Page 8 of Redwood Blaze
I pause, my fingers cold. I told myself after Gideon went to prison I wouldn’t lie to people about what I was doing or what was happening.
Millie: I will.
Terra: Do you need anything?
Millie: A different past?
Terra: Hun, we all wish for that, but we need to realize that life is just a series of trials and challenges that make us stronger.
Millie: I’m okay with being weaker if I don’t have to deal with his shit anymore.
Terra: Understood. I’m here for you.
Millie: I know. Thank you.
Terra: Good luck.
Good luck, against a monster.
It’s like I’m a warrior going into battle. But I don’t want to fight anymore. I had four good years of silence in my life. Just being me.
And now he’s trying to come back and create the cacophony of anger that he’s known for.
I like the silence, Gideon. And I’m not going back to having your volume in my life.
“What do you mean you’re taking a few days off?” Cole asks while I’m packing my room up.
“The weather is clear for at least ten days. People are just starting to camp again. The last snow is still on the ground up top and the run off is flowing fast, so now’s a… a good… time.”
“There’snevera good time, Supe Archer.”
“I have to, Cole.”
He stills. “Is something wrong?”
You told Terra…
“No. Nothing. I just need a little space.”
“Where are you going? What cabin? Give me an address.”
I shove paperwork into my bag. “Up on peak six. The Himbaugh’s cabin. They’re still in Florida for the winter and said I can use it whenever I want.”
“That’s not a cabin. It’s a shack!”
“It’ll be fine for a few days to hide—… I mean, get away.” I almost say “hideout” and his eyes narrow in on me.
He’s a smokejumper, falling into the most remote wooded areas to fight fires. If Rusty thinks he’s Captain America levelbadass, and don’t get me wrong, he is. Cole is like Ironman, Superman, and Black Panther all rolled into one.Thatlevel of badass. Smokejumpers aren’t known for having any sense of fear or self-preservation, but I can see something in his face that is reading that way.
“Millie… Millie! Just stop!” his voice escalates and I can’t help it, a small tremor of fear rolls through me at the volume. He rounds my desk. “What the fuck is going on?” His arms wrap around me and although my instinct is to fight my way out of the hold, I freeze.
“I’m… I’ve got to get away for a few days. I promise, I’ll be fine,” I murmur into his shoulder.
A man clears his throat from the door. “Am I interrupting something?”
The familiar voice straightens my back and when I look over at him, Rusty’s brows are practically in his hairline. He’s got the wrong idea, but at this point, I’m not sure I can care.
Cole steps back and whispers in my ear, away from the door. “Take a SAT phone. Check in every three hours. You don’t and we’re on our way.”
