Little Phoenix (The Census Book 1)

by Willow Dean

  Her eyes widen slightly before she cools her expression. Forcing a smile onto her face, she tries another tactic to divert my concerns, managing only an intake of breath before I hold a hand up to stop her.

  Keeping my eyes fixed on Dad and Gem as they walk back from the shop, laughing and joking with each other, I lean in close and speak quietly.

  “First of all, I know that those phone calls for Dad aren’t from work.” It’s highly unusual that work ever rings home to speak with Dad, unless it’s urgent. “Secondly, you both started acting weird at the service station on the way over, looking like you were expecting us to have gotten kidnapped or something.”

  I turn back to look at her just in time to catch a flash of worry in her eyes.

  Feigning ignorance, I continue to try and break through the rest of her façade to get to the bottom of whatever it is that they’re trying to hide from me.

  “Whatever it is, I know it’s bad enough for you to be keeping such a tight lid on it. Although I don’t actually know what, it’s clear something happened whilst we were at the hot springs the other night.”

  She opens her mouth to object but I beat her to it. “Please, don’t deny it. It wasn’t hard to tell that you were both injured. A change of clothes and a little makeup only goes so far when trying to mask physical ailments.”

  Her eyes soften with understanding and a hint of pride the longer I talk.

  “It’s not like I haven’t seen those random looks you keep throwing at each other the entire time or the conversations you conveniently finish before I get within hearing distance. And don’t even think that I didn’t notice how the both of you always find a way to hide your face from my view,” I deadpan with a knowing grin.

  She chuckles at the fact that I caught on so easily.

  Distracting myself, I spin around to watch Dad and Gem who are now working on collapsing the final tent. Hoping that by giving Mum my back, and some time to think, she will be more inclined to fill me in on what’s actually going on.

  “I know the phone call wasn’t from work. I’ve never seen Dad so tense before. He’s so highly strung right now that you could strum him like a guitar.”

  Silence engulfs us as we watch the two of them struggle to remove one of the tent pegs from the ground.

  After waiting for what seems like an age, I sigh. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on. I just want to help, Mum.”

  Turning back around, I find her just staring at me with a look of pride and puzzlement. Gathering my face in her hands, she kisses my forehead lovingly and peers down at me, giving me an almost tortured look.

  “Me and your father have something to tell you, but not here. I promise you though, as soon as we get home we’ll tell you everything.”

  Drawing back to stroke my face, her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

  “Just know that we are so proud of you and who you have become. You’re the best daughter we could have ever asked for. We both love you so much. Never forget that baby girl,” she whispers reverently.

  “Mum?” My voice croaks. “Not that that wasn’t nice of you to say and all, but why are you saying it like that? It sounds like you’re planning on ditching me or something.”

  A nervous chuckle slips from my lips as I lean my face into her hand.

  Pulling me in for a hug, her tinkling laugh soothes my nerves. “It’s nothing so serious, Darling. I just don’t feel like we’ve told you often enough, just how much you mean to us, and how proud of you we are. This holiday has been an eye opener for us. It’s the first time you’ve really exerted your independence and it’s…shocked us into reality, that’s all.”

  Holding me close, she tightens her grip as if that’ll stop me from ever leaving her grasp.

  “You won’t be our Baby Girl for much longer. Once your finals are over, you’ll be a fully-fledged adult and will be leaving the nest to start your own journey. I just don’t know if I’m all that ready to let you go,” she admits softly. A tinge of sadness weaved into her words.

  Snuggling further into her warm embrace, I try and give her as much reassurance as I can.

  “I will never be away from you and Dad for long. You know that you are both far too important to me for that. Sure, I’ll have my independence, but I’ll always be your Little Pumpkin. Besides, you know I’m far too much of a home bird to stray too far away from the nest.”

  Her chest shakes with amusement. “You’re right about that, Sweetheart. Come on, let’s get on the road. I’ll even cook you your favorite meal tonight.”

  Yes! Yes! Yes! Tasty foods, oh how I love you!

  “Steak in peppercorn sauce with homemade chips and cauliflower cheese?” I ask hopefully, my grin exceeding that of the Cheshire cat.

  As if she can feel my body vibrating in anticipation, she grips my shoulders and pushes me back so she can see my face.

  “Extra cheesy?!”

  “If that’s what you want?” She asks innocently, the sparkle in her eye belying the fact that she already knows my answer.

  “Please?!” I all but beg and plead. She snickers as we continue to finish packing up the car in comfortable silence.

  We finish loading up not long after. All of us, more than ready for the short drive back.

  There’s nothing more exhausting than packing and unpacking.

  Luckily, seeing as I am still firmly in the favorite child category in my parents eyes, alongside Gem of course, neither of us are required to contribute towards the driving aspects of trips. Despite having our own permits.

  Which means of course, I can succumb to the sweet tender seduction of the wonder called sleep.

  Cozy, comfy times here we come!

  Aroused by the note of concern in Mum’s voice, I stir.

  Now would be a great time to glean some information about what they are hiding from me.

  My head lolls against the car window as I lay there listening to their hushed conversation.

  “We have to tell her everything, Grant. She already suspects something is going on and she’s a lot more perceptive than I think even we give her credit for. She cottoned on to our injuries on that second night, and despite our cover up, she knew that something had happened whilst they were away. She mentioned how stressed and on edge we were at the service station as well. No-one but a trained agent would recognize that.”

  A trained agent?

  What on earth are they talking about?! It sounds like they’re practicing lines from a spy movie.

  Dad sighs. “Tali, we can’t. We promised Kaye that she would never know. She wanted to keep her safe from this life. We need to do everything we can to protect her.”

  “Grant, you know as well as I do that protection starts with knowledge. If we don’t tell her, she could be in so much more danger-”

  Dad cuts her off, a hint of exasperation coloring his tone as if they have talked about this one too many times.

  “That’s exactly what has the potential to get her killed! Just think about the lengths they would go to, to get any amount of information out of her. Heck, they’ve already tried to get a hold of her and we haven’t even told her anything yet. They’re getting closer with each passing day, Tali. We can’t risk exposing her to any more danger than she already is in!”

  My heart stalls as my mind reels.

  Knowledge that could get me killed? How bad is whatever it is that they are keeping from me?!

  There’s a pause in the conversation until Mum’s quiet admission breaks the tense silence.

  “I’m scared, Grant. I want to protect her, but I don’t think we can do that any longer. We at least need to tell her abou-”

  She doesn’t even get to finish her sentence as something crashes into the back of us, shattering the back-window over Gem and I.

  Thrown forward, my seat belt snaps taught against my chest, just as my head smashes into the back of the seat in front of me.

  Shards of glass sail through the air, slicing away the layers of clothes and flesh
on my torso.

  “Shit! They found us Tali, call it in!” Dad hisses urgently.

  With practice movements, Mum has a number dialed and the phone to her ear within seconds. Whoever it is picks up almost immediately as she begins speaking calmly and efficiently.

  I try to listen in, but whatever she starts to say is lost to the sound of Gem’s screams.

  Reaching across the middle seat, I grip her by the shoulders to try and get her attention.

  “Gem! Gem, look at me!” Whoever’s behind us, rams into the back end again, causing Dad to struggle for purchase on the road.

  At least it silences Gem’s screams as she goes white as a ghost. She attempts to turn her attention to me, but her eyes won’t focus. Blood trickles down from her temple as a large shard of glass protrudes from her forearm.

  Going into shock, fear overtakes all of her responses, so I do the only thing I can think of.

  Grasping her head, I lean in and place my forehead on hers and cup my hands around her face and mine, trying to block her vision of anything but me.

  “It’s okay Gem, I’m here with you. We’re going to be okay, but I need you to listen to me,” my voice is soothing but firm. “I need you to calm down for me. I need you to take some deep breaths for me, okay? Just sit back in your chair, close your eyes, hold my hand and breathe. Alright? Can you do that for me?”

  She simply stares back at me with a glazed expression, her breathing uneven and erratic.

  “GEM!” Thankfully, the cutting edge to my voice seems to startle her enough to be able to at least grab her attention for a second. “I need you to breathe slowly for me. Can you do that? Nod if you understand me.”

  Nodding her head slowly, she closes her eyes and does her best to relax back into her seat. Wincing and jolting every now and again with each sharp movement of the car.

  I take her hand in mine and do my best to ignore the whimpers that escape her as the car speeds along the road, dodging and swerving erratically.

  Forcing my attention away from her, I turn back to the front of the car and tune into Mum’s conversation to see if I can get a grasp on what’s going on.

  She continues her frantic conversation as Dad keeps switching his gaze between the road in front and the rear-view mirror. Never once letting his focus deviate.

  Keeping myself strapped in, I turn in my seat to see what’s going on behind us. Two black SUVs are taili-

  “Get down!” I yell, pushing Gem as close to the foot well as possible. Bullets rain through the back of the car as the men in the SUV behind us open fire.

  When there’s a break in the shooting I raise myself slightly, keeping my hand on Gem’s head, making sure she stays down. Her soft cries are lost to the sounds of gunfire and tyres squealing against asphalt.

  Mum speaks again with a formality and rigidity to her tone that I’ve not heard from her before. “Back up ETA three minutes. Take the next exit in half a mile. Mila, how are you and Gem doing back there?”

  “We’re fine. You better fill me in when we get back. You have a lot of explaining to do!”

  Totally inappropriate for this moment, she snickers before turning to face me with a forlorn smile. Nostalgia dances in her serene blue eyes.

  “I should have known you would be just like her. This whole thing doesn’t even seem to faze you. I promise w-”

  She doesn’t even get to finish her sentence, as the windscreen is suddenly splattered with red paint.

  What are they trying to do, arts and crafts us into submission?! This whole thing is just one big pile of crazy! What’s next, glitter and fucking sparkles?!

  Ignoring the quizzical appearance of the windscreen, I return my gaze to her, expecting her to finish her sentence.

  Since when did she go tribal and paint her face, and why is she laid back against the dashboard like that? She can’t be comfortable.

  Dad screaming her name snaps me out of the shock and allows me to take in my surroundings.

  That’s not paint. It’s blood.

  Mum’s blood.

  Blood from the bullet wound in the center of her forehead. Blood from the bullet that penetrated her skull, killing her instantly.

  “Mum?” I choke out, hoping beyond all hope that this is all just a sadistic joke.

  Maybe I drank too much and hit my head, or maybe it’s those marshmallows I had last night.

  Sweet things before bed always give me wicked and crazy nightmares.

  “Mila! MILA!” Unconsciously, my eyes track the sound of my name being called to where Dad is sitting in the driving seat. His voice sounds so far away.

  My sight begins to focus on him as I meet his steely gaze in the mirror. My heart drops at the pain and despair that’s swimming in his eyes.

  Eyes that are covered in a thin veil of tears and fury. Eyes that I’ve never seen shed a single tear before.

  “Mila, I need you to focus. I need you to grab the phone and speak to the team on the other end. Back up should be here shortly and then we can rest, but I need you right now. Gem needs you,” he rasps.

  Why is he so calm?

  Mum’s dead. She’s gone. She ripped my chest wide open and took my heart with her.

  “Pumpkin, I need you.” The desolate plea in his voice straight cuts through the rest of the fog and brings my mind into sharp clarity, away from the agony that’s destroying me from the inside out.

  He offers me a heartbreaking look of grief and despair in the mirror, all whilst he completes his evasive manoeuvres and tries valiantly to shake our pursuers.

  Taking a second to gather myself, I let the numbness wash over my senses like a safety blanket as I recall Dad’s survival training.

  Detachment. Clarity. Assessment. Action.

  All emotions take a back seat as I fall into old habits and lose myself to the task in hand.

  First I need to check Gem. Then I’ll move to the front, call the team and wait for backup and further instruction.

  Despite now being out cold, Gem’s pulse is strong and her breathing is even. Safe.

  Leaving her slumped in her seat, I undo my seatbelt and jump onto the central console.

  Making quick work of the seat buckle, I carefully lay Mum to rest in the foot well as I strap myself in and pick the phone up from the floor. Avoiding looking in her direction as much as possible.

  You have a job to do. Now is not the time for emotions, Mila.

  Putting the phone to my ear, I’m greeted with raised voices that do absolutely nothing for the health of my eardrums.

  Recalling my call sign from Dad’s survival training, I do what he always instructed me to do in case of an emergency.

  “Someone is always listening, Baby. You will never be alone as long as you give your call sign. Just remember, you are our fiery Phoenix. Never forget that, Pumpkin.”

  “Mother bird, do you copy?!”

  I reply mechanically as I glance out of the back window over my shoulder, studying the pursuers.

  “This is Phoenix responding. Two vehicles now in pursuit. Heading west on the Southbank. What is your ETA?”

  Ignoring Dad’s cusses as the second SUV joins the parade, I brace myself for his next manoeuvre.

  “Who is this?! Identify yourself immediately,” a gruff voice snaps down the line.

  “I told you, this is Phoenix! What is your ETA?!” I demand distractedly, confused as to why both SUV’s suddenly seem to pull back.

  “I’m not telling you shit! Identify yourself,” he growls again.

  Growing tired of this man’s attitude, I reply with barely restrained anger, my voice becoming louder and more lethal with each word that escapes.

  “I just told you exactly who it is! My mother is dead and my father is completing evasive manoeuvres to avoid two SUV’s whilst some crazy ass motherfuckers shoot at us! Enough with this alpha male bullshit! What is your ETA?!”

  All I hear is his intake of breath before we are rammed again and the phone is sent careening to the floor.
Instead of the sound of glass shattering or guns popping, there’s an almighty bang.

  It only takes a couple of seconds for me to realize they must have got one of the tyres as Dad wrestles to gain control of the car.

  Tailgating us, one of the SUV’s taps the bumper on the inside. With the steering compromised, Dad loses control of the vehicle as it’s forced to go straight through the railings and plummet down the cliff side.

  Jagged rocks screech and scrape against the body and underneath of the car, until we hit a particularly nasty spot and roll. The car gains momentum and continues to spin, throwing us around like rag-dolls.

  Pushed and pulled in all different directions, pain lances through every inch of my body and I can’t tell what’s up and what’s down. Every sound and sensation mixes into one, until finally, everything goes blissfully dark.

  8 Mila

  The smell of smoke and the feeling of blood rushing to my face drags me from the depths of the darkness that surrounds me. Pain radiates throughout my body.

  Where am I? How did I even get here?

  Slowly peeling my eyes open, I do a mental check of what parts of my body move and what doesn’t. My ribs hurt like a motherfucker, but at least I’m still able to breathe just fine. Albeit painfully.

  My eyes finally fully open and I immediately wish they hadn’t. Focusing on the glassy eyes in front of my face, the memories come rushing back. The truth accompanying them is far more painful that any of my injuries ever could be.

  Contorted and covered in blood, Mum stares blankly back at me. No signs of life in those beautiful sky-blue eyes of hers. I screw my eyes shut, trying to rid myself of the awful images and stem the tears that threaten to fall.

  Now is not the time to have a break down. Mum may be gone, but Dad and Gem aren’t.

  They are still alive and they need your help, Mila.

  Inhaling, I attempt to take a deep breath, only to come up short when my ribs groan in protest. I take a few sharp breaths to clear my head instead, and once I have a decent amount of oxygen on board, I take a good look around.