I’m coming for you, Aros
“Fuck is right,” Squirrel repeated as he pulled out his switchblade. Carefully, he cut through the plastic ties holding Soleil upright. She immediately slumped forward, and they all helped me catch her.
“I’m here, Soleil. I’m not leaving you,” I crooned as a tear slipped down my cheek. Then I did something I hadn’t done in hundreds of years. I prayed to the gods that had forsaken me.
“I think I figured out why I never saw him leave,” Ghost announced as he crouched under the writing on the wall. He was staring at some old rags on the floor.
“What do you mean?” Venom asked as he moved closer to see what Ghost had found.
Ghost used an old wire hanger that was on the floor to pick up whatever he’d found. When he moved it, it stirred up a god-awful stench.
“Jesus. What the fuck?” Chains covered his nose.
“Is that what I think it is?” Squirrel’s eyes were bugged out, and his mouth fell open.
“If you think it’s a human suit, then yeah,” Ghost replied with revulsion curling his lip.
“That’s… I don’t even know, bro.” Squirrel slowly shook his head in disgust. “I think I might be sick.”
“Really?” Ghost stared at him like he’d lost his mind because it wasn’t much different than what we’d dished out to the vile pieces of shit we were hired to deal with.
The time that it took for Angel to arrive seemed like hours. When he burst through the rickety door, I was afraid he was too late. Her pulse had been steadily fading as it raced and fluttered like a bird’s in a vain attempt to get blood circulating. I could barely feel it by then.
Once he’d quickly spread out a towel, he started dragging shit out of his bag and laying it out. He glanced up at me. “I need you to start an IV. We need to get some fluid in her. I can start an infusion once we get back to the clubhouse infirmary, but I need to stabilize her first. Unfortunately, I can’t manifest blood. I can only fix the damage.”
Thankful for the first time ever for my years of crazy experiences, I quickly started an IV like a pro. I handed the bag to Squirrel to hold as I primed the line and got her hooked up.
Angel pulled the shirt away and bright blood oozed out of the cut that went ear to ear. The need for revenge burned in my veins. He laid a hand over it and closed his eyes. Like playing a video in reverse, I watched as the bleeding stopped, the flesh melded, and then smoothed. It never ceased to amaze me when I watched Angel at work.
After the wound was closed up, he ran a hand over her cheek, shoulder, and down her arms one at a time. Then he moved on to her ribs where a wicked-looking bruise discolored her side. The bruised skin slowly disappeared.
“Angel, that’s enough,” Venom barked, and I eyed first him, then Angel.
“Shit,” I muttered when I saw how pale he was.
“I’m good,” he argued. “Just let me set her ankle, and we’ll get out of here.”
That’s when I noticed the unnatural angle of her foot. I’d been so preoccupied by her bleeding wound, I hadn’t noticed it. “Christ almighty.”
“Thank you,” I breathed.
“Someone needs to ride my bike back to the clubhouse,” he announced as he wavered and almost fell over. Ghost caught him and helped him to his feet. Squirrel wrapped all of the supplies up in the towel and shoved it back into the bag. Chains took the shirt I’d held over Soleil’s wound and sliced up the sides with his knife. He laid it over her as a makeshift blanket.
“I’ve got Angel’s scoot. You get her back safely.” Chains grabbed the key fob from Angel’s trembling hand. Each time he healed someone, it stripped him of his energy for a while—sometimes hours.
Venom helped me stand as I held Soleil close. “Squirrel, help me get Angel to my truck. Ghost, back the van up to the garage door.”
Ghost nodded and rushed outside. He’d left it down the road farther than we had parked Venom’s truck, but it didn’t take long before he was slamming the van into park outside. He opened the back, and I climbed in back with my precious cargo.
Squirrel did a quick cleanup of the blood on the wall, then set a torch to it. I could see the flicker of flames as we drove off.
Soleil’s lids fluttered, but she didn’t wake up. She looked pale enough to be dead.
“Why do you think he left her alive?” Squirrel asked from the passenger seat.
“I don’t think he intended for us to get there so soon. I think he thought she would be dead before we found her.” I cast one last glance back at the garage. “He fucked up because he should’ve killed me instead.”
“Bro, I have a feeling this isn’t about killing you—it’s about making you suffer.” Ghost’s grim observation sent chills through me because I believed he was right.