I'm sweating now, my breathing heavy, my eyes watering - whether it's from tears or not, I don't know.
I start to cough, my chest heavy. My body is stuck on its side, unable to get the strength to keep attempting to move.
Cough.
Panic is setting in.
Gasp.
This is it.
I'm going to die.
I close my eyes as I begin to cry.
I'm sorry, Lana.
Sorry, Eddie.
I love you, Ward.
CHAPTER 56
WARD
IT FEELS AS IF my bike is in slow motion.
The harder I push it, the slower it goes.
The warm wind blankets me. Typically it's a comfort, the air swirling as I push the speed limit, chasing pavement as I fly through the roads along the coast. Tonight, I feel suffocated by it. It's thick enough to feel like sludge. Mud-like quicksand, pulling my lower and lower until I'm threatened to drown.
Realistically, I know I'm speeding, but it isn't enough.
If I don't get to Leah in time, it will never be enough.
We don't even know if she'll be at the place we're headed to. It was the only lead we had, even if it was a shot in the dark.
"Up ahead!" For once, Moose leads the pack, because he's the only one of us that knows where this girl lives. He points towards a run down building and veers left, cutting across the street to head towards it.
Just as we're closing in the distance, a van comes flying out of the gravel driveway along the side of the apartment building. At the speed it's going, and the fact that the tires screech as it skids into the road, it gives them away. These have to be the people we're looking for.
"Take it down!" I roar, reaching down to grab my Kimber, firing once I have a clear shot of the van. We aren't close enough, though I hit the back doors at least twice; it doesn't slow it down.
"Follow them!" I yelled over my shoulder to Kang, who jumps into action, signaling to half of the group to fly forward down the road after the van. The rest of us tear off into the drive, following Moose to the back of the building.
The building itself isn't large, housing probably four or five apartments. It's old, run down, and not in a great neighborhood.
None of that matters, though. We have to have the right place, unless Leah was in the back of that van.
I can't take any chances. If she's here, I need to find her.
"Fire!" Hawk's voice cuts through the sound of our bikes before we get the chance to shut them off. He points towards a window where flames can be seen, though just barely.
My heart stops as Moose hollers. "That's the apartment!"
Before I make a single decision myself, my legs are taking me at top speed towards the back door to the building. I grab the handle and yank as hard as I can. Luckily it's not locked, giving way to my strength, sending me nearly stumbling back.
I catapult myself forward, flying up the stairs to the second floor. "The left, first door!" Moose's voice echoes in the old building from behind, but it's almost like I'm working on instinct. I fly around the corner of the banister and race to the door.
I ignore the smoke coming from beneath it. Ignore the fact that the knob might be hot. My hand grips the handle and I try to turn it. It's locked.
"Leah!"
"Brother!" Bear grabs my shoulder, yanking me back. "Be careful of a possible backdraft!"
"We need to get in there!" I'm desperate, begging my brother now for help
Bear looks at us. "Stand back!" Without giving anyone a chance to protest, he takes a step back, and then rams his massive frame into the door, causing it to splinter, but not open. Smoke pours out, but nothing dramatic happens. Rearing back once more, his thick shoulder collides with the door once more, bursting it open.
My men start coughing, shielding their faces, but I'm not thinking straight.
"Lee! Lee!" I shout, rushing into the room. The flames are high, spreading across the far wall, engulfing what looks like a couch. One of my arms comes up to block my face, but when I tilt my head down, I see a flash of red hair on the floor.
"Baby-- fuck!" I dropped to my knees, grabbing my woman's body. She's got tape across her mouth, and her arms and legs are bound. Her eyes are closed, and she isn't conscious.
"Ward, brother, get out of here! Let's go!"
Scooping her into my arms, I turn and run forward out of the room, holding her tightly to my chest. I follow my brothers back down the stairs and out of the building, bursting into the night with gasping breaths of fresh air.
I drop to my knees once more just far enough from the building. "Baby, come on, wake up." I waste no time ripping the tape from her lips, opening her jaw so she can breathe. "Come on baby, breathe!" Her face is ashen and bruised, cuts marring her lips now, a massive, ugly red bump forming on her forehead. I lean down to listen. "She's barely breathing!"
My knife is in my hand in a second, and though my moves are frantic, I cut through the tape around her legs and then her arms, yanking them from her flesh and freeing her limbs. Shaking her lightly, I cup her jaw, looking down at her. "Leah, come on, beautiful. I've got you. You gotta wake up."
"Brother, we gotta go. She's gotta get to the hospital." I don't even recognize which brother is talking. Suddenly, a piercing, wailing sound cuts through the night. Fire alarm.
"We pulled the alarm. Cops'll be here any second. Come on."
Jumping into action, I leap to my feet with Leah still in my arms, clutching her close as I rush to my bike. We didn't have the forethought to find another cage, with Tank having brought Lana in one to the hospital, which means I'll have to hold her.
At this point, I'll make anything work.
Hawk helps me situate Leah's limp body in front of me on the bike, facing me with her legs draped over mine. With one hand I start my bike, the other arm clutched so tightly around her, I'd be worried that I was hurting her under any other circumstance.
We peel out of the lot, racing onto the road towards the hospital as the sound of sirens filled the air.
I don't know how I manage to drive as fast as I am with having to hold her to me so she doesn't fall, but by some miracle, I don't let her fall.
I failed her tonight. Both her and Lana, but it won't happen again.
From this moment forward, I vow that no harm will ever come to Leah, and every person involved will pay for what they did to her and her family tonight.
This is war. The thought crosses my mind as we peel into the hospital parking lot. I pull my bike right up to the front of the ER doors, hopping from it and leaving it running. One of my brothers will take care of it, but that doesn't even cross my mind.
"Help, please!" My tone is desperate as I run through the automatic doors. The last place we should be is a hospital, but I'm not taking any risks. Leah needs help, and I'll risk going to jail if it means she gets the best treatment possible.
CHAPTER 57
LEAH
I’M ON THE COUCH AT HOME.
No, not at home. This is the old house. The house we grew up in.
I know it because the TV is old and smaller. It's not mounted on the wall, either, but sitting on top of the old, marked up entertainment table.
The couch underneath me is old, too, but worn in a way that feels lived in. Squishy, we called it. I'm sinking into the cushions, a blanket on my lap. As I looked down, I realized two things. I'm wearing pajamas, my favorite from when I was a kid: a Pocahontas themed t-shirt and pants set. The other is that my skin is completely clear. There isn't a single tattoo on me.
"Lee, Lee! Look! Stormtroopers!"
From my right, Eddie is bouncing up and down on the couch, clapping his hands excitedly. He can't be more than five years old. So small, innocent. Wearing his favorite Star Wars pajamas that he never used to want to take off.
Lana is just on the other side of him, wearing her own set of Star Wars pajamas. "If I were a Stormtrooper, I'd totally be able to shoot at things and hit them,"
she said proudly. My sister is ink free, like me, with her original brown hair hanging down onto her shoulders. We have to be ten years old.
I remember this. Remember it well. We used to beg to watch Star Wars all of the time. Well, I didn't, really. Lana did, and eventually, Eddie followed. They had fallen in love with the sci-fi film series after our mother had introduced us to it. She had loved it growing up, and we always enjoyed watching it with her.
Me, I'd rather be watching Disney movies, but I also liked to hang out with my siblings and watch movies with them, so I'd give in to watching Star Wars for the fiftieth time that month.
A strange breathing sound filled the room, seemingly louder than anything else that was coming from the TV in front of us.
"DARTH VADER!" Lana shrieked, pumping her fists. For some reason, my twin had always loved the villain, something I didn't quite share.
"I don't really get why you love him, but I'm glad you're passionate."
Spinning my head around, I see my mother, smiling ear to ear as she plops down next to me.
My heart both breaks and soars. "Mommy!" I cry, shocking myself as I hear my child-like voice fill my ears. I grab on to her and hug her tightly.
My mom grins down at me. "Hiya, Leeloo." She hugs me to her and presses her lips to my hair.
I clench my eyes shut, trying to remember exactly how this feels. Desperate to hang on to it.
But suddenly, she moves away, and the heavy breathing sound fills the room again.
I'm searching for the familiar dark figure on the screen, but all I see is a blinding white light.
"No!" I gasped out, but I can't speak. My words are muffled. "No! Mom! Lana!"
Mama smiles, reaching out to tuck my hair behind my ear, but I don’t feel her. “Tell your sister to wake up,” she says, her voice soft and growing distant. “You know how.”
A beeping noise joins the odd, heavy breathing. The room starts to close in on me, darkness growing rapidly. I open my mouth to scream but nothing comes out; it feels like something is covering my face, like a hand or a mask.
Everything around me disappears...
My eyes open slowly and a blinding light fills my vision. Blinking rapidly, I let out a groan as I close my eyes. The noise is muffled, and as I came to, I realize there is something on my face. Lifting a hand, I touch my face and feel something plastic fastened over my mouth. A groan escapes me again as I try to move. The heavy breathing sound of Darth Vader fills the room, but it sounds mechanical now.
"Baby! Baby, it's okay." A large pair of hands cover mine, gripping them tightly.
My eyes blink open and my vision starts to get clearer. Ward is standing above me, his blue eyes shining, filled with relief, but something else. Fear.
I try to speak again but nothing comes out. Shaking my head, I wince. That was a bad idea. My head was pounding, and my throat was killing me.
"Shh, it's okay." His touch is gentle as he smooths his hand over my hair. "Don't try to move too much. You have a concussion, and you're wearing an oxygen mask. You had smoke inhalation."
As he speaks, bits and pieces come back to me. Being tied up in a strange room. The fire. Lana's lifeless body.
My eyes widen. "Lana! Lana!" My words still aren't clear, though, which frustrates me.
Ward cups my face gently. "Sweetheart, don't. It's okay."
But I keep fighting him. Reaching to the oxygen mask, I quickly pull it down before he can stop me. "Lana! Is she okay?!"
I see something flash across his face and it sends a shock of pain through my chest. I grab his hand, staring desperately up into his eyes. "Is she okay? Did you find her?"
Ward nods but swallows heavily. "We did." His expression is serious as he searches my face for a moment. "She's in a coma, Lee. Medically induced, but they're not sure when she's going to wake up."
My heart stops. Coma. Not sure when she's going to wake up.
"I have to see her." I try to sit up, pulling the mask over my head. "I need to see her. Take me to her."
"Baby, you need to rest-"
"No!" My throat still hurts, but that doesn't stop me, or force me to keep my voice down. I push against him, which barely does anything. "Take me to her! I need to see her!"
Ward's expression is pained as he tries to calm me down. "Leah, calm down, please. You're going to hurt yourself."
My hands grabbed at his shirt as tears began to spill down my cheeks. Pure panic is filling me, so quickly I can feel it closing in on me. "Please, Ward. Take me to her."
Ward's expression collapses. His eyes search my face as his hands cradle my jaw, his thumbs brushing my tears away gently. "I will, I just." His eyes fill with unshed tears, something I don't think I've ever seen before. His voice is raw and low, barely a whisper. "I thought I was gonna lose you, Lee."
Pain in my chest grips me like a vice, but I know it has nothing to do with the smoke inhalation. My fingers curl into the fabric of his t-shirt tighter. "I know," I breathe out, in what sounds like a croak. "So did I."
Letting out a shaky breath, Ward presses his forehead against mine. I close my eyes. "I'm so sorry, baby. So, so sorry I let this happen. I love you. I love you."
"Ward, no." Opening my eyes again, I pulled away slightly so I can look at him. "Stop. This isn't your fault."
He shakes his head, the muscles of his neck working hard as he swallows. "It is. I should have protected you."
"You couldn't have known--"
"But I should have!" He snaps, and I recoil slightly. Immediately the regret shows on his face. "I'm sorry...shit." His hand smooths over my hair again, which is comforting. I'm not afraid of him - of course not. Clearly, my nerves are still shot.
"You can't blame anyone but them..." Looking around, my heart starts to race. "Did you. Did you find them?"
A flash of anger sparks in his eyes, and even under his thick beard, I can see his jaw clench. He just shakes his head, unable to speak, and I don't push it. There's no use in talking about it. Clearly, Ward is upset by it, and the last thing I want to do is make him feel more misplaced guilt.
After a few long moments of silence, I speak. "Can you please take me to see Lana?" My eyes are pleading with him. "I need to be with my sister."
Ward sighs heavily, and when he starts to pull away, I think that he's going to deny me again. Looking out past the curtain surrounding my bed, he nods. "Let me get a wheelchair."
After sneaking outside, Ward came back with a wheelchair he had apprehended. He was gentle as he helped me out of bed and into the chair, making sure he didn't move me too quickly. He was attentive as he adjusted my hospital gown, placing a blanket over my legs so I wouldn't be cold.
Once he started to push me out of the room, I reached back to take his hand for comfort.
We managed to avoid any nurses on our floor and made it to the elevators. While we ascended, my heart started to pound, my hands trembling. I knew we were getting closer; by the time the lift stopped at the right floor, I was itching to get out of the silver box as the walls felt like they were closing in on me.
The two of us continued silently out of the elevator and into the hallway. It was quiet, eerily so. I didn't need to see a sign to know it was the intensive care unit. I knew we were in our local hospital just by how small it was. We'd barely gone far when we reached the private waiting room for the ICU, and when we turned the corner, I saw that the room was filled, every face inside familiar.
I had no clue what time it was, or how long I had been out, but everyone looked exhausted. Mary was asleep against Crow's shoulder, and Camilla was laying on a bench with her head in DT's lap, her eyes closed.
When we entered, a few heads turned towards us. I noticed a few wide eyes. Tank stood quickly, walking over to me. "Hey, sweetheart," he said, a soft smile on his face as he leaned down to kiss me on the head. There was relief on his face, but it still seemed strained. "Good to see you awake."
I forced a smile for him, but could barely muster it. I didn't sa
y anything, and he didn't pressure it, just turned to Ward and clasped him on the shoulder, silent words passed between us.
"Leah! Oh, thank goodness." I recognized Mary's voice as she rushed forward to me. Crows must have woken her up, which I felt bad for, but was also grateful. He was right behind her, silent, stoic, but his face was heavy with concern. Mary already had tears rolling down her face as she cradled my face so gently, she was barely touching me, pressing her lips to my forehead. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. We've just been up here..." She trailed off, her lip trembling.
Reaching up, I cupped one of her hands with mine. "Have they said anything?" She knew what I was asking about, and I could see her reaction start to peek through on her face. "Is she okay?"
Giving me a sad smile, Mary squeezed my hand. "They haven't said anything recently. She's still..." Biting her lip to keep from sobbing, Mary bowed her head for a moment. Crow leaned down to help her stand up, and Ward was soon enveloping his mother in his arms to hug her tightly.
Crow then crouched down in front of me, taking my hands. "She's still in a medically induced coma. The doctor seemed confident that she'll wake up, but they're not sure how much damage was done yet."
My heart breaks right there in my chest. Tears streamed down my face. I squeeze his hands. "What happened?"
Crow is quiet for a bit, seemingly unsure if he should tell me anything. My eyes are pleading with him, and he must catch it because finally, he opens his mouth to speak. "She overdosed. They think something was put in whatever she was drinking. It was...a lot. Enough to stop her breathing. Doc says she had." He pauses, thinking. "Subdural bleed? She hit her head on the way down."
A sob escaped my throat, and I sit, hunched over, in my chair. I don't hear anything as Crow stands up, exchanging words with his son, before Ward is in front of me, crouching down to give me comfort.
Once I finally calm down, I look up at him, wiping at my eyes. "I want to see her. Is she alone?" My eyes widen. "She shouldn't be alone."
Heart of a Rebel: Rebel Aces MC Part 1 Page 29