Chapter 22 Cameron
CAMERON
Fury is four days late.
Mikah and Erik found me as I lay hidden away in the underbrush of the desert after the drone missiles hit. I guessed that Emery must’ve been the one to hide me there.
I coughed up blood as someone shook me awake. What the fuck was happening? I blinked hard and wiped the filth from my eyes.
Mikah hovered above me, Erik by her side with his rifle raised and scouring the area for survivors.
“Mori, we need you to let them take you. They are about to pick up Morphine, so we have to be quick.” Erik’s words were rushed and weren’t making any sense to me.
“They’re going to find your neck tracker, but I want you to swallow this one.
We’re finally going to have all of their hideout locations and this will be the end of Greg’s fucking games.
I’m taking back what’s mine, along with all of the bunkers and ties. ”
My throat was already so thick with dust that it was hard to speak. “Sir, what the fuck are you talking about?”
Mikah shoved a small metal pellet into my mouth and tipped my chin up so I’d swallow as she muttered robotically, “We’re going to rescue you in five days. Unless something goes horribly wrong of course.” She said the latter like it didn’t matter.
I looked pointedly back at Erik. “Where’s Emery? We can’t let them take her!” I tried to stand, but he shoved me back down. Cold, amber eyes pinning me. “You’re both being taken by Mavestelli. I’m sorry that it’s come to this, but there’s no other options at this point since Kayden has been lost.”
He was going to have Kayden do this? Why? My brain felt heavy as dizziness fell over me when I tried to get up again. Shit, I’ve lost too much blood.
His gaze returns to the field and the hideout across it. A roar of a truck starts up and my pulse leaps at what’s unfolding.
“Sir,” I said with doubt clouding my eyes. He didn’t seem like the same lieutenant I’d known for years. The one I’ve trusted relentlessly and aimed to make proud for picking me up that day at the bar. “This is insane. What’s keeping them from putting a bullet in my skull the moment they find me?”
Erik grinned and patted my vest twice before standing up. “Nothing. But I know my brother. He’ll want to hold something over the Dark Forces as a bargaining chip. You can do this, Mori.”
Wait, Greg is his brother? He sees the confusion in my eyes.
“We’re half brothers. I’ll explain more when we pick you up, okay? We don’t have time right now.”
Mikah takes off toward the rocks and Erik is hot on her heels.
“Wait!” I whisper shouted, but he ignored my plea. My eyes traced back to the boulders, finding Thomas and Gage staring down at me from afar with the same confusion I felt.
I blink as we’re thrust into darkness.
Emery forces her eyes to open more, and she offers me a frail smile. I still have the ability to see in the dark even after the reversal pills were in effect, so I know she can see me too.
“Make noise,” she mouths at me.
What could she possibly have in mind? I curtly nod and start rattling the chains as hard as I can. Reed, Greg, and the one guard in the room all react to the sound.
Emery winces as she moves as fast as she’s able, snatching the keys from the guard’s belt as he’s distracted. She quickly takes one off before clipping the ring back to his waist. My chains clanking keeps his attention as he fumbles with his phone.
Her breaths are labored from the effort and she seems utterly exhausted. God, she never ceases to amaze me. Even in her state, she hasn’t lost her wit.
Reed immediately turns on his phone’s flashlight while Greg calls his surveillance team.
“What’s going on? Why has the power cut out?” he demands as he paces in the dimly lit room frantically.
A weak grin pulls at the corners of my lips. Mikah couldn’t have hacked into their system at a more perfect time. Though, I would’ve much preferred her to have been punctual. Especially considering that Emery and I could’ve been spared four days of this hell.
Greg doesn’t like whatever information his guard relays to him. He smashes his phone on the ground and curses loudly as he storms out of the room. “Leave them here. Lock the door and secure the building!” he fires off orders rapidly, shouting down the hall and cursing.
My heart skips a beat.
They’re leaving her here alone with me?
The second the door slams shut behind them I whisper, “Emery. Hey, are you okay?”
She remains lying still, but a small whimper lets me know that she heard me. Fuck, I need to get out of this before I lose my mind. She needs me. I need her.
An explosion shakes the building and turns my stomach. It’s impossible to tell if it’s coming from the roof or the lower floors. Either way, the eighth level is too high up to survive a collapse. Crumbs of drywall fall like sand around us, urging me into action.
“Emery. I need you to get up, love.” I hate myself for pushing her when she’s in so much pain, I hate that it’s come to this.
She slowly moves and forces her arms beneath her. “It hurts,” she cries, tears trickling to the floor.
It guts me to hear her in misery like this. My lower jaw tightens and I can’t help but try to get to her, pulling against the chains even though I know it’s futile.
Emery stops and leans against my leg. The contact of her warm hand on my skin knots my throat.
“I know, baby, I’m so sorry. This is my fault.
Please, don’t cry,” I murmur in an attempt to soothe her.
“I want to hold you so badly. I’m sorry I can’t wrap you in my arms and keep you safe.
But do you hear that? Fury is coming, they’re going to extract us.
We just need to hold out a little bit longer. ”
She lets out a small whimper as she climbs into my lap and rests her cheek against my chest. I let my head drop to hers and inhale her floral scent. I am only a wicked man filled with demons, but she makes me feel like the sea on a stormless night—calm and clear.
Her voice comes as a whisper. “Is what you said about the lieutenant true?”
My insides twist. I really didn’t want her to hear it from me. But it happened this way and there’s not much I can do about it now.
I nod. “Yes, he is your uncle.”
Emery takes it in as she slowly sits up in my lap and leans to the left to unlock the cuff around my wrist. I swallow the guilt that festers inside me with her silence.
“How long have you known?” Her voice breaks with hurt, breath warm against my ear.
God, I fucking hate myself for this.
“I’ve known since right before we were captured by your father.”
Emery slowly lifts her head and looks into my eyes. There’s a wealth of sorrow there, bleeding and melding with my own. “Why didn’t you tell me on the roof that night?”
I wince at her words. “I didn’t think it was my story to tell.”
It really wasn’t, but that doesn’t mean I’m less of an asshole for keeping it from her.
“How does Fury know where we are?” she asks warily.
My eyes lift to the door, willing my squad to burst in any second to stop this uncomfortable conversation.
I don’t want her to hate me more than I’m already convinced she does.
But the room goes quiet and her pleading eyes force me into words.
“They removed our trackers, as I’m sure you already know.
” I brush my lips over the back of her neck where a little red scar remains.
Reed probably found it as soon as he put us under for surgery, likely the same with mine.
“Mikah had me swallow one so they wouldn’t find it. ”
“And you knew they were coming this entire time?” The weakness in her tone has grown cold and stiffer. The first shackle releases and my arm drops like a weight to my side. She moves to my next arm and sets to unlocking it.
“I didn’t find out until moments before they captured me.”
Her eyes narrow. “And you didn’t think I should’ve known too?”
The next cuff clicks and my arm falls to my lap.
The muscles in my biceps are weary, but I manage to lift my hand to her cheek, wrapping my other arm around her lower back and pulling her close against my chest. “Part of me believed that you might tell your father. You were so angry with me… I didn’t know where your alliance was. ”
She leans back and looks at me like I’ve just torn her heart from her chest.
“Let’s just get out of here. I don’t want to talk,” she whispers, sounding resigned. Her eyes are filled with hurt. I feel like such a piece of shit. Emery staggers to her feet.
I force myself to stand and struggle to stay up, but I manage to get to the doorway and brace an arm on the wall. I try the handle. Locked. Fuck, of course it is. Neither of us have the strength to kick it down.
Emery coughs and covers her mouth as blood trickles from her lips.
My eyes widen and I grab her firmly by the shoulders. She’s already at this stage? The pounding of my heart roars through my ears.
“When did you start coughing up blood, Em?” She keeps her eyes down and refuses to answer me. “We need to get you to Reed. I told him this stage might come up, he had a stabilizing shot made for you in case this happened.”
Emery glares at me, but realization dawns on her the moment it does on me.
I slipped up.