They exited the bedroom into the general office of the Noble Lord. Blood pooled in places and Alex carefully stepped around in her bare feet. She held the 9mm up in a two-handed grip. Rafe was in front of her and Max was to the rear. Griffin stayed close to Max, watching her back as she watched everyone else’s. They fell into an easy team, falling back on years of learning how to work together. When the group exited the office, Rafe looked right, Alex went left, and Max and Griffin took up the center.
Chaos was all around them as people fled from the infected. Women ran by, crying and screaming. Alex wanted to grab them, shake them, and then save them. But she knew there were too many for just her and her siblings to save. They could only do so much. Alex knew what she needed to do. Kill the Noble Lord, so the brothel fell, and the women would be free. As she watched the left side, Alex scanned and didn't see the familiar flowing hair of the Noble Lord anywhere. He had run quickly. Alex cursed, realizing he could have escaped everything.
"This way," Mateo said, as he walked into the center of the brothel rooms.
As they began to move as a team again, an infected came from behind a hanging canvas door. Alex shot it in the eye and continued to move forward.
"Not one of ours," Max called from behind her.
"They're turning fast," Rafe yelled over his shoulder.
"What do you mean one of yours?" Alex asked.
"We needed a diversion," Rafe replied.
"So, you brought in the infected? Kinda risky, brother," Alex said.
"It was a chance we were willing to take. And I figured you could handle yourself for a few minutes."
"Good thing I wasn't handcuffed anywhere else," Alex muttered.
They moved in a tight line, everyone keeping their heads and weapons rotating to watch for danger. Rafe had a knife in one hand and his own 9mm in the other, while Max had her tomahawk and a rifle on her back. An infected woman, in a pink fuzzy robe came stumbling toward them. If it hadn't been for the chunk of meat missing from her thigh and the black flat eyes, she would have looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Max stepped to the side to meet the infected and with a quick swipe of her tomahawk she cut her down.
"There he is!" Mateo called from the front of the line.
Alex turned to see Marcus between some of the canvas walls. He was facing two men and Alex's blood went cold when she realized they were the soldiers the Noble Lord had been talking to earlier. Her mind quickly put information together, realizing if the soldiers knew who they all were, Marcus had a target on his back. Alex turned to see Max staring at the scene as well.
"They work for Callahan. Another long story. But if they know who Marcus is," Alex said.
"Then he's in trouble," Max finished.
The Duncan group followed Mateo as they circled the row of rooms and came to have a clear view of Marcus. As they rounded the corner, one of the soldier's eyes met Alex's and she knew immediately that these soldiers knew the Duncans. He quickly took in the faces of Rafe and Max, who had routinely been on wanted posters since their run-ins with Callahan and his men. Recognition lit his expression immediately and he jumped to make a grab at Marcus. Marcus feigned to one side and brought his fist up to punch the soldier in the face. The second soldier caught on quickly and just as Marcus was about to make contact with the first soldier, he pulled a baton from his belt.
Alex didn't have the chance to ask Max what was wrong, as her sister bolted past her and their brother. Griffin was hot on her heels, taking her lead before Alex could react. But she knew if Max was moving like that, something was not good. In her bare feet Alex fought to gain purchase on the filthy floor that now held more than trash, blood, entrails, and bodies joined the mess. Rafe was hot on Max's heels. As they ran, the soldier pushed the baton into Marcus's neck and his whole body convulsed before falling to the ground. Then the first soldier held out a gun, pointing it at Marcus's head.
"You should stop where you are, or I will kill your friend," the soldier yelled as the Duncans halted before reaching them.
"You don't want him. You want one of us," Rafe said in a calm tone. Alex was glad he was taking lead because her voice would never make it over the noise in the brothel. And Rafe was much more level headed than her sister.
"That's true. But you've killed a number of our people. That makes you and everyone with you fair game," the soldier replied.
Max was itching for a fight, as she bounced on her toes next to Alex. Her eyes were slits as she glared at the soldiers. They were in a stalemate. None of the Duncans were going to just go willingly, but they also couldn't let Callahan's men kill Marcus. Alex turned to look at Rafe and found his hand dangerously close to his throwing knives. Rafe was fast, but she wasn't sure he could kill two men before a bullet hit Marcus. When Rafe met her eyes, she shook her head slightly.
Suddenly there was a female scream, closer than the rest. Alex looked to Max, who would never scream in that manner, but her safety was first on Alex's mind.
"Sylvia!" Mateo cried out, just as he lifted his rifle to his shoulder again. Alex's head whipped to the other side of their group and she realized she had forgotten about the small woman that hid behind her brother.
Two men had come up behind them, while they had their standoff with Callahan's men. One man had grabbed Sylvia around the neck and the other pointed a gun in Mateo's face as they backed toward the soldiers. It didn't take Alex long to realize the additional men were with the soldiers, possibly soldiers themselves. While the two Alex had seen with the Noble Lord wore their fatigues, these two men were in civilian clothes. But they quickly joined the soldiers with Sylvia as their second hostage.
"Here's how this is going to go. You're going to stay where you are. And we're going to leave. We're taking your friend with us. Callahan will want to talk to him. If you do as we say, we'll give the bitch back," the lead soldier said.
"That's my sister, pendejo!" Mateo yelled.
"Well then you should want her back unharmed," lead soldier said. As he spoke, the man holding Sylvia leaned down, pressing his nose to her throat. He took a deep inhale and then an evil smile spread his lips.
"You can take me," Alex croaked.
"You? You aren't even the woman the Major wants. It's her," the soldier said, inclining his head toward Max.
"I've killed more of your men than anyone standing here. Take me," Alex said.
The soldier seemed to consider her words for a moment. He then took in her beaten state and bare feet and he leaned back on his heels. He scoffed, clearly not believing Alex's story. Just as she was about to give him more proof, Marcus stirred on the ground. He turned his eyes to Alex and she could see the relief flood his features for a moment.
"Alex," he said.
"Don't move, Marcus," Rafe warned.
Marcus looked confused for a moment, but then he looked up and saw the gun that was pointed at him His features changed then, from the momentary relief, to fear before settling on well-hidden anger.
"Leave him. He's no one. He can't answer the Major's questions. I'm sure I can," Alex continued.
"Alex, I don't think..." Max started to protest.
"Quiet, Max," Alex said, striking the air with her hand. Griffin reached out to hold on to Max's arm, clearly not sure what she would do if Alex traded herself to the soldiers.
Her sister swallowed her next words, only because of her deeply engrained training of following her leader. Alex was her leader. She may have been struggling before she left the compound. She had questioned her decisions and her ability of leading. However, the powerful leader was back. And she was returning with a vengeance. Alex remembered the dream of her father and his words to her. She also thought about her children, all four of them. She pictured each of their faces in her mind and she knew that standing up for her people was her responsibility.
The soldiers studied her for a moment, weighing their options. Alex stepped forward, hoping to tempt them into taking her deal. She found herself surprisingly at pea
ce with the decision. She would protect Marcus and distract them long enough for her family to escape. That was what leaders did in her mind. The soldier holding the gun on Marcus looked between her and the man he had on the ground. Marcus looked up at him as he climbed to his feet. The gun followed, continuing to point at his face. But he stared the soldier down, daring him to do something.
"So, you'd have a woman sacrifice herself for you? I knew you all were weak," the soldier sneered.
"You have no idea who we are," Max said.
"And you have no idea what you are messing with here," Marcus said.
"Oh, we know enough. And she looks like too much trouble right now, so you're coming with us. We'll just shock you again if you don't come along willingly," the soldier, who Alex had now pegged to be the leader, said.
"I'm no trouble. Look at me. I'm weak. Beaten down. I'll come willingly," Alex argued.
"Stop it, Alex," Marcus said
"Shut up," Alex tried to yell at him, but her voice only came out as a harsh growl.
"You are more important to the family than I am. Go home," Marcus replied, ignoring Alex's outburst.
Before Alex could answer, a growl came from behind her. The eyes of the other soldiers were enough to warn her that something was coming. Alex spun, just as Rafe released a blade toward an infected that was sneaking up on them. Alex lifted her 9mm, taking aim at a group of infected that followed the first. As she fired, her eyes widened in shock as the group split off quickly and attacked from different angles. They were quicker and Alex was caught off guard. Max also noticed because she let out a string of curses as she stepped up with her gun and shot one infected in the forehead.
In the back of her mind, she heard yelling and a woman screaming. But their first challenge was the infected and being a main menu item on their dinner plate. The inhabitants of the brothel that had been killed by the infected were starting to wake up. Infected stumbled from the open doors of the canvas rooms. Canvas walls fell as the infected walked through them, ripping the bindings as they fought to get to the last living people in the room. Alex was careful with her shots, making sure her ammo was conserved. Every shot hit its mark as she cleared the infected in front of her.
After a few moments of firing, the slide on her 9mm locked open. She looked over at her siblings and found them to be handling the battle on their own. Pivoting around, Alex caught the last soldier as he ran out into the lobby. She didn't wait, she knew Rafe and Max would follow when they could. Mateo was already following but had his hands up as he approached the soldiers. When Alex got to the lobby, she stopped next to Mateo just as Sylvia was shoved back inside by the last soldier. Mateo ran to his sister and embraced her as she cried into his shirt.
"Where's Marcus?" Alex asked.
"They took him," Mateo answered.
"Give me your gun," Alex said.
Mateo didn't hesitate to give Alex his rifle. She quickly checked that it was loaded and without another thought, she ran from the lobby. When she burst onto the street, she stopped, looking up and down the street for the soldiers. A sedan peeled away from the curb two blocks down. As it sped away, Alex stared at it, knowing that Marcus was inside the vehicle. A sinking feeling settled into the base of her skull and she feared worse was still to come to her friend. Her breathing was ragged, and she fought the urge to just run after the car.
As she stood there, her worry and panic caused her to miss the sound of approaching boots. The first blow to the back of her head knocked her to her knees. But when the knee came flying toward her face, she was rolling away and jumping back to her bare toes. Looking up she found the Noble Lord standing in front her, his face red and screwed up in rage.
"You ruined everything. Everything I built is gone!" He roared as he came toward her with a knife in his hand.
Alex was no longer afraid of the man. All of her fear was with Marcus now. Her body was full of hate for the Noble Lord. All of which she reined in and pushed through her veins in the form of adrenaline as the first attempted blow came. Alex easily feigned away from the knife twice, before she grabbed his knife wrist with both her hands. Pulling him to her, he stumbled at first, surprised by her move. When he was close enough, she twisted her entire body, twisting his arm with her. She dug her fingers painfully into his pressure point at the elbow before lifting high at the joint until she heard a loud pop. The knife clattered to the ground and the Noble Lord let out a shrill squeal.
Max and Rafe burst out into the night, just as the Noble Lord tried to swing on Alex with his other fist. There was no power behind it though and Alex easily deflected. The Duncan siblings stood watch as their sister danced around her opponent. Alex raised a fist and punched the Noble Lord in the throat. His uninjured hand flew up to hold his throat as he tried to cough and get air.
"You brutalized women. You imprisoned them or made them believe they had to be your whores to live," Alex said quietly.
As she followed the Noble Lord in his retreat, she noticed the infected coming out from between two homes. The noise of all the fighting in the brothel had brought it from wherever it was wandering. And now it was looking for a fresh meal. The Noble Lord continued his backward motion, having no idea that he was walking to his death.
"You dealt drugs and kept people addicted so they would gather your supplies and women for you. Because you're weak. Do you hear me? You did this to women because your own mommy didn't want you. You even had to keep your own aunt on a leash. You didn't build this. Callahan did. He controlled you. You are nothing," Alex said, revealing all she knew.
Though it wasn't much, it was enough to bring the anger back into the Noble Lord. He came at Alex again, wildly trying to hit her. He feigned a punch, but instead when Alex tried to dodge, he brought an open palm across her face. Alex heard her brother curse behind her. But before he could do anything, Alex stepped back and put all of her weight into a front kick that landed against the Noble Lord's sternum. The blow knocked the wind out of the man's lungs in a rush. And right into the arms of the waiting infected.
Alex watched with no emotion as the infected sunk its teeth into his shoulder. The Noble Lord screamed and turned to see the infected, giving the dead the perfect access to the skin of his face. The infected released his shoulder and lunged forward for his ear and face. As the infected pulled pieces from the Noble Lord, Alex turned and walked back to where she had dropped Mateo's gun. She picked it up and checked it again, though she knew it was loaded.
Distantly, Alex saw her brother and sister watching her warily. She knew they were wondering if she had completely cracked. She moved with confidence, as if she had no worry in the world. Her mind felt detached as she listened to the squeals coming from the Noble Lord and the sounds of ripping muscle and tendons. Max coughed slightly and turned away, the sight too gruesome for her to continue to stare at. Rafe stood completely still, waiting for his oldest sister to make her choice.
When the screams finally stopped, Alex walked back across the street. The infected had its face buried in the Noble Lord's throat, pulling out pieces as it ate. Alex felt the bile in the back of her throat. Bringing the rifle to her shoulder, she cleanly shot the infected through the skull. The body fell across the Noble Lord's chest. Looking at the now dead drug dealing, brothel owner Alex felt nothing as she sighted her shot on his eye and pulled the trigger.
She stood above the body for a long moment. Part of her wanted to ensure that the evil of the man was permanently wiped from the planet. She continued to wait and see if he would move, if his body twitched in any way. Alex wasn't sure how long she stood there, but the hand on her arm made her jump and start to swing the rifle around. When she saw Rafe's face she immediately dropped the muzzle and just looked at her brother.
A moment later Cliff came running around the side of the building. When he saw Alex he ran straight to her. He looked at her injuries and his face that was always stone, became red with anger. It was uncharacteristic for him to show emotions. But that didn
't stop him from throwing his arms around Alex and pulling her in for a tight hug. The man had suffered losing his family and he and Alex found a bond that helped him in his survival. Now his hug was a soothing balm for her. She gripped him back tightly for a moment. When she pulled away, she had to swipe at tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks.
"We need to follow them. Where are your vehicles?" Alex asked.
"They're five blocks away. We already know where they're taking him," Griffin said quietly. Max didn't say anything. Her eyes were focused in the direction the sedan had gone, the direction of Callahan's camp.
"We need to go," Alex said again.
"You don't know Callahan, Alex. He won't just release Marcus," Max said.
"He doesn't know me. Taking one of ours again will be the last thing he does."
Chapter Twenty
The group followed Alex as she led the way back into the front of the brothel. She moved quickly and quietly to the staircase near the lobby. They were able to avoid any infected as they climbed the stairs. At the top Alex didn't stop as she went to Coral's door. She wanted her boots back. She wanted to find out what the woman planned to do. She also wanted to slap the old woman.
At the door, Alex didn't hesitate. She had already reloaded her 9mm and held it out in front of her as she entered Coral's room. Alex was pretty confident that Coral didn't have a firearm. The Noble Lord didn't trust her that much. And when things started to go into a frenzy, it was likely the woman didn't leave her room. When Alex stepped into the room her siblings fanned out, clearing areas as they went. Cliff stayed outside keeping watch for them and Griffin stood just inside the door.
"It's good to see you up and around," Coral's voice came from the small bedroom area.
Alex swung her gun in the woman's direction. Coral held up her hands, standing still with four guns staring her down.
"Not with any help from you," Alex said quietly, her throat raw and on fire.
"I stitched you up. I did what I could."
Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment Page 24