General Murray stopped laughing, and his face got angry again. “What the fuck did you call me?” He got right in Knuckles’ face.
Knuckle looked helplessly at Tank, then back at General Murray, who said, “I’m just screwing with you! Shit, you’re too easy. Go on. Get out of here.”
As Knuckles got to his feet, he thought about knocking the general out for being a dick. Before he could do anything, though, Tank dragged him toward the staircase.
“Hey,” the general called. “Seriously, get this shit cleaned up, and then you can get your reward. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m a sick, twisted fucker, do I?”
12
Ryder’s body ached when she tried to move. She cracked her neck and opened her eyes, wondering where the fuck she was, why her head was pounding, and most of all, how the hell she had ended up in the middle of a bush.
She looked for a way out, but it was like the bush had sprouted up around her. She was trapped.
Screw this!
Ryder took her ankle knife and started to cut her way through, but she quickly stopped when she figured out that the bush wasn’t rooted to the ground. It had been placed there, which freaked her the fuck out. Who’d done it?
She got her bow ready and quickly looked around. It was dark, and no one was here, although Ryder didn’t know where ‘here’ was. Then she spotted her open flask on top of a stone, empty.
That explained the headache and loss of memory.
She’d let her urges take over and had gotten drunk on water. Terrier would have stopped her. The thought made her miss him terribly. She’d have to control herself now. And she needed to figure out where she was.
The swamp was in front of her, and the mountains were behind her. She must have passed out here, but at least she’d made it through the swamp first.
Ryder couldn't remember anyone else being with her, but she also couldn’t remember getting here. She looked at the ring of thorn branches again. Someone had either tried to keep her safe while she slept or was trying to keep her from leaving. Both options were equally plausible, but there was no way she was going to wait around to find out.
She pushed at the branches with her boot, and they opened like a gate to let her through. By the time she was out of the protection ring—or trap—she was once again thirsty. Her clothes were stuck to her skin, and she felt like swamp critters were slithering all over her.
Ryder headed over to the stone with her flask on it and confirmed that it was empty. She’d have to find water before heading up into the mountains. The swamp was filled with water, but there was no way she was going to drink it.
She stowed the flask in her pants pocket for later. She checked her surroundings, but she didn‘t get the feeling that anyone was watching her. Maybe whoever had covered her in branches had gone. Because of how dark it was, she couldn’t be sure, so she kept her knife ready.
Ryder turned away from the swamp, gratefully putting it behind her. She walked toward the mountain but saw no immediate trail leading up, so she walked parallel to it, trying to work out the best way to proceed. She hoped there was still a settlement up there.
The moon shimmered ahead of her, and she realized it was reflecting from the water. A small pond had been formed by water trickling from the mountain. Much to Ryder's relief, it was crystal-clear pure water. She filled her flask and tasted it.
Delicious.
Ryder realized she was finally alone, something she’d wanted ever since Afana’s men had taken her. She felt something missing as well, at least for a minute.
She took one last look around and then removed her clothes, leaving on only her undershorts and the bandages around her breasts. She stepped into the crisp clear water, and she inhaled sharply. It was freezing and refreshing at the same time.
She submerged her entire body, including her head, and let the water seep into her mouth. She felt like a new person. She popped up for air and then lowered her body back under the water. It both gave her a buzz and quenched her thirst.
I'm going to take these damn bandages off! I don't need them anymore. I'm free. My boy look is over, thank fuck! Ryder took a swig of water to celebrate her liberty and came back up.
A large male figure stood at the edge of the water, holding a flaming torch, and another man stood beside him. They didn’t appear to see her, so Ryder lowered her head under the water and watched until the flame had gone away.
She could just make out what they were saying. They were hunters from Afana’s bunker, Eric and Jones, and they were searching for her. Ryder knew they wouldn’t stop until they found her.
They’d just stolen her moment, and they were going to pay for it. She drank some more of the water and slid out silently behind a rock. She got dressed and picked up her bow and arrows.
It’s time to go hunting.
She could see the torch ahead of her. Ryder took aim, released the arrow, and missed. Shit, shit, shit! I never miss, except when I’m drunk. She was hammered again.
Eric had seen the arrow fly by him, and he turned to face Ryder as she got another arrow ready. He ran toward her, straight into the path of her next arrow. He jerked as it hit him in the shoulder. That one slowed him down, and the next one stopped him cold. It struck him in the heart.
Jones ran toward Ryder. She didn’t have a chance to get another arrow nocked as he closed the distance between them. She retreated to the pond and hid behind the trees.
The ground crunched as Jones got closer to Ryder. She took a deep breath to steady herself, knowing she would only get one chance at this. She darted out from behind the tree and threw her knife at him. The blade buried itself in his neck, and he grabbed the wound, then fell backward into the water. Ryder waited a moment to make sure Jones wasn’t coming back up for air.
She took a swig from her flask, and then refilled it in the pond. She stopped and realized what she was doing. Did she really need a drink that badly? Was she willing to drink water with blood in it? Hell, no.
She upended the flask.
Leandro stretched out his paws. He’d fallen asleep, and for a moment, he wondered where the hell he was. After a few seconds, he remembered that he had decided to stay and watch over the mystery girl. He got to his feet and quietly padded over to where he’d left her asleep. She was gone.
You damn fool! So much for guarding her. Leandro raised his muzzle and sniffed around for her scent. When he found it, he could tell she wasn’t alone. There were two males with her, and he caught the coppery tang of blood.
Leandro panicked and ran toward the smells.
The girl was at the edge of a watering hole, filling her flask. Surely, she’d had enough for one night? Then, she turned the flask upside down and dumped the water out. Leandro wondered why she was doing that.
The metallic scent of spilled blood was strong here, but the girl didn’t look injured. And where were the two males?
Leandro moved to get a better look, still using the trees as cover. With the new angle, Leandro could see why the girl wasn’t drinking the water. There was a tint of red to it. There was also a dead man in it. She must have killed him in the watering hole.
Yuck, I’m glad she poured the water out.
Leandro looked around for the other man and spotted a body a few yards away. Looks like she’s been busy while I was sleeping. Also, looks like she doesn’t need my protection. Her actions just made Leandro more intrigued, and he decided to stay around a little longer.
13
Sergei had a new target.
Terrier was hiding somewhere in the bunker, and Sergei was going to find him, cut his head off, and present it to Afana on a fucking plate. Then, he would go after Ryder.
He was still shocked that Ryder—the little prick—had turned traitor. Not because the jerk was loyal, but because he was a soft-ass without his weapons. Ryder still looked like a little boy, as if time had skipped over him.
Sergei had sent Pavel, Yegor, and Nestor to get information on Terrier’s location. The bunker
was a big place, but it was difficult to hide anything in there for long, especially a huge, dreadlocked man like Terrier. Someone would have seen him.
Yegor and Pavel returned and filled Sergei in on their findings. “Decso saw Terrier moving down the levels, and he also saw him talking to Vera. He thought something was up because Terrier never returns without a kill and Ryder wasn’t with him. He asked me where Ryder was.”
Sergei got in his face. “And what the fuck did you tell him?” If they betrayed him again, he’d have their heads.
“That he’d done a runner,” Yegor responded.
Sergei punched Yegor in the face. “You dumb fucker. Of all people, you told Decso? He’ll have told the whole bunker by now. Everyone will be out hunting Ryder down!”
Yegor hadn’t thought of that, and he knew Sergei was right. The men in the bunker loved nothing more than the hunt.
He backed away from Sergei since he could tell he wanted to hit someone again.
“You need to shut Decso up,” Sergei said.
Yegor frowned. “How?”
“You’re hunters. Use your imaginations. And hurry up. Ryder is my kill. You better not have given the other hunters a head start, or I swear I’ll take your heads instead.”
Sergei had never liked Ryder. Ryder had a quick tongue, which he could never do anything about because Terrier was always there. Times had changed, though, and he wanted his reward for putting up with those two pricks for so long.
Sergei looked around. “Where’s Nestor?”
“I saw him going down to Level Six,” Pavel said.
Sergei thought that was odd. It didn’t sound like Nestor. He decided it was worth looking into. “Pavel, with me. Yegor, get your shit sorted out and head down to Level Six. Time to go hunting, boys.”
Ryder was tired from fighting the two douchebags and didn’t know where to go. She ended up near the spot where she’d awakened, but away from where she’d slept. She was still curious who had created the protective ring around her.
She took a seat on a boulder and let out a deep breath. This was the first time she’d been truly on her own. Ryder had thought she was before, but the two hunters had spoiled that just like they always did.
It had been years since Ryder had seen stars. That had been back when she was a child before Afana’s men took her. She stared up at them now and wondered who was out there. Was anyone watching what was happening down here? If they were, she hoped they cared.
I’m free, and I’m going to get Terrier and the others out. No one should be trapped underground and kept like animals for the rest of their lives. But I need people to help me.
Ryder sighed. She didn’t like asking others for help. It felt like weakness, but she knew that was her biggest weakness. She needed to get over it if she was going get Terrier, the kids, and the women out.
Terrier headed down the tunnel where he thought Ryder had disabled the cameras. Although if he was being honest with himself, he had no idea if this was the right tunnel. It just seemed as good as any other.
He saw a shadow moving ahead of him in the darkness. So much for hiding down here. He turned to go back the way he came, but then he heard a stifled cry. This wasn’t like Samantha’s sad weeping. There was fear in this one.
A sick feeling twisted his gut. Terrier knew what the men were capable of if they were left unsupervised down here, and he couldn’t abandon one of the women if they were in trouble.
Even if it meant getting caught.
He moved closer to the crying, and to his horror, he saw that it was Natalie. Her braid was untied, and her brown hair hung messily over her naked breasts. Her top had been ripped open and pulled down over her heavily pregnant belly, and tears streamed down her face. She was being held by a man he knew—Shane, the head traitor hunter. He had a knife at her neck and his hand over her mouth.
“Keep walking, Terrier,” Shane sneered. He was a big guy, like Terrier, and as far as Terrier was concerned he was the worst of all the assholes in the bunker—which was saying a lot since this place was filled to the brim with them.
Terrier spread his hands in front of him. “I’m not looking for trouble. I’m just passing through.”
“Then go,” Shane told him.
Terrier edged around the traitor hunter, keeping his eyes on him the entire time, hoping and waiting for Shane to drop his guard. Then, it happened. Shane lowered the knife from Natalie’s throat, and Terrier took his chance.
He ran at them and got Shane in a headlock, pulling him away from Natalie. She broke free of Shane’s grip and scrambled away from the grappling men.
Shane tried to fight, but Terrier’s hold was too strong.
“Why don’t you mess with someone your own size, you son of a bitch?” Terrier growled. He slammed Shane’s skull against the tunnel wall with a loud thud, and Shane’s body went limp in Terrier’s arms.
He let him go, and Shane collapsed into an undignified heap on the tunnel floor. Terrier thought about killing him, but Natalie looked like she needed him more. Her entire body trembled like she was in an ice storm, and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.
He went to her side. “Did he hurt you?”
Natalie shook her head as she tried to pull her top closed to cover her breasts. Her quaking fingers didn’t seem to work, and Terrier averted his gaze.
“Let’s get you to Mama Lou,” he said.
“Samantha,” Natalie said in a panic. “I need to find Samantha.”
“I found her,” Terrier said quickly. “She’s safe. I took her back to the kids’ room.”
“Oh, thank God,” she breathed, relieved. “And thank you, Terrier.”
“Are you okay to walk?” he asked, giving Shane’s motionless body one last look. He’d let him live—this time.
“Yes. I’m just a little shaken.”
He held out an arm to support Natalie as they walked, trying not to notice the way her slender shoulder fitted under his so perfectly. He had no business thinking that way, he told himself sternly.
They got to the edge of the tunnel and found Mama Lou there with Peter. They both had dark brown skin like Terrier. Mama Lou had a full figure, and her regal face, with its high cheekbones and knowing eyes, was capped with an afro. She always had a stern look on her face that melted into a smile when she saw the kids. They were her kryptonite.
Peter was a guard and was always with Mama Lou. He liked Terrier because Terrier and Peter shared a similar code. They looked at the women differently than the rest of the men.
Peter had been born in the bunker, but he remembered how the women had brought him up—to respect ladies and each other. Many of the other men had forgotten this over time, but Peter hadn’t.
“What happened?” Mama Lou cried, rushing to Natalie with her arms wide.
“Shane.” Terrier nodded his head down the tunnel.
“That dirty no-good cocksplurt again,” she spat. “Are you okay, Natalie?”
“Yes, I’ll clean up and go back to class,” Natalie assured her.
“Are you sure?” Mama Lou asked.
“Yes. Thank you, Terrier.” Natalie left to get herself together.
Mama Lou patted Terrier’s broad shoulder. “Thank you for helping her. Are you here to see the kids?”
Terrier tugged at his dreadlocks. “I’m trying to find a place to hide.”
Mama Lou looked around quickly for any guards and then pushed Terrier back down the tunnel. “What happened? What did you do?”
“I let Ryder escape.”
Mama Lou gasped. “He made it out?”
“Yes, and he’s coming back for us.” Terrier still referred to Ryder as a man since no else knew her secret. He would let her reveal the truth when she returned. “I’m hiding until he gets back. If Sergei and the other hunters find me, they’ll try to take me to Afana—then I’m fucked.”
“Fucked would be the least of your worries.” Mama Lou pushed her lips together and made a clucking sound. “Hide down
the last tunnel. Ryder knocked out the last two cameras. We’ll keep you hidden for as long as we can.”
Turning to leave, he looked back at Mama Lou. “Thanks,” he said, with a nod of his head.
“No, Terrier. For Natalie, thank you.”
He smiled broadly. “No one mishandles a woman, not in front of me. Right, Peter?”
The young man grinned. “Damn straight.”
14
Tank and Knuckles made their way down to Level Six for their reward. Tank snickered, breaking the silence.
Knuckles turned to him with a sneer. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” Tank replied, still chuckling. “Just, the guys are gonna laugh their asses off when they hear what the general made you do.”
Knuckles grabbed the front of Tank’s shirt and shoved him up against the wall, pushing his face right into the other man’s. “If you breathe a word of it to anyone then I’ll kill you in your sleep, you get me?”
Tank held up his hands in submission. “Okay, okay. I won’t tell anyone, I promise! Geez.”
Knuckles let go and they carried on down the corridor. Tank kept his amusement to himself. There was no way he wasn’t going to tell the others at the first opportunity he got.
Promise or not, it was too funny not to share.
Tank and Knuckles walked toward the cadet guarding the most desirable women in the bunker. These ladies were separated from the others. They had their own private bathing area, they dressed nicer, and they were viewed as an all-around better class of woman.
Martin Murray, the cadet guard, smiled at the two men as they walked toward him. He was General Murray’s son. “Hello, would you like to lick my boot as well?” he called out.
Tank didn’t have to worry about Knuckles killing him in his sleep anymore, since it appeared that word had already spread. You couldn’t keep a secret in the bunker. Gossip and women were the only forms of entertainment.
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