Chapter 34
Played
Rhys
Failure is a heavy weight on my chest, suffocating me as the realisation of what’s happening comes crashing down on top of me.
How did they get past the walls again? We fixed it. I made sure the routes they took last time were obliterated, and only a few people know about the escape routes we have in place in case of emergency. There’s no way they should have found them.
But they did. And now the innocent people of Haven are paying the price.
I shake myself out of my horrified stupor and shove the thoughts aside. I can dwell on them later. The residents need me more.
Luke is still standing in front of the gate with that smug smirk on his face—the prick—but I ignore him as I turn to Alex. “I need you to find Theo. He’s probably already ran to the fight. Take ten security personnel with you.”
He hesitates, his gaze flicking to Ollie who’s glaring down at Luke with so much hate, it’s a wonder the guy hasn’t keeled over from the force of it. “Sweetheart,” Alex murmurs as he brushes his fingers against her cheek.
Her gaze snaps to his and her eyes soften. It’s a look I’m desperate to have from her, but I shove that longing aside.
Soon. Once this mess has been taken care of.
“I need you to stay safe and listen to Rhys,” Alex says before taking her lips in a sickeningly sweet, intimate kiss.
I avert my gaze, feeling as though I’m intruding. When he finally pulls away, her lips are swollen and her eyes are sparkling with desire. That desire dissipates into fear when he steps away from her, his gaze full of regret, and leaves the watchtower, several security team members following him.
“Are you finally deciding to take my offer seriously?” Luke calls out in an infuriatingly smug tone that makes me want to put a bullet between his eyes.
It’s tempting, but I resist. I’m now down several men, and they still have guns and potentially explosives. I can’t afford to turn this into a bloodbath. Once Alex, Theo and the others have dealt with the Scourge inside Haven, we can regroup and drive these fuckers from the gate.
Although every part of me is screaming that something’s not right.
Not once has he taunted me with the explosives, even though Theo heard they have them.
Not sure by who, but someone had to have seen them to spread rumours about them, right?
I need to get eyes on them, to verify they exist. Those explosives are the only reason I’m still standing up here, engaging with these bastards instead of helping Theo and Alex fight.
I grind my teeth together and force myself to appear relaxed. “I told you before, Luke. We’re not taking your offer. Now how about you fuck off back to whatever hole you crawled out of.” Maybe if I goad him enough, he’ll show them to me. Or he’ll shoot all of us dead for insulting him.
Although that he hasn’t shot at us yet leads me to think he doesn’t want us dead. At least not yet. No, he wants something. I’m just not sure what.
Ollie stiffens beside me and I can practically hear her screaming what the fuck are you doing?
in her head at me. However, she stays quiet and I can’t help but brush my fingers against her arm, a silent thanks for her trusting me even though this plan is risky as fuck.
Not unlike half the shit she comes up with, to be honest.
Luke cocks an eyebrow but otherwise doesn’t rise to the bait. “Tough words coming from a guy hiding behind a wall while his people are getting shot at.”
I can’t help but snort. “If that’s your attempt to goad me into somehow giving up my position, it’s pathetic. My ego isn’t nearly that fragile. Especially when all I need to do to end this is to shoot you.” I raise my rifle.
Several Scourge around him shout out in alarm, with some even trying to place themselves between him and my gun. Luke, however, like the crazy bastard that he is, just laughs.
“Do you seriously think I came here not expecting this?” There’s a dangerous glint in his eyes as he grins at me.
“I’m not that stupid. So I’ll tell you this once; you shoot me and that pretty woman by your side has her head blown off.
On a completely unrelated note, did you know Mark was a sniper for the Army?
” To punctuate his threat, a red dot appears on Ollie’s forehead.
My stomach drops. Ollie freezes next to me, her breath catching in her throat, and pure terror flashes across her face.
Fuck.
I drop my rifle and the red dot disappears from Ollie’s head.
“That’s what I thought,” Luke chuckles and the men around him relax. “It’s always good to have contingency plans in place, just in case. You never know what will cause someone to fuck up.” He shrugs, the movement causing his coat to open, revealing a handgun and… nothing else.
No pipe bombs or explosives in sight.
My eyes flick to his men. While there’s a chance one of them could have them…
my gut is telling me Luke isn’t the type to give that responsibility to anyone other than himself.
Besides, every single man behind him is wielding some sort of weapon; from cricket bats and golf clubs to pistols, hunting rifles and shotguns.
Everyone has their hands full, making it even less likely for them to have explosives.
But this makes no sense. Why would someone spread the word that they had explosives if they didn’t? Unless it was to keep me here…
Dread sinks in my stomach like a stone. Something big is about to happen, something they wanted to keep me away from.
I whirl around from Luke and the Scourge and grab Ollie’s arm. “We need to leave,” I tell her, my heart pounding against my chest.
Her eyes widen. “What about them?” she asks as I drag her to the ladder.
“Ignore them. They can’t get through the gate and they’re purposefully keeping us here.”
“But I thought they had explosives?”
“Someone lied.” And betrayed us. I need to find out who they are because they might be how the Scourge got inside Haven.
I shove her down the ladder and turn to the security guard still left in the tower. “Keep an eye on them but stay out of view as much as possible. If they try to attack or move towards the gate, ring the bell and run.”
The guy nods and goes to do what I ask, using the wooden wall to crouch behind and peering through the small holes we drilled through the reinforced wood to keep watch. Satisfied that he’ll follow orders, I hurry after Ollie, who’s standing at the bottom of the ladder.
“So what’s the plan?” she asks with a confused frown on her face.
“We go help Alex and Theo and then find out who spread the information on the Scourge and their weaponry.” That should narrow down which hidden exit has been compromised since the only people who know all four of them are me, Alex and Theo.
The Council knows two of them, and certain members of the security team know another.
The fourth is one only the three of us know about.
Ollie and I hurry away from the gate and into a lightly forested area on the outskirts of Haven, keeping the wall to our left.
I’m desperate to check the hidden exits, but the panicked shouts and screams from our people urge me onward.
Once the Scourge have been cleared from Haven, we can hunt down our traitor.
The two of us break from the cover of the trees and into the maze of caravans.
The fighting is getting louder, the cries of agony and fear like fingernails on a chalkboard as the noise slithers down my spine.
I lift my rifle and slow the pace, taking time to clear every corner before moving.
Ollie instinctively follows suit, her bow ready to fire at a moment’s notice.
I peek around the side of a caravan and am about to move around it when there’s a gasp followed by a strangled shout.
I whirl around just in time to see Ollie use the arrow she’d been about to fire to stab a hulking man in the thigh behind her.
His arms, which were wrapped around her, immediately fall away as he collapses to the ground with another bellow of pain as she wrenches the arrow from his thigh.
I don’t hesitate. As soon as she’s out of the way, I take aim and fire a bullet straight into the man’s skull.
With him dead, I turn to Ollie, intending to ask if she’s okay, but she’s already pulling back the string on her bow.
She lets the arrow fly, and a second later, there’s a gargled gasp from over my left shoulder.
I whip around just in time to see another man wielding a kitchen knife drop to the ground, an arrow embedded in his chest. He was only a few metres away from me and there’s no way I would have reacted in time.
“You seemed to have made a habit out of saving my life,” I mutter with a shake of my head.
She smirks at me. “What can I say? You’re just really good at being a damsel in distress.”
I snort and shake my head. “Maybe one day I’ll repay the favour.” Although I hope that day will never come since it’ll mean Ollie’ll be in danger and my heart can only take so much stress.
We move on, ignoring the bleeding bodies at our feet and head deeper into the maze of caravans.
Rickety patios, awnings and gazebos obscure my line of sight, making it harder for me to see any enemies coming our way.
The fighting has quietened down, the screaming less frequent, giving the enclosed spaces between the caravans an almost eerie atmosphere.
Which is silly, since less noise means we’re winning the fight.
But something in my gut is telling me that this isn’t over. That Luke’s master plan is still in motion. Which means Alex, Theo and the rest of Haven could still be in danger.
I pick up the pace, dread fuelling my hurried steps. Ollie’s breaths are heavy as she chases after me, her footfalls almost too loud in the quiet stillness of the settlement.
Until they stop.
“Rhys…” There’s something in her tone that has the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
I whirl around and snap my gun up as cold, hard fear slams into me.
Ollie stands stock still, her eyes wide and her face drained of blood as she clutches her bow with white knuckles.
Behind her, a stocky man has one arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her back against his chest while pressing a knife against her throat.
Even though his face is obscured by shadows, I can still see the malicious gleam in his eyes.
“Let her go,” I snarl as I aim my rifle at his head.
The man chuckles. “You shoot and this bitch is dead. Now drop your weapon like a good boy.”
My hand flexes on the grip of my rifle, but I remain still. There’s no guarantee that if I drop my weapon that he won’t kill her.
“How about you drop yours?” I run through several scenarios on how to get both of us out of this alive. If I can distract him for a second, it’ll give me time to shoot him before he can hurt Ollie.
The man shakes his head and presses the knife harder against her throat. She hisses as a thin line of blood trickles down her neck and it takes everything in me not to lose it at the sight.
“I will kill her if you don’t drop your weapon,” the man says, and I believe him.
Fuck.
Ollie’s eyes shine with unshed tears as she shakes her head slightly, wincing as the blade bites into her skin and causing more blood to well up. “Don’t do it,” she whispers as her body trembles in the man’s grip. “Don’t listen to him.”
“Shut up, bitch!” The guy moves his hand from her middle to wrap around her hair, pulling it roughly. She cries out and curses as he wrenches her head back, exposing her throat further to the knife.
My stomach roils with nausea. I know she wants me to just shoot the guy, but I can’t gamble with her life like that. Theo and Alex will never forgive me if I let her get hurt—or worse—on my watch. Hell, I’d never forgive myself.
I drop my gun.
“No!” Ollie shouts, her voice filled with pain, fear and frustration.
As she speaks, several things happen at once.
A second guy appears from behind the two of them, aiming an old revolver straight at me.
Someone comes up behind me at the same time and wraps a thick arm around my throat.
I growl and fight back, only to still when the tip of a blade presses into my stomach.
The arm around my neck tightens, cutting off both air to my lungs and blood flow to my brain.
Ollie fights back against the man restraining her, whipping her knife out while he’s distracted with me dropping my gun to stab him in the thigh.
The guy bellows and curses as his leg gives way beneath him, almost taking Ollie down with him.
She thankfully evades him and the knife and stays standing, ready to flee.
Only to hesitate when she sees me.
“Run, princess!” I roar as I struggle, willing her to at least get away from this mess, even if it means securing my death.
“Grab her!” the guy behind me orders as he presses the knife harder into my gut. “Don’t even think about it, or I’ll turn your insides into outsides,” he threatens in my ear.
“Run!” I shout again, ignoring him. Nothing else matters but getting Ollie out of here.
But it’s too late.
The guy on the ground grabs her ankle and yanks, sending her flying to the ground. She yelps, only just catching herself with her hands before her face smashes into the dirt. But it also means she loses her knife and bow, sending both weapons scattering in opposite directions away from her.
Cursing and growling, she tries to kick at the guy, but he avoids it while still keeping a hold of her ankle. This gives the third guy the chance to close the distance and, as quick as a whip, slams the butt of the gun against her head.
No.
My heart drops, and bile burns my throat as she slumps into the dirt, unconscious.
“Thank fuck for that, stupid bitch,” the guy holding her ankle mutters with a wince as he staggers to his feet. His gaze flicks to me. “You gonna kill him?”
I feel the guy behind me shake his head as he sighs. “Luke wants him alive.”
And then it all hits me.
This was Luke’s plan; he wanted me off the watchtower with Ollie so he could snatch us both. He didn’t accidentally show his lack of explosives; he did it on purpose. He fucking played me and, like an idiot, I fell for it.
I just potentially condemned Ollie and me to death.
Grief, guilt and regret crash over me, overwhelming me as I struggle to breathe.
Not just from the arm around my neck but from the crushing weight of how much I messed up pressing against my chest. I barely register when the painful point of the knife disappears from my gut for a second before pain erupts across my temple.
Everything goes black.