Page 105 of Dark Truths

Ever since my necklace buzzed a few minutes ago, all I can concentrate on is getting to the cabin. It’s the only place I could think of where Dimitri would hide out. No one knows about it but me and his FBI handler, so it’s safe. It’s the logical choice. I just hope Dimitri thought the same.In the backseat is my go-to first aid kit with enough supplies to treat anything, from cuts and bruises to bullet wounds and broken bones. Because I don’t know what kind of condition Dimitri’s in, only that he’s alive.

“If he’s not at the cabin, where would he go next?” Michael asks, slowing down just enough to prevent the car from spinning out of control when he takes the turn off the road onto Dimitri’s long driveway.

“I don’t know.” Admitting the truth makes me feel useless and utterly helpless. “He has to be there.”

In the distance, a strange orange and red light breaks through the treeline. It's too bright. Too artificial. A second later the unmistakable scent of smoke wafts through the car’s air conditioner.

“Is that—?”

“Fire,” Michael finishes.

“Oh my God, his house is on fire.” I reach over and slap my brother’s arm several times, my eyes staying fixed on the burning cabin. “Hurry, Michael, please, hurry!”

Before the car even comes to a complete stop, I jump out and pay no attention to my brother’s shout for me to stop. The cabin is on the verge of being completely devoured by flames. The heat radiating from it is so intense, it crashes against my skin in hot waves, while the deafening sound of its destruction fills the air.

“Dimitri!” I scream, the sound barely audible over the fire’s roar.

I catch sight of a body lying on the ground close by and I rush over to it. Flipping him over, I find a stranger staring up at me. The man’s dark skin is drenched in sweat and soot, and there’s a large patch of blood on his pant leg.

“Who are you?” I demand.

“My name’s Jacob,” he introduces himself in between small coughs and grimaces of pain.

Jacob…that’s the name of Dimitri’s FBI handler.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Dimitri?”

Jacob’s eyes slide to the house, and my stomach drops as Michael appears beside us. “He ran back inside.”

Devastation fills me, sending a chill washing over me that grips my heart in a vice of fear and disbelief. He can’t be in there. He just can’t. Why would he go in there? I have to find him.

I stand and take two steps toward the house before Michael appears in front of me. In the shadows of his face, his hazel eyes burn bright just like the fire behind him.

“Don’t even think about it,” he warns me in a grave tone.

“Let me go.”

“Absolutely not.”

“We can’t just let him die in there!” I shout. “I get that you hate him, I do, but I love him, Michael. Do you not understand that?”

I try to sidestep him, but he quickly grabs my upper arm and forcefully pulls me back to face him. Our eyes meet and it’s a battle I refuse to back down from. He’ll have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming if he wants to stop me. Finally, Michael sighs, his eyes shifting to the fire.

“I’ll go.”

“No,” I argue right away. “You can’t.”

“And neither can you,” he reminds me, glancing between my bump and my eyes. “I’ll find him.”

Unable to dispute his logic, I watch my big brother pull his shirt over his face and leap through a wall of fire, disappearing into the inferno. I stand frozen, my gaze darting across every inch of the burning house, searching for any sign of life. Now, two pieces of my heart are lost among the flames. When the wind shifts, it brings a plume of smoke with it, forcing me to turn away and cough. That’s when I remember Jacob. I may be helpless with the fire, but I can help him.

Sprinting over to Michael’s car, I grab the first aid bag and then run back to kneel by the man’s side.

“We should call 911,” he suggests as I cut open his pants to get a better look at his leg.

Digging my phone out of my hoodie pocket, I toss it at him. “Here. Help yourself.”

I force myself to narrow my focus to the task at hand. I’m good at this, at treating someone’s injuries, and providing them comfort. Still, it takes everything in me to concentrate while my life could very well be burning down behind me.

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