The Phoenix Curse (Book 2): After

by D. R. Johnson

  As I rounded the corner, the children were being filed through another stairwell door. Gwen was leaning against the door to hold it open, directing the kids into the stairwell while the baby cooed in her arms. I assumed Anna and Stephanie had gone ahead to lead the children on the stairs.

  Gwen smiled at me as I approached. I looked into the stairwell and blinked in surprise. "They're going down?"

  "Yeah," Tristan answered me. "We thought it would be safer there, hiding them right under their noses. It was easier to get supplies to the rooms too."

  The worry didn't let up. I followed Charles down the flight of stairs, knowing there was nothing I could say against this plan. Who knows how long they'd had it in place? It just didn't feel safe to me.

  Regina was holding the door open on the second floor and I could hear Anna talking softly to those already in the hallway. I started to follow, but Miguel stopped me.

  "This way, brother." He motioned to the steps that continued to lead down. I paused, not ready for this yet. I didn't have time to say goodbye. Searching for the courage to say something, I floundered as my voice failed me.

  Gwen interrupted my inner struggle as she grasped my hand, turning me to her. The anguish in her eyes was gone. The dark pools were sincere as she smiled at me.

  "Thank you." The expression on her face conveyed the gratitude more than her words ever could.

  Tristan patted me on the shoulder, nodding his agreement. "Thank you."

  I swallowed, not knowing how to answer. I had done what Seth would have done, the right thing. Protecting those that needed to be protected. I could only nod as they walked past me. They were the last two to leave the stairwell and the door closed with finality behind them.

  Miguel had already taken a few steps down and was waiting on me, not so patiently. I knew time was short, and I fought back the urge to follow Gwen and Tristan out into the hallway. I didn't get to say goodbye. Would Stephanie hate me now? Swallowing my protest and my guilt, I started down the steps.

  We were silent, and he had me wait while he scouted the hallway once we reached the ground floor. The few minutes I stood there alone gave me time to fish through Ali's pack. I gasped as I saw both of her knives and her gun sitting right there on top along with my pocket knife. I quickly grabbed my knife and closed the pack just seconds before Miguel opened the door.

  "All clear, just stay quiet." He whispered, and I nodded nervously, feeling my teeth chatter at the quick movement. I clamped my jaw tightly shut and followed.

  We slipped through another lobby area. This one looked to be used on a regular basis, but was deserted now. He led me through a fancy set of double doors and then I was outside in the fresh air. The first breath was exhilarating, but my anxiety didn’t let me enjoy it for long.

  "You remember what Hawk told you?" Miguel asked.

  "I think so." I stammered, doubting myself.

  Miguel turned and pointed towards a street on the other side of the parking lot. "There. Just make for that road and head north. You'll still be able to see the hotel when you make it to the house. There shouldn't be any madmen anywhere near here. Got that?"

  "Yes." I managed more firmly this time.

  "One last thing." He said as he glanced at his watch. "If we win, if Reed dies, we'll light a fire up there, but I wouldn't wait for that, brother. You need to keep your sister safe and worry about us later. If Reed comes for you, you better be long gone."

  I nodded as hope refreshed me. "Got it."

  "Good luck." He said. "You'll have a few minutes to get across the parking lot before Ricardo comes back on duty."

  "Thank you." I said, taking a few cautious steps from the building. The breeze hit me and I took a deep breath. Then I ran.

  The way was clear, and I made it to the small road without any shouts of alarm. As soon as I ducked behind an overgrown hedge that hid me from any searching eyes, I felt free.

  From there, it was easy to find the house. The shed behind it was unlocked, and a wash of relief flooded through me. All the supplies where right where Hawk said they would be. It was more than what we would be able to carry on foot.

  After taking a few moments to relax, I started to situate the necessities into the backpacks, just in case we had to leave in a rush. It wasn't more than thirty minutes before I heard footsteps outside. They were soft, almost silent, but I every footfall made it to my ears.

  Thankful Ali was able to make it to me so quickly, I still hid behind the door just in case it might not be her. Crouching low, I peered through a crack in the slats but my view was limited. I couldn't tell much from the shadow the figure cast, but was able to see that they wasted no time coming straight for the shed. Whoever it was knew I was here. It had to be Ali.

  I held my breath as the door opened and the short form of a woman stepped inside. Instead of the vibrant red hair I had expected to see, I saw dark blonde curls, and I gasped.

  "Stephanie?"

  CHAPTER 8 – ALI

  My ears rang, either from the gunfire or Reed's fists, I couldn't tell. Two things I was sure of, though. I was still alive and I was no longer being pummeled. Reed had staggered backwards. Had he been hit?

  I watched him. It was a waste of precious seconds, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. By the way he had recoiled, the bullet had made it through the open window and slammed into him, but he wasn't down. He had stumbled backwards, falling to his knees with his arms stretched out wide in a dramatic gesture, and he was staring down at the core of his body. I saw no blood, no evidence he had been shot outside of his own reaction.

  It was time to go.

  Breaking my gaze away from Reed, I turned to the window and hoped the gunman was Sal. I also hoped I wasn't about to get shot at. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my ankle, I vaulted through the opening, taking the screen out with me. Even though my landing wasn't exactly graceful, I safely made it to the courtyard. The sheep were bleating as they ran around their pen in a panic, and I hoped their movement would help disguise mine.

  Scrambling to the wall so I could hide in the shadows, I barely missed the flood of men that ran from one lobby to the other, joining Sal on the other side. They had been drawn by the gunfire. I swallowed hard, wondering how I was going to get past them now.

  Feeling the pressure of Reed on my back, I inched slowly along the wall in the darkness, desperate to stretch the distance between us. The moon was bright and there were no clouds in the sky to offer any cover. That left me exposed, but I could taste the freedom. There was no way I could stop now.

  By the lantern light some carried, I could clearly see all the men gathered on the other side. Sal was with them, looking as confused as everyone else and pointing up excitedly. I frowned, wondering now if it had been Sal who had fired the gun.

  My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the lobby doors open behind me and a skinny figure came rushing out. It was a woman and she was charging straight at me, screaming at me to get back in my room.

  Like hell that was going to happen.

  I couldn't even afford to look at the men. I could only hope they hadn't noticed as I readied myself to meet her. She was thin and this would be nothing like fighting Reed. I could break her quickly, but I was more worried about the attention that would draw. Then a second figured joined her and my hopes fell. This one was shorter. Plumper. Mona.

  Another gunshot cracked through the night, and this time I knew it wasn't Sal. It sounded like the bullet pinged off the wall in the area of Ryan's window, but my ears were ringing and it was impossible to tell. Both of the woman fell to the ground almost comically, and a quick look at the other side of the courtyard showed the men were deserting the lobby, presumably to chase down the mystery gunman.

  My path to freedom cleared out within seconds.

  The face of the building was dark. A quick glance up the side, and I thought I might have seen someone moving in the window on the upper floor, but my attention was drawn back to the two women as they pulled themselves o
ff the ground.

  The skinny one wasted no time coming at me again, and I grumbled. I prepared to meet them both. If I could beat them back quickly enough, I should have time to get through the lobby and to freedom on the other side before anyone could catch me. Then, my eyes grew large as Mona sped up to a run, tackling the other woman before she even made it close to the pens. I was astonished, not fully understanding what was going on until Mona's eyes found mine in the darkness. She hissed loud enough over for me to hear over the bleating animals.

  "Run!"

  Not even taking the time to wonder why, I ran. Staying between the pen and the wall, I hoped it offered me enough cover from the gunman. I glanced back only once and watched the two women struggling for a moment, but the pressure of escape forced my attention back to my destination. When the third shot fired, I bolted. Whoever was on that upper floor was giving me the distraction I needed to make it to freedom and I couldn't waste it.

  The lobby was completely empty by the time I rushed in. I was out the other side so quickly I was certain no one would ever know I'd even been there. I flew across the parking lot, the pain in my ankle forgotten until I vaulted a barricade of tires and landed wrong. Still, that wasn't enough to stop me and I limped into the tree-line, not even bothering to look for the road Ryan said would be there.

  Falling behind the first big tree I came to, I crumpled to the ground and struggled to catch my breath. The feeling of freedom tingled through me with each new gulp of air, and I couldn't stop the laugh of elation that escaped before I clamped my hands over my mouth.

  I closed my eyes, sucking in one deep breath after the other and waited for my pounding heart to calm down. It didn't take me long to realize I still needed to be vigilant, and I pulled myself up against the tree. Looking back towards the shadowy hotel, I listened intently to the night while counting the seconds in my head. There were no signs of pursuit.

  The elation had faded and was replaced by anxiety when my thoughts turned to Joss. I needed to find him. Ryan had said Joss would be waiting at the shed, but there was a small problem. I had no idea where this street Janeway was to even begin looking for it.

  Slipping through an old gas station parking lot, I went in the direction I assumed the road would be in. I tramped through several overgrown lots and by the time I squeezed through a gap in a stockade fence, I was completely disoriented. I found a road, but had no idea if it was the right road. The bright light of the moon was causing the thick, overgrown trees to cast creepy shadows everywhere and it was impossible to get my bearings.

  There was only one thing I could think to do. I headed back in the direction of the hotel.

  I slipped in and out of the shadows as I backtracked, the anxiety growing the closer I got to the hotel. When it loomed in front of me again, dark and foreboding, I didn't expect the sudden twist of fear in my stomach. I lingered in the shadows, watching again for signs of pursuit, but still nothing.

  Confident I had found the right road, I followed Ryan's directions to the shed, searching for a white house with red shutters. Joss would be waiting for me there. He had to be there.

  The anxiety in the pit of my stomach started to grow and twist until I was nauseous. Thoughts fluttered on the edge of my mind that Joss might not be there. I tried to shut them out as best I could, not wanting to give in to my fears, but they kept seeping back in. They chased me, and I began to jog down the road despite my noisy footfalls.

  In the darkness, the building looked gray, and the shutters a dark brown, but I knew it had to be the right one. Slowing my pace to a crawl – probably too late, my jogging would have already alerted anyone there – I pressed myself against the side of the house. The moonlight illuminated my white shirt, and I was loathe to leave my shadows, but this side of the building gave me the best cover.

  I inched to the corner of the house. Peering around the side, I saw the shed sitting in the darkness of the backyard. All seemed to be silent, but that didn't help to ease the anxiety. This was where I had hoped to see movement, letting me know Joss had made it.

  My mouth was dry and my heart began to thud again. Finally slipping around the corner, I took a few cautious steps toward the dark shed, afraid of what I'd find. A soft whisper stopped me.

  "Ali!" Quiet but excited, I heard Joss's voice calling to me from the connecting backyard. A fence separated us, but I saw his hand poke through a broken slat, waving at me.

  I covered the distance quickly, running heedlessly through the weeds and bramble that had grown up against the fence. Clasping his hand in mine, I leaned against the rough wood, feeling tears of relief on my face. "I didn't know if you would be here."

  "I heard the gunshots. I was afraid you wouldn't make it." His voice cracked as he squeezed my hand. He pulled away too soon. "You can get through over here."

  I followed him down the fence, slipping through the gap in the slats, and immediately pulled him in for a tight hug. Choking back sobs of joy, I pulled back slightly, trying to inspect him in the darkness. "Are you okay? Did they do anything else to you?"

  "No." He shook his head vigorously, equally concerned for me. "What about you?"

  "No." I said, pulling him in again. My wounds would heal. We were safe now. "Thank god we got out of there."

  "Helen says we have to run." He started, pulling away to talk. "Reed might follow us..."

  I wiped away the tears as I stepped back, hoping Joss didn't feel the shudder go through me. "You met Ryan's grandmother?"

  "Yeah." Despite it being dark, I still caught the movement of Joss nodding. "She's a crazy old woman, but I think I like her. Anyway, I–"

  "Ryan said we should try Vegas." I interrupted. "It's still pretty over run. Only Reed could follow us there."

  "But..." Joss started, and then a shadow moved behind him. Reacting quickly, I pushed him aside and darted forward, my skinning knife already in my hand.

  "No!" Joss shouted, grabbing my arm before I could attack. He moved fast. Faster than I imagined anyone could. He pulled me backwards easily and I was once again trying to calm my drumming heart.

  "No." He repeated, much quieter than before.

  The movement had retreated when I began to attack, but now a young woman was materializing from the shadows. I stared at her, baffled.

  "This is Stephanie." Joss said, his voice shy. "She followed me when I left. She was a prisoner there."

  I frowned, inspecting her as best I could in the darkness. Her eyes were dark, definitely not the same pools of emeralds as Joss's and mine.

  "Please take me with you." She pleaded, approaching me slowly. "I can't go back there. I won't go back there."

  "It's not safe." I said flatly, looking to Joss. His sad eyes were pleading with me, but he waited for my answer without interjecting.

  "It's not safe back there, either." She said more firmly than before. As she stepped from the shadows, a beam of moonlight illuminated her for a brief moment. She was my height with long, stringy hair and she was thin. Obviously malnutrition and shrunken everywhere except for one thing. Her incredibly swollen belly.

  I blinked, struggling to see clearer in the darkness and make sure the shadows weren't playing tricks on my eyes. They weren't.

  "Oh, hell no."

  EPILOGUE

  The aging woman sat in the furthest corner of the kitchen, panting, hoping the darkness concealed her. Tears of fear and regret streamed down her face. She looked down at her hands and once again rubbed them against the thick material of her pants, trying to wash away the blood. She had repeated this action many times, but it wouldn't go away.

  Why had she done it? Why had she risked everything for one girl? Ali wasn't the first to run.

  But she was different. Even Mona had felt it. Ali had brought trouble with her, despite how innocent she looked. The bruises couldn't hide how pretty she was. Her vibrant red hair and gleaming dark green eyes brought life back into this gray, dead world. She brought change.

  Hawk had saved her and
cleaned her wounds, that wasn't out of the ordinary. He would have done that for anyone. What was odd was how much time he spent in her room afterwards. His protectiveness and constant visits weren't like him. Hawk would stand guard often, but he never spent time in the pits.

  Her mind raced back and forth, recalling the shouts and fights she had overheard earlier in the day. She knew Russell was dead. Hawk had killed him after he went crazy, but not before he had managed to kill both Terry and Oscar. She shook involuntarily as she thought of how close a demon had been to her.

  Mona closed her eyes, soft whimpers escaping her. Visions of what had happened mere minutes ago flashed against her eyelids and bile rose in her throat. Sweat drenched her.

  The gunshot had been the beginning of when everything started to go wrong.

  All the men in the lobby had rushed out the doors, leaving the place deserted. Mona's curiosity had gotten the better of her and she somehow drummed up the courage to leave her kitchen haven.

  Slowly creeping into the corridor, she looked down the hallway to the pits and was shocked to see that the guard that should have been on duty had also abandoned his post. Someone always had to guard the girls. Even still, all the doors remained shut, save one.

  Crystal stepped from her room boldly, her eyes scouring the lobby. When she spotted Mona, she barely paused to give her a scornful look before moving to the glass double doors that led to the courtyard.

  "What the hell has been going on today?" Crystal grumbled. Mona had no intention of answering her, but followed her across the lobby. She had no idea how much Crystal could know of what happened. If she had stayed in her room like she normally did, she might not even know that Russell, Terry, and Oscar were all dead. She probably wouldn't care anyway.

  Mona knew Crystal liked it here, and didn't care if things changed. As long as she had a safe, dry place to sleep and food to keep her going, she wasn't about to leave. Crystal didn't care about the other girls in the pit with her. She had absolutely no sympathy for what the men put them through.