Page 103 of Tough Justice

Keeping a wary eye on Barnett, he rushed to the gate, trying to open it, but it didn’t move, didn’t even jiggle. He dropped to his knees. “Tori!” Her body was slumped against the bars, unmoving, and she hadn’t responded to his call. Was she dead? Jesus, no. “Tori!”

He set the shotgun on the ground. Through the bars, he cradled her head, tilting up her face. Tears streaked her cheeks. He didn’t see any blood but couldn’t tell if she was breathing. He touched two fingers to her neck, desperately feeling for a pulse at her carotid.

Thor stuck his muzzle through the bars, trying to lick her face even though his mask was still firmly strapped on.

Her eyelids fluttered then opened. “Deck?”

Though they were underground in a smoke-filled tunnel, his heart swelled with so much emotion he thought it would burst. “Yeah, honey. It’s me. I need to get you out of here.” She coughed, and he tugged the edge of her once-white doctor’s coat up to cover her mouth. “Where’s the key to this gate?” He looked around, searching the surrounding walls for a hook with a key on it.

“In the hole,” he could swear she murmured.

Deck looked behind him at the hole with the ladder sticking out through the top. He clicked on his flashlight, shining the beam into the hole. It was at least twenty feet down.

Something popped in the lab, bursting from the flames. He had to try and put the fire out before more smoke filled the tunnels. Assuming it was a typical drug lab, there’d be gas tanks. If the fire got to the tanks, he didn’t know which would kill them first, the smoke or the explosion.

Damn, but he didn’t want to do this.

Working quickly, he unstrapped Thor’s mask then pointed to the ladder. “Thor, get the key.”

Without hesitation, Thor angled his body and began shimmying down the ladder backward.

Deck jumped to his feet, about to rush back to the lab for a fire extinguisher, water, or anything else he could use to put out the fire.

“Deck!” Tori shrieked, pointing behind him.

He turned but not in time. A hand locked on to his ankle. Barnett. Deck tried taking a step but started to fall face first. He reached out to cushion the fall. When his right hand hit the ground, splintering pain shot to his injured shoulder.

He gritted his teeth, pushing through it. Barnett landed on Deck’s chest, straddling him. Before he could stop him, Barnett tore off Deck’s respirator and began pounding on Deck’s face with his fists.

He blocked the next blow with his forearms, his shoulder taking the brunt. More pain speared directly to the injury. He took a deep, smoke-filled breath, coughing as he shoved at Barnett’s chest with his left arm. All those workouts in the gym paid off.

Barnett flew back, landing on his ass in the dirt. A look of undiluted rage contorted the man’s features. Deck reached for the Glock in his holster and—

And nothing. He couldn’t move his arm. It had gone completely numb.

While Deck scrambled to his feet, so did Barnett. Deck reached across his body with his left hand, trying to unholster his Glock. Before he could reach it, Barnett lunged, pinning Deck’s arm to the bars of the gate.

“No!” Tori reached through the bars and grabbed one of Barnett’s hands.

The three of them stood there struggling, Tori clinging to Barnett and Barnett pressing Deck back against the gate with his body.

As Barnett tugged something from one of his pockets, Tori jabbed a piece of metal into his neck, drawing blood.

“Dammit!” Using his thumb, Barnett popped the cap off a small bottle.

“Deck, watch out!” Before he could toss the contents in Deck’s face, Tori grabbed it from Barnett’s hand.

With what little strength he had left, Deck broke free of the grip Barnett had on his good arm and shoved him to the ground. He reached for his Glock, this time managing to get it unholstered.

Barnett pushed up from the dirt, his face twisted with rage. Deck hooked his left index finger around the trigger and squeezed off three rounds, triple-tapping Barnett dead center in the chest.

For two seconds, Barnett stood as if frozen in time before falling to his knees. He lowered his head as he looked down at his chest. The rage that had been on his face only moments ago was quickly replaced by shock. Then in slow motion, he face-planted in the dirt.

While they’d been fighting, the smoke had intensified. Deck shoved his gun into his belt, coughing more now. He turned to see Tori with the bottle still in her hand, her eyes wide. She dropped the bottle then stumbled back from the gate.

Deck couldn’t see any gray powder on her face, but oh God.

He yanked his shirt up and over his head. “Tori, wipe it off! Wipe it off!” He stretched his arm through the bars, but she’d staggered too far from the gate for him to reach her. If that powder was what he thought it was, she didn’t have much time.