Page 52 of Dark Medicine

“No, no, we won’t. But K is missing. No one can find her, and my guess is she cleaned out his funds before this all happened.”

“Did you see which way she went?” asked Adam. Groome shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.

“Honestly? I didn’t care where she went as long as it was away,” he said.

“Spread out!” yelled Kane. “Find that woman and bring her to me!” Kane took off with Flip, Adam, and Spook on his heels. Ben and Juan headed towards the outer buildings, searching the area for possible underground tunnels.

Uri started to run when Groome held his arm.

“Who are they? Is that…”

“Yes, it’s them, and I’m going to help them. We owe it to those children, Groome. They’ve helped me and Dan, and I won’t turn my back on them again. More than the fact that we owe them because of what Moore did to them, we owe them as brothers. You should help too. We need you to help. Remember what that felt like, Groome? Helping others?” The others stood beside Groome.

“I’m done,” he said resolutely. “I have enough money to live comfortably, and I don’t want anything to do with anyone anymore. The brotherhood for me died a long time ago. I’m going to a little place I bought in Mexico a few years ago. You can find me if you want me. But, Uri? Don’t find me.” Groome walked away, his shoulders slumped, his body defeated.

“I’m going to get my sons,” said Fredericks. “I have to make sure that they’re safe before I make any decisions. I’ll stay in touch, Uri, but don’t expect to hear from me any time soon.”

Uri shook the man’s hand and nodded. He understood Frederick’s motives. His wife was dead, murdered by Moore and K. His sons needed stability and explanations, and that was not a job done quickly.

“I want to help,” said Cullen, stepping forward. “Bill and I are finished. I know my reputation is tainted, and there may be some who don’t trust me, but I do still have some connections. I want to be useful again. I need to be useful again.”

Uri smiled as he shook hands with Cullen. He wished Fredericks good luck and pulled Cullen closer, explaining the situation.

Two hours later, Kane, Adam, Flip, Spook, Ben, and Juan returned to where the men still stood, waiting patiently.

“Nothing,” said Kane, staring from Uri to Cullen. The ash and smoke smell filled the air, Kane’s face, as well as the others, blackened with soot. “We tracked her to an underground tunnel but lost her. Even Spook couldn’t get a handle on her.”

Cullen eyed Kane warily and then stepped forward.

“I-I owe you all an apology. I’m truly sorry, and I want to help.”

Kane looked the other man up and down. He didn’t know Cullen personally, but he knew his reputation pre-Moore and knew that he was a fine soldier. He could give a shit about his sex life. He didn’t care who he was married to or who fucked whom.

“We could use your talents,” said Kane. “I need men that will have connections to the military that may help us.”

Cullen let out a long slow breath as Kane took in the surroundings. The ranch, completely gutted by fire, smoldered behind him. Not one of the buildings remained, and the firefighters struggled to keep it under control. He cursed under his breath, wondering if one of the Gifted had indeed set the blaze.

Flip, sensing his friend’s question, looked over the top of Kane’s head at the flash of blonde hair moving quickly. He pushed the others aside and took off toward the tree line. The others followed, believing it was Karena Viskoff.

Flip plowed through the trees and brush, his two-hundred-and-seventy-pound body much faster than it should be. A wave of blonde hair flashed in front of him, her face turned slightly to judge the distance. Flip stepped up his speed, Kane and Adam flanking him, Spook on his heels.

Branches and brush lashed at their arms and faces. The thick forest contained no clear pathway for them, but they maneuvered through the trees, leaping over dead trunks fallen to the earth. The woman’s hair snagged on limbs, and she yelped in pain more than once. Her hands flew up to protect her face as she ran mindlessly toward freedom.

Reaching a wide meadow, a stream wove its way between the tree line and the green pasture. The woman turned again to see how close her captors might be and missed her step, stumbling forward against the rocky streambed. Slamming against the rocks, her body bounced, and she turned, screaming out in pain. Seeing her pursuers so close, her eyes filled with fire, and she turned, raising her hands.

“Stop!” Flip yelled. “We’re not with Moore!”

She froze, eyeing him warily. Her hands were still raised, blood dripping from both. The palms revealed flickering flames. The heat and intensity were felt even a few feet away.

“We are not with Moore,” said Kane, breathing heavily. “We are like you. We are all like you. We are gifted.”

“Phfft! Gifted? Is that what you call the hell I’m in? Gifted? It’s a curse, asshole, a fucking curse! That son-of-a-bitch deserved to die, and I was happy to speed that process along,” she cried, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face.

“It can be a curse,” said Flip, stepping closer, kneeling slowly in front of her. He rested against his heels, both hands on his thighs so she could see them. Trying to appear smaller, less intimidating, he spoke softly. “It can also be a God send. I’ve saved hundreds of lives, and my friends are among those. We can help you. We’re going to help the others as well.”

“The others?” she said, scrunching her nose in the cutest way Flip ever saw.

“Yes, there are dozens more…”

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