Authors: Susan Bliler
Head slowly turning to the side, he noted that the other Walkers sensed it too. In their own training circles they’d each gone still; heads lifted and nostrils flaring. Something was off.
Chapter 14
Harlow watched Remy tense over her. Following his gaze, she turned her head to find the rest of her Walker team eyeing the forest and sky around them. Alarm tore through her, and she simultaneously wanted to surge to her feet and huddle beneath Remy’s protective frame.
“Remy?”
She heard a faint whistling growing louder, but didn’t get the chance to pinpoint its origin because suddenly Remy was scrambling to his feet, pulling her up with him.
“INCOMING!” he shouted, and then all the Sentries were moving.
Remy had her hand in a death grip, pulling her with him as he ran, but she didn’t get to learn their destination. A roar shattered the sky, debris flying everywhere as the earth exploded around her. Remy slid to a halt, turning to cover her head before steering her in the opposite direction. Leaping back into motion, he drug her along with him as he continued to shout orders. Stumbling along behind him, she could barely hear his words over the chaos erupting around them.
“Weapons!” She heard him bellow, followed by what sounded like “Fire!” Then the world erupted as another explosion detonated, the ground nearest them blowing up in a violent burst of heat, force, and shrapnel. One second she was running, the next she was flying through the air as time stood still. Her hand was ripped from his, her arms and legs flailing as she sailed through the air. When she hit the ground, the violent force sent all the air from her lungs and sent her world to black.
***
“HARLOOOW!” Remy yelled. The air was still filled with dust and smoke, and he was coughing in between shouts, but he had to find her.
“SIR!” Josef and his team rushed him, sliding to a halt even as Josef forced an assault rifle into Remy’s hands. “Orders, Sir?”
He didn’t have time for this! He had to find Harlow. Snarling, he turned blood-red eyes on Josef. “Secure the perimeter. Anyone coming in is an enemy to the Estate. Fire at will.”
Josef paused a moment before nodding. As he turned to leave, Remy fisted his shirt. “Leave me a Sentry.”
Josef jerked his head to Aaron. “On the Commander.”
Remy released Josef, watching as he and his team disappeared into a thick cloud of black smoke. He turned to Aaron. “Harlow’s missing. Help me find her.”
Aaron nodded, taking off in the direction Remy pointed. It only took Remy moments to shift, then he was using the massive wingspan of his Golden Eagle form to lift himself from the disaster all around him. It was a foolish move. He couldn’t carry a weapon like this, and he knew the enemy at the gates, most likely Megalya, would be looking for any Walkers attempting to escape. And what better way for a Walker than by air? But he wasn’t leaving. Circling tightly over the field, he thrust higher, then higher still to avoid the plume of smoke rising from the carnage below. In the distance, he heard screams and his head jerked toward the main Estate house. There was fire and damage there as well, but he had to find Harlow!
Vicious growls rent the air, drawing his attention. He knew these growls, and they were not the result of Walker men. No, these were the Crows, a troop of Walker boys in training to become Sentries, who were still too young to be involved in a battle of this magnitude.
Remy’s eagle screamed in rage as it dove toward the sound. He prayed Harlow was alive and was safe, because right now he had to protect Walker children.
***
Harlow came to with a groan, a steady jostling causing blood to rush to her head. Blinking, she tried to remember where she was and what was happening. The scent of smoke filled her nose, and she tasted the coppery tang of blood on her lips. Memory flooded back, and she moaned as she tried to right herself.
Blinking bleary eyes, she realized she was slung over a shoulder. A small shoulder, too close to the ground to belong to Remy. Looking from side to side, she bit back another moan at the pain the action caused. She felt like someone had filled a pillow case with bars of soap and had a go at her. She recognized the forest around the Estate, but wasn’t sure where exactly she was at, who held her, or where they were heading.
She heard static and felt movement by one of her thighs, then the person holding her was speaking. “I’ve got one. Not a Walker, but a Walker sibling.”
David!
He was speaking into a walkie-talkie and from his words, he wasn’t saving her.
There was static then a gruff voice replied, “Take her to the hut, we’ll do the exchange there. Have read-ready.”
Harlow’s adrenaline surged as her training began to kick in. For now, she’d pretend to still be out. Quickly, she did a mental inventory of her body. She didn’t feel more hurt in any one particular area than the other, so hopefully if shit came to shit, she’d be able to go hands-on with David and survive.
“I’ve got one.”
She replayed his words. So, this had been a planned attack on the Estate to capture Walkers? Who in the hell would want Walkers, and for what? Science? The Government? She’d heard talk of Walker enemies called Megalya, but hadn’t gotten to them in her training yet, so if David was working with them, she had no idea what she was up against.
The sound of several small explosions could be heard in the distance, and her heart tore.
Where’s Remy?
They’d been holding hands, running together, and she knew that if there was any way he could have stopped it he wouldn’t have let David take her. Tears flooded her eyes with stupid thoughts of what could have happened to Remy, but she forced herself to calm. First, she had to save herself.
The smoke grew thicker and she heard screams getting closer. Was David taking her to the main Estate house?
No. Just when she thought he was, he veered left, carrying her further into the forest, skirting the Estate’s parking garage…or what was left of it. A gaping, black hole was blown through one side and fire raged within, catching some of the trees. She wondered if the whole world was on fire or if it was just hers.
Then as if all at once, vicious growls rent the air. She knew these, recognized these. Wolf’s howls bayed incessantly, calling to one another, and birds of prey screamed overhead. The Walkers were fighting back, and she knew the Keepers and their Soul Sentries were helping.
Still on the far side of the parking garage, David muttered a curse and double-timed his pace. He rolled an ankle, nearly careening down a steep embankment, and Harlow made her move. Lifting one thigh over his ducked head, she scissored his neck between her legs, wrapping her arms around his thighs. Using the element of surprise, and the fact that he was already off balance, to jerk with her lower body she sent them both tumbling to the ground.
“Fucking bitch,” David cursed, as he rolled and scrambled to his feet. Harlow followed suit, squaring up with David as they’d done a dozen times on the training field.
“Oh, you’re fucking dead, princess.” He smiled. “After they torture you first, then run their fucking tests.” They slowly circled each other. “When you get where you’re going, you’ll wish you were still with me.”
She curled her lip. “Doubtful!”
He lunged and, just as he’d done so many times in training, he took her down. Her smoke-filled lungs burned as she grappled with him. Above them, the canopy was in flames, small flaming branches and embers raining down on them as they fought.
David got to his feet again, grabbing Harlow by her hair and the back of her uniform. Jerking hard, he pulled her back toward the parking garage.
For a second, Harlow felt relieved. She could hear Walkers battling just on the other side, but that relief was short-lived. David twisted with all he had and threw Harlow down a hole ripped in the concrete. She landed hard on what was left of the concrete floor in the lower level of the garage. Once again, her breath whooshed out, but still she staggered to her feet. Balling her fists, she spat blood as she eyed her surroundings. The garage was a disaster. The half nearest the Estate house was completely caved in, the cars there crushed beneath great slabs of concrete. Beside her, a row of vehicles were still intact, but wouldn’t be for long. Looking up, she wondered how long she had before the rest of the garage came tumbling down.
She rushed to the hole she’d been dropped through and jumped, her fingers catching the ledge as she struggled through the ache in her ribs to pull herself up. Nearly out, she hiked a knee onto the ledge but jerked her head up when she heard clucking.
David was there. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not yet, sweetheart.” He placed a booted foot on her shoulder, shoving her hard and sending her falling backward onto the floor of the garage. “You’re not out of it yet.”
When he jumped down beside her, his boots were loud, but Harlow couldn’t care. She was writhing in pain on the concrete floor, holding her elbow and struggling to draw in a breath.
“Don’t die on me yet, princess.” Strutting to her, he snagged her collar, dragging her a few feet to a utility van. Walkers and humans employed at StoneCrow kept their vehicles unlocked and their keys inside at all times. Walkers didn’t steal, so it made no sense to do otherwise.
“Don’t pass out on me now. You need to look alive and healthy. Megalya don’t pay for dead bodies. Odium’s gotta wanna keep you.” David opened the backdoors to the vehicle as Harlow was finally able to wheeze in a breath.
Chapter 15
Recker’s words carried to Remy on the mist.
“I’ve got eyes on Harlow. She’s alive! That asshole, David, has her!”
Remy ushered the last of the Crows into the Estate house, barking for Gauge and Haka to get them to safety. Chaos swirled around him as Walkers rushed into battle, others ushering women and children to safety within the Estate. Turning, he lunged off the front steps, shifting mid-stride and landing in massive mountain lion form.
“WHERE?”
“South end of the parking garage!”
Remy’s rage lent strength to his muscles as he propelled himself with inhuman speed toward the parking garage. All around him war was raging. RedKnife, Bishop, Leto, and Mason fought in varied stages, some shifted, some as human. Ash and Lok were rushing to the aid of Delain and Cason, and on the far side of the Estate, Fatal and his Keepers were laughing. Actually fucking laughing, as they unleashed their beasts onto the battle.
Where in the fuck is Monroe?
Animals of all breeds battled the pasty, bald, pale creatures with razor sharp teeth that were the Megalya. In front of him, two Megalya took down a blond bear, Stoney. He wasn’t surprised that she’d left Jenny to handle the infirmary while she joined the fight.
Remy leapt over the mound of fighting bodies, raking his nails into one of the Megalya as his teeth sunk into a shoulder all the way down to bone, jerking the thing off Stoney. He flipped, taking the creature with him as he used his weight to throw the creature’s mass away from him while keeping his teeth locked in flesh. Rolling to his feet, Remy looked back, snuffing once at the lifeless corpse, spitting out the flesh that hung from his maw. Stoney was back on her feet, doing a number on her remaining enemy, so Remy darted for the garage.
As he ran he took in the sight of the Estate as he’d hoped never to see it. StoneCrow had been breached. Walkers fought alongside Keepers and their Soul Sentries against Megalya and….
human soldiers?
Remy had always known that the Megalya employed humans, but he’d never envisioned those humans actually joining the war to fight against the Walkers.
Skidding around a corner, he slammed into where Recker stood holding up a hand for him to stop. Remy’d been going too fast, and the two Walkers collided, but not once did Recker take his eyes off where they were fixed.
Righting himself, Remy turned his head and allowed his shift to rip through him as he changed back to his human form, BDUs regenerating over his flesh with the change. His eyes locked on where Harlow was on her knees beside David, blood dripping from her lips, running down her chin to slide down her throat. A throat that currently had a blade pressed into it. She looked tired and she was cradling her elbow, but Remy could read the relief in her eyes when they landed on him, and that relief made him proud. Proud that she knew he’d never let her be taken. Proud she knew that his arrival signaled her salvation. His eyes snapped to David. “Let her go now, and I’ll kill you quickly.”
David knelt behind Harlow. “I’ve got other plans. You two back off, she and I drive out of here, and you don’t have to tell Mason that you let his sister die.”
Remy curled his lip back, hiding his surprise that David knew Harlow was Mason’s sister. “Fuck you!” Remy snarled, taking a step forward. Recker’s hand shot out, gripping his forearm, holding him in place.
“It’s pretty fucking simple,” David panted, sounding deranged. “If I leave without her, I die. If I kill her now, I die. The only way I live is by leaving this Estate
with
her, and you’re going to let me do it. Because the only way
she
lives is for you to let me take her.” He shook his head, slight manic ticks contorting his features. “I’ve got nothing to lose, Commander.” He pressed the blade more firmly into Harlow’s throat. “Do you?”
***
Harlow saw Remy round the corner and her relief was instant. Recker
might
have been able to save her, but him and Remy together…
Thank God!
“Let her go now and I’ll kill you quickly,” Remy barked, his features sharp with barely checked rage.
David went through some spiel about them letting him take her, but it would never happen. She knew as surely as she knew the sun was going to set that Remy would never let David take her.
“Fuck you!” Remy snarled, taking a step forward. Harlow tensed, prepared to do her part to aid in her own escape. An escape that never came. Recker stopped Remy, and her confused eyes shot to the Walker.
“Wait.” Recker gripped Remy’s arm, and Harlow felt a bone-chilling fear seep into her with the look Recker gave her.
Pity?
Remy turned to snarl at his fellow Walker, but when he attempted to jerk free, Recker held strong. Dipping his head, the black sweep of Recker’s long bangs hid his expression, but Harlow could still see his lips moving, proof that he was speaking to Remy.
Remy’s eyes slid to hers and his expression changed. He went from looking furious to almost…
apologetic?
When his full lips parted, Harlow was already moving her feet, preparing to get to her knees. She knew he’d demand her release. He had to. He was a Walker, her Commander, and they didn’t leave their own behind; they didn’t let their own be taken.
The lines around Remy’s mouth deepened as he stared at her, his brows no longer holding that edge of rage. Hell, his expression looked damn near soft as he stared at her. It was terrifying. Finally, his lips parted and he spoke. “Take her.”
Harlow froze as disbelief rocked her to her core. Had she just misheard?
Remy commanded, “Be strong, Sentry.”
Her mouth fell open, and she could only stare at him in dismay as she tried to decipher what in the hell had just happened. She had misheard, hadn’t she? There was no way in hell that Remy had just… But he had! Maybe this was his way of letting her prove herself? He’d called her Sentry, and he’d never called her that before. Maybe he was telling her to soldier up, trying to convey some message, some… She didn’t get to finish the thought. David punched her in the arm, and she recoiled from the pain, but it only lasted a second before her limbs turned to liquid. It wasn’t a punch. He’d injected her with something, and the world blurred around her even as she crumpled to the floor.
Somewhere in the haze she thought she heard a furious snarl seconds before David bellowed, “We have a deal. Back the fuck off! Control him!”
Someone grabbed the back of her shirt and though her haze, she realized it was David hauling her away from Remy and Recker. She tried to lift her head, but it refused to move. She was hauled up and then she felt a sudden drop. Her heart skipped a beat, then thudded back to life, her bones jarring as they connected with unforgiving steel beneath her. A vehicle? David had been smart, he’d planned this getaway.
Pulling her back further, David jerked her upright hard, shoving her against the frame of the vehicle.
The inside of a van.
Harlow was registering as much information as she could. Clearly, she’d have to get herself out of this if she survived whatever the hell David had just injected into her.
David left her propped up facing Remy and Recker as he exited the back of the van. She half-expected him to slam the doors closed on her, but he didn’t. Instead, David snickered loudly as he climbed into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Her eyes locked on Remy’s. If she could move her arms, she would have flipped him off. As it were, she was lucky to be able to swallow as weakness and exhaustion flooded her.
She heard David punch something.
The console?
There was a motorized hum as the open van door slowly closed, cutting off her sight of Recker even as her head lolled to the side as the van turned to exit the parking garage. She was going to pass out.
As one rear door clicked into place, the second slowly began to close. Seconds before it did, her heart seized when she caught a glimpse of a bright flash at Remy’s throat, an instant before he hit his knees with an agonized growl.
Her eyes rounded, her heart thudding to a halt.
He’s been hit!
“REMY!” Recker shouted, dropping to a knee beside him, and she caught a second flash just as the door closed.
As angry as she was with Remy, she’d had a little faith that he had some form of a plan, but now…
She willed her arms and legs to move even as the second rear door clicked shut with an odd, high-pitched whine, cutting off her view of the outside world.
NOOOOOOOOOOO!
The vehicle lurched under her ass sending her crashing to the side, unable to catch herself as her shoulder collided painfully with the filthy floor, her head bouncing off shortly after, sending shooting pain through her temple. Whether it was the blow, or the damn injection, Harlow never knew. She had fought the drug as long as she could. Leaving the mountains, there was no chance of memorizing turns in hopes of ever making it back. The roads were bad and she was thrown around the back of the van until, mercifully, the drugs claimed her.