Page 27 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

He sees, feels and smells Lachlan Tanner.

Above, around, surrounding him, pinning him down.

The former bodyguard scans around and then moves away faster than Kade thought possible, rolling off and up as units pour inside. Kade watches as a series of movements unfurl before his dazed eyes.

Lachlan walks carelessly into oncoming fire, snatches a gun from the closest one and turns it around on them. No attempt to duck, divert or shield himself. He takes every bullet they have to give and unloads the stolen weapon on each of them with precision headshots delivered in economical fashion. He then turns towards Riley.

For one horrifying second, Kade thinks Lachlan is about to kill him.

But instead, he reaches for Riley’s arm to pull him behind, shielding him as he walks backwards towards Kade.

When they make it back, Riley helps Kade sit up while Lachlan provides cover by kneeling in front of them both, keeping his stolen weapon aimed towards the blasted wall. Riley is talking, and not to Kade by the looks of it. Lachlan shakes his head, and Riley makes a face, visibly angry, yelling something that Kade doesn’t hear.

Riley never yells.

The blood running down his neck is bright, gleaming red.

Lachlan takes out three more, reloading and dragging an intruder’s body closer. He pulls off the mask, but Kade has already spotted the black silicone wrist cuff.

It’s the Resets.

Bloody hands cup Kade’s face, studying him.

‘I can’t hear you,’ Kade tells Riley, shaking his head.

Riley touches his own ears.

You heal the worst of it.

Kade’s boss stayed far away during attacks, always at the top of the Tower. He was protecting Kade from this.

Another charge is tossed inside, but Lachlan catches it and throws it back out, turning swiftly to grab them both and shield them with his own body.

The blast is minor that time.

Lachlan is wet. His clothes are drenched as if he just pulled himself up and out of a swimming pool, except it’s all rose-red, Kade’s favourite colour. When he lets go, Kade is damp with Lachlan’s blood. Bullets push their way out of Lachlan’s body, dropping onto the debris-strewn floor.

Internal bleeding? Lachlan asks in sign.

Kade shakes his head, speaking again despite not being able to hear it.

‘We need to assemble units.’

I can hear your people fighting, Lachlan tells him.

Riley says something to which Lachlan shakes his head, a clear no.

Astonishingly, Riley shoves him hard, yelling again.

His neck muscles are strained, his cheeks are red. Lachlan shoots Riley a briefly confused look, but then more units come inside, so he wheels around and covers Riley by drawing him behind with one arm, the other extended to deliver more immaculate headshots, this time with a handgun.

When they’re down, Lachlan snags several large automatics for himself, handing one to Riley. He seems to be asking him if he knows how to use it because Riley snaps at him and visibly demonstrates, but it lacks his typical confidence. Lachlan quickly shows him a couple of things.

Riley gives a nod.

When Lachlan helps Kade to his feet, there’s fractious conflict brewing in his eyes. He signs to Kade in rapid-fire ASL, clearly distressed.

Your boss says I need to shield him to shield you, so I’m going to do both. I can’t just let you get hurt.