Triven opened his mouth to argue but I silenced him. “There’s no time to waste arguing about it. Veyron, Arden and Willets will come with us. Once Mouse lets us in the tunnel you will get her back to safety. You two will cover us from above.”
I pointed to Rowan and Baxter. I had seen what each of them was capable of with a gun. If they were acting as snipers from the rooftops, our chances were significantly better.
“Shoot anything that isn’t us.” Archer barked before they took off across the rooftops.
Triven’s glare was cold when I finally met his eyes. I knew he disagreed with me and if anything happened to Mouse he would never forgive me. In truth, I would never forgive myself either. He hoisted her up on his back and began to climb over the edge of the building into the dark alley below.
I brushed against Veyron and Willets as we moved toward the building’s edge too. “I don’t care if you have to knock her out or if she fights the whole way back. But once that door is opened, get Mouse the hell out of here.”
I didn’t wait for their response. Instead, I hurtled myself over the side of the building. My hands instinctively fell to the drainpipe I knew was there. Shoving off with my feet I twisted and caught the windowsill on the opposing building. In two more bounds I had passed Mouse and Triven and landed silently on the pavement with my gun drawn.
The streets were empty aside from the three guards outside of the warehouse and us. We were lucky they were lightly staffed tonight. I kept my eyes trained on the guards as I heard the feet falling in line behind me. After about a minute, I had counted all nine sets of boots as they reached the ground. There was a familiar sound of gun metal sliding from holsters. We were ready. I held my hand back; the tiny fingers I was reaching for were instantly in mine. I squeezed, reminding Mouse to stay with me. She squeezed back. We waited in the shadows for what felt like hours, but surely it was only minutes.
As soon as the guards began their loop, we slithered from our spot. It would be two minutes before they returned to the front of the building. I began counting off the seconds in my head. It only took fifty-four seconds to cross the open space. By sixty-three seconds we were all carefully hidden in the shadows of the buildings again. Mouse tried to pull ahead, but I tugged her back to my side. Triven nodded once at us. I could barely see the sheen of his eyes in the darkness. Keeping his gun raised, he moved in the direction of the building that looked more like a shack from this vantage point. My heartbeat pulsed in my ears as he disappeared through the warped doorway. The pulsing grew louder until he reappeared again. He reached his hand out for Mouse. I pushed her into his waiting arms and spun back to the alley, keeping my eyes alert for any movement as I backed through the doorway after them. The room was tiny, hardly larger than the bunker we shared. I motioned for the others to wait; there was barely room for the three of us. Supports had fallen, dangling precariously from the ceiling and bricks lay in pieces on the floor. What might have once been wood floors, now looked more like dirt. I held my breath; fearful that if I moved too much the whole thing might collapse around us.
Mouse had moved into the corner of the room. Ducking under a huge fallen beam, she disappeared for a moment. I moved to follow her, but Triven’s arm flung out stopping me.
Before I could push him away there was a series of mechanical tones and the brick wall beside us hissed open. My heart began to pound. It was here the whole time. A gust of stale air pushed against my skin.
Triven moved towards the opening but I stood frozen.
I was reminded that my parents had lost their lives to get me out and now I was intentionally going back in. A heavy sense of foreboding gripped me.
Something soft brushed against my arm and I snapped back to life. My fingers closed over her shoulders just as Mouse darted for the opening. She struggled, kicking with more power than I thought possible as I lifted her from the ground. I moved towards the door dragging her with me.
Willets moved into the doorframe just as we emerged, nodding once. “All clear. Make sure-”
Whatever he was going to say I would never know, for the moment I moved to hand over Mouse, his head snapped sideways as his blood sprayed my face. The life drained from his eyes as his body crumbled to the ground.
Screams erupted, dispersed with gunfire as chaos broke out around us.
I jerked back inside just as a bullet exploded the brick next to my head. I could barely feel the tiny projectiles as they struck my face. Mouse had gone limp in my arms. At first, I feared she had been shot but her racing heartbeat told me it was merely fear. I twisted just as Triven’s body collided with mine. I pushed Mouse into his arms and began shoving on his chest.
“Go! GO!” I screamed, pointing at the tunnel. Something flashed across his eyes before he turned and plummeted into the darkness.
There was more screaming from outside. I watched as the only two people I cared about disappeared and then turned to help those dying outside. I had only gotten a step outside the building before another bullet narrowly missed my head. I dove and rolled to my knees. The scene was full-blown pandemonium. Someone ran past me screaming something, but I couldn’t hear him over the rain of bullets. His perfectly manicured blonde hair was streaked with blood. Bodies were strewn in the alley. There were ones clad in leather that I didn’t recognize, but there was one trembling boy clutching his side that made my stomach lurch. Arden had been shot. His lips were terrifyingly white as he gasped for air. I jumped sideways firing at the rooftops as another bullet whizzed past my ear. Archer was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a Ravager, while our snipers fired wildly at the roofs above us. Veyron was hunched over clutching her chest as she fired on the oncoming Tribesmen. While she was obviously in pain I could see no blood. I wordlessly said a prayer of thanks that I had insisted on her wearing the body armor. Maddox was smashing in the faces of anyone stupid enough to come within striking distance. I jumped to my feet and began firing rounds into the advancing crowd of Tribesmen.
We were outnumbered, but they were falling faster. Suddenly the fire from above ceased and when it began again it was the advancing Ravagers that began to fall. Rowan and Baxter had taken down the other snipers and were now protecting us from above.
Maybe we had a chance.
But even as the thought crossed my mind, a fire exploded in my right arm. I screamed, my body spasming as the bullet pierced my skin. The world tilted as I staggered sideways, the gun falling from my numb fingertips.
A new thought crossed my mind. If we couldn’t fight, then I had to get them into the tunnel.
I lunged forward aiming for the injured Arden, but was knocked backwards by what felt like a brick wall.
Huge arms closed around me as I struggled to free myself.
“There’s no time!” Maddox’s gruff voice shouted into my ear.
I screamed something back at him. Most likely a string of profanities, but his grip was too strong for me. Plowing forward like a freight train he forced me back into the shack. His hand clamped painfully over my bullet wound and he threw me into the open passageway. My hands and face slammed to the dirt floor as I yelled in protest. I raised my head just in time to see his hulking outline as Maddox yanked the door shut behind us. The mechanical click of the bolts sounded like a death sentence.
AT FIRST I couldn’t hear anything but shuffling feet and heavy breathing. As soon as the door closed all sounds of battle from the outside had died. Sitting in the musty tunnel, it was almost as if it had never happened.
But it did, I reminded myself.
Willets was dead, his blood still spattered on my face. And Arden didn’t stand much of a chance either. None of them did for that matter. A torch’s green light hummed to life somewhere further down the tunnel, casting its eerie glow.
“You left them to die.” I said through gritted teeth. The adrenaline was wearing off. My bullet wound was beginning to throb.
Maddox was doubled over, leaning against the door he had just closed. His hands press
ed against his knees as he raised his gaze to meet mine.
“What I did was save your life.” His tone was bitter cold. “You’re welcome.”
He pushed off the door and walked past me further down the tunnel. Glaring at his back, I rose to my feet intent on punching him in the back of the head, but staggered. I sucked in a gasp of air as I moved too fast. Grabbing at my useless arm, I fell back against the tunnel wall.
“Phoenix?”
The light was coming closer, followed by Triven’s voice. Mouse was carrying the lantern, but she stopped a few feet away staring at my arm. Triven however pushed around her, worry etching his face as he grew nearer. “You’re bleeding.”
I pushed myself upright and tried to move around him. “I’m fine really. It’s just a scrape.”
“She got shot.” Maddox’s voice carried out of the shadows ahead of us.
I opened my mouth to say something rather unpleasant in return but Triven distracted me. His hands were pulling not too gently at my arm and shirt, looking for the source of the blood.
“But you were wearing body armor, there’s no way—” His words cut off as he yanked back the collar of my shirt revealing the scrap of fabric that hung uselessly around my neck. He then ripped my shirt, exposing my bleeding arm. His cheeks flushed red.
With a huge sigh, he pressed his forehead to mine. I stared up at him but he kept his eyes closed. When he spoke his voice was low and full of pain.
“Are you freaking kidding me? Do you have any idea how selfish, how stupid that was. I could have lost you.”
I wished he had yelled at me. It would have been easier to deal with if he had been angry, but instead I realized just how badly I had hurt him. In my attempt to keep him safe I had caused him pain. Emotions always complicated things.
“I’m sorry.”
It was the only thing I could think to say. I wasn’t sorry that I had tricked him to keep him safe. I would do it again given the chance. But I was sorry I had hurt him.
He kissed me for the first time in over a week. It was rough and brief. And it made me long for more while feeling ashamed at the same time. Another green light came bobbing into view. It was the ponytailed blonde guard whose name I could never get right. Brant or Grant or something like that. He must have been the one who had rushed passed me outside. Coward.
“Where are the others?” He asked, glancing at the four of us. Maddox shook his head. “Oh. Well, the tunnel goes on for about another quarter mile. We should get moving.”
“Are you okay to move?” Triven eyed my bleeding shoulder.
“I’m fine.” I nodded.
Triven ripped off a strip of my tattered overshirt and pressed the fabric to my wound.
“Keep pressure on it.” He murmured as he pressed his palm against the small of my back and began guiding me down the tunnel. Mouse fell into step at his side, casting me worried glances. Willets’ blood was splattered on her cheek. My stomach dropped as I looked at her. She wasn’t supposed to be here to see all of this. I had failed in keeping her safe.
By the time we reached the end of the tunnel I was leaning heavily on Triven for support. Sweat was beading on my forehead. Despite my anger for inadvertently bringing Mouse along, it was a good thing we had her. Just like at the entrance, there was also a keypad hidden here. As Mouse’s fingers reached for the keys, the pressure in the tunnel suddenly shifted, my ears popping with the change.
“Extinguish the lights,” I hissed. Triven switched his off immediately. After only a moment of hesitation, Brant or Grant or whatever his name was followed suit. No sooner had his torch gone out than the voices reached our ears.
The Ravagers were in the tunnel.
I could hear Mouse’s finger tapping feverishly on the keypad. There was another mechanical beep followed by a series of clicks and the door popped open letting in another rush of air. If we had felt their entrance, they would surely feel our escape. The footfalls coming from the end of the tunnel were moving faster now, the voices growing louder.
“Run,” I said through gritted teeth. Fighting off the pain and the fatigue I pushed forward. Fumbling in the darkness I found Mouse’s frail shoulders as other hands pushed us forward into the unknown.
I half expected to find a firing squad waiting for us on the other side, but as we stumbled into the open cavernous room, it was clear we were alone. Mouse struggled free from my grip. Grabbing my good hand she began to pull me through the foreign space. The room was filled with pipes, ranging in size from an inch to nearly ten feet in diameter. There was a constant buzzing that made my skin crawl. I realized vaguely that it was electricity. We were inside the powerhouse to The Wall.
We had made it barely twenty feet before a deafening automated screeching filled the air. They knew we were here. I wanted to stop and cover my ears but Mouse kept moving. I glanced back to see Triven, Maddox and what’s his name running behind us. Each had his gun drawn, but their faces were screwed up against the painful noise.
Triven shouted something at me but I couldn’t hear him over the noise.
Mouse stopped outside of a huge vat and pointed animatedly to the round valve on the hatch. Maddox reached us first, pushing me aside to turn the valve. It finally gave way as Triven joined him. The huge metal door swung open and without hesitation Mouse dashed inside. I moved quickly after her, sharing a look of concern with Triven as I passed him.
Where was she taking us?
The vat door slammed closed, its heavy thud drowned out by the blaring alarms. At first I thought we were trapped, but then I caught sight of movement above us. Mouse was hanging on a ladder dangling just above my head. She motioned for me to follow. I couldn’t see the top and there was no way of knowing just how high we would have to climb. I grimaced as my shoulder throbbed. Any other time and I could have scaled the ladder no problem. But my hands were slick with blood and I could feel more of it still seeping out of the gunshot wound on my arm. The blonde guard pushed passed me and began to climb. Maddox threw me a resentful look, before following his friend.
“Can you make it?” Triven whispered in my ear.
I gritted my teeth. “Is there any other choice?”
Before he could offer to carry me— which surely meant we would both fall— I wiped my hands on my thighs and began to climb. My shoulder seared with every movement. I was less than ten feet up when my vision began to swim with tears of pain. Despite my anger and determination they continued to fall. I could feel Triven’s hands near my feet, moving each time I moved.
I should have made him go first. I was slowing him down and now if I fell I would likely knock him off.
As we rose, the screaming sirens fell away, leaving only the ringing in my ears. My hands had begun to fail, the numbness in my right hand making it impossible to hold onto the rails. I began wrapping my arm through the bars, using the crook of my elbow to hold me steady. I could see a light now. It was not so much a light, I supposed, but more of less dense blackness. In my haste to reach it my foot slipped. A startled cry escaped as my arm lost its hold. Stars burst into my vision as my chin struck one of the rails, smacking my teeth violently together. By of some miracle my left hand kept its grasp as I dangled in the air. Hands shoved my feet back on a rail and suddenly a warm chest was pressed tightly against the back of my legs holding them in place.
“Thank you.” I said breathlessly.
“We’re almost there.” He whispered, equally winded. “You have to keep moving.”
He didn’t call me weak or offer to carry me. Instead he knew what I needed— words that would push me.
With the little strength I had left, I made my arm link around the metal rail again and pulled. The progression was slow and painful, but somehow I managed to move upwards. Whenever my foot slipped Triven’s hand caught it, pushing me upwards again. We were almost there. I could see it, an opening in the metal ceiling.
My vision was beginning to blur, blackness creeping its way into the edges. Suddenly, the open
ing that had seemed so close was slipping further away. I could hear Triven’s voice behind me but his words didn’t register. Overly large, thick hands appeared in the opening. I tried to recoil as they reached for me, but as I moved the world around me began to slip away. The rails disappeared beneath my hands and I was falling.
THE RINGING IN my ears told me I was still alive, but my eyes struggled to open. The ground beneath me was shaking, the strange vibrations causing my arm to ache. I could hear voices talking quietly, someone saying my name.
“I think she’s waking up.”
“Great.” Someone muttered not sounding altogether enthused.
“Phoenix, can you hear me?”
I moaned in response. “What the hell happened?”
My jaw hurt.
There was a low laugh. “That a girl.”
Lips brushed my forehead. The ground beneath me stopped shaking, but as my senses returned I realized my head wasn’t resting on the ground. It was being cradled in a small lap. Two little hands were running methodically through my hair, trying to soothe me. When I finally got my eyes to open, Mouse was staring down at me. Tears stained her flushed cheeks. I reached up with my good hand to wipe them away.
“Hey, it’s alright. I’m just fine.” She nodded, more tears welling in her eyes.
With Triven’s help I sat up, wincing as my arm moved.
“Where are we?” I glanced around at the tunnel we were crouched in. There was a walkway about the size of a city sidewalk and maybe fifteen pipes of various colors that ran along next to it. There were dim oval-shaped lights that flanked the wall. Unlike our green-hued ones, these set off a warm amber color. Maddox and the blonde sat twenty feet down from us, speaking in hushed tones.
“We’re under the city.” As if on cue, something rumbled past on the streets above us. We all jumped looking towards the curved ceilings. “We are going to have to hole up here for a little while. The sun will be coming up soon and the streets will be teeming with soldiers.”
New World Rising Page 17