James nodded. “I’ll go first. You two follow.”
James stepped out carefully. Ashley held tight to Nate as he cautiously followed. There were forty-five feet between them and the next chance for cover, and no way to identify friend from foe. Nate’s warrior senses were screaming, but he hated the idea of being pinned down so he ignored the internal warning.
On the other side, Tracy tore her shirt and fashioned a tourniquet for the wounded man’s leg. He was losing too much blood, and Tracy feared Jonah had hit an artery.
On edge, Jonah was whispering, “c’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” as he peered through the scope. It was too quiet. The trio hurried across the open distance with their heads down. Nate stayed on Ashley’s side to block any sniper from having a clear shot.
They had almost made it to safety when Jonah felt the sudden impact in his side. Stunned, he lowered the rifle to look down. Warm, sticky blood seeped from his body into his clothes. “Son of a—”
He’d been so intent on watching his companions he’d neglected to watch his back. Jonah looked up to see the base commander standing ten feet away with his sidearm pointed directly at Jonah’s head.
Chapter 35
Everything happened so fast, only mere seconds. Seasoned in battle, Nate knew he could not make it there in time to save his new friend, but he let go of Ashley and ran.
A multitude of emotions from Tracy, Jonah, Nate, and James washed over Ashley. She stumbled and fell, scraping her knees, but this time an inner strength pushed passed the barrier that imprisoned her. As she fought to control the tidal wave, soothing warmth crawled through her.
The commander’s finger started squeezing the trigger. Jonah felt his heartbeat thump hard in his chest and expected it would be the last beat he would feel, but Ashley was not the only witch there finding new inner strength. Tracy shouted three words she had never used before and threw out her hands. Hot air engulfed the Commander and held him still.
Frozen in place, the commander’s hand started to shake. Tracy’s once green eyes turned white as the magic coursed through her, and the powerful phase demon fought against her mental hold. Hurry Nate! Tracy thought, knowing she was no match for the otherworldly creature.
Tuned into the commander’s emotions in a new way, Ashley felt his struggles to control the dark shadow inside and sensed the instant the demon’s mindset shifted. The commander’s tight fist twitched.
“Tracy!” Ashley warned, but both her warning and Nate’s charge would be too late. The gun barrel snapped from Jonah to her sister, and the trigger clicked.
From out of nowhere, a brilliant blue light appeared between the commanding officer and Tracy, blinding everyone. The luminous glow broke Tracy’s concentration, and the final hold over the commander was lost. The deadly round ejected from the gun’s barrel, but from the magical doorway of light, Cade emerged. The misfired round left a blazing trail on his left bicep and was swallowed by the fading light before it could reach Tracy.
Assessing the situation in a split second, and remembering Ramee’s urgency, Cade fell over the possessed man. Tackling the base commander to the ground, he smelled a faint scent of demon and understood in that moment, the commander was not himself. Rushing to Cade’s aide, and using the belt he had procured minutes before, Nate helped to disarm the commander and tied his hands.
James pulled Ashley up, and she hurried over to Jonah. Sitting down awkwardly, he waved her back. With a pain-filled breath, he pointed to the young soldier he’d shot earlier. “Check the kid first,” he urged her, and turning to Nate questioned, “What now?”
Tracy switched her sister positions to help Jonah. Lifting his shirt, she examined the bullet hole in his side.
Nate picked up the discarded gun and checked the chamber. Unsure what to say, he shook his head. “Even if we take out every man on this base, those demons will just find another host.”
James picked up the rifle Jonah set down and accepted the job of guarding their position while Cade dragged the commander to his feet. The decorated officer suddenly stopped struggling, and his features shifted to confusion. “Sergeant Williams?” His eyes went wide as he glanced down to Jonah, who leaned back against the wall. “I shot you.”
“Don’t worry about it, Commander,” Jonah said through his gritted teeth when Tracy’s hand applied pressure to his side. He pointed to the soldier Ashley was tending. “I shot him, and he…” Jonah paused. Nobody needed the reminder that the boy had killed a man, the horror of that reality was already in his eyes. “Well, he’s worse.”
“Tracy, I’m going to need your help,” Ashley called.
Tracy eyed Jonah. “You okay?”
“Yep, it feels like Christmas, the surprises keep comin’. I’ll close my eyes, and you can wake me when the man in red arrives.” He eased his own hand under hers to hold pressure on the bullet hole. “Go. I'll do my best to stay alive while you’re gone.”
“You’re not funny, Hall,” Tracy chided as she left. She called to her innate magic once again and eased the frightened soldier to sleep so Ashley could help him.
As Tracy and Ashley focused on the younger man, the base commander’s features pinched in thought and he mumbled regretfully, “I tried not to shoot you. I think it’s why I missed.”
“Well, thanks for that. It’s good to be alive.” Adjusting his position, Jonah grunted. “Sort of anyway. Where did you come from?”
“The bunker,” the commander explained. “When I felt the cold, I remembered our briefing. I barely finished locking it down when I was overtaken.”
“Well that’s a point in our favor,” Nate said. “A few less personnel to worry about.”
“That’s great,” Jonah said. Tipping his head in Cade’s direction he added, “But I was actually talking about the Avenger over there, and his sword that’s stuck in the ground behind him.”
Surprised, Cade turned to see Jonah was right, Collett’s sword stood embedded in the earth like a marker.
“Where did you come from?” Nate questioned.
“A little blue house,” Cade answered, as he gripped the shining weapon and pulled it free. “Where’s Jarrett?”
“I haven’t seen him,” Tracy said as she stood to hug her uncle, “but I sure am glad to see you.”
“We have to find Mom and Dad too. Who knows what they’re facing right now,” Ashley pointed out in a voice full of worry as she shifted to help Jonah.
“They’re locked in the bunker, so is Cody,” the commander explained. “Your parents had gone to bed about twenty minutes before. Cody was watching soccer or something in the main hall underground.”
Jonah grimaced past the pain of his chuckle. Cade and Nate glanced at him but let it go.
“Mom’s gonna be ticked off,” James mumbled.
Letting go of the commander, Cade crouched down in front of the detective. “Let’s see it.” Jonah moved his hand to allow the other man access to the wound. “You’re lucky,” he said after a quick examination. “Ash should be able to help you stop the bleeding.”
As he freed the commander’s hands, Nate mocked, “'Tis just a flesh wound.”
Jonah chuckled weakly at the Monty Python reference then groaned again.
“It’s a small facility,” the commander explained as he tested his circulation. “Nonessential personnel are gone for the night. We only have forty men onsite that reside here, but they’re all Brotherhood soldiers. We had one team training tonight and a few on security. So we are looking at a risk factor of twenty or so above ground. What’s happening below, I can't say.”
Cade nodded to him. “What about Del?”
Everyone tried to remember where she had gone, but none of them knew for sure. “She was going to eat,” Ashley said.
“She never came back,” James added.
Cade’s expression turned grim. “Tell me what happened here.”
Echoes of a firefight in the distance interrupted any chance for recounting and reiterated the urgency of t
heir situation.
Nate shook his head. “We need to get to that hanger. My guess is Delphene is somewhere down there.”
“We have more than one phase demon on the base,” James added in a rush. “But that’s all so far.”
“Fine. James, stay here with your sisters and these men. Nate, you’re with me,” Cade ordered.
“No.” Tracy, James, and Ashley said simultaneously.
Surprised, Cade turned.
James hurried to explain, “I have to go with you. I may be able to stop those demons from wrecking this place.”
“Uncle Cade, you need us,” insisted Tracy. “If James’s theory is right, and using magic prevents them from taking me over, I may be able to help contain people without hurting them.”
“What about you?” Cade asked Ashley.
Working down Jonah’s side, she prodded for the bullet’s location. He hissed when she found it, and Ashley smiled up at Cade, but there was no sparkle or joy in the gesture. “Don’t worry, I’m staying, but I agree with them. Whatever’s wrong, it’s condensed there. Take whoever you can.”
“What about you? Who will keep you safe?” Cade questioned.
Ashley knew he was already conceding. “I have the commander and Jagger here. By the time I fix him up he’ll be right as rain. Then we’ll check on those in the bunker.”
Cade didn’t love the idea, but he didn’t want to waste precious time arguing. Jonah and the commander were capable enough fighters. Men started shouting as the sound of more gunfire reached them. “Fine. I’ll take these three. Get to the bunker and check on the others.”
As they started off, Jonah called out, “Hey Williams.”
Tracy turned.
“I would like to take you to see my mom, so make sure you come back.”
She grinned. “Hall, you keep my sister safe, and we’ll talk.”
The noise from the tank explosions alerted anyone on site there was trouble. The problem was, by the time the twenty-four men arrived at the scene, they could not find a single enemy present. Only the bodies of two well-known soldiers and an unconscious Delphene were left behind.
Or that is what they thought, until the leader of their rescue team stood stone-still for several seconds, and without any other warning, he turned on his men and opened fire. He took out three men before they had to stop him with deadly force.
Jarrett materialized outside the helicopter hanger in the same moment the first round of gunfire erupted. He took a second to orient himself and figure out where he landed. A small light appeared in front of him and his sword materialized on the ground. Well, that’s something, he thought.
Running into the hangar, he was greeted by twenty men that pointed their weapons directly at him. “Next time I’ll take the car,” he grumbled under his breath.
A man with a shaky gun hand dared to ask, “Cade, is that you?”
Jarrett debated how to answer. If he said no, then Mr. Jumpy, was as likely to shoot him, as he was to trust him. Instead, he opted for a question of his own. “What happened?”
Another man startled and pointing his rifle, fired at nothing. The shot pinged off the hull of the Blackhawk that occupied the hanger with the other two Apaches. “I felt it. It touched me!”
Five of the twenty men jerked their weapons about nervously, and Jarrett cursed. Another man started mumbling and Jarrett understood he was a witch. Pointing at the chanting man, he ordered, “Any of you with magic, use it! Light this place up, and watch for shadows. Add any sort of protection to it for projectiles.”
Noting the shoulder patches on the men, Jarrett realized by Cade’s breakdown to him earlier, more than half of the soldiers were raw trainees. With that in mind, he called out his next order, “The rest of you drop any and all weapons and get on the ground or I’ll put you down my—”
The tail rotor for an Apache helicopter flew directly at his head, cutting off Jarrett’s order and forcing him to dodge it or be beheaded. Random gunfire started back up again, and a stray bullet came dangerously close to him. Jarrett growled. “Hold your fire, you idiots!”
Surprisingly, the few shooting obeyed his command, but all the men hesitated to relinquish the lifeline of their weapons. Embracing the warrior’s instincts that he’d honed for the last two and a half centuries, he assessed the situation in seconds. A couple of quick scans identified his next threat, and the hair on his neck prickled when he saw one man frozen in place, his gun hand still aimed, and a strained look in his eyes.
Jarrett didn't hesitate. Leaping into action, he rushed to the soldier to restrain him before he hurt someone, but something else caught his attention and he stopped mid-run.
Delphene, she was here. Jarrett had caught her scent, but he couldn’t see her.
His concern cost him. The frozen soldier shifted the next instant, aimed, and fired right at the distracted hunter.
Jarrett jerked with the impact. Accepting the hit, and the reminder to stay focused, Jarrett leaped to stand before the attacker. With a well-placed left hook, he cold cocked the man, leaving him one less soldier to worry about.
Seeing Jarrett’s methods, seven men finally dropped their guns. Four men obeyed and hit the floor and three sought escape. That's when things shifted from bad to worse.
Before the runners made it to the entrance, three winged archdemons and several leeches appeared at the entrance, effectively barring the unarmed men's path. Worse, another soldier near Jarrett lunged for his stomach with his combat knife.
Dodging the attack, Jarrett arched his back and twisted aside. An explosion of chaos reigned after that. The cacophony of gunfire, snarling demons, flying objects, and men yelling orders, took a backseat in his mind. With anger rising, he snatched the soldier's hand, broke his wrist and forced him to drop the knife, but the soldier continued to struggle against his hold. Throwing the man aside, Jarrett made sure he was unconscious before turning his back again, but that's when he saw Delphene lying in a heap on the concrete floor.
Jarrett tried to go to her, but an archdemon plowed him over before he could reach her.
Fire simmered in his eyes, and Jarrett’s fragile temper broke.
By the time Cade arrived with the others, the chaos was complete. Magical light offered them the ability to see the whole room. Flanked by two demons, Jarrett in full hybrid form swung his favored sword with precision. A couple of brave soldiers were trying to help his brother by keeping a third demon occupied while another soldier tried to sneak up on one of the two battling Jarrett.
The soldier slashed at the demon’s back with a combat knife in an effort to reach its heart from behind, but the creature turned before he could embed the blade and rewarded the man with a fierce backhand. The resourceful soldier fell back several feet and crumpled, but stubbornly tried to get up again.
Not far away, two groups of men held down companions that kicked, squirmed, and clawed against the temporary imprisonment, while random tools and helicopter parts were thrown at them. Suddenly, one of the possessed men went limp, and another holding him down pulled out his knife to stab the prone soldier beneath him. Luckily, the other two with him reacted quickly and the struggle to contain the newly possessed soldier renewed.
Before Cade’s feet, three more men lay dead at the entrance, two were down in the center of the room. Four trainees were locked in hand to hand combat with a group of vampiric leech demons, but like Jarrett, it was Delphene’s unmoving body on the floor that caught his attention.
The wolf inside Cade begged for release. His deep animal voice ordered, “Nate! The leeches!” The fist bones in his body popped and contorted. White canine teeth grew as his muzzle formed, and black hair replaced human skin. Cade ran to his brother as his muscles bulged and his clothes tore free.
Searching the men on the floor with clinical efficiency, Nate refused to think about the lost lives, and managed to come up with their unused combat knives. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized these trainees hadn‘t even had time
to pull them out before they were attacked. Putting that aside, he handed a knife to James. “Stay together,” Nate told Tracy, and turning, charged toward the leech demons. Throwing one of the daggers ahead of his run, Nate narrowed the odds against them by one, and the leech fell to the ground as a pile of ash.
James barely heard his friend, his goal here was much different. Scanning the room, he immediately saw what he needed, and without a second thought to the risk, he bolted across the expanse to the other side.
“James!” Tracy shouted. Before she could follow her brother, two soldiers broke into a brawl, fighting for control of a 9mm handgun, while the other two in that group started trading fists. “Idiots!” she grumbled and hurried to the men to help. Using her magic, Tracy chanted quickly and thrust her hand toward the rolling men. When the spell was complete, she was confident the gun would jam if they tried to fire it.
While those two were busy grappling for an unusable weapon, she chanted again calling to the wind. “Fire, air, mix and warm. Hot and cold, I pull to form. I am the wind and the wind is me.” As the magic tingled throughout her body, Tracy approached the two men trading fists and pulled the power from the air around them. It collected around her body and the force of the magic stole the oxygen from them. The two men weakened almost immediately and fell to the floor unconscious.
With the wind flying about her, Tracy held the spell and hurried to Delphene’s side. She used the magic to help her roll the injured woman over and inspect her wounds. There were various bits of shrapnel mottling Del’s wolf-like body, and several bullet wounds that appeared to be closing.
As Tracy examined her friend, Del started to stir and her body shivered. Relieved her friend was still alive despite her significant wounds, Tracy directed the wind to envelope them and called the fire to warm the surrounding area. With the wind under her control and bits of fire mixed into the swirling vortex, Tracy’s appearance was intimidating. Having battled her twice before, the phase demons abandoned their current bodies with a united purpose in mind.
The Truth of Victory: A Powers of Influence Novel Page 32