by Stella Night
This was real now. People were going to get hurt. She desperately hoped that didn’t include her and Dimitri.
She trusted the man with her life. Her strong lion. Her brave warrior. But he was hurt. Poisoned by the bastards who’d turned her life upside down. Weakened and slowly dying, he wasn’t working at full capacity. It made her worry he wouldn’t make it through this.
It also reminded her there was more at stake here than just a return to normal life.
In the few short days she’d known Dimitri, she’d grown attached to him. Already, she couldn’t imagine a life without him. With any luck, they’d make it through this to find out if they had a future together.
Her whole life, she’d been saving animals. Sure, Dimitri was a shifter, but it was similar. It was like she’d been preparing her entire life for this challenge. The man she’d come to love needed her help, and she was going to save him, no matter what.
Dimitri placed a hand on her shoulder, interrupting her train of thought.
He made a few hand signals. The kind you see in movies. He might as well have been using actual sign language. She shot him a befuddled look and shrugged, mimicking his silent attempts at communication.
He shook his head and leaned in close, his mouth so close to her ear she could feel his breath tickle her skin. “They’re just around the corner. I’m going to circle around behind them. Count to sixty, slip around the corner, and make every shot count.”
She nodded and he slipped away, disappearing into the shadows. Sadie began to count.
***
Dimitri jogged swiftly around the building. He took deep breaths, keeping his pulse even and steady. That was easier said than done considering the weakness threatening to overwhelm him.
He could feel the poison coursing through his veins. A toxic taint that made him feel dirty. Unclean.
The worst part, aside from the specter of death, was that he was weak when he most needed to be strong. This whole mess had become bigger than he’d expected. It wasn’t just about helping a friend. It wasn’t just about taking some bad guys down. Now he needed to put an end to this to save the woman he cared about.
Sadie was a beacon of light in his otherwise dark life. He’d never met anyone like her. She made him feel things again. She made him care. She made him love.
Meeting her had been like a punch to the gut. So beautiful. So compassionate. So strong. She’d saved his life. She’d taken care of him. And what had he brought to her life in return?
People shooting at her, taking over her home, and disrupting every aspect of her life. He hated being a burden on her. He had brought this trouble into her life, now it was his responsibility to fix it.
But even then, even if they were successful, what then? His whole life had always been a fight against one thing or another. Always conflict. Always strife. That wouldn’t change once this battle was over.
There’d be another fight. And another. She deserved better than that. She deserved better than him.
The best thing he could do was remove himself from her life. When all of this was over, if it was ever over, he would have to disappear and leave her alone. It was the right thing to do.
He pushed those dark thoughts aside and focused on the countdown. According to his watch, he had about twenty seconds to go. Just enough time to position himself at the corner of the building, just around the corner from the trio of smugglers standing between him and his friend.
He could hear them laughing and joking. Not a care in the world. That was good. If they had any idea Dimitri and Sadie were lurking around, they wouldn’t be acting so nonchalant.
Sadie swore she was a good shot with the tranquilizer rifle. Dimitri trusted her. All she had to do was take down two of the three. Hell, even if she only took down one, he could probably dispatch the other two quickly and quietly.
And that was the key. He needed to be silent. Other people had to be inside. They couldn’t be alerted to their presence.
He checked his watch again. Almost time. Three, two, one.
Show time.
***
Sadie poked her head around the corner. Three men stood about a hundred feet away, standing in a loose cluster. They had handguns holstered on their hips, like gunslingers. Only those guns fired bullets. All she had was tranquilizer darts.
Her shots needed to count. If she missed, they’d have a chance to fire back. And that would mean the end of her. And Dimitri.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Shaky hands could literally be the death of her. She raised her rifle and took aim at the nearest bad guy.
She fired.
The rifle made a muffled whoosh as compressed air propelled the dart towards its target. A little red puffball bloomed from the man’s throat.
Bullseye.
The sedative would act fast. This guy was no longer a threat. But there were two more mean bastards to worry about.
She took aim on the next closest. He was just reacting to his friend’s sudden and unexpected loss of motor functions. His hand flew to his hip, unholstering the pistol in one smooth motion. Sadie fired off another shot just as the man turned in her direction.
Her shot went wide.
The man raised his pistol at her, homing in on the kill shot. Instinct flared, and Sadie dropped to one knee. She fired from the hip.
The dart hit the man square in the chest. He looked down at it dumbly. The hand holding the pistol drooped to his side. He staggered drunkenly, no longer a threat. That only left one more.
But the last man had his gun pointed right at her.
***
Dimitri ran towards the last man standing. Sadie had done her job perfectly, dispatching the two other men. Now she was in the line of fire.
He couldn’t let her down. Not now. Not after they’d come this far. He pumped all of his remaining strength into his legs, pushing himself past the limit.
Dimitri collided with the man and knocked him to the ground. His gun went skittering across the pavement, out of reach. Dimitri slammed down on the man’s back and struggled to get a hold of him.
The man fought like a demon, resisting every attempt to pin him down. Confusion rocked Dimitri. Even in his weakened state, he should have been able to overpower the man easily in a one on one fight.
Unless he was weaker than he realized. And if that was the case, he was in real trouble.
He’d planned on taking the man out quickly, silently. But in a prolonged fight, Dimitri didn’t know if his strength would hold up. Especially considering just how strong his opponent was.
The man bucked beneath him, throwing Dimitri from his back. He came down on the hard ground with a thud, the air knocked out of him. The son of a bitch was strong. Too strong. Something was definitely wrong here.
Dimitri got to his hands and knees before a violent kick struck him in the ribs, knocking him back to the ground. He could feel the world rocking on its axis, as if his brain were rattling around in his skull.
He caught a glimpse of Sadie, her mouth hanging open, her eyes wide with horror. The sight of her pained him to the core, making his soul ache. Failing was one thing, but to fail in front of her, to fail her, it was too much to bear.
Do it for her, he thought. Get up and do the only thing you’re good for.
He summoned the last vestiges of strength and kicked out at the man’s legs, sweeping his feet from under him. Dimitri pinned him to the ground and punched him. Over and over. Blinded by rage.
The man gasped, blood on his face. “Dimitri?”
The sound of his name cut through the anger fogging his brain. Dimitri looked down at the man, recognition slowly dawning on him.
“Garrett?”
Chapter 13
Dimitri heaved himself off of Garrett. His mind reeled at finding his friend like this. Garrett sat up, winded. He wiped the blood from his mouth and staggered to his feet.
“What the hell are you doing here, Dimitri?”
Dimitri stood l
ooking at him, gaping. “What do you mean? I’m here to find you.”
“You got my letter.” It wasn’t a question. Garrett scrubbed a hand across his face, looking upset. “I should never have sent that.”
“What? You told me you’d taken on a dangerous job. Then I didn’t hear from you. Couldn’t get in touch with you. I figured you were in trouble.”
Garrett looked around, as if making sure no one else was around. “I am in trouble. And so are you. You should never have come.”
“Tell me what the hell is going on,” Dimitri demanded.
Garrett nodded. “I will. But let’s move these guys first. No one can know that you were here.”
Garrett grabbed one of the unconscious man’s legs and dragged him toward the side of the building, where the shadows were thickest. Dimitri watched in silence, still trying to work out what was happening here.
Sadie joined him at that moment. “So that’s your old army friend?”
“You heard?”
“Yeah, I heard,” she said. “You guys weren’t exactly whispering. I’m surprised no one else heard you.”
“Something is wrong.”
Sadie looked up at him. He saw the concern in her eyes. He felt a pulse of shame inside him for letting her come along. Whatever was happening here, it was a lot more complicated than he’d thought. More complicated meant more dangerous.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I don’t know yet. Just stay on your toes. And stick with me, no matter what happens.”
Garrett peeked his head out from around the corner. “Hey,” he called out in a loud whisper. “Get your ass moving.”
Dimitri hauled the other drugged man away from the front of the building, straining against the man’s dead weight. The fight with Garrett had drained his already failing strength. It was a wonder he was still standing.
He made it into the shadows and dumped the body next to the other one. Garrett pulled Dimitri deeper into the shadows. Sadie followed right behind.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Garrett said. “Especially tonight.”
Sadie bristled beside Dimitri. “Some welcome. We risk our butts to save you and this is the thanks we get?”
Garrett looked down at her, frowning. “Who the hell is this?”
Sadie was about to speak, but Dimitri beat her to the punch. “She’s a friend. And don’t be shitty with her or I’ll whoop your ass again.”
Garrett grinned and rubbed his jaw. “Please. You hit like a girl. Look, you guys need to get out of here.”
“I thought you were in trouble,” Dimitri pressed.
“I am. Or I was. Look, it’s complicated. I’m working it out.”
“Really?” Dimitri asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Working for drug dealers? That’s what you call working it out?”
“It’s a security job. I protect some people, protect some cargo. What the hell do I care what kind of business they’re in?”
“It’s illegal. And it’s going to get you killed. Come with us. We’ll help you.”
Garrett shook his head. “You can’t help me. And I can’t leave. Sure, maybe I’ll get hurt here, but I’ll be a dead man if I leave.”
“I can protect you,” Dimitri said.
“No you can’t. You have no idea how bad these guys are. They don’t fuck around. I don’t have time to explain. You need to leave right now. They’ll be here any minute.”
“Who?” Sadie asked.
“Everyone. There’s a big deal going down tonight. Lots of cargo, lots of money involved. We have a buyer coming in. They’re bringing their people to the meet. And my boss is bringing the whole crew. And you’ve just walked into the middle of it.”
“All the more reason you should come with us right now,” Dimitri said.
“I can’t, alright? Drop it, okay? And go. I can’t protect you from these people.”
“Look,” Sadie interjected. “I don’t give a crap if you come with us or not. But we’re not just here for you.”
“What are you here for?”
“Dimitri is sick. They injected him with some kind of poison. We need to find the antidote. Can you help us with that?”
Garrett looked at Dimitri, smiling sadly. “So they got you too, huh?”
“You’ve been poisoned?” Dimitri asked.
“Yeah. The only thing keeping me alive is the treatments they’re giving me. That’s why I can’t leave. That’s why I have to keep working for them.”
“I figured out a treatment,” Sadie said. “For Dimitri. I can give it to you, too.”
“A treatment or a cure?” Garrett asked.
“Only a treatment. I haven’t been able to figure out the cure. Not yet.”
“Then it doesn’t matter,” Garrett said bitterly. “There’s only one cure for the shit they stuck us with. And that’s in the hands of the man running this operation.”
“Did he say he’d give it to you?” Dimitri asked.
“He did. Once I’ve proven my loyalty to him.”
“You know that’s a lie, right?” Dimitri asked. “He’s going to keep stringing you along. Until you’re no more use to him. Or until you’re dead.”
“What choice do I have?” Garrett asked, throwing his hands up in frustration.
“You can choose not to be his slave,” Dimitri said, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder.
Garrett shook it off. “I’m a slave either way. To him or to some treatment that will never cure me. That’s not a choice. I’m staying.”
Sadie rolled her eyes. “There’s no talking to him. Let’s get out of here Dimitri. We’ll figure something else out.”
Headlights lit the shadows where they were standing. Dimitri threw a hand up to block the glare. He couldn’t make out much, but he could tell a number of vehicles were lined up in front of him. In front of the warehouse.
Garrett groaned. “I told you to leave. Now it’s too late.”
Garrett pulled a pistol from a hidden ankle holster and aimed it at Dimitri. Dimitri looked at him shocked. Betrayed.
“Sorry, old buddy,” Garrett said. “Like I said. I have no choice.”
***
“We should kill them.”
Sadie couldn’t see the face of the man who was speaking. He stood behind her as he bound her hands with thick cord. He was not gentle.
His words chilled her to the bone. She didn’t want to die out here. Not when they’d come so close. She felt like howling in frustration, but she refused to let these men see her fear.
“Negative,” Garrett said. “The boss is going to want to see them, Joe. We’ll let him decide.”
“The boss doesn’t give a shit about a couple of trespassers,” Joe sneered. “Especially with the deal going down tonight. He’s gonna want them dead, and he’s gonna be pissed we didn’t just kill them in the first place.”
“These aren’t just a couple of trespassers, moron. This guy served with me. I have a feeling the boss is going to want to give him a job.”
“Just what we need,” the man said. “Another freak.”
“Don’t push me, Joe,” Garrett growled.
Sadie felt the barrel of a gun press hard into her back, jabbing her painfully. She winced. Not just from the pain. There was a weight to the feeling, violent and ugly. It felt like death.
“Whatever, freak. I don’t answer to you. I’m gonna end this bitch.”
Dimitri looked like he was about to make a move. But then the gun was no longer pressing into her. She glanced behind her to see Garrett grabbing Joe. He slammed the man against the warehouse wall so hard the whole building shook.
“You’re about to fire a gun? Here? You want the cops crawling all over this place?”
Joe glared at him, but Sadie could see the gears turning in his head. “Fine. I’ll strangle her. Nice and quiet.”
“I’ll strangle you, you dumb son of a bitch,” Garrett snapped, shaking the man again.
A third guy intervened,
getting between them. “You two can settle this later. We need to get ready. We can’t be standing out here with our dicks in our hands when the other show up.”
Garrett nodded. “Yeah, fine.”
Joe smoothed his rumpled jacket, still giving Garrett the stink eye. “This isn’t over freak.”