Reno’s last minute attempt to catch himself was foiled by the wet floor and his bum leg. His feet slid out from beneath him and his body slammed into the side of the conveyor. The structure seemed to shudder under the impact, and the piece of metal he’d been bracing himself with broke loose and fell from his hand.
He held his breath, his muscles tensed, expecting the whole thing to crumble to the ground at any moment. Long drawn out creaks filled the air and in the distance the ping of metal striking rocks could be heard.
A glance in Victor’s direction showed the man was frozen in place, a look of surprise on his face. Apparently he hadn’t expected his attack to have such a result either. Reno narrowed his eyes, royally pissed off that he was going to end up dying with the likes of a Purist at his side. Another shudder shook the structure and Reno braced himself for a fall and then… nothing.
Exhaling the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, Reno slowly relaxed his tensed muscles while trying to control the effects of the adrenaline pumping through his system. The structure seemed to have steadied itself, though the floor beneath him was now listing precariously to the left.
The wind was picking up and the rain was changing from an annoying drizzle to a full out downpour. In the distance, flashes of lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed by loud bangs of thunder. The storm was circling around. Reno clenched his jaw, thinking that the metal conveyor was like a giant lightning rod and he was a damned fool to be standing on it during this kind of weather. He started to back up. Let Victor get fried like a bug in a zapper; he’d stay on solid ground and watch the show.
As he started to back up, Victor grinned and advanced. “Not so brave after all, are you, Smith?” He swung the metal rod again, forcing Reno to leap aside once more.
Pain shot up his leg and travelled the length of his spine. For a moment Reno’s vision dimmed and he shook his head, forcing back the darkness that threatened to overtake him.
Lightning and thunder crashed even closer now, illuminating everything around them. Victor’s hair was plastered to his skull and rivers of water ran down his features. Reno noted how blood loss had made the man even paler than usual; his icy blue eyes the only colour on his face. The floor near the Purist’s foot was stained dark with blood, his faulty platelets still struggling to do their job; the idiot should have applied a tourniquet or kept the limb elevated at least. Reno almost said as much but Victor started talking again.
“Are you afraid, Enforcer?” Victor taunted. “Afraid of heights? Afraid of the storm? Of me?”
Reno almost laughed. After surviving those stupid tunnels, this was a cake walk. “Why would I be afraid of the likes of you? I’ve fought Purist Alphas before.”
“Then why are you trying to leave? A real wolf would never do that.” Victor stepped closer.
“Seems to me that until you had that chunk of metal, you were the one retreating.”
Victor didn’t like that comment. His mouth compressed into a narrow line and it was easy to see how he struggled to maintain his temper.
For a moment they glared at each other, Victor seemingly at a loss for words while Reno was trying to figure out what the hell to do. He wanted off the conveyor but his leg wouldn’t allow him to move quickly and he didn’t trust Victor not to take another swing at him.
It was Victor who broke the impasse. “A fight is a fight.” He snapped the words, hatred blazing from his eyes. “True wolves use whatever advantage they can find. It’s survival of the fittest, the most cunning.” Slapping the piece of metal against his hand, he curled his lip in a sneer. “In the end it’s the most ruthless that will survive.”
Reno didn’t even bother to answer the implied challenge. Instinct was telling him to get the hell out of there, and he knew this was one of those times that he damned well better listen. He took a few more hobbling steps back, dividing his attention between carefully placing his steps and watching out for Victor’s next move.
He was almost off the damned conveyor, the loading dock was just a few feet behind him. Victor feinted a lunge his way and Reno jerked back, stepping down harder than planned. There was the screeching sound of nails pulling free from rotting boards. And then, with a lurch, that whole section of floor suddenly fell away from beneath him and began to slide down the mountainside in a shower of soil and rocks.
With lightning reflexes, Reno grabbed at a metal upright and managed to keep himself from falling as well. He swung himself back onto a relatively more solid bit of flooring and looked down, his heart pounding hard from the close call. A large gap now existed between him and the mountain effectively trapping him with Victor.
Curses spilled from his lips. The monstrosity was nothing but rot and rust holding hands. As if to confirm the idea, the strut he was holding swayed under his grip and a screw fell to the ground at his feet.
“I guess you’re not leaving after all, are you Smith?” Victor wiped the rain from his face with his sleeve and gave a triumphant bark of laughter. “This is perfect. I can kill you; knock you off this conveyer and claim it was self-defence. I’ll say you went rogue and attacked. I had no choice.”
Reno snorted. “No one will believe you. The ACS is here. They’ll find you and drag your sorry ass back to Lycan Link.”
“They have no evidence against me.” Victor twisted his mouth to the side in a crooked smile, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
An idea formed in Reno’s head and he tried to keep the Purist talking. If he could distract the man long enough, the ACS might get here in time to arrest the bastard.
Unthinkingly, he tightened his grip on the bit of metal he was holding and another metal pin fell at his feet. Apparently fate wanted him to have his own weapon. Slowly, he began to work loose the metal bar in his hand while continuing to talk. “The humans you incarcerated and their families will testify against you.”
“If they live.” Victor spoke with confidence. “I know they’re holed up in the mine near town but they’ll never make it out alive. And if anyone questions their fate, I’ll say they disregarded the warning signs I had posted. Another unfortunate mining accident.” He shook his head in mock regret.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but the guards who were supposedly containing the mixed families abandoned their post to chase me. By now the halves and their parents are at the base of the mountain. I had a team waiting in Renwick to pick them up.” Reno lifted his chin, carrying out his bluff as confidently as possible.
A flicker of uncertainty passed over Victor’s features before he gathered himself and shrugged. “Even if my men did leave their post, the humans won’t have travelled far.”
“If you’re counting on Walt and his cronies to hunt them down, think again. They couldn’t track a dead skunk.” Reno was thankful for the noise of the storm. It covered up the sound of the metal bar coming loose in his hand. It might not be wolf-like to use a weapon but he’d rather be evenly matched with Victor than at a disadvantage.
Victor snorted. “True. Walt is… ineffectual…but biddable. He’ll do anything to save his own skin, and he knows that I’ll come after him if he fails me. Fear works wonders, and he has strict orders about how to deal with the humans and their families.”
“Amazing. We actually agree on something. Walt is ineffectual and he is out to save his own hide. Unfortunately, your estimation of him is way off. He’s more clever than you think and has been playing both sides, doing your dirty work but turning a blind eye to some of Klaus’ activities.” Reno arched an eyebrow. “You do know Klaus is still around, don’t you?”
The tightening of Victor’s jaw was his answer.
“Walt knows Klaus is planning a takeover today, and once he realizes that the ACS is here, he’ll be more than willing to switch allegiances.” Reno wasn’t sure how much of this was true but it was plausible and, from the look on Victor’s face, his opponent knew it.
To give the man credit, Victor didn’t falter long. He pulled his shoulder
s back and shook his head. “Clever of you to try and create doubt in my mind but it won’t work, Smith. Regardless, I will kill you. I’ll have my revenge for my brother’s death and… ” A calculating gleam appeared in his eye. “Once you’re gone I’m going to claim Brandi.”
A snarl rose in Reno’s throat and Victor crowed upon realizing his verbal jab had struck a nerve.
“Does that bother you? Excellent.” A smile appeared on his thin lips and taunted Reno even further. “You took my brother from me. I’ll take the female from you. That seems like a fair trade, doesn’t it? And while you’re nothing but decaying flesh in the ground, I’ll be here. Mating her. Over and over I’ll fill her with my seed—”
Reno couldn’t stop himself. He couldn’t stand the mental image created by Victor’s taunts. Forgetting his Enforcers’ oath, the precarious structure he was on, and even the instability of his own leg, he ripped the metal bar free from its mooring and in one smooth motion knocked Victor’s weapon from his hand before tackling him to the floor.
The impact of their combined weight made the conveyor shudder yet again, but neither man seemed to notice. They grappled back and forth, their injuries leaving them evenly matched, while the storm raged overhead. Stones clattered beneath as the wash of rain created yet another small landslide and further undermined the supporting columns for the structure.
They struggled, locked together, hatred of each other and desire for the same female spurring them onward. For a moment the air shimmered around them, both wanting to shift but neither having the energy needed to do so. Instead they fought as humans, throwing punches, grunting in pain.
At one point, Victor had Reno by the throat, bearing down, trying to cut off his breathing but Reno managed to land a blow to the man’s ribs. It momentarily winded his attacker and caused the Alpha’s lethal grip to loosen. Shoving Victor away, Reno levered himself up and used his good leg to strike out, catching Victor’s stomach.
“Oomph.” As Victor wheezed, Reno scrambled back. He felt sick and his head was spinning from lack of oxygen. Leaning against the wall, he took a moment to rest and quickly scan his surroundings. There was movement to the side and… Were those voices? Pulling himself to his feet, he narrowed his eyes and examined the area to both sides.
Yes! To the right he saw ACS Enforcers and to the left… Brandi and Damien?
How the hell had those two met up? And why was Brandi here and not safely tucked away with the mixed families?
Shit! He had enough to deal with right now, without worrying about her. Of course, Damien was with her but… Reno glanced towards Victor and saw the man was now sitting up yet instead of launching another attack, the Purist was staring at the approaching ACS, cursing. Apparently he wasn’t as confident about avoiding arrest as he’d let on.
Victor flashed a look his way. “It’s your lucky day, Smith. I won’t have time to kill you after all.”
“And you’ll never get another chance. Lycan Link will lock you up for the rest of your life.”
“Not likely. They need to catch me first.”
Reno frowned. There was no way off the conveyor and in his condition, Victor couldn’t outrun the ACS Enforcers. Unless… Dammit, did the bastard plan on using the conveyor to escape? And was he really crazy enough to try to ride it down the mountain? It would be a suicide run. The conveyor would collapse before he even got ten yards.
Victor laughed and Reno realized he’d spoken out loud. “A suicide run? Perhaps. But better than mouldering away in detention. And if the conveyor collapses, at least I’ll know you died along with me.”
Crap. The fool really was going to try it. It wasn’t likely the man’s plan would work, however on the off chance that it did… Reno prepared to launch himself at Victor again knowing the move would probably be the final blow that caused the structure to collapse. Creaks and groans were already filling the air with increasing rapidity.
“Reno!”
He jerked at the sound of his name. Brandi was calling out to him which meant… Hell and damnation, if she was that close then, when conveyor fell, she’d likely be crushed under the falling debris.
Victor was getting to his feet. Reno knew he had to act soon, but could he do something that might result in Brandi being injured? Yet if he let Victor escape, the man would continue to persecute innocent halves.
Acting quickly and decisively were the characteristics of a good Enforcer, yet here he was waffling like a first year recruit. Brandi or Victor? It felt like a noose was tightening around him. No matter which he chose, he’d regret the decision for the rest of his life.
Rain poured down, the sound of thousands of droplets surrounding him in a cocoon of white noise. He wiped his hand across his face to clear his blurry vision. A memory flashed in his head. It was his first day at Lycan Link and Captain Fielding was giving his version of an orientation speech. The man’s face had been harsh, his presence formidable as he barked the words in a harsh voice that allowed for no argument. ‘Men, this is your chance—probably the only one you’ll ever get—to make something of yourselves. You’ll think I’m tough but the world will be even tougher on you.’ The captain had paced in front of the line-up, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared at each man. ‘You’re near rogues; picked from the fringes of Lycan society. Never forget that you’re damned lucky to be here.’ And then, Reno was sure the man had stared directly at him seeing right into his soul. ‘Duty! A sense of duty. That’s what most rogues are missing and that’s what I’ll teach you. A sense of duty will be your salvation and if I have to pound it into each and every one of your heads, it’s what I’ll do!’
Reno blinked and the memory faded.
Love or duty?
A metal bar lay nearby. His? Or Victor’s? And did it even matter?
Reno stretched out his hand and grabbed the makeshift weapon. He flexed his fingers on the cool, wet surface. If he engaged Victor in another fight, the structure would surely collapse. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw a flash of red hair on the loading dock, but didn’t dare turn to check and see if it were reality or just wishful thinking.
Victor or Brandi? Duty or love?
He took a deep breath only to have the decision wrenched from him.
An explosion of electricity filled the air; the entire world seemed to tremble from the forceful release of energy that when on and on in never-ending waves. With a long drawn out groan, the entire section of framing for the belt began to fall.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that. The structure crumbling away beneath him… Grabbing at the sides to save himself, his feet barely catching on a narrow metal beam… Brandi crying out his name… He turned his head to see her on the landing dock, reaching towards him. Damien was there as well. A prayer of thanks that they were safely out of the way of falling debris left his lips… And then with a roar, time returned to normal speed.
“Get away from here!” He shouted the instruction, suddenly noting how the soil under the loading dock was slipping away even as he spoke. “This part of the mountain is going to give way any second!”
“Let me help you, man. Give me your hand!” Damien was leaning forward, his arm extended towards Reno. More bits of dirt and pebbles skittered down the mountain, their clatter barely heard over the sounds of the storm.
“No! Move away. And get Brandi out of here. That’s an order!” He glared at his partner but the man merely laughed.
“Since when do I follow orders?”
“Not fucking often enough,” Reno scowled. They weren’t going to leave so there was no point in wasting time arguing. He started to inch towards the landing—a narrow beam still connected the conveyor to the land. If he could make it to there…
He paused. Where was Victor? Looking back, he saw the man pulling himself up onto a still stable bit of the conveyor. A ten foot gap separated them; their only connection a thin metal girder. Reno hesitated. He looked at Damien with his outstretched hand and Brandi sta
nding nearby. Her arms were wrapped around her waist. Their gazes locked and he noted the red rims of her eyes. She parted her lips as if to speak. He closed his eyes briefly, recalling the feel of her kiss, the sweetness of her breath as it mingled with his. For a moment he relived all their moments together, and then opened his eyes and turned back to Victor.
He knew he had to stop the Purist. There was always a chance the bastard would escape. But even as Reno shifted his weight to move towards Victor, more lightning pierced the sky. The structure shuddered once more and the smell of sulphur filled the air. A deafening crack of thunder made everything vibrate and with that the entire conveyor began to fall.
Brandi’s scream filled the air. Reno twisted towards the mountain and jumped. It wasn’t an impossible expanse to cover if he had been at his best but with only one good leg propelling him forward his chances of success were slim.
His body slammed into the ground, dirt filling his nose and mouth, splinters of wood piercing his clothing. He sputtered trying to breathe, to spit out the bits of soil and ignore the pain wracking through his body, but really that was the least of his worries.
Deafening sound surrounded him, the very ground beneath him seemed to be moving, falling away. He clawed at the muddy ground, trying to find something solid to hold onto, but it slipped though his fingers and he kept sliding downward. Bits of rock abraded his skin, a piece of metal fell across his bad leg. Instinctively, he jerked away from the pain, losing his meagre grip on the ground. His descent down the mountain seemed to be picking up speed. There was no way in hell out of this mess and he knew it.
Suddenly, he jerked to a stop.
For a split second he was stunned before realizing hard fingers gripped his wrist. Looking up, he saw Damien holding onto him, and Brandi gripping the other man’s waist.
“Don’t just stare at me like an idiot,” Damien growled. “Help out!”
If he’d had the breath to do it, Reno would have laughed. Instead he saved his energy and tried to help lever himself up. His foot hooked onto a stone but it gave way when he put weight on it. More pebbles and dirt trickled down around him. His wrist slipped in Damien’s grip.
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