Page 118 of Trapped Truth

I move to launch a fresh attack, ducking at the hit that takes out the side window above my head. Glass and debris pelt me, yet the slash of shards hitting my face is hardly a distraction. I’m too busy vying to fire back, determined to take this motherfucker down hard.

Another strike lands dangerously close to where I’m crouched. Damn, they’re a good shot. I can hear Warner and Blaine returning blow for blow. For once in her life, I hope Ember stays safely inside under Axel’s care.

Not even the roar of approaching helicopters and the entire city’s emergency force coming in hot can slow our attackers down. Two more make their presence known. One inside the vehicle and one tucked somewhere behind.

“Cover me!” I order, rising to my full height.

It’s a risky move. Advancing between the two cars opens me up to fire. I have to put my full faith in my teammates, and from the whizz of bullets streaking past me, they don’t let me down. I hurl my entire body weight towards their SUV and land hard, curling in a fast, tight roll.

“Hyland!” Someone howls behind me.

With the wind knocked clean out of my lungs, it’s all I can do to slow my roll before tackling the hiding gunman at full force. We smack together with an audible crack of bones and his startled cursing.

Somewhere in the melee, I ditch the gun to wrap my hands around their mask-covered throat. The asshole grunts, bucking wildly in a pathetic attempt to throw me off. But I’ve got sheer bulk and size on my side.

A one-two punch to their clothed face elicits a wonderful sound. Satisfying. Like flesh and blood blasting against the righteous force of my cocked fist. If the sky wasn’t weeping hellfire, maybe I’d enjoy it.

I settle for the pleasure of smashing my prey into a pulp as our life burns in front of us. Crimson stickiness seeps through the woven mask, and eventually, their limbs cease struggling under my weight.

“Stay down!”

Tossing their carcass aside, my split knuckles sear under a thick coating of red fluid. Grinding my teeth, I pull myself upright long enough to locate my gun and keep moving, thirsty for more. I’ll crack the spines of anyone left standing in my path.

Circling their car brings me into the path of the final shooter. Sure enough, Warner and Blaine did their duty. The bag of shit lies spreadeagled on the glass-covered ground as my teammates advance closer for the final kill.

“You want the honour?” I heave out the question between breaths.

Warner shakes his head, chest rapidly rising and falling. “Be my guest.”

“I want to know who I have the pleasure of tearing apart limb by limb.” Blaine steps forward, pure, deadly fury seeping from his every pore.

Crouching to their level, I grasp the edges of the attacker’s mask under the watchful eye of the guys’ trained guns. The son of a bitch wouldn’t dare fight back now. With the fabric tugged free, the mask drops from my suddenly numb fingertips.

No, no… It can’t be.

Not even a series of blinks reveals an alternative sight. No matter how many times I shut my eyes, hoping for a different outcome. The bloodied man at our feet doesn’t change. Nor does his sick, gleeful grin abate.

“How does it feel to lose everything?” Kyle hawks up a mouthful of blood.

“You bastard! How could you do this?”

“You l-left Josh to die…. Like a-an animal in the dirt.”

“He was killed by the people we’re fighting!” Warner’s face is beet-red, his gun wavering.

“The same people you’ve aligned yourself with.” My mouth hangs open for a fraction of a second before I snap it shut, disgust taking over. “You’re the leak.”

Still smiling, Kyle licks the gushing blood from his lips, a gurgling breath emanating from his chest. There’s a gunshot wound placed precisely in his midsection. He’s got minutes or less.

“I a-am justice. Everyone e-else forgot Josh… but n-not me. Never m-me.”

“Harming us isn’t going to bring him back!”

“But it’ll m-make you f-feel his p-p-pain.”

Crunching footsteps near, bringing the rest of our team within earshot. I can’t look at Ember’s face. I’m not strong enough. More than anyone, Kyle blamed her for the death of his brother in arms. Wrongfully so.

“You,” she hisses.