Vegas: The Phoenix Curse, #3

By Debra Rose

Ali and Joss have escaped the confines of the deranged Boulder City Hotel, but now they are faced with the challenge of keeping Stephanie alive. The clock is ticking while they search for a safe haven for Stephanie to have her baby, and Las Vegas is full of surprises. They receive an unexpected helping hand when they need it the most and finally find sanctuary.

But will it all come crumbling down once Reed catches up with them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Writing Roses
• Release date: Feb 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311724144

Debra Rose

Debra Rose is the author of The Phoenix Curse series, a bestseller in Amazon's post-apocalyptic and dystopian science fiction genre. Although she previously published under the pen name D.R. Johnson, all her new and current novels will be published under her full name. Debra is currently pursuing her bachelor's in arts at Southern New Hampshire University, and she lives in Texas with her husband and two children. Debra specializes in science fiction and the supernatural, although she has been known to stray into the realms of fantasy from time to time. Her books have graced the top of Amazon's bestseller lists and continue to captivate fans of the genre. Passionate about her craft, Debra continues to write enthralling stories that focus on character development during apocalyptic situations.

Book preview

The Phoenix Curse

Preface

2014

The first step in an amazing journey is finally done! It certainly has been a long time coming. I’m very excited about this release and wanted to thank you for sticking with me. Not only did I learn how to write a book, but I learned about all the processes behind actually getting one published, and some of those processes took longer than I ever expected. This isn’t easy work, but it’s fulfilling work, and I loved (almost) every moment of it!

Except for the editing. I actually really hated that part…

Remember when Spring of 2014 came and went? Well, there were a lot of life factors that delayed the release of this book; a lot of things I just didn’t see coming. If someone would have told me last year at this time that my husband and I would sell our house, move into a rental, buy a dream house (it’s all relative), move again, and that my husband would have his hip replaced; I would have thought you were insane. Not to mention my change in jobs that increased my commute and stole a precocious five hours out of the work week that I used for writing… Well, you can image the affect that had on me.

(I will add that I would love to write full time, so make sure to tell all your friends to buy the book so I can quit the day job!)

But there was also that one moment, a terrible moment of weakness where I became petrified about what I was creating. Sells were up, both part one and part two were doing awesome on the charts, I was getting some rave reviews, and beloved fans were clamoring for more. This is what every budding author dreams about! Hell, it exceeded my dreams of what I would ever accomplish.

So what did I do? I freaked out. Stalled completely because I was terrified. I looked at my manuscript, the jumble of words that I had managed to put together to create a book, and I thought ‘How can I ever live up to the expectations?’ Then I shelved it for two months and worked on something else. Something lighter. A romance novella that no one would care about.

During that time I was fooling myself that I could get both books out by my deadline, so I continued to work on the novella. I was wrong. My confidence faltered, and my fans paid the price. Somewhere around March, I realized what I was doing, and refocused. I put the novella on the back burner and made sure all my extra time went into part three like it should. I can’t say after all the crazy life events I’ve experienced this past year that I would have gotten part three out on time, but when I let my fears get to me, it caused a large part of the delay.

Lesson learned the hard way, and I won’t let that happen again. Please accept my humble apologies.

Once I finally got underway on part three, I worked diligently on shaping those words into the story that Ali and Joss deserve. I didn’t let the time-pressure force me to cut scenes or rush them, and I am satisfied with the result. I think we’ve got a damn good story here, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Just remember, there is more after this. Dreamland is waiting for me, as well as that novella that will be published under a different pen name. Keep your eyes on my blog for all the upcoming news. Until then, happy reading!

Debra Rose

www.writingroses.com

www.thephoenixcurse.com

1

Ali

A Bad Idea

I'm not going back there, Stephanie said. I respected her defiant stance but wavered when she began to ramble. Her voice took on a petulant tone that didn't set well with me. I'll stay out here. There aren't a lot of red-eyes out here anyway. If you won't let me come with you, I'll be fine on my own.

I exhaled loudly, my frustration showing, and I struggled to come up with a plan. I hadn't been through a tenth of what this girl had been through and knew she wasn't bluffing. No woman in her right mind would set foot in that hotel, especially after a taste of freedom. It didn't matter how long she had been a prisoner there—a day, a week, a year—there was no going back.

Can we protect her?

My eyes cut to her. Watching her try to hide her bulging stomach could have been comical in a different place, a different time. Her attempts only made it more apparent, and Joss was no help in the situation. I had already tried looking to him, but he stood blank-faced and waiting. Even though he had washed his features clean of emotion, I knew what was in his heart.

How far along are you? I asked, looking again at her belly.

She shrugged and answered me in a whisper. I'm not sure. Maybe six months.

With my head tilted to the side, I crossed my arms over my chest and continued my scrutiny. Her voice sounded young, but the darkness hid her age. How old are you?

Her reply was barely audible. Sixteen.

Jesus, I spat. Even Joss groaned at her response. Shaking my head, I blocked out all the horrifying tortures that immediately sprang to my mind. I couldn't deny the sudden surge of protective instinct that swelled in me for the girl. I didn't know what our best course should be, but I decided we had to get a safe distance away from the hotel before a hunt started. Then maybe I'd have time to figure something out.

We have to get moving, I said aloud, turning to Joss. Ryan said he stored some stuff for us?

Lots. We can't take it all with us if we can't get the Murano back, he answered.

I half laughed, half coughed at the thought. We aren't getting the Murano back.

I moved what I thought we'd need over there, just in case someone else came. He pointed to the other house. I nodded, and Joss started forward. I motioned Stephanie to follow him as I fell in behind her, forming a protective line as we trudged through the weeds.

Josh led us to the five backpacks he had stashed along the side of the building. Gasping as I recognized my main pack, I snatched it up quickly, eager to get to the contents. Everything was there; my belt-pack, my knives, my gun.

So good to see you again, I muttered to my weapons as I pulled out the holster and began to strap it on. Can't believe they'd go through the trouble.

Maybe they felt they owed us, Joss responded. His voice was flat, and I looked at him curiously as he slung two backpacks over his shoulders, one for each arm. He picked up a third.

I can take one, Stephanie said, reaching out to him. I watched Joss hesitate before handing it over.

Here, he said. This one's light.

My eyes narrowed thoughtfully as I watched Joss help square the backpack on Stephanie's shoulders. The care and tenderness in the exchange hinted at how close the two had grown over the past week. I filed the scene away in my mind and began to load up, slinging two packs over my shoulders. By the time he had her fully situated, I was ready to move.

Stephanie, you stay behind me. Got it? I whispered.

Yes, came the faint sound of her consent.

Shaking my head, I led them around the house and started the search for a safe place to rest for the night. Slipping through the darkness from street to street, I saw no sign of humans or freaks.

Stephanie was keeping up without complaint, but that didn't stop the worry from gnawing at me. She wouldn't be able to keep this pace forever, and she couldn't go where I wanted to take us. Once we were traveling out in the open, we would have to move much slower to make sure she stayed safe, and it had been a long time since I'd traveled on foot with someone I had to protect. It would be a struggle, and that wasn't even taking her condition into consideration.

A shudder ran through me. The thought of losing anyone to a freak was nauseating, but the fact that Stephanie was pregnant made the thought doubly worse. It was enough to make me cringe.

This is a bad idea.

We laid some distance between us and the shed, but it was slow moving. I pressed Stephanie as far as I dared and decided we could afford a short break. Antsy about being so close to the hotel—we could have put a hundred miles between us and the hotel, and I still would have been nervous—I gave in to my need to sort things out. Halting us in front of a small, one-story house, I told Joss to stand watch with the girl while I made my way inside.

On my first trip through the house, I opened every door, every closet, and every cabinet. If a space was big enough for a person to fit inside, I explored it. I didn't dare chance giving our position away by using a flashlight, so I ran into more than a few cobwebs as I swept through all the dark corners.

Then I did it a second time.

Finally, I was satisfied it was freak-free and called Joss and Stephanie inside.

Drop the packs here, I indicated the hallway before pointing toward the bedroom. You two in there. No light. No noise.

I saw the motion of both heads nodding, but their expressions were swallowed by shadow. I pulled the packs into the windowless bathroom and shut the door before I pulled out my flashlight and flicked it on.

The small light could have been the noonday sun as it seared across my vision, causing my eyes to squeeze tightly shut for a few seconds. As they adjusted, I grabbed my belt-pack and dumped the contents on the floor. I found my locket, books, and MP3 player, but the main thing I was looking for wasn't there.

I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach and blinked away tears. It was all I had left of him and it was probably lying in the blankets back at the hotel. Ryan had gone in for my pack, but he wouldn't have looked there. The kitten Seth had given me was gone.

Ignoring the emotions, I forced myself back to my knees to finish my inventory. I handled the items roughly as anger built up inside me, the inanimate objects bearing the brunt of my frustration. I paused long enough to brush the loose strands of hair out of my face and winced when I hit a tender spot. My scalp was raw from the last time Reed had ripped out several of the long strands.

Grinding my teeth, I stood. Using the flashlight to hunt through the vanity drawers and cabinets, I found what I was searching for. A small pair of scissors pushed to the back of a drawer, almost hidden underneath the many tubes of lipstick and eyeshadow cases. Propping the flashlight at an angle so I could see my reflection, I stared determinedly at myself. Without a pause to think about what I was doing, I went to work. Long red strands of hair fell in clumps as the tears began to fall.

I finished quickly, the task done faster that I would have thought possible. I ran my fingers through the close-cropped curls that were left of my hair, now shorter than Joss's, and sobbed. Crumpling to the floor, I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs, tilting my head down to hide my eyes as I cried softly. Giant sobs wracked my body, but I swallowed the sound so Joss or Stephanie wouldn't hear.

I sat like that for a long while. Time was slipping away from me while I wallowed. Squeezing my eyes shut, I focused my mind on the immediate needs in front of me and ran through the list in my head. Joss, Stephanie, her baby, and getting us all the hell away from that demented hotel.

I envisioned the past as something tangible, and I pushed it into a dark corner in my mind and slammed the door on it. It would creep back in later, I knew that, but at least for now I was able to focus.

I looked back to our supplies, already knowing Joss had done a decent job with them. It would be enough to see us through for a few days, maybe even a week if we stretched it. We should have plenty of time to restock.

Standing up, I took one more look at my reflection in the mirror and switched off the flashlight. The darkness would hide my distress, so I only hesitated a moment before joining the others in the bedroom. Stephanie was on the bed, but she shrank back into the furthest corner, barely more than an undefined shadow. Joss was sitting against the wall beside the window.

Anything? I asked, keeping my voice low.

No. It's quiet, he responded in kind. After a short pause, he asked, Did you see a fire?

I frowned at that. No. Why?

I could see his eyes glittering in the dim light as he looked up at me. They widened in surprise as he stared at my hair, but he remained silent. He swallowed, and his eyes found mine as he stumbled over his words. Miguel said they'd light a fire on the roof if it was safe to come back. If they were sure Reed was dead.

Stephanie shifted but remained silent. I glanced at her shadow before sitting down next to Joss. Ryan didn't have time to tell me much.

I guess they'd had this planned for a while, he said. They wanted to get the women and children away from Reed and his men.

I leaned my head against the wall and was surprised as I felt exhaustion grip me. My vision clouded for a moment and it took a few seconds to blink it away. Sitting up straight, I said, They were fighting when I ran. I think Reed may have been wounded in the gunfire.

Joss's head snapped toward me, excitement pushing his words out in a rush. Are you sure? Maybe he's dead.

No. I shook my head. He didn't look dead.

Joss went silent, deflating from the momentary surge. Finally, he turned back to me, his voice soft but pleading. Can we at least check for the fire?

Stephanie shifted again, and my eyes flicked to her. I thought I could make out her concerned features, but that was impossible in the darkness. My vision blurred again, and I let my head droop. Despite the harrowing situation, my body was demanding rest. Stephanie's soft voice sounded far away. I can't go back there until we're sure.

Clearing my throat, I reassured her. We won't. We can give it a couple hours maybe, but no more. If there's no fire by then, we have to move.

Joss nodded in the darkness, and I ignored the chill that ran through me. If I saw no signal, that was proof Reed was out there, but I was already certain he was. One shot wasn't enough to bring a monster like him down. He was only wounded. The fear made me want to gather our things and run right then, but how long could I keep swallowing my yawns? Plus, I couldn't do that to Stephanie. The girl needed sleep more than I did.

Thank you, she said softly, and her words came with a heavy impact. I looked at her hard, wishing the shadows weren't so thick. Her eyes were a deeper darkness in the shadows, and I thought she might have been crying. Turning my gaze away, I focused on the night outside the window, searching for movement.

If they fail... I began but trailed off. No reason to go down that path. Looking at Joss, I changed what I had been about to say. What did you leave in the shed?

Mostly books, he said. Some food and water. We'd never be able to carry it all.

Nodding, I stretched out on the floor, giving into the fact my body needed to recharge. A short rest, okay?

Yeah, Joss answered, I'll keep watch.

I would have nodded again, but the effort of the movement was too much. Stephanie followed my lead, lying awkwardly on the bed, the swell of her belly preventing her from finding a comfortable position. I only watched her for a moment before closing my eyes with one thought floating in my head.

A bad idea.

Stay Safe

Once I slipped into a deep sleep, I felt Seth with me. Dreaming, I opened my eyes and found us standing on a familiar porch, the snowflakes drifting lightly through the air to land gently on the ground. He smiled as he reached to finger a short lock of my hair.

I like it, he said, and I blushed, turning away from him. He stepped close to wrap his arms around me, and I could hear the concern in his voice when he spoke again. Are you safe?

No, I whispered. Will we ever be safe?

He was slow to reply, shifting before he finally answered. Maybe.

We stood together for a long while, content to watch the snow build on the ground around us. Safe in my dream world, the horrors of the past week seemed far away.

Can I stay here with you? I asked him, pleading.

He chuckled, but his words were tinged with bitterness. Only for a while.

Why not forever? I begged, turning to look at him. The beautiful, sapphire blue of his eyes met mine, and I found my answer there, full of pain and sadness. He stared down at me, and I watched in growing horror as his eyes deepened in color, the shade growing darker until they finally flashed the same green as my own. In a blink, they were blue again.

No, no, no, I groaned, burying my head in his chest. He held me against him for what could have been minutes or hours. Time lost meaning.

Ali, he whispered.

I pulled back to look at him, almost afraid of what I'd see in his eyes. They remained blue and unchanging.

It's just a dream, I said sadly, pulling away from him. He caught my hand in his.

I know, he said quickly. But can't we enjoy the time we have here together?

His plea struck me deeply, and I relented. He led me to the couch, misplaced and odd sitting on the snowy porch, but it belonged in the dream. He sat, pulling me down next to him onto the soft cushions, and I snuggled against him as he drew a blanket over us. The cold couldn't reach us here despite the snow. The warmness I felt emanated from within.

For a moment, I was whole again. The dream dissolved slowly, and the rest of my sleep was deep and peaceful.

It was dark when I woke. Opening my eyes, I saw Stephanie lying on the bed. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest indicated she was sleeping. Joss had pulled a stool next to the window and was staring out. I drew his attention as I sat up.

It's only been an hour, he whispered. You can sleep more. I'm okay.

No, I responded, processing how restful my short nap had been. I felt completely refreshed. I'll check for the signal now. Have you seen anything out there?

Nothing, he said, standing with me. Are you sure that's a good idea?

Nothing about this is a good idea, I said, motioning toward Stephanie. Joss shook his head as he walked past me into the hallway. I followed, assuming he didn't want our conversation to wake her.

I told her about us, he said, sounding guilty. My body tensed, but I kept silent. I hadn't given a thought to how we'd hide our condition from her, but now I didn't have to. Instead, I was wondering how she reacted to the revelation. She's the one that took care of me when I got shot, and she found the bite. She said she heard rumors before, so she already knew, I guess. Maybe I said too much too fast, but...

He trailed off, leaning back against the wall. He ran his hand through his thick, black hair, and his cheeks puffed out as he exhaled. It was the same motion I'd seen Seth do hundreds of times. With the dream fresh in my mind, I wrapped my arms around myself to ward away the pain. Joss was already an inch or two taller than me, and it seemed he'd grown even taller in the past week. The older he got, the more he looked like his brother.

One of the men that died the night we were captured, he finally got out, and I understood why he had struggled with it. I hugged my arms tighter, swallowing down the gruesome memories as Joss finished in a rush. One of them was the father of her baby. She said she's glad he's gone.

Oh. The word sounded strangled. It was all I managed to get out. The realization dazed me, and Joss fell silent. I looked back toward the bedroom and could see her small shape lying across the bed. The maternal nature that I felt for Joss began to seep toward her, strong and undeniable.

Dammit, I huffed. Joss waited, watching me intently. Taking a few seconds to gather myself, I turned to him and sighed. I'll be quick. Let her sleep for as long as possible.

Not waiting for his acknowledgment, I turned to grab my belt-pack and left him, quickly slipping out the front door. Before starting away, I made a quick circuit around the house to make sure everything was secure. Nothing was amiss.

As I easily retraced our path back to the shed, I struggled to keep my mind focused on a plan, but my thoughts kept wandering. If they weren't mired in my dream world with Seth, then they were creating nightmares about what Stephanie had to endure as a prisoner in the hotel. It was a useless back and forth that got me nowhere.

A rustle of leaves some distance away snapped my mind back to the present. Slipping into the shadows, I dropped low to the ground and froze, waiting for whatever was in the darkness to make another move. My heartbeat elevated, and a surge of panicky adrenaline shot through me, but the next time I heard the rustling, it was further away. Whatever was making the noise was obviously moving away from me.

My heartbeat slowed as I argued with myself. Part of me wanted to get back to Joss and Stephanie, fearing it could be Reed. Another part of me knew the sound was unmasked and probably caused by an animal. Not quite ready to turn back, I ignored the reasonable half of my brain and pushed forward. Moving silently, I kept an ear out for anything that sounded suspicious. I was getting close to the shed and I'd never have the courage to get this close again. It was now or never, and it would only take a minute.

While I was in the adjacent backyard, able to see the shed through the fence slats, I pulled the pad and pencil from my pouch, mentally berating myself the whole time. I felt foolish, but found enough moonlight to see by, and I started to write.

Ryan,

Thank you. Stephanie came with us. I'll do my best to keep her safe. I'll take them to where you told me to go. Stay safe.

I left it short, simple and unsigned. There was no time for a long, drawn-out thank you. Slipping the pad and pencil into my pouch, I moved to the break in the fence. Pausing to listen for any indication I might not be alone, I heard the rustle of leaves again but faintly in the distance. This time, a muffled growl accompanied it, most likely a cat by the tone. I relaxed, feeling slightly more comfortable about my reckless choice to do this.

I ducked through the break in the fence and sidled up to the small building, listening again for several moments. Just the sounds of crickets met my ears. Holding my breath, I moved to open the shed door. Dark emptiness greeted me. I quickly stepped inside, shut the door behind me, and pulled out my flashlight. I only turned it on long enough to scan the room and dropped it back in my bag a second later.

Joss had been thorough and accurate. There was barely anything left but water, food, and books. I grabbed a few empty packs since those were easily carried, and gently laid the note in the middle of the floor. Ignoring the feelings of foolishness that reddened my cheeks, I sat a full bottle of water on top of the note so it wouldn't slip away. If Ryan made it through the night, then he would find it, and he deserved to know we were alive and safe. He would never follow us to Vegas, though, so this marked the end of our short friendship.

I left the building before I could change my mind. Moving quickly, I ducked through the break in the fence and jogged past a few houses. I slipped into the shadows of a tall oak tree to gauge my position once more. Just a few blocks south, and I should be in sight of the hotel. As I approached, there was no tell-tale glow in the dark sky that would indicate a fire. I was closer than I thought, and the building loomed in front of me, as dark and foreboding as ever. The icy chill that slid down my spine was enhanced by my disappointment, and then by fear.

This confirmed Reed had made it, and he was out there. I spun on my heel and began to retrace my path back to Joss and Stephanie. As the minutes slipped by, I argued with myself along the way, trying to figure out our safest course, trying to figure out what to do with Stephanie. The little chance she had of surviving out there on her own had just become nil.

She'll slow us down.

It seemed impossible. We might have a month left, maybe two, where she could travel. We could make it to Vegas by then, where the freaks were thick. They were the best guards against the living, but it would