Chapter Thirteen

Kermit was still at odds with leaving Peter and Kincaid to fight for survival, but he went anyway. As much as he hated it, the soldier in him was forced to trust in TJ's more extensive knowledge of the issues confronting them. Yet, his basic code of honor didn't sit well with leaving a man behind, no matter what the reason.

He glanced down at Mitch and a wave of helplessness washed over him as he saw the real reason why he was abandoning his comrades. Unlike earlier, Mitch was back in her near catatonic state; her expression empty, and her eyes devoid of her quirky personality. With Jody's help, they moved the girl forward, each with an arm around her, requiring both of them working together to keep her walking.

The throbbing pain of Kermit's arm and other injuries was nothing compared to his fears that Mitch might be permanently affected by the weekend's events and by the unknown situation going on inside the house. As soon as he passed Mitch over to Marilyn, he was going to go back to help TJ and Peter.

Marilyn's head snapped up when they emerged from the house. Catching sight of Mitch, she started running toward them, tears filling her eyes as she called to her daughter, "Mitch."

Kermit's helplessness grew when he saw Marilyn's reaction. She brought a hand to her mouth, her breath catching and she locked onto Kermit's gaze with an expression of near panic. Her face registered shock as she gaped at their battered physical condition, spurring her to increase her pace.

She was almost to them when Kermit realized Marilyn hadn't been waiting alone at the Suburban. A stranger had been standing with his arm around her, comforting her and he now followed behind her at a slower pace.

"Damn," Kermit muttered to himself, realizing the extent of his delayed reactions and chided himself for his lapse of attention. A lifetime of military and covert training began to kick in as Kermit assessed the unexpected stranger to determine if he was a possible threat or an unknown ally.

A horrific blast cut short his analysis. The house emitted a low rumble and then exploded, knocking them all to the ground hard, as the blast shook the very foundations of the house.

The next thing Kermit knew, Jody was gently patting his cheek and calling his name. Pain coursed through his system, throbbing to the beat of his heart, threatening to pull him back into unconsciousness. He was finally able to slow the agonizing experience enough to open his eyes.

He saw Marilyn beside him, bent over Mitch. She was frantically trying to get a response from her unconscious daughter.

Jody's pale expression loomed back into his line of sight as she leaned closer to him. It occurred to him that she wasn't doing much better than he was, bleeding from countless cuts and scrapes incurred in the past twenty-four hours. She clutched her left leg as she drew back.

"Jody, what happened?"

The blonde shrugged, still holding tightly onto her leg as her eyes squeezed shut. When she opened them, her gaze darted toward the house. "I-I don't know what happened, except something nearly leveled the house."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the destruction and continued, "How-how could anyone have survived that?"

Kermit followed her stare and drew in a ragged breath. What had once been a beautiful Victorian home was now a total ruin. Cursing loudly, he tried to sit up and froze, paralyzed as his body protested the movement in a flurry of fiery pain impulses.

"Kermit, you're hurt, you better stay put."

"Like hell I am!" he growled and somehow managed to get to his feet, staggering and swaying like a drunkard.

Jody shook her head in frustration and Kermit spared a glance at Marilyn before gaping at the house. When he looked back, he saw Marilyn sobbing as she held Mitch in her arms.

Marilyn brushed the hair from Mitch's forehead, and then noticed Kermit standing beside her. She choked back her tears. She was about to say something when he cut her off. "You stay with Jody and Mitch. I'm going to check on the others."

As brother and sister began a silent showdown, Jody tried to stand, but her injured leg crumpled beneath her. "Dammit," she cursed in a breathless rush as she collapsed in a heap on the asphalt driveway.

Kermit couldn't spare her the energy it would take to kneel down and check on Jody. Instead, he barked, "Just stay here, Jody, and keep an eye on them."

He turned to leave, only to find Marilyn blocking his path. She had stood during his momentary distraction, leaving her unresponsive daughter alone to stop him. Her ability to move so quickly left Kermit temporarily disoriented. The world was definitely moving much too fast for him to keep up with it.

Casting a worried glance down at Mitch, Marilyn touched her hand to his chest. "Help is on its way. I used your cell phone while you were out."

Kermit nodded, determined not to be sidetracked by his stubborn sister. He stepped around her, muttering, "Got to check on Peter and TJ."

He said the words as firmly as he could, but they came off sounding as if he was about to collapse. And maybe he was.

"Kermit, you're scaring me. You're hurt too badly to be moving around. Besides, that man already went inside. He said he'd take care of them until help arrived."

Kermit turned and stared at her with an uneven gaze.

"What man?" he asked until he remembered the stranger he'd seen before the blast. "You mean that guy who was standing with you when we came outside?"

Marilyn nodded. "Yes. I don't know who he is or why he was here, but he was kind enough to offer to help."

Kermit's suspicious nature kicked in despite his waning resources. "He just appeared out of the blue?" he asked as he checked for his Desert Eagle and was reassured to find it still in its holster.

"Yes. I know I should have been scared, but he was so kind and calming."

The full moon broke through the predawn cloud cover and she glanced up at Kermit, her expression reflecting a confused serenity. "He said the strangest thing as he walked away, 'Stay here and watch over those you love, but do not worry. Your daughter will recover as will the others. I will ensure the safety of those inside. Allow your faith to reveal your inner strength. Faith in action is an amazing thing to behold.'"

Kermit rubbed at his aching arm as he bristled with irritation. "What the hell does that mean?" he barked before he realized he was being drawn into a conversation he didn't really want to have.

He put up a hand, waving off any reply she might have made. "Never mind. Tell me later."

He turned to leave and felt himself falling. He gasped in pain as Marilyn grabbed at him to keep him from hitting the ground. She awkwardly lowered him, even as he lost the battle to remain upright.

Taking a deep breath, she brushed back the long strands of hair that had fallen into her face while wrestling with him. "Sorry, big brother, but you aren't going anywhere."

Jody spoke up finally, having remained silent during their confrontation, "Hmm, I see stubbornness is a dominant gene in your family."

Kermit shifted his menacing glare from Marilyn to Jody and she put up her hand in self-defense. "Hey, I'm only stating fact. Besides, Kermit, you can barely stand. You wouldn't be of any help inside. Like Marilyn said, help is on the way."

"Yeah, but will it be in time to do any good – " He stopped in mid-sentence and turned to Marilyn so rapidly he had to hold his head until the dizziness passed.

"Marilyn, did you say you used my cell phone?" he rasped, thinking he must have heard her wrong.

Marilyn nodded. "Yes, you left it on the seat. When I saw it, I decided to call 911."

Kermit swallowed with disbelief. "Where is it now?"

Marilyn looked at him, equally bewildered. "In the Suburban."

"Get it."

She pulled her gaze away from him, unspoken questions filling her expression, but apparently she knew her brother well enough to do as requested. She only paused a moment to check Mitch once more before doing his bidding.

Marilyn returned in a few moments, handing him the retrieved phone. He stared at it, playing with the buttons for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"What is it, Kermit?" Jody asked, unable to take the mystery any longer.

He turned the cell phone toward Jody. " My cell phone hasn't worked all day, thanks to interference from Peter's weird mojo, but the antenna was broken when the birds attacked us. That's why I left it in the car."

The expressions of confusion met one another and grew, and then they turned in unison toward the rubble that had once been the Gables and gaped in silence.

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Chapter 13