They ripped open her barely healed psyche, leaving brand new scars.
Kira coughed, forcibly clearing her throat of the small mass blocking her esophagus.The fishy, metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth.A small amount oozed out the corner of her lips.
She pushed harder, not caring about the damage she was doing to herself.
The way she figured it, her choices were die now—or die later.
She preferred later.
Bez grabbed Kira’s shoulders.“What are you doing?Stop that!”
The hard shake he gave her destroyed the delicate hold she had on her soul’s breath.The small bubble that had been forming burst, sending shards of glass to shred her insides.
This time Kira bent forward to vomit blood.
“What is wrong with you?Are you crazy?”Bez asked.
Kira swiped at her mouth.“No—just determined not to die.”
Not that it mattered anymore.That had been her only chance.
“I’m sorry, Jin.”
She didn’t want it to be the end.She’d really hoped she could pull off a miracle, but it looked like her quota might have been used up this time.
Her comms crackled.
“This is why I can’t let you out of my sight,” Jin complained.
Pye and Az watched in amazement as the blast doors unsealed.
“Go!Go!Go!”Bez shouted as soon as he saw them start to open.
Az and Pye didn’t wait before slipping through.
Bez bent to retrieve Kira but Finn was already there, sliding past him to bend toward her.
“When it comes to the subject of your safety, I’m beginning to think your promises mean shit,” Finn murmured, carefully lifting her.
“You can’t actually blame me for a natural disaster.”
Kira’s tired smile took more effort than it should have.
Finn arched an eyebrow at her as he strode past Jin.“So that explosion we heard had nothing to do with you?”
Kira was saved by Jin’s strident voice.“Close it.”
She looked over to find Raider kneeling beside an access panel.
The blast doors reversed course.
A second later, the landslide slammed into them.The metal buckled but held.As did the walls of the compound.
“What happened?”Jin asked, taking in Kira’s blood-soaked form.
“Sniper,” Bez answered.
Jin stared at Kira.“And you thought blowing up something would help the situation how?”
