Another explosion filled the air. The ground shook again, and then...silence. She heard no more screams or gunfire, just an eerie calm and the sound of her own breathing.
Her body shook with terror. Olivia knew she should get up and keep looking, but she couldn’t move.
She was numb. Didn’t even feel the pain she knew her ragged breaths should be causing.
Just like before, she was frozen. Laughter filled the silence, and Olivia was suddenly back to where it all began.
She felt the warmth of the sun on her skin. The cool breeze, and the relief it had carried with it that day. Her new friends and colleagues surrounded her, joining in the fun as Cody shared one of his jokes.
Then, the scene changed, morphing into something much different.
The doctors and nurses began twisting and turning. Changing before her very eyes. It reminded her of an old sci-fi movie. One with weird, swirling special effects.
Olivia looked at her friends again, only to find them all lying on the ground, their bodies and blood surrounding her. A heady odor filled her nostrils, and it took her a second to realize it was the smell of death. They were all dead, and, just like that day, she was doing nothing to try to help them.
Still on the ground, Olivia braced herself with her hands and knees. The tears running down her cheeks went unnoticed as she begged softly, “Please don’t leave me here alone. Oh, God, please don’t leave me.”
She whispered those same words over and over again. Was still saying them when she felt someone touching her shoulder.
Her body reacted without conscious thought. Screaming like a banshee, Olivia came up swinging. She went wild, striking out at those who’d hurt her friends. Her target easily dodged her fists, and it took a few more flailing swings before she realized her would-be attacker was actually Jake.
“Easy, Liv. Easy. It’s just me.”
All of the breath left her lungs at one time. Confused and disoriented, Olivia stood there, staring. She blinked, unsure if what she was seeing now was real or another figment of her screwed up imagination. With a shuddering breath, she wiped her face dry and looked at the area around them.
Everything was exactly as it had been before the explosion. There were no bodies. No coppery scent of blood. All of that was gone...and Jake was back.
Olivia’s eyes went to him. He was standing in front of her, gun down at his side. His other hand was still raised, as if he were waiting to fend off another attack.
There was a small scrape on the left side of his forehead and a cut at the right corner of his bottom lip. Aside from that, he appeared to be okay.
Olivia was thankful beyond words. She was also mad as hell.
She swung her fist again, this time, ramming it into his rock-solid chest. Having forgotten about his vest, she knew it hurt her knuckles much more than it did him. Damn, if she’d ever admit it, though.
Instead, she whispered loudly, “What the hell, Jake?”
His eyebrows arched in surprise. “What?” Those same eyebrows quickly turned inward. “And I thought I told you to stay put.”
“Yeah, well, I thought you were dead! You left, and I waited forever. Then, I heard someone fire a gun. I was afraid you’d been hurt, so I went looking for you. I called out, but you didn’t answer, and then, there were two huge explosions, and I thought...I thought—”
Olivia was talking too fast, adrenaline and conflicting emotions soaring through her with such force, she had to stop and take a few breaths to calm herself down.
Jake’s scowl eased with understanding, and he took a step forward. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to scare you. I left you there because I didn't want you out in the open and in more danger than you already were. I handled the threat. He won’t be coming after us again.” Jake stepped closer, gently grabbing her shoulder. “I was always coming back for you.”
Ignoring the electric zing from his touch, Olivia processed Jake's choice of words. I handled the threat. She knew exactly what he meant.
Although she wasn’t the least bit sorry he’d killed one of the bastards, she hated that Jake had been forced to take a life today. Because of me.
The thought pissed her off even more. Not at Jake, of course, but that didn’t keep her from taking it out on him.
“Yeah? Well, how in the hell was I supposed to know that? I heard the shot and then, nothing. How was I supposed to know it wasn’t you who’d been killed? Just in case you’re wondering, the answer is, I couldn’t. So, you can be mad at me for moving if you want, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to keep lying there, just waiting for those guys to come find me. And if you think I should have, then...you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought.”
Olivia crossed her arms and lifted her chin. Okay, yeah...even she knew it was a juvenile move. But in that moment, it was either fight or break down in a sobbing, emotional mess. And she would not do that in front of Jake.
One corner of his mouth twitched. It was a tiny movement, almost indiscernible. One that he was trying very hard to hide. Olivia saw it, though, and knew exactly what it meant.
Stepping closer to him, she poked her finger into his chest. “Don't even think about laughing at me, McQueen.”
Jake rolled his lips in to try to control it, but his shoulders still shook with laughter. Olivia punched the vest for the second time, releasing the quiet chuckle he’d been suppressing. Then—as unbelievable as it was, given their current situation—she found herself snickering, too.
For the first
