Chapter 36 Ari
ARI
Someone hits us with a running tackle from behind.
We lose our grip on Tivon, and he lands on the floor hard.
Axel and I get our bearings, and he whips around, gun already raised.
He fires off a shot, and we don’t even wait for the guy to hit the ground before we’re pulling Tivon to his feet.
He’s completely out cold, and I’m getting more worried by the second.
He scared the shit out of me when he zoned out while Aharon was beating him.
He didn’t even make a sound, just stared at the floor.
The last blow was to the back of his head because he pissed Aharon off by not screaming in pain.
Aharon stormed out seconds later with the warning that he would be back.
We half drag Tivon down the hallway and I come up short when two figures skid into our path, but relax when I see the masks. “This place is empty,” Shadow says.
“He wouldn’t go alone. There has to be a secret way in and out,” I argue.
We can not lose him again. We’ll never get Kira and Jason back if he gets away, and I never want to see what Tivon just went through again.
Each strike felt like a blow to my own body, and my heart was ripped to shreds. “Where is everyone else?”
“At the prison,” Axel answers. “We didn’t want to leave them unprotected. It’s just us.”
“You guys get Tivon out of here,” Ghost says. “We’ll keep looking.”
They disappear around the corner, and we continue our slow walk to the door. “How’s the leg?” When I give Axel a funny look, he nods at the blood on my jeans. “You’re bleeding.”
“Oh.” I completely forgot that fucker shot me, because all my focus has been on Tivon. “Through and through. I’ll be fine.”
More people come racing around the corner, but this time, it isn’t good news.
They swarm us fast, and Axel doesn’t even have a chance to get a shot off.
They grab him, letting Tivon slide to the floor, and I’m grabbed from behind.
They start dragging me away, but I’ll be damned if they get the upper hand again.
Using all my strength, I plant my boots on the floor and jerk my right arm free.
I’m swinging to the left before the thought even fully enters my brain.
With my arms free, I turn around and fight like I know I can.
I’m punching and kicking like our lives depend on it, because they do.
I get them down and hear two shots echo in the hallway and jerk my head to the side to see Axel lowering his gun, the two guards dead in front of him.
He nods his head, and I jump to the side while he takes care of the two that grabbed me.
Tivon groans on the floor, and I run over, dropping to my knees beside him.
I run my fingers through his sweaty hair. “Tivon, are you with us?”
“Barely.”
“We need to get out of here. Can you help us?” Tivon nods and pushes himself to sit up. I’m still amazed at the strength he shows. “We’re going to help you to your feet.”
Axel and I get our arms around him, and Tivon is a little more alert this time, but nowhere near fighting level. “Aharon?”
“We’re still looking,” I soothe, getting us moving again. “How did you find us, anyway?”
“Nolan saw unusual movement on the aerial cams and took a chance. Nolan, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear.”
“Any movement outside?”
“No, so I agree with Ari. Those guards just came from somewhere, and it wasn’t outside.
Oh shit. Hold on a second.” I raise a brow at Axel, and he shrugs.
We let Nolan do what he does best and continue toward the door.
Tivon shakes his head several times like he’s trying to clear away the fatigue.
I’m seconds away from calling the whole thing off so I can get him somewhere to take care of him.
“Axel. There’s a tunnel system that connects to the prison.
That apparently used to be an old guard shack until they updated everything. ”
“Do you see my father at the prison?”
“Not yet. I’m still scanning. I do still have tabs on your guys. They’re fine.”
“If my father makes it to the prison to warn Abraham, they won’t be.”
“Leave me here,” Tivon rasps. “I can make it the rest of the way.”
“Absolutely not,” I argue. “You’re in no shape to be left alone, and I don’t want to anyway. No man left behind, Babe.”
Tivon drops his arm off my shoulder and grabs my hand with surprising strength. “Fucking leave me here and end this, Aryeh.”
Shadow and Ghost come back around the corner. Shadow shoves an AK into my chest. “We’ll stay with Tivon. You need to go get your boys. Take Axel.”
“Where are we going?” I ask Nolan.
“Turn around. Go down that hallway until you come to the third door on the right. It looks like a regular bunk room, but there’s stairs at the back. The tunnel will take you straight to the back of the prison. I’ll have the guys there circle back that way to intercept and get you to Abraham.”
I grab Tivon’s face to kiss him, not giving a fuck about the blood covering both our faces. “I love you,” I say before turning around and running down the hallway, skidding to a stop at the door that we need to go through, with Axel right on my heels.
I push it open, letting my gun lead me inside.
We sweep the room and go toward the stairs, sweeping as we walk down the staircase into the tunnel, keeping our eyes on a swivel through the dark corridor.
By the time we reach the prison entrance, my shoulders are almost to my ears because I’m so tense.
“Nolan, you got eyes back here?”
“Yes. Wait for my signal. One of the guys will try to meet you right inside the door.”
“Can my team hear me?”
“Loud and clear, boss,” Keon whispers. “We can’t always answer, though.”
“What’s the situation in there?”
“All good. No sign of Abraham or Aharon, but I do know Abraham is here by the amount of guards at a certain door.”
“There has to be a way straight into that office,” Axel says. “There’s no way Aharon walked through that prison without being spotted.”
“On it,” Nolan replies, already typing.
“Tivon?” I call out.
“We’re in the SUV, Neshama sheli. I’m safe.” My knees buckle, and I almost wilt with relief. “I love you, too.”
“Tyler is going to be so mad he can’t comment on this moment,” Keon laughs quietly.
“Thank fuck for small favors,” I mutter, but I have a smile on my face.
“I hate to break up this moment,” Nolan cuts in. “But almost two feet to your left, there’s a hidden door that takes you to more tunnels, but it’s like a fucking maze in there. I’ve followed the blueprints as far as I can and I think I can get you to the office.”
“You’ve got this, Naughty boy. We trust you,” Axel responds.
“Here goes nothing,” I reply, counting my steps to the left and then feeling for the door. My hand lands on something out of place, and I take a deep breath before twisting it. Another corridor is revealed, and we step inside.
Axel and I follow Nolan’s directions, realizing he wasn’t lying about it being a maze.
There’s no way someone could just stumble into the prison without knowing the layout or having a guide, which I realize is the point.
My heart starts pounding out of my chest when we get a couple turns from the door that we need.
Then the door to our right opens, and we’re face to face with a sea of guards.
All hell breaks loose as we try to fight our way out of this, but we can’t risk using AK’s because of ricochets.
As soon as we take one down, another one takes their place.
My leg is throbbing, and I’m dripping with sweat, but I refuse to back down now.
Just when I think we have the upper hand, one hits me in my already fucked up nose with the butt on his gun and I go down on my knees, and that’s all they need.
I hear Axel cussing like crazy and know without looking that they grabbed him, too.
They unceremoniously drag us to the door we needed to begin with, and sling us inside.
I lose my footing and go down hard on my messed up leg.
I hiss, but grit my teeth when I look into my father’s eyes.
“Nice try, Aryeh, but I’m done playing your games.” The guards strip Axel of his vest and take our guns. The ear pieces are ripped from our ears and stomped on by one of the guards.
“What the fuck do you not understand? I’m not going back. Let him go, and just kill me.”
My father tilts his head to the side, and I feel bile rising in my throat at his calculating look. “I was going to kill all the Saviors and their families, but I’ve decided that you’re all going back with me. I’m going to train you to be real men.”
Axel snorts. “You’ll have to kill us, because I can assure you, you’ll never be able to take down the Saviors.”
“What if I just take your pretty blonde wife with me?”
Axel’s face fills with rage. “You lay one hand on my wife, and I’ll remove your organs while you’re still alive.”
“Aryeh has forgotten the reach I have,” my father continues. “But since he wants to continue to defy me, I’ve sent someone to intercept the plane containing the scarred girl and his little lover boy.” My dad shivers at that last one, but my mind is already spinning.
I jump up before my mind can tell me this is a bad idea and hit him with a flying tackle.
We go down with me on top, and I start wailing on him, yelling things in my native tongue and English, things that I don’t even understand.
I’ve never been filled with so much rage as when he keeps threatening the people that I love.
Guards grab me, but I’m still yelling, kicking, and punching.
I don’t even stop when someone shoves a Glock in my face.
I’m so consumed with anger that I can’t control it anymore.