Chapter 6
“Let me get this straight, you want me to place a scalding-hot blade on your bullet wound?”
“Yes. It will stop the bleeding and prevent infection.”
The sun was setting and the wind was kicking up. His moment to leave and go hunting was passing, but he was needed here. She needed him here, to apparently assault her with a knife.
He put his hand on her forehead.
She shook him off. “What are you doing?”
“Just making sure you’re not delusional with fever.”
She sighed. “I’m not. Now come on, can you do this or not?”
He went to the fire and added another log to the flames. If this was what she wanted, then he would honor it. Although she had to admit, it sounded crazy. “Don’t you want something, you know, for the pain?”
“There’s a pouch of powder in my bag. Place a pinch of it in some water.”
He grabbed her bag, removed the powder, and mixed it in a wooden cup. As he handed her the concoction, he said, “A bottle of whiskey would probably work better.”
She did her best at producing a smile and handed him her knife. “Yeah, let me know if you come across one in the next five minutes,” she said before drinking the potent water.
Krieger rested the hilt of the knife on a rock, letting the blade heat up in the fire. He turned back to her and looked her over. Her shirt would have to come off, but how? He couldn’t very well lift it over her head. That would no doubt cause excruciating pain. There was only one way to rid her of the material, and that was to rip it.
He knelt by her side. “I’m going to remove your shirt now.”
She nodded.
Had she done this before? She seemed at ease with being half naked in his presence, but maybe they were past modesty. After all, she’d seen him as bare as the day he was born.
She tilted her head to the side so he was able to get a better grip on her shirt. He yanked hard, and the green fabric ripped in two down to her navel.
Eva hadn’t winced as he eased the material off her arm, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. Maybe she wasn’t as comfortable with this as she’d seemed.
When he examined the wound, he noticed it was bad. The blood had carved a red path down her ivory skin and pooled in the white of her bra. He removed the gauze and wiped up as much excess blood as he could and then wrapped her hair around her other shoulder. He pulled the white strap of her bra that was close to the wound down so it wasn’t in his way when he... cauterized her injury. Heat flushed his cheeks as his hands shook. Lock it up.
The tissue around the hole looked smooth, a sign of a clean shot.
She bent her head to look at the bullet’s entrance and asked, “Does it look bad?”
He helped her lean forward so he could get a better look at the back. The exit wound was not hard to find, and neither were countless other scars. She’d done this before.
“Should heal up nicely, Angel.”
After settling her against the wall, he returned to the fire, placed a cloth over the hilt of the knife, and turned it over. The blade was glowing orange, indicating it was almost ready.
“You understand what I’m asking you to do, right?”
He turned to regard her over his shoulder. “Eva, I have memory loss, not brain damage.”
She laughed, then winced as she said, “Ouch.” She wrapped her good arm across her waist as her left hung loose at her side. “Don’t make me laugh.”
He removed the dagger from the fire and approached her. As he kneeled in front of her, he tried to keep his eyes focused on her wound, but he cursed himself as they followed the scars on her skin. How did she get those? Who hurt her? His blood ran cold at the thought.
From her well-defined abs to the cleft in her breast, the white patches of skin ranged in size from long gashes to tiny slices.
Her skin broke out in gooseflesh as a cool gust of wind swept through the tunnel. Not wanting her to be any more uncomfortable than she was about to be, he reached for the fur pelt and covered her with it.
Looking him straight in the eye, she said, “Do it.”
His eyes moved to the glowing dagger, then back to her. Something was missing... Not wanting her to feel alone in her pain, he reached for her hand. “I’m with you in this, okay?”
Her eyes widened at the contact as he laced his fingers with hers, and she nodded as she firmed her grip with his.
Krieger took a deep breath and lowered the hot blade onto her skin.
With pinched features, she groaned and tightened her hold on his hand as the heat swept through her. He held it there, making sure it was done right so he would only have to do it once. Her skin sizzled and smoked as the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
Her grip on his hand tightened as her back arched. She sucked in a breath and let it out through her tightened lips. It was hard to see her this way—vulnerable, wounded, and in pain. Only hours before, she had been a brave warrior who’d fought with nobility.
He removed the blade. Her breaths were heavy as sweat trickled down her forehead. “Do... t-the back.”
As she leaned forward, he let go of her hand and draped his arm over her chest to grip her good shoulder. Warmth filled his chest as her right hand took hold of his arm. She wanted the comfort he was offering.
Her nails dug into his skin as he placed the blistering blade onto the other side of her wound. Her groans of pain seemed to resonate in the tunnel, amplifying the torture he was bestowing on her. He wanted to whisper words of comfort to her, but what was there to say? This shit was awful, and no words would make it better. He gritted his teeth as her skin sizzled.
Once he removed the blade from her skin, the tension left her body. He set the knife aside and helped her lie down on the pallet he’d made for when she was unconscious.
The muscles in her abdomen flexed with every breath she took as a single tear ran down her temple. He smoothed back her golden hair from her face as her eyes found his.
She raised her hand and said, “Thank you.”
He clutched it and nodded.
Her green eyes seemed to lose their luster as the color drained from her face, so Krieger covered her with the fur and said, “Rest now.”
After she closed her eyes, he moved back to his pack, removed a cloth, and wet it with his canteen, the contents dwindling. He made a pallet next to her and began to wipe her brow—the sweat and the tears.
She’d handled that better than he thought she would. In fact, that might have been harder for him. Never would he think to inflict harm on a woman, especially not this one; the one that saved his life, the one who intrigued him so.
He’d sworn to Eva to repay an unpayable debt, but now all he wanted to do was get to know her better.
Hell, she was braver than some men, sharp as a tack, and loyal. What she did for Everwood, for the people who inhabited it, was inspiring. She would lay down her life to protect them—today was proof of that. Who wouldn’t want to get close to someone like her?
Forget about her stubbornness or the fact she was an obvious neat freak, with all her clothes in her room, and in her pack, folded to perfection. Who does that?
Evangeline . . .
She was where he wanted to be. Even when he was burning out of his mind with fever, he’d known he wanted to be next to her...
He added more water to the cloth, folded it, and then rested it on her forehead. Her hair encircled her face, and without thinking, he found his hands intertwined in the silky strands.
Her breathing deepened and slowed. She was far away now in a different kind of valley. One filled with dreams, hopes, and enchantment. He hoped. Her body lay here in reality, but she deserved to bask in the land of imagination.
As he watched the opening of the tunnels for danger, his hand fully entangled in her hair, he fantasized about what her dream would look like and... would he be in it?
Better yet, would she want him to be?
All he knew for certain was nothing was going to stop him from trying to be the man of her dreams.
Hours later, a soft whimper startled him. Gray light still filtered into the dark tunnel as the rain pounded overhead, but it was not loud enough to drown out Eva’s soft cries.
Tears streamed down her face, but her eyes remained closed, and he realized she was weeping in her sleep.
He knelt over her, unsure if he should wake her, but then she began to mumble soft words, indistinguishable to his ears. She trembled as if she were afraid. Whatever she dreamed of, it wasn’t good. Far from the sweet, innocent fantasies he thought she would be having.
When she started thrashing around, he had to wake her. At the very least to rescue her from what she feared in the land of make believe.
He laid a hand on her good shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. “Eva. Eva, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”
The gasp that escaped her as she sat straight up made him remove his hand from her shoulder and sit back on his haunches. As she gulped for air, her eyes were wild.
He took hold of her waist and tried to steady her back into reality. “Eva, it’s okay. I’m here. Nothing’s going to hurt you... Do you understand me?”
The tears ran steadily down the apples of her cheeks as her mouth contorted with pain. She looked to him, and he was sure she saw him. She bit her bottom lip and threw herself into his arms.
He hadn’t expected this, from this fearless woman, but he welcomed her with open arms. What would it be like to be closer to her, to this angel? Right now, he was getting a front-row seat.
There were cracks in her wall that she used to block out the world and dents in her armor that she wore to keep people at bay.
Her quiet cries had turned into all-out sobs as she clutched onto his back and shoulders. He held her tight and rested his chin atop her head. The need to make her feel surrounded in protection was overwhelming.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”
He leaned on the concrete and let her rest against him. He had a hunch she never let people see her like this, let alone comfort her.
Maybe it was the powder drug she’d taken for the pain. Or maybe it was him? Did she want to get to know him better, to be closer to him? How could she get close to someone that didn’t even know who they were?
There was nothing he could tell her about himself from his past, and there was very little he knew about the present. All he had was the raw instinct to learn, to help, and to find a purpose in this life.
Sure, he still longed for his past memories, for a slice of information that would explain where he came from, but the fact was they may never return. And he couldn’t mourn that forever. He had to keep moving forward in life and find a way to unlock the door to his future. So why did she feel like the key?
After he brushed the cool skin of her arm, he reached for more fur blankets and covered her the best he could. She quieted as her body warmed, and he stroked her hair as she became all but silent.
She looked to him then. Red rims framed her green irises, her lips were swollen, and her cheeks were flushed. But none of that mattered... for she was only inches away from his face. He could feel the warmth of her breath and the wet spray of her tears on his skin.
She licked her lips, her eyes centering their attention on his mouth. But then she jerked back as if she’d been hit by a big dose of reality. Her eyes moved around the tunnel, looking at everything but him.
The pelt had fallen from her chest, exposing her bra and bare skin. Eva scrambled for a cover but winced as the movement tugged at her fresh wound.
He moved to help her. “Here, let me get you another shirt from your bag.”
She raised her hands. “No. I got it.”
The contents of her bag were being thrown all over the tunnel as she dug for a shirt. When she found a button-down, she slid it on her right arm, then struggled with her left. She needed help, but she was too proud, or too embarrassed, to ask for it.
He took hold of the shirt, eased the armhole open, and waited for her to insert her arm. She still wouldn’t look at him—the wall she put up had been reassembled, and she was guarding it like the soldier she was.
As Eva buttoned the shirt, he smoothed her collar. His finger grazed her skin and she stopped her movement. A shiver swept through her before she reached for her scattered clothes. She refolded them, placed them back into her bag, and then resumed her position on the pallet.
He covered her with the fur, then stood, the air becoming thick with tension. Maybe she needed a moment alone?
The rain seemed to be stopping; maybe he could catch them something to eat.
He walked toward the tunnel opening, but before he left, he looked back over his shoulder. Could he leave her?
She seemed lucid; she’d probably taken that drug countless times before. That would mean she could shoot her gun if need be, and he wouldn’t go that far, just several yards from the tunnel. If she fired her gun, he would no doubt hear it.
“Eva, you have your gun handy?”
Her face was turned away from him; she wasn’t keeping track of him. Maybe she wouldn’t even know he was gone.
“Yeah, why?”
Perfect. He left the tunnel with his gun in tow and disappeared into the valley of gray.
There had to be something out there he could catch for food. For her. She needed more than just beans and oats.
He slushed through the mud as he gauged his surroundings. The ditch they were camped in was settled just outside the village. There was a collection of leafless, stick-like trees to his left, and to his right was a series of broken buildings. Straight ahead was a mixture of sad-looking bushes, shattered stumps, and abandoned cars.Behind him was just more of the same.To the left it was.
Forget about catching a deer or rabbit, he’d be lucky to find a rat. The straw-like grass that led into the dead forest was encouraging. There had to be some small creatures that inhabited this area. Maybe a bird that made a home in the bare branches of the trees. Possibly a hungry squirrel looking for its next meal as it scurried across the bark of the trees.
The mud-covered ground soon turned into a swamp land.Puddles deepened, and the grass seemed to grow in height as the insect population sought out his blood.He waved his hand in front of his face to scatter the gnats and quickened his steps.
A few more paces brought him to a muddy embankment, and he eased himself over it and faced the lifeless trees. No birds flew overhead; no calls of the wildlife he’d hoped lived in here. Just silence.
As he moved through the woods, he kept his eyes and ears focused, waiting for any sign that something—anything—lived here. His boots sank into the muck as he stood still, listening to any sounds of life.
Behind him, a splash sounded. He turned his head to the noise and heard a deep croak. He swung around back toward the embankment. Another croak, more musical than the first, met his ears. A frog?
He looked to the sky, to the barren treetops, and to the unfruitful landscape.Frog it was.But would Eva eat it?Knowing her, she’d probably enjoyed worse things.
He walked back to the edge of the swamp and followed the sounds to his next meal.The frog’s tone became louder and elongated. He tracked it with light footsteps so as not to scare it away. It wasn’t too long before the grass parted, revealing the water that encircled it and a nice, fat frog.
The green amphibian rested on a rock, its vocal sac expanding as it sounded off another call. Krieger reached for the knife in his boot with slow movements.He’d been pleased to find he could aim and shoot a gun, but could he throw a knife?There was only one way to find out. He risked losing the frog if he missed, but if he could hit a black bean can with a tiny bullet, surely, he could hit prey with a large blade.
He drew his hand back and kept his eyes steady on their would-be food.The blade left his hand and breezed through the grass before coming to a stop in the frog’s neck.A quick death.The corners of his lips twitched into a smile at his success.
How was he doing this? Had he been some kind of expert hunter, assassin, or soldier? He shook his head and retrieved his kill. After removing his knife, he detached the head, skinned it, and gutted it. He repeated the process, killing one more frog, before returning the knife to his boot.
He was beyond lucky to have these skills. At least he could provide for and protect Eva like he’d wanted.
As he made his way back to the tunnel, he felt more water droplets touch his skin, which reminded him... their H2O was running low. There didn’t seem to be any streams or freshwater ponds around. The only water he’d come across was in the swamp, and no way was he drinking that muck. But the rain was another story. He could set out their wooden bowls to catch the fresh water and refill their canteens. First thing after they ate, the containers were going out.
When he entered the tunnel, he found a pacing Eva. “Where have you been?”
He raised the frogs in the air. “Catching food.”
“I told you not to go.”
“And I explained to you that I was capable of providing for us,” he said as he reached for his canteen.
He poured water over the frogs’ bodies, cleaning them before skewering the bodies and placing them both over the fire.
Eva plopped down across from him with a furrowed brow and a pout. She scowled at him as he sat back to regard her.
“I hope you like frog,” he said, ignoring her attitude.
She nodded. “It’s quite delicious, tastes like chicken. But that still doesn’t make up for your total disregard of my orders.”
Turning the spit, he said, “You were being unreasonable.”
“No, I was being realistic. You could have been hurt or killed.”
“But I wasn’t.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re not making it easy to trust you, you know.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Me? You’re the one that makes trust between us hard.”
She looked away. “Doubtful.”
“You’re doing it now.”
“How?”
He sighed and locked eyes with her. “By being evasive and controlling.”
She was silent at his words. The sound of the sizzling meat the only noise in the tunnel. His mouth watered at the smell. Maybe this meal wasn’t going to be as bad as he thought. The company, on the other hand, could be a problem.
She was staring daggers at him, but he refused to turn away as he held her gaze. “I’m not controlling, I’m... just trying to keep you alive.”
“Well, try to relax a little. We’re safe here, and the team will return in a few days, then we can all go ho—”
Before he could finish, she was on her feet, pacing again, her breathing labored. “You may not remember how the earth ended up this way, but I do. The storms, the floods, the chaos... It still happens.”
When the meat was cooked, he removed it from the fire and then stood. That’s when he saw the tears glistening in her eyes. She’d been through a lot today and was probably still feeling the powdered pain reliever; otherwise, she might’ve been able to hide this show of emotions. As he took a step toward her, he reached for her.
But she jerked away. “Don’t.”
Her back faced him now, but he wasn’t letting her off the hook. “Is that what your dream was about? The day everything...”
She sniffled and her hands moved to her face. To wipe away the tears?Her wall was crumbling for the second time. Could it be, after the flood of emotion earlier, she wasn’t able to suppress all that she felt, bottle it back up, and hide it all away?
He took hold of her arm and turned her. The tears were there, pooling in her eyes as she said, “I didn’t want to kill him, Krieger. I-I hate—”
His arms encircled her. How he wished he could take her pain away. “I know.”
She clutched his shoulders as she took deep breaths, trying to calm the panic coursing through her veins.
Smoothing her hair down, he said, “I know, Angel. Come on, eat something. It will make you feel better.”
He helped her settle on her pallet, then turned his attention to the food. He took it off the spit and began tearing the meat apart. As he handed her a portion, she met his eyes.
It was just a look, but it felt like more. A sign she was coming to truly trust him? Maybe, but only time would tell. She’d spent years building this wall, and it would not be taken down in one day.
They ate in silence as the night and rain fell upon them. The frog wasn’t as bad as he’d thought, much better than the black bean soup he’d had the night before.
After they finished off the last of the amphibian, he placed the bowls outside the tunnel to collect the rain and then made his way back to his pallet.
Eva was already turned away from him, covered with her fur pelt. She was a contradiction, a puzzle he was determined to figure out. What was really bothering her?
He stoked the fire, then threw another handful of tinder on from the pile Sarah had collected earlier.He watched the flames for what seemed like hours. Sleep, no matter how hard he wanted it, would not come. With the threat of danger lurking just outside, how could he sleep?
As the fire receded, the coals burned hot and cast the tunnel into almost complete darkness. The pitter-patter of the rain resonated in the tunnel, which should have been calming. Eva must have thought so. Her rest was soundless and peaceful.
He lay back and watched her as she slept. Without warning, a deep shudder swept through the ground, and a rumble from below shook the earth for the briefest of seconds.He sat up from his pallet, waiting and listening. What the hell was that?
Again, the ground pulsed beneath him, but this time, it lasted longer.Quickly, he leaned over to where Eva lay resting and shook her awake. If they had to move, he wanted to be ready.
“What is it?” she asked, groggy from her deep sleep.
The earth roared in answer to her question, and the concrete pipe shook with vengeance.She sprang up from the floor, the hot coals casting a glow on her face and revealing her widened eyes.
He’d been right to wake her, something was wrong. But what?
The roar was closing in, growing louder with every passing second.He reached for their gear, stuffed it in his pack, and slung it over his back. Then he grabbed her bag. No way was she carrying that thing, not after what she’d been through.
“Let’s move,” he said as he laid his free hand on the small of her back.
The roar was almost deafening now as it echoed in the tunnel. It was something.
“Come on,” he said.
They took a step forward as their feet sloshed in water that had not been there before. Water!
His insides formed a knot. The roar was a moving wave, and even though he couldn’t see it, the deafening sound told him it was moving fast and straight for them.
His eyes met hers, and he yelled, “Run!”