by M. Goldsmith
“By all means, give them a nice blast. We need to get through this door. We have to get to Ashlyn,” Hawk directed.
As Hawk and Quill let up on their assault, the wind ceased to blow, and the rumbling of the ground stilled. The Protector’s large hand was wrapped around three grenades at once. Pulling the pins, he tossed them through the door in rapid succession. Hawk reached out and yanked the guy back behind the door. Eight seconds later, the walls around them shook, pieces of the ceiling tiles rained down, and the floor vibrated under their feet. The silence that followed was deafening. No shouts. No gunfire. No movement.
The heavy steel door squeaked on its broken hinges as Hawk pushed it open a bit farther and peered around it. Three unmoving bodies sprawled out on the floor caught Hawk’s eye. He shoved at the door with his shoulder trying to open it fully. It protested, metal scraping metal like fingernails on a chalkboard. With one final burst of Hawk’s power and strength, the door finally gave way. Another body lay unnaturally twisted covered in blood. A fifth man was dragging himself along the floor on his belly leaving a smeared trail of red behind him. With a growl Hawk bent down and seized the solider. Forcefully, he pulled the man up and held him off the ground. Blood oozed from a gash on the mercenary’s forehead and his tattered shirt revealed a deep abdominal wound. He sagged unable to support his weight, and Hawk slammed him against the wall. Wrenching out his gun, Hawk jammed it forcefully under the man’s chin.
He stood nose to nose with the soldier. “Point me in the direction of the cell block where they are holding the prisoner, or I will decorate the walls with your brains.” The man shook violently, and his blood pooled on the floor beneath Hawk’s boots. Lifting a shaky finger, he pointed down the hallway, and Hawk dropped him to the ground with a snarl on his lips. “You guys, make sure all of these sons of bitches are permanently out of commission. Then spread out and remove any remaining threats. I’m sure there are more where this lot came from. Stay sharp. Stay focused. According to Brooke, the computer room is down this hallway on your right. Find it. Get to work quickly. Be vigilant. Quill, you and I are going to get Ash. We’ll meet back here as soon as we can. Now move out.”
The thunder of boots echoing through the hallway was all that could be heard as they raced toward Ash. Suddenly, Hawk stopped. He braced himself against the wall, took a cleansing breath, and lowered the barrier he had erected to block Ashlyn. He closed his eyes and opened his mind to her. His heart pounded when he called out to her, both aloud, and through their link. “Ash? Can you hear me? I’m here, honey.”
****
The ground shuddered violently. Chill bumps rose on Ashlyn’s skin as the metal legs of her cot screeched along the floor. The sound of debris flying around outside her cell compelled Ash to uncurl herself from the fetal position she had taken up. Her eyes burned from crying, and she could feel her dried tears staining her cheeks. Three loud blasts jarred her where she sat. “What the hell is going on now?”
Instantly, everything went quiet, very quiet. She held her breath and waited. Ash felt Hawk before she heard him. Trembling, she rose to her feet. His voice echoed in the hallway nearby, as well as in her head. Approaching the door, she put her forehead against the cool metal. “Am I dreaming? Are you really here?”
Energy flowed through her as Hawk answered her telepathically. “No, honey, you’re most definitely not dreaming. I can feel you. We’re right outside the door. I’m going to get you out of there. Stand as far from the door as you can. We’re going to blast it. Is there anything to hide behind to protect yourself?”
“Yes, there’s a bed. Give me a minute, and I’ll get behind it in the corner of the cell.” Ash lifted one end of the bed, and it scraped loudly across the floor as she dragged it to the corner. She hoisted it on its end and then tucked herself behind the flimsy mattress and the frame. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“We’ve got some C-4 here, and we’ll use a small amount to control the blast. Hang tight, it will take us just a minute to set the detonator.” Quill stuck a small amount of the plastic explosive to the door and attached the detonator. “Okay, honey, hang on. Here we go.” Hawk nodded to Quill and he flipped the detonator’s switch. They ran back down the hallway holding their hands over their ears and taking cover. The blast peeled the door away from its frame and hung gnarled and jagged.
Ash jumped to her feet sending the bed flipping on top of the rubble. Hawk was already through the twisted metal opening, and Quill was stepping in behind him. Ash didn’t think; she just flew straight into Hawk’s outstretched arms. Quill must have moved to where the bed lay in a heap and grabbed the blanket. Ash didn’t see him cover her, but she felt the weight of the woolen blanket as he draped it over her naked body.
Hawk’s strong arms held her close, and she buried her face in his chest. He smelled amazing, like fresh air and man. The floodgates burst open, and she wept in the warm comfort of his embrace. “It’s going to be okay, honey. I’ve got you now, and I’m never going to let you go again.”
“Guys, I hate to interrupt this Hallmark moment, but we need to get out of here.” Quill commented, affectionately.
“Calm down, Quill, give her a second. Will ya?”
Ash pulled away slightly without letting go of Hawk. Her gaze reached up to meet his. “I’m okay. We need to get to Brooke before those two maniacs find her. Let’s go.” While still clinging to Hawk, she secured the blanket with one hand tucking it tightly around herself. Quill climbed out of the opening first, and then Hawk lifted Ash through.
Only the sound of boots clomping and Ash’s bare feet slapping along the tile floor could be heard. As they came around the bend, Ashlyn wrinkled her nose from the strong smell of blood and gunpowder. She gasped audibly as she witnessed the carnage in the main hallway. The Protectors were lining up bodies like books on a shelf. Some of the other soldiers stood alert with weapons drawn. Hawk pulled Ashlyn in closer to his side. “Is that all of them?” he asked the men.
One of the guys looked at Ashlyn before answering Hawk. “Hi there, Ash. You okay?”
Ash smiled. “I will be, thanks. Thanks to all of you for coming for me.”
He flashed her a smile before turning back to Hawk. “We think so. We found one in a central monitoring room and two more in the computer room. Our team on the computers has already set the virus in motion. The others are searching for the medical samples. We’ll be ready to move out when you give the word.”
“Okay. We are heading to the lab to get Brooke Barrington. Stay sharp. We’ll be back shortly.”
Ash pointed down the hall. “The lab is this way. Come on.”
Hawk remained glued to her side, and Quill followed. The door to the lab was open. As they stepped inside, Ashlyn gasped. Devlin stood with one arm banded around Brooke’s waist while he held a large hunting knife to her throat which dripped with blood.
Chapter Sixteen
Kai
Adrenaline coursed through Kai’s blood making River’s bulk feel like nothing, and River easily weighed over two hundred pounds. He was pure muscle and had to be at least six feet two or three. Still, sweat ran down Kai’s back as he and Brack carried the now unconscious Protector to the edge of the woods. Gingerly, they placed him on the ground, and Kai wiped his brow with his sleeve. Skye, who had been on lookout, came jogging over. Her face fell when she took in the sight of their lead Protector bleeding and unconscious.
“What the hell happened?” Skye pointed down at River.
“We were ambushed and took on heavy fire. River was the first one through the door, of course.” Brack held his hand out to Skye. “Give me the tranquilizer gun. You go down and help them. I’ll stay here with Kai and River. Go on. They need your skills down there more than mine.”
Kai hated the way Brack made himself sound so dispensable, but it was the most he had ever heard the young Protector utter at one time. Skye didn’t say anything. In a highly uncharacteristic gesture, she leaned down and kissed River’s forehead. Ka
i tried not to react, but he felt a knot tighten in his throat. “I’m going to do everything I can for him, Skye. Go down there and get those bastards for River.” Skye nodded, and jogged back toward the building.
Turning back to Brack, Kai nodded toward their downed man. “I need to keep pressure on his leg. Check inside the bag for me. We need something to use as a tourniquet to slow down the bleeding. The bullet went through and through, but he’s going to bleed out any minute. We have to hurry.”
Without any hesitation Brack stood and closed his eyes. He directed his hands with a unique waving motion toward the woods. A vine slowly crawled along the forest floor toward River. The climbing plant snaked its way around River’s upper thigh several times and tightened firmly in place. Blood still oozed from the wound, but it slowed considerably.
“Uh, thanks, well done. The bullet tore through his femoral artery, and it has retracted up. Your tourniquet will help to slow the bleeding, but it won’t stop it completely. Grab the medical bag, and get me a liter of ringer’s lactate.”
Brack, furrowing his brows, looked at him like he had six heads. “I have no idea what you are talking about, Doc.”
“Oh, sorry, I always forget people don’t understand my medical jargon. It’s a clear plastic bag with liquid IV solution. We’re going to do what we call fluid resuscitation. Hopefully, it will buy him some more time. I also want to wrap a new bandage completely around the wound as tightly as we can.”
Brack pulled three IV bags out of the medical pack and handed one to Kai. He placed the others on a cloth he found in the bag and dug out some more bandages. Kai inserted a needle into River’s arm, attached the tubing to the bag, and looked around as if he was searching for something.
“What are you looking for?”
“I need to suspend this so it hangs above him. I was just looking for something to attach it to.”
Once again Brack stood and called upon his powers. A branch hanging high above them grew downward before Kai’s eyes. He took hold of it and attached the IV bag to the limb. “You’re a handy guy to have around. Thanks.” He gave Brack a sad smile.
“For now, I need to leave the bullet in his neck. It nicked his jugular so I want to pack the wound off. We’ll apply a pressure bandage which should control the bleeding. Once we get some fluid into him, hopefully, he’ll regain consciousness. Then I want to call Bear. River may only have a small window of time in which he’ll be able to speak, and I want to give him a chance to talk to Lily.”
“Give it to me straight. Is River going to die?”
“Very likely. I can see with my powers the damage is severe. I’ll do all I can, but I don’t have any equipment, and I certainly can’t operate out here. There appears to be too much damage for his natural healing abilities to repair his body. Aether is a twenty-hour drive from here. The chances of us making it back in time are nearly impossible. And as much as I would like to, we can’t go to a human hospital.” Kai huffed out a frustrated breath. “He’s losing too much blood, and I don’t have anything to clamp off his wound. I’m sorry, Brack. I’m not giving up hope, but it doesn’t look good.” Kai packed the opened wound on River’s neck with tons of white gauze which quickly turned red. He firmly placed a pressure bandage on top of the gauze. “Keep the pressure steady on his neck while I make the call.” Kai pulled out his phone and dialed Bear’s cell phone.
Bear answered on the first ring. “Kai? What’s happened? Is everything all right?”
“It’s River. He’s been seriously injured. I need someone to get Lily, quickly. It might be her only chance to speak to him.” Kai could hear rustling in the background and raised voices.
“I sent someone to get her. It shouldn’t be long. There is a large group of friends and family in the Council Chambers’ Gathering Room. They are waiting to hear any news about the mission. What in the name in the God and Goddess happened? River was so confident this morning when I spoke to him.”
“Everything went smoothly tranquilizing the regular guards, but when we got to the lower level, we were ambushed. They knew we were coming and were prepared for us. River was hit in the leg and neck. It’s extremely serious. I don’t think his body’s natural healing gifts will be enough to stop the bleeding. There isn’t much I can do for him, except maybe buy him some time. Can you please explain it to Lily as simply as possible? I don’t want to do it over the phone. I need someone there with her in person. I want Lily and River to be able to say goodbye, in case I can’t save him. I’m so sorry, Bear.”
“I know you will do everything you can, Kai. Give me a few moments to speak to Lily. I hear her coming now. Hang on.”
Kai heard mumbled voices through the connection, but he couldn’t make out exactly what was being said. A familiar voice penetrated all the rest, Laurel. She was there waiting for news of the mission’s outcome. Hearing her voice warmed him. He felt as if he had been gone for two weeks rather than two days. Kai had to admit he had fallen hard again for the beautiful teacher.
The news of River’s demise was a harsh reality which would devastate all of Aether, but his heart truly went out to Lily. The two had been joined longer than Kai had been alive. The hardened Protector became a completely different person when Lily stepped into the room. His features softened, and his stiff demeanor visibly relaxed.
A sweetheart, Lily taught kindergarten. Petite with wavy light blonde hair, a snowy complexion, and eyes as blue as the sea, she possessed the gentlest soul he had ever encountered. Physically, she and her Kanti were complete opposites. River, a no-nonsense person, was tall, dark, handsome, and brooding. Kai was sure the tender-hearted Lily would be left completely heartbroken when Bear told her about River’s condition.
At this moment, Kai wished more than anything he could save River. All of his training as a doctor, and all of the magical gifts bestowed upon him by the God and Goddess would not be enough. Even the abundant power of all the Elements combined would not bring about the result he prayed for.
****
Laurel
Everyone in Aether worried about the Protectors’ mission to rescue Ashlyn. People had been coming in and out of the Council Chambers constantly for the past two days. Laurel was sure she had dark circles under her eyes since she’d barely slept since Kai left her alone in his bed. She didn’t dare leave the Council Chambers for fear of missing even a scrap of news. Her family and friends stuck close the entire time.
Others in the community brought food and supplies multiple times per day, but Laurel couldn’t eat. Following her ordeal with Barrington’s men in the woods, she’d been having some trouble eating and sleeping. She needed to focus on Ashlyn, Kai, and the Protectors. She hadn’t heard from Kai since the night he arrived in the town near CEB Laboratories. Although she understood, she wished he would text or call her.
Her longtime friend, Lily, took a seat beside her and smiled brightly. “Try not to worry, Laurel. River will make sure Kai stays safe. They’re just busy. That’s why they haven’t called. You’ll see, any time now we’re going to hear they have Ashlyn and are on their way back home.”
“I’m sure you’re right, Lil. This is kind of new to me. I don’t know how you do it. Waiting around, worrying, it’s awful.”
“Thankfully, River hasn’t had to go on too many missions which have taken him away from Aether. But you’re right. It is awful.” Lily reached out and took hold of Laurel’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Laurel appreciated the unwavering support of her friend. It was nice to have someone to pass the time with.
One of the Protectors came into the room and it went completely quiet. He walked straight up to where Laurel and Lily were sitting. “Lily, Bear would like to talk to you. Can you please come with me?”
“See.” Lily turned to Laurel. “Bear probably wants to tell me they are on their way back home. Come with me.”
Getting to her feet quickly, Laurel followed Lily and the Protector into the Council Chambers. Just days before she had met with the
Elders in this very room, and it felt strange to be back. Bear rose from the sofa on which he had been seated when they entered. A giant knot in her stomach twisted and ached. Laurel had a bad feeling about this. Her palms tingled, and perspiration beaded along her hairline.
Bear spoke to Lily in a gentle tone that ratcheted up Laurel’s anxiety. “Please have a seat, Lily dear. And you, too of course, Laurel.” They took seats next to one another. Lily gave Laurel a knowing look which made her realize Lily also sensed something was very wrong. Her friend was stoic and silent.
Laurel spoke, “What is it, sir? Please just tell us.”
“There is no easy or gentle way to tell you this. Things on the mission did not go as we hoped, and River has been seriously wounded. Kai is with him and doing everything in his power to aid him, but I’m afraid it might not be enough. He has been shot in his leg and in his neck. The wound to his leg is extremely serious. Kai wanted you to be able to speak with River.”
Lily went pale and visibly shook. “Is he going to die?” she asked, her voice breaking.
Bear took hold of her hand and stroked it gently. “I’m afraid only the God and Goddess know that, my dear. But Kai is worried this may be your only chance to speak with River. I’m so sorry, my dear. Do you think you are ready?”
Putting her arm around Lily’s shoulder, Laurel could feel a slight tremor just before her friend began to shake uncontrollably. Bear placed the phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table in front of them. Laurel didn’t know where Lily found the strength, but she thrust her shoulders back and spoke. “Kai, It’s Lily. Bear explained to me what’s happened to River. I need to hear his voice. Please.”
“Okay, Lily. I’m going to wake him up. He’s been resting. Give me a second.” Kai’s voice was gentle and tender.
River’s raspy whisper came through the line. “Hi, babe… Sorry to be so much trouble… I’m going to be okay… Kai is taking good care of me…so try not to worry.”
Tears streamed down Lily’s face, but she kept her tone steady and positive. “Of course, you’re going to be okay. You are the strongest man I know. I was saving a great surprise to share with you when you got home, but I want to tell you now, okay?”