Page 5 of Scarred Sunrise

She saw pity in her brother’s face at his words and wanted to strike out at them. Deep down though, she knew it was his love for her that made him want to keep her heart safe.

“Dane, I know you love me, and God knows I love you all too, but I need you to understand that as long as I breathe, I won’t give up on him.”

Pain crossed her brother’s handsome features, and her lip trembled.

“Why?” Daniel asked.

A sad smile pulled her lips tight. “Because he never, not once when I was a captive, left my side. He stood outside my door while I was in agonising pain, screaming and desperate, and he never left me. He kept me safe even though he didn’t know me or remember me.” She stopped not wanting to reveal her past to them at that moment.

“You should let her come.” Jace looked at her then Zack, who sighed.

“If she gets on the chopper and something happens, do you think I can live with that?” Zack asked.

“I have a bad vibe about this rescue, and if we don’t take her, I think the only way Smithy is coming back is in a body bag.”

Pain hit her in the solar plexus at his words, and she sucked in a breath to relieve the pain. The hand on her shoulder flexed, and she felt Lucy move closer.

“You can’t read him from here,” Zack stated.

“No, but I can read her,” he cocked his head at Lizzie, “and she’s feeling whatever despair Smithy is feeling.”

Every head in the room turned to her, but it was Dane who spoke. “You can feel what he feels?”

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

She had no intention of answering that right now. There would be time for secrets to come out but now wasn’t it, so she shrugged. Plus, it was difficult to explain a bond like they had. It wasn’t the same as hearing his thoughts like Lucy and Jace, it was more of a connection that wasn’t tangible in any way. They’d always had the ability to feel what the other did, at least they had until Rhea Winslow. Now she didn’t know if Smithy felt it anymore.

“We don’t have time for this. We need to go.” Her frustration and fear were getting stronger with every minute that passed. Her heart was becoming heavier with each second that Smithy wasn’t with her.

“Fine, you can come, but you do as I tell you.”

Relief flowed through as she nodded her assent at Zack. As the others began to plan the mission to save their friend, she just prayed it wasn’t too late as the light she carried in her heart for him became weaker and weaker.

The ping of a text coming through made her look up as Jace looked down, reading it before his eyes came up to hers, the desolation in them turning her blood to ice.

“It’s Smithy. He says not to come, it’s too late and to forget about him.”

Zack shot up from the table, scattering the papers across the floor in anger as he paced. “No fucking way.”

A clawed hand of terror choked her as her belly cramped in pain. “Give me the phone.” Her words were barely a husk as she held her hand out to Jace.

He handed her the phone in a daze as everyone watched her intently as if she held the answers of the universe in her palm.

With shaky hands, she dialled the number hoping with every breath in her body that he’d answer. As the answerphone kicked in, she knew in her gut he’d diverted her call and buried the hurt it caused that he wouldn’t even give her that.

“Whittaker Smith, you answer this damn phone and speak to me.” She waited to see if he’d answer for a second and then carried on speaking when she realised he couldn’t hear her anyway “Hear me, Ty.” Her voice softened as she turned her back on the watchful eyes, laying her heart bare. “Please don’t give up. I need you to fight, to survive. I survived everything Rhea Winslow did to me and didn’t let her break me. I survived the first time you walked away from me. I saw you that day, my wedding day, and I saw the pain it caused you to leave. I survived it, but I won’t survive losing you again. You’re my soulmate, Ty. No matter what you say to convince yourself you’re not worthy of my love, it doesn’t matter because we’re two pieces of a whole and without you, the best part of me will die. So, you be ready because we’re coming to get you.”

Lizzie hung up and turned to see the tears streaming down Lucy’s face as Jace held her in his arms. The devastation on the faces of the men who loved Smithy like a brother all too painful to bear.

“We need to go,” Lizzie pushed the words out as she stood tall and looked them in the eye. A series of nods and looks of pride and respect from Zin, K, Nate, and the others bolstered her, but it was the arms of her family who kept her standing when she wanted to fall.

Zack crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall. “We need to plan first. We can’t just walk the fuck in there and get him.”

Lucy squeezed her shoulder and smiled. “No, we can’t, but I know some people who might.” Lucy turned to look at Nate. “How fast can Stoner, Ice, and Simon get here?”

Nate nodded returning the wide smile. “Two hours or they can meet us there.”

Zack stepped forward. “You think they’d help us?”

“Yes, they still have the skills, and the Watchers won’t link them to us like they would Eidolon or Zenobi.”

“Make the call.”

Lizzie felt the knot in her belly loosen as the call was made, and with the three paras on board, a plan came together.