Wild Tiger Chase | Book #2 (Complete)

15: sweaty nights in summer dreams (Part III)

— Léon — 

Find a kid, bring them back to their family, get a NAV, drive to Cidade Santa, and meet his mom and brother.

It all seemed to be pretty straightforward. It seemed easy. Instead, he was in the middle of what was once his home-village, surrounded by a dying forest, accompanied by a man he barely knew, and another he knew way too well.

"Try drinking just a little bit more, Phil." Léon raised the bottle of water to Phillip's lips, but he refused. "You need to keep hydrated!"

"Fuck it; don't want. It's cold... I'm cold," Phillip answered in a weak voice.

Léon clicked his tongue. It was hard to see during the moonless night, but with the help of the campfire Modraniht had built, Léon saw the dark veins spreading up Phillip's neck and arms. The tips of his fingers were already black, and Léon had no idea how fast that thing—whatever that was—could spread.

Shit.

"Just a little sip, Phil. For me," Léon tried again—and this time, with a weak groan, Phillip obeyed—but just a little sip.

Léon nodded and faced forward, willing his shoulders to relax and failing. He felt like a puppet, being thrown this way and that without the smallest concern for his will and wishes. He had spent four years in prison to have a normal life, but now that he almost had it, one single airplane accident ruined everything.

Holy fuck, this was unfair. All he fucking wanted was to be with his fucking family and have a normal life! Why couldn't he?

Phillip's hand closed around the bottle, and he made a visible effort to lift it. Léon stared at him, a silent question in his gaze.

"I'll drink it. Just... don't cry," Phillip whispered.

With widened eyes, Léon dried his tears with the back of his hand. He hadn't noticed he was crying.

Ah, Goddess. When did things get so bad? Even with everything that was going on, his life before prison was so much brighter and better. What was different now?

He clicked his tongue. It was not just his mother and brother, was it? He missed Mary and Rob, too. Fuck. Ans he missed Satina so much! Goddess, he wished she was here. He wished she could be at his side—she would know what to do.

Phillip tipped the bottle and pressed it on his lips. The fever must've messed with something in his balance and his senses, for he leaned back—and back, and back—as trails of water escaped through the corners of his mouth.

"Phil!" Léon grabbed the bottle and took it from him, pouring yet more water over him.

Phillip let out a coughing fit that made Modraniht jump from his makeshift bed.

"Sorry. So cold," Phillip said.

"What happened?" Modraniht rubbed sleep off his eyes and blinked.

Léon sighed and reached for a piece of cloth in the doctor's backpack. "It was nothing, he just choked on his drink."

Modraniht hummed. He spent a moment in silence, his eyes lost in the nothingness around them. Then, he got up and stretched. "Well, if you'll forgive me, nature calls," he said before disappearing through the bare tree trunks.

"Be careful." Léon sighed. He needed to feed the fire.

How long until they found the child-thief, anyway? Would the kid Cae's looking for be there too? Was the kidnapped kid still alive?