Chance: An Action & Adventure Romance Novel (Sacrifice)

by A. C. Heller

  This man is a traitor.

  Rushing over to the communication unit on the wall by the door of the training facility, I hit the panic button. Moments later Aiden, Takeo, Angelo and several of their most trusted men come running through the open door.

  “Liza, darlin', what happened?” Aiden says in a rush of breath.

  “I've seen his mind. This man is not what you think he is. He is a traitor.”

  Aiden immediately turns his once concerned, now furious gaze on Aaron who is still writhing in pain on the ground.

  “Release him,” Takeo says through clenched teeth.

  Nodding once at Takeo, I clear the image from Aaron's mind. He is still gasping for breath but when he notices who is standing around him his body stills.

  “Is it true?” Takeo asks Aaron while staring at him with a look in his eyes that I did not need to question. He is positively murderous. Takeo would never doubt my word, but I know he is giving Aaron one last chance to be honest.

  “I don't know what she told you but she lies. I've worked by your side for years. I would never deceive you.”

  Angelo steps forward and kicks Aaron in the stomach with his boot clad foot.

  “She would never fuckin' lie to us.”

  My heart smiles at Angelo's words. These are my boys. I feel as though in some ways I raised them and now they are standing by me. Beautiful.

  “What did you see, Liza?” Aiden asks.

  “He is working with The Sapient. I am not sure who is controlling him. Your message, asking for the release of Dora, never made it to The Order, Aiden. He did not deliver it. The Sapient are coming for Dora and we're all to die in the process. Check his phone and the laptop he has in his car. That will give you all the proof you need.”

  Aiden reaches down and grasps Aaron by the shirt. He lifts him off of the ground and pivots slamming him into the wall behind them.

  “This is why you locked her away! You lying motherfucker! I trusted you!” Aiden roars at him. His mind has erupted into pure chaos making it hard for me to keep up. He is worried that he has no time to prepare for the assault. He is worried his men will die because of this traitor’s actions. Most of all, he is worried that they are going to take Dora away from him.

  “Open the fucking chamber!”

  “I can't! The codes were changed last night. I do not have them. None of you can get in.”

  Aiden's eyes scan all of our faces silently asking for one of us to tell him Aaron was wrong. Aaron was not wrong. There was no way for us to get into the cell. Aiden looks back into Aaron’s face and watches as a devious grin appears.

  “It's too late. There's no getting what you want this time. No more perfection, no more being better than us. This time we will show you all that your bloodline is no more than a genetic defect.”

  I have to pull back from Aiden's mind. Something snapped causing everything to flood together in one blinding flash. After blinking several times, I look down and see Aiden driving his fist into Aaron's face repeatedly. The man is unmoving under him, but Aiden has no intentions of stopping. Angelo and Takeo are both watching and their thoughts tell me that they know they should intervene, but they are choosing not to.

  Kneeling beside him, I place a gentle hand on his arm and whisper softly to him, “You must stop. We have little time and we must prepare.”

  Aiden jerks at my touch but my words stop him. He looks back at the cell for a long moment before climbing off of the unconscious Aaron.

  “Lock this place down now! I want every man we have in the building in ten minutes or there will be fucking hell to pay. I want our best men behind us in this room. Get me Al. I don't care where he is or what he's doing. I don't care if he has to deconstruct that cell screw by fucking screw. Get him to open it, now!

  Everyone breaks off but Aiden remains standing staring at the cell. When he finally turns his attention to me, I can see that he is beyond reason.

  “Get to the safe house, darlin'.”

  “I cannot.”

  “You will. Thank you for everything you've done, but I need you to do one more thing for me. Live. Go, now!”

  My bottom lip trembles and I can barely contain the emotions flooding through me. I want to stay and help but he wishes me safe. For him, my darling Aiden, I will make it so.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Maddix

  That big motherfucker did a number on me. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm hurtin'. I got a hotel room near the address on the back of the card. Standin' in the mirror, fresh outta the shower, I can see the proof. Both hip bones are bruised, as well as the tops of both of my thighs. You can even tell it was a desk. This is bullshit. Fucker caught me off guard, but he was stronger than anyone I've ever seen. I decided to check up on the address not because I've made up my mind, but because I'm curious. If I'm bein' honest here, havin' people like him and Angelo at my back might not be all that bad. Anyone stupid enough to fuck with me would have to be some kind of idiot to fuck with either one of them.

  When I'm finally dressed I strap on my thigh holsters and suck in a breath. Those bruises are sore as fuck, but I gotta' deal with it. Shifting the curtain on my motel window I see somethin' weird. Trucks; lots of 'em. Black Explorers in front of the trucks. There must be twenty of 'em and somethin' tells me this ain't no funeral precession.

  Aiden

  The compound is in full lock down. All of the men are accounted for, and we are positioned exactly where we need to be. Now we wait. Al has been working on the cell for about ten minutes but my patience is gone. He needs to hurry the hell up.

  Dora

  I got a message from Aiden that said they were finally getting me out of here. I can hear someone doing something noisy on the outside but the door has yet to open. Picking up the egg Al gave me I wake the tiny robot as a means to pass the time.

  “Wake up, AER.”

  The egg shifts and once again the small robot kitten is seated in my palm.

  “Momma?”

  “Hello, AER.”

  “Hello,” AER coos.

  “We're going to be getting out of here today. Isn't that exciting?”

  “I am a robot. We do not get excited.”

  “Good point. What does AER mean anyway?”

  “We are called AER because we are Adorable Exploding Robots.”

  I blink at the small robot. What? He designed them to explode?

  “You explode?”

  “Yes. This is why we were created. Distraction is key. This is what our creator has said. My tail must be wound four times to arm me. The rest is in our programming.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Before the kitten/grenade can answer I'm brought to my feet by what sounds like an explosion and perhaps the roof caving in. And not the one to my cell.

  Takeo

  A loud explosion rocks the compound. We know the drill. We stand unmoving, watching the rubble and debris fall to the floor. Now this is more like it. I watch as men repel down through the gaping hole in the roof. There must be sixty men. Either side has yet to engage but their guns are aimed on us just as ours are trained on them. Once they take formation beyond the rubble of the roof, one of their men steps forward.

  “Give us Pandora and we will let you live.”

  “Do not bullshit me. This will end in bloodshed and we both know it,” I snap back at the soldier.

  The soldier grins at me and I return it. We are on equal ground. Both of us are completely prepared to fight to our last breath. The soldier doesn't get to speak again because our attention is drawn to the back of the room, behind the cell, to the words of a mad man.

  “I'm a fucking genius!”

  The door in the back of the room slams shut making it obvious to me that for some unknown reason Al just ran from the room proclaiming his genius. That guy is fucking insane.

  Al

  The crane.

  Yes!

  Once I've made it inside the cab of the crane I work the controls and noti
ce the arm is still suspended over the cell and the line is already down.

  Did I leave it like that?

  You wouldn't.

  Then how?

  Does it matter?

  Not even a little.

  Activating the lift on the line I listen as the crane creaks from the immense weight of the cell. After calculating that the cell must be suspended at least five feet in the air I stop the crane and run back into the building.

  Dora

  Oh my god! The cell lifted off the ground above me leaving me standing in the center, still clutching AER to my chest. I am staring at Aiden and all of his men who are staring at no less than fifty Sapient. Oh no...Taking a deep breath I step out from under the cell and walk up behind Aiden. As I am walking I do my best to hide my actions, but I wind AER's tail four times. Aiden steps in front of me halting my progress and growls back at me.

  “Stay behind me.”

  “They're here for me. I will not have you or your men dying for me. I will not have it.”

  There is a Sapient who is face to face with Takeo. I can only assume he is the leader and when he speaks he confirms it.

  “Pandora, come with me if you want these people to live.”

  “Do not move Dora. He lies,” Takeo announces loudly.

  My heart is racing and I know something has to be done, but I have no idea what. AER jumps out of my hands and lands on the ground with an audible 'mew'. The tiny robot approaches the leader and sits on its robotic behind at his feet.

  “Momma?”

  The leader stares down at the tiny robot as if it is the strangest thing he has ever seen and swings his gaze to me.

  “What are you playing at?”

  “What? I... nothing. That's my kitten. It's a robot because...well... I'm allergic.”

  That sounded good... I'm not good at making things up off the top of my head much less lying. From the back of our group Al mutters quietly to us.

  “I made that.”

  No other words are needed. Everyone collectively takes a huge step back, except Takeo who turns and runs to the right. The tiny robot explodes instantly killing the leader. Gun shots ring out and I watch as four men at the front of their formation fall to the ground. Mass confusion fills the room as everyone looks around for where the shots came from. Aiden's body stiffens in front of mine and I look up to see that his head is tilted back. I follow his eyes and look up to see an attractive brunette hanging suspended from the very same ropes the Sapient must have come down on.

  Maddix

  Fuckin' shit this rope hurts like a bitch. I'm hanging upside down from one of the ropes. I wrapped it around my one thigh so I could keep my guns in my hands and use my leg muscles to repel down. Taking out the four in the front was easy. Especially since no one knew I was here. The room is packed but some of the faces stand out; the big guy who led me here and Angelo. But what causes me to lose my grip on the rope is the face of someone I haven't seen in years. My brother Aiden. He's alive.

  The rope loosens around my thigh and I'm falling. I try to press my thighs together to slow my decent but it's too late. Just as I think I'm going to hit the floor, a pair of steely arms catches me in a cradled position and we're instantly moving. At the back of the group I'm set on my feet and I look up to see that it's Angelo who caught me. The moment he caught me I knew it was him. I could smell his cologne. I just didn't want to admit I owed him one. Again.

  “Maddy?” Aiden whispers. He is starin' at me with a look I haven't been given by anyone in a very long time. Love.

  My emotions are causin' me to get chocked up so when I respond to him my voice comes out softer. “Yes.”

  A look crosses my brothers’ face that I have never seen on him before. Pure determination. When he starts barkin' orders I can't stop the smile that takes over my face. My brother is in charge. And I'm fuckin' proud of him.

  “Let's take these fuckers out. Fire at will!”

  Liftin' my guns I run up to my brothers side, give him a quick nudge with my shoulder and let the bullets fly.

  Dora

  Dear god, it's so loud! Al has pulled me back away from the fray and I can do nothing but watch. Soldiers from both sides are falling, their blood coating the padded floor beneath them. I just want it to stop. It's already terrible, but when I'm stupid enough to think that it can't get worse, it does. No less than thirty more men repel down and join the Sapient in their assault. Takeo takes a bullet to the abdomen. Even though it has to hurt he does not stop fighting. He doesn't have a gun; he's literally beating the Sapient to death. He's a little scary.

  The high winds in the room are from Aiden. Occasionally a Sapient is flung into the air only to be impaled by several daggers before he falls to the ground. Aiden's a little scary too. Angelo is far scarier than both at the moment. His eyes are red and his sword is dripping with liquid the same color. His face has no expression; he just slices through flesh as if it's a common occurrence. He's relentless and uncaring and I've noticed that Aiden and Takeo are also giving him a wide birth. His sword has runes on it that are glowing this beautiful shade of blue. Not dark, but not quite bright either. If I wasn't scared out of my mind I'd like to get a closer look.

  A Sapient far bigger than any of the men in the room drops down and immediately goes after Maddy, the female who apparently is Aiden's sister. The big Sapient takes her off guard and back hands her sending her small form skidding across the floor. A deep growl sounds throughout the room and the next thing I see is Angelo beheading the large man. As his head tumbles to the floor I see that Maddy isn't moving. Angelo is staring down at her and I watch as Takeo tackles him to the floor. What the hell is that about?

  Aiden's grunt of pain brings my attention back to him and I see that he has a dagger planted in his shoulder. A gasp escapes my lips and I jerk in Al's arms. Al has been holding me since the fighting erupted and he doesn't let me go, but that doesn't stop me from trying to get free. To get to Aiden. The man I've fallen in love with. The man that has shown me kindness and affection. Me, a plague. And if I do not do something he is going to die.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dora

  “Stop!” I scream at the top of my lungs and to my surprise the fighting stops. All heads turn to me and most have weary expressions on their faces. Takeo and Aiden are hurt. Angelo seems to be coming back into himself and he's staring at the unconscious body of Maddy still lying on the floor. Tilting my head back against Al's shoulder I whisper softly for only his ears to hear.

  “Can you lower the cell?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “I need you to lower the cell in five minutes and do not come back in. Can you do that for me?”

  “I could, but Sweet Dora I'm not...”

  “Please?!”

  I beg him, there's no shame in it. I need him to do this for me. Al releases me without another word and darts out of the door at the back of the room. Walking to the center of the room I take a deep, shuddering breath before speaking once more. “I will go with you if this stops now.”

  “You will come with us or they will all die.”

  “You will stop this now, or everyone in this room will die. I think you know I am more than capable.”

  The Sapient’s face pales and he simply nods his head.

  “Your men will stand down while I tend to my family. If I am never to see them again you will give me this.”

  The Sapient says nothing, so I take that as a yes. The best I can do is drag Maddy by her arms over to Angelo. He takes her into his arms and stares at me, silently asking me what is going on. I motion with a finger for Takeo and the remaining soldiers to come over to me and they do so without question, keeping their guns trained on The Sapient. Aiden is already at my side, so when I turn to him his eyes are on me. Standing on my toes I reach up and kiss his perfect lips. I whisper the words I had never been able to say to him, or anyone else for that matter. “I love you.”

  There's a loud creak from the line holding the c
ell suspended and my eyes shoot up towards the cell. Turning quickly I shove Aiden back and I hear a familiar noise. Something landing on the top of the cell.

  Slam! Click! Snap! The cell plummets to the floor, trapping my new family safely inside. Aiden screamed for me before the cell hit the ground, but my attention was on the men behind me. This was my choice. My decision. I've had enough. The Sapient would take no more from me.

  At that moment I vowed to myself that these men would hurt no one else. Someone had to stop them. Stepping towards them, I watch as the men shift and move towards the far wall away from me. At my feet there is a dagger left from the battle that occurred minutes before. One of the men wasn't briefed enough before this task. I know this because as I reach down to grab the dagger, a single shot rings out and hits me in my shoulder. He should have aimed for my head. The pain sears through me just as the darkness wakes inside. My eyes burn from both unshed tears and my transformation. My eyes are turning the color of onyx, as they always did when the darkness manifested.

  Dark tendrils cascade down my body enshrouding me in darkness. The tendrils shift across the room towards the men, much like a feather in the wind. Not a direct route but prolonging the inevitable. The darkness reaches the men and that's when the screams of pain begin to fill the air. Shots ring out and hit me in my thigh, my side and one grazes my neck.

  I do not allow the pain to bring me to my knees. The blood loss is making my body shake, but I won't stop until either they are all dead or I have taken my last breath. I know Aiden will hate me because of this but he would do the same thing. It is my life; my life to give and my life to take. Not one person can fault me. This is simply the right thing to do.

  When the tears in my eyes become too much to handle I blink them away, allowing them to stream down my cheeks. The screaming has stopped. With everything left in me, I will the darkness back inside. This process is always exhausting and I've already got very little left to give. As my world starts to fade to black, I can only thank God for the release.