I’m through the second door and the iron one in front of me is bolted from this side. I can hear her, pounding desperately on the other side. If I hadn’t made it through, she would have been trapped there…
Yanking out the iron bolt and nearly ripping the door off its hinges, I catch Mala as she falls into me.
“You’re alive,” she sobbed, “I thought you were crushed-”
Cutting her off with a desperate kiss, I run my hands down her shoulders, her body. “Are you hurt?” There’s blood streaked on her face.
“It’s just a bloody nose,” she grabbed my hands. “Liam- it was Liam with two men. He had the C4 but-”
The lights flicker overhead and I take her hand, “We have to move. Where is he?” I’m dragging her back down the hall, watching the cracks above us widen ominously. A chunk of concrete drops from the ceiling with a choking cloud of dust.
“He’s dead,” she gasps, coughing, “he saved me. He shot the two men and then Fournier, fucking Baptiste Fournier was behind him, he killed Liam.”
Pulling her through the next door, I breathe a sigh of relief; the cracks have stabilized here.
“...I- I have the C4, it’s here,” she pats the bag strapped over her shoulder.”
“Where’s Fournier?”
“I jumped him. I stabbed him. Left eye.” Her fury and heartbreak are slowly solidifying into shock. “He’s there. By Liam.”
Spinning her, I grip her shoulders. “Look at me. Mala, you did well. You were so brave, I am proud of you. We’ll grieve later, yes?”
She’s trying to focus on me, blinking the dust out of her eyes. “Later. Yes.” Swiping her sleeve over her face, she smears the blood and dust more but she nods. “What now?”
I love this woman.
Looking at her determined, beautiful, filthy face, I could not love her more. “Listen carefully, little fox. You are not prey. You are the predator now. We’re going to arm up, and you will shoot everyone you don’t recognize, do you understand?”
“Yes,” she agrees.
Pulling her to the closest exit, I tap in the combination for the lock on the weapons cabinet there. She sucks in a startled breath when I pull open the doors.
“Is that a Stinger missile?”
“Yes baby, it is.” Slinging the launch gear over my shoulder, I hand her a rifle. “I know you prefer knifework, but this is going to be large scale. Take as many extra ammo clips as you can carry.”
She obeys me, coughing as a change of wind brings the fire’s smoke toward us.
Cupping her face, I kiss her soundly. “Stay with me. We’ll do this together. Remember, you are the hunter now.”
Gripping her rifle, Mala looks up at me with complete faith. “I’m ready.”
We open the door, and the world is on fire.
Mala…
Blackhawk helicopters are flying over us, strafing the grounds with thousands of rounds of bullets. Buildings are on fire. All four of the guard towers are lit up like noontime, firing at the helicopters and vehicles trying to break through the twisted remains of the main gate.
Cormac grabs my arm, pointing at the west wall, closest to the cliffs. “Cover me!”
Watching him at war is like… it is his art. He’s gracefully loading the Stinger missile on the run as we’re racing for the wall. Squinting through a cloud of smoke, I nearly lose him until I hit the wall with my shoulder and the haze clears enough to see him hoisting himself up. He points to a spot midway on the wall and my heart seizes as I nod. It’s all open space, no cover, he has no fucking cover and just me for backup!
Looking over the other side of the wall, I spot three men running low. I don’t know if they’ve seen Cormac yet but it’s a matter of seconds. Spraying them with bullets, I brace against the kick of the rifle, gritting my teeth. Dirt and rock chips fly but all three are down. Running below him as he barrels down the top of the wall, I shoot two more men.
Cormac’s kneeling down, putting the missile launcher on his shoulder. I can see which helicopter he’s targeting, currently unloading its Gatling guns on the north and west towers, sweeping between them in a rain of death and the percussive noise of the bullets makes my ears ring violently.
Seconds later, the Blackhawk explodes with a roar like a wounded beast, flaming chunks of the helicopter are blown out over the cliff and into the sea from the force of the missile. Cormac leaps down from the wall and falls into me, rolling us several feet behind an outbuilding.
