The Phoenix Curse (Book 2): After

by D. R. Johnson

  I was able to pull myself up to my knees as Ali fell back against the wall. She was struggling just to sit up as I fought against the cords that tightly bound my wrists together, but there was no give, no way out, and Russell was already standing up. There was a mad, dangerous fire burning in his eyes.

  "You're dead, bitch." He snarled, pulling a gun from the back of his pants and leveling it on Ali. There was no hesitation in his motions.

  "No!" I yelled, ramming my body hard against Ali's shoulder and pushing her to the side. She screamed in protest, but I was already falling in front of her. The sound of the gun silenced everything, and I was thrown back, my body crashing against her.

  "Joss!" Ali screamed in my ear. She found the strength and determination she had lacked earlier, somehow pulling herself to her knees as I fell to the floor. A fire was burning in my shoulder, and I looked up at Ali, somewhat confused. After I saw the blood splattered on her shirt, it finally sunk in. That was my blood. I had been shot.

  As the realization dawned on me, I saw Russell step up to tower over Ali. He reached out, grabbing a handful of her hair in his fist and jerking her head back. She yelped. I watched it all in horror. He leaned down to her ear and whispered. "You're not getting off that easy."

  Then he aimed the gun at me.

  "No, please!" She was crying. I could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. I was stunned. The only emotion able to bubble up through the haze was disappointment, knowing I couldn’t protect her.

  Ali was still trying to fight. She struggled against him, trying to stand and push him out of the way. Russell only chuckled as he managed to keep her subdued. She was never going to win.

  But it bought us time.

  Suddenly, Reed appeared. I never saw or heard him coming, my mind simply unable to process everything that was happening. It was all moving too fast.

  Reed launched a vicious attack on Russell, first knocking the gun out of his hand. It flew from Russell's grip to bang against the wall and clatter harmlessly to the floor, but Reed was only getting started.

  The one-eyed man grabbed Russell by his collar with his left hand and then executed a series of powerful punches into Russell's face until the lesser man collapsed to his knees. By that time, his face was bloody from the multiple cuts and he wavered unsteadily on his knees, obviously dazed.

  "Get him the fuck out of here before I kill him." Reed barked at Breck. More men had followed them into the room, shadows I didn't recognize. I knew that none of them were here to help us. Breck dragged Russell away and a few of the shadows followed.

  "He shot him! The bastard shot him!" Ali was panicking. Reed pushed her out of the way and bent low to examine me. Ali toppled into the wall and I wanted to speak out, more concerned with her safety than for the pain I was in, but I couldn’t get the words out.

  Reed's one good eye was staring at my shoulder, and he started to poke at the flesh that was beginning to throb. Quickly enough, he pulled away, satisfied with what he’d seen.

  "Clean shot through. He'll be fine." His attention turned to Ali. That's when I noticed the blood stain on her shirt was growing and had turned a darker red. "You, on the other hand."

  Reed moved to examine her too but just grunted. He sat back on his haunches and spoke to one of the unfamiliar shadows that still lingered in the room.

  "Get Mona. The bullet's still in her."

  My world was spinning as I watched the blood drain from Ali's face. She still hadn't recovered from her last push into the wall and was beginning to slump. The fire I was so used to seeing in her eyes was gone.

  "C'mon, boy." Reed stood and hauled me up with him. I had thought Breck's grip had been strong, but Reed's hold on me was solid steel.

  "No, I can't leave her like this, please." I pleaded with him, too scared to even try to struggle, but he paid me no heed.

  As he dragged me out of the room, I looked over my shoulder to see Ali's eyes meet mine one last time before they slid shut.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  "No. Don't take me away from her." I was pleading, but no one was listening. Reed pushed me into Breck once we were back in the hotel lobby and turned away from us as if we no longer existed. Breck immediately got a tight grip on me, not taking any chances on me getting away from him again, but it didn't matter. I didn't have the strength or will to fight against him anymore.

  "Be still boy, if you know what's good for you." He said to me quietly. I barely heard him through the haze of worry buzzing in my head. I wished I could brush away the tears and snot that was running down my face.

  Reed disappeared down another hallway, only to return a few seconds later with an old woman in tow. She had gray streaks through her thin black hair and worried brown eyes. She spared me and my shoulder a glance as Reed led her past me, but didn't say anything. I didn't have much faith that she would be able to help Ali. Now, in my mind, the only hope that remained was the fast healing given to us from the infection.

  "When can I see her again?" I asked weakly, fearing I wouldn't get an answer from anyone. It was if I hadn't even spoken.

  More men were filing into the lobby, obviously drawn by the sound of the gunshot. One in particular caught my attention as he rushed in from outside. His eyes landed on me at once, and he made his way over to us. He was staring intently at the wound in my shoulder. "The hell just happened?"

  "Russell." Breck answered as the man walked up. The newcomer glanced around briefly before he began to closer inspect my shoulder.

  "What pissed him off this time?" He mumbled, poking at my wound, and I winced.

  Breck just shrugged, "He's always pissed."

  "And this is one of the kids you just picked up?" He asked. Breck answered him with a nod. The man frowned. "What's Reed planning on doing with him?"

  I felt Breck shift behind me, possibly shrugging. His voice was unconcerned. "Was told to take him to Anna."

  The newcomer squinted at me, studying my face. I was able to meet his hazel eyes, more out of curiosity than bravery, as I attempted to discern his intentions. He was tall, but not like Breck and Reed. I didn't feel quite as intimidated by him. As he scrutinized me, he said, "Little old for that. What's your name, kid?"

  "Joss." I replied, somehow able to find my voice.

  He glanced around the lobby again and I took the opportunity to do the same. I recognized some of the men, but that wasn't reassuring. I received more than a few curious looks and desperately wanted to get back to Ali and away from the curious stares. The worst thing was the lack of women. The old woman that Reed had taken to Ali was the only one I'd seen so far. It unsettled me. Where and who was this Anna they kept talking about?

  "Take him to my room. I'll patch him up before you take him to Anna." The man commanded and turned to lead the way. I was surprised when Breck complied without question, dragging me along after him.

  I was led back down the same hallway we had just come from, Breck dragging me after him. I tried to get a look inside Reed's room, but the door was now shut, and Breck didn't pause. I stumbled, nearly falling to the floor, but Breck kept me from sprawling flat on my face. He could probably lift me with one arm if he needed too.

  Three doors past Reed's, we stopped, and Breck entered the room first, pulling me along with him. The layout was nearly identical to Reed's room, except this one was extremely messy.

  "In the chair." The man gestured to the only chair in the room as he began to rummage through the dresser. Breck dropped me down painfully and I winced, feeling the jolt run up my body to aggravate my throbbing shoulder. My wrists were also a problem. They had started to chafe from being bound, but now my weight was thrown against my awkwardly twisted hands. I adjusted my body as best I could, but was unable to relieve the discomfort.

  Breck stood guard over me as the other man came back, quickly going to work. He cut away my shirt and proceeded to poke at my skin some more, from the front and the back. When I winced, he pulled away.

  "You got real lucky, kid. It
only clipped you and passed right through." He said, but my stomach turned. I had slowed the bullet enough for it to lodge in Ali. I sagged in the chair and he patted me on the back, misreading me. "You'll be okay."

  "Bullet went through him. Hit his sister." Breck informed the other man.

  "I see." was all he said for a while as he pulled out a needle and began to thread it. I cringed inwardly, unable to look away. "Cut him loose for a sec."

  "I don't know, Hawk." Breck started to protest, addressing the man by his name.

  "Tie him up to the chair if you think he's going to cause a problem, but I need that arm mobile." Hawk said. Breck complied, and I remained docile. I had no false notions I could get out of here and manage to save Ali in the state we were both in.

  "Hold his arm still, like this." Hawk coached Breck to get me in position. I winced as he kneeled down to my side with the needle and thread ready, and Breck held me fast as directed. My arm was stretched forward, exposing my wound to him.

  "Now I'll need you to be as still as you can." Hawk warned. "Moving might make this take longer and hurt more." I grit my teeth as I felt him start stitching the thread through my skin, each prick feeling like a bee sting. That was nothing compared to the pulling sensation as he was closing the wound. My stomach wrenched, and I had to fight the urge to throw up.

  It was a horrible experience but probably only lasted five minutes before Hawk was done with my back. He moved around to my front as I was blinking away the tears of pain.

  "Don't think I'll need to do anything on this side. We can just bandage him up nice and tight then get him up to Anna." Hawk concluded after one more quick inspection. I sighed with relief.

  Before he bandaged me though, he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured it over both wounds. The front stung but when he poured it over my back I nearly came out of the chair. Breck grabbed my shoulders and forced me back down. I was still panting for breath when Hawk wrapped the bandages tightly around me.

  "You did real good, kid. I've seen men twice your age cry like babies for less than that." Hawk said. He went back to rummage in his dresser again and pulled out a fresh shirt to drop in my lap. "Now you don't make any more trouble for Breck, and I'll go see if I can help get your sister fixed up, okay?"

  I nodded and finally spoke. "When can I see her again?"

  Hawk frowned at my question, causing the feelings of despair to grow stronger. The answer he finally gave didn't do much to lift my spirits. "I'll get a message to you soon. We might have a long day ahead of us."

  Breck helped me stand and waited for me to awkwardly pull the new shirt on before he bound my hands again. The cords didn't seem as tight this time.

  Hawk stood at the door, eager for us to leave his room. I hoped he was going to check on Ali right away, but I couldn't find my voice again. Even if I had the courage to ask, Breck rushed me out and further down the hallway. Hawk was already moving in the opposite direction, back towards the lobby.

  I was halted in front of a metal door that was marked with a staircase. I don't know why that surprised me. I should have been expecting it, but, for some reason, that detail had slipped past me. Breck opened the door and I walked before him, looking at the daunting stairs in front of me. How could I find the energy to make it up more than a few flights? I was so drained. Brecks words echoed my thoughts.

  "I hate this part." He groaned, giving me a hard shove to get me moving. "Glad they don't send me up here often."

  I started moving, one step at a time. We quickly made it past the second landing and Breck continued to prod me on. My breathing was coming a bit faster by the time we hit the third landing, and I was thankful when he stopped me and pounded on the door. Even in my poor condition, I wasn't breathing nearly as heavy as Breck, and I lacked the dark sweat rings under his armpits.

  He snapped at me when he caught me looking. "What? You got a problem?"

  I quickly shook my head, facing forward. The door opened a few seconds later, and I found myself looking at a round faced man with dark hair.

  "What's this?" He asked, frowning at me.

  "It's alright, Sally." Breck answered, shoving me forward. "Got a new one for Anna."

  "He's a bit old, don't you think?"

  "Reed wants him here."

  Nothing else was said as I was being forced down yet another hallway. When Breck finally halted me, he rapped lightly on the door, a huge contrast to his previous banging. After waiting a few moments, it was opened by an older, overweight woman who was blinking sleep out of her eyes and pulling on a threadbare robe. A wash of relief went through me at seeing her.

  "You got a new one, Anna." Breck kept his voice to a low whisper, and I wondered why he was being so quiet now. "Better show him the ropes fast. Russell already has it out for him."

  The woman nodded curtly as she reached out a hand for me. She had a soft, gentle touch, another thing I found reassuring. As Breck left us, I met her brown eyes. She offered me a warm, but sad, smile. I was reminded of Ms. Mary, but I realized this woman was even more wary than I had ever seen Mary Powell.

  She walked with me deeper down the hallway. After passing a few more hotel room doors, the hallway opened up into a small elevator lobby. I was sure those elevators had ceased to work long ago.

  "Sit." She commanded. I sat. She spent the next several minutes studying me, and I began to sweat under her scrutiny. She checked my bonds and made as if to loosen them but stopped suddenly. "Can I trust you to keep it down if I cut you loose? The babies are still sleeping."

  I blinked in confusion. "Babies?"

  CHAPTER 4 – ALI

  A stab of pain dug into my shoulder and I gasped awake. A few seconds later, the throbbing lessened and my consciousness started to slip away. I couldn't hold on. It felt like I was drowning, surfacing for a few heartbeats only to be pulled back under. Even the pain in my ribs seemed worlds away.

  I couldn’t think. Anytime a thought started to become clear, it was shattered by waves of agony radiating from my chest. I was barely aware Joss had been dragged from the room.

  Joss! His name screamed out in my mind. He was my only tangible thought. I knew he had tried to save me. In fact, he did more than just try. In a moment of clarity, I understood that without his quick reaction, the bullet would probably be in the middle of my chest right now. I would have been dead.

  I might still be dead.

  Images of his face flashed through my mind. I could remember the look in his eyes as he was pulled from the room. Although he was afraid, he walked out on his own. He had seemed much more concerned about me than his own bleeding wound.

  I was alone, slumped against the wall. The room was nothing but a fuzzy void. My eyes slid shut for a second, just a blink. Then there was a ratty haired woman in front of me, leaning toward me. It was like she had materialized out of thin air.

  "Russell's going to pay for all this blood." Reed grumbled, and that was when I noticed the man was back again. Or maybe he'd never actually left? I wasn't sure anymore.

  The woman was trying to lay me back, but I feebly resisted. She noticed the bindings on my wrists and looked up at Reed. Although she didn't vocalize her question, her plaintive look got the thought across. Reed glowered as he produced a switch blade and proceeded to cut my restraints. My hands were so numb I couldn't feel the bonds fall away.

  "Get her out of here. I don't need her leaking everywhere." Reed's voice was normal. Uncaring. Cold.

  The woman grabbed a dirty towel and shoved it underneath me to help absorb the blood. She pulled another smaller, cleaner towel from her apron and pressed it against the wound. I had regained enough energy to yelp.

  "Is she going upstairs or to the pits?" Her hoarse voice was almost as cold as Reed's. I briefly focused on her face before the effort had my head spinning again. She wouldn't meet my gaze. I realized then that she wasn't attending to my wounds because she was concerned for me. She was attending to me because Reed had ordered her to. A new chill ran down
my spine as it became more apparent how grim the situation was.

  "Take her to the pits." Reed commanded. "Keep her alive."

  I was dismissed. Through blurry eyes, I watched Reed sit back down at his desk and start writing again. The woman also seemed somewhat perturbed that she was not going to get any more help from him but didn't say anything.

  "Can you walk?" She asked me in that same uncaring voice. I wasn't sure if I could or not, but I was going to try. She hoisted me up with my left arm slung over her shoulder and my right hung awkwardly at my side. I flinched, trying to awaken it as if it were asleep, and managed to reach out to the wall for balance. Blood smeared along the white paint from my fingertips and Reed cussed behind me. I didn't care, but the woman reacted. She reached out and took my hand, pulling it in across my body. It helped steady me.

  I stumbled, my feet feeling like they weren't even attached to my body. The door seemed so far away, and I knew I couldn't make it, even with the woman's added support. The grip she had one me tightened and she kept pushing us forward. I tried to hold back a whimper of pain as I was reminded of the injury to my ribs, but I wasn't successful. It wasn't enough for the woman to relent. Somehow, she was able to get me down the hallway and out the door.

  Once in the main corridor, I received curious looks from quite a few sleepy-eyed men who had gathered in the lobby. I recognized none of them.

  A short dark skinned man broke from the small crowd, wandering over to us cautiously. The woman addressed him, keeping her voice low so it wouldn't carry. "Help me get her down the hall."

  He looked at her skeptically for a second before replying. "Is this the one that's got Russell all messed?"

  "Yes." She said, with her same hoarse emotionless voice. "And Reed said to keep her alive."

  The dark man snorted but moved behind me. My head spun as he lifted me off the ground, and the woman took the lead, tossing a few nervous glances over her shoulder. I was being jostled in his arms and black rings were growing around white sparks in my eyes. Each step brought a new wave of pain shooting through my shoulder and into my chest.