Page 9 of Pyre

Something akin to pain flashed in his eyes. “Ruby, I—” A pounding on the door interrupted him.

“Hey, I gotta piss!” a rough, impatient voice boomed from the other side.

Jonah rolled his eyes and stood. She snorted and unlocked the door, swinging it open to reveal a burly man with a scraggly ponytail and a scowl etched deep into his face.

“Y’all bout done?” he snapped, eyes darting between them in irritation.

They both muttered apologies, slipping past him and out into the store. The smell of stale coffee and cheap air freshener clung to the air, a stark contrast to the earthy scent of fire and sweat still clinging to their clothes. Their shoes scuffed against the worn linoleum, and the cashier glanced up with disinterest as they passed by.

Jonah gestured toward a black truck parked on the far edge of the lot. “That one’s mine.”

Ruby tilted her head toward the truck they had driven to the store in. “And that one’s mine.”

Jonah smirked. “Mine comes with a driver and information.”

She crossed her arms, her lips twitching into a bitter smile. “Mine comes with silence and the promise of never seeing you again.”

He nodded toward the woman sitting in the driver’s seat of his truck, illuminated by the glow of a cell phone screen. “That’s Kavya. My editor and camera person.”

“Congratulations?” Ruby’s tone was sharp, exasperated. “I’m sure your ‘special videos’ pay better than the TCA, but I’m not interested.” He needed to get to the point. Sweat and a thin layer of ash clung to her skin, making her feel sickly and sallow. She wanted a shower and the escape of trashy reality TV. She missed when she needed to eat. As much as she resented the buttered noodles she ate so frequently as a kid, she would kill to turn up the AC, hide under the expensive comforter, eat a bowl full ofnoodles smothered in butter, pepper, and fake cheese, and fall asleep to the sounds of catfights and celebrity drama.

For a moment, they stood in silence, the humid air hanging heavy between them, their eyes locked in a quiet battle. The distant hum of crickets and the faint sound of traffic on the highway filled the void, but neither of them moved.

Finally, Jonah shrugged, his posture loosening. “Guess you don’t want the information I have on Edward Alden.”

Ruby froze, her heartbeat quickening. Her gaze sharpened, all pretense of indifference gone. “What do you know about Edward Alden?”

Jonah's words echoed in her mind, facts she'd known for years spilling out of his mouth like he was lecturing a child. “Scientist. Started killing in the 60’s but has been around since the early 1900s. He’s one of the most documented thermophiles that exist.”

Ruby’s lips curled into a snarl before she could stop herself. "Everyone with clearance knows that. Hell, the janitors probably know that," she argued, already turning on her heel to head to her car. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, Lucas’ name flashing on the screen. She gritted her teeth, answering with clipped frustration. "Yes?"

“Did you meet up with Jonah?” Lucas crackled through the line.

“Excuse me?” Ruby froze, heat rising in her chest, and spun around to face Jonah again. He had the nerve to grin at her like nothing was wrong.

“Jonah,” Lucas repeated, oblivious to the tension. “He texted me earlier to let me know he was on his way to you.”

She blinked, her mind blanking for a second before anger flared hot and sharp in her gut. "Why would he text you?"

“It wasn’t my idea.”

Her blood pressure skyrocketed. “Lucas.”

His chair squeaked. “When you see me next, please remember that I am a scientist, not a fighter, not the one making any decisions.”

“LUCAS,” she half screamed, half whispered through clenched teeth.

"The TCA thinks you have too much leeway. They would like you to work with him," Lucas placated. “He’s the star of a reality bounty hunting show.”

Ruby nearly choked. She coughed, trying to regain her composure, but the sheer absurdity of the situation nearly knocked her off balance. “A what?”

“It’s on YouTube. He films himself catching people who skip out on bail.” Lucas snorted. “It’s actually pretty entertaining.”

Jonah leaned against his car, that damn grin plastered on his face like he’d won some kind of twisted game.

“So he films himself catching thermies and puts it on the internet? That seems pretty counterintuitive to the idea of a secret government suppression agency.” Ruby forced eye contact with Jonah as she kicked a rock. It soared through the air, pelting a telephone post and leaving a hefty chunk missing from the wood. Jonah’s smile fell. Hers stretched.

“Not thermophiles. Humans,” Lucas continued. “They want you to help him with the bounty hunting.”

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