Page 4 of Adam's Rising

Adam pulled himself upright out of the snow but didn’t stand. Instead he leaned backward, resting on his knees.

“Thomas?” Adam gulped down his brother’s name. If Thomas weren’t hurt, he’d be shouting for Jeff after hearing all the bad guys hit the deck.

Jeff walked back to him. “I’m sorry, kid. I tried. I told him not to — Damn. I’m so sorry.”

Adam fell forward, hands shaking. His vision tunneled, like staring up from the bottom of one of the closed gold mines Dad had shown them — warned there was no escape if they fell in.

A guttural moan emanated from deep within his core. “No!” Feeling like he couldn’t breathe, he sucked in the icy air, choking. “Nooooooooo.”

Jeff squatted in front of Adam, lifting him and shoving the revolver back into his possession. “I know, kid. I wish there were something else I could’ve — I tried to save him. You gotta go. I’ll clean this up.”

Adam released the gun; he didn’t want anything to do with it. “I can’t leave.”

Jeff clasped his shoulders and shook him. “You have to think about yourself and Peter. Thomas knew what he was doing. I warned him. God knows I warned him.” He reached down and scooped up the revolver. “You’ll need this. Okay? I’m going to clean this up, and then I’m leaving town, entering the military.”

Adam stared up at Jeff. None ofthismade sense.

“Tom said no one came to check on you and your brother since your parents passed. That true?”

Adam lowered his head, running his hands through his hair. “Yeah…” he huffed beneath his breath.

“Don’t go to Anchorage. Too many people there. They’ll ask too many questions.” Jeff looked left and right, then shook his head. “Go to Wasilla. An older woman runs a horse ranch there. She’s the one who helped Tom sell off your stuff. Word is she has a soft spot for strays.”

Adam blinked.Stuff?My horse.Bolt.

Jeff bent forward, eye-to-eye with him. “Kid, you have to listen to me. You have to go. That was a lot of gunfire. As far out in the sticks we are, I doubt anyone heard it, but I need to clean up this mess. Wait a few years, then come back to Falcon Run and claim your property. Understand?”

Numb physically and mentally, Adam shook his head but then nodded. “Go to Wasilla.”

“That’s right. What else?”

“Protect Peter.”

“You’re gonna be okay, kid. Tom always said you were the smart one.”

Adam sniffed back tears. Tom had never called him smart before tonight, not to his face, anyway. Adam glanced toward the cabin. His heart screamed to go back, to fight to keep them in their family home as Thomas had for the last two years. But whatcouldhe do? He was only sixteen. Thomas had tried — and failed. Now Adam had to take the reins.

He couldn’t fail. He was the only family Peter had left.

Jeff rested a heavy hand on Adam’s shoulder. “One last thing, kid. I ever hear you get involved with drug dealers, I’ll come back and shoot you myself.”

* * *

Adam ranthe entire way back to the truck without looking back. The moon, no longer hiding, reflected off the fresh powder, lending a blue hue over the no-named street that led to the family cabin.

No matter. He didn’t need to duck low-hanging limbs or dodge holes dug by Arctic ground squirrels. He doubted more assassins were coming down the road that led to his house. Jeff had taken out five men before Adam’s eyes, three of them before Adam even made it back to the house. Or perhaps Thomas had taken out one or two when Jeff’s gun jammed.

Adam should be grateful that Jeff had taken his gun, thankful that he hadn’t had to take a life. Could he have? He’d killed animals, but he’d only killed to eat. The one time a brown bear had startled him, he’d skipped a beat, unable to pull the trigger. Thankfully, the bear hadn’t charged. If he had, it would have been “Bye-Bye, Adam,” as his dad used to tease.

A hundred yards from the truck, Adam stopped in the road, doubled over, and emptied the contents of his stomach, which wasn’t much. He dropped to a squat and cried into his hands.

No one had given his parents a funeral. The funeral home simply handed Thomas two white cardboard boxes. When Adam looked inside the plain boxes once they returned home, he’d seen that each of his parents had been placed in a clear plastic bag with a twist-tie top.

All through grade school, his mother had lovingly prepared him PB&J sandwiches, wrapped them in a paper towel, and then sealed them inside a twist-tie plastic bag, asking him to bring home the bag if it wasn’t soiled.

He choked on the memory. Thomas wouldn’t even have that. In order to protect Adam and Peter, Jeff had said. “I’ll clean up this mess.”

Adam stared up at the sky. “I’ll come back, Thomas. I promise. I will never forget your sacrifice.” Thomas hadn’t gotten involved with drug dealers so he could do drugs or have nice things; he’d been trying to take care of their family. While it might have been a stupid decision, it’d been an honorable one. “I’ll give you the honor you deserve, Thomas. I know you did your best. Now it’s my turn. We Midnight Sons always forge forward.”

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