Rise of the Phoenix (The Phoenix Trilogy Book 1) (5 page)

“And what do you want in exchange?” Phoenix pulled the gun and knife from his person. She pulled out the clip and emptied the chamber of the 9mm he carried and tossed everything across the room; however she stayed very much armed as she untied the ropes.

As she loosened the knot around his wrists her fingers accidently rubbed up against his guitar string callused fingertips. This guy had always been one of her ultimate fantasies. It would have been her “Can I meet up with you in a dark alley and just have my way with you”, guy. Adam always oozed sex appeal on stage and in video; just sitting in this run down chair he still did. His hair was styled just by rubbing his fingers through it and causing it to stand on end in places. Both his ears had silver loops in the lobes. He had a slight beard and mustache. Since he would be her version of sex on a stick, Phoenix decided it was best if he untie his own ankles from the chair so she simply sat back down, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t watch him as he did so. Adam straightened a black bandana that he kept tied around one of his ankles and then stood and flipped his chair around to match her own. They both sat with their chests planted to the backs of the vinyl 1950’s era chairs.

“Let’s start this conversation with what you know about me,” he said.

Phoenix rolled her eyes impatiently at his request for an ego stroke. “You’re Adam Danzel from the rock band The Reapers. You started it with your high school buddies. It took you years to get a record deal because heavy metal music had fallen out of favor with radio, which by the way was total shit. Never married. One of the best vocalists of not just this era, but as far back as metal goes.” She chuckled. “I’m not sure what you’re looking for here. I’m sure others have read articles on you just like I have.”

“What do you know about my parents?”

“I heard you were adopted.”

Adam gave a slight nod. “Well that’s not exactly the truth. I was disowned when I didn’t want anything to do with my father’s career ambitions.”

“Which were?”

“Political.”

Phoenix instantly jumped up from her chair. She could feel her anger cause her eyes to glow even brighter. “You were a part of those pricks that lined their pockets and killed off this nation?” Her finger shook as it pointed at him.

“Do I know them personally? Yes. Did I walk away from my family and everything I knew well before any of this happened? Yes.” He looked down and waved his hands across his attire and hair. “Honestly do you think someone like me would be taken on the campaign trail with daddy?”

“Well you have a point there. And I guess the fact that you weren’t shoved into a bunker to ride out the fallout is testimony that they wanted nothing to do with you.”

“I ran away when I was fourteen and lived on the streets. Of course my dad always knew where I was, but as far as the public knew he didn’t have a son named Adam Edelston.”

Now Phoenix was yelling so loud that every creature trying to sleep in the swamp would have heard her. “As in President Edelston? You prick. What the hell are you trying to pull here?”

“Please, calm down and I will tell you everything.” His eyes pleaded with her, but she didn’t budge.

Phoenix paced for a second then pulled her Glock out of its hip holster and backed herself into the small kitchen area of the one room cabin. She kept the firearm aimed at him like he was Cujo ready to attack, foaming mouth and all.

Adam walked toward her. Her eyes were bulged and filled with rage. She felt like the number one enemy had landed in her lap only to destroy her once and for all, and her gun was pointed right at his forehead.

“You’re not going to shoot me. You need me just as much as I need you.”

For whatever reason she let him take the weapon from her hands. He laid it on the tiny stove beside her so that she could still reach it if she wanted to. His body moved closer to her and she felt the press of his hard muscles against her own as she was pressed against the counter. He took her face in his hands and she wanted more than anything to be kissed by him. That was something her mind couldn’t reconcile. He was the enemy, or at least his father was. Adam didn’t kiss her, but he was close enough if he wanted to. “My father didn’t have anything to do with the TSP. There was a coup d’état. He hadn’t run the country for a very long time, but was their puppet. He would go on television and spread their positive messages about the TSP. He was locked up in a vault under the White House. He knew the dangers of TSP and what the ultimate goal was. If he didn’t do as they said they would have killed him. Despite the security around my family, my mother was able to find a way to send me messages. It’s not easy to watch your father on TV knowing he’s being told what to say and do—probably with a gun pointed at him, just out of view.”

Phoenix felt her lips open a little bit more as he spoke, still wanting that kiss. Blinking a couple times she forced herself to concentrate on what he said. He backed away and placed the Glock back in her hand.

“And what do you need my help with?” she managed to say.

“Finding him.”

She choked on his words.

“You’ve learned very well how to survive, fight, and protect yourself. I’ve done the same, but you seem to have a gift of sensing danger,” he added.

“And you got all that just from stalking me? Apparently I’m not that good if I had no idea that you were following me around.”

“I didn’t follow you around twenty-four-seven. I observed you from a distance when you would get into scuffles with other vamps or humans. And truth be told, to watch a damn hot woman kick someone’s ass, it’s a turn on like no other.”

She cleared her throat and changed the focus back on him. “Have you never had to face a group of vamps?”

Adam gave her a crooked smile and held up his index finger motioning for her to wait one second while he walked outside. It took him a few minutes because he had to watch out for George. When he came back inside he was holding a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“And where did you get that?” Phoenix’s eyebrows went up.

“I know where rich people keep their stashes.”

“Of course you do,” she replied rolling her eyes.

Adam popped the cap off and took a swig, then offered the bottle to Phoenix. It burned all the way down, but felt so good. She handed it back and he took another deep drink, then held up the bottle. “To new alliances.”

Phoenix took it from him and used two of the plastic cups that were left in the cabin to pour them both a drink. “By the way my name is Phoenix,” she said handing one to him.

“I know. People talk. I heard the rumors of the girl running around the South with the crazy hair, kicking asses and taking names.”

“That’s not good. I’ve tried my damndest to stay out of the current world.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but someone as beautiful as you can’t just blend in.”

“You don’t exactly blend in either.” She took another drink and felt the warm buzz of liquor taint her brain.

“What’s your story?” He asked sitting on the floor with the bottle and his cup. He put his knees up and rested his arms on top of them, his cup dangling. Phoenix sat down across from him.

“It’s pretty simple really. Bombs went off, my family died and I lived.”

“Come on, don’t be like that.”

Phoenix sighed. “I was at school. In the chaos I couldn’t find my little sister. We somehow both made it home, as well as my parents. The three of them got sicker and sicker as the weeks went on and I started to crave blood. My sister was my best friend.” She looked down forcing the tears back. “As the radiation sickness worsened and she began to puke blood and look like a walking skeleton she begged me to take the pain away. By that time my folks had passed on and I buried them in the back yard. Sophie knew what I had become, but never looked at me differently. She didn’t just want me to take her life; she wanted me to suck her dry. After weeks of her begging and insisting that I shouldn’t waste her blood, I gave in.”

Adam ran his hand down his face. “Damn.”

“Yeah, she went limp in my arms and I held her lifeless form tight for so long my arms began to stiffen up.” Phoenix slid across the floor and grabbed one of her backpacks. Pulling out a four by six photo she handed it to him. “This is all I have left of my family.”

Standing in front of a modest house with a green lawn and a large tree out front were four people with huge smiles and arms wrapped around each other. “That was the first day we moved into our new home. My parents were so proud.”

“Your sister looks just like you.”

Phoenix smiled. “I think she was much prettier. She had grace; I’m just a rocker chick.”

Adam handed the photo back and his hand skimmed hers. “Just because you’re different doesn’t mean you’re not beautiful.”

She slid the photo carefully back into the side pocket of the backpack. “I’m not drunk enough for this conversation.”

Adam brought up the bottle and refilled her cup. “Well drink up.”

A few drinks later they were laughing about their lives and old memories.

Phoenix snorted when she told him about the time she rolled down the stairs on her first date. Her parents finally agreed that she was of dating age and when the boy came to pick her up, she caught her heel on the stairs and rolled all the way down from the second story and landed at his feet. “He just stood there at the front door not knowing what the hell to do.”

“Nice guy,” Adam said with sarcasm.

“Oh come on. He was a teenager; they have no class.”

“Well that’s true. The only thing on their mind is their dick.”

“Like that changes as they get older.”

“Sure it does. It just gets more sophisticated. Instead of getting a woody for no reason, or just because a girl happens to look in your direction, you need to develop a little more finesse.”

Phoenix wanted to find out exactly what he thought would be enough. She was sure it wouldn’t take more than flashing her C cups, but that wasn’t going to happen. As hot as Adam was, she had some dignity.

He ran his hand through his hair and leaned his head back against the wall. “It’s been quite a while since I have been drunk. Other than the damn gator and the gun pointed at me this has been a good night.”

She watched as he closed his eyes and let his head fall to the side. Pulling the cup from his grasp she placed a pillow under him and stretched his body out so that he was lying on the floor. There was no way she was giving up her sleeping spot, the only bed. It wasn’t much, and the springs poked her, but it was better than the floor.

Her eyes stayed on his sleeping form. Phoenix didn’t drink half of what he did, but then she assumed the rock star life had conditioned him to party pretty hard.

“Adam Danzel’s in my cabin,” she said to herself as she closed her eyes, smiling.

BOTH ADAM AND Phoenix woke up holding their throbbing heads.

“That’s the shit thing about drinking. You wake up feeling like you’ve been run over by a truck,” he said slowly getting to his feet.

Phoenix poured two glasses of water and handed one to him. “Drink this and about four more and you will be fine.”

As he guzzled down the water he paused and asked. “By the way what’s your real name?”

“Tracey Williams. I had a good friend who tattooed me with a Phoenix and all the other artwork you see. He said I could survive anything and he started to call me Phoenix, so I just kept the name. It’s easier when people don’t know your real story anyway.” She looked down giving a loud sigh, thinking of her family and friends.

“Well, it definitely suits you,” he said smiling.

George growled outside and Phoenix instantly picked up her rifle and held it to her shoulder as she opened the front door. Walking through the swamp grass were two men in waders, both armed with shotguns. They were about fifty yards away walking directly for the front of the cabin.

“We need to go,” she said turning and throwing everything in the backpacks. Adam didn’t ask questions, he began tossing all the items in the cabin inside the bags as well.

With the bags packed and their weapons attached to them, they silently walked out the back door. Hiding behind a large tree they peered around it eyeing the men approaching. Both looked native to the area. They had on camouflage hats and shirts. Their waders would protect them against snakes, but not gators and the first thing one did was shoot George in the head. Phoenix squeezed her eyes shut.

“We got dinner tonight, Bob,” one said, hitting the other on the shoulder.

It took the men a few minutes to figure out that there were two small boats pulled up on shore. Their guns were at the ready again. They looked into the canoe, but Phoenix had pulled everything out. The boat with the motor Adam showed up in was another story. His bag of clothing and a stash of whiskey were still in it.

“Shit,” Adam said under his breath.

Phoenix handed him the three backpacks, walked to a tree trunk and crouched. She used the large tree trunk as a gun rest. She took aim at the guy leaning over and picking up the box of whiskey and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit him right in the center of his head. His buddy instantly found where the shot had come from and took aim. Phoenix and the intruder both shot at the same time and she waited for the impact. The intruder was hit in the chest. He let out a grunt then collapsed on the ground. Phoenix screeched as the shotgun blast hit her in the upper left arm. She dropped the gun and gripped her shoulder. Adam ran for her and pulled the bandana from his ankle and wrapped it around the wound. “Keep pressure on it.”