Phoenix Falling (Phoenix Series Book 1), page 16
The intensity of Phoenix’s feelings for Jayden astonished her. What were the odds she’d find what felt like her one true love — or rather, he’d stumble upon her — while she was asleep in the woods? It almost sounded like a fairy tale. She was beginning to understand why people married so young in their group. Spending forever with Jayden was all she seemed to want anymore — well, besides the war being over and her freedom.
“Come out, come out wherever you are,” Phoenix heard Sadie calling. They were breaking the rules and playing instead of gathering, but the day was so exquisite and the men were on the other side of the forest, hunting. They wouldn’t hunt unless the girls were far from them.
Phoenix spotted Sadie a few yards away, peeking into some bushes. She slyly crept up behind her and poked her in the back. Sadie jumped what seemed a mile in the air and then laughed with relief when she discovered it was only Phoenix.
“You nearly gave me a heart attack,” Sadie gasped.
“I couldn’t resist. You know I always find the best hiding places,” Phoenix taunted her.
“Yes, I don’t know why I bother to play when you always win,” Sadie grumbled.
“Because you’re my best friend and you love me,” Phoenix said with endearing confidence.
“You’re right. We haven’t been alone all week so you have to spill on what’s been going on with you and Jayden,” Sadie demanded in breathy drama at the mention of Jayden’s name. All the girls said his name almost reverently.
“Oh, he’s about the most perfect person in the world,” Phoenix said. “Seriously, I thought I loved Brian, but I now realize he was right; it was nothing more than he was like a brother and protector. How I feel for Jayden is beyond description. He just looks at me and my stomach starts to tingle.” Phoenix giggled, rolling her eyes helplessly when she realized how silly she sounded.
“Oh my gosh, Phoenix, you sound like one of the annoying girls we always make fun of,” Sadie moaned with loving sarcasm.
“I know, I’m a bit disgusted with myself,” Phoenix told her, and they both laughed.
“You know what, though? I’m starting to feel the same way about Brian,” Sadie said a bit shyly. “When Jayden got here, he was acting a little jealous and I thought he was regretting his decision not to be with you. He was ranting and raving about how if Jayden hurt you, he and John were going to kick his butt, and I realized he was acting like an overprotective brother, not a jealous guy.”
“So has anything happened?” Phoenix asked.
“Yeah, he kissed me last night,” Sadie said, her face turning a deep shade of pink.
“I can’t believe you waited until now to tell me. Why didn’t you come immediately to my room?” Phoenix slightly reprimanded.
“I know it sounds stupid now, but I was worried you might be upset because you had a crush on him for so long, and I was feeling a bit guilty about it,” Sadie said with her eyes widened in caution. Phoenix grabbed her in a hug. She loved Sadie so much and wouldn’t ever do anything to stand in the way of her journey to happiness.
“Sadie, even if I wasn’t over him, if the two of you liked each other that way, I wouldn’t have anything bad to say,” Phoenix said. “You are such a part of my world — I don’t think you’ll ever know how much. I love you to pieces and you deserve anything you want. You’re truly the kindest person I know. So, no more feeling guilty unless it’s because you waited too long to tell your best friend everything. Now, I want to hear. Every. Single. Detail.”
Sadie searched her best friend’s eyes for confirmation she was speaking the truth. Phoenix gave her a glare — the kind of look a cat gives when it lays its ears back in frustration — and said, “Spill it.”
“So we left the circle. As you already know, it was unusually long and boring last night, and he asked if I wanted to go for a walk through the tunnels so we could stretch our legs. I was beyond thrilled and of course said yes,” Sadie said. Both girls giggled at Brian’s ridiculous question because they knew Sadie was chomping at the bit to be alone with him.
“We were walking toward the cars, where hardly anyone ever is, and his hand reached down and grabbed mine and it just felt right. I could’ve sworn electricity shot through the tips of my fingers all the way down to my toes. Just the thought of the touch of our hands together gives me goosebumps,” she said with a laugh. Phoenix knew how she felt because every time Jayden touched her, she felt the same way.
“He was talking to me about their day of hunting and some other stuff, which I completely didn’t hear because I was wrapped up in his dreaminess. It was such a thrill just to be alone with him that I was almost mesmerized by the sound of his voice. Then we reached the cars and neither of us was ready to head back inside, so we sat on the bed of one of the trucks and talked for hours. I’ve never done that with anyone but you. He never let go of me the whole time, and he started rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. It felt like fire was running up my arms,” she said with a lovesick sigh. Just listening to the story, Phoenix felt the hairs on her arms stand on end as goosebumps appeared.
“He was talking, and then all of a sudden we were both silent and looking into each other’s eyes. It was so romantic. I never wanted the moment to end. He slowly bent toward me and I thought if he didn’t kiss me I’d either go up in flames or simply wither away,” Sadie said and was silent for a moment, remembering.
“Sadie Sting, if you don’t finish this story right now I’m going to burst,” Phoenix said, shaking Sadie out of her reverie.
“He kissed me, really soft and gentle at first and then his tongue brushed over my lip and that fire turned into an erupting volcano. I swear, I saw flashes of light behind my eyes. It was magical. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, and we kept kissing for a really long time. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were such a captivating blue — the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen,” she said dreamily.
“Oh, Sadie that sounds so enchanting,” Phoenix said a bit enviously. Jayden hadn’t kissed her since their night at the hot springs. It was most likely because John never let them out of his sight. Maybe, since John had finally backed off slightly, Phoenix would get another kiss. She wanted those tingles to run down her body. It was the most indescribable feeling in the world.
“It was incredible,” Sadie said. “We finally realized how late it was so we slowly walked back to our rooms, and he gave me another quick kiss outside my door. I had a hard time sleeping last night. The guys left early this morning so I can’t wait to see him again and maybe sneak off alone.”
“I’m so jealous of you right now. Not because you kissed Brian but because Jayden hasn’t touched me since the night at the hot springs,” Phoenix said with a sigh. Both girls sat there, thinking about their guys for a while, then knew they’d better get to work and accomplish something for their day out or they’d get in trouble.
Chapter Eighteen
Cassidy had been at the prison camp for a couple of weeks and was ready to break out. She’d only planned to be there for a night, but hadn’t been able to talk any of the prisoners into escaping with her yet. She realized she’d have to earn their trust, which she was beginning to do.
The other women were slowly starting to depend on her, realizing she was a lot stronger than they were. She was the one who could take the beatings from the guards, and she took a lot of their workload. The hardest part for her was trying to make it seem as if it was actually difficult. The other part she struggled with was not killing every soldier there. She had yet to find a lick of humanity in a single one of them.
“This isn’t break time. Get back to work,” a guard shouted at her when he realized she’d paused for a moment. She had to look down so he wasn’t able to see the fire burning in her eyes. He took her bent head as submission, which was lucky for him because she didn’t think she’d be able to take being poked in the back one more time with one of their worthless weapons.
Their sergeant was very lucky he hadn’t tried to violate her yet; that’s where she would’ve drawn the line. Beating her didn’t do them any good as it didn’t cause physical pain, but if the man tried to touch her, she wouldn’t hesitate to take his life. She looked around at the other women, feeling heartfelt empathy for what they’d gone through.
The men felt it their right to take the women into their beds any time they felt the need. They enjoyed it when the women fought them. Most of the prisoners learned taking their abuse was far easier than putting up a struggle. They all seemed broken and defeated. Cassidy knew she could no longer stand aside while the soldiers used their power to abuse decent people.
The longer she stayed with the prisoners, the more confused she became that Josiah chose to do nothing. How could he watch the kind of suffering they were going through without stepping in? It was wrong. Now that she’d been with them, and gotten to know them, she couldn’t turn her back.
She finished her chores for the day and was marched through the showers with the other women who were set aside for the sergeant. They were the few who were actually kept clean, even if it was done in the most despicable way possible. The women were used to the cold water and the humiliating scrubbing, though Cassidy didn’t see how anyone could ever accept the torture. They arrived at their pathetic room and were finally left alone.
“I can’t take this anymore. I managed to smuggle in a weapon, and I’ve found an escape route. With the sergeant and most of the guards gone tonight, looking for that camp, it’s a perfect night to escape,” Cassidy told the women.
They all stared at her with intense fear in their dark hollowed eyes, but for once there was also a glimmer of hope. She made eye contact with each of them, encouraging their trust in her, conveying with her body language that everything would be okay if they listened.
“But if they catch us, you know what will happen,” one of the women said with raw terror, causing her voice to shake. If the women were caught escaping they’d wish for death because the guards were allowed to do with them what they wanted for as long as they wanted. There were stories throughout the camp about a few women who’d tried and failed to escape, and what had happened to them was horrible enough that no one had made an attempt for a very long time.
“I guarantee we won’t get caught, but if for some reason it were to happen, I’ll tell the guards I threatened you with this weapon and was using you as human shields. I promise you won’t be harmed,” Cassidy said. There was no way she’d allow any more harm to come to these women who’d suffered such severe physical and mental anguish.
“I want to get out of here,” another of the women said just above a whisper. She looked around as if afraid the guards were going to burst through the doors at any moment because of her words. Prisoners weren’t allowed to even speak of leaving the camp. They weren’t considered human among the sadistic guards.
“Let me explain my plan and you can tell me what you think,” Cassidy said. When no one spoke, she laid out her escape plan. She gave them enough information to feel secure with her plan, but not enough that they’d figure out who she really was.
“Now try to get a couple hours of sleep so you’ll have full energy for our journey. This will all begin about two in the morning,” she told them.
The women were silent, but the transformation in their expressions, the looks of hope and determination, brought tears to Cassidy’s eyes. She embraced each one, praying a silent blessing that they’d be ready when the time came and none would be left behind or harmed.
They all lay together, as they did nightly, trying to preserve their body heat and finding comfort in each other — but this night, the women held hands, and the power Cassidy held flowed within their veins, unbeknownst to them. Cassidy walked to the other room and waited. She didn’t need much sleep and wanted to stay alert. She didn’t want to wake the women when she went out to accomplish the first part of their escape. If they saw what she did, it wouldn’t take them long to figure out something wasn’t quite right about her. She couldn’t afford to not have their complete trust.
When she heard the guards do their one thirty pass, she waited. The other women were sleeping so they didn’t see how effortlessly she quietly dismantled the door. She silently approached the two passing guards and they were dead with the quick and silent snapping of their necks.
She quickly moved their bodies out of sight, then continued through the camp and stealthily took care of each guard who was awake. Cassidy lithely approached the fence and broke the wiring so there was a section for the women to pass through without notice. If she had been working alone, she could’ve casually scaled the fence, but she had to simplify her plan for the women. It would look too odd for her to stumble into her brother’s group alone. She had to have the other women with her to validate her story. She couldn’t leave them behind, anyway. She knew the guards would torture them, trying to get information on how she was able to escape.
She slid back into the cabin and woke the women. They looked at her with trusting eyes and she prayed she wouldn’t let them down. They’d have to move quickly because the journey was long and she needed to be far from the camp before the sergeant and his crew got back. They’d be seething when they found the dead soldiers, and it wouldn’t take them long to begin a manhunt.
“It’s time to go. The door’s open and no one’s around. I found a weak spot in the fence and that’s where we’ll escape, so we have no time to waste,” Cassidy told the women and was happy when they quickly jumped up. All five of them mustered the courage to come with her.
“I managed to get some bread today and a couple bottles of water without getting caught, but wait until we’re outside the walls. Then we’ll have to be conservative with what we use so we can keep up our strength. I heard there’s a refugee camp in the mountains, and I know the general direction, so that’s where we’ll head.” she told them. Then, not wasting another minute, she led them outside.
The women huddled together, and she could see their hesitation. The few yards to the fence were the scariest part of the journey because that small stretch was where they’d most likely be discovered. That would be all it took for the full wrath of the guards to come down on them.
“Don’t worry, it’s all clear. We must go — now,” Cassidy told them, the urgency in her voice waking the women’s souls to stand strong. The women followed her and quickly slipped through the fence. The sound of their racing heartbeats thundered in Cassidy’s ears.
“Run that way, but be quiet,” she told them. “I’ll catch up in a second. I want to fix this fence so it’s not so obvious to the guards.”
They were off like rockets toward the cover of the trees. Cassidy quickly straightened the fence so well it was hard for her own eyes to notice it was faulty. The women would have a good four-hour lead on the soldiers before they discovered their men dead and the women missing.
Cassidy quickly caught up with the other women and led them deep into the woods. She knew exactly where they were going, and the shortest route to get there, but it was still a three- day journey and that was only if they moved quickly. They’d get little sleep, and she’d have to be on constant alert for enemy soldiers. The soldiers were going to be beyond furious, especially since it was women who’d gotten the upper hand. They’d want brutal revenge.
With Cassidy in the lead, the women followed close behind through the woods, no one complaining about the brisk pace. They wanted to get as far from the prison as possible or die trying. Even if they were caught and tortured, they’d already received a taste of freedom, making it all worth it. There was a light shining in their eyes that Cassidy hadn’t seen from any of the prisoners over the last couple of weeks. It was breathtaking to behold, reinforcing her vow to protect them and get them safely to the refugee camp.
They moved nonstop until about nine in the morning, judging from the sky, then found a stream with a couple of fruit trees next to it. The women eyed the water and fruit longingly and glanced at Cassidy, but said nothing. She found it sad that they’d pass right by what they wanted so much if she were to tell them no.
“We’ve made really good time. I expected us to rest earlier, so I think we’re more than safe to stop for a few minutes and fill our stomachs. Our bodies will need the fuel for this journey,” Cassidy told them. The women immediately headed for the trees. They couldn’t remember the last time they’d had fruit. The camps would’ve never given them anything so nutritious. It was saved for the soldiers. The prisoners were lucky to get moldy bread and only fed enough to stave off death, sometimes not even that much. Most of their loved ones died from disease, starvation, or brutal beatings.
“This is so good,” one of the women sighed as she bit into the crisp red apple, closing her eyes to savor the moment. The others nodded and Cassidy munched on one simply because she enjoyed the crunching sound it made. Cassidy was moved once again as she watched the women’s faces glow with each bite.
They quickly ate their fruit, picked more to take with them, and refilled the water containers. Then it was time to move on. The quick stop had done wonders for their morale. The women were beginning to smile and there was a bounce in their steps. Cassidy was humbled by them.
They walked the entire day, only stopping a couple of times when they reached water or food. They were more fearful of being caught than willing to give in to exhaustion. Cassidy could see they were barely able to stand, let alone walk, so she started looking for a safe place for them to rest. She found a rock outcropping that would give them adequate shelter.
“We need to stop for a few hours and get some sleep,” she told them. She saw conflicting emotions cross their features. They were physically exhausted but still driven by the fear of being caught.
“I know you’re afraid, but we have several hours head start on the soldiers, and they have no idea which direction we’ve taken. It’ll be safe to rest and we’ll be able to travel faster and farther because of it,” she told them. The women lay down, huddled closely together, and were asleep within seconds.
