SHATTERED TRUSTS

Samantha's POV Adrian's pale and grasping side shocked me out of the darkness. My breath grabbed in my throat, and for a moment everything around me disappeared—the tension, the sound of footfall, even the threat of Jared's soldiers moving in. I could only focus on Adrian's agonizing contraction of his face and the blood smearing over his shirt. Shaking hands, I rushed forward to grab for his arm. "Adrian, you're hurt," I said, voice strangled with compassion. He endeavored to wave me off, his usual assertiveness intact even in the clear anguish. "I'm fine," he responded, but his grimace suggested otherwise. "No, you're not," I answered, glancing fast at Lucas, who had followed closely. "We have to get him off this planet." Lucas nodded, his face austere as he searched the parking area for any more threat. "We just have a short time. Jared's men will be here; they are still within. Adrian's breathing was shallow, yet he leaned forcefully into me with a bright, focused gaze. "We ought to head off right now." Before it turns out too late. My pulse pounding as the urgency of the issue sank down on me, I led him toward the car. Everything felt as though we were moving slowly, yet everything was rushing too fast. My brain spun with nervousness, but I forced myself to stay anchored. Adrian needed me right now, and I couldn't allow emotions to skew my judgment. As we arrived, Lucas unlocked the door and waved Adrian to get inside the car. Though my head was whirling with questions, I stayed close to the passenger side. Now was not the right moment to ask them. Too much was riding on us and at stake. Adrian winced as he seated his palm still tightly pressed to his side. His voice strained, "Where's Alex?" he asked. I hesitated, then turned back toward the building from which our brother had disappeared. "He still resides." I don't know what he is doing. Lucas mumbled under his breath; his eyes furrowed once more as he turned around. "We cannot wait for him just now. If Alex survives, he will find his own way out. Deep down I knew Alex was right, but I wanted to argue to persuade Lucas we couldn't just let him go behind. Alex had acted; now he had to deal with the consequences. Whether he made it out or not was beyond my control. Adrian murmured, "Let's go," lips clinched, his head leaned back against the seat. "We have no time to lose." I jumped into the passenger seat as Lucas cranked the engine and headed out of the parking lot. White knuckles, my hands grabbed the dashboard as the streets swirled past. Every second counted down like a ticking clock, to something certain. Jared was always one step behind no matter how far we fled, and I couldn't get rid of the feeling that we were still under his control. Adrian groaned next to me, and I turned to face him as my heart clenched at his pallid face. "We need you hauled to a hospital." "No hospitals," he said firmly, swiftly. Jared surrounds himself with people everywhere. After I visit one, he will find me. What then should we do? When I asked, frustration and anxiety slipped into my voice. "Adrian, you bleeding?" You cannot just pass this off as not significant. Closing his mouth, he corrected me. We march to the safe house. There are tools for medical use there. I'll be alright. Though I wasn't sure, I knew better than to argue with him right then. Tenacious, he committed himself to keep under control even as his body failed him. I swallowed the knot in my throat to help me to keep cool. Panic had no time to strike. Lucas negotiated the city streets calmly, his face focused in concentration. Though the car was under tension, none of us said anything. Our preoccupation with survival and departure was too great. The safe home was a small, unremarkable structure outside of the city. Though from the outside it seemed to be an abandoned warehouse, I knew it was far more than that. Years ago, Adrian had set it as a covert refuge for times when life seemed dangerously uncertain. Though I had never been, I had heard him talk about it, deftly masking its location. Lucas hauled the car into the garage locking the door behind us. The horror simmered just under the surface even if the pressure in my chest eased considerably. Not yet were we out of the woods. My voice taut with speed, I told Lucas, "Help me get him inside." We got Adrian out of the car and into the building side by side. He leaned largely on us, his gait uneven. His pain blanketed his face, and it scared me how open he felt. Today this man was on the brink of collapse; he was always in charge, always strong. We settled him on a little cot in one of the rear rooms, and I knelt next him as my hands trembled as I reached for the medical equipment Lucas had brought from a nearby cabinet. Though I was not a doctor, right now that would be plenty given my basic knowledge of first aid. Adrian let out a gasp as I removed his bloodstained shirt to expose the incision. It was not very deep, but it was enough to make him very unhappy. I did my best to clean the area while my heart was hammering. "You are going to be okay," I whispered, uncertain if my words were intended for him or just for myself. Adrian opened his eyes and briefly fixed me with a softness I had not seen before. He mumbled, "I'm not worried." "As long as you're safe." His comments shocked me, and for some time I forgot where we were or what threat was nearby. I could only see him, the man who had stayed with me through it all and had gambled all for me. "Adrian......" I started but knew not how I would finish. Though I wanted to say so much now felt like the right moment. He nodded hesitantly, his hand reaching for me. "We'll talk later," he muttered as his eyelids closed. My heart laden with unspoken words, I sat there for a moment gripping his hand. Though right now was not the time to linger on it, there was so much between us—so much that had gone unsung. Right now, survival took the front stage. Lucas arrived at the gateway, his demeanor stern. "For now we are safe; Jared's not going to stop here. You know of. I nodded then gazed down at Adrian's still body. Yes, I know. We will deal with that, though, when the time comes. Lucas crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "What about Alex?" The name of my brother tore at me. " Unknown." He opted. He had to live with it now. Lucas nodded, but from his gaze I felt doubt. Either die with it or another. The weight of his words sank over me even if I focused on them. Too much was at danger, too much I needed to focus on. Jared was still out there waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike; Adrian's life hung precariously. Sitting in the peace of the safe home caring for Adrian, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out; the message sank my heart. You didn't think you could run endlessly? My stomach got empty, and I knew Jared wasn't here yet.