Burn Before Reading(64)

Fitz grumbled something that sounded like a ‘hi’. The man nodded to Wolf, and shook hands with Burn, who towered over his average height.

“You gotta tell me your secret, Burn,” Jakob said. “How’d you get Fitz to come back after all these years?”

Burn nodded to me. “Bait.”

“Thanks,” I said. “It’s great knowing how much I’m worth around here.”

Jakob laughed. “More than your weight in gold, Bee. I haven’t seen Fitz in nearly ten years. He must like you something fierce to turn up out here again.”

“She’s amusing,” Fitz barked. “Unlike everyone else here!”

“Stop being sour about it,” Wolf snapped. “You got fooled. So what? Roll with it.”

Fitz slapped a palm to his forehead. “I never thought I’d see the day where you, Mr. Stick-Up-Your-Ass, would be lecturing me on the merits of going with the flow.”

“This is a sky diving facility, isn’t it?” I asked. Jakob nodded.

“You betcha. Blackthorn kids here used to come with their mom – god rest her soul – every year for her birthday. She loved the adrenaline. Can’t say I knew a woman who loved it more than she did, that’s for damn sure. You still taking care of her bike, Wolf?”

Wolf nodded, avoiding my eyes. We both knew he’d let that bike fall in the garage that day – saving me from injury instead. I was still mystified by that. He cherished that thing more than breathing.

“Let’s get this show on the road, then.” Jakob clapped his hands. “How many we taking up today – four?”

“Three,” Fitz squeaked.

“Four,” Burn insisted.

“Four it is. You kids wait in the office while I get everything ready. There’s a water cooler and a chip machine in there if you get hungry or thirsty.”

“Thanks, Jakob.” Wolf said. Jakob smiled.

“No worries, Wolf. It’s good to have you all here again.”

Burn led us over to a small trailer that’d been refurbished with an air conditioner and a few couches. Wolf settled on one, resting his head on the back of it. Fitz fiddled with the chip machine, stuffing Fritos into his face nervously. Burn leaned against a wall and waited, and I skimmed my fingers over the brochures piled by the door – Petersen’s Sky Diving Company.

“Are you afraid of heights, Fitz?” I asked. Fitz laughed, brittle.

“I’m not afraid of heights.”

Wolf looked up. Burn looked over. Both fixed their stares on him.

“Okay,” Fitz relented. “So I’m a little afraid of heights. But you have a fuckin’ phobia, Wolf! You know what it’s like! Why are you forcing me to do this?”

“Because,” Wolf droned. “Every time we did it when we were kids, you got so scared before it happened. And when it was over, you got excited and wanted to do it again.”

“I don’t remember that!”

“You probably blocked it out. It happens a lot to kids going through traumatic experiences.” I offered helpfully. I skimmed through the brochure, eager to lap up the extensive safety tips Jakob had included. Heights wasn’t my thing – any sane person was afraid of them – but least sky diving wasn’t anywhere near my house, or my family. If I was diving through the sky, I couldn’t be home, and no matter how much my conscious nagged at me to get home and make dinner for Dad, I just didn’t want to. Not today. Just for one day, I’d take a break. I deserved that much, didn’t I?

“Okay, Madam Shrink, then what do you suggest I do?” Fitz asked.

“Deep breaths,” I said. “One at time. Oh and whatever you do, don’t look down.”

“Fantastic,” He threw his arms up in defeat. “I can’t wait to die in the prime of my life by falling fifteen-thousand feet straight down.”

“Actually, it’s usually only twelve thousand feet for casuals.” I flipped through the brochure and showed him all the facts. “Also, there’s only a .0007 percent chance you’ll die skydiving, compared to, like, a car crash which is –“

I realized what I was saying and shut up quickly. The Blackthorns didn’t seem to be bothered, though. Fitz groaned and collapsed on the couch next to Wolf.

“Stop being a diva,” Wolf said.

“Stop being a holier-than-thou jerk!” Fitz snapped back.

“So you guys do this every year?” I asked Burn. Burn nodded.

“It’s better than visiting her grave.”

“Why?”

“It just…feels wrong. She never liked being cooped up.”

The sound of something loud and rumbling echoed through the walls. Jakob walked in seconds after, dust blowing in with him.

“Alright! The chopper’s ready. Let’s get you guys up there!”

Wolf and Burn and I got up to follow, Fitz moaning as he shuffled out behind us. It hit me as we got closer to the source of the noise – this was really happening. My stomach uneasily twisted. I was going to jump off a helicopter into open air. Fitz was right – this was crazy.

"It's the perfect day for jumpin'!" Jakob yelled over the noise. He led us into the aircraft barn, where a black helicopter waited, the kind that was bulky enough to fit a lot of people. Military helicopters, I guess they were? I had no idea. The sound was incredible - the massive blade whomping every time it went by. Wolf talked with Jakob about the engine of the thing as Burn got in the open door. Fitz patted the side of the helicopter and shouted mournfully.