Phoenix13: Redemption (Phoenix13 Book 2)

Part #10: Red Dawn: Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"Captain? Captain!" Bree's panicked voice sliced through the peaceful calm of early morning. At once the lights in the passenger carriage came on, illuminating the startled faces of the newly-woken Liberators sprawled across the seats. Bree stood at the center of the room with a knife in one hand and blood on the other, her eyes wide and scared.

"Bree?" murmured Nikki. The healer lifted her head groggily, blinking against the artificial light. Kalligan rose with her, yawning widely. The two had fallen asleep side-by-side. His hand rested atop hers. When Nikki realized that they were essentially holding hands, she blushed bright pink and quickly pulled away, dipping her head and whispering something that sounded suspiciously like an apology.

"Redd," Jason said. The Captain of the Liberators sat propped upright by the window, his favorite gun and a scrap of cloth in his lap. When he saw Bree, he was on his feet in an instant, body visibly tensing. "Are we being attacked?"

"No," Bree said. Her voice almost broke. Kalligan saw the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "It's Blayze, Captain. He's... he..." She struggled to gain her composure in vain. A tear streaked down her cheek, and then another. She closed her eyes. The knife in her hand slipped from shaking fingers and struck the metallic floor with a loud clang. "He's sick, Jason," Bree whispered. "Really fucking sick."

At once there was a flurry of activity. Jason leapt to his feet and began shouting orders. Most of the Liberators he sent to the dining car, telling them to close the door and seal it as best they could. All but Kalligan and Bree retreated at once to the relative safety of temporary quarantine. They cast worried, anxious glances back at their Captain as they went.

"Jay," Rithian said as he pulled the sliding door closed behind him. "You be careful, okay?"

"Make sure no one leaves that goddamn room," Jason shot back. "Or enters it. And keep Jet back, okay? I know Blayze's his brother, but we can't risk exposing anyone else. It sucks, but we just can't."

Kalligan looked between them, watching emotions play across Rithian's young, ruggedly handsome face. After a moment of tense silence, Rithian returned Jason's nod. "'Course, Jay. You can count on me."

"I know I can," Jason said. The door slammed shut, sealing them inside.

Kalligan swallowed the lump of fear rising in his throat. He couldn't afford to be scared. Not now. Taking a step forward, he planted himself firmly in front of Jason, clenching his fists to keep his hands from shaking. He took a deep breath in through his nose, exhaling sharply. "Jason," he said. "What now?"

"Why didn't you go with them, Kallie?" Jason said. When his eyes met Kalligan's, there was shock in them. A hint of desperation. "I thought you would."

"You didn't tell me to. Not specifically." Kalligan shrugged, trying for nonchalance and falling a mile short. "Look, Jason, I wanna help. This is my family, too." What he didn't say was, This is my fault.

Jason looked at him for a very long time. Behind them, Bree and Sterling shifted nervously, the rubber soles of their combat boots squeaking on the slick floor. "Fine," Jason said at last. "If you die, it's not on me."

Kalligan managed a weak smile. "Don't worry. I won't haunt you."

"Rankan tela kana, Kallie." Jason swore in Àmandinian. "Bree, I want you to stay here. If you're infected, you've gotta stay separate. Clear?"

Bree nodded. "Yes, Captain," she said through her tears. "Just save him."

"He's in the bathroom, right?" Jason clarified. Bree nodded again. "Just our fucking luck," the prince said. "C'mon, Kal. If you're gonna disobey orders and stick around, you might as well be useful."