicopter came closer, we waved and flailed our arms. I screamed and shouted through all the pain, unwilling to let the hoped-for opportunity pass us by.
“Do you think they saw us?” Della asked, pushing sweaty strands of hair from her eyes.
I listened closely, trying to pick up their voices.
“This is Sheriff Johnson. We’ve got a visual on two people stuck in the gorge,” the pilot said. “We’re going in.”
I pressed my palm against my chest as my heart pounded in my throat. “They see us,” I said, “and they’re not Immortals. It’s a sheriff’s helicopter!”
Della squealed in joy, leaning against a granite boulder. “If they were Immortals or were working for them, they would know who we are.”
Another cramp tore across my abdomen. “Whoever they are, I hope they hurry,” I said. “I...we can’t hold out much longer.”
“Sit, Sarah,” Della said, wiping the sweat from her brow. “I’ll wave them over to us.”
I nodded as she stumbled into the vegetation. I was barely able to contain the sudden burst of happiness inside me. I touched my stomach. “We did it, baby boy. We did it!” As if on cue, I felt a soft kick, and it drew a smile from me. Somehow, Alexander realized that I was doing all I could to save his tiny life. I stared at the sky and breathed deeply, trying to stifle the cramps. Several minutes passed before I heard footsteps crunching through forest, the greatest sound I could imagine hearing in that moment.
“They’re coming!” Della said.
A gust of wind hit my face as a roaring helicopter swooped in and hovered in midair by the clearing. It was the most beautiful sight imaginable: Two men running toward me with a stretcher.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I touched my stomach. “Alexander,” I whispered to my son, “it’s time for our miracle.” I stood and brushed my hair behind my ears, but the wind blew it around again and again. Taking a few steps forward, I was overcome with emotion. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I wiped my face with a trembling hand as the sheriff introduced himself.
He leaned in and touched my shoulder. “Everything’s going to be okay, ma’am,” he said.
The best part was that I really, truly believed him. A tear streamed down my cheek as my voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, sir. We can’t thank you enough.”
He tilted his head to the side, regarding me. “You’re lucky we were even over here, as we seldom ever venture out this far. I just came out to check out a lead about a missing girl.”
I cleared my throat, raising my gaze to the man who was about to save my child’s life. “Thank you,” I whispered to him as he gave me a drink of water from a silver canteen.
“What are you doing on this mountain without proper hiking equipment, especially in your, uh...delicate condition?”
I moaned and doubled over as another wave of pains tore across my stomach.
“Perhaps you can interrogate her later,” Della snapped rather snidely.
“Um, yeah. Of course,” he said.
As the sheriff and his men lifted me onto the stretcher, I caught Della’s smile.
“We did it,” she said victoriously.
I couldn’t stop grinning, even though I’d never felt such intense pain before. It was beginning to feel like a great white shark was using my l
ower half for a chew toy.
“You’re so blessed, Sarah,” Della said. “Your son is meant for something great. Best of luck to you and your family.”
As we neared the chopper, the wind felt good against my sweaty face, whipping against my skin and reminding me of my favorite rollercoaster. Della and I had already decided not to say anything to the police about the lab on the mountain. By the time they assembled a proper search team, all the human captives in the pods would be killed or moved to a secret location we’d never find. We knew it was better not to stir the hornet’s nest, to keep it to ourselves until we could tell Dr. Meyers about it; we were sure she would know what to do. For the time being, their lives depended on us holding our tongues.
Della held my hand and gave me words of encouragement all the way to the hospital. Much to my surprise, she wasn’t really the ice queen I had encountered in the bar the first time I’d met her. She’d only lashed out at me, I was sure, out of jealousy; after all, I had everything she wished she could have. In fact, Della was the bravest woman I knew. As much as she loved Victor, she was willing to give him up because she refused to accept the heinous person he was at the time. I wasn’t so sure I could have done that, even though it was the right thing to do, since staying with a monster would be inexcusable. It took hundreds of years, but that one act turned Victor into the wonderful person I knew. If Della hadn’t dumped him, he may have never changed. He needed a wakeup call, and Della gave one to him in a big way. Strangely enough, I had his ex to thank for the amazing husband and man that he was in my life.
As soon as the helicopter set down on the landing pad, I was whisked away into an ambulance and taken to the Immortal hospital run by Dr. Meyers. After the medic gave me a shot, I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.
When I woke up, I was shocked to find my beloved holding my hand. “Victor?” I whispered. I couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes from countless hours of lost sleep. I traced the outline of his strong jaw. “I need a kiss. It’s long overdue,” I said softly.
Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) Page 19
