by Kaylea Cross
****
“Where’s Karas?” Kiyomi asked as she and Marcus hurried through the study to the bookcase.
“Already inside,” he answered, pulling her through the opening into the secret passage beyond it and shutting the bookcase behind them. Trinity and Brody were already down the ladder and in the old priest hole that he and Megan had converted into a loadout room.
Kiyomi quickly climbed down the ladder. Marcus followed, cursing the pain and weakness in his left hip and thigh. It was still flared up from the attack on Rahman’s headquarters.
As soon as he reached the bottom Kiyomi was there, handing him a ballistic vest. He strapped it on as the others did the same. “They’re going to try to flush us out,” he said. “Our best chance at getting out is to use the escape tunnel.”
“It lets out on the east side of the garden wall,” Trinity added for Brody and Kiyomi. “There’s some cover there, but not much.”
“How far out are the others?” Kiyomi asked, taking a rifle from where it was mounted on the stone wall.
“From Coventry it’s at least forty-five minutes by car,” Marcus said, typing out a text to Megan. There was no reception down here but hopefully it would send once they got outside. He didn’t know when he’d get the chance to stop and text again, so better now and hope for the best. They couldn’t involve the local cops. They’d be slaughtered against this kind of enemy.
Silence met his words, the gravity of the situation hitting hard. They were outnumbered. There was no way they could hold off the enemy force for that long, so escape was the only option.
“We stack up just inside the tunnel exit,” he told them, grabbing extra ammo and shoving it into the pockets on his vest. “Then we make a break along the garden wall and head for the stables.”
Kiyomi stared at him. “We’re going to escape on horseback?”
He nodded. “The ATVs are too far away. We’d be exposed trying to get to them, and they’re too loud even if we could.” Reaching for the sniper rifle on the top shelf, he pulled it down and handed it to Brody. “You’ll be wanting this.”
Brody took it. “After we get on the horses, where are we riding?”
“Woods on the southwest side.” He loaded a full magazine into his rifle, then checked his sidearm and holstered it, urgency beating at him. They had to hurry. Get out before they became trapped. “There’s an eight-foot stone wall there. We need to get the women over it, and find a place to hide until the others can get here.”
“Oh no,” Kiyomi argued, spinning to face him with an annoyed look. “We’re not damsels in distress. If we go over that wall, you’re both coming with us too.”
“The Architect wants you,” he told her, a wave of protectiveness blasting through his system. “It’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“You—”
He held up a hand, his attention riveted to a monitor attached to the far wall. The camera showed a split image of the front and back entrances to the hallway. Two slender figures were slipping inside the back door, and two more through the front. “We’re out of time. Questions?”
No one said anything.
“Right. Let’s move.” He crouched down in front of Karas to ruffle the top of her head. “Stay. You’ll be safe here.” She gazed up at him with confused brown eyes, but this was the safest spot for her and she had food and water put out. If he didn’t make it back, she would be all right until Megan or one of the others could come for her.
Standing, he hid a wince and turned Kiyomi by the shoulders, then pushed her toward the opposite side of the room and the bolted steel door. He opened it, paused to listen, then nodded at Brody. “Go.”
Brody disappeared into the darkness, then Trinity. Kiyomi followed them. When Marcus reached back to shut the door behind him, he found Karas at his heels, ears back, head lowered in a submissive posture. Not understanding why he was abandoning her here.
“No,” he told her firmly. “Stay.”
He stepped into the tunnel after Kiyomi and shut the heavy door once more. The shooters in the house would be hard-pressed to find the entrance to the secret passage. Marcus hoped it would give them the chance they needed to get to the stables.
The passageway was dark and narrow, and he had to crouch down to avoid banging his head on the stone roof. He kept one hand on Kiyomi’s back, staying close to her as they made their way under the garden. His hip screamed at him with every step, his eyes slowly adjusting to the faint light coming from the opposite side. After a minute the tunnel began to rise and the light grew brighter.
Brody and Trinity were waiting at the exit. “I’ll go out first,” Brody whispered. “Wait three seconds. If you don’t hear anything, the coast is clear.”
“Roger that,” Marcus said, adrenaline pumping hard and fast.
This was risky, but it was riskier still to stay here. Sooner or later the enemy would discover them. Their only real chance of escape was to get to the stable and take the horses as close to the southwest wall as possible, then pray the others got there in time to extract them before they were overrun.
The rest of them were silent as Brody slipped outside. Marcus counted down the seconds. When a five-count passed without any warning from Brody, Trinity slipped out of the tunnel.
Marcus squeezed Kiyomi’s shoulder. “I’ll be right behind you,” he said in a low voice.
“Just don’t you dare sacrifice yourself to save me,” she warned, “or I’ll never forgive you.”
No promises. She was worth everything. He squeezed her shoulder again. “Go, love.”
He was right behind her as they burst out of the tunnel and veered right into the cold November air. Brody and Trinity were thirty yards ahead of them, hugging the garden wall as they kept watch. So far they appeared to be undetected, and Marcus prayed it stayed that way.
At the end of the wall they stacked up again. Marcus squeezed Kiyomi’s left shoulder and she did the same to Trinity. Trinity signaled Brody and he took off, darting to the next bit of concealment offered by the yew hedge between the wall and the stable.
The rest of them followed, Marcus last, his limping gait slowing him down. With every step Marcus expected to hear shots ring out. He didn’t know where the rest of the enemy force was, but they had to be close and it was only a matter of time before he and the others were spotted.
They ran for the stable where the daylight streaming through the far door cast long shadows over the floor. The stableman had brought the horses in several hours ago. Marcus hurriedly began opening the stable doors. There was no time to tack up or even put bridles on the horses.
He pulled Rollo around by the mane. “Brody, get on.” An expert horseman who had grown up on a horse farm, Brody grabbed a fistful of Rollo’s mane and swung himself onto the animal’s back.
Grabbing Lucy next, Marcus helped lift Trinity onto her back. Then it was Kiyomi’s turn. He lifted her onto Maple, gripped her thigh gently in reassurance as she adjusted the rifle slung across her chest. “Just hold onto her mane and squeeze her ribs with your legs,” he instructed.
She’d only ever ridden once before, never at a gallop, and that had been with full tack and a helmet. But she could do this. She had to. “Don’t worry about steering her. I’ll lead with Jack, and the others will all follow.” She wouldn’t be able to shoot and keep her seat, but he prayed it wouldn’t come to that.
“Okay,” she said without hesitation.
God, she would never know just how bloody amazing she was to him, facing everything that was thrown at her with incredible courage.
He put a hand on base of Jack’s neck and jumped up, biting down at the searing pain in his left hip as he swung his good leg across the horse’s back. They were about to run the gauntlet.
Without looking at the others, he drove his heels into Jack’s sides. “Hyah!”
Jack leapt forward and bolted out of the stable like someone had fired a starter pistol. Marcus leaned over his mount’s neck and gl
anced back. Kiyomi was right behind him, face tense but managing to keep her seat in spite of the breakneck pace, followed by Trinity, and Brody guarding their six on Rollo.
Marcus caught only a flash of movement in the distance out of the corner of his eye, then the report of a rifle echoed in the morning air as the clump of grass and dirt kicked up several feet from Jack’s front right hoof.
Marcus steered him to the left using the pressure of his legs. The other horses scrambled to follow, hooves thundering across the damp grass.
Another shot whizzed past, striking the ground to the left. Marcus veered right, glanced back, and put the stables between them and the shooters.
It bought them several seconds, enough time to gain them the distance needed to be at the end of regular rifle range. To hit them now, the enemy would either have to chase them or to use a high-powered sniper rifle, which would take time to set up.
He turned slightly to check on Kiyomi again. She was plastered to Maple’s neck, her body hugging the horse, holding firm.
Good lass. Hang on.
Facing front once more, Marcus aimed Jack up the slope of the next hill and down the far side. At the top of the next rise, the woods finally came into view in the distance.
He rode straight for it, not daring to slow down. The enemy would be scrambling for their vehicles and would catch up to them in a matter of minutes. Only the distant trees would stop them, and hopefully give Marcus and the others concealment.
Jack’s sides heaved, his nostrils flared wide open as they galloped over the fields toward the thick trees that were still half-cloaked in red, yellow and orange. Marcus made a judgment call to split up. Staying together presented too much of an easy target.
When they were several hundred yards away from the trees he shifted slightly, looked behind him and waved Brody and Trinity off. Brody expertly turned Rollo to the right. Trinity’s horse followed.
Marcus urged Jack to the left and checked to make sure Maple followed. The mare was tiring now but anxious to keep up with Jack.
Finally they reached the edge of the forest. Marcus brought Jack to a plunging stop close to the trees. Slinging his rifle out of the way, he threw his leg across Jack’s rump and hopped off, the impact sending a hot jolt of pain through his left hip.
It started to buckle. He grabbed at Jack’s mane to steady himself, then stepped away and held up his hands to Maple to stop her.
The mare tossed her head and drew up short, skidding in the damp grass. Kiyomi lost her balance. Marcus lunged for her as she jumped free, catching her around the ribs as she landed in front of him. “All right?” he asked.
“Yes. Hurry.”
He whirled to face the horses and waved his arms to scatter them. Jack and Maple shied away, tossing their heads and snorting nervously. He whacked Jack’s rump with a hard hand. “Hyah!”
Jack bolted away, ears pinned flat to his head. Maple scrambled after him.
Marcus grabbed Kiyomi’s hand and rushed for the comparative safety of the woods, cursing his bad leg as they darted through the trees. The wall was beyond the woods. His priority was getting her to safety, at all cost.
As the woods swallowed them, it suddenly hit him. For so long he’d wondered why he had survived the op in Syria when seven of his men had not. Now he knew.
It was for this moment. To protect Kiyomi and get her to safety.
Whatever those fuckers coming after them did next, he was ready to lay down his life in order to make sure she got out of here alive.
Chapter Twenty
The amount of noise they made as they raced through the trees made Kiyomi cringe, but there was no help for it. Without the benefit of camo clothing or time to be stealthy, they had to get as deep into the woods as possible before the enemy arrived, which would be any minute. How many were coming after them, she had no idea.
She’d lost sight of Brody and Trinity. They were somewhere to the right, but they didn’t have earpieces for comms and cell reception out here was shit, so texting likely wouldn’t work either.
A few yards ahead, Marcus was leading her deeper into the woods. He was limping badly now but didn’t slow, didn’t let up.
She hated that he was putting himself in more danger for her, that his home had been attacked because of her and the others. What the hell did the Architect want with her, anyway? What was so important about her that the woman would go to these extremes to capture her?
The sound of vehicles moving in the distance came from behind her. Her pulse kicked up a notch, her nape prickling because she could feel the enemy back there, hunting them.
She dove behind a thick oak trunk when the first shot rang out, landing on the carpet of fallen brown leaves as a shower of bark exploded a few feet to her left. She got to one knee and brought her rifle up, scanning the trees for a target. She couldn’t see anyone…
Glancing over her shoulder, she found Marcus mirroring her position back and slightly off to the left. After a moment he signaled to her to come toward him.
She trusted his judgment enough to override the instinct telling her to stay put. Holding her weapon at the ready, she got up and darted toward him. Marcus fired, the report echoing through the naked trees. She flew past him, searching for another place to hide.
A large boulder was sticking out of the earth a dozen yards away. She ran for it, ducked behind cover and stretched out flat on her belly, bringing the butt of her weapon to her shoulder, ready to fire.
Marcus was still out in front of her, poised, ready to fire again. He waited several seconds, then turned and rushed toward her. Kiyomi automatically covered him, and spotted movement through the trees beyond him. “Down!” she called out, loud as she dared.
He dove to the ground and rolled behind a tree just as a bullet tore into the one he’d been standing in front of a heartbeat earlier. Kiyomi searched the area where she’d seen the muzzle flash through the undergrowth, hunting for the shooter.
Come on, you bastard. Show yourself.
A flicker of movement slightly to the left caught her attention. She aimed and fired a split second before Marcus did the same.
Three shots answered, one passing so close she heard it go past her. A chunk of rock hit her right shin.
She risked a look over her shoulder to find Marcus giving her hand signals. Telling her to get up and move past him while he laid down covering fire. She flashed him a thumbs up then placed her palms flat on the ground, ready to spring up as soon as he began shooting.
The deep bark of a sniper rifle sounded off to her left. Brody.
Higher-pitched rifle fire answered, but not in her direction. Then Marcus fired a burst.
Kiyomi shot up and ran in a crouch, leaping over a fallen tree trunk in her path. Marcus fired another burst, then another as she darted to the right, moving toward where Trinity and Brody were hidden somewhere in the tangled underbrush.
Finding a broken, rotting trunk to hide behind, she zipped behind it and hunkered down on one knee. The damp, sweet smell of the rotting wood and fallen leaves filled her nostrils.
Marcus was still somewhere out ahead and to her right but she couldn’t see him. She put her weapon to her shoulder and scanned the forest in front of her, her pulse beating fast in her ears. He wasn’t falling back. Why wasn’t he moving?
Someone fired a rifle to her left. Closer now. She thought she saw something moving in the shadows. Her finger stayed on the trigger but she didn’t fire, waiting to get a positive ID because she couldn’t risk shooting Trinity.
She jerked the barrel of the rifle to her right at a sudden flash of movement. Man. Light gray T-shirt.
Marcus. She switched her focus beyond him, tracking his movement through the trees as he came toward her. Someone fired at him. He grunted and went down.
She shot to her feet, her heart rocketing into her throat. No!
More movement in the same vicinity. She aimed and fired twice. The shooter dropped out of sight. Had she hit them?
&nbs
p; She couldn’t see Marcus. She had to get to him.
Breaking from cover, she raced toward where she’d seen him fall. Splinters of wood exploded near her left shoulder. She flinched as they peppered her face and neck, fired blindly toward where the shot had come from as she raced for Marcus.
A branch as thick as her wrist landed five feet in front of her. She skidded to avoid it, darting behind the nearest tree trunk wide enough to hide her. Marcus lay on his belly to her right, watching her. He shook his head at her, thrust a finger behind him, his expression set.
“Are you hit?” she whispered, loud as she dared.
He lowered his brows in warning and thrust his finger in the direction she’d just come from.
No freaking way she was leaving him.
Kiyomi didn’t move, scanning him from head to toe. She couldn’t see any blood, but he was in visible pain as he pulled himself to one knee. And then she glanced up as a muted, rhythmic thumping came from overhead. Helicopter rotors.
Shit, what if the shooters had more reinforcements on board? She couldn’t see it through the dense treetops.
Looking over at Marcus, she shook her head. Not leaving. Too bad if he didn’t like it.
His expression foreboding, he stared back at her, his eyes promising hell if she didn’t do what he said. “Go,” he mouthed.
Torn, she hesitated, then whirled when something moved behind her. Marcus fired two rapid shots at whatever it was. A soft grunt answered, then something hit the ground with a thud.
Her gaze darted back to Marcus. He was definitely hurt. She needed to help him up and get over the wall beyond the trees.
He nailed her with a livid look. “Go,” he mouthed again, his expression all kinds of pissed off.
Satisfied he at least wasn’t in imminent danger of bleeding out, she reluctantly turned and ran in the direction he’d ordered. The distinctive crack of the sniper rifle boomed off to the right as she ran.
Soon the trees began to thin out slightly. The light changed, the drab gray brightening a bit, and she got her first glimpse of the stone wall standing beyond the trees.