Sanctuary's Aggression Complete Collection Box Set: A Post-apocalyptic Survival Thriller Series

by Maira Dawn

  Wade could understand that, but it seemed to take the fun right out of it. He was glad he was up here looking for the stragglers.

  The Atlantians closed in on the front of the building, dropping the few Humans standing in the parking lot.

  One scraggly group ran, pulling along their five tied-up captives—no doubt on their way to feed the evil scientist’s experiments.

  Jorah’s men fired, deliberately missing the innocents. Most fell, leaving the captives standing there with disbelief written all over their face.

  This was their lucky day.

  Jorah nodded and two of his men walked to the captives and moved them to safety.

  Jorah’s army now stood at the front of the building, a row of patched-up commercial glass doors the only thing standing between them and the enemy.

  At a signal from Jorah, the first line aimed their rifles at the doors. The blast sent wood, glass, and metal flying into the air.

  When everything settled, the barricade had disappeared.

  Inside the lobby, people scattered. Some tried to scoot out the side doors, but they didn’t stand a chance.

  The guns blasted, and the enemy fell.

  Wade grunted, hardly believing what he was looking at.

  The night before, Ian had proclaimed they would be through the building in no time, and that sounded just about right.

  “Head’s up,” Dylan whispered, nodding to their right.

  Something—or someone big moved through the bushes. Wade got a flash of plaid. Definitely Human. “Here we go.”

  Dylan waved, indicating the group should move together. He put Jesse between himself and Wade before leading the way.

  When the man in plaid saw them, he tried to make a run for town.

  Dylan sent two men after him. They had the weaponless man pinned and tied in no time.

  Wade walked up to him and stuck a rag in his mouth. “In case, he starts squawkin’ and warns others.”

  One after another, they grabbed those trying to escape. Wade was pretty sure most of them were on the wrong side. A couple of them seemed confused and didn’t put up much of a fight, and he wouldn’t be surprised to find they were the innocents they claimed to be, but there would be more time to sort that out later.

  Before long, they had gathered a small group of prisoners. Dylan left two armed men with them and took the rest of his company to search for others.

  After returning to their high spot, they scanned the area for movement. They saw none.

  Dylan and Wade shared a satisfied glance until a bullet buzzed by them and buried itself deep in the tree beside Wade’s head.

  Fifty-One

  Onward

  Dylan ducked, his heart pounding as he grabbed Jesse’s arm and pulled him down beside him.

  He scanned his company, making sure all his men crouched against the sandy ground.

  It’d been too easy. There was always something.

  “Stay low,” he mumbled to his son.

  On their far left, several tall bushes swayed. Someone—several someones—forced their way through them.

  Dylan signaled for his men to keep low and follow him.

  They moved toward the enemy, using the thick brush along the beach to hide their advance.

  Slow and steady. Watch and wait. The last thing Dylan wanted was to walk into an ambush.

  He looked over the land. As far as Dylan could tell, the people ahead were the only ones out here.

  He picked up the pace, turning to Jesse as they got closer.

  “When we catch up with them, you find somewhere to lie low, ya hear? You had some fun with the others. But there are more in this group, and I’m not risking you.”

  Jesse opened his mouth to argue, and Dylan threw him a stern stare. The boy closed his mouth and nodded.

  “Good man,” Dylan said.

  He narrowed his gaze and hardened his jaw as he focused on the group ahead of them. Tightening one hand on his rifle, he waved his mountaineers onward with the other.

  When the enemy slipped around a small curved hill, Dylan looked back the way they had come, his stomach tightening.

  This was taking them further out than he’d expected. Soon the Marine Center would be out of sight. If he couldn’t see that building, he wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on Spire Cliff where Skye and Kelsey were.

  Dylan stopped, peeking around the small hill at the enemy ahead.

  The enemy seemed relaxed, slowing from a trot to a leisurely walk as if they didn’t realize someone followed them.

  Wade waved for him to continue forward, that eager light in his eyes. When Dylan didn’t respond, Wade whispered, “What’s the problem, bro?”

  “Something doesn’t seem right.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not something I see—it’s something I feel.”

  “You sure you just ain’t feeling lonely over Skye.”

  Dylan shot Wade an irritated glance, but his heart thumped in agreement with Wade. Not lonely, though. Worried.

  He’d promised to keep her safe, and he couldn’t do it from this far away.

  He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for distraction. Skye had two giant Atlantians at her side and weapons of her own. She’d be fine.

  “I ain’t lonely,” Dylan growled at his brother.

  Wade chuckled. “I kinda like the lovesick Dylan.”

  “Shut up.”

  “He’s so cute and cuddly.”

  “I said shut up. Keep your mind on the job.”

  “Oh, are we finally going to get to that? Here I was thinking we’re gonna let those boys skip on out of here.”

  Dylan gave Wade a deep scowl which caused his brother even more amusement. Dylan ignored him and went back to scoping out the scene ahead.

  Dylan perked up when the men from the Marine Center moved to an area the trail widened.

  He broke his men in two, four on either side, telling them to stay well behind the enemy as they followed them until he gave the order to attack.

  Each man slipped silently through the brush and grass with the care Dylan had taught them.

  Dylan nodded approvingly at Jesse. The boy had done well so far but it was time for him to find a safe place. Dylan pointed to a hollow behind a tree.

  Jesse pulled a face, but he did as he was told.

  After making sure his men were all in line, Dylan turned his gaze on the enemy ahead and made sure his weapons were ready to fire.

  When two of Devon’s men bumped their shoulders together and started laughing, Dylan knew the time was right.

  He raised his crossbow and fired.

  As soon as the bolt had left the shaft, he loaded the second one.

  Within seconds of each other, the two men dropped.

  Dylan and his men shouted an earsplitting battle cry.

  The enemy startled and raised their weapons.

  Dylan reloaded. When he raised his weapon, he saw the mountain men had Devon’s men surrounded.

  “Drop your weapons, ya filthy varmints,” Wade shouted at them.

  Dylan’s stomach hardened when, for a moment, it seemed they would refuse. A firefight this close would have casualties.

  He couldn’t allow this to escalate.

  Dylan stepped forward and raised his gun to the head of the closest man. Deadly serious as he stared at their leader. “Drop ‘em. Now.”

  The man’s expression changed from defiance to distaste. He spit on the ground as he dropped his gun. “Do as he says, boys.”

  Then he turned to Dylan. “Look. We were just trying to leave this place—not cause any trouble. Look at it. It’s going down—it’s already over. None of us are White Coats. Just let us go.”

  Dylan’s gaze scraped over the dirty, heavily weaponed group. There was only one reason men like these would be on this property. They were the ones who dragged the innocents to this awful place. Maybe the very ones who had brought Skye and Kelsey here.

  “No,” Dylan said.


  A man toward the rear of Devon’s group reached behind his back.

  For Dylan, everything slowed to a crawl. He jerked his rifle up and zeroed in on him.

  “Don’t do it,” he warned the man.

  “We just bring them here. I’m not taking the blame for something someone else did.” He raised his gun so quickly it almost seemed a blur.

  Dylan didn’t think—he squeezed the trigger.

  The man huffed as the bullet hit his shoulder, burying deep. The gun dropped from his slack fingers to the ground with a thud. He grabbed his shoulder and yelled.

  Wade shook his head as he patted the rest of them down. “We warned ya. It didn’t have to be this way, but you didn’t listen.”

  Dylan waved Jesse out of his hiding place and handed him some strip ties. “Help Wade tie them up.”

  Jesse took the ties, an urgent expression on his face. Dylan was glad to see him take his job seriously.

  Once the enemy was secure, some of Dylan’s tension left him.

  Now they needed to take these guys to the Atlantians and meet back up with Skye and Kelsey.

  Fifty-Two

  Almost

  Skye sighed as she released her bottom lip. How was Dylan doing? And Jesse?

  She glanced up—then higher still—at the Atlantian beside her. He was tall and muscular, almost a twin to the one standing on the other side of the small medical camp. She was glad they were on her side.

  They had introduced themselves, explaining they were brothers and given names her tongue could never reproduce.

  When the tall, brown-haired man beside Skye gave her a reassuring grin, she returned it with a quick, half-hearted one and turned her worried gaze toward the Marine Center.

  Even this far away, and over the roar of the ocean beside them, the screams and cries of the enemy were heard.

  “Do not worry,” the Atlantian assured her. “Those are only cries of fear. They will harm no innocents, and the guilty will have a trial. Jorah and the Counsel have decreed it.”

  “Will the trial be here or in Atlantis?” Skye asked.

  “Here, of course, kind lady. Never would Jorah allow Humans such as those into our most precious city.”

  Skye nodded. If she was Jorah, she wouldn’t allow anything to mar that beautiful home either.

  The cries gradually faded, and only occasionally would one slice through the morning air, silencing the chatter of small animals and birds.

  “It is almost over now,” the brown-haired Atlantian said.

  “Good,” Sonora replied as she stared toward the building and folded her arms. “Good.”

  Kelsey walked over to Skye and leaned against her. “It sounds like our side won.”

  “Yes, it does. Now all those suffering from Devon’s experiments will be helped.” Skye’s heart lifted a little. It was what she’d wanted—what had started this entire battle.

  Was Dylan’s group having the same sort of success as the Atlantians?

  She imagined his bullet-riddled body lying across a trail. Jesse by his side, crying—or worse . . .

  Skye shook her head to dislodge the horrible vision.

  Skye’s group waited, sure there would be some injuries.

  Eventually, two Atlantians showed up reporting that everything had gone well. Some warriors continued to round up the enemy while others followed Dylan’s men, searching for any stragglers or escapees.

  He predicted any minor skirmishes would soon be over and that any injuries would be small. Then both Atlantians disappeared back into the tall seagrass.

  Time dragged by as Skye eagerly awaited her family’s return, and when the two Atlantian guards stood taller, their eyes searching the beach and tall grass, she started looking around too.

  “You hear something?” she asked.

  “Someone comes. Several Humans.”

  Skye’s heart soared. Dylan and Jesse!

  The Atlantian beside her swayed, then fell with a thud, unconscious at her feet.

  Skye blinked in confusion and turned to look at the second Atlantian, who bounced against the sand when he dropped.

  Skye gaped before she pulled her scattered wits together and realized someone had stunned them with an Atlantian gun.

  As she drew her weapon, she yelled, “Kelsey, Sonora, fire! They have Atlantian lasers!”

  Sonora held her laser gun and fired into the tall seagrass.

  Someone on the other side gave a loud grunt. There was a dull thud as they hit the ground.

  As Skye sent Sonora a triumphant glance, the blonde woman fell to the sand as graceful as a ballerina.

  Skye fired at the enemy and grabbed the back of Kelsey’s shirt, tugging her backward. “We need to run!”

  Skye’s arm jerked down as Kelsey fell to the ground, her eyes closed.

  Skye refused to let go of the girl. She dropped to her knees, making herself as small as possible against the sand. Skye stuck her gun into her waistband and put her hands under Kelsey’s arms, dragging her back to a large rock behind them.

  She glanced up at Spire Cliff. If she could get Kelsey between the rock and the cliff, they would have some protection.

  Then what?

  One thing at a time.

  Skye tugged, making more progress than she’d imagined she would.

  Her gaze darted from one side of the tall grasses to the other.

  Why hadn’t they fired at her? Maybe they had moved on. Not considered her a threat.

  Still, she kept on dragging Kelsey to the rock. They could hide there until the girl woke up or help came.

  A long, deep chuckle came from the grass.

  Skye froze.

  The tall blades stirred and someone stepped from behind them.

  “Oh, Skye dear, this is indeed my lucky day.”

  Skye starred back in disbelief. Her stomach turned.

  Devon. Devon Shade.

  Beside him, Cliff and two of Devon’s guards emerged.

  In a flash, Skye pulled her weapon and fired it at the guards holding laser weapons.

  The first and the second went down, screeching and clenching their wounds.

  Cliff raised his gun, aiming at her head, his finger curled around the trigger.

  “Don’t hurt her!” Devon screamed. “I need her!”

  Cliff changed his aim.

  Before Skye could move, the bullet came at her like an angry hornet. Fire ripped through her hand.

  Her gun fell to the sand with a thud.

  Skye screamed and brought her hand to her stomach, cradling it.

  When Cliff started toward her, Skye turned and ran.

  She stumbled but pushed against the sand and continued as fast as she could go.

  Cliff’s breath huffed behind her.

  A few steps later, she felt his steel fingers digging into her collarbone and twirling her around.

  Cliff’s glee-filled expression filled her line of sight before he wrapped his fingers into a fist, drew back his arm, and punched her in the face.

  Her vision flamed red as her skull reverberated with the bone on bone contact.

  Skye’s bad hand hung useless at her side. Her good one shoved at him but was too weak to do any harm.

  Some small part of her brain still worked, and it screamed for her to do something—anything.

  Instead, she slipped into darkness.

  The sand was soft and warm. As her brain shut down, she allowed herself to enjoy that small bit of comfort.

  It may be the last she would have.

  Fifty-Three

  Nothing

  Pain woke Skye. She pulled in a ragged breath.

  She was slung over Cliff’s shoulder. Her bullet-riddled hand spiked with pain as it collided with Cliff’s back with every step he took.

  The entire side of her face ached, and jolts of pain flashed through it.

  Skye groaned and pushed against Cliff, wanting away from him. The thought of his hands on her made her sick.

  Cliff laugh
ed and slid his hand from her knee to her thigh.

  Skye jerked and pushed harder, straightening at the waist a little.

  “If I let you down and you can’t walk, I’ll punch you again and carry on.”

  “My feet are fine.” Her voice came out weak and trembling. She hated that she sounded that way.

  “Let’s see how your head is.” Cliff held her legs up, letting her slide lower on his back.

  Skye yelled and grabbed his shirt, trying to hang on.

  He cackled as he shook her up and down.

  Her brain swirled, and she choked with nausea.

  Cliff dropped her.

  Skye avoided landing directly on her head by letting her arms take the worst of the fall. Her hand exploded in pain. She turned her head and vomited.

  As Cliff’s hands reached for her, Skye pretended to choke again. Everything had happened so fast, and she needed a minute to assess the situation.

  She looked around. She must have only been unconscious for a few minutes. They hadn’t gotten far—only further into the beach’s parking lot.

  Scattered across the blacktop were a few vehicles. Two looked like they had sat there a while. The other van and trucks were the ones her group had arrived in.

  Where was Dylan, Wade, and Jesse? Were they close?

  It didn’t seem like Cliff thought that was a possibility. He’d made no attempt to keep quiet.

  He towered over her, watching her every move. It limited how openly she could scan the area.

  Devon pushed Cliff aside and knelt beside her.

  The scientist clucked over the damage to her face and admonished Cliff. “You use too firm a hand with her. I have repeatedly told you not to harm her so much.”

  “I remember you saying I could do whatever I wanted as long as she was still able to undergo the experiments. A bruised face doesn’t bother them.”

  Devon didn’t reply, instead he mumbled something Skye couldn’t make out.

  Skye kept her eyelids lowered as she let her gaze trail across the parking lot and into the brush, trees, and tall grass that surrounded it.