I sighed in relief and felt my body relax, and so did Joseph’s.
It took only a second, but that was all you needed, right? Sukh sprung back on his muscled haunches as Joseph straightened and swept his leg across the dirt like a metal detector, kicking Joseph’s legs out from under him.
I heard Rash swear from across the circle.
“Get up,” Pelo urged.
Joseph fell to his knees, and his opponent took the opportunity to elbow him in the head.
Blood spurted from Joseph’s nose and flowed down his chest, my own arteries splitting inside me.
I watched it happen, slow, like hours were passing, even though it was only a few seconds. It sounded dull, like wood hitting damp mud: Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! As Joseph was hit on the side of the head, under his jaw, and then kicked in the chest. Acid rose as he fell in front of me, his eyes closed. It was too familiar.
I screamed in panic, in fear, in anger. The rope dug into my wrists as I leaned forward, trying to broach the distance between us. But it was useless. The post wobbled behind me but didn’t budge.
Sukh stood over Joseph, his foot raised, his heel about to come down on the base of Joseph’s skull. No, no, no, no… Not like this. My eyes bounced frantically from Joseph’s body lying motionless in the dust with his hands tucked under his chest to the Survivors across the yard. Rash was wincing, Pelo looked at the ground but Gus, the others, they were smiling.
Confusion seeped into every bone in my body. Were they glad they’d be rid of me, even if it meant they would be captured by the Superiors? No. Gus maybe, but not the others, not Matthew.
I stared at that foot, hovering over Joseph, ready to break him.
Then I watched as Joseph’s hands surged back and he pushed into a crouch, knocking Sukh onto his back. Shocked, he didn’t react in time, and Joseph was over him. With strength on his side, it only took one momentous swing of his fist to knock the man out cold. He could have kept going. Joseph could have killed him, which was what the wiry, dark man would have done. But Joseph was no killer. He was a healer. He held his fist above his head and then brought it into the palm of his other hand, squeezing around it and sparing the man beneath him.
Blood spattered and shaking, Joseph turned towards me and smirked. My bones rattled in my chest. My heart stammered and spluttered. It was his plan to pretend to lose.
No one stopped him as he strode towards me and knelt to untie my hands.
“This belongs to me,” he said with a wink.
He grabbed me under my arms and pulled me up. I hurled myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck and closing the gap until there was nothing but rough, canvass fabric between us. His heart was beating so strong and fast; it was like a fist pounding on my chest. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer still. Not even air was between us now. I pressed my mouth to his, talking as our lips grazed each other. “Well fought,” I whispered against him. “But if you ever say that again, you’ll be the one lying unconscious in the dirt.”
He chuckled, dust in his eyelashes, blood all over his face. It was a sound I’d never get tired of. One I’d always crave. One I’d nearly lost too many times.
“I almost was,” he admitted.
My face creased, the pinch of seeing him collapse hinged over me like folded sandpaper. “I know,” I said, burying my face in his dirt-crusted chest.
They let us go. Just like that. Two, broad angular men, weighed down by their thick, black tunics, scooped Sukh up under his arms and dragged him through a tent opening, while another untied the prisoners with a knife pressed between his sharp teeth. They kept us restrained, pulled sacks over our heads, and led us back to the brick building we had camped in. I peered through the holey material. Now it was light, I could make out vague shapes. Tree trunks sprang from the ground, jagged and black, snapped in half, stopping at my height or lower. The smell of wet charcoal burned my nose. A forest fire must have run through here. I wondered whether the Superiors had anything to do with it, but my thoughts were quickly silenced when a knife handle dug into my back, pushing me forward.
The men spoke in their native tongue, so we couldn’t understand them. Their tone was light and every now and then, they laughed.
When my feet hit pavement, the sacks were removed. I shielded my eyes from the white blindness and scanned the area. In daylight, the place looked even more depressing. This was a town of brick and glass and little imagination. We walked forward, noticing our captors had not moved.
One of the men that we could understand addressed us. “You have two day before All Kind come.”
We nodded and turned swiftly towards our shelter. Our pace picked up until we were running. Poor Olga waddled behind us.
She grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and pulled me backwards. Breathless, she stammered, “Wait. I can’t keep up.” I put my arm around her soft middle and dragged her forward.
*****
We grabbed our gear and threw it into the cars. The hidden keys were retrieved, and we jumped in. We needed to move fast.
Pelo grabbed my arm as I stepped into the driver’s seat. His fingers pressed desperately into my skin. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” he said, “but that was foolish, Rosa. Dangerous. Next time, let someone else take the fall.”
I shrugged him off. “Sadly, I don’t think you were Sukh’s type, Dad.” I laughed, kind of high on the fact we’d gotten away.
“You called me Dad,” Pelo said smugly, his eyebrows rising, his chest puffing up.
“Slip of the tongue, Pelo,” I snapped as I pulled the door closed so he would have to let go of me.
“I’ll take it!” he shouted as he ran to another car.
I pulled at the door but someone had their fingers around the edge, pulling it back open.
Rash’s dark head popped up. “My turn to drive, Soar,” he said.
“No!” I said shortly, my body vibrating with excitement.
Joseph slid into the back seat, groaning in pain and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Uh, I don’t think beautiful blond man wants me to be his nurse,” Rash said, waggling his dark brows.
Joseph snorted. “No, beautiful blond man certainly doesn’t!”
I shrugged and climbed in the back with Joseph.
Matthew hopped in next to us, slamming the door with a clap, and Rash tore away, the wheels squealing and spitting up dirt and gravel. We headed for the highway, speeding as fast as the car would allow. When we found it, we drove a few kilometers and took a sharp right angle turn, driving directly into the wilderness, searching for the river that would bring us right up to the Superiors’ compound.
*****
I could tell every bump hurt him. He winced and held his side like his organs might fall out whenever the car jolted. Matthew turned to face him in the squashed compartment and felt Joseph’s nose.
Joseph leaned forward, and a gush of fresh blood drenched his bare chest.
“It’s broken, Matt,” he said as he leaned back, squeezing the bridge of his nose gently, and staring at the grey ceiling.
Rash’s eyes widened in the mirror. “Ew! Gross, man.” He returned his eyes to the front and swerved to avoid a log.
“Keep your eyes on where you’re driving,” I barked, slapping the back of his head.
He gripped his hands on the steering wheel tightly, as we bounced around in the backseat. “All right, all right,” Rash said, gritting his teeth.