Nishi came out of the store with a bag of snacks and climbed up into the truck. I finished fueling up and joined her, sliding behind the wheel. I was leaving Georgia. Leaving my partner behind. Though it would only be a short while before Noah joined us, we’d never been very far from each other before. No matter the physical distance between us, our bond as dreg partners would always keep us close.
A sense of melancholy hit me as I drove out of the gas station and out onto the main road.
I was leaving Noah. Leaving Georgia. Leaving the maze.
Heading clear across the country. Far away.
Nishi reached over and squeezed my hand. “You’re going to miss Noah, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. The dreg bond is pretty strong.” This was certainly going to be a change, something that would take some getting used to. But I had Nishi now, and I was excited to start my future with her.
A sudden pain slammed into me. Brutal. Like a knife stab in my gut. I gasped, pitching forward.
Noah.
He was hurt. Something had happened to him. I sensed it through our connection.
Another sharp pain spiraled through my ribs. And still more pain careened through my skull.
I slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. Shit. Shit. Shit
“Logan!” Nishi cried in alarm. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”
I shook my head to clear the pain, jerking upright. “It’s Noah,” I gasped out. “He’s hurt. Something’s happened to him.”
Our gazes locked.
“The Company?”
“I don’t know. We have to go back to the maze. I have to help him. I have to save him.”
She squeezed my hand. “Then let’s go.”
Had someone found our hideout? Was that someone now hurting Noah?
Shit.
Another wave of pain crashed over me as we were heading into the forest. Noah was being interrogated. I could feel it. And the punishment was fierce. Whoever they were, they were beating the shit out of him.
I pressed the Bluetooth button on my steering wheel and called Luke.
“Sup?” he answered.
“Get back to the maze ASAP! Noah’s hurt. I believe the maze has been compromised and someone’s interrogating him. Nishi and I are heading back there now.”
“We’re on it.” There was no hesitation whatsoever in his response. Even if they were in the middle of getting it on with a girl, they would stop and come to Noah’s assistance. It reassured me knowing Luke and Ryan were heading back. But would any of us get there in time? And when we did arrive, would we even be able to do anything to save Noah?
All the other dregs were back in Idaho now, so they were too far away to offer any assistance. It would be me and Nishi, Ryan and Luke against whomever was interrogating Noah. I couldn’t fail my partner. I had to save him somehow.
If it was The Company, then they had likely brought a hoard of soldiers. We would be outnumbered. Out armed. We had nothing to negotiate for Noah’s freedom. How the hell would we save him?
We would have to sneak in and stealthily kill as many of them as we could. Then try to free Noah somehow.
Nishi glanced worriedly across the truck at me. “I’m scared for him.”
“Me, too.” How had someone found the maze? Had one of us been followed somehow? After the incident with the Rapsters finding the maze, we’d all been extra careful whenever we returned, checking everywhere for tracking devices and making sure we weren’t followed. Had one of us screwed up?
I shut my lights off as we neared the maze twenty minutes later so we wouldn’t alert anyone to our presence. I let the truck creep in slowly, the windows down so we could hear, as we slowly approached.
“Over there.” Nishi pointed out her window. “A bunch of people. Soldiers.”
I followed her gaze, my heart sinking. A group of men gathered in a circle in a small clearing in the forest about thirty yards from the old plantation home. I imagined that Noah was in the center of the group, getting the shit kicked out of him.
The soldiers didn’t appear to have seen us yet.
I drove the truck over into the brush and parked, turning it off.
The unmistakable sound of Noah’s grunt of pain echoed across the forest just before his pain slammed into me again. I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a soft curse.
Goddammit. They were fucking him up.
My heart pinched. This must have been how he’d felt when they’d beat the shit out of me a week ago. I don’t know how he’d withstood it, but Noah had always been tougher than me. Whenever one of us had been injured in the past, the other always felt it, though Noah seemed to hold up better than I did. He withstood pain better than me.
I let out a soft hiss as another wave of pain crashed over me. I needed to get a grip, get the pain under control, if I was going to be able to help him.
Nishi squeezed my hand. “You all right?”
I drew in a deep breath, puffed it out. “Yeah.” I needed to focus, go into “beast mode” so that I could save my partner.
We didn’t have enough time to try to go back in the maze for more weapons. We would have to make do with what we had, which was my Glock, and my two knives. I handed Nishi my extra knife, the one from my boot. She was good at close combat.
“Let’s go in stealthily and take out as many assholes as we can. You ready?”
She nodded, her gaze holding mine. “I am. Let’s do this. Let’s save Noah.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Nishi
I never imagined we would be turning back around and rushing to save Noah less than an hour after we’d left the maze. But we really had no choice. We couldn’t let those assholes kill Noah. Tonight I would kill if I had to, to save Logan’s best friend. I would do it not only for Noah, but for Logan, the man I loved. Losing Noah would tear him up, and I couldn’t let that happen. Tonight, I would do whatever I had to. For Logan. So that we could have that future we’d planned.
We snuck silently across the forest to where the thugs were beating Noah. Another grunt echoed through the trees, then a gasp of pain. My heart squeezed. They were hurting him badly, the sounds of his pain tearing at my insides. If the sounds of violence was hurting me this badly, I could only imagine what it was doing to Logan.
Hang in there, my love.
Logan motioned me closer, and we paused behind an Army Jeep that was parked in the trees behind several other vehicles.
“Where the fuck are the other dregs?” a voice boomed across the darkness.
Collins. I recognized the asshole’s voice. He had obviously recovered from his coma, and was now out for revenge. I hated him. I wanted to kill him for hurting Logan earlier. And now, for hurting Noah.
“Don’t know,” Noah rasped out. Then he let out a grunt of pain as they hit him again.
I flinched. We had to stop this. We had to save Noah.
Logan and I moved closer, pausing again to survey the area as we reached the clearing. Logan had excellent night vision, so he could see much better than me. But I was able to make out enough to know there were at least ten or fifteen soldiers here, helping Collins. They thought it was cool to all gang up on one guy and beat him up? Bastards!
Logan touched my hand, then motioned forward. I nodded. We were going in now. To silently take out as many of the resistance as possible. So we could free Noah.
Logan rose silently and grabbed the guy standing directly in front of him, dragging him backward and twisting his neck in a swift move. Impressive. I slipped up to the man closest to me, wishing I was as strong as Logan. I’d never twisted a neck before—I wasn’t sure if I had the strength for that—but I knew how to use a knife. I pressed a hand over the man’s mouth and stabbed the knife in his jugular. He let out a hiss and flopped back, knocking me to the ground beneath him.
The man next to him turned in surprise, but Logan was ready, and yanked the guy back, quickly slitting his throat.
Three down…
Logan dragged both bodies out of the way and turned to me. Our gazes locked. I nodded at him, letting him know I appreciated his help, and that I was fine, and ready to continue.
A cellphone rang, its shrill sound echoing across the forest. Collins swore, leaving the group, and headed right where we were crouched. Logan touched my arm in warning, and we slipped back behind the Jeep to wait.
“What?” Collins growled into his phone. “I’m busy.” Then his voice changed, softening. “Put her on.” Collins was obviously speaking to either his wife or his daughter. “Yes, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I will be home soon. Don’t wait up for me.”
He sure had his family fooled. They probably thought he was an upstanding citizen, not a killer. A monster. A torturer of innocent boys. But I knew the truth. I’d read part of Logan’s file. I wanted to snatch Collins’ phone from him and tell his wife and daughter the truth about him.
Collins murmured a “goodbye, sweetheart, sleep well” then stuffed the phone in his pocket and marched back to the group.
“This is your last chance, dreg. No more games. Tell me where the other dregs are. You’ve got three seconds before I blow your fucking head off.”
Wow. From loving husband and father to evil beast in the blink of an eye. What a creep.
Logan lifted his gun, trying to sight in the senator. But there were too many soldiers gathered around, blocking him. Logan wouldn’t be able to hit Collins until someone moved aside. He would have to take them out first. It would take several shots, and by then, it would be too late. Noah would be dead.
Collins aimed his gun, pointing it at Noah’s head. “One…”
I cringed, glancing Logan.
Logan tensed.
“Two…”
My heart pounded. What did we do? If we jumped up and attacked, the soldiers would kill us.
Logan came to a decision then. He touched my arm, whispered, “Stay here,” then burst forward, hurrying into the group. “No!” he shouted. “Let him go! You can have me. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
I gasped. Logan had just given himself up to save his partner. Why? Why had he done that? Didn’t he know Collins would kill them both now?
The dreg bond.
Logan’s bond with his partner was so deep that Logan would die for Noah. My heart stuttered.
Collins smirked. “Ah, Logan. Your bond with your partner has proven strong. This is perfect.” He waved Logan forward with the gun. “Come closer.”
The soldiers rushed in, tackling Logan and disarming him, snatching up his weapons. I remained where I was, hidden on the outskirts. Frozen. Unsure what to do.
They shoved Logan next to Noah, forcing him to his knees.
Collins waved the gun from one to the other. “Who should I kill first?” He pointed the gun at Noah’s head.
“Eenie…”
Then Logan’s. “Meenie…”
Then Noah’s again. “Miney…”
And Logan’s. “Mo.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Logan
“No!” Nishi flung her knife at Collins’ hand, the blade sinking into the flesh of his forearm with a soft swishing sound.
Collins cried out, dropping the gun, as a loud crack! echoed across the forest. A bullet whizzed past, slamming into a large tree trunk a few feet to my left. Noah dived to the ground and I launched myself at Collins, tackling him into the underbrush. Several of the soldiers turned and fired at Nishi, bullets pinging into the cars, ricocheting around, lodging into the trees and the ground around her. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied Nishi diving and rolling, leaping and summersaulting through the air, gracefully eluding the bullets.
“Goddammit!” Collins roared. “Someone kill that bitch!”
As we rolled across the ground, Collins yanked the knife out of his arm and flung it at me.
I jerked out of the way, swinging my arm back around to smack him in the nose.
He grunted and fell back, blood spurting out of his nose.
I spied his gun only a few feet away. Collins noticed it at the same time.
We both dived for the weapon.
Collins was closer, his hand closing around the grip before mine.
He swung the gun toward me and pulled the trigger.
I dived to the side, rolling out of the way. This time, the bullet narrowly missed my head.
I caught sight of Nishi scrambling underneath one of the vehicles, out of the line of gunfire. Good girl. Stay put, please.
Then Collins swung the gun toward Noah.
I reared up, tackling him again just as he fired at Noah.
Noah was weak from the recent beating, his reaction time slower than normal. He let out a grunt as the bullet struck him, collapsing into the dirt.
Son-of-a-bitch! That was my partner! I yanked the gun from Collins’ hand and aimed at his face.
The butt of a rifle cracked into the side of my head.
My head spun. I fell back with a groan, pain careening through my skull. I shook my head to clear it, then crawled determinedly toward Noah, who lay still, unmoving. His pain floated into me. Intense. Nearly unbearable. Oh fuck. Was he dead?
I reached his side and gently rolled him to face me. Blood seeped out of his chest. Too close to his heart. His breath was weak. Raspy. He wasn’t wearing a vest because he’d obviously been caught unaware. Had they come upon him in his tech room?
My heart clenched. This was bad.
Collins let out a hysterical laugh and rolled to his feet. “One dreg down…”
I turned to him with a snarl. “You motherfucker! I told you I would talk if you let him go. Now you’re not getting shit out of me!”
Rifles pointed into my face.
Ah hell. I swallowed hard. This was it, then. Noah was dying. And I was next. My partner and I would both die tonight. Nishi and I wouldn’t have that future after all.
Run Nishi. Get far away from here. And don’t look back.
Pain filled my chest. I had just found her and now I was about to lose her.
Nishi.
Collins chuckled. “All of you must die. Certainly you know that. That was The General’s last instructions before you killed him. To exterminate you all. I’ll bet you’re wondering how we found you, aren’t you? So I’ll tell you. The Rapsters knew one of you drove a red Camaro, and about an hour ago, we spotted a red Camaro heading out of the woods and into Eatonton. I sent a couple of men to follow it, but whoever was driving managed to elude them. So the rest of us headed into the woods to see where the car had come from. And voila! We found Noah all alone here. Luckily for you guys, only Noah was here, or you all would be dead right now. But I counted on your dreg bond to bring you back, and it did.” He snickered. “You poor suckers. Stuck by the dreg bond. You can’t escape it. It will get you into trouble every time, because you can’t resist helping your partners.”
I spied sudden movement out of the corner of my eye. Back in the trees.
Ryan and Luke had arrived. Thank God.
But where was Nishi? Was she still hiding underneath the Jeep? Had she slipped away? Was she okay?
Collins pointed the gun in my face again, using his left hand to help his injured, bloody right hand hold it steady.
“Taking out two of you in one night works for me. It’s better than one.”
Then, several things happened at once.
I reached for the gun to stop him…
Collins pulled the trigger…
Noah rose from near-death and launched himself at Collins…
The gun went off, a bullet grazing the side of my head…
Noah and Collins hit the ground together in heap…
And Ryan and Luke fired at the soldiers.
Rat a tat-tat-tat!
Chaos broke out as all the soldiers spun around to fire back. Noah and Collins fought across the ground, each trying to grab the fallen gun. I leapt into the fray, trying to protect Noah. My dreg partner. My best friend. I had to hel
p him.
Collins grabbed the gun, swinging it toward me again. Noah’s fingers closed around Collins’ arm, twisting…
He turned Collins’ wrist, forcing Collins to point the gun at his own face. Collins cringed, grunting and fighting, trying to turn the gun back toward me. I placed my hand over Noah’s, helping him to hold the gun steady on Collins.
Noah pulled the trigger.
Crack!
The gun went off, another loud boom in a forest now full of gunshots.
Collins toppled back, a huge, gaping hole in the center of his face, blood and tissue and brain matter splattering all around. If I hadn’t already witnessed so much violence in my life, I might be repulsed by the gore. But nothing shocked me anymore.
Finally, the bastard was dead. One less Company shareholder to worry about.
Noah collapsed, his eyes rolling back into his head.
My chest caved in. He was badly wounded. Unconscious.
Gunshots continued to go off around us as Ryan and Luke fought the soldiers. I leaned over Noah, checking his pulse. Faint. Barely there. He needed a hospital. Immediately. He had too many injuries.
Nishi suddenly appeared at my side. “Is he alive?”
I drew in a ragged breath. “Barely. We need to get him to a hospital.” My heart squeezed. Noah might die. That scared the shit out of me. Though he’d been injured before, it had never been this bad. These guys had not only beaten the shit out of him, they’d also stabbed him and shot him in the chest.
While Ryan and Luke continued to fight off the soldiers, Nishi and I tried to stop the flow of blood from all of Noah’s injuries. He was out cold, but he still had a pulse. I had to keep him alive. He’d risked himself for me tonight. He’d saved my life.
And now I had to save his.
I couldn’t lose him. I just couldn’t. He was my best friend. My dreg partner. My brother.
His pain kept spiraling into me, fierce, persistent. Agonizing. My gut told me he wouldn’t last long.
At last, the gunfire seized. Then Luke and Ryan appeared by our side. Together, the four of us gently maneuvered Noah into the back of my truck, laying him on the seat. Luke brought Nate’s medical bag from his car and handed it over. I cleaned Noah’s wounds, dumping coagulant on them. He needed more. He needed a hospital. Stat.
The Trainer (military romantic suspense) (The Dregs Book 5) Page 30