Page 21 of Nothing is Free

I blink away the unwarranted memory of the man I used to be. Of a time when everything was as it should have been. The man in that memory died years ago, along with our dreams. Now, I have a chance to start again, and I’m not giving it up. I take one final look at my beautiful Butterfly, then I go hunting.

OMARI

My lungs burn, but I don’t stop. I look over my head occasionally and I know Malcolm is keeping pace with me, reporting my location to Dez. I run unafraid. I can feel her, she is so close it feels as if I can reach out and grab her. I run, jumping over fallen trees, skirting patches of snow so it doesn’t slow me down. I run, calling to her through our bond. I know she can feel me, there’s relief, panic, and fear in heranswering response. Hope builds in my chest, and I feel giddy at the thought of being reunited. I’m coming, Petal.I swerve in and out of the trees until I see a house in the distance. Well, it’s more like a concrete structure. The closer I get, the more I can identify. A lone black door sits in the middle of a square concrete building. The roof of the building is covered in moss, grass, branches, and snow. If you were to fly over this place, it would blend perfectly with the surrounding landscape.

I pick up speed, running harder, my breaths are coming out in pants but I keep pushing toward the door.

Fifty feet.

Thirty feet.

Fifteen feet.

Five feet.

I’m within reach of the door before I double over, saliva pools in the back of my throat as I gasp for breath. My head swims from the lack of oxygen as nausea washes over me. I sway on my feet, but there is no way I’m going to let it get in the way of me getting inside. My hand touches the handle as my name is screamed in alarm behind me. Something hits my back with the force of a battering ram. My body collides with the ground, air is forced from my lungs with an audible oomph. Then I register someone pressing down on my head, pushing my face into the dirt. I cough, trying to inflate my lungs but the pain is blinding. Broken ribs. I swing my arms wildly until my elbow hit its target with a sickening crack.

“Fuck!” The person roars as I roll onto my back to see blood streaming from the nose of a man I’ve only seen on a grainy camera recording: Damyn.

He clutches at his nose as I spring to my feet, filled with rage, adrenaline floods my limbs, giving me the strength I need to fight, despite the pain in my chest. I can barelybreathe, but I tackle him to the ground and we both roll, fighting for control as our fists land punches to gain purchase. His connect with my ribs once, twice, three times in quick succession and I growl, letting the pain fuel me as I flip us until he’s on his back. I press him down with all my weight and then I let my fists pummel his face over and over again. Blood flies into my face, my knuckles split, pain ricochets up my arm and I know I’ve broken something in my hand, but I don’t stop.

“Omari!” I hear Dez call me, and I take my eyes off Damyn for a millisecond, and I don’t see the gun until it’s too late.

I hear it go off in disbelief. Then I’m shoved to the ground as the world begins to spin. I hear my name being called. The sound of rapid gun fire. Screams of anguish. My vision tunnels and I push my love for my mates down our bonds. The last thing I see is the drone flying over my head before everything goes. . .away and the sweet oblivion of darkness claims me.

FAITH

“Faith, I need you to watch Omari through the drone feed. Do you think you do that for me, Sweetheart?” Malcolm turns his eyes on me as my own fear comes out to play. I’m shaking uncontrollably in my seat. I can’t breathe, sweating and panting as my heart gallops in my chest. I don’t know what triggered me. I watched Omari running through the trees and my mind took me back to the night I attempted to run from Chasson, Derrick, and Mal. Just the thought of them has me freezing in place, the humming in my ears, like the buzzing of a hive of bees gets louder and louder as panic takes hold.

“Faith, look at me!” Malcolm says urgently, cradling myface between his hands. “Faith, Sweetheart, look at me.” He presses his forehead to mine. “I need you to help me. Can you do that for me, Sweetness?” His voice is calm, coaxing me out of my haze. I blink and suck in a breath, craving the oxygen I didn’t realize I was starving my brain of. I stare into his caramel-colored eyes and let him ground me.

“There she is,” he says, giving me that beautiful smile of his. I keep my eyes on him until my breathing returns to normal, until I can finally speak.

“I. . .I can help,” I reply with a nod.

Malcolm runs his thumb over my bottom lip, and I want to beg him to kiss me. His eyes drop to my lips and I almost sob in relief. . .finally. Kiss me.But he pulls away just as fast and sits the laptop in my lap and puts an earpiece in my ear. Right, not the time or the place Faith!

“I need you to talk to Dez while I track the other drone for Beckett and Quincy. Okay?” He turns to me and I try not to let his request overwhelm me. I can do this. I know I can. Omari needs my help. Freeya needs me to watch her mate and I will always help her.

“I got it,” I say as I pull my legs under me until I’m sitting crossed legged in the back seat. I rest the laptop on my knees, getting a bird’s eye view of Omari as he runs through the trees. I can feel his determination in his stride. He’s moving so fast I have to focus to keep the drone travelling in the right direction. At this vantage point, the drone lets me see a wide expanse of the area around him.

“Where is he, Faith?” Dez asks in a panicked rush, and I fumble with the controls, almost crashing the drone into a tree. Malcolm leans over and kisses my cheek in encouragement. He makes this look easy, but my poor little heart can’t handle the fast pace of this techie life.

“Answer him, Sweetheart, and keep your eyes on Omari.”He nudges me and I hold back a curse. I’m not cut out for this. Give me a counselling circle where I help and encourage those who need help. Let me share my story of trauma with kindred spirits who have walked down the roads like I have, and I am winning. But this? I need another set of arms.

“He’s not far. . .in fact,” I steer the drone just above his head as I see a square-shaped structure up ahead. I don’t think Omari has noticed it yet. “Dez, there’s a building!” I shout in excitement. “I have my eyes on a building about fifty feet in front of Omari. He’s closing in fast.”

“Can you get ahead of him? Turn your drone around and let Malcolm get a look at the building,” he says, voice slightly breathless as he runs with the rest of the team to catch up.

“Roger that, Dez,” I say with a smile as Malcolm chuckles next to me.

“Look at you, with the security talk,” he teases as I slowly manipulate the drone until I see Omari running straight for the building.

“I’m a fast learner.” I wink quickly, turning my eyes back to the screen. I’m not a nail biter but the adrenaline is making me anxious and nervous.

On the other side of that door is Freeya. We are here, we are going?—

I gasp as tall figure appears out of nowhere running toward Omari. It seems Omari hasn’t noticed him as he doubles over to catch his breath. I shout through the comms, “Dez! someone is closing in on Omari?—”

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