The Ghost Ships of Arizona

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

Drake felt blood on his cheek, across his chin. The impact had been close enough to his right ear to render a temporary deafness. As he opened his eyes he saw that Alicia had averted the barrel beyond the very last instant, unable to move it more than a few millimeters. The slug had seared his temple.

“Fuck me.”

“Stay there. I’m not done with you yet.” Alicia’s voice was as hard and lethal as the weapon she held. Drake experienced a sudden bone-deep fear. Did she just miss?

He had more work to do. “Inside, you know it’s over. Done. You know now that there is a way to move on.”

That stopped her cold. “There is?” He could see the conflict within her. “Well, maybe. What do you mean?”

“Drake,” he said, holding out his arms as best he could. “Matt Drake.”

“Wha…?” Alicia focused for the very first time, eyes upon the present rather than encrusted with the past. “What are you saying?”

“You want me to spell it out? Then fight me first.”

He took the gamble of his life and came at her slowly, swatting the pistol aside and then ducking so that he could lift her free of the ground. She struggled, but only lightly. The raw fury, along with much of her energy, had been depleted. Drake hefted her, dropped a shoulder and deposited her as gently as possible onto her back, amongst the sand and rubble. Alicia could certainly take it.

“It’s time to move on for good. And by that I mean stop. No more running, no more looking for the next adventure. It’s time to live in the present and embrace all it has to offer.”

Alicia sighed, struggling now but barely able to move. Drake sank down onto her legs as she managed to flip over onto her stomach, and a smile broke free through the blood and grime that coated his face.

“Now we live our lives,” he said. “We live them together. You don’t forget your past, Alicia, you accept that it happened and build a better future.”

Alicia struggled, but gently. Drake finally laughed and reached forward. He tapped out a rock tune on her ass and thighs to help lighten the mood. Alicia managed to lift her head.

“Quit that.”

“Why? It is turning you on?”

“No. I can’t guess the bloody tune.”

Drake enjoyed himself some more. “Smoke on the Water, silly.”

“I think I’d prefer Paranoid. More rhythm.”

“Oh? Well, we’ll try that later.” Drake turned serious and climbed off, careful to completely ignore all the hurts that ransacked his body. Still wary, he eyed his oldest friend.

“Still wanna kill me?”

Alicia too pulled herself up, breathing carefully to restore strength and equilibrium. “Maybe later.”

“Have we resolved anything here?”

Alicia allowed herself a smile. “Obviously, it’s not quite that easy. It’s gonna be a long hard road. But I had to do this, Drake. I had to. It’s a start. Do you understand?”

He did. “Been a long time coming,” he said. “But it’s pure Alicia Myles. You were self-destructing the other way and you knew it. I’m happy you chose me to… help.”

“Who else could it be?”

“Russo?” he said. “Beauregard?”

“Russo’s a good man,” she admitted. “A solid man. I could have chosen him and, if he survived, we’d be better than ever. But Beau? Nah, he’s just a goal. Every woman deserves twelve inches at least once in her life.”

Drake winced. “Please don’t ever say that again. It hurts more than the broken tooth.”

“You know something.” Alicia cocked her head. “I know we have a battle to get back to. A tough motherfucker, if I’m being totally honest, but for the first time in almost twenty years I feel like I’m not going to die soon.”

Drake eyed the slope that would take them back to harm’s way and hoped she hadn’t just jinxed their future. “First of all,” he said. “Let’s see if we can get outta this hole. Here…” He held out a blood-streaked hand.

Alicia Myles took it.