The guy struggling with Jax let off another shot. The free-standing console next to me toppled over, a big crack in the top. Electronics bled out like innards. Sparks flew in my face. I lunged away as an electrical fire broke out.
The goon fired again, and I dragged Shade behind a chair with me. Shots banged. Stuffing flew out. I flinched and kept down. I couldn’t shoot back without endangering Jax.
Jax roared like the unhinged beast he was and moved his arm into a crushing hold around the guy’s neck. He jerked the man to the side, trying to get me out of the line of fire just as the soldier let off a string of crazy shots. The big monitors on the control-room wall shattered and went dark. Jax clamped down hard and shook the man with a snarl. The goon dropped his gun and ripped at Jax’s arm, his air cut off. Jax was immovable, a stone wall with death carved into the lines of his face. His scar whitened. His muscles bulged. He squeezed.
I sprang out from behind the chair. “Jax, no!” He went into terrible depressions when he killed someone with his bare hands. It triggered something that firing shots didn’t, even if the outcome was the same.
Jax’s eyes met mine, feral. I held his gaze.Easy, partner.
He shot at you!Jax’s silent scream nearly deafened me, low and hollow and wild.
I stood there, unharmed. Not a spot of blood on me. Not a bruise.I’m fine. I’m here. Let’s take another step—together. Like we always do.
After a long, fraught beat, his grip loosened, and he eased his choke hold enough for the man to breathe.
Jax’s eyes dulled to brown again instead of burning, but I didn’t move. I kept his focus on me until Frank dove forward and picked up the tiny can of sleeper spray I’d dropped.
“Jax!” Frank shouted, his arm outstretched. He pressed. Jax held his breath, closed his eyes, and shoved the guy straight into the oncoming vapor. The goon fell while Caeryssa reached out and jerked Jax back, hauling him away from the fast-acting mist. Jax’s back hit the wall of windows, and she crashed into his chest. They got their balance and sprang toward the doorway. The rest of us followed without a backward glance.
“Red Beam!” Caeryssa warned, swinging right with her gun to cover us as we flew out the door to the left. The security drone zinged back and forth to avoid her shots, ordering us to surrender in a robotic voice. The machine scanned her while it armed itself.
“Caeryssa Clare Owens. Wanted. Halt.”
“Not today,” she muttered, letting the Red Beam get closer and level out.
I swung around, starting back. “Ryssa!”
“Go!” she shouted and shot. The Red Beam exploded a millisecond after firing off a crimson ray that crackled with volts.
“Ah! Shit!” Caeryssa stumbled against the wall. Her right leg gave out, and she dropped.
Jax hurried back and scooped her up. “I’ve got you,” he said. “Breathe through it.”
“Stupid stun blaster.” She winced, clinging to his neck. “Twenty minutes before my leg works.”
I cursed. I knew from experience that hurt like hell, and now Jax was going to have to climb about sixty-five levels with a woman on his back.
Strike that. We’d never make it to the food holds unless our luck turned fast.
As if reading my mind, Shade said, “We gotta do something else.”
I nodded. “Merrick, fly in now. We’re going to need you.”
“You, too, Asher,” Frank said.
Both confirmed over the coms. “Everyone all right?” Asher asked.
“If byall right, you mean alive, then yes,” I said.
Someone blew out an audible breath. In my gut, I knew it was Gabe.
“Our time just got cutwaydown.” Frank pocketed the sleeper spray as we sped down the corridor. “Goons’ll be here any second.”
They’d flood the level, but they had to organize and get down here first. We’d be dealing with more Red Beams before that. “Go right!” I cried.
We skidded around the corner, our boots squeaking loudly. Shade and I ran fastest and ended up in front. Another Red Beam zoomed in from ahead. I got ready to duck, but Shade slowed, took aim, and shot it before it got too close.
We leaped over the debris, parts of the drone still whirring and clicking, its crimson eye wide open and searching for us. Frank kicked it hard as he passed, punting it into the wall. It stopped chirping.
