Into The Fire (The Ending Series) (11 page)

“You have no idea…but then, neither do I. Not really.” I
tapped my head. “Still nothing.”

“Just don’t panic for a few days. I have a feeling things
will clear up sometime soon.”

“Why?” I asked. “What makes you so sure I won’t be stuck
like this?” I felt broken, like a mirror that had been shattered and glued back
together, but some of the pieces were missing.

Gabe shrugged. “Because that’s how concussions work. I’m
sure you’ll get better.”

I’d never had a concussion—I didn’t even know how I’d ended
up with one—so I didn’t know if time healed all wounds and all that, but I
figured it wouldn’t hurt to trust Gabe for a few more days. And I
did
trust Gabe, even if I couldn’t remember any specific reasons why.

I sighed. “I think I’m pruning.”

“Hmmm…I wouldn’t be able to tell without a closer look,”
Gabe teased.

Pinning him with my gaze, I said, “Then take a closer look,”
but he just chuckled and shook his head.
Suit yourself
, I thought,
looking away.

Unfortunately, now I felt rejected…embarrassed. I needed a
distraction. I snatched up the razor I’d snagged from the cupboard, raised one
of my legs out of the water, and began lathering it with shaving cream. The tub
was just deep enough that as I worked, the water still covered all of my
important bits even though I was sitting up. I could see Gabe out of the corner
of my eye and had to suppress a laugh. He seemed to be having an internal war
with himself, alternating between looking at me and looking at the tile floor.
I allowed myself a small smile.

“I’ll, uh…wait outside,” he said, slipping down from the
counter and exiting the bathroom.

His timing was perfect; I was embarrassed, the water was
cooling, and my fingertips resembled albino raisins. I rose from the tub, and
dripping on the chilly floor tiles, I crossed the bathroom and stepped into the
shower for a quick rinse.

Within five minutes I was done in the bathroom. I emerged
with combed, wet hair, wearing only a towel. I was moderately surprised to find
Gabe lounging on the foot of the bed, looking like he owned it. Based on his
reactions in the bathroom, I was under the impression that he wasn’t really
interested in me, but based on the way he was lying on what was now
my
bed, he was sending an entirely different signal.
What does he want?
His
hot and cold signals were confusing the crap out of me.

Regardless, an excited thrill flowed throughout my body. I’d
spent so much time traveling alone, I was sure—pretty sure—that it felt amazing
to be spending time with someone. I finally found somewhere I belonged. The
Colony and General Herodson were great, but it was Gabe who made me feel like
I’d finally found somewhere that could become my home.

When I crawled onto the bed beside him, his eyes locked on to
me. They trailed from my curling, wet hair to my face to my bare shoulders and
the place where the towel was knotted over my chest. I settled on my knees
beside him and watched him study me.

“I like it here,” I told him. “I like being here…with you.”

Abruptly, Gabe sat up, bringing his face within inches of
mine. He searched my eyes briefly, then looked away. “Dani, we shouldn’t be…I
don’t know what he…your friends…”

“Friends?” I asked, confused. Shaking my head, I looked
around the room. “I was alone—”

“No, you weren’t,” Gabe said, engulfing my left hand with
both of his. “You’ve had people around you since the beginning. All of those
people from the military…”

When he paused, I shook my head. “Who? What people?”

His jaw clenched. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. It’ll
just upset you. I should wait until you remember.”

“Who, Gabe?” My voice was too high. “Tell me! Who was I
with?”

“Zoe…and Jason.”

“What?” I screeched and scurried away from him to huddle on
the edge of the bed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Zoe was in
Massachusetts and probably dead, and Jason…Jason was…I didn’t know.
Why
would I have been with Jason?
Nothing was making sense. Scrunching my eyes
closed, I tried to remember, but the harder I tried, the more my head hurt.
Panic churned within me, making me feel sick. My heart beat heavily, like my
blood was too thick, and my lungs felt constricted.

“Dani,” Gabe said, and I felt the mattress shift behind me.
He scooted closer, joining me on the edge of the bed and draping his arm over
my bare shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Only when I looked up at him did I realize tears were
streaking down my cheeks. “I don’t want to think about them…about any of it,” I
told him. “If they’re gone…I just want to forget. I just want to be here, with
you.”

“Dani, I think we should…”

I tilted my face up, leaning in closer to the safety and
comfort of his body. “What?”

“Probably not be…”

“What?” I asked, raising my hand to his face. I brushed my
thumb over his chin, feeling the rough stubble covering it, and angled his face
lower.

“In here, doing this.” He breathed in jerkily when my thumb
brushed across his full lower lip. It was soft and dry and begging to be kissed.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I whispered,
closing the distance between us.

When our lips touched, there was a moment of hesitancy on
his part. He dropped his arm from my shoulders and remained immobile while I
gently teased his lips with mine. And then he reacted.

Gabe’s hands were suddenly cradling my jaw, his fingers
tangling in my wet curls. When his lips parted and our tongues tentatively
touched, I sighed. His kiss was gentle, full of unspoken emotions. It didn’t
stay that way. His grip on my face tightened and his tongue dove into my mouth
with ferocity.

Wanting more—
needing
more—I slipped a leg over both
of his, straddling him. With the bare skin of my thighs flush against the soft
material of his slacks, I became very aware that the towel was the only thing
covering me.

Gabe groaned as he slid his hands down from my face, running
them over my shoulders, back, hips, and thighs until he reached the end of the
towel. Slipping his hands under the soft, thick cotton, he teased the backs of
my thighs, inching higher.

Wanting him to touch me everywhere, I groaned. “It’s been so
long. Please, MG…”

Instantly, he froze.

MG? Where the hell did
that
come from? Who’s MG?

“Damn it…shit! Dani, I—I’m sorry. I can’t…we can’t,” he
panted, resting his forehead against the crook of my neck. Considering I’d just
called him a name I didn’t understand, I was okay with cutting things short.

“Why is this all so confusing?” I asked, my voice small and
trembling.

Gabe shook his head and kissed my neck with all the
tenderness he’d displayed earlier. “Tomorrow night,” he breathed against my
skin. “If you still want me tomorrow night, then we can do this.” He smoothed
the towel over my legs, covering me as much as possible, which wasn’t very much
considering I was still straddling him.

“You should get dressed,” he said, dropping his hands to the
bed. “There are clothes in the dresser that should fit you, and in the closet
if you don’t find what you need in the drawers.”

Ungracefully, I crawled off his lap and moved to rummage
through dresser drawers. Inside, I wanted to scream, but I wasn’t sure why.

7

ZOE

MARCH
16, 1AE

“It’s gonna be a cold trip heading west through the
mountains,” Sanchez warned, glancing between Grayson, Ky, and Harper, “but Jake
said this dude ranch is the only place he knows of nearby that can house all
the animals and a group our size. He said the lodge is big. It should be well-equipped
for most of our needs.” She leaned over a physical map of Colorado.

“If it’s still there,” Jason said tersely. Sanchez and I
both glared at him. He’d been goading us all morning, upset that we hadn’t
departed immediately after we’d finished packing our things.

Chris scoffed. “Don’t be a dick, Jason. It’ll be there.” She
shrugged, seeming unconcerned. “And if it’s not, that’s why we have the
secondary rendezvous point.”

Sanchez nodded and leaned over to circle the location where the
dude ranch, Colorado Trails, was supposed to be. “Assuming everything works
out, the ranch should be somewhere between Mancos State Park and the city of
Durango itself. Just follow Highway 161 southwest and pay attention to the
signs. Apparently, you can’t miss it.”

Grayson and Ben nodded, Sarah bit her fingernails, a look of
horror in her eyes as she worried endlessly, and Ky didn’t do much of anything.
He was still drunk, Jason and Chris not having the heart to take the booze away
from him; it was the only thing alleviating any of the tumultuous feelings funneling
into him.

“We should only be a few days behind you,” Chris added as she
sketched the relocation team’s route on the map. “But if we’re not there after
a week or so, Biggs and Ky will decide what to do.” Chris didn’t linger long on
the morose possibility that the retrieval group—the rest of us—might not make
it to Colorado Trails at all. “Until you hear from us, I think it’s wise to
only unpack what you need, but have all the medical supplies handy when we get
there, just in case. We’ll have a limited supply with us.”

Chris looked at me. “When we get into Cañon City, Harper and
I are going with Jason and Sanchez to the Colony to offer the trade. Zoe, you
and Jake are staying with our leverage to ensure she’s watched at all times.”

Even with mixed emotions, Jake had conceded to the plan,
knowing he could do little to keep Becca out of the Colony since she wanted to
go back so badly. His one request was that he be allowed to stay with her until
the exchange, and even Jason hadn’t objected to that.

I heard heavy footsteps behind me as Jake walked into the
barn. He stopped a few feet from the workbench. I couldn’t meet his eyes…I
hadn’t been able to since we’d tied up his sister.

“Zoe, once we leave Cañon City, I’ll keep you updated on our
progress as much as I can,” Sanchez said, referring to her telepathy. “Now,
there’s an abandoned building in Cañon City you guys should hunker down in.
It’s on the edge of downtown, and it’s got mirrored windows, so you can see out
but no one should be able to see in.”

Sanchez’s words faded away as I focused all my attention on
Jake, who was pacing behind me. Although he’d agreed to our plan, his
reluctance was apparent. He’d begun to question our visitor’s identity, not
completely convinced she actually
was
Becca. But if circumstances
changed, and he felt she truly was his sister, I worried he might not follow
through with our plan.
Why would he exchange his sister for Dani, a woman he
barely knows?
He’d been up all night, dark emotions pouring out of him. When
all was said and done, I knew Dani’s life was contingent upon how important
Becca was to the Colony.
If he changes his mind…

“I know this isn’t ideal,” Sanchez said, “but Chris and I
have identified three command buildings on base.” She pointed to the diagram
and continued speaking, but I stopped listening as I walked over to the
doorway, feeling a strange sense of doom. My eyes locked on Becca’s quivering body
as she sat, arms tied behind her, on a hay bale by the fire.

Something was wrong. She was wincing, her eyes squeezed
shut, her face flushed, and her breathing laborious. I ran toward her, watching
her closely as I opened myself up to her emotions: fear and pain.

The brown-haired man—Father—stood proudly with his hands
clasped behind his back and his stance wide. His eyes twinkled with some sort
of twisted delight, and his mustache was upturned, a smile threatening to
envelop his face.

With a flash, the image changed.

Bodies. A seemingly bottomless pit filled with dead
people was all I could see. Becca was one of them—her body limp and broken and
smeared with dirt and blood like the others. But her violet-gray eyes were open
wide, filmed-over, and empty, and her once-thin lips were split and swollen.
She was discarded like a busted toy that “Father” didn’t want anymore. He was
still standing there…smiling.

“She’s having a vision,” I said under my breath.
She
really
is
Becca.

“Goodbye, Zoe,” Sarah said, flashing me a tiny, hopeful
smile. Her eyes were red and filled with unshed tears. Biggs helped her mount
the gray horse she would ride west through the snowy, southern Rockies to our
rendezvous point in Durango, the look on Sarah’s face almost heartbreaking.
While I stayed behind, she would be riding far away, wondering if we would ever
see each other again.
I hope so.

After our brief, tormenting goodbyes—our faces brave and
painted with false certainty—Grayson, Sarah, Biggs, Ben, and Ky rode away with
most of our gear, all but one pack horse, and Dani’s goats in tow. We all hoped
getting them further away from the Colony would help ease Ky’s
Ability-inflicted angst and keep Sarah and her unborn baby safe.

In a somber haze, those of us remaining readied ourselves to
head for Cañon City. Donning my thigh holster and pistol, I scoffed at my new
dressing routine. I should have felt completely ridiculous, like I was
pretending to be someone I wasn’t, but I didn’t really have a choice.
This
is who I am now.

Once we were geared up, we hurriedly secured the remaining
supplies on our pack horse, climbed into our saddles—some of us doubling up—and
rode for town, where Jake and I would stay behind with Becca, waiting for word
from Sanchez.

When we finally arrived, our horses tired and our noses red
from riding in the cold, Sanchez, Carlos, and I fenced the animals in a large
backyard. The expansive lawn provided an afternoon snack, and there was a swimming
pool the horses could drink out of. A block away and just north of downtown,
Jason, Jake, Chris, and Harper were securing the inside of the abandoned,
mirror-windowed store Jake, Becca, and I would be staying in for the next
twenty-four hours.

“Will you be okay?” Sanchez asked as we watered the horses
in the algae-infested pool.

I nodded absently, wondering how Jake was going to make it
through the “hostage exchange” without losing his mind. “We just need to stick
to the plan, right?” I glanced over at her, then at Wings and Jason’s horse,
who were sucking water into their mouths, almost pulling their reins from my
grasp.

“If the plan works,” she consented. “I honestly don’t know
what they’re capable of up there.”

We were silent for a moment, both of us lost in thought.
What
if Sanchez can’t make contact with us from that far away? What if the Colonists
are somehow expecting this?
But I withheld my questions. Instead, I smiled,
appreciating Sanchez’s typical no-nonsense, no-mushy-shit goodbye.

I nudged her. “Let’s just hope your claim will get you in.
They
are
inviting any survivors to join their ‘safe haven,’ after all.”

Sanchez practically snorted. “Getting in will be the easy
part.”

Hearing a dull thump on the grass behind me, I peered back
at Carlos, who was walking toward us, Arrow clomping behind him. “The horses
are ready,” he said to Sanchez. “You want me to go get the others?”

Sanchez shook her head. “No, I’m on it. Make sure Chris’s
horse gets a little more water, and then we’re ready to go.”

Sanchez and I walked the horses over to the fence and tied
them up so they didn’t drink too much before the long, hurried ride to the
Colony, and Sanchez marched through the gate and around the corner, out of
sight. I stalled at the fence, realizing it might be the last time I would ever
see Carlos, since he was riding away with the others.

“See you soon,” I told him.

He nodded and flashed me a bright, cocky grin. “For sure.”

I smiled back and turned away to follow after Sanchez. I
caught up to her quickly, and we cautiously made our way down the sidewalk and
into the alleyway behind the row of stores where Jake and I would be hiding.
Entering through the back door, we joined Jake, Harper, and Chris, who appeared
to have just finished securing the perimeter of the dilapidated building. Becca
was sitting in a black, plastic folding chair in the center of the room, and
Jake was stuffing our belongings into the cabinet beneath a broken display
case.

The front door swung open, and Jason came in. “We’re all
clear on this row. The black-bands that were in the café are gone.”

“Shit. Time to go,” Sanchez said.

Harper walked over and gave me a kiss on the forehead before
wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “See you later, Baby Girl.” With a
squeeze, he winked at me, making me smile, and then disappeared out the back door.
Jason, Chris, and Sanchez followed, but Sanchez paused in the doorway. “If you
don’t hear from us within forty-eight hours, head to the ranch in Durango.” She
glanced between me and Jake, who was leaning against the wall, staring out the
window. When her eyes found mine, they were sympathetic.
“Good luck,”
she
said silently and strode out of the shop. Just like that, they were all gone.

But as soon as the door closed, it opened again, and my
brother strode in, heading straight for me. Before I knew what was happening,
his arms were wrapped around me in the fiercest hug he’d ever given me. I
didn’t have time to return the embrace before he pulled away and disappeared
out the back door once more.

I stared at the door, stunned and wishing I’d been able to
hug him back.
Will I ever see him again?
Exhaling, I crumpled the
thought into an imaginary ball and tossed it into a lockbox that I planned to
shove into the deepest chasms of my mind. I’d been tossing a lot of unwanted
thoughts in there lately.

Feeling eyes on me, I glanced at Becca, and then at Jake.
Both of them were watching me intently, but Jake averted his gaze almost
immediately. He stood at the mirrored window, which stretched the entire length
of the wall, again staring blankly outside.

This is gonna be a long wait.
Taking a deep and
concentrated breath, I sidestepped Becca and walked over to the window. I stood
beside Jake and gazed out at the empty street.

Hiding out at the outskirts of downtown, we could barely see
the old-fashioned buildings that were once quaint and rustic boutiques and
restaurants—the raised flower beds that lined both sides of the street were
unruly and overgrown, and the windows were still painted with holiday greetings
and well-wishes.

It felt like an hour had passed since the others had left, since
I’d been standing silently, wondering what to say to Jake, but it had only been
a few minutes. Each second went by excruciatingly slowly, and Jake pacing from
the front door to the window and back wasn’t helping time lapse any quicker.

Feeling his overwhelming distress, I gazed back out the
window and tried to focus on something else…anything other than his turmoil.

I watched the naked branches of the trees shudder in the
breeze and the stray bits of garbage rolling down the deserted street like
tumbleweeds. I contemplated giving in to the lethargy that was making my eyes
heavy. It had been days since I’d
really
slept, but now wasn’t the time.

I scanned the room, taking in every boring detail of my
temporary cage. It had obviously been abandoned long before the outbreak. The
plaster walls had fist-size holes in them, and clothing racks had been ripped
from the walls and tossed into a pile in the back right corner of the store. There
were a couple of crumbling boxes in another corner, stacks of magazines filling
each of them. A woman bending over, ass bared, in a slutty French maid costume
graced the top cover in one box, the other displaying a voluptuous cowgirl
sitting precariously on a saddle.
An old porn shop?
I grinned.
Mirrored
windows, just outside of downtown? Of course it is.

As Jake continued to pace, memories of Becca flashed in his
mind, and I saw their childhood play out like I was looking into a zoetrope. I
wanted to watch each memory longer, to see more of what their lives had been
like before, but the scenes flashed by regardless of my wishes.

A small boy—Jake—sitting on the edge of a tattered
mattress. His sister sitting in front of him, her back to him and her little
legs folded underneath her, barely raising her up enough for him to brush her
hair and put it into a ponytail.

Jake, a little older, leaning against a yellow Formica
countertop. The house was old and dirty. Piles of laundry and crumbling, old
cardboard boxes were stacked against the wall behind him. Becca sitting on the
counter nearby, eating an apple while he made her a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich.

A teenage Becca stepping into a minimally decorated
living room with a worn leather couch, a side table, a reading lamp, and a
vintage green recliner in front of a small, boxy television sitting atop a
wooden crate. Her brunette hair was curled into ringlets and piled atop her
head, and a nervous smile inched across her face. She was wearing a strapless,
crimson chiffon dress that hung just above her knees and simple black pumps.
Jake handing her his old pocket knife, a familiar, severe look on his face. Her
smile widening as she accepted the knife and placed it in her black velvet
handbag.