Page 2 of Phoenix


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Ricardo appeared from the shadows, struggling to move forward. Wheezing, he dropped to his knees. “I can’t… I tried… No. Use.”

I was frozen for a few seconds, agony tearing through me. “We have to. I can’t. I won’t.”

“Fuck, no. Get out of here. I’m not coming back until Belle is found. Do you fucking hear me?” Before I had a chance to head deeper into the forest, Maverick tackled me from behind.

“No! We’re not losing you too. We’re getting the fuck out of here.”

“No. No…”

Gasping, a crackling sound dragged my attention. I blinked furiously, shoving the horrible memory aside. I couldn’t do this. Not now. Not here. Fuck. Fuck…

Get your head out of your ass, Riggs Wentworth.That’s what my father would say. Shaking, I allowed anger to sweep through me as wild as the fire raging in the distance. Fuck the images.

Fuck the past.

Fuck everything.

The anger burned deep inside, my muscles aching from tension and self-hatred.

I hoisted the ax, slamming it against the fallen limbs. Then again.

And again.

I moved from one broken limb to another, the remnants tumbling in the wide ditch we’d created.

Still, there was no relief from the pain, an anguish that had haunted me for years. Being a helicopter pilot, chasing down insurgents hadn’t dulled the heartache. Being shot down then tortured for four full months, every inch of my body electrocuted, beaten, or whipped hadn’t eased the guilt. Facing infernos had done nothing but feed the beast.

So I swung the ax several more times, one brutal swing coming after the other.

“Jesus, Phoenix. I think that’s enough.”

I took a deep breath, turning my head in the hotshot’s direction. They called him the Firecracker because of his explosive nature. I called him asshole. When he started to laugh, my grip on the ax tightened, daring the son of a bitch to take a single step closer.

A sharp crack drew my attention, dozens of massive limbs falling off several of the trees, spearing the ground as if digging their way to the center of the earth. Another vision flashed in front of my mind and every sight and sound was dragged from me, sucked into a dark abyss.

“The entire top of the mountain is on fire, Riggs. Listen to me. We did everything we could do,” Ricardo implored, the wild look in his eyes exactly the way I felt.

I turned and stared as the fire consumed everything in its path, flames licking up to the heavens. As I lifted my fist toward the sky, the others did the same. Together in life. Together in death.

Forever.

I took a deep breath, drifting back from the fog.

The crown fire had burned hotter than any of us had expected, and I had no doubt the damn fire had been purposely set, an accelerant used. The stench was godawful and nothing created by nature.

“Time for a burnout. Let’s get this fucking fire under control,” Captain Zephyr called from behind the line of jumpers.

After wiping soot from my face, I turned in a full circle. We’d done a damn good job of steering the raging inferno from the campsite, but if the winds continued to change, we’d lose control again.

“Wentworth. I need you,” the captain called. At this point, I was considered the explosions expert, something I’d learned during my time in the Marines. However, I was on loan, my expertise meant for a seminar, not facing the beast hundreds of miles away from my team.

I lumbered forward, this acrid smoke getting thicker. As soon as I approached, there was something about the position of the trees that sparked another memory. For a few seconds, I shut down, trying to control my breathing.

“Help me. Help…”

Fuck. I closed my eyes briefly, only able to hear the rapid beating of my heart.

“You okay, buddy?” Zephyr called.

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