Midnight Fire - Rise of the Dark Angel - Book One (27 page)

             
“
He’
ll tell me what he needs to when the time
is right. I don’t care what
it is
,
because the bottom line is, I trust him,” Phoenix said.

             
“I know we’re in the middle of this war but I feel safer than ever before. It’s a weird feeling, especially considering what happened today but it just seems everything will work out,” Sadie said.

             
“I feel the same way. I love you so much, Sadie.
I know you’ve told me it’s not my fault but y
ou don’t know how bad I feel about what happened. I shouldn’t have led you so far
away
. I guess since no
thing bad ha
s ever happened here
,
I got overconfident,” Phoenix told her. Sadie grabbed her up in a huge hug and they sobbed together.

             
“Phoenix, please understand
that
none of this was your fault. It truly wasn’t. I love you and would’ve gladly died for you today. Can we both just agree we were in the wrong
place
at the wrong time and not cast blame?” Sadie
asked
, leaning back so they could make eye contact. Phoenix took a few moments and could see the truth in Sadie’s eyes.

             
“Okay, I’ll quit blaming myself
,
because I know it hurts you. We’ll both be smarter and start listening to my brother a
little
more,” Phoenix said with her first smile since the event.

             
“Well, you’d bette
r not tell him that or his head will
swell,” Sadie said with her own smile. Both girls hugged again and mutually decided to talk
about
happier things. The afternoon would certainly haunt them
forever,
but they knew they’d
eventually
heal.

             
They spent that night together, sending the guys away when they came back. Sometimes, the best remedy for pain or sorrow
is
to simply have your best friend offer comfort. No matter if they married and had a dozen children each, they’d still be there for each other.

             
The days quickly started to go by as more battles were fought. Phoenix did what she could
but
knew her father and the others were holding her back. She couldn’t stand
being
left behind
,
feeling useless,
when she knew
people
needed
her help. She didn’t want to go against her father
but
she needed him to know she was more than capable
of
help
ing
.
She’
d grown stronger in the months since the battle
began
and she knew she could be helping. Jayden was no help
,
considering he’
d be happy to keep her in a bubble, never allowing her to receive a scratch.

             
They fought often over what she could and couldn’t do
but
she was determined to make a stand and no longer sit in the background while people she loved fell in battle. They were lucky to not have t
o
o many losses
but
an
y loss was
unforgivable
and she refused to
stand on the sidelines. She’d go with them
even if she had to sn
eak in order to do so. They’
d quickly learn she was no longer a little girl. She was a strong young woman a
nd would prove her worth with o
r without their consent.

             
They were getting ready to go to one of the prison camps on a rescue mission. The enemy was
now
aware of their presence and had a lot more soldiers
in
the camps
,
making each mission more dangerous. She worried incessantly when her family and Jayden were gone. She was going to sneak in with them for the battle. Sadie was going too, even though Phoenix had tried to talk her out of it. She couldn’t convince her best friend to stay behind when she herself wouldn’t.

             
The two girls snuck to the car cave and crawl
ed in
the back of one of the hummers. They quickly
climbed beneath
some tarps. Phoenix had to take some deep breaths because
she was
deathly claustrophobic
and being in the back of the vehicle, where things could cave down and bury her wasn’t reassuring.

             
“We’ll be okay Phoenix, just breathe,” Sadie said, laying her hand on Phoenix’s arm.

             
“I know
,
Sadie
but
I wish they wouldn’t be so stupid and just let us ride up front with them. I sure as heck am not staying back here on the ride back,” Phoenix said.

             
“
Shh
, I hear someone coming,” Sadie said and both girls
lay
motionless as people started filling the huge cavern. They heard the doors to the vehicle open and they held their breaths afraid to make even the slightest sound.

             
The hummer started and the girls listened to the men talk
,
trying to figure out who was driving the vehicle they were in. They both hoped it wasn’t Jayden or Chastity because the two of them seemed to have the ability to smell the girls. It was really kind of
unnerving
when they thought about it.

             
“I’m a bit freaked out about this mission
,
D
ad. I know we’ve taken all the usual
pre
cautions
but
something doesn’t feel right about it,” John said. Phoenix and Sadie looked at each other in fright.

             
“I know how you feel
, John.
I’ve been worried myself, especially when Jayden said he was feeling uneasy. That boy seems able to
smell when danger is near
. If it weren’t for him last month I wouldn’t have made it back home. It’s a good thing your sister didn’t hear about that. She’s already
upset
about us going out,” Larry said.

             
Phoenix sucked in her breath and sent a look to Sadie that seemed to say she was going to have words with her parents and her brother when they got back home. Neither girl seemed to realize there was a chance they wouldn’t get home.

             
“I think we’re going to have to start tying her down here
,
soon. She was really mad last night when she was once again told she couldn’t come. I don’t want her to see the things we’ve seen and I can’
t worry about her safety. I’
d never get done what I need to
,
kn
owing she was around. All I’
d be doing was trying to keep her safe.
It’s
bad enough Chastity comes along
but
she’s a fighter. I think she protects me more than I protect her,” John said with a small laugh. It would be the last laugh Phoenix would hear in quite a while.

             
“We’
ll be okay son, just have faith. We’re doing the right thing. The enemy h
as had our home long enough
and it’s time we take it back. It’s time our people are free,” Larry said with passion.

             
Sadie and Phoenix were filled with terror at the fear in the
adult’s
voices
but
they were also grateful to be there w
ith them
because staying home hadn’t been an option anymore. They had to help, even though they didn’t know what they could do.

             
“Were we selfish to do this? If they spot us it could put them in jeopardy trying to protect us,” Sadie asked.

             
“Ma
ybe
,
but
we have just as much invested in this as them. We love them and we need to be a part of the fight. They’re going to realize we’re no longer little girls. We’ve seen and done more in the years being out here than most adults have their
entire
lives. We’re doing the right thing,” Phoenix whispered back.

             
“Something doesn’t feel right. I have a bad feeling about this mission,” Jayden said to Chastity. They were riding two vehicles back, standing on the outside, fireman style, keeping an ear out for the enemy.

             
“I wish
I
coul
d still communicate with Josiah
and have him guide
me
, because I can’t let anything happen to John,” Chastity spoke to her brother.

             
“I know how you feel
, S
is. Phoenix and I got
into
our first real fight last night. She kept repeating she wasn’t a little girl and she needed to help. She said she went crazy each time we left
but
I can’t protect her family and her too. She doesn’t realize
she’
ll always come first, even if that means her
family member
’
s
dying,” Jayden said with a sigh.

             
He
couldn’t stand fighting with Phoenix
. He loved her
,
and just the thought of her getting hurt sent rage
unlike any other
,
surging through his body. If she were to actually
get hurt
,
he’
d go insane. He knew she wouldn’t truly be safe until
the fighting ended
so his whole focus
was
obtaining that goal.

             
“It will be okay,” Chastity said. She could feel the strong emotions coursing through her brother. “I think today is going to be a day of loss
but
I think we’
ll also make some gains as well,” she finished. Jayden shook his head. He had
a
bad feeling Chastity was right. 
             

             
Suddenly
,
Jayden and Chastity both went on red alert. They heard the
missile
coming at them
but
knew it would be too late to stop it. They looked at each other and
sprang
into action, not trying to hide their superhuman speed in their desire to save the people they loved.

             
They reached John’s car a second
after
the
missile
hit.
They both watched in horror as the vehicle was launched into the
air. For the first time in his
existence
,
Jayden couldn’t move
,
he was so consumed with fear. He looked at Chastity,
whose
face was contorted in fear and anguish.

             
“No…
!
” Chastity
’s scream ripped through the air
. They jumped into action before the vehicle slammed to t
he ground.
The time seemed like
eons to the two of them
but
was in fact only seconds. The front end of the vehicle exploded into flame
s
as Jayden reached the
driver’s
side
and Chastity
got to
the passenger side.

             
They
tore
t
he doors from the vehicle
and dove inside to pull the people out.

             
“John, please tell me you’re okay,” Chastity begged.

             
“I’m good.
I was wearing my seatbelt. How i
s
my
dad?”
He
asked in panic.

             
“I’m fine
,
John
,
but
we have to get out of the car now
,
before it explodes. Troy didn’t make it,” Larry said about the driver of the car. The impact had caused a bar to come through the
driver’s
side of the vehicle and
pierce
Troy straight through the heart.

             
“We need to find some cover
,
now,” Jayden yelled as they pulled the men from the car. Then
,
Jayden’s head whipped around. It had only been a slight whimper
but
it may as well have been a scream. He dove back into the vehicle and climbed over the seats and found Phoenix and Sadie buried beneath a mountain of supplies.

             
“What are you doing here!
”
He
shouted at the girls.

             
“We wanted to help,” Phoenix said with tears streaking down her cheeks. He saw blood on the side of her head and wanted nothing more than to cradle her in his arms and ge
t her as far away as possible
.

             
“Can you move? Does anything feel broken?”
Jayden asked her in a panic, while he ran his hands up and down her body, checking for injuries.

             
“I’m fine. Sadie, are you okay?”
She
asked
,
more worried about her best friend.

             
“I’m okay
,
Phoenix. I landed on you,” she said with a groan. Both girls looked terrified, as they should.

             
“
You’re not supposed to be here!
It’s a good thing Brian is in another
group, Sadie
,
or he’d be reaming you right now,” Jayden said,
grabbing
both girls under his arms as if they weighed nothing and took them from the vehicle.

             
“What the hell are you doing here?” John asked, horrified as he spotted his sister and Sadie. “You could’ve been killed.”

             
“I’m sorry
,
John
but
we couldn’t stay behind any longer,” Phoenix said with tears streaming down her face. She was terrified at how close she’d come to losing her brother and father. “What was that?”

             
“You stupid, stupid girl,” John said as he pulled Phoenix close to hi
m. He had tears in his own eyes
when he realized how close he’d come to his sister being
killed
.