ColorBlind (Book #2 of S.H.A.D.E.) ✔

Facing Your Demons

20.

I wake up, disoriented and cold, surrounded by the dark. My head thunders in pain from where I was struck. I probably have a concussion.

I look around, trying to get a sense of my surroundings. This is a prison cell, from what I can tell in this darkness.

Dammit.

What can I do? Sit here and wait to be rescued?

I pick myself up off the floor, holding my arms out in front of me to feel around. I come around to a door and look for a knob, a lock, hinges at least.

Nothing.

"It's automatic," a hoarse voice says from behind me.

I jump straight up out of my skin.

"It's me, Ebony."

"Scarlet?"

She grunts in reply. I hear a strain in her voice.

"Hey, what happened to you?" I say, stumbling towards the sound of her voice. My foot connects with something and Scarlet lets out a cry of pain. "Jesus, sorry!"

"It's okay. It all hurts anyway."

I kneel down, feeling around her. "Where are you hurt?"

"Jeesh, buy me dinner first."

"Scarlet!" I exclaim, but I feel it, below her ribs. My hand becomes wet with something warm. I suck in a breath. "Why aren't you putting pressure on it? A bullet or a knife?"

"Bullet. Settle down, it's okay," she wheezes out a laugh that I don't understand.

"How is this okay? Why didn't you wait for me?"

She sighs. "I was never the rational one, not when I'm mad. I always had... Iris to ground me."

I swallow back the sobs that I feel coming on. Crying won't help.

I remove my sweater, bundling it up and pressing it into her wound. "We're getting out of here, you'll be okay."

"I'm not ever going to be okay, Ebony."

I lean in close so she will hear me loud and clear. "This is how you're gonna go? In a fucking Necro Proxy prison? You're the strongest woman I know! Iris would be pissed at you right now!"

"She would be, but she's dead, right?"

I bite my lip to keep from screaming at her. I don't know how to will someone to live, to keep going. That's Copper, not me. And I can't imagine what she's going through, but I need her to live.

I can't watch someone else die.

"Scarlet--" My voice breaks.

"Oh, come on, Eb, don't do that. I'm not sad about it."

"We're getting out of here!" I insist. I feel the heat again, burning through my ocular nerve, through my retinas. The pressure builds in my temples.

I turn toward the door, and blink. The door busts open, concaving in the middle. I run over and pry what's left away.

"Okay, Scarlet, let's get you--" I turn around, cut off by the sight of her. She is slumped like a forgotten rag doll, her face pasty and covered in sweat. Her lips are discolored, turning slowly to blue, and there's a lot of blood around her. I retrieve my focus. "Let's get you out of here."

"You a superhero or something? I never knew," Scarlet's astonishment is dimmed by the pain in her voice.

I walk over to her, approaching from her good side, and wrap a supporting arm under her arm pit. When I lift her up, she screams, and I wince knowing that I'm hurting her.

When we are up, she lets out a laugh.  "Sorry, that was dramatic."

"Shut up, Scarlet."

"Yes, ma'am."

We are just exiting the cell when we hear pounding steps running down the hall. "Don't let her escape!"

I recognize Gray's voice.

"That motherfucker," Scarlet growls.

I want to stand and fight, break Gray and his Demons into tiny little pieces, but I can't put Scarlet in danger.

I try to build up the heat again, but it won't come, temperamental. "No- come on!" I seethe.

New plan. I put most of Scarlet's weight on me and begin to run, turning a corner in this labyrinth of a dungeon. She lets out an involuntary yelp, alerting those coming after us which way we went.

I cannot out run Demons. One comes flying around the corner. I set Scarlet down quickly. She hands me a snub gun she kept hidden in her boot.

I am too slow by the time it's in my hand. The Demon smacks it away and then backhands me across the face. I crash into the concrete wall, my vision distorting. When it clears I see the gun in front of me and grab it.  I roll over and shoot the Demon just as he grabs my leg.

I hear more coming.  "For fuck sakes, she's just a girl! Get her!" Gray yells, his anger bouncing around the halls.

"Ebony," Scarlet pants, "give me the gun and get out of here."

A chill runs through me. "What?"

"You heard me, get the hell out of here, I'm slowing you down."

"No, we leave togeth--"

"I'm dying, Ebony. You won't get me help in time." She reaches up weakly, gesturing for the gun.

"No," I shake my head, coming to her to lift her up again."No."

She places a hand on my shoulder, stopping me, looking me in the eye. "You were right. Sitting here, bleeding out-- that's not me. But taking those pieces of shit with me? Iris will be proud when I see her again." Her eyes water, a smile spreading across her face. "I'm not scared, Eb. So go."

I choke on the sobs stuck in my throat. I don't know what to say to her. Why is this happening? Why does this always happen?

I pull her into my arms, and God bless her, she stifles her pain. I sob into her shoulder for as long as I am able, then kiss her on the forehead. "I will never forget you, I'll always- I'll always keep fighting. I'll win, okay?"

She nods, "Go now. Be safe. And keep practicing those kicks, hey? Ya amateur."

I laugh through my tears, in spite of this messed up situation. I hand her the gun, hug her quickly one more time and stand to go.

"And Ebony?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Copper if he doesn't get his shit together and realize he's in love with you, I'll haunt him forever."

I smile, but my face contorts in sorrow. "I will."

She smiles as the footsteps get closer. "Get going. Run."

I do as she says, but it is far too difficult to hold in my sobbing as I go. I zigzag through the halls, running full tilt towards the way my pursuers entered, ignoring my shin, ignoring my head, ignoring everything...

... Until I hear the gun shots behind me.

One. Two. Three.

And she's gone.