The Travelers: Book Two (6 page)

Aaron let out a sigh and relaxed his finger.

“False alarm,” he said.

Then it happened.

<<<>>>

“Aaron!” Ty cried again.

“Jesus,” Aaron cried, jumping into action finally.

He sliced through the tentacle and the many-mouthed monster screeched and withdrew its grip on Ty.

The youngest member of the group stumbled back, the flesh on his arm charred and angry.

Adrenaline started to give way to shock; he wavered on his feet and his eyes rolled back in his head.

“Shit!” Aaron dove to steady Ty as Dez took his place with the monster.

Wielding Ty’s as well as his own knife, Dez went at the creature like a Tasmanian Devil.

Aaron supported most of Ty’s weight as he dragged him to the vehicle that seemed more and more to serve as their personal ambulance.

Trick was back on his feet. He watched Dez for a moment, seriously impressed with how quickly a guy with his bulk could move.

The fog reformed and circled around Dez, cutting off his exit route.

“Don’t worry! I got your back!” Trick called, hacking his way into Dez’s circle.

Trick slashed and swiped at the errant tendrils that reached out for them while Dez focused his attention on the monster itself.

The creature hissed and shrieked like a balloon slowly losing air. Its surface bubbled and it tried to regain its shape, but Dez was relentless.

The monster became on giant mouth; a long pointed tongue slithered along the ground, wrapping around both of their ankles.

Aaron assessed the situation; he had to get Ty to Gemma as soon as possible. But the rest of his group didn’t seem to be doing too well either. He remembered Gemma’s warning about not leaving a man behind. There was no option here that didn’t leave someone behind. Ty’s skin was cold and clammy. There wasn’t much time at all.

<<<>>>

Darkness was everywhere. As much as she strained her eyes, Izzy couldn’t see anything.

She fumbled her way forward, her feet found the ground to be soft and pliant.

“Hello?” she called, but there was no sound.

She opened her mouth again; horrified, her hands flew to cover it. It was gone.

She clasped the smooth skin where her mouth should have been and tried to scream.

Her toe caught on something and she fell forward. She caught herself but on what?

She felt around blindly and jumped back when she realized what it was: the ground was made of bodies.

As much as she tried to scream, she had no mouth, no voice. Pressure built behind her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t come.

She had no eyes.

Her lungs struggled for air. How could she breathe? How could she exist?

Then, a spark of light.

She was happy to see it; her eyes were working!

The light grew and grew and Izzy welcomed it.

It seared her skin and she watched her skin char and disappear. Her muscles sizzled all the way to the bone.

But still the light grew brighter.

Her bones turned to dust and she disintegrated into the wind.

<<<>>>

The commotion woke her.

“Bring him over here!” Gemma said, clearing off the table for Aaron.

“Where’s everyone else? Where’s Carson?” she asked, her heart racing, a hint of hysteria creeping into her voice.

“No time right now,” Aaron said, laying Ty on the table.

He drifted in and out of consciousness and his teeth chattered with the shivers that wracked his body.

“What happened?” Gemma asked, her hands hovering just over Ty’s mutilated arm.

“Monster,” said Aaron, gathering all the blankets he could find to cover up Ty.

Izzy stared at the scene, bleary-eyed, trying to remember her dream.

“A monster?” she asked, joining them to inspect Ty’s wounds.

“Yeah, a fucking monster,” said Aaron, “Or are you going to try to tell me something else happened?”

Izzy’s jaw dropped and she struggled for words, “I wasn’t… I was just… I mean…”

“Could you two not, right now?” Gemma said, her voice weak and her face pale.

Alina hurried to her side, “You’re doing too much!”

Gemma looked at Ty’s arm, still covered with angry red burns branded into his flesh.

“I’m fine,” she argued.

Alina took her hand, “I don’t know if I have any left to give, but I offer my magic.”

Gemma felt strength coming from Alina’s grip. It flowed through her, pumped through her heart, reinvigorating her, before traveling down the opposite arm to her fingertips. Her healing touch repaired most of Ty’s wounds, but she still struggled.

“Izzy,” Alina said, reaching for her hand.

“But I’m not… I don’t…” Izzy stammered.

“Gemma needs us all,” Alina said, “you too, Aaron.”

It wasn’t often that Alina spoke and when she did, people had a tendency to listen to her.

They all joined hands and a surge of energy coursed through them all.

Aaron’s hand felt melded to Izzy’s. The moment they locked together it was like two powerful magnets meeting.

Izzy’s insides quivered as she focused on his touch. Butterflies erupted in her stomach and fluttered wildly. The heat from his grasp filled her like a deep breath. She exhaled and sent it through to Alina.

Alina couldn’t suppress her smile; theory confirmed.

Gemma’s hands trembled, but she forwarded everyone’s contribution to him.

“I think that’s all we can do,” she said, feeling a push-back from Ty. He wasn’t completely healed, but the color was returning to his face and his breathing became regular again.

Aaron sighed with relief. He was going to be okay.

“Now, how about you tell me where my boyfriend is,” Gemma said, hands on her hips.

Chapter Six

“Well, that was certainly eventful,” Ty said, flexing the stiff new skin stretched over his sore arm. He still didn’t feel quite like himself, but a little nausea wasn’t going to keep him down.

“You’re telling me,” said Trick as Gemma worked on assessing the damage he’d sustained.

“I can’t believe Aaron just left you guys there,” Ty said, feeling guilty.

“I’m glad he did,” said Carson.

“Me too,” Ty admitted.

“Besides, we made out all right, right big guy?” Trick said, nudging Dez with his elbow.

Dez grunted and nodded.

“How did you guys get out of that? It didn’t look too good when I left,” asked Aaron.

“Well,” Trick said, cracking his knuckles and leaning back. Gemma determined that other than one particularly nasty cut, his injuries weren’t worth healing. “It’s all about waiting out your opponent. Finding that perfect window. Waiting until they give you the opportunity and then you strike!” he embellished his story with exaggerating facial expressions and a bit of pantomime.

Carson rolled his eyes, “Dez whistled and I came running. I was enough of a distraction for him to finish it.”

Trick pouted; “I was there, too.”

“Oh, yes. How could I forget? Trick contributed by crying that his ankle was broken,” said Carson.

“I stabbed it, too!”

“Your ankle is fine,” Gemma said, lifting up the end of his pant leg.

“Yeah, well… it hurt,” Trick muttered.

“Well, I never thought that whistle would actually be useful,” Aaron joked.

Dez’s father was a big-time football coach and when Desmond was younger he went to practices with his old man. He could whistle before he could talk and it had only gotten louder and more annoying as he’d gotten older. He particularly enjoyed whistling in someone’s ear after they passed out drunk.

Not that Aaron knew that from experience.

“I have to say, Iz, that was a really great suggestion,” Carson said.

“Yes, somehow, that area has flown completely under our radar,” said Ty, “we’ll have to return there. There’s still so much to do.”

“See? Compromise works,” said Gemma.

Carson smiled and slipped an arm around Gemma’s waist, pulling her close.

“You were right,” he conceded.

“I’m just glad that you’ve given up all of that kiss nonsense,” he added.

Gemma cringed.

Izzy’s smile slipped straight from her face.

“Wait, what? After all of this, you’re going to bring that up again?”

Carson didn’t see what he’d said wrong.

“I… I just meant… Come on, we all know it didn’t happen. It was starting to get a little ridiculous,” he said, feeling backed into a corner.

“Oh… why?” Gemma muttered, hiding her face from what was sure to be another giant blow-out.

“Are you SERIOUS? You have no idea what’s really going on here and you’re going to pass judgment on me? I really thought maybe you’d changed, Carson,” see seemed more disappointed than angry now. For a brief moment everyone was happy and getting along. Why did he have to ruin it by reminding her of her embarrassment?

“Isabel, come on!” Carson called after her as she turned to leave.

“I hope you’re happy,” she said to Aaron as she walked past him, “you win. I give up.”

Aaron’s mouth hung open. He didn’t even say anything! How was she angry at him?

Carson’s expression was a mirror image of Aaron’s.

“What did I say?” he asked Gemma.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, “We were so close to having everyone happy.”

“What did I say?” Carson cried as his girlfriend stormed off annoyed with him, too.

Aaron scoffed. He’d tried to put it behind him. He tried to face his demons. He tried to do everything right to show her.

It still blew up in his face.

His eyes wandered to the bar. Why the Hell not?

His stomach burned with one shot and then another. He thought she’d given up a long time ago. That meant all of this time… he’d had a chance.

And another.

After a while, Ty joined him at the bar. Aaron took one glance at the shiny scars covering still-healing burns on his arm and felt a pang of guilt.

“So, why don’t you tell me what happened out there?”

He laughed and took another drink.

“Why? You’re not exactly a fan of mine,” Aaron said.

“You’re right. I’m not. You withheld valuable information from us, lied to us and you’ve squandered our resources. If this is war, who’s side does it seem like you’re on?”

Aaron gritted his teeth. “Did I forget to mark ‘Shit on Aaron Day’ on my calendar again?”

“You saved my life. I may not like you much, but I owe you,” Ty said, “I know something happened out there today and I was the only one that saw it. Maybe I can return the favor?”

Aaron made a face after another drink made him cough and sputter.

“You really want to know?”

“Yeah.”

<<<>>>

The explosion knocked him to the ground before he even knew what was happening.

It was the kid. The one he should have shot.

He heard only ringing. Blood trickled from his ears and he wiped it away without another thought.

He ran towards the school. His men, his friends — his brothers were in there.

The impact of the bullet hit him before the pain did. He was running on pure adrenaline. His arm hung at his side, useless and limp from the attack on his shoulder.

He dug through the rubble. He didn’t care that he was exposed.

The ground shook and shifted the rocks underneath. Another bomb?

His ears only buzzed. He looked around at the panicked faces of the villagers.

The ground still trembled.

An earthquake.

He fought to steady himself on the crumbling remains of the school. His vision tunneled. He looked down and saw red seeping and spreading over his chest.

It was his call.

<<<>>>

“I woke up after they’d gotten the bullet fragments out of my shoulder. I was the only one in my team to make it out of the ambush. I was the one that sent them in there. I told them it was clear.”

Ty looked at his arm before looking back to Aaron.

“Now… whenever things get hectic, I just panic. I freeze. I feel like I’m in another place completely,” Aaron said, trying to keep his tears at bay. Drinking and telling war stories rarely ended in anything other than tears.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Ty said, “You should have told us.”

Aaron shook his head with a look of derision, “There are a million other stories just like mine out there. I’m not special. If you weren’t there… you can’t understand.”

“Well, I’m here if you want to talk.”

“You should get some rest, that arm looks gnarly as Hell.”

“Gee, thanks,” joked Ty, clapping Aaron on the shoulder as he stood from the barstool.

<<<>>>

“Well what was I
supposed
to say?” Carson asked.

Gemma’s brown eyes flashed with fiery anger, “You’re supposed to say ‘Thanks sis. You did great, I’m glad you’re here.’”

“Isn’t that what I said?”

“No. Not even close. You said you’re glad she forgot — and I quote — ‘that kiss nonsense’.”

“Well… come on. It is nonsense isn’t it?” Carson still wasn’t sure what he was in so much trouble for.

“That’s not for us to judge, Carson. Izzy certainly thinks it happened. Who are we to say her memory is faulty?”

“But I’d trust Aaron with my life,” Carson said.

“Even though he lied about the video? He’s already got a strike against him. I just don’t see how it can be so black and white to you,” Gemma argued.

“Well… I didn’t think about that,” said Carson.

“No, I’m sure you didn’t.”

He took a step closer to her, his hands finding her hips, his lips only millimeters from hers.

“Can we not fight their fight?” He asked.

Gemma’s eyes grew warm with lust; she looked at him through her lashes and made his heart speed up and slow down all at once.

“You’re right. We shouldn’t let their problems affect us,” she said, “Why don’t we go back to my place?”

“Sounds like a great idea,” he said, taking her by the hand.

They walked through the main floor of the clubhouse and Gemma stopped in her tracks.

Carson followed the line of her eyes and saw Aaron alone, slumped over the bar.

He sighed, “Go ahead without me. I’ll deal with him.”

Gemma nodded and gave him a quick kiss.

“You’re a good friend,” she whispered.

He went in for another kiss and groaned as he pulled away.

“He better fucking recognize it, too.”

She giggled and left him to deal with his inebriated friend.

“Hey,” he said nudging Aaron on the shoulder.

Aaron picked his head up and squinted his eyes.

“You!” He roared and swung on Carson.

Carson didn’t even have to move, the swing was way off base.

“’S’all your fault!” Aaron cried.

“What is?”

Aaron hunched over the bar, silent sobs shaking his back.

“What are you talking about?”

“Fucking… life,” Aaron grumbled.

“All right, you’re coming with me.”

“Canna bring… beer?”

Carson rolled his eyes.

“I think you’ve had enough, buddy, but sure, let’s see if you can manage not to spill it.”

“’Ll ‘av you know… I’m speshully trained in…” he stumbled as he tried to stand.

“Mm-hmm,” Carson said, lifting one of Aaron’s arms over his shoulder.

“Where we goin?” Aaron asked, looking around with unfocused eyes.

“Somewhere nice,” Carson answered, pulling him up the stairs.

“I… fergot my… oh, here it is!” Aaron exclaimed gleefully, discovering the bottle still in his hand.

Carson hefted his weight up to the bathroom and turned the shower on.

“Hey… this is…” Aaron stuttered and stumbled.

Carson snatched the bottle from his hand and pushed him into the cold shower, clothes and all.

“Hey! Hey!” Aaron shouted, trying to block the arctic stream.

“Quit it!” He said, sounding a little more coherent.

He was soaked and shivering, but Carson stood guard.

“Listen to me Aaron Washburn, you are going to get your shit together or you’re going to get the fuck out of here and never come back, do you understand me?”

Aaron’s head drooped.

“Why do you hate yourself so much? What the Hell happened to you?”

“Izzy,” he said, resigning himself now to the freezing shower.

“Yeah, she hates you, so?”

Aaron picked up his head and his eyes locked with his best friend’s. His gold irises shone with intensity.

“I love her.”

Carson turned the shower off and looked at him with disbelief.

“What?!”

“I always have. I just… she was your sister,” he groaned and cursed, “I fucked up, man.”

Carson threw him a towel.

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. What happened?”

“I don’t know. We always had a thing, but she was too young, she was your sister, Hell, she was practically my sister. And she wasn’t interested in me. Well… I didn’t think she was.”

“But?”

“When she found out I was going to enlist… she asked me not to. Asked me to stay, be with her… She begged me.”

“And I told you no girl was worth giving up your dreams for… I didn’t know it was Izzy!”

“Would your answer have been different?”

“Well, yeah… I mean… maybe. I don’t know. So she’s mad that you enlisted anyway?”

“And she thinks it’s because you said you didn’t want us together…”

“Which explains why she hates my guts,” Carson said.

“So that night at the bar, you were just trying to make amends?”

“Well, yeah, but not for that…”

Carson’s eyebrows rose, “There’s more?”

“When I got home… I stopped into Santorini’s. I didn’t know she worked there. I got pretty shitty before I put two and two together. We went back to her place and…”

“Okay, I don’t need to hear the rest,” Carson said, holding up a hand to stop him.

“No. It’s not like that,” Aaron said, stripping his wet clothes off to dry himself. He still felt like shit, but he was a lot more coherent.