To Cut Blood Ties

Chapter 12: Fear Alive

June 30, 2016

Paradise Valley, Arizona

7:50pm

Alice had been unable to part from him after that, and she had truly forgotten what it was like to be around Tom. So they had driven to Desert Ridge, looking through the windows of some of the stores, some they braved the shifty looks to actually get a closer examination of the merchandise. They wandered over and grabbed some ice cream, taking a seat to watch the kids playing in the water. Tom had looked at her and told her that one-day he wanted to live in the country with a few kids.

Alice had been unable to respond.

They spent several hours in Barnes and Noble, the place where they had met, and a place where they had so many friends forever trapped in print. From there, they found Dave and Busters, where Tom learned that she had never been and he had taken it upon himself to show her everything that was good about the place. Despite Alice's original weariness, she eventually relaxed and found herself laughing and her competitive nature emerging to challenge him at every game that they could find.

When eight o'clock rolled out, Alice managed to drag herself and him out of the colorful interior and she kissed him gently on the mouth. It was meant to be a quick peck, but she began to drown in him and it was like ripping off duct tape to stop it. They agreed to meet at Kierland Commons four days from now and they would have another date. Alice smiled and as she turned away, she found herself already counting the hours until she would see him.

The start of the engine didn't wake her up for her dream, neither did turning on to Shea. She was still smiling as she made the right to begin making her way up the driveway. What caught her attention and finally made the smile fade from her lips was the fact that that Sam was already in front of the garage, looking at her iPad and George was standing next to her. They were talking rapidly, his hands flinging back and forth.

Neither of them paid Alice any mind as she parked the bike, placed the helmet under the seat and began to make her way to the house. It was only when George yelled, "Next time you take a bike, let one of us know so we don't have to worry about if someone stole it." Alice hunched her shoulders in apology.

She went through her routine of a light yoga routine to cause her body to relax and her mind to quiet. She drew the setogram over her left eye, now opening a small mark on her left arm. There was the usual wave of dizziness but she pushed through it as she slipped into her uniform. Alice braided her hair quickly and was just about to place her phone on the nightstand before impulsively texting Tom that she was so happy to see him today. And she even added an emoji to the end of the text, which made her even more nauseated and she fled from the room before she could see if he deigned to reply.

"Ah, they have you joining us again tonight?" the soldier from the last mission, Bryant greeted Alice warmly. He was bald, with horribly thinning eyebrows but large, warm grey eyes and a massive smile that seemed contagious.

"Apparently, I guess they thought I did pretty okay last time," Alice let one corner of her mouth curve up as she felt amusement color her insides.

"That or they've taken pity on you because of your name," a new woman, one with black lipstick and equally dark hair watched Alice with boredom.

Bryant protested, "Meg, enough of that bullshit."

"It could be true," Alice let the comment roll down her back, "But if they have taken pity it makes me wonder why they would stick me with your group." Alice shrugged, and attached her scythe to the holster that was on her back.

There was laughter from both Bryant and another soldier who Alice also recognized, maybe Powell? The latter shook her fair head in the direction of Meg, "She got you there. If anyone gets the pity vote though, it has to be you. You're about as graceful as a dwarven ballerina."