Chapter Twenty Six #2
Returning to the front of the tent, I catch a glimpse of each of the guys working on taking out members without alerting others.
Focusing on the flapping curtains of the entrance to the structure, I slink inside only to be met with the back of a man.
Looking at the people in front of him, I put my finger up to my lips in a silent plea for them to not alert him of my presence.
Quickly, I jump into action. Covering his mouth with my hands, I spin him around sparing the innocent slaves sight of my next action.
Hastily, I slit his throat and drop his body in front of me.
Just as I turn to inform them of my intentions, yelling and gun fire can be heard from outside the tent.
Rushing to the opening, I peer out to find an all out battle happening around us.
My men are scattered randomly, firing at and fighting with cartel members.
Realizing that we have been found out, I move on autopilot.
Turning back around, I look down at the scared group before me.
“Does anyone speak English?” I ask loudly over the sound of war just beyond the tent. A young woman, around my age, steps forward from the crowd.
“I do.” I nod at her even though I internally want to cry at the horrors I know too well, she would have had to face, if we hadn’t made it in time.
“Great. Tell the others that my men and I are here to save you all. We are going to get you to a plane that will take you to a safe location where you will be given new identities and settled into homes with monetary support for life.” I rush out.
She nods with tears in her eyes. Turning back to the group, she translates my words.
They all begin to stand just as Ghost comes into the tent, on instinct they slink back but I put my hand out at them, halting their motion.
“Shit’s hit the fan. If we are going to get them out of here, we need to go now.” He whispers to me.
“I’ll take them, you stay here and help the guys. We need to finish this or they will just pop up in a new location.” I say, knowing what his response is going to be.
“Fuck no. I’m not leaving your side. If you leave, I’m going with you.” There it is.
“For the first time in a long time, I feel strong. I can do this. You have to trust me. You guys clean house and I’ll be back before dinner.
” Confidence drips from my voice. There is an internal war going on behind his eyes.
He hates the idea but he wants me to succeed.
He finally nods and pulls me in for a kiss.
It’s almost painful with the amount of passion forming between us.
Moving away from each other breathlessly, our foreheads rest against the other’s.
“I swear to the gods, Everly. If you don’t make it back to me, even the devil will fear my wrath.” He means it. Giving him one more soft peck, I hold his hand before slowly backing away from him until our hands drop from the other’s.
“I love you more than you will ever know, Ghost. I will see you soon.” He nods curtly before exiting the tent.
Turning to face the group, I beckon them towards the back of the tent and cut a slit in the material of the wall.
One by one, they step out and we head for the tree line.
After a short walk, we find our way back to the vehicle's location.
An SUV has now replaced the spot where the car once was.
Climbing in, I drive until we reach the tarmac.
The jet still sits running, waiting for its new passengers.
Heading aboard, we all find our seats and I beckon the stewardess to prepare food and drinks for each person.
They likely have received very little food and water since their capture.
Once everyone is settled, we prepare for take off.
The jet picks up speed down the runway until we are finally airborne.
A weight is lifted off my chest as we make distance between us and the destruction going on nearby.
My muscles finally relax as I lean back into the large seat and close my eyes.
Ghost POV:
If this day could get any worse, she chose now to be strong enough to leave on her own.
My heart aches as I continue to take down the cartel members.
I haven’t been away from her since the day we escaped.
I think I need her more than she needs me.
Like an emotional support blanket, she is my life line.
It’s been forty five minutes since we parted ways and I know for certain that until we are reunited, my painful heart will not settle.
A man steps into my line of sight armed with nothing more than a large hunting knife.
At least I’ll be entertained in her absence.
Lunging towards him, I make quick work of disarming him and throwing him to the ground.
Driving the knife into his chest, he gargles on blood as he tries to scratch at my face.
A loud boom in the distance causes not just my head to snap up, but every other man's. There is a massive whistle and screeching in the sky as my eyes look in the direction of its source. A skinny white jet suddenly flies overhead, beginning to spin out of control, before disappearing again in the distance. We watch in horror as thirty seconds later, there is a giant explosion and fire lights the sky over a mile away. My heart stops and the realization hits me. I am frozen in time as images I just witnessed come flashing back. The jet Everly was on just exploded in the woods. Without thinking, I run in its direction. Taking out anyone who gets in my way, I don’t process the battle around me.
Gun fire slowly dies as footsteps behind me grow louder.
I don’t turn around to acknowledge them as I continue to run in her direction.
Too much time has passed when we finally make it there.
Pieces of the plane are discarded everywhere.
Fire dances around, creating foul smelling smoke that burns our eyes and noses.
Bodies lay on the ground motionless. Some are identifiable while others are charred to a crisp.
I check each one as we move further into the wreckage, looking for any sign of her.
We near the largest parts of the crash just as Ryon makes a pained noise while looking down at the small corpse of a child.
Lucas rests his hand on Ryon’s shoulder in an apparent gesture to comfort him.
It seems to make little difference. Turning back in my direction, I keep searching until a small flicker of silver catches my eye.
Ten feet from me lays a body of ash with only one recognizable object on its chest, my pendant.
My legs buckle as I fall to the ground. Crawling on my hands and knees, I cradle the metal in my fingers while ignoring the burning heat beneath them.
I collapse back in a convulsion of sobs.
I can’t remember the last time I cried. Sometime as a child, I would assume.
Though I can’t stop the tears that now stream down my face as the crushing pain of my heart breaking within my body.
I can’t think about anything other than my Little Siren.
Her raven hair, mismatched eyes, and breathtaking laughter assault my mind as memories of her life flash before me.
I don’t know how long I sit here but when sets of hands touch me, the sky is no longer lit by the sun.
The moon paints the sky as the world lays in darkness.
Her body is still in front of me when I am dragged backwards kicking and screaming.
It’s not until a needle is jabbed into my neck that I feel no physical pain.
My soul is shattered but my body feels light.
My vision blurs in and out when finally my eyes close at their own weight.
I drift between realms eventually losing consciousness.
My eyes jaunt open with panicked hands running over the cold empty mattress.
This is the second day in a row that I have woken up searching for her.
She is gone. She is nothing more than ash in an urn by now.
Her funeral ceremony is today but I refuse to go.
I don’t know how to live a life that isn’t shared by her.
To exist in her presence is a miracle but now I am all out of grace.
By noon, the guys flood into my room and practically force my body into a suit against my will.
Eventually, I’m dragged into a posh car and driven to some remote area by a lake.
When I refuse to get out, they pull out a syringe and threaten me with it until I barely carry myself to the crowd that has formed at the water's edge. When the group sees me, they nearly turn into a riot but I feel nothing. Shouting around me fades as my shirt is jerked open to show Everly’s crest around my neck.
Gasps and muffled whispers take over them as the gravity of my presence is clear.
I was as much hers as she was mine. They can’t touch me, not that I would stop them if they tried.
I am no man. I am not worthy to wear her pendant, to lay claim, when I was too weak to stop her.
I loved her too much and not enough, all at the same time.
For that, she lost her life. Most of the group turns their backs as others reach out and place their hands on me in support.
My gait falters as I make weak steps towards the water.
It’s then that I see an urn in the hands of Everly’s father.
My heart breaks all over again, if that’s even possible.
She’s so close but yet so far away. Minutes later, each person takes a small amount of her ash and tosses it over the water.
I am the last person to be handed the urn but I just can’t bring myself to follow their actions.
To loose any piece of her is torture, no matter the symbolism.
I shake my head softly and it’s soon clear that they understand my meaning.
Nearly everyone’s hands find a spot on me as they offer me their condolences.
The broken man before them is the only thing left of her.
I hold her love, her heart, and her soul within me.
Slowly, the numbers dwindle until it’s just me and the guys standing there.
“Come on man. It’s time to go home.” One of them says next to me.
“The only home I have ever known is nothing but dust at the bottom of this shitty piece of marble.” I yell while turning to them and holding out the urn.
They step back and nod. After a while, they start walking towards the car and soon I follow their path.
Climbing into the Mercedes, we drive back to the house.
I feel absolutely nothing and everything all at once.
Her being gone is not something that I have come to terms with yet and I am not sure I ever will.