The Fighter

by Leslie Georgeson

A tear dropped onto the phone. I quickly wiped it away, sniffling loudly.

  Then I hit “send”.

  A minute passed. Then two. Would Tracker even bother to respond? Maybe he was asleep and hadn’t seen the text yet.

  Then Nate’s phone vibrated in my hand, startling me.

  I glanced at the screen.

  Tracker was calling.

  I swallowed hard, then rose and went out into the corridor to answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi,” a female voice said. “This is Jessica again. Tracker thought you might be more comfortable if I talked to you.”

  I let out a sob and clutched the phone tightly in my hand. “Yes, that’s good. Thank you.”

  “Relax,” she said gently. “Breathe in, then out.”

  I did as she instructed, and found myself relaxing under her guidance.

  “Good. Now tell me what happened. Obviously the dregs helped you. I knew they would. They’re good guys.”

  “Yes, they are.” I drew in another deep breath, puffed it out. Then I told her everything that had happened after I’d found the dregs. Somehow I managed to keep from crying as I blurted it all out. I glanced at the clock at the end of the corridor. It had now been nearly an hour since they’d rushed Jacob back. What was taking so long?

  “Hang in there,” Jessica said. “We’re packing some clothes and things, then we’ll be on the road. We should be there in three days, four tops. I just have to make arrangements for my younger sister to stay with one of her friends from school while we’re gone. I can’t wait to meet you in person, Anna.”

  “You, too,” I whispered. “All the dregs love you. Tony said I reminded him of you.”

  She chuckled softly. “Tony said that, huh? I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

  I laughed with her. “I think it was good. He said I was one hell of a woman.”

  She laughed again, then sobered. “Well, I better go get packed. We will see you soon. Keep us posted.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  I ended the call and went back to the waiting area.

  Another hour passed. Two.

  Exhaustion crept in, and I slumped back in my chair, trying to get comfortable. There was another person in the waiting area now, a tired-looking woman in her late fifties. She had arrived sometime while I’d been out on the phone in the hallway.

  Finally, a man in green hospital scrubs entered the room.

  “Family of Ralph Jones?”

  I jumped to my feet and made a beeline to him. “Yes?”

  “He’s not totally out of the woods yet, but his vitals are good, so I’m going to be optimistic and say I think he’s going to be okay. We inserted a tube to drain the excess air around the punctured lung. Depending on how quickly he heals, we may have to leave the tube in for a few days. He also suffered a ruptured spleen, a lacerated kidney, three broken ribs, and extensive contusions all over his body. We had to go in and surgically repair the spleen and the kidney. He was lucky you got him here when you did. Another hour…” He shrugged. “He might not have made it. But he tolerated the surgery well. Can you tell me what happened to him?”

  I cleared my throat. “He was beaten by a gang.”

  Another hour…he might not have made it.

  I was never so grateful as I was in that moment by the decision I’d made to catch a ride with the older gentleman Joe. If I hadn’t, we never would have gotten to Jacob in time.

  Tears filled my eyes. I rapidly blinked them back.

  The doctor shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that. I also noticed some older scars, bullet wounds, I think, and the one on his neck. Was he a gang member?”

  “No. He’s a retired soldier.”

  “Ah.” The doctor nodded. “That explains it, then. A veteran.” He cleared his throat. “We will be moving him into his own room shortly. Once he’s all situated, the nurse will come out and get you. He’s very lucky.”

  “Thank you.”

  The doctor nodded and left. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I sent a group text to all the dregs, relaying the information the doctor had given me. It wasn’t long before Nate’s phone vibrated with responses.

  Ryan: Sweet. Stay by him, doll.

  Luke: Thanks for letting us know.

  Logan: Thank God.

  Noah: Awesome. I knew he’d pull through.

  I smiled as I read each one. These guys obviously cared about Jacob and seemed to have put his betrayal behind them.

  Tony’s text came in after the others: Good. BTW, we didn’t find Hazel. We will search again at sundown.

  My breath hitched, thinking of Hazel out there by herself. Was she still with Alissa? Was Alissa treating her good? I had to believe she was okay and that the dregs would find her soon.

  Then Tracker’s text came in: That’s great news. We’re on the road now. See you soon. Have faith. We will find Hazel.

  I assumed it was from Jessica, and I smiled as I imagined what she looked like. She sounded about my age, but it was hard to tell over the phone. I couldn’t wait to meet her. I had no choice but to believe her. When Tracker arrived, he would find Hazel.

  I texted Tony back, giving him the address to Jacob’s house.

  Jacob’s phone is on the desk in the office area. Do you think you could bring it to me? Then I can give Nate his phone back.

  Tony responded: We’re on it. Want us to bring you some clothes and stuff?

  Was this the same jerk I’d met a few hours ago? Tony was nothing like he portrayed in the beginning. I began to suspect he was hiding behind that belligerent attitude, though I wasn’t sure why.

  I replied: Yes. Thank you so much. My room’s the one across from Hazel’s.

  His response: Will do.

  Fifteen minutes later, he texted again: Come, get your things. We’re out in the lot by the tree on the corner.

  I hurried outside, and sure enough, Nate’s Escalade was parked under the shade of a large oak tree in the corner. I waited for a car to pass, then walked up to the passenger’s side door. Tony rolled down the window and motioned behind him.

  “Get in the back.”

  I opened the back door of the Escalade and climbed in, closing the door behind me. Nate and Tony both turned to face me. They were each wearing dark sunglasses. I handed Nate his phone.

  Tony motioned to a large duffle bag sitting on the seat next to me. “Everything’s in there. Jacob’s phone, your purse, some clothes for each of you, toothpaste and toothbrush, your makeup bag…” He trailed off and cleared his throat.

  I smiled. “Thank you. See, being nice isn’t so hard, is it?”

  His lips twitched and I swore he blushed, though it was hard to tell with his dark skin.

  “Have you seen Jacob yet?” Nate asked.

  “No. They were supposed to be getting a room ready for him.”

  He nodded, then he and Tony exchanged a glance.

  “We need to talk about Jacob,” Nate said. “How much has he told you about being a dreg?”

  “He told me about being kidnapped as a boy and being treated like a lab rat and being forced to do things he didn’t want to do.”

  Nate cleared this throat. “Being a dreg means Jacob is not all human. He has a strength far superior to a normal man, he can withstand far more torture than a regular human, and he has miraculous healing abilities that far exceed anything I’ve ever seen. All the dregs are like that, but Jacob heals faster than the rest of us. A normal man would not have survived what Jacob went through last night. I’m not even sure if any of the other dregs would have survived it. When The General conducted all his experiments on us, Jacob ended up with these superior healing abilities that The General took advantage of. Whenever we went out on a mission, he always sent Jacob at the forefront, knowing he would be able to heal faster than the rest of us, so Jacob was in essence the guinea pig.”

  I let out a soft gasp at the unfairness of that.

  Nate sighed. “What I’m trying to say
is, if the doctor says Jacob will recover in six weeks, chances are, Jacob will recover in less than half that amount of time. I’m guessing that as soon as he’s awake and coherent, he’ll want out of there. But you need to understand something, Anna. What Jacob went through last night…” He trailed off, exchanging another glance with Tony, then turned back to me. “He’s not going to be the same man you knew yesterday. He’s going to be suffering some serious psychological trauma. You might not notice the differences in him at first, but they will slowly reveal themselves. He’ll have bouts of anger and aggression. He’ll suffer from guilt, and he’ll feel unworthy of you. He’ll lash out at you for no apparent reason. Generally, when we return from a mission, we have to go through a transitional period that brings us down from the adrenaline high, and helps us cope with normal life after so much violence and death. What Jacob did last night…he’s never had to go through anything quite like that before. He’s killed maybe ten, fifteen total on a particular mission, but never was he forced to endure what he did last night. And never for sport. It will not only put a physical stress on his battered body, but also on his soul.”

  A moment of silence stretched. This was all my fault. I’d urged Jacob to go to the veterans’ center with me. If it weren’t for me, Kenny wouldn’t have captured him and forced him to kill.

  I drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled.

  Tony spoke up, his accent coming out more heavily than normal. “Killing fucks a man up inside. Each kill rips out a piece of your soul.” His gaze was hard as it held mine. “If Jacob killed fifty-plus men last night, that’s going to fuck him up. He’s not going to be the same. You won’t be safe around him.”

  I swallowed hard.

  Killing fucks a man up inside.

  He’s not going to be the same.

  My chest squeezed. So what did I do? How could I help him? No matter what happened, I couldn’t abandon him.

  “Jacob won’t hurt me.” I lifted my chin, holding Tony’s gaze.

  “Not if we keep you away from him.”

  I jerked my gaze to Nate, who’d spoken. The look in his eyes was serious, almost sad.

  “I can’t leave him. He doesn’t have anyone else.”

  Nate cleared his throat. “He has us. We’ll take care of him.”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m not abandoning him. His daughter is missing. He’s hurt and alone. I don’t care what you say, I know he would never hurt me.”

  Silence stretched while they exchanged another glance.

  Nate sighed. “Tracker called me a little while ago. He said you talked him into coming to help find Hazel.”

  I nodded. “Well, I talked to Jessica, actually. So she’s probably the one who convinced him.”

  Nate shrugged. “Whatever. He’s coming and that’s a miracle. I didn’t think he would ever forgive Jacob for kidnapping Jessica. If anyone can find Hazel, it will be Tracker. Jacob might actually have a chance of getting that little girl back with Tracker’s help.”

  I nodded, my heart pinching. I wanted to believe Alissa wouldn’t hurt Hazel, but I had no idea what she might do.

  “Anyway…” Nate and Tony exchanged another glance. “We’re going to go get some sleep. We’ll text you in four or five hours when we come back out of the maze. You can give us an update on Jacob then.”

  I nodded. “I will. Thanks guys.” I reached for the door handle.

  “Be careful around him,” Nate warned softly. “I know you want to be there for him, and I commend you for that. Just remember, he’s not going to be the same. If it becomes too much for you, don’t be afraid to leave. No one will blame you if you do.”

  With Nate’s parting words ringing in my head, I exited the vehicle. They drove away as I went back inside.

  Be careful around him

  He’s not going to be the same.

  Don’t be afraid to leave. No one will blame you if you do.

  How could I leave Jacob at a time like this? He needed me.

  I didn’t want to believe Nate and Tony’s warnings. I didn’t want to believe Jacob would be messed up inside after what he’d had to do. But how could I ignore their warnings?

  Jacob had killed a lot of men last night. It had been violent. Gruesome.

  There was no way it wouldn’t mess him up inside.

  How could I possibly help him recover from something like that?

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Jacob

  The demons screeched and howled, yanking at my soul, twisting it, shredding it, mutilating what was left of my humanity with sharp, merciless thrusts.

  Stab. Slice. Twist.

  The souls of the men I’d killed clawed at me, pulling me down into a dark abyss. Ice cliffs surrounded me, so cold they froze what was left of my heart, until it burst, shattering into thousands of tiny ice crystals. Until there was nothing left of my humanity. I was a soulless beast. A monster. I was the Phantom of Death.

  Hell wasn’t hot. Whoever said that was a fucking liar. It was freezing-ass cold down here. So cold I felt my lungs freezing, seizing up, choking off my air.

  I gasped. Squirmed. Struggled. Trying to find oxygen, trying to breathe. I wasn’t ready to die yet. Hazel needed me. How could I abandon my child?

  How could I keep her? I was a fucking monster. A killer. I would only hurt her. She was better off with a new family, someone who could care for her the way she deserved.

  So I stopped fighting, stopped trying to breathe, and relaxed, letting the demons pull me down. Down. Down.

  A sudden heat engulfed my hand, calling to me, urging me to come back. A gentle touch. Then a soft voice.

  “Tracker’s on his way,” the voice said. “He’s coming to help find Hazel. So you have to hang in there a little longer. You have to come back to us. When he gets here, we will go get her and bring her back.”

  I gasped in a breath. Blinked. And the darkness slowly faded. The cold slipped away.

  An angel sat by my bed, holding my hand in hers. I stared, blown away by the beauty of her smile, the light surrounding her like a brilliant halo. Moments ago I’d been sinking deeper and deeper into darkness. Now there was light. She was light. She’d brought me back. How? Why?

  This wasn’t right. Why would God send me an angel? I didn’t deserve forgiveness. I hadn’t repented for all my sins. My sins were far too many to forgive. I belonged in hell. Back down in the cold.

  A soft gasp reached my ears and I blinked again, staring as the angel leaned over me. “You’re awake!” Her hand squeezed mine. She lifted another hand and wiped at a tear.

  Why was she crying?

  I cleared my throat. “Anna?” Was it really her? The beautiful girl with light brown hair and eyes that I’d likened to caramel that first day? What was she doing here?

  She let out a soft laugh. “Yes, it’s me. How do you feel?”

  How did I feel? I closed my eyes and thought about that. I hurt all over, but it wasn’t excruciating like it had been the last time I’d seen her face.

  A memory slammed into me then.

  Lying in a cold cell, curled into a ball, trying to ignore the pain.

  Then gunshots.

  My cell door flying open.

  And the other dregs bending over me. Lifting me. Carrying me out of there. Saving me. Just like on our last mission.

  I opened my eyes and looked into Anna’s beautiful face. “The other dregs saved me? You found them?”

  “Yes.”

  I sighed and closed my eyes again. How the hell had she done that?

  That meant they’d forgiven me.

  Then I recalled what she’d said.

  Tracker’s on his way.

  I opened my eyes again and met her gaze. “Tracker’s coming?”

  She nodded. “I called him. He and Jessica are on their way here. He’s going to help find Hazel.”

  A wave of relief washed over me. If anyone could find Hazel, it would be Tracker. I lay still for a moment, closing my eyes, searching for my connection t
o Hazel. And then I felt her. She was still alive, and I didn’t feel any physical pain from her. I searched harder, but I couldn’t feel any negative emotions coming from her, either. Relief swept through me.

  Hazel, this is Daddy again. I’m coming for you soon. I promise. Be strong just a little longer. I will be there soon.

  Anna’s hand tightened around mine. “Are you okay?”

  I opened my eyes. “Yes, I was…sending a message to Hazel.”

  Her eyes widened. “Does she hear you?”

  “I don’t know. I hope so.” I looked into her eyes. “But I feel her and I sense that she’s okay. Thank you,” I whispered, my voice sounding thicker, raspier than normal. “For everything.” Then I smiled. “To answer your first question, I’m sore, but I feel good. You saved me, Anna. You’re one hell of a woman.”

  She let out a soft snort. “That’s what Tony said, too.” She grinned. “One hell of a woman.”

  Tony had said that? Tony never praised women. What, exactly, had she done to deserve his praise?

  “Are you going to explain?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  I shook my head.

  She tried to look serious but failed miserably. Then she giggled. “I stole Kenny’s prosthetics. I’m going to give them back to the veterans’ center and make sure they go to someone who deserves them. When I explained to Tony why I had taken them, he said I was one hell of a woman.”

  A sudden memory flashed through my mind of Anna coming down the stairs in that warehouse, carrying the prosthetic legs.

  “I remember that now.” I let out a soft chuckle. Our gazes met. The warmth of her gaze settled into me, relaxing me further. I glanced around, noting that I wasn’t at home in my own bed. “Why am I in a hospital? How long have I been here? Did Noah give me a fake ID?”

  She nodded. “You’re Ralph Jones now. You’ve been here since about five o’clock yesterday morning. You slept all day that first day and all last night. It’s now almost dinner time of the second day. Your injuries were too extensive for Nate to heal, so they rushed you here. You had to undergo surgery for a ruptured spleen and a lacerated kidney. You also have three broken ribs and numerous contusions all over your body.” She motioned to my chest. “The tube coming out of your chest is to drain the air away from your punctured lung. You’re very lucky to be alive.” Her eyes filled with tears and she swallowed hard.