"I'm telling you, there is something out there."
"Look, man—"
Stefan grabbed the man by his collar and jerked him forward. "You listen to me, you idiot, you never ignore a possible threat. Now, go tell your superiors to get someone to go check it out, and hope I'm just seeing things."
He released Jones as he pushed him away then swung his rifle down. He pointed at the crop of trees and looked down the sight. It took him a moment to see anything, especially considering it was dark out. The moonlight helped, but not by much.
"Shit!" There was something out there, and it was headed right for the settlement. Stefan whipped around and jumped up. He ran toward the stairs then quickly went down them. His heart pounded faster, a fine sheen of perspiration beaded across his forehead, and his gut clenched.
He jumped down the last couple of steps then took off running for the main building. Roark and Frankie were coming up the stairs with John when he raced inside. "There's movement beyond the gates."
"Frankie, get the others then go find that doc and tell him to prepare for wounded." Roark turned to look at John. "Get your people inside. We'll go scout around."
"I'll gather some men and meet you out by the front gates," John said before turning and heading back inside the building.
"Show me where," Roark directed Stefan.
Stefan took off toward the front gate. It was stupid to leave them open at night, so he didn't understand why they were. He couldn't immediately spot the guards at the gate either. It wasn't until he reached the gate that Stefan realized the sentries were fighting just outside of them.
"Marauders!" he shouted as he pointed and shot the closest one to him, and then kept on shooting. He didn't know how many there were, but by the time he stepped outside the gates, he'd shot three. Honestly, it looked like an entire invasion force.
Stefan grunted when he was slammed into from behind. The force of the blow sent him stumbling several steps before he could right himself. When he turned to see what had hit him, he saw two men rushing in his direction. They were on him before he could lift his rifle.
He fought like the very devil as they grabbed him and started beating on him. When one of them pulled a knife and raised it in the air, Stefan wanted to say his life flashed in front of his eyes, but he'd be lying. All he could see was that big-ass blade headed right for him.
Stefan sucked in a breath and scooted backward when the guy's head exploded. The other marauder stood there for a moment, looking confused as hell, before his head exploded. Stefan scrambled to his feet and tried to see where the shot had come from, but everyone around him was engaged in fights or dead on the ground.
A cry echoed through the night air. It was a sound filled with fear. Stefan grabbed his rifle and took off running in the direction of that terror. As he ran past the crop of trees where he'd first spotted movement, someone grabbed him from behind. Stefan started to shout out for help, but a hand slapped over his mouth.
"Quiet, Stef."
Chapter Five
Sawyer never thought he'd be thankful for the enhancements the mechs had forced upon him, but as he watched a group of marauders sneak through the perimeter of the Castle Rock settlement, he was very thankful.
For one, the enhancements allowed him to easily pinpoint all ten men. It also allowed him to pinpoint the weapons they carried. They weren't loaded down for an invasion, but close enough. A lot of people would be hurt if they got inside the settlement.
If he hadn't been watching to make sure the three people he'd freed made it into the settlement okay, he wouldn't have seen Stefan and the others arrive a little while later. After spotting Stefan, Sawyer couldn't leave. He needed to see him, even if it was from afar. Now, he was really glad he'd stuck around.
When he saw Stefan running right into a trap, he knew he couldn't stay hidden any longer. He worked his way through battle, trying to keep in the shadows as much as possible. He caught up with the man just as he was running past a crop of trees.
He grabbed Stefan then around the waist and pulled him back into the shadows. "Quiet, Stef."
The man in his arms stilled.
Sawyer pulled him deeper into the trees, away from the battle. When Stefan tried to turn his head to look at him, Sawyer tightened his grip. "No, don't look at me."
"Sa—Sawyer?"
"Quiet, baby. If they hear you…" Sawyer didn't even want to think about what could happen. Stefan was an expert shot from far away, but he lacked experience in hand-to-hand combat. Sawyer didn't want to think about what the man might have gone through over the last two years.
Sawyer turned his head and breathed in the masculine scent that was unique only to Stefan Andres. No other man on the planet smelled as good, or looked as good, or made Sawyer feel as good. Stefan was utterly perfect.
And this was a very bad idea.
He should have just shot the guys chasing after Stefan. Letting the man know he was alive was going to create more problems than Sawyer could handle at the moment. He needed to keep his mind on the battle. It was the only way to keep Stefan safe.
"Stay with me." Sawyer let go of Stefan and gripped his automatic rifle before heading off. He needed to get him somewhere safe so he could come back and take these idiots out. He felt kind of guilty, like he had led the marauders directly to the settlement. He knew he hadn't. This settlement had been here since the very beginning. But it sure felt like that.
