AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brook leans over the map and marks out where the cabin is, her cheeks blushing as she sneaks a peek at Finn.
He leans over and uses a finger to trace the location she marked. “Yeah, that’s it. It’s a few hours outside of Temple–a halfway point.”
Gage studies the coordinates, then nods at Matt. “Yeah, that’s good. JD can watch Doc. If something goes sideways, he’ll get him where he needs to be.”
Matt straightens and looks around the room. “Okay, it’s settled then. Dawn, you’re in charge until we return. Brook, stay on communications. We’ll have our radios with us – encrypted code only, in case anyone’s listening.” He turns to Gage. “Have your crew get the codes from Brook. Let’s gear up.”
Chapter six
Lilly’sheadlollstothe side, her thoughts hazy. The sedatives Vance and his men had been giving her have her in and out of consciousness. Lucid dreams torment her perception of reality. The past and present collide in her mind, twisting bits and pieces of memory and fantasy, and blur the lines between who was there and what really happened.
Lilly and Jax’s bare feet slap against the concrete floor. The stomp of boots echoes throughout the empty halls, and they have to move fast if they want to escape.
A heavy metal door blocks their path. She and Jax hastily work together, their scrawny arms belying their Homani strength as they pull the door open. They burst out into the cool night air, and the dark forest looms ahead of them. The trees whisper secrets as they run toward it, like they are leading them to safety. The forest grows darker as they make their way through, and soon Lilly can barely see Jax's outline in front of her.
She stumbles, her foot catching on a root, and falls hard to the ground. Jax kneels beside her with concern etched on his face.
They huddle together against the cold. Warmth floods her as the heat from his small body seeps into hers. For the first time in years, Lilly is safe.
As the night wears on, the forest comes alive around them. Leaves rustle, crickets chirp, and raindrops fall to the ground with a delicate patter. The facility was loud, machines incessantly humming over the cries and whimpers of its captives, but this noise is different. Softer, stranger.
Inviting.
Lying in the middle of the forest, she huddles together with her friend. At last, they have found freedom.
A sharp pain in her ribs jars Lilly out of her dream-like state. Gasping, her eyes widen with the sudden violent onslaught. Two of Vance’s goons loom over her, their greasy hair hanging limply in their faces. She inhales sharply, trying to catch her breath, but the men’s putrid body odour makes her gag. The tall skinny one, holds her down while the other man jabs her with a needle. She struggles against the drugs filling her system. Which is the lesser of two evils? Dream or reality? She can’t decide before the drug overtakes her.
Walking through a dark and misty forest, Lilly’s heart beats fast with fear. Clearing the bend, she comes across Matt and Maverick as pre-teens, their gangly bodies morphing into powerful beasts. They stand protectively in front of her, snarling at an unseen threat.
The scene shifts, and to her horror, a shooter emerges from the trees, taking aim at the group of escaping Homani. Maverick charges forward. His feral grizzly form tears into the attacker with ferocity. A shot rings out, but it isn’t Maverick who falls. It’s a man, a Homani, and his mate screams at his side as he bleeds to death.
The dream changes. Once again, Lilly is with Matt and Jax as they attempt to calm down Maverick, who paces back and forth, his grizzly form threatening to turn on them all. The tension in the air is thick as they work to soothe their friend's rage.
Lilly wakes, heart racing at the disjointed images that filled her dream. She presses the side of her head to the cool concrete, letting the sensation ease her back to reality. She can't shake off the fear of never seeing her friends again, and that unease lingers long after the dream fades.
Her panther is rousing within her, spooked by Lilly’s swirling emotions. She comforts her to keep her calm. Footsteps echo from the hall, and muffled voices grow closer. The door swings open, once again, the two men from before enter the room. The one on the left rakes his gaze over her body, his dark brown eyes lecherous. A chill slithers up her spine as he approaches her, but the other man grabs his arm.
“I didn’t know you were into animals,” he says to him.
The dark-eyed man stares at her once more before scrunching up his face. “It’s how they trick you. They wrap themselves in a pretty package.” He kicks her in the side, chuckling at her groan of pain. The other man jabs her once more, Lilly barely registers the pinch of the needle as darkness descends.
She’s healing slower and slower, whether from the constant beatings, the drugs, or the combination of the two. Her last thought before succumbing is that at least this time, they didn’t beat her. Her mind races as she drifts into a deep sleep. Suddenly, she's transported to a scene in Maverick's cabin, hovering above as the past unfolds.
He's sitting on his bed, shoulders curled inward as he clutches a bottle of pills. His dark curls fall over his forehead, making him look like the young boy she knew growing up. It tugs at something in her chest.
"Maverick, are you okay?" Lilly asks, concern etched on her face.
Maverick looks at her, his teal eyes pleading. "I can't do this alone," he says, his voice barely a whisper.
Lilly rushes over and takes the bottle from his hands. "I'm here for you," she says, smiling softly. “We’ve got this, I promise.”
The image changes. Lilly finds herself in a dark, foreboding barn. Maverick is standing in front of her, a look of fury on his face.
"Where is she?" he demands, his voice cold and menacing.
Lilly steps back, fear coursing through her veins. "Who are you talking about?" she stammers.
Maverick grabs her by the shoulders, shaking her violently. "Calli," he growls. "Where is she?"
