Into the Fire

by Victoria Smith

  Covering her head with the cloth and creating the illusion she was a patrol officer, she stood. She was spotted immediately.

  “What the hell you doing over there? You know that’s against regulation,” one of the patrol officers yelled from the driver’s seat of the four-wheel-drive truck.

  She should have gone back in the way they’d come out, it would have been quicker, but when she’d heard how many people had died there, she’d opted for a lesser-known spot. Crossing here was hard because getting here was hard. She’d spent nearly two days climbing up one rocky ledge after another. Her hands and knees were bloody, her feet blistered. She’d finished off the last of her food last night and had a scant amount of water left.

  Jillian stepped over the wire.

  ~ ~ ~

  Olivia woke in the last spot she expected—Luke’s arms. She stretched, rolling against him as want surged. When he didn’t move, she quietly got up. He needed sleep. She’d yet to ask about everything that had happened before his arrival. There was time, but not much.

  Matt slept peacefully. His fever was gone. He appeared better, but he was still in terrible shape. After assessing his wound, she touched his forehead. His spirit pulsed under her hand, an image of Jillian filling her mind. Jillian had hurt him, but it was not intentional. Matt knew that, but he was pissed at himself for falling for her so fast. Olivia knew how he felt.

  As she wiped his forehead with the cool cloth, Matt grabbed her wrist. He was still out of it, reacting to her touch, but the strength of his grip surprised her. She grabbed his wrist with her other hand and applied pressure. He released her, cursing under his breath.

  He’d sleep now, though Olivia had no way to know how long. At this point, the rest was up to Matt. She’d done all she could do. She supposed she should feel a little more satisfied given the complexity of healing him, but there was too much on her heart.

  After grabbing a cup of coffee, she went to her room to shower. Luke was stretched out on his stomach. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of his naked back, but resisted the urge to touch him.

  He continued to sleep as she later emerged from her bathroom. She was glad she hadn’t decided to wake him. She’d briefly gotten a glimpse of his spirit when they’d made love. As tough as he was, he was ready to crash. He was exhausted beyond the physical and needed her healing as much as his brother.

  Going to the kitchen, she peeked in on Matt as she passed, unsure why she was so nervous about his eventual wellness. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to let Luke down. Despite what Aunt Jane said, and despite the people she’d helped, she feared her gift would fail her when she needed it most.

  She refilled her coffee, pulling down an extra mug for Luke, and started breakfast. Random worries and questions marched through her head as she flipped pancakes. Aunt Jane had left her a thoroughly stocked pantry and freezer. Olivia wouldn’t have to worry about food for quite a while, unless she ended up with more people in the little cabin. When the pantry grew empty, it would be time to move on. That tidbit was thanks to some cryptic message from Aunt Jane she’d found in the silverware drawer. In addition to the message, she’d left a list of already-prepared meals in the freezer.

  Olivia threw one of Aunt Jane’s casseroles into the oven at a low temp, so it would be ready by lunch. She’d flipped the last pancake onto a platter as Luke entered the kitchen. His hair was damp, and his shirt was partially unbuttoned. Even with the shadow of fatigue still under his eyes, he was an amazing sight. Wanting him filled her, but she ignored it. He was never going to rejuvenate if she jumped his bones at every possible opportunity.

  “How’s Matt?” he asked.

  “Doing okay. Fever’s gone, but the wound’s still kind of nasty. Much better than last night, though.” She placed the pancakes on the table before pouring him a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks. He still smells like that shit. Just not as bad.” Luke grabbed the mug, his fingers brushing her hand. “How long until Matt’s ready to travel?”

  “That will be up to him. He still has a lot of healing to do.” She tried not to show her surprise or her hurt.

  “Damn. I was hoping we’d be on the road by now.”

  “To where? And with the wounds he had?” Her questions came out a little terser than intended. Why did she care where he went? She was the one who’d cut things off between them. She had no right to care what he did.

  “Back to Jenner. We rescued a lot of people, but there’s more. He’s a maniac, and he is the current administration. Did you know that?”

  “Aunt Jane told me. How else would he be able to get away with some of the things he’s done? How’d you find out?”

  “He informed us we were messing up his plans when we stormed his compound, plus he all but admitted it in his last press conference. He said it was for our own good, so he could begin the rebuilding process or some shit like that. Did you know you’re at the top of the most wanted list? They’re blaming you for the restroom murders and a bunch of others. The word is Jillian’s your accomplice.”

  “I’d laugh if that wasn’t so damned scary.” She met his eyes across the table.

  “No doubt. Jenner wants you bad. The price on your head is incredible. High enough you can’t trust anyone.” Luke didn’t break eye contact.

  “Not even you?” Fear crept into her stomach, rejecting the coffee.

  Would he turn her in for a pocketful of cash? Would Matt? What about the other people she’d healed since being here?

  “I’m an exception. So is Matt.” Luke grabbed her hand.

  “But no one else?” No. No one else. She was on her own.

  “You know the answer to that. You have to come with me and Matt when we leave.”

  She nodded, remembering Aunt Jane’s weird message. Was it a good idea to leave before Jane’s pantry prediction? “I’ll think about it.”

  “What’s to think about? You’re not safe. Anyone you’ve helped could potentially turn you in. They’ll pick you up before you even know what’s happening.”

  “And until Matt’s ready to leave?”

  “I’m here.” He winked.

  Olivia didn’t answer. She wasn’t sure of anything except that when she left it would be because she felt the time was right and not because Luke insisted.

  She pushed her plate away. “I have to check Matt.”

  “Okay. I’ll take care of the dishes.” Luke smiled, and her heart flipped in her chest.

  She knew something was wrong when she stepped into the room. Matt’s fever had returned. She searched every body system for a clue. She was missing something.

  But what?

  She sat beside him, grabbing his hand and holding it tight. There was no reason for this fever. She’d expelled the poison from his system last night and double-checked this morning. It was gone.

  Luke’s hand on her head startled her a few minutes later.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “His fever is back.” She didn’t look up.

  “He smells worse. How can that be? I can’t get into his head at all.”

  “I have no idea. I’m working on it.” Olivia relaxed at the feel of his hand at the back of her neck. “How’s your arm?” She stood, tugging at his sleeve.

  “Good.” He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it to the floor, so she could see.

  The only thing that remained was a heavy dark pink scar. The scar would fade over time, but probably not completely—not with the amount of poison she’d pulled out of it. She glanced down at Matt again.

  His wound wasn’t healing. There still had to be poison inside, despite how often she’d checked. What had she done wrong?

  She washed her hands then moved the sheet off Matt’s torso. When she removed the dressing, bloody pus leaked out of the gash, the edges red and inflamed. If possible, it was worse than before. Her stomach churned. Why?

  Touching her fingers to the area, she drew the infection out and onto the gauze pads stacked below. Her arms
and hands tingled as she infused the wound with her energy.

  The edges were still bright red when she finished, but she’d drained every trace of the poison that seemed to have regenerated. She had no idea how that had happened. Except for some old scar tissue, there was nothing left inside.

  Her whole body ached as she cleaned up and redressed Matt’s wound. Drawing the infection out had taken far longer than she thought it would, but his fever was no more. Again.

  She turned, expecting to find Luke, but he was gone. After changing clothes, she found him in the kitchen, setting the table. He met her eyes when she entered.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Okay. I guess. I cleaned the wound again. There’s no reason for the infection to come back. I don’t understand.”

  “I’m not surprised. He’s always been a stubborn jackass.” Luke grimaced, but she caught the worry in his eyes before he turned his head.

  “I’ll check him again soon.” She sat at the table.

  “No. I’ll check him soon. You’re going to eat and then get some rest. No offense, but you look like hell. I didn’t realize how much healing affected the healer.” He handed her a plate piled high with the chicken casserole she’d gotten out of the freezer this morning.

  “Not all the time. Usually I feel no different after healing than what I’d feel like after taking a walk—a little tired, but energized. Matt’s a tough one though.”

  Her reflection had nearly scared her. Dark circles didn’t even begin to describe the obvious measure of her fatigue. She didn’t argue. Yet. She would be checking Matt when she was done eating. Whether she rested or not, depended on his status.

  “I found a pan of lasagna for dinner,” Luke said. “It’s in the oven already,”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” She should have realized Luke would help out as she healed his brother. She shouldn’t feel anything because of it. That was just who he was.

  “Olivia,” Luke said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

  “Sorry.” She’d managed to eat over half of the portion, but was too tired and concerned about Matt to continue.

  “Come on. You have to sleep.” He helped her up, groaning softly when she landed against him.

  “Time to check Matt.”

  “Even if he’s bad again, what are you going to be able to do about it? You’re too drained to eat. You don’t have the strength to heal, either.” Still, he didn’t stop her when she went through Matt’s door.

  Matt’s fever was still gone. The wound seemed okay, not the way it should, but the same. Maybe she’d finally gotten all the poison out. She leaned against Luke when he put his arm around her and let him lead her to her bedroom.

  He pulled the covers up and kissed her. “I’ll sit with him. I promise to wake you if I smell that crap again or anything changes. Good or bad. Okay?”

  She reached up and twined her hands around his neck, kissing him. “Okay.”

  Dragging him into bed crossed her mind, but her eyes closed before she could act on the idea. He chuckled softly as he kissed her forehead.

  ~ ~ ~

  Luke sat by Matt’s bed and willed him to fight. Matt would kill him, but if he had to choose between Jenner’s defeat and Matt’s life, Matt would win hands down. Doing this wasn’t worth it without his brother. Plans for revenge already built inside him. Luke knew what his choices were, but that didn’t mean he had to like them.

  Time was running out. If they didn’t get back to Jenner’s soon, they might not ever defeat him. Hell, they might not now, but there were too many people still suffering behind that high fence.

  After he’d put Olivia to bed, Luke had gotten a message from one of his contacts that another entire town had been cleared out and taken away. He wouldn’t be surprised if they found all those people inside Jenner’s compound. They needed a plan.

  There were only a few certainties right now. Olivia had to leave with them, regardless of her self-imposed martyrdom. She wasn’t sure she should. He’d seen it on her face. But come hell or high water, she’d be going with them when Matt was well. Regardless of what had and would happen between them, he didn’t want to lose her again.

  With the price on her head and total strangers actively searching for her, there was no way he could leave her behind. Things had changed so much in the short time she’d been hiding out on this mountain. She’d be shocked. Hell, he was shocked, and he knew what was going on.

  The towns surrounding Jenner’s compound were empty. There were a few people scattered here and there, but they were loyal to the government or at least loyal enough to report anything that moved nearby. He knew a few who posed as “loyals” weren’t, but that didn’t help much. Every move of every person was watched and documented. It made travel difficult.

  Hell, it made everything difficult.

  He checked Matt’s temperature with the back of his hand. Getting warmer, but not warm enough to awaken Olivia. His breathing seemed fine. Luke had a minimal amount of healing skills himself. He did okay with minor stuff, such as cuts, bruises, and headaches, but anything else was out of his league.

  He turned his hand over on Matt’s head. The infection was still there. Luke could still smell the crud inside of his brother. The odor reminded him of death. He backed away. No wonder Matt hadn’t come out of it yet. With that boiling inside of him, he was lucky to breathe.

  ~ ~ ~

  Jillian’s blanket caught on the wire, setting off the trip alarms. Every guard turned to her, and for a brief moment, confusion crossed their expressions. She used the delay to untangle herself and run.

  The terrain on this side of the border was similar to what she’d dealt with to get this far. She tripped over a rock hidden under the leaves and fell on her stomach. Rolling to the side, she scrambled under a wide bush and folded her legs in with the blanket over her.

  Shouts and crashes surrounded her, growing closer. She cloaked herself in illusion, knowing it wasn’t going to be enough. They weren’t going to stop until they found her. Trying to get out of the sector was bad enough, but who in their right mind would come back in?

  A pair of shiny black boots stopped near her hiding place. They kicked at the rock she’d tripped over and the disturbance she’d created in the leaves. She held her breath.

  “This way,” the man with the boots said when another pair of equally shiny boots joined him.

  “What kind of crazy person tries to get back into this fucked-up place?” the second man in boots asked.

  “Better watch talking like that. You know what could happen.”

  “Fuck that. I’m about sick of being treated like crap all the time.” The voices faded, and gunfire sounded from near where she’d crossed.

  Jillian waited, wondering what was going on. In all her experiences with the patrols, not one had acted like anything but a mindless drone. It was almost as if they’d all acted under some kind of collective conscious or something. Between the drinking guards on their way out of the sector and now this one, she wondered what was different now?

  When the quiet had lasted for several minutes, she rolled out of her hiding place and right into a pair of black boots.

  ~ ~ ~

  Matt moved his head to the side, despite the pain in his skull. His dreams were full of dark images, things that tried to keep him from fighting off the effects of whatever shit they’d put on the blade of that knife. He’d felt the drug when the knife pierced his stomach. Luke had yelled at him to stay alive right before everything went black.

  Every time he tried to surface, he was sucked back into the horrifying depths by the pain and the thick fog filling his brain. He must be getting better if he was actually able to think past the intense throbbing in his veins. Each beat of his heart reminded him of a thousand blades slashing through skin and bone.

  He opened his eyes, finally focusing on the room. Luke was beside him, sleeping on a chair. Matt tried to figure out where they were. He reached toward Luke, but couldn�
��t stretch his arm far enough. His muscles felt as if they’d been yanked from his bones and reversed.

  An image of Jillian standing at the base of a tree filled his head. He focused on her, the way her hair blew behind her to wrap around the bark. His heart hurt, but for a different reason than the poison surging through him. He’d give up everything for her.

  But first he had to live.

  Chapter 14

  Luke sat up and stared at Matt, not sure what had awakened him. Matt still slept, his arm stretched out over the edge of the bed. Something was different, but Luke didn’t know what. Matt’s forehead was hot, and his breathing uneven. He smelled like that crap again. Damn. Luke leaned forward and felt his brother’s head, pulling his hand away quickly at the heat coming off him.

  Luke rushed out of the room and into Olivia’s. He hated to wake her, but letting Matt die wasn’t an option. He shook her until she finally rolled over and opened her eyes. As soon as she focused, she jumped up.

  “He’s worse?”

  Luke nodded, following her out of the room.

  Olivia pulled the chair over and sat, taking Matt’s hand in hers and uncovering him with the other. Luke knew better than to try to talk to her, but he couldn’t stand waiting. He filled the basin with cool water and grabbed a fresh cloth from the cupboard, taking the items to Olivia. She nodded her thanks, wringing out the rag and folding it over Matt’s forehead.

  “I have an idea. I’m not sure if it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot.” She looked up at him.

  “Whatever. I’m game.”

  “Sit here.” She got up from the chair.

  He did. She sat on his lap and grabbed his hands, placing them on her sides and telling him not to move them. She had no idea what she was doing, but it felt right.

  “Now, I want you to concentrate. I know you said you’re not much of a healer, but you have a lot of that type of energy. I think if we work together, we can be more effective. Think about his heart pumping the poisons out through his wound.” She repositioned Luke’s hand near her heart.