Chapter 13
Viper
There was nothing like the exhilaration and the feeling of utter freedom when jumping from a plane.
I’d gotten hooked the first time years ago, the HALO jump allowing me wallow in my reckless behavior.
While the jump had been much more controlled, I was beginning to understand the necessity of smokejumpers being dropped in the middle of a wildfire.
My landing had been close to perfect, coming down first with a controlled fall and I’d started the hike down the mountain well ahead of the others. Within minutes the competition had begun, but by the last mile, it was just Axe and me keeping pace.
He’d glowered at me more than a few times, coming close to pushing me off the edge of the mountain.
As we rounded the last turn, I lunged ahead even though the pack of hundred pounds we were all carrying was a dead weight.
I was suddenly sideswiped and down I went.
“Fuck you,” I snapped.
Instead of continuing on the path, Axe stopped, spinning around with something on his mind. “You got something to say? Viper?”
“Yeah, I think I do. I’m sorry about your brother, but I’m not him and I don’t need your shit.”
That was all it took for his emotions to spin out of control. He ripped his pack from his back, tossing it down and pushing up his sleeves. “You don’t dare ever say another word about my brother. Not one!”
I barely had time to jerk the straps off my shoulders before he was on me, yet I managed to throw a single punch, catching him under the chin.
He was toppled backwards by several feet.
That didn’t stop him. His entire face was twisted in rage and with two giant strides he managed to throw a punch to my gut.
“Jesus Christ. Would the two of you stop that shit!” The jumper they called Rock was in our faces.
Axe barely threw him a look before moving around me, trying to kick me in the gut. What the hell? I grabbed Axe’s leg, catching him off guard and wrenching his leg. He cried out in pain.
By now, four other jumpers surrounded us, a couple egging us on while the others remained silent.
“For fuck’s sake!” Rock yelled, almost getting himself in the middle of the melee.
I threw two more punches, knocking Axe to the ground. When I stood over him, both hands fisted, I took a deep breath and wiped the blood from my mouth with my arm. “You want more?”
“That’s it,” another jumper barked while pushing his way through the crowd.
While I took a step away, lowering my arms, Axe wasn’t ready to stop the fight.
He threw himself on top of me, both of us toppling to the ground.
The free for all was ridiculous, both of us clinging to the other. We rolled back and forth, the punches now ineffective.
Finally, someone jerked me to my feet, dragging me away. “Enough!” Rock snarled.
Axe had been ripped to his feet as well by the one guy I’d just met on the plane. He was in front of Axe, his voice low as if not wanting anyone else to hear what was being said.
Rock moved in front of me. We stood eye to eye, his expression one of fury. But so was mine. I was finished with being picked on by anyone.
Finally, the other jumper moved into the center of the group. “What is the meaning of this shit? Huh?” He took his time glancing from me to Axe then to the others.
A couple of men couldn’t look him in the eye, Raptor finally addressing him. “Sorry, Steel. They got tangled up when they were on the narrow part. That’s all it was, right?” He looked at me as if I was to blame.
After wiping my mouth and staring at the blood on my fingers, I nodded.
Meanwhile, Axe paced the ground, finally grabbing his pack.
“Axe?” Steel gritted out.
“Yeah, whatever.”
Steel cursed under his breath. “I’m going to repeat myself one last time for everyone’s benefit.
Yeah, we lost one of our own a couple months ago and it hurts.
Hell, of course it does. My brother…” He stopped, dropping and shaking his head before looking directly at Axe.
“Our brother was a legend with the Zullies, but his death was no one’s fault and especially our new team members. ”
“We don’t want or need his kind here,” Axe threw out. There was so much fucking hatred in his voice, but it was the accusation he was leveling that pissed me off.
“My kind? What the fuck is that? Huh? Tell me!”
Rock stepped in front of me, cautioning me with his eyes, but I was already too far gone.
Axe took several scattered breaths, his entire face full of rage in exactly the same way I felt. The group was silent, waiting for the shoe to drop.
“Go on,” I encouraged, doing what I could to calm the fury.
Axe didn’t soften, didn’t take another breath before spelling it out. “That man is a convict. A goddamn criminal.”
“Yeah? I did my time. I’m a free man. You get it?” I threw my arms out, daring him to continue.
With a man so embroiled in hatred and the need to blame someone, all I did was push him to the breaking point. “You killed a man. You fucking killed him in cold blood.”
Shock tore through the others, two taking a step back as if I was planning a massacre.
Of all the times I’d been accused both correctly and incorrectly about what I’d done, no other time bothered me the way this one did. I was hurt.
“What?” Raptor asked, but he wasn’t addressing me.
“Why don’t you tell them, Viper. Huh? Go ahead.” Axe laughed when I didn’t answer right away.
Steel took a deep breath. I hadn’t realized they were brothers.
No wonder they were a closeknit team. A group of men I’d never fit in with.
Whatever. I didn’t bother providing any additional details.
Not only was it none of their business the horrible reasons why I’d taken the life of a fucking cruel bastard, but doing so wouldn’t mean a damn thing.
Anger making it impossible to think, I snatched my pack, swung it over my shoulder, and headed down the path.
There was no sense in looking behind me and if the assholes knew what was good for them, they’d leave me the fuck alone.
As soon as I stormed inside, I heard voices, one loud enough it caught my attention. Not my business, but when I passed by the captain’s door on the way to take a shower, a couple of words caught and kept my attention.
“Arson. We just went through a serial arsonist in town,” Captain Daughtry said.
I pushed myself back against the wall and from where I stood, I could see one man and one woman, neither of whom I recognized.
“That was targeted arson before,” one of the two others said. I had a feeling by her uniform she was the fire inspector.
“Isn’t that what we’re talking about now?” the captain continued. “Look, Jane. You’ve worked on more arsons than I have so you know what you’re talking about, but I’m still unsure what it has to do with the Zullies.”
The man cleared his throat. “There’s been some suspicious sightings in and around the campgrounds.”
Now the captain laughed. “Jesus, Kyle. You’re a park ranger. I’m sure you’ve seen thousands of people on the mountain since May. It’s the summer tourist season. People are camping. We’re busier this summer with the heat wave than we’ve been in years.”
“Yes, but a few reports have included a man with what has been described as an assault rifle. And carrying suspicious-looking equipment. Now, every report we’ve gotten I’ve sent to the chief of police, but after the fire at the Monroe place a few months back, there have been a few other suspicious fires. ”
Whoa. Hold on. Monroe. Was he talking about Grace’s place? I inched a little closer, holding my breath. Maybe now I knew why she was so terrified.
“And since the person responsible was never found, we remain on high alert. Unfortunately, we were trying to keep it a secret that the sporting goods store fire was also arson, but someone got ahold of it and it’s all over the press.”
“Any other fires that seem suspicious?” Captain Daughtry pushed.
“One more but I haven’t finished the investigation,” Jane told him.
“What do you need from me?” he continued.
“Have your jumpers keep an eye out. If there is any thought of a suspicious fire from your vantage point, call the police.”
The captain whistled. “That I can do.”
I could tell the meeting was about to be concluded so I moved away, heading directly to the lockers, tossing my pack in the appropriate location before yanking off my shirt.
When I hit the showers, I was hopeful I could lose the anger.
I even tried some mental exercises I’d learned while in prison.
They’d helped me control the range of emotions that could have easily gotten me into trouble.
With my hands planted on the wall, I took several deep breaths, hanging my head low and allowing the water to cascade over my head to the drain.
That I stared at.
Maybe this gig wasn’t the best fit after all.
But where in the hell could I go? I had a damn ironclad contract that had nothing to do with business.
It had been a get out of jail early card.
A bitter laugh surfaced, enough anger I smashed my fist against the tile.
All that did was jar the hell out of my hand.
Footsteps and chatter didn’t alter my stance. The fuckers could say anything they wanted to me. To hell with them.
I don’t know if the bastards hadn’t expected I’d take a shower, but a few of them stopped as soon as they walked into the room.
After a quick, angry glance in their direction, I moved under the showerhead, opening my mouth and collecting a throat full of water. When I spit it out, I purposely glared at them.
If they wanted to fuck with me, they’d find themselves in a bad way.
Rock had the nerve to come closer, the huge man easily able to crush most men with his hand. He moved to the shower next to me when all the others were open, waiting until he turned on the water. “Good jump today. Damn good time. I’ll have you on my team any fucking day. Any day.”
The last two words were said for everyone else to hear.