16. Rhett #2
I don’t take his suggestion. Instead I head around the bar, hunting for a trip switch or something. The line of alcohol is all more than half-consumed. Where the fuck is it? My sight sticks on the bottle of whiskey, and I don’t think twice as I swipe a glass and press it to the release.
“Not quite the time, man,” Rix comments.
Nothing comes out. Reaching up, I pull the whiskey, and sure enough, a latch somewhere comes open.
“Holy shit, these guys have style!”
“Rix . . .” I warn.
The only thing these motherfuckers have are corrupt souls that need cutting out of this world.
Down the passage is a bolted iron door. I heave it open and light floods into the dark space.
It appears empty. The smell is damp and pungent, and I stuff my nose into my elbow while aiming my gun.
There are several beds and only one tall rectangular window for light.
There’s no doubt this place has held captives before.
At least my mind can settle knowing there aren’t any here right now.
I’m moving to leave when a slight shift has me spinning, gun aimed, and a whimper follows my sudden movement.
“Shit! There’s a girl,” I hiss to Rix.
He rounds off his own venomous curses and thoughts as I ease toward her slowly, tucking my gun into the back of my pants and holding up my hands.
“You’re safe now, I promise. I’m going to get you out of here.”
She curls into herself more, dressed in dirty, torn-up wears, far too lean to be healthy.
“What’s your name?” I try.
She doesn’t speak, and the terror in those brown eyes is something that will haunt me forever.
It’s hard to say from the malnourishment, but I don’t think she could be any older than Ana now I’m closer, and my mind tortures me with the image of her here instead since she looks somewhat familiar, with brown hair too.
“We have to leave now. Can you trust me?”
I hold out a hand, and it takes some patience, which I’m near trembling to sustain knowing whoever is upstairs could come down at any moment. She finally takes my hand and the relief drops in me.
Closing each door exactly how I found it, we make it back to the first level.
“You’re about to run into them,” Rix snaps. “Next right.”
That’ll lead me away from the back door I came through, but I trust Rix knows there’s another exit.
“That little shit,” he says, but the panic in his voice spikes in me too.
“Jeremy—where is he?” I dare to ask.
“About to get himself killed, and I’d like to do that myself,” he snarls.
Commotion sounds toward the kitchen, and I pinch my eyes closed just for a second to collect my sanity.
“What was that?” an unfamiliar man’s voice echoes.
I pull the woman into an open room as they come running past, and then we slip back out and come to another door.
“Head toward the bushes at the end of the property and hide. Wait for me and I’ll come for you,” I instruct her.
While seconds ago she was reluctant to take my hand, I have to pry it free now.
Shouting starts and a clamor erupts behind me.
“He needs your help, man!” Rix shouts in alarm.
“Now!” I bark at her.
She takes off with a whimper and I run back inside.
When I get to the kitchen I point my gun at the nearest guy, but Jeremy is under the threat of the other’s gun.
“I could shoot both of you before you could pull that trigger,” I say with a deadly calm. “Or you can let him go and no one needs to die tonight.”
It’s a lie. While my mask is still on, they’ve exposed Jeremy, and I can’t risk him being found by these shitfaces.
Both of them only smirk, and I’m seconds from pulling the trigger until pain lances the side of my head. It explodes through me and I hit the ground, fighting for consciousness, not fast enough to avoid the next fist across my cheek from a third guy we’d failed to account for in the car.
Those are all the hits he’ll get in tonight.
My fist connects with his face with far more force. I’m prepared to fight him, but when I get up he’s out cold. I look up just in time to see the gun pointed at me and I twist, hissing with the fire that tears over my bicep, narrowly missing the plunge of the bullet.
Motherfucker.
Now I’m beyond pissed.
I don’t spare a second, aiming my gun and firing a shot between the man’s eyes.
“I-I’ll fucking kill him!” The one holding Jeremy quivers.
I lean on the island, pretending to catch my breath.
“Please—I’ll do anything,” I pant, clutching my bleeding arm. It’s a bit deeper than a scrape.
The man slackens his hold on the kid, just enough to let me know he thinks we’ll come to some truce.
I don’t give mercy to his kind of people.
Once I have my opening I fire at his shoulder. When Jeremy leaps out of the way, his shrill cry is cut off by the next bullet to the man’s chest.
“Get the fuck out of this house,” I snarl at Jeremy.
He doesn’t hesitate, scrambling out, and just as I instructed, the girl is shaking behind the bushes. Jeremy removes his jacket and slings it around her.
The closest hospital is an hour away. It’s five o’clock.
In the car Jeremy sits in the back with the woman, and the first yap I hear has me glaring in the rearview mirror.
“You stole the fucking dogs?”
She’s holding one in her lap and it seems to bring a small comfort.
“There’s no way I was leaving these adorable guys behind to the monsters! I’m naming them Frodo and Sam. They’re part of the Xoidship now.”
For the small smile it brings to the hollow woman’s face, I can’t be mad. Besides, two little ankle-biters will be Rix’s problem more than mine.
“I’ll have to drop you off at the apartment. Rix will pick you up to go to the hospital,” I say.
Jeremy only nods. He knows he fucked up in there even in trying to help. I’m livid. I didn’t intend to spill blood tonight, but I risk unleashing it too harshly right now. Ana is waiting for me, so I need to rally some fucking composure before then.
I’ll find out more about the woman later. And hope to all hell there’s something of a lead in what we found from the storm that just erupted tonight.