Prologue

A flash of light and a roar. Blinking slowly, my eyes finally made out the rafters above me. When did that mule kick me in the chest? What was I doing again? Oh yeah, that was a firebrand blasting me with lightning, not a mule. Fitting, that this whole thing began and will end because of Sarah.

Chapter One

                Today was the perfect day.  A beautiful sunny afternoon, not a cloud in the sky. The leaves were just starting to turn, and Sarah agreed to a peaceful stroll through the park.  I couldn't think of a better place to pop the question than the hill where we first met.

                "Sarah," I asked as I gazed at the sunset in her eyes, "will you marry me?"  Hands shaking, I opened the box I had hidden in my pocket as I watched the emotions play across her face.  With a tear in her eye, and a gentle smile she replied, "Of course I will Larry."  We shared a slow kiss, and lost track of time just holding each other as the sun sank.

                As we followed the trail from our secluded hideaway back to the car, a massive wave of disorientation struck.  Unable to keep standing, we tumbled halfway down the hill and slid through several prickly bushes. 

                "What the Hell was that?" I groggily asked as I looked over to Sarah.  Something seemed off, but I couldn't think to see what it was through the splitting headache I had developed.  Must have hit something on the way down, hopefully I didn't get a concussion.  Blinking away my confusion, I went and checked Sarah out.

                "I'm ok hun, just a twisted ankle," she grimaced as she ran her hands along my cheek. "Are you ok?  You look a little pale."

                "I'll be alright, nothing really hurt.  I just don't, something just doesn't seem right.  I've never had a dizzy episode like that, and the trees seem off for some reason. Are you sure you're ok?"

                Glancing around, her grimace turned into a frown.  "There's definitely something wrong, where did the trail go?" Following her eyes, I realized she had hit the nail on the head.  Where did the trail we were on go?  We couldn't have gotten that far off of it.  Pulling myself upright, I helped Sarah back to her feet.  I took particular pleasure in brushing the detritus off her butt.  What can I say, she's gorgeous.

                Sarah smacked my hand away, but not before I caught the grin on her face.  Yeah, she knew what I was doing. I'm fairly certain she loved the fact that I was touchy feely when we were alone, but playtime was over.  Time to get serious and find out just how far down the rabbit hole we had fallen.  Slipping and sliding through the leaves to the bottom of the hill, I looked around to try and get my bearings.  Sadly, I was never a boy scout, so this was an exercise in futility.  Especially with the shadowed forest playing with my perceptions.  I finally managed to dig out my cell phone, but was rather startled when I had no service.  At all.  While Tennessee might play havoc with cell service, I had been in this park many times and had never had absolutely no service.  A flash of light out of the corner of my eye told me Sarah had the same idea I did, so I walked over to look at her phone over her shoulder.  We had different providers, so hopefully she would have at least one bar.  I barely managed to catch a glance of her phone before it was shaking too badly to make out anything.  The next thing I knew she had her head buried in my chest, and I automatically enfolded her in my arms.

                "Please tell me you have service, even if it's a lie."

                "Don't worry baby, even if we have to rough it for a night, we will be just fine."  I slowly started massaging her back and shoulders, and just waited quietly for her shaking to stop.  As terrified as I was, I knew just showing it would devastate her.  Besides, there weren't any dangerous animals in this park, we were far too close to the city for something like that.  Murmuring quiet words, occasionally placing soft kisses on her scalp finally calmed Sarah down enough to take stock of where we were and what to do.  She pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks. 

                Staring into her blue eyes, I put as much conviction into my next words as possible.  "We will be fine, but for now let's put your phone away.  No sense in running both batteries down using them as lights at the same time right?  Just stay close to me and we can make it out of here just fine."

                "Oh, I don't know about the just fine part, but that there girly might make the boss happy for a bit."

                Spinning in place, I immediately put Sarah to my back and bit back any tough words the primitive portion of my brain was insisting on speaking.  Part of it was that I didn't want to escalate anything, but the bigger part was the fact that my brain was quickly becoming aware of the rather large handgun pointed right at me from a few feet away.  No way was anyone missing from that range, and no way was I willing to chance something hitting Sarah.

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                "Smart move there fella.  For a second I thought you was gonna be a hero, but you got to thinkin right quick.  Maybe y'all will make it."

                "Please sir, we are just lost.  There's no need for the gun." God I loved level headed Sarah, keeping even the slightest tremor out of her voice while staring down a stranger with a gun.  Unfortunately, I knew her words weren't going to sway this guy, I saw the gleam of malice in his eyes.  "What is your name, and can you help us please?"

                "Aw shucks, I ain't no sir there sweet cheeks, but thanks for butterin' me right up.  Now, there's no need for y'all to know my name, so that ya can't go blabbin' to the coppers.  Why don't you just turn around and start walkin', but keep them hands on top of yer heads so's I know nobody wants to try any hero stuff.  That just ends up with dead heroes and cryin' girls, ya know?"

                "Where are you taking us?" Even with the threats, Sarah managed to keep all the fear out of her voice.

                "Just keep the creek to yer left, and follow it upstream a ways.  I don't know how y'all got so close to this operation without settin' off any of the traps, but y'all can answer my questions soon enough.  Now put them lights away and keep quiet."

                Stumbling around in the dark is not one of my favorite things, and adding someone pointing a gun to my back was quickly getting old.  Luckily after about fifty feet I could make out a faint glow coming through the brush ahead.

                "Go ahead and walk around the bush real slowly, and remember to keep it quiet."

                The clearing was like something ripped right out of the past.  Sixty feet across, the entire area had been cleared of anything that could burn save the pile of firewood to my right.  Across from us was a large copper vat above an open firepit, with piping coming out of the top and heading to a second pot, with even more pipe heading from the top of that to a barrel.  A large, burly fellow who I really wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley was just straightening up from placing a jug underneath a small bit of pipe sticking out from the bottom of the barrel.  Could this really be a moonshine operation?

                "Now, why don't you two just have a seat on that log, and we can get us some answers, yeah?  First things first though, we gotta keep you tied up so you don't run away."  With that last bit, I felt hope slipping away.  As the seven foot behemoth of a man came over to tie us up, I finally got a good look at the one holding a gun on us.  This guy would look right at home at a used car lot.  Thinly built, with greasy hair and cruel eyes that never strayed until we were securely tied up.  When he was sure we couldn't try anything, his eyes started darting around, but always managing to keep us in his field of vision.  Since they refused to give us names, I decided that the guy with the gun was going to be Greasy and the other Tank.  "Right, so here's how this works.  I ask and you answer, you might not get hurt.  Lie and, well just don't lie."  He sauntered over, bent over as to whisper in my ear, and smashed his fist right into my solar plexus.  Gasping for air, I doubled over to his chuckling.  "See, that right there is just the beginning of what'll happen if ya decide to lie.  So, tell me, what are yer elements?"

                I could feel Sarah's confusion, but apparently my coughing and trying to sit up was too slow.  Grabbing the hair at the back of my head, he violently jerked my head upright and turned it so I could see the barrel of that gun jammed into the soft area of Sarah's jaw, her eyes wide with terror.  Calmly he asked again, "What. Are. Yer. Elements?"

                "I, I, I don't know wa wha what you m m mmmean."  I couldn't keep the tremble from my voice.

                "What elements can you control?  Everybody has one, so stop playing stupid."

                "Don't hurt her, please, whatever you do!"

                "Listen kiddo, I'm an windbrand, and a damn good one.  Which means I know all these little ways to inflict all sorts of pain upon you.  My partner there is an earthbrand, which means he will be able to strengthen your bodies to survive even more pain.  Over the years, we have pretty well perfected our craft, and this can be a very long and painful evening for you.  Or you could make it easier and just answer the questions."

                Apparently my answer was too long in coming, as our captor backhanded me with his gun, slicing open my cheek.  Sarah couldn't hold in a little gasp at the violence, and unfortunately his attentions turned from me to her.  Yanking back on her hair, he leaned in real close and stared at me. Licking his lips, he must have seen the concern in my eyes as he gave her a small kiss on the cheek.  "Sweetie, don't you worry.  We won't be hurting you, you will be a nice little bonus for the boss on this.  How you answer depends on how much fun we get to have first, see?"

                I could almost see the switch flick in Sarah's attitude.  One of the things I always loved about her was her passion, but she also had a temper as fiery as her hair.  While never truly directed at me, I had seen it turn cocksure idiots who wouldn't take no for an answer into quivering puddles of meat looking for the nearest chance to beat a hasty retreat.  What I had never seen before, however, was her glare literally set Greasy's eyebrows on fire.

                "HOLY FUCK, SHE'S A FIREBRAND!" Greasy cried while flailing at the fire on his face.  As Sarah turned her stunned face to look at me, I saw a shadow loom out of the corner of my eye.  Before I could think what it was, Tank had smashed Sarah with a piece of firewood, knocking her to the ground.  I cried out and tried to follow, but a quick kick to my stomach sent me sprawling. Flat on my back, the last thing I saw was a cord of firewood heading towards me, then blackness.