Page 71 of Redemption in the Dark (The Righteous 5)
“Jimmy, we don’t have much further to go. Take the pills so we can all get back, and you can keep your leg,” Wolf said as Duke came over from having his small drink and curled up in a ball by Jimmy’s side.
“You smell that,” he asked, his voice low but harsh as he looked around at all the faces staring at him. “That’s me. I’m rotting, and those won’t help. I’m done, and you need to leave me before I get one of you killed.” Jimmy’s eyes refocused on Morry. “Now tell me how many?”
Morry opened the bottle, dumped the last pills into her hand, and counted in front of him.“Sixty. There is enough for you and Kes to have two pills once a day for the next fifteen days, and then we’re out,” she said matter-of-factly. “But, at the rate we are going, we might make it to the border in ten days, so that will give each of you an extra half a pill a day.”
“We both need a minimum of six a day, and you know it. Give Kes four a day. Give him a chance to go home.”
Wolf grabbed his best friend’s shoulder. “You can’t give up. You’re not dying out here like this. I won’t let you.”
His hand found Wolf’s as Morry slowly stood and gave them some space.
“You know I’ve always loved you, man.” He took a shaky breath. “You’ve always been like family to me,”
Jimmy said, squeezing his hand. A tear leaked from his eye and traveled down his cheek. “I wanted to marry her, you know. I loved your sister so much, she was beautiful like every vibrant color in the rainbow, and she hated me, which only made me love her more.” Jimmy laughed, but Wolf didn’t have it in him to offer anything more than a weak smile. “I’ll be happy to see her again.”
Wolf’s heart pounded hard in his chest as the emotion wrapped around his heart and squeezed, making it hard to breathe.
“I’m not letting you die too,” he said, grabbing the back of Jimmy’s neck. He stared into his friend’s eyes. “You’re my brother, I—” His hand shook as his own eyes filled with tears. “I can’t lose both of you, I can’t fail both of you, I just can’t.”
“You know that her death wasn’t your fault, right?”
Wolf looked down at Duke, his hand running through the soft fur, the touch of the animal a comfort all on its own.
“You don’t know that. I should’ve done more to get her help. I should’ve told someone, and I should’ve been a better brother. I knew she was hurting, and when I caught her cutting, I let her talk me into keeping my stupid mouth shut.”
“She was troubled with demons in her mind, which didn’t have anything to do with you. You were sixteen, man. Stop blaming yourself. Neither her death nor mine should be on your conscious.” Jimmy leaned his forehead against his. “Take care of Duke for me. When I die, don’t let the army take him. You take him home and retire him. He deserves to live with you for the rest of his life on a ranch.”
“Jimmy…”
“Promise me. I mean it.” Jimmy coughed, his head leaning back against the rock.
“Hey, guys, I found some food.” Arek held up two mongooses by the tails. “I almost got a third, but it will give us a bit more than just the cactus we’ve been eating. Besides, one of you would have to shoot me to eat one more of those fucking giant spiders. Those long legs and the way they crunch.” Arek made a gagging face as Trev helped him get a fire going.
“Look, we have food, real food to eat.” Wolf tried to force his voice to sound upbeat. “Morry says ten days. I say we can do it in a week tops, and we’re out of here, man. You can make it. Seven days, give me seven days to save your ass.” Wolf went to stand, but Jimmy grabbed his sleeve and held him in place.
Jimmy shook his head as he rolled his eyes. “Just, promise me.”
Wolf sighed. He didn’t want to promise. It was like he was giving Jimmy permission to give up if he did, but the look on his brother’s face was more than even he could resist.
“I promise. Duke will come home with me, but he won’t need to live with me. We’re getting you out of here.”
“Thank you,” he said and let go, his hand falling away. “Thank you.”
Wolf stared down at his friend and couldn’t stop the trembling coursing through his muscles. He’d never really believed in the spirits the way his Dad did, but he believed in the Creator. He hadn’t been very open to the teachings, though. Right now, he would pray to anyone that would listen. He was terrified to take his eyes off Jimmy. He rubbed at the ache in his chest because he knew he was losing him. Jimmy had accepted death, but he wasn’t ready for this to be the end of their story.
Wolf’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up straight and stared at Duke, who was softly whining with his head on Wolf’s legs. He looked around for Jimmy. He’d been laying near Kes, but he was gone. He jumped up, his eyes searching the dark surroundings, but he didn’t see any movement.
“Jimmy? Where are you?” He pulled his knife from the leg sheath and gripped the handle hard as he moved around the sleeping bodies of his fellow brothers. “Jimmy, where are you?”
He looked down at Duke, who was staying by his side and his heart rate tripled.
“Why are you here and not with Jimmy?” Duke looked up and whined at him again as if trying to tell him.
“What’s wrong?”
Wolf spun around to see Trev slowly standing up. “Jimmy, he’s missing.”
Trev bent and inspected the small pile of weapons they kept ready.
