“Em?”Gage’s voice keeps rising the more he decides to continue with his incessant comments.
“But what if I lose control like you did?” My throat tightens at the thought. I almost killed him in the aftermath of the hideout in the desert. When he lost himself in Alaska, it was the worst I’d seen him, nothing would get through to his mind.
Cameron gives me a lopsided grin as he takes the blade from my hand and tucks it into my boot. His eyes flash up at me as he’s kneeled at my feet. “I’ll bring you back.” Then he stands and runs his hand through my short hair. “I always will.”
My lips press together. I want to hug him and kiss him, but my heart is conflicted. Reed isn’t exactly someone you just know by chance. He’s someone who makes himself known to those he takes interest in.
I settle on giving him a curt nod as Gage unhitches his handgun from his waist and tosses it to Cam. “If you two are done being gross, I suggest we get moving.”
Cameron glares at him and unclicks the safety on the pistol. “Where’s the lieutenant? Did the lieutenant give you a bottle of pills for us? Otherwise we’re not going to be of much use, I’m barely able to stand right now.” He says the latter with more hesitance.
Gage pulls out a black bottle and tosses it at Cameron, then lights himself a cigarette as he watches us each take four. Cam swallows his quickly. I chew mine so they hit my bloodstream faster. The bitterness has a bite to it, but I force it down anyway.
Gage passes his cigarette to Cameron and I watch as he takes a deep inhale of smoke, relishing in it like a delicacy as he shoulderson his tactical jacket. It’s dirty and stiff with blood. Not that I’m dressed any better. I’m still stuck in my dress from the meeting the other night. Though now it’s ruined with rips and blood.
“Lieutenant Erik is engaging in close combat with Mavestelli’s men downstairs. Power is with him and so are the new guys. Mikah is on comms, watching from the Humvee parked a klick away.” Gage speaks quietly as he signals for us to trail him down the dark hall.
I snag a silenced pistol from one of the dead guards near the elevator so that I’m not the only one without a weapon.
“Wait, what new guys?” I ask as we slip into the stairwell.
Gage’s flashlight is the only source of light we have besides the small emergency ones that illuminate every third step going down. Our combat boots make a considerable amount of sound as we race through the levels, but the gunfire and shouting from below is much louder. Too loud for there to be only three of our soldiers engaging with them. My father has at least twenty men in this building alone.
We stop on the third floor’s landing to catch our breath. Gage sullens as he explains, “After we lost Kayden we needed to replace him. That guy you spoke with in the Under, what was his name…” Gage pauses to think.
My pulse leaps. “Damian?”
“Yeah, that’s it!” Gage claps his hands together and jerks his head toward the next set of stairs to indicate that we’re moving again. “Him, and we added another one. He’s a bit more unruly and dangerous, but Fury is good for those kinds of soldiers so we figured why not.”
“I’m guessing you don’t know his name yet either,” Cameron chimes in.
Gage laughs. “Not worth remembering since we were already gearing up to go out on a mission like this. If we all make it back, I’ll ask them.”
The door to the second level flies open as a guard kicks it in.Gage’s rifle is up in the next breath. He puts two bullets into the man’s chest before hooking his ankle with his boot, sending the guard to the ground. Then one final round to the guard’s forehead.
“Pretty good for a sniper,” Cam muses.
He sounds relieved to have Gage back with us. I’m shocked that Fury was able to pull this off, but then again, if Reed is working with them, then it makes sense that the Dark Forces were finally able to infiltrate the fortress. They must know where all the hideouts are and the trade locations now that they have that flash drive. Even the bunkers buried in many locations and countries were on there. I would know, I helped my father catalog them. Things even Reed didn’t know.
I knew that the bunker we used while we were in the Under Trials was familiar. It was built using my father’s designs and corrupt methods.
“That’s still four against like twenty-five guards. How are they planning to take over the building?” I ask between breaths.
Gage almost trips on a step but manages to catch himself. “We’re not going to try to take the building, we’re just saving you two and getting the fuck out. Mikah hacked their security footage and auto-lock doors so half of the guards are trapped in their rooms until the power comes back on.”
“Smart,” I murmur. No doubt this was entirely Mikah’s brilliant idea.
“Yeah, yeah. I pull my weight around here too,” Gage says as he clears the landing on the lower level.
“I was talking about Mikah.”
“I never get any gratitude,” Gage complains.
Cameron gets us back on track. “The lab should just be?—”
I interrupt Cameron since I’m the only one whoshouldknow this place better than him. “It’s the first left and then the second door to the right.” Cameron gives me a wavering look before glancing away.
Gage is about to open the door when the lights flicker back on and the hum of all the electricity restoring the machines fills the air. Heavy metal doors unlocking comes in waves with shouts and freed guards from the floor above.
