Chapter 7
Eva’s heart was a jackhammer in her chest. This is what she feared even more so than the Others. She could not fight against Mother Nature, and for whatever reason, the bitch had been in a bad mood for the last ten years.
They moved out of the tunnel and into the night, no moon or stars lighting their way. Even they seemed afraid of the big bad.
The earth shook under their feet, a sign it was getting closer.
Krieger reached for her hand, and she grabbed it without hesitance. Good. Don’t want to be separated.
They ran blind, away from the roar behind them. Maybe they could reach higher ground? If not, there would be nowhere to hide. An ache settled in her chest as fear took over her better judgment, clouding her thoughts. She was a leader who didn’t know where to go. She couldn’t see, couldn’t hear anything over the coming chaos. This was worst-case scenario.
They moved through the drainage ditch as fast as their feet would take them. The hills had to be close. Right? She hadn’t canvased this area, didn’t know where they were in relation to the village. Why hadn’t she asked Derek?
As she ran, her foot caught the edge of a rock. Her body jerked forward, but strong hands were there, holding her back from a certain face plant.
She righted herself as he steadied her with his arm. “You all right?”
“Yes.” But she wasn’t—far from it.
Her shoulder was a burning pit of fire. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she would have been screaming in pain. Couldn’t they have a time-out? Just for a night or two? But the forces that be didn’t believe in such things.
Krieger’s grip tightened as he jerked her to the right. “This way.”
This way? How could he see? Who was leading who?
He’d been out earlier, maybe he got a good look at the landscape? She moved with him as the water started rising up her legs. Running out of time.
The raging waters thundered behind them . . .
The ground seemed to incline as they moved farther away from the tunnel. They had to be going in the right direction. The icy cold water moved up her legs as a wave hit her from behind, sweeping her up in its hungry jowls. He was swept up with her, his weight colliding with hers as they tumbled in the freezing water.
Maybe the cold would numb her shoulder, put out the flames of her wound, just long enough for her to get out of this mess.
Her head went below the surface, and wave after wave crashed over her.
Krieger’s hand still clung to hers. Should she shake out of his hold? She needed her good arm to swim. But if she let go, she risked losing him.
When he lifted her out of the water using their intertwined hands, she gasped for breath as her arm flailed about her.
She had to stay above the water, even in her weakened state. Eva was now the liability, putting Krieger at risk. She couldn’t let him jeopardize his life for her. If she went down again, she’d let go of his hand.
They wouldn’t last long in the frigid water, they needed to get on dry land. The current was strong as they tried to paddle for the edge of the raging river, looking for anything to grab onto. The cold seeped into her, freezing her to the bone. Hypothermia would be next. Surviving the water was only the beginning of their problems...
Her hand that clenched his was starting to go numb. She wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to be able to hold on to him. Krieger didn’t seem to be as affected as he propelled them through the water, looking for land.
They had to be close to the bank of this makeshift river. Right? The water was stretched wide, but it had to end. Didn’t it—
“Hold on.” Krieger’s voice sounded over the rumble of the angry water.
Her body whipped against the side of the earth, and she stilled as the water rapidly swooshed by her.
When the water cleared from her vision, she saw Krieger gripping a broken branch as if his life depended on it. And it did. If his hand slipped, if the branch broke—who knew if they’d get another chance to escape again?
“Go,” he told her, the water lapping at his face as he held tight to their only lifeline.
The ground was only a foot above their heads. She could reach it.
He dragged her toward him, against the force of the current. As her body met his, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. If both his hands were free, then he’d have a better chance of hanging onto the branch.
Their faces were only inches apart as she took a much-needed breath. “What about you?”
The cleft in his chin and his bottom lip were just about submerged when he said, “I’ll be right behind you.”
He seemed to have a good grip on the branch; they could both make it. She collected her energy and launched her body out of the water. Tucking his free arm under her backside, he gave her a much-needed boost. She was able to rest her foot on his shoulder as her hands dug into the earth, clawing for freedom from their watery death.
Her torso met mud as she spun around and reached for him with her good arm. “Give me your hand.”
He applied his weight to the branch as he stretched for her, but before he could grab hold of her hand, the dead, dry wood cracked, causing his body to be lowered deeper into the water. For a moment, his head sank beneath the surface.
“Krieger!” Eva screamed.
A few seconds later, his head reappeared as he shook the excess liquid from his hair and wiped the water out of his eyes. Wasting no time, she lowered her body farther down the embankment; she’d never reach him unless she got closer.
His body bobbed in the water as he extended his hand to her, and she thought he might reach her, but just as the tips of their fingers met, the branch gave way and he fell back into the dark depths with the branch.
“No!”
She immediately got to her feet as he was being washed away, and for the second time that night, she didn’t know what to do. Dread sank to the pit of her stomach. Not him.
Should she jump in again, see if she could save him, or try and follow his dark form in the water? Hell, everything was dark—even now she couldn’t see him.
Taking off in the direction of the current, she yelled, “Krieger!”
Her limbs were numb, her movements slow. Her only real hope was if he was able to grasp the bank once more. After a while, her body began to fail as the first signs of hypothermia set in, and she had no doubt they were for Krieger too, if he was still...
She pressed on as she scanned the ground and water before her. She tried to listen for his call, but when none came, her heart sank into her gut.
As she stood by the bank, her body began to tremble and her knees buckled under her weight. Damn this weak body and damn this hellhole. Eva inhaled hard as the reality of the situation settled in. She’d lost another—she’d lost him. It was her fault. Tears welled in her cold eyes, and a deep ache developed in her chest that fanned out to every part of her. She couldn’t breathe.
She should have never let him come. He didn’t know, didn’t understand what this area could be like. Her fault.
The man who tended to her, who gave her a glimpse of genuine kindness—the man with the caring eyes and mysterious past—was gone. And she couldn’t stand the thought. A sob escaped her as she buried her head in her hands.
She was so sick of this dog-eat-dog world they lived in. And until she’d met him, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted something different out of this life.
She’d felt the stirrings, an attraction and longing to be close to him—to know him—since she’d heard him whisper Angel in his sleep. She didn’t know what it meant or what she wanted, but it didn’t matter. She would never get to find out now—he was gone.
She fell flat on her back as the pain seeped into her core. She opened her icy lids to view a black sky. Her once beloved valley had turned into a black pit of hell, taking not only her innocence and her mother but now Krieger. Would it someday take her own life too?
With slow movements, she raised her middle finger into the air. “Fuck. You!” She wouldn’t give it the satisfaction.
Knowing she needed to keep going, she rolled onto her side. She had to find shelter before she completely broke down. But before she even got to her feet, she heard something that sounded like a man’s groan. The water still roared nearby, but she was sure she heard... Again, a moan of pain sounded over the raging river. It was a sign of life just beyond the bank.
Everything hurt as she crawled toward the edge and leaned over, but relief consumed her when she saw Krieger lying draped over a rock not five feet from her.
He looked in bad shape, and he didn’t look like he had much time as his lower half still lingered in the water. His eyelids fluttered open and closed as he clung to consciousness. The advanced stages of hypothermia were setting in, and if she wasn’t quick, she would really lose him this time.
“I need you to come to the edge,” she told him.
He pressed up, but his struggle wasn’t hidden. His arms shook as they accepted the weight, but he eased out of the water and crawled over the rock until he reached the edge of the embankment.
But could he stand? She needed him to stand.
Her good arm went out to him. “Come to me, Krieger.”
He paused, but every second was precious.
“Damn you, you haven’t survived this long just to die now. Get on your feet and take my arm.”
With wooden movements, he gained his unsteady footing. His body slumped against the dirt wall she sat atop, but it was a start.
He lifted his arm to her, and she took hold of him and said, “Climb, I need you to climb.”
His fingers trembled as he grasped the wall of mud. Using all her strength, she heaved Krieger upward. When his foot slipped on a rock and his body jerked back, she screamed as his full weight tugged on her good arm. Clenching her teeth together, she bore down and pulled again. Finally, his hand appeared at her side as his fingers tore at the earth. With one final yank, she was able to lift his torso over the bank.
Exhausted, she sat back on her haunches. Her body wavered as the strength left her body, and she fell on her side next to him, her lungs gasping for air. He lay flat on his stomach, with his head turned to the side and his hands stretched out before him. His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing. It was the most beautiful sight she’d seen in a long time. He was alive. Alive.
When shivers racked over her body and she noticed his skin was red with cold, her instincts screamed at her to find shelter. Here, out in the open, they were exposed to the cold and vulnerable to attack.
She looked to her right—darkness. Before them lay the river of death, and to their left was more darkness. Yet, a white glimmer caught her eye. Metal, perhaps? Metal could mean shelter. It was their only hope.
She drew back off the ground and reached for him with shaking hands. “We need to move.”
He helped support his weight the best he could as tremors took control of his limbs. It was a miracle he was able to get off the ground and move toward their only prospect. After wrapping his arm around her shoulder, she moved with him on unstable legs. Somehow, his pack was still slung over his shoulder, but hers was long gone.
As they closed in on the thing that had caught her eye, a sigh of relief escaped her lips. It was a white car. She couldn’t have asked for anything better.
When they reached it, he leaned against the trunk, and she opened the door to the back seat. Then she turned to him, thinking they had to get these clothes off.
With trembling hands, she reached for her knife, grabbed the bottom of his shirt, and cut it from him.
“Wat argue doo-in’?” His speech was slurred, but she thought that had to mean What are you doing?
She didn’t want to answer him, afraid her words would sound the same. Then where would they be—jibber-jabbering and getting nowhere?
Eva continued her work on his clothes. First his shirt, then his pants. After she drew the drenched fabric from his body, she helped him into the back seat. Then, with shaky hands, she removed her clothes next and laid them out on the trunk. Maybe they would dry by morning. She kept her bra and panties on as she approached the back seat to join Krieger so they could warm up.
When she saw his trembling body, she hurried. If his breathing turned shallow and his heart rate slowed, then it would only be a matter of time before he slipped away. But if she raised his temperature too fast, she risked him having a heart attack. She had to do this right.
Trying to work quickly, she grabbed his bag and pulled out the tarp. The blankets would be soaked, but the plastic would act as an insulator. After pulling it out, she shook it of any droplets, draped it over her shoulders, and tossed the bag into the front seat.
She climbed in the car and shut the door, then straddled his legs to sit atop him. The car smelled of mildew and earth, but she was beyond thankful it was here. It might just save their lives.
She rested her head on his chest and placed her hands on his torso to try and warm him up. When she looked at his face, his eyes were closed, but his breathing seemed steady.
His skin was cold, but so was hers. The contact was not startling, but her nipples pebbled nonetheless. When she was settled, he eased his arms around her, and a smile tickled her lips. He was alive and safe in her arms...
She wanted to savor the feeling. No matter how much she might want to explore these feelings—this attraction—she couldn’t. She just couldn’t let anyone else in.. .
Not again.
These emotions would bring nothing but darkness into her life. They would make her weak, distract her from her duties. Her responsibilities to her people. This was just not meant to be.
Besides, he was better off without her. If it wasn’t for her, he would be safe back at Everwood. Not freezing to death in a piece-of-shit car.
Fighting fatigue was no longer an option, so she closed her eyes, his strong heartbeat thumping in her ears and lulling her into a much-needed sleep.
They had survived this incident, but it most likely would not be their last.
She’d protect him, guide him, lead him—but that was all. This was business, not pleasure, after all. Anything more could get them both killed.
A soft, pinging noise against the metal roof woke her from a sound sleep. As her eyes fluttered open, she took note of their surroundings. Daylight had come, filling the compartment with muted light.
The vehicle had no doubt fallen victim at one time or another to their bountiful weather. The floor was covered in sand, dirt, and leaves, and the windows had fogged over from their shared body heat.
Krieger still slumbered, clear from the soft snore that emanated from his gaping mouth. His color was returning to normal, but his skin remained cool to the touch.
His arms weighed on her as she eased off his chest. She needed to get her clothes off the trunk before they got drenched, again, and dressed. Then find out where the hell they were. Maybe see if she could get a fire going.
She removed the tarp and cringed as the plastic crinkled. Getting caught with her pants down was not on her list of things to do.
Last night, she’d done what she had to, for the sake of surviving the night. That didn’t mean she wanted him to have a “full look at the goods.”
She reached for the pack and drew it to her as she kept a steady eye on him. If he moved a muscle, if he even flinched, she’d jump from the car. No matter how cold or wet it was out there.
As she clutched the bag to her, she reached for the handle so she could dress outside.
She no sooner opened the door than his voice filled the small space. “Eva...”
Her eyes met his just as she fell out of the opening. So much for her strategized jump from the car. As her backside met dirt, she tightened her grip over the pack. It covered the important things, but the majority of her body was vulnerable to his gaze.
“Close your eyes!”
He threw his head back and put his hand over his face. “Shit... sorry.”
Eva took a deep breath as she moved off the wet ground and crouched behind the open door. Then she looked to the clothes on the trunk to assess her dressing situation. Tiny droplets of water tapped her skin gently as she threw on damp clothes.
She searched the bag for something heavier to wear, to keep the chill in the air at bay—anything semidry. The thing was full of his clothes, but something would have to do. She removed a long-sleeved collared shirt. That would work.
She slipped on the item and stood. The material hung just above her knees, and the sleeves consumed her hands, but it was warm. After rolling up the sleeves, she tied the hem together so it sat at her waist and hurried to sit in the front seat since he would need clothes as well.
With his hand still covering his eyes, he said, “Can I look now?”
She suppressed a laugh but not the smile. “Yes.”
He removed his hand and sat up to lean against the door. The tarp covered his boxers but little else. The black upholstery framed his golden skin, and a deep ache bloomed in her belly as she tossed him the pack.
“Get dressed,” she told him.
He caught the pack as she turned away, staring out into the desolate land. The dead trees that accompanied the valley stretched behind the car as the flood waters raged in the distance before them. They were lucky it hadn’t risen throughout the night.
Although it seemed Krieger had been leading them in the right direction, the foothills loomed over them. They had been close. As it was, they were camped on an incline far enough away from the danger they had been in last night.
Her eyes wandered from the windows to the rearview mirror. Krieger’s muscles flexed and strained against his skin as he tried to dress in such a small space. She bit her lower lip as he met her reflected gaze, and heat rushed to her cheeks. Had she ever seen such a well-built man before?
Must get away from the car.
Without a word, she exited the vehicle. She walked to the dead tree line in hopes of distracting her thoughts of the half-naked man in the vehicle. She looked for anything that could be used for fire wood.
When Krieger was finished getting dressed, he got out of the car and approached her. After closing the distance between them, he laid his hand over hers. “Thank you.”
She inhaled sharply and turned away from him. “I wouldn’t have made it without you.”
As she said the words, she knew them to be true. Her shoulder had been injured; she would not have survived the flood if it wasn’t for him. As it was, a searing pain had settled in her shoulder, making her movements painful.
He cleared his throat. “I meant what you did to warm me.”
She continued to collect the fire wood. “I did it to save both of us.” He strode to her side as she added another stick to her pile. She shifted to look at him. “Don’t make more of it than it was.”
Eva tried to move around him, but he stilled her with his hand on her good shoulder. “Hey,” he said, tilting her chin up with his finger. “It means a lot. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.” For a second, she studied his hazel eyes, and then he said, “I know we still don’t know each other very well but—”
Without waiting for him to finish, she brushed his hands away and walked away from him. He was right; they didn’t know each other well, and he didn’t know himself at all. Besides there were more important matters that needed tending. One was getting a fire going and maybe some food in their bellies. She made her way back over to the car with the kindling in her arms, then knelt to the ground. She arranged the wood and started a fire the old-fashioned way, friction and air from her lungs.
A long sigh emanated from him as he walked over to the pack. He removed a small pan, a bag of oats, and the canteen, then bent a knee next to her. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you, Angel?”
When it began to smoke and spark, she adjusted the rocks to support the pan. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
He nodded while mixing the oats and water together in the pan before setting it over the growing flame she created.”So, what’s next?”
She tilted her chin up toward the hills. “I think there’s a lean-to not far from here. If we’re in the area I think we are. Our best bet would be to make our way there and regain our strength to make the trek back home. The climb up won’t be easy. If we’re lucky, we might even run into Derek and the crew.”
“How do you know they weren’t hit with the flood?”
Her eyes met his. “I don’t. But I have hope they were not in the way of that wave.”
He nodded as he stirred the oats. “Any idea what caused it?”
As she stared into the flames, she shrugged. “Not sure, could have been an earthquake that disrupted a water holding reservoir or dam. Can you look in the bag and see what we have to use for dishes?”
She stirred the oats as he removed a cup and bowl from the bag. When the rich smell of warm food reached her nose, she inhaled deeply, causing her mouth to water. She was about to ask Krieger for the bowl when a branch snapped behind her and a low growl filled the air.
With slow movements, Eva stood and twisted to look back at the trees, where a streak of fur moved past her line of vision. She had no warning before Krieger shoved her hard. Her ass hit the damp ground before her head bounced off the earth.
Gasping for air, she reached for her knife and murmured, “Shit.”
The last thing she saw was the beast leaping for Krieger’s throat.