Chapter 39: Back from the Dead

“Dad!?”

Holly’s voice echoed, bouncing around the tunnel as Gene’s heart raced. Just seconds earlier, Holly had been on the verge of slicing her sister’s throat. Now, for the first time since he’d met her, Holly appeared frozen and unable to process what was happening.

“It’s me, Kitten.” Bridgewater closed the gap in two steps and wrapped his arms around Holly. “It’s me.”

Anna slowly backed away, leaned against the wall, and slid down quickly, shaken and trembling. Bendal knelt down beside her and spoke to her quietly, wiping away the thin line of blood which had formed where Holly had held the knife against her throat.

For a minute or so, no one spoke as father and daughter were reunited. Sobbing surprised Gene, especially since it seemed to come from Holly. She cried freely for a time, “Dad ... oh, Dad...”

The fiery blond ended the hug suddenly, pushing herself away, her face red and puffy, quite visibly angry. “Why, Dad! Why did you let me believe you were dead? All this time! All this time, Dad! I’ve thought you were dead.”

“Its ... a long story, Kitten. I promise, I’ll tell you everything,” He glanced to Gene and nodded. “We need to get on the move. Stay quiet. We’ll talk when we are secure. I’ve got a safe house. Let’s get our guest somewhere more comfortable.” The tall man turned back to Holly. “I’ll explain everything then.” Bridgewater ran his hand down Holly’s cheeks, wiping away the tears. “I’ve missed you so,” he said quietly, and to Gene it sounded sincere.

A quick movement of Bridgewater’s head had the others following him through the passage on the side of the room, and Gene shuffled quickly behind, unsure what the hell he’d just walked into. He let out a frustrated chuckle, realizing that he had been doing a lot of that lately.

The whirl of the helicopter crept up quickly from the south, just seconds before Danielson came rushing up to where Tamara waited for her. She was pushing a gurney, a white sheet fully covering what appeared to be a motionless body. Tamara crouched when the Major motioned her to her side.

“What’s going on, Ingrid?” she had to shout as the chopper landed just behind them.

“You’re getting out of here, right now. You’re a nurse, start acting like one. Your patient is unconscious. Won’t stay that way for long.”

Tamara was beyond confused, “Wh--”

“I have zero time to explain. Best I could do on short notice. This is a medical evac. It will take your patient to the medical center just north of Rome. This is your patient. You shouldn’t need to say anything to those on the helo, just act calm.”

“What the hell do I do when I get there?” Tamara exclaimed.

“No idea. Said this was the best I could do. I’m getting you out of here the only way I could. You’ll have to think on your feet when you get there. It’s an M1 facility, but ... trust no one. I think you understand that already.”

Tamara felt horrible as a realization sunk in. “What about you? Won’t this come down on you?”

The Major shook her head. “No time for rationalization. This is about getting you away from Victor. Everything else is details.”

Tamara nodded tightly, afraid for the woman. “Thank you, Ingrid ... thank you...”

Danielson nodded, eyes looking tired. “Goodbye, Tamara. Good luck.”

The two women looked at each other a few seconds, unmoving. Tamara could not help tilting her head close and kissing the woman, opening her lips and thanking her more fully than words ever could.

It lasted but a brief moment. Danielson pushed her away. “The helo’s down. Run!”

Tamara leapt to her feet and pushed the gurney quickly towards the waiting helicopter. Two men met her and loaded the gurney into the craft, then helped Tamara up before climbing inside and slamming the door behind them. Seconds later, the chopper rose into the darkness and was spinning around to head towards Rome.

Logan’s cock was more sore than it had ever been. He’d cum at least five times in the last day, the last thanks to Hannah’s soft lips. For whatever reason, the soreness made it even harder not to touch himself. He wasn’t jerking off, on his back next to Finch on the small bed they were sharing for the night, but his fingers idly moved around his groin. He’d showered, so the sticky remains of his ejaculations had already been cleared away, but the rawness of his flesh was still there to remind him of what he’d done.

He threw his legs over the side of the bed and listened. Finch was snoring softly. Lauren was nearby, sleeping in an oversized chair. Hannah and Georges had curled up on opposite sides of the bed on the floor.

They were all exhausted from the long ride over the mountains, but for some reason, Logan just couldn’t fall back asleep after he awoke moments before. Carefully, he crept out of the room and made his way downstairs, thinking to find a glass of water. The kitchen was dark, so he flicked on a light.

“Hey,” came a cracked voice, “trying to sleep here.” Panthea’s tone sounded dry and scratchy. Logan had forgotten she settled down on the couch nearby.

“Sorry,” Logan replied, reaching for the switch, but Panthea cut him off.

“S’ok. Would you grab me a cup of water?” she asked.

“Yeah, one sec.”

Logan opened several cabinets but found only one old ceramic mug. He filled it from the tap and carried it to the woman who had sat up on the couch. “Only cup,” he told her as she took it from his hands.

“We can share, if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, sure,” the boy replied.

Panthea sipped a moment, then handed the cup back to Logan. She eyed him as he drank. “Tell me, Logan ... Does all this scare you?”

The boy thought a moment. “Nah. I’m a hero in this. I’m not scared.”

“You’re lying,” she said softly, “but that’s okay. It’s normal to be scared. I’m scared.”

“Why? You don’t act scared...” Logan replied.

“I can’t help being scared. No one can. But I can control whether I show it. Fear is contagious, Logan. We all feel it, but if we start to show it, it makes us all weaker.” Panthea took back the cup and swallowed the remainder. “I’ll get more.”

She rose and went into the kitchen, leaving Logan to ponder her words.

When she returned, she handed him the cup and sat back down. “Scared just means you realize the gravity of things, you know that what you do, how you react ... that matters. It means something important is on the line. Your life. Your family. Your friends. Maybe something less tangible, like an ideology or a dream. All the same, being scared reminds you to not take things for granted. When you feel scared, push it back and try to focus. Remember that your actions matter, that the decisions you make could change everything. Be scared, Logan, but don’t let the fear control you.”

He stared at her, trying to understand what she meant. He was scared. Terrified, really, though just how much varied greatly over the hours and days and weeks since he’d left home. He’d often felt exhilaration during odd moments, feeling light and powerful. Others, he knew he was small and unable to do more than look on as other people’s actions controlled his life. He feared he’d never see his parents again, that he’d be killed, that he wouldn’t be the hero he liked to imagine, but instead, he’d discover that he was the coward.

“Here’s a trick I use, Logan.” Panthea leaned forward and looked into his eyes. “When you feel fear gripping you, force yourself to remember who and what you love. Focus on them. Make yourself believe that whatever happens, you have the power to change things for the good. When I do that, I find a way to push aside the fear and do what needs to be done.”

Logan felt like he understood suddenly, and he asked, “Who do you think about?”

Panthea looked past him, then replied silently, “someone I lost long ago.”

The boy knew he might be pressing too deeply, but he asked anyway, “so ... if you lost them ... why does that help you? Aren’t they beyond help?”

The woman nodded slowly, “in some sense ... yes. But some actions, Logan ... some actions affect everything. Sometimes little changes make a big difference. It’s what I need to get through those moments when fear grips me. Make sure you find whatever or whoever it is in your life that can do the same.”

She refused the cup when he offered it again and leaned back on the couch. “I’d like to get some sleep now,” Panthea said, yawning. “Thanks for the water, Logan.”

He nodded but didn’t reply, returning to the bedroom to try to find sleep.

Gene waited just inside the door of the small brick building which was built into the side of a hill. Bridgewater had gone ahead with Anna, heading out into the darkness towards God-knew-what next stopping point on this haphazard trip across the globe. Gene couldn’t even count how many countries he’d been in since he left home. But it seemed he’d just added Italy to the list.

He glanced at Holly, who still looked to be in shock. It made Gene very uncomfortable to see the vibrant, self-assured young woman in such a state. He instinctively wrapped an arm around her, and to his surprise, she pressed herself against him as if desperate for the comfort. “Can’t believe it, Gene,” she said quietly. “I can’t believe he’s alive and didn’t tell me...”

“He seems to have his reasons ... seems cruel, though,” Gene replied, unsure what else to say. “Aren’t you ... happy he’s still around?”

“Of course!” She exclaimed, briefly surging out of his arms, then pushing back against him. “I just can’t believe it. All this time ... I wonder ... I wonder if Anna knew all along...” Her voice raised. “She knew, Gene! She knew Dad was alive!”

“Shhh,” he said, trying to calm her. “We don’t know that for sure, and even if she did ... your dad seems like the kind of guy who does nothing without a reason. If Anna knew and you didn’t ... maybe he thought that was the way to go. We don’t know yet.”

He could feel Holly trembling against him, so he slowly stroked her silky blonde hair. It was so odd to see the young woman like that.

Bendal, Marisa, and Silver were huddled together a few meters back from where Gene stood holding Holly, discussing something in hushed tones.