by Jami Gray
Cam’s words got in there, shifting something heavy, leaving a strange emptiness in its wake. ‘I hear you, but I’ve waited—hell, we’ve waited—a long damn time for this.’ Then because he needed Cam to understand, he added, ‘She gets it and she’ll stand.’ Even saying it out loud didn’t muffle the whisper of doubt crawling deep in his heart. Vex wasn’t the type to patiently take second place in someone’s life, and she made it clear she was looking for a partner, not a part-time protector.
‘Have no doubt considering she’s yours.’ Cam held his gaze. ‘But, just saying, don’t be stupid, man. When it comes down to it,’ he paused and sucked in a breath. ‘You and I know it will come down to it, you better make the right fucking choice.’ Then he lightened the mood by flashing a cocky grin. ‘Besides, might take me a bit to ride in and save your ass.’ He offered his hand.
‘What the fuck ever, man.’ Grasping it, he gave his friend a mock scowl. ‘Be seeing ya.’
‘Yeah, you will.’
With that Math pushed to his feet and left.
Chapter 22
The one-two hoot of an owl broke through the quiet of the night and drifted into the small stone building half hidden by old growth trees and draped in long, verdant cords of vines and leaves. In the dim interior, huddled under a heavy, bloodstained blanket meant to disguise her form, Vex’s chest stilled, ears straining to catch what should be Mercy’s response. A heartbeat passed before it came, and Vex remembered to take in another shallow breath. Incoming.
This would be the part of Reaper’s plan that was just ripe for trouble. Maybe she should have protested more when Reaper informed her she’d get to play the part of a supposedly dead Cam. Not that it would have done any good. Once Ruin and Charity brought back Mandy and lunch, Reaper wasted no time assigning roles for tonight’s entertainment.
First up, Havoc and Mercy. After setting various traps around the abandoned building, they waited outside for Greer’s approach. Pieces fell into place minutes before Greer’s initial scouts arrived.
Then they spent the afternoon playing a waiting game with the scouts.
Mandy’s part included stepping outside with Math to inform him his friend didn’t look good and might not make it, laying the groundwork for Vex’s dead body role. She and Math continued the conversation, ensuring the scouts got the picture. Then she headed back inside, only for Reaper to come out and the brothers get into a low voiced argument. Ruin did a couple of stints, ostensibly checking the perimeter. All to make sure the scouts clocked the players.
An hour ago, after night had fallen, Charity slipped out to join Havoc and Mercy at Reaper’s request. Ruin would be following shortly, supposedly doing another round of walking the perimeter. All four were deadly shots. Vex tried to point out that they were limited to the few guns they carried—all pistols, no rifles. Reaper countered by explaining those four could start picking off Greer’s men and confiscating their weapons while Reaper, Math and Vex kept Greer busy inside.
Curled on her side with her favourite blade cradled against her stomach, Vex nudged the edge of the blanket covering her from head to toe enough to allow a limited view of the room. Not that there was much to see. Mandy, Reaper and Math sat around the only lamp in the room, creating heavy shadows.
The scuff of boots over stone indicated Ruin was on the move. ‘Doing another check, be back.’ The door swung open letting in the cooler night air as he slipped through. He didn’t pull it all the way closed—a deliberate invitation. One those inside hoped would soon be accepted.
Ruin hadn’t been gone more than a couple of minutes before the soft chirp of a mockingbird trilled.
Vex braced.
A heavy foot hit the door, slamming it back on its hinges. Their guests had arrived.
A rush of displaced air swept through as Math, Mandy and Reaper jumped to their feet. A clamour of voices shouted, ‘Get down! Get on your knees!’ Chaos reigned as Greer’s men moved into the room.
The shadows in front of her shifted as Reaper and Math stepped back towards her, forcing Mandy to follow. Vex fought the tension tightening her muscles, trying to maintain her corpse pose as heavy boots moved closer.
‘Fuckin’ drop!’ The harsh command was followed by the sound of something solid impacting flesh.
A groan sounded, then Math dropped to his knees. Vex bit her lip, her hand tightening on her blade.
Still standing, Reaper tugged Mandy closer as if trying to protect her. ‘What the hell?’ His question came out on a furious growl.
An ominous click sounded as another order was barked to Reaper. ‘Get your hands up, asshole!’
From where she lay, Vex watched Reaper uncurl his hand from Mandy’s wrist and lift his arms. ‘Who the fuck are you?’
‘On your knees.’ Black boots, military in style, closed in. ‘Now.’
Reaper took his time and dropped to his knees, hands still high.
‘You too.’
Mandy slowly went down between Math and Reaper, the last in a flimsy barrier of flesh between Vex and the soldiers. It didn’t last long.
‘Who’s that?’
Mandy’s voice quavered as she answered the soldier’s question. ‘He’s dead.’
Vex sensed someone closing in and fought not to react. It was beyond difficult because she could feel them looming over her, but couldn’t predict their next move. Something hard slammed into her hip with such bruising force, she nearly bit through her lip to stop her gasp as her leg went numb. It didn’t last long before pain began to sing along angry nerve endings.
Tension rode through the room, only to snap when Math snarled, ‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’
The sounds of a struggle began and the soldier standing over Vex turned away and directed his attention to Math. Whether he intended it or not, Vex took advantage of Math’s distraction to suck in a couple of deep breaths and force the pain back to a tolerable level.
‘Enough!’ barked the voice. One last thud sounded, before all that was left was harsh breathing. ‘Give the all clear.’
Boots all but ran out. Inside no-one moved. A faint hoot sounded and gravel crunched underfoot before more feet came inside. Deliberate steps came closer and finally stopped.
‘Interesting company you’re keeping, doc,’ drawled a cold feminine voice Vex knew would haunt her nightmares. ‘So nice to see you’re a woman of your word.’
‘What the fuck, doc?’ That was Reaper, sticking to his role.
‘So … sorry, but I had to.’ Mandy’s voice was shaky as shit and layered in misery, totally selling her part.
‘Told you, man,’ Math managed to get out, his voice tight. ‘Trusting people is bullshit.’
‘You would know, wouldn’t you, boy.’ Greer’s arrogant amusement left Vex gritting her teeth. ‘Thought you would’ve learned that lesson by now, Math.’
Math gave another groan. Vex would have given anything to be able to see what was happening, but she was stuck listening and what she heard was far from comforting.
‘Got to give you credit, didn’t quite put it all together until you showed in Salt Lake. Call me curious, but how did you survive the purge?’
‘Luck.’ His one-word answer came out on a hiss.
‘Maybe.’ There was a shift in the air and the hair on Vex’s arms rose in warning. ‘But your luck’s run out.’
‘Crane saved you, gave you home and safety.’ Reaper’s ploy to redirect Greer’s attention was directed to Mandy. ‘And you betray that for what? What the hell does this bitch have on you that’s so damn important?’
Greer proved she wasn’t above simple manipulation when she answered in Mandy’s place. ‘Told you years ago, Reaper, everyone breaks.’
The hostile familiarity between the two added a layer of tension to Vex. More bad blood.
‘Told you then, you’re full of shit.’ Scorn laced Reaper’s voice with venom.
‘You sure about that?’ Something ugly crept into Greer’s voice. ‘I’ve learned even
the most stubborn of people can break. You just have to find their weakness. Like family for instance.’
Vex didn’t see what happened, but she heard the sharp, pained inhale and instinct screamed it belonged to Math. Everything in her demanded she move. Experience and her faith in Reaper kept her still. So focused on what was happening, she almost missed the trilled warning. Her hand tightened on her blade’s hilt and a muted gunshot sounded from outside.
Inside all hell broke loose.
Vex sprung up from her position and threw the blanket over the nearest soldier. He yelled, lifting his gun blindly and spitting bullets across the ceiling. She sank her blade into his gut with one hand, and caught his rifle with the other. He fell back and she went with him, twisting her wrist and yanking on the rifle. His grip loosened as they hit the floor. She left her knife in his gut and gained control of the weapon. Smashing the butt of the rifle into his face, a sickening crunch of breaking bone finished him.
Scrambling over the body, she pushed to her knees, twisted and aimed, nailing a soldier near the front door. Then selecting her next target, she fired. Unfortunately so did he. His bullet left a line of cold fire over the top of her shoulder. Her’s landed in the middle of his chest. His knees folded and he toppled over.
The barrel of a rifle swung her way and she ducked. Reaper’s hand wrapped around a rifle’s barrel forcing it up as he sank a knife into the soldier’s eye. A hoarse scream ripped through the chaos. Reaper didn’t hesitate, shifting his grip on the rifle and smashing it across the screaming man’s face, laying him out.
Gracelessly, she clambered to her feet, coming up at Reaper’s side. The repeated gunshots in the enclosed space left her ears ringing. A muted yell caught her attention and turned to see Math slice a soldier’s throat and drop him to the ground.
Something heavy hit her, slamming her into the ground. It took her a minute to realise it was Reaper. When she managed to suck in a lungful of air, she tried to push against his weight. ‘Reaper, let me up.’
She felt, more than heard his groan, before he rolled off. Worried, she got to her knees and leaned over him, trying to see if he was hit. When she found blood high on his chest, panic tried to take hold. ‘Reaper? You with me?’
‘Yeah.’ It came out on a groan, but hearing it pushed her trepidation down.
It helped that his blood was seeping, not pumping out. ‘You’re going to be okay.’ Putting pressure on the wound, she looked around frantically. When his hand covered hers, she looked into his face. ‘You’re going to be okay.’ It came out more a plea than a promise.
Suddenly Math was on Reaper’s other side, pushing her hands away and shoving a wad of material against Reaper’s shoulder. ‘Hold this.’
‘Got it.’ Reaper suited action to words. ‘Help me up.’
Together Math and Vex got Reaper up and propped him against one of the walls. Math looked to Vex. ‘What the hell happened?’
‘I don’t know.’
Reaper answered. ‘Greer was dragging doc out the door, the solider covering her took a shot at Vex.’ Despite being pale and sweaty, he managed a grin. ‘I got in the way.’
Hearing his retelling left Vex reeling, but Reaper didn’t give her time to find her balance.
‘I always said you were clumsy.’ Math’s gratitude snuck through the jibe.
‘You two need to haul ass. Get doc before Greer kills her.’
Math didn’t need further encouragement. He was on his feet and running towards the door. Vex pushed the rifle she had into Reaper’s hands. ‘You sure you’ll be okay?’
‘I’m breathing. Now, get your ass moving.’
Taking him at his word, she followed Math into the night.
Sporadic gunshots and screams rode the night air, but Vex kept her focus on Math’s back dodging between shadows. At one point he leaned down and came up with a rifle. The sound of her name hitched her stride and she twisted to see Ruin off to the side, a crumpled heap at his feet. She motioned back to the building. ‘Reaper! Go!’
Comprehending her shorthand, Ruin spun and darted towards the building. Vex turned to see Math disappear in the trees. Muttering a curse, she hurried to catch up. She barely side-stepped a bike laying on its side, tires slashed and the choking scent of corn fuel hovering like an invisible cloud. Guess Mercy and Havoc managed to knock Greer’s rides out of commission.
Leaving the fight behind, she slipped into the surrounding foliage, her focus on the glimpses of Math’s back. Hopefully he was following an actual trail and not just stumbling about. It wasn’t long before he came to a halt and held up a hand for her to do the same. Standing next to him, she tried to slow her breathing as her chest heaved and her heart raced. A muffled cry came from their right. They chased it, slower this time, taking care to keep their approach quiet. It paid off.
The dark outline of a building rose out of the trees. She stayed on Math’s heels as they crept closer. The sound of something brushing over stone indicated they were on the right trail.
Closing in, they took opposing positions on either side of the opening, keeping to the shadows. Math’s fingers flashed in a countdown. Three, two, one. She followed him in. The interior was difficult to make out, but there was no missing the half walls turning the room into a maze. A muffled whimper came from the back.
Unable to ignore it, they moved forward in a leapfrog pattern, pushing deeper into the room. Rotted boards turned the floors into a dangerous version of Swiss cheese and slowed their progress considerably. The holes looked endless in the dark, she assumed there was a basement under them. The fall probably wouldn’t kill her, but it would take her off the board. With Reaper sidelined, they couldn’t afford to lose another player.
They hit a staircase and stopped. Overhead wood creaked. She and Math shared a look. It was suicide to go up. Greer’s guard would be waiting at the top. They’d be walking into a hail of bullets. Not that it seemed to matter to Math, based upon the determination in his face. The lure of getting his hands on Greer was fucking with his head. Which meant it was up to her to be the sensible one. Man, they were fucked. Determined to walk away from this with Math alive, she motioned him ahead.
He raised the rifle to his shoulder and began inching his way up, pressing against the wall. She stayed on his heels. With each step she waited for a bullet to hit. When it remained quiet, her wariness increased. They edged by the first landing. Math set his foot on the first step of the second set of stairs and shifted. The wood shattered.
Vex grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back. Bullets rained down, pinning them down. She hissed as one managed to kiss a line of fire from her elbow to her wrist. At this rate, she’d be carved into a bloody mess. Math grunted and tried to leave the imprint of his spine in the wall.
The sound of the rifle clicking on an empty chamber sent them charging up the stairs. Math leapt up the last few feet and collided with the solider at the top. The two men fought for control of the rifle, but Math had the advantage and used it ruthlessly. They stumbled into the narrow hall, ricocheting off the walls, teeth bared as they tried to end each other.
Vex edged around them, her goal the end of the hall and its scant coverage. Once clear, she made it over, crouched down and poked her head around the wall’s edge. The stairs emptied into a large open room, which led to another room sporting a huge gaping hole on the other side. Unfortunately not much existed in-between. A shift in the shadows near the opening that probably once held a large window morphed into two figures. A breeze ruffled the leaves, letting moonlight slip through. The soft light glinted off of familiar lenses. Vex jerked her head back and let it fall against the wall.
Dammit. Greer was using Mandy like a human shield even as she worked her way back towards the opening. It was her best option. Vex stole another peek. Double damn. From Mandy’s stiff movements, Vex figured Greer had a weapon trained on her.
Mentally cursing a blue streak, Vex ran through her limited choices. Behind her an ugly grunt sounde
d. She turned to see Math rising from a crumpled body. Staying close to the wall, he came up behind her and mimicked her position.
His lips brushed her ear as he whispered, ‘Where is she?’
‘Other side of the room. Problem is getting across.’
He rose to a half crouch, using her shoulders for balance and looked back down the hall. Trying to follow his mental path, she did the same. The hall held a couple of doors leading God knows where. He turned back to her. ‘Has to be another way around.’
Maybe, maybe not. Still it wasn’t like they had much of a choice. ‘What do you want to do?’
‘I’ll keep her busy. Get behind her.’
Stupidest plan ever. But since she couldn’t offer anything better she nodded. They switched places and Vex worked her way back down the hall. Hopefully one of the rooms connected across.
Math didn’t waste time claiming Greer’s attention. ‘Doc, you okay?’
Mandy’s voice came out shaky and high-pitched. ‘Ye … yes.’
‘You want her to stay that way, back the fuck off, Math,’ snarled Greer.
‘You know I can’t do that, and you know why.’
Vex slipped into the first room, grateful to find most of the floor intact. On the far side stood another doorway. She dashed across, wincing when a board creaked underfoot. She held her breath and waited for an outcry. Instead she was barely able to make out Math’s deeper tones and Greer’s nasty ones, just not the actual words. She rushed forward, hit the doorway and rocked to a halt, the night air nipping at her skin.
The small space before her had been left exposed to the elements. The protective roof was long gone. A thick tree branch sprawled over what looked like an old tub. Moonlight hit the tarnished glass shards to her left and illuminated the gap between where she stood and the next room.