Authors: Cindy Paterson
The guards approached cautiously, guns cocked and aimed directly at his heart
—well, hers too, because she was still being used as a shield. He heard the door burst open again and a tall, lithe man came walking out. The guards parted like the Red Sea.
So, this was the King of the Piranhas
.
“Well, well, well
, what do we have here?” The man stood with a wide stance, arms crossed and a pompous expression. Dickhead. The fucker made a tsking sound, shaking his head like he was scolding a five-year-old for not making his bed. “What have you been up to, wife?”
Kilter felt her flinch. Okay, even this woman didn’t deserve to be married to this jerk.
“Kilter? Delara and Jedrik are at the North wall. Get out now,
” Danielle shouted.
Piranha King reached out his hand, palm up. “Come here
, Rayne.”
Kilter tightened his grip and whispered into her ear. “Yeah, I’d divorce him, babe.”
“You have no escape,” the pretentious tight-ass said. “Surrender and you will live.”
“Fuck you,” Kilter growled.
An arrow soared through the air and hit the guard on the left of the anal-retentive husband. Jedrik was right on time. The guards crouched for cover looking in every direction, guns aimed and ready but with no target. Kilter made his move and shoved Rayne forward into the distracted guards and then turned and jumped.
Bullets went wild and he wondered if the woman had gotten her wish after all.
He landed in the grass on his feet and then rolled his body to the edge of the building for cover. Two more arrows came whizzing above and he heard shouts and the scrambling of feet on the rooftop.
“
Get going, hero,
” Jedrik said.
“Two above you, the rest have taken to the stairs. Bingo, one above you. Get moving, just been spotted.”
He took one step to make a dash across the grass to the North wall when he faltered. A woman’s scream rose into the air. Shivers coursed down his spine and his heart literally stopped for seconds. For once in his miserable life he knew he’d been wrong. That one scream said it all.
Ice shifted through his veins and a fury encased his mind. Sweet Jesus, he’d just left that woman in the hands of a madman.
Bullets came whizzing past his head and he slammed his back against the building. It was a hell of a run to the
wall, especially with bullets chasing after him. He liked a challenge, but he’d rather be killed by a GQ than a bloody human with bullets. So undignified.
He ran.
Arrows whizzed past his head one after the other as the guards made it to ground level and were chasing after him. A bullet slammed him in the back of his shoulder and he stumbled. Twenty yards. Fifteen yards. He saw Jedrik lying on top of the wall, his hand outstretched and ready to assist him.
Ten yards. A searing pain exploded into his leg and it gave out on him. He fell to the ground with a grunt. He heard Jedrik’s curse mixed with the footsteps gaining on him. Obviously, they were either bad
shots, or they were ordered to keep him alive because he should be dead right now.
He gri
tted his teeth as he climbed to his unsteady feet and held his leg, forcing it to work. Another bullet hit his good calf, and his legs gave out completely.
“
Get the fuck out of here,
” he shouted to Jedrik.
“Blow this place sky high.
”
“
No way, asshole,”
Jedrik retorted.
“Whoa, that was close.
”
Kilter saw the guards now aiming their guns at Jedrik. It was then he saw movement to the West as Keir and Balen came running towards him. Balen threw a grenade and a loud bang sounded behind him and then sever
al animalistic sounds of pain.
With his throwing knives Keir
hit the guard in the forehead who’d taken aim at Jedrik. Not a sound as the guy went straight backwards in a heap of deadweight.
Balen grabbed his arm and dragged him to his feet.
Kilter ignored the agonizing pain in his legs as he was pulled forward. Keir and Jedrik gave cover as they staggered to the wall. His legs were useless, and his shoulder was burning like an inferno. Still, he grabbed Jedrik’s outstretched hand and was pulled onto the wall. Delara stood on the other side, her knife drawn as she stood on the defensive.
“Go. Go. Go.” Delara slipped her knife in its holster and stood ready as Jedrik lowered him over the side. She stumbled under his weight but managed to keep the pressure off his legs. She wrapped her arm around his waist.
“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” Delara said. She hauled him forward into a run.
“Is Ryker safe?” he asked.
“Yeah. Had a sweet scent of Hannah overhead. Amulet?” Delara asked.
Kilter nodded.
“Nice plan. Would’ve been nice to know about it. I’ve scented some strange shit in that compound. Probably CWOs and they’re not wasting any time coming after us with that cowboy stunt you just pulled.”
“He’s safe
, isn’t he?” Kilter said. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Balen, Keir and Jedrik headed in the opposite direction. Their never-lead-the-enemy-towards-a-wounded tactic. They’d make themselves visible until they were certain Delara had gotten him to safety.
Delara dragged his sorry ass across the open field towards an area where the ground dipped into a valley. Her pace quickened and he felt like he was going to pass out. Fuck that, Delara wouldn’t leave him behind
, and he wasn’t going to get her caught by those bastards.
And neither was he, because one day he knew he’d have to come back.
Kilter had raised hell, just as Balen predicted. The guy was known to do things his way and none too quietly. The good news was that according to Jedrik, the amulet had worked. Hannah had brought Ryker to safety. Obviously, Kilter had known what the amulet was capable of.
“
Danielle, we’re out. On my way. Stay where you are.”
“
Can’t really go too far,
” she replied.
If he wasn’t running like hell, he’d have laughed.
Jedrik and Keir ran beside him as they weaved their way to the west of the compound towards the cliff. The bastards were trying to get the gates open, which were slow as molasses—not that he was complaining. Delara and Kilter had fallen out of sight over the dip in the hill. They’d be close to the car by now and would meet them at the destination point.
They ran around to the North of the compound and stopped at the edge of the cliff. “Danielle,” Balen called. “Grab the rope.”
“Got it,” she said and he felt a tug on the rope.
“Gates open,” Keir said. “Vehicles moving.”
Balen hauled ass, pulling Danielle up the side of the cliff. As soon as he saw her face, he breathed a sigh of relief. He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto solid ground and then wrapped his arms around her body.
“Balen,” Danielle said. “God, I heard gunshots.” She ran her hands over his che
st, searching for wounds. “Are you okay?”
“Compan
y’s coming,” Jedrik shouted. “One jeep headed after Delara and Kilter, one coming right at us. Five men. A walk in the park.” Jedrik readied his bow and crouched down at the corner of the compound wall. “Taking out tire.”
Balen grabbed Danielle’s hand and pulled her to the cover of the wall. He pushed her back against it. “Don’t move.”
The smell that came hurtling into him was warning enough to tell him they were in some serious shit. He didn’t have to tell Keir and Jedrik as they exchanged how-the-hell-is-this-possible looks.
Jedrik took out the front right tire and the truck skidded on the gravel and then came to a halt. The five men jumped out and without hesitation came running full tilt towards them. Keir got two shots
off, but it did nothing to slow them down.
Jedrik aimed. The arrow hit one in the chest
. His step faltered as he pulled the arrow from his flesh and threw it aside. “GQ,” Jedrik announced.
“What the hell?” Balen said. “They’re all CWOs. Second on right is a Maggo
t, smell apples as clear as day.” He had to get Danielle out of here.
“Two GQs,” Keir said
, taking aim, firing a shot and hitting one guy in the head. He kept coming. “SOB just won’t die. Time for a little help.” The tattoo on his upper arm slithered down to his hand and into his palm.
Balen glanced at
Danielle, who was standing against the wall. Her face was pale, but she was steady with a stoic expression.
“That’s my girl
.”
One GQ came
plowing into Jedrik and they went flying into the air and landed in a heap. Balen pulled his knives from beneath his coat and ran at the other GQ, while Keir went after the two Maggots, who had the annoying capability of growing back injured limbs. The last guy was a Long Neck, big, burly and slow—who also had to be decapitated to die. He went straight for Danielle.
****
Kilter pulled up. His legs hurt like hell, his shoulder was bleeding like a headless goat, and all he could think about was that woman’s scream. Goddamn fuckin’ shit. Did he have a medal up his ass today or what, because he couldn’t stop the next words. “I’m going back.”
Delara was bending over at the waist
, trying to catch her breath. After half carrying him for the last mile he was surprised she was still standing, and his respect for the woman grew. He didn’t give it lightly, but did when it was deserved. It sure as hell didn’t mean he had to be nice, though. Not his style.
“You’re shit
tin’ me, right?” Delara gave him a sidelong glance. “Right?”
Kilter wished he was. “A stupid woman. She’s a prisoner. I left her there.” After he had sworn to take her out. Yeah, that’s what he got for lying.
“I just risked my butt for you, a-hole. We all did, and you want to go back? What did they do? Fry you’re brain in there?” She pointed north over the next hill. “We get to the car. Get out, re-group and then discuss how to blow this place sky high.”
“I promised I’d get her out,” Kilter said. “If I don’t
, he will kill her.” Well, he was pretty certain that was an exaggeration, but he had smelled the fear on her, heard that scream. God, she asked him to kill her rather than be left behind. Yet she wasn’t a prisoner, at least not with chains.
“Yeah
, well, that’ll be two of you. Have you noticed the two bullets lodged in your legs? Or the one in your shoulder?” She made a sudden lunge for him, kicking out her right leg in an arc and knocking him flat on his ass. He grunted as the unforgiving ground did nothing for his legs that now were screaming in agony. “And I wasn’t even trying. Do you get me? Your hero button, which I’m amazed you even have, is stuck on Off until further notice.” She held out her hand. “Let’s go.”
Kilter hesitated. He had the urge to refuse her just because it hurt his pride to know that she was right and he was being an idiot. How on earth could he rescue someone when he could hardly walk? But he already knew the answer; because living with that scream was going to haunt the rest of his days.
****
Balen swung
his knife at the GQ as the guy came barging into him. The knife went straight into the guy’s stomach as they both went tumbling to the ground. He rolled to the side taking his knife with him. The GQ cursed and grabbed for his leg, wrenching it to the side. Balen kicked out with his free leg, dislodging his grip and rolling away. He climbed his feet and . . .
Danielle’s scream wrenched the air.
From the corner of his eye he saw the Long Neck make a grab for her. “Danielle,” he shouted and threw his knife in her direction. It landed on the ground at her feet and she made a dive for it.
His vision was blocked as the GQ came back at him. He tried to scramble out of the way as the guy landed him a fierce punch to the gut
, sending him flying through the air and into the stone wall.
“One down,” Keir shouted as a head went rolling across the ground and over the side of the cliff.
“Balen,” Danielle shouted.
He tried to get to her, but the resilient GQ didn’t give him the chance as he grabbed him by the neck. Balen elbowed him in the face and the
guy’s head shot back and his grip loosened. He took advantage and shot an upper cuff to his chin, making him stagger back. Ten feet, he thought. He dove at the guy, a cold fury enveloping his body at the thought of anything happening to Danielle. He ducked as a fist came swinging in his direction. A kick to the abdomen sent the guy back another step. Five feet.
His knife did nothing to the GQ
, since they healed spontaneously. Already the wound to the guy’s stomach was gone. One more solid punch. He went full throttle at the guy with his fists, but this time the GQ was ready and managed a kick to his jaw, and he staggered back.