Into the Fire

by Victoria Smith

  “Or we’ll die trying. How long until your brother gets here?”

  “Before morning. He’s not far, but there are sentries everywhere. There’s no telling what he’ll come across on his way. He might have to walk in, which means we’ll have to walk out. Will that be a problem?” He still didn’t let her go.

  “Beth’s afraid of the dark, hysterical-screaming afraid. Phillip is allergic to every bug known to man, and Theo sings, loudly, when he’s nervous. Greg’s fit enough, but Rachel couldn’t run if she was being chased by killer bees. I think we might have more problems than you think.” Jillian rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Traveling farther than the parking lot was going to be difficult. “I do have a few sedatives, but I don’t want to use them if I don’t have to since it’s all I have, and dosing is always interesting. Plus, we can’t have them zoned out if we have to walk. We might be able to split them up between your truck and my car.”

  “That’s more vehicles on the road and a higher chance of detection. We can carry the smaller ones out if needed. Theo’s the only one I don’t know how we’d manage.”

  “Theo wouldn’t need any. He’s easier to reason with. Dosing him would take almost all of what I have anyway.”

  “I might be able to get you some. I know a pharmacist who’s still on our side. I can trade for them.”

  She stepped out of his embrace when she realized what he was probably trading. That was ridiculous. She didn’t care who he slept with or how he survived out in the stupid real world.

  “Let’s just wait and see. I can’t give them anything too early, or it won’t do any good. If your brother can let us know what’s going on closer to time, then we’ll make a decision on medicating.” She couldn’t believe she’d said “we.” She didn’t share her responsibility with anyone, and now here she was acting like she and Matt were a team when they weren’t.

  “He’ll let us know if he can. Our friends appear to have headed out. We should have a short window of breathing room.” He reached for her again, but she didn’t move.

  “I’m going to check them.” She hustled to the common room, taking a breath to gather her weird emotions.

  Everyone was fast asleep after the long day of worrying. It had been dusk before Jillian managed to calm them down enough to convince them to sleep. That was probably one of the most frustrating things about her current situation. Her abilities didn’t often work on Theo, so she had to come up with alternate ways to make her point.

  The wind whipped against the side of the building, fresh air blowing across her face. She rushed into the room where they’d restrained Theo to find the window had blown open. She moved a chair over and shoved with all her might to re-latch it. As the handle broke off in her hand, she landed against something both hard and soft. Matt.

  “Sorry. Stupid window.” She lost her balance trying to get off him and twisted back, ending up face to face with him.

  He grinned, but made no move to fill the space between their mouths. She wanted him to, so much she decided it didn’t matter what his reputation was, or if he was using his skills on her. Despite not wanting to be another notch on his bedpost, she leaned up and kissed him. His grunt of surprise was followed by a low moan.

  Matt reached back with his foot and closed the door. Was this something she should be doing when so much was at stake? She scanned the common room with her skills, then outside to make sure they were still without company.

  “Everything’s secure,” Matt said against her lips, before sweeping his tongue against hers.

  She nodded, knowing soon they’d reach the point of no return and wondering if she’d let things go that far.

  “You know, I’m not the playboy you think I am.” Matt kissed down her neck.

  “Sure. And I can fly.” She moved her head to give him better access.

  “I’m serious. It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve been with anyone. There are a lot of rumors, but none of them are true.” He licked the edge of her ear, and she had to focus on what he said. “Despite what people say, charm is not an innate skill. I just happen to be lucky sometimes.”

  “I’m still not this kind of girl.”

  “I know. Neither am I.” He chuckled against her mouth, kissing her gently before pulling away to rest his forehead against hers. “This wouldn’t be a good idea right now.”

  Jillian closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing. No matter what she wanted, he was right. She shrugged as soft weeping filtered through the door. She sighed, looking up at Matt. His eyes were closed. She touched the slight stubble on his cheek and moved away.

  “I’d better see what’s going on.”

  “Wait.” Matt grabbed her arm, pulling her to face him. “When this is over. If you want.”

  She nodded, desire hitting her in the ribs and nearly making her forget about whoever called for her in the common room. Matt kissed her forehead and released her.

  Theo rocked on the floor beside the door. He softly repeated her name as fat tears flowed down his face. Jillian knelt beside him, placing her hand on his.

  “What’s the matter, Teddy Bear?”

  “Something bad. Bad men want to hurt Sissy.” Theo hiccupped, still not meeting her eyes.

  “We already know. Remember? I’m not going to let them hurt me. My job is to keep you safe. Nothing’s going to change that.” She patted his hand.

  “No. Different. I saw them. They want to hurt you.” The last part came out as a sob.

  Jillian wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back. Theo had premonitions, but they were usually fragmented bits of frightening things. Most of the time, the truest they came was in nightmare form. She wondered what abilities he would have had without the serum.

  It wasn’t like she didn’t know she was being hunted. Hell, they were all being hunted. If the authorities succeeded in capturing her, she’d die. And so would Theo and the others. Jillian had to forget what Theo said, stop thinking about kissing Matt, and get to work. They had a lot to do before Matt’s brother got here.

  ~ ~ ~

  Matt finished securing the window, wondering what the hell was wrong with him? Kissing Jillian, while probably the most pleasant experience ever, was a mistake. That didn’t stop him from wanting to do it, and much more, anyway. They had to be ready when Luke got here. At least the supplies were organized and everyone was as ready to go as they possibly could be. He and Jillian should be sleeping like the others, but Matt didn’t see that happening.

  After getting them all to safety, taking out Jenner and the subsequent cleanup of what was sure to be a spectacularly bloody mess, Matt would be leaving. And he highly doubted their paths would cross again. Jillian was too smart for him anyway, though he wouldn’t turn her down.

  As he entered the common room, Theo rocked in the corner. Jillian getting up from comforting him. She gave Matt a frustrated smile, motioning to the bathroom. Matt wasn’t sure what had happened, but Jillian’s attempts to calm her brother obviously weren’t working.

  With a nod, he let her know he’d keep watch over Theo while she did what she had to do. He considered trying to calm him down, but didn’t think his limited success with Theo counted for much when things weren’t going well for the kid.

  Everyone slept through Theo’s noise. Jillian came out of the bathroom, and either ignored her brother or didn’t realize his condition had worsened as she talked quietly with Greg. Hell, Matt had nothing to lose except for maybe some blood. He watched Theo for a few more minutes before going over.

  “Hey, buddy. What’s up?” Matt crouched far enough away to avoid a swing should Theo decide that was a better answer.

  Theo’s eyes were red and swollen. “Sissy’s going to get hurt.”

  Matt glanced over at Jillian. “Why do you think that?”

  “I saw it. Sometimes I see things. Things that don’t happen yet. Bad men want to give her blood on her face.” He blinked, focusing on Matt.

  “That doesn’t sound
good.” What was he supposed to say? There were no guarantees Theo’s vision wouldn’t come true. Jillian was pretty close to the top of the most wanted list. Matt wasn’t completely sure why. Her story varied depending on who was telling it. He wasn’t believing anything unless she told him herself, and even then, he might not.

  “Promise me, Matthew. Promise to take care of her. I mean it. I know you like her with your heart. Don’t let them hurt her.” Theo grabbed his hand and squeezed hard.

  Matt squeezed back, hating to make a promise he knew he probably wouldn’t be able to keep. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Best isn’t good. Promise she won’t get hurt.” Theo’s grip threatened to break the bones in Matt’s hand.

  “Okay. Dude, ease off a little, or I won’t be able to do anything with this hand.”

  “Sorry, Matthew.” Theo let go, staring at him.

  “Listen, man. I promise to do my best to protect your sister, but she’s a very strong woman. She might not care what I say, and if that happens, there’s nothing I can do. She has her own ideas. Does that make sense?”

  “Sissy is sometimes not so good at staying out of trouble. We have to try real hard to keep her safe.” Theo let out a long, ragged breath.

  Matt nodded, unsure how Theo had gone from nearly incoherent to understanding in such a short span of time. Awkwardness filled the air around them as he helped Theo up.

  “I could use some help with the weapons.” Matt wasn’t sure what Jillian would think about her brother handling guns. He probably should have asked her first.

  “Okay. We have more. Let me show you.” Theo led the way through the kitchen area, moving the portable dishwasher and opening a hidden panel in the wall.

  The hole was only about three feet high. When Theo disappeared through it, Matt followed. He nearly had a coronary when he saw the firepower stored in the room. He scanned the shelves of machine guns and semi-automatic rifles. Ammo lined another shelf, along with hand-grenades and bulletproof vests. A stack of metal folding chairs leaned against the wall near a mattress set up on the floor. Theo was field dressing a rifle with amazing speed and precision.

  Jillian popped through the opening and shook her head. “I knew I shouldn’t have left you two alone.”

  “Quite a collection you have here.” Matt watched her grow nervous as he pinned her with his gaze. “You weren’t going to bother mentioning this?”

  “Honestly?”

  “That’s what I was hoping for.” He stepped closer even though he knew he shouldn’t.

  “I forgot.”

  “Seriously? How can you forget?”

  “Keeping these people safe is my job. Yeah, I forgot. I have other things on my mind.”

  He studied her. She wasn’t lying. “Where’d they come from?”

  “I’ve collected them over time. Theo and I are the only ones who know. Theo cleans them and has a detailed list of what’s here. It’s his project.” She licked her lips, and he followed the movement with his eyes wishing for things he shouldn’t.

  “Matthew. Matt. Look here. Let me show you.” Theo held out a vintage pistol, placing it in Matt’s hand butt first and smiling.

  “That’s beautiful.” He turned and pointed the antique at the wall behind him. “Perfect.”

  “That’s mine. Sissy won’t let me keep it on me. She said everyone will want to see, and no one knows how to give respect.” Theo took his prized possession and tucked it in the holster he’d strapped on while Matt checked out the gun.

  “He’s an amazing shot. I spent three years teaching him how to tie his shoes, and he can hit the bull’s-eye every single time with any gun. And he didn’t learn how to shoot until after he already knew everything about weapons. We’re pretty sure he learned it from an old military field manual of my dad’s. Dad was a sharpshooter in the old military, before the government turned them into some damned brute squad.” Jillian’s face beamed her pride in her younger brother. That spot around Matt’s heart jiggled a little, but he clenched his emotions to stop the loosening.

  “Good. We can use his skill.” Matt turned away before her eyes sucked him in.

  “No. You can’t. He’s never been in a high-tension situation before.” Jillian crossed her arms over her chest.

  Matt knocked over the stack of folding chairs and watched Theo. He crouched, hiding his large body in an impossibly small space with the weapon at the ready.

  “I think he’ll do just fine.”

  Theo bounded out of the corner, grinning like Matt had said they were going to an amusement park rather than gearing up for a possible fire fight. “Really? Matthew. Matt. You will let Theo shoot?”

  “Only if you promise to listen to everything I say.” Matt glanced over at Jillian, her arms still crossed and a murderous expression on her face. “And only if your sister says it’s okay.”

  She rolled her eyes and sighed. Theo put the gun away and tugged on her arm. “Just like I listen to everything Sissy taught me. I know. Can I? Please? I promise to listen to Matthew. And you. I can shoot. You know I can. I know what to do. Respect the weapon. Don’t shoot things that won’t shoot back. Use my brain before I pull the trigger. I know that. Please, Sissy? Dad taught me. He taught me so good. I taught you. I know I can help. Please.”

  “Shh. Stop, Theo. Wait.” She finally got his attention. “Let me talk to Matt alone for a minute. Go and try to sleep. I’ll let you know what I decide when you wake up.”

  “Okay. I promise. I love you, Sissy.” He kissed her cheek, then ducked through the opening, sticking his head back through before Matt had a chance to say anything. “No kissing.”

  Matt laughed at that, but Jillian obviously didn’t see the humor. She glared at him.

  “Sorry?”

  “Jackass. You should have talked to me first. Now I’m going to have to be the one to totally disappoint him. Again. And he’ll be impossible to reason with for days. You can’t give him a gun. It’s preposterous.” She punched Matt in the arm. Did either sibling have any idea of how strong they were?

  “Why not? He knows exactly what he’s doing. He reacted perfectly to the chairs falling. He’s amazing.” Matt tried to keep the smile off his face.

  “But he . . .”

  “Can do it. In fact, he could train others to not be afraid of guns. Think about it.” Matt stepped closer, trapping her between the shelves and the fallen chairs.

  Jillian sighed and closed her eyes. “If anything happened to him, I don’t know what I’d do.”

  “Don’t you think he feels the same way about you? Don’t you think I feel the same way about my brother, especially when he’s rescuing people from our evil government? It’s part of this stupid life. You can’t protect Theo forever. He does need you, but not for this. You taught him everything you know, and he’s listened, word for word. Let him experience a little more from life. Besides, what’s he going to do if you die or get captured?” He grabbed her hand.

  She met his eyes. “That’s why nothing is going to happen to me.”

  “You live a pretty reckless life. Do you really think you’re always going to be here for him?” He hated to be hard, but tough or not, she lived in a fantasy world.

  “I guess Theo and I will have to die together then. Won’t we?” She straightened, something dark crossing her face. “Besides, I promised my dad I wouldn’t leave Theo alone in this world. Do you know what a shitty promise that is to make? To stand in front of the man who owns half of your gene pool and swear you’ll murder your little brother just to save him from agony and torture? Well, I’ll tell you, it’s the most horrific thing to even consider. But I made that promise. I had to.” She didn’t give into the tears he sensed. Instead, she let out a hoarse laugh. “And you’re a dick, Matt Jamison. How dare you make me tell you that?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t imagine that scene from either side. Had to be hard for your old man, too.”

  “It was. More than I’m sure I’ll ever know. That
was before things got real bad. It was back when I was still in high school and had no real grasp on what was truly going on. Dad made sure I knew how to protect myself, but my folks hid the horrible stuff from us.” She took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Our parents were the opposite. Our dad forced us to watch the news, and we spent all the time we weren’t physically training dissecting what might happen next and working strategies. Dad was already part of the underground at that point. I don’t know which way is worse. Why does Theo say he taught you how to shoot?”

  She laughed, but made no move to pull her hand away. “When we were little, I was terrified of guns. He wasn’t. Of course. Dad got Theo a cap gun when he turned five, and I wouldn’t even touch it. He made me learn how to shoot the stupid thing.”

  “That’s pretty funny considering your weapons expertise.” He leaned in.

  “Yeah. Ironic, isn’t it? I guess it runs in the family. If he shoots himself, I’m taking it out of your ass.” Her threatening glare softening a fraction as he rubbed his thumb over her palm.

  “I don’t think we have anything to worry about. And I think you’re doing the right thing.” He leaned forward and kissed her head.

  She reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt. “You’re going to leave soon,” she said, pulling him closer.

  “Eventually. Let’s get out of this situation first.” Why was he so nervous?

  “Your brother will be here in a few hours. We’ll get out of here, and then you’ll go.” She wasn’t making any sense.

  “Probably. What’s going on?”

  She stared at the floor. He was an idiot for not picking up her signals. Placing his hands on either side of her face, he kissed her, unsure of where this was going. They only had a few hours of relative peace left.

  “It’s not fair,” she said against his mouth.

  “I know.” Matt thought he knew what she meant. The only thing he knew for sure was that making love in an armory was kind of hot. Being this close to her eased his claustrophobia and made him feel as alive as he did outside.