Chapter Twelve
Emily
The cold metal seared into Emily’s skin, a constant reminder of the razor-thin line between life and death she teetered on.
Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs, each beat underscoring the risk she had taken and the possible cost of it.
While everything seemed to move at a snail’s pace, sounds melded together, except for one voice.
The boss’s words, venom-laced and dripping with malice, cut through her heightened state of anxiety.
“You and your friends,” he spat in Carter’s direction, his breath hot against Emily’s neck, “You think you’re all heroes, swooping in to save the day. But you’ve ruined years of meticulous planning!”
Carter’s voice was calm but laden with fury. “What were you planning?”
A cruel laugh erupted from the boss, his middle eastern accent getting thicker the more agitated he became.
“More than you can fathom. With my army of super soldiers—shifters, enhanced with science, stripped of weaknesses—I could have changed the world order. Imagine,” he hissed, his voice dripping with anticipation, “an unstoppable force, loyal only to me, descending upon the US. The chaos, the devastation... it would have been a masterpiece.”
Emily’s heart ached at the sheer magnitude of his malevolence. She struggled to find her voice, pushing past the lump in her throat. “Why? Why would you want to do that?”
The boss tilted his head, regarding her with cold eyes.
“Because, my dear, the people who are in control of this country think they have all the power. They think they are superior to every other country. You bring your jets and your army to our country and stick your nose in where it’s not wanted!
You kill our people like we are nothing to you!
You’ve taken everything from me! And I am going to take it back! ”
Carter’s growl reverberated in the silent tension of the room. “You’re insane.”
The boss simply smirked. “They do say there’s a thin line between madness and genius, don’t they?”
The cold fury in the boss’s eyes was a chilling contrast to the beads of sweat forming on his brow.
Emily felt every step as he yanked her forward, the grip on her arm punishing.
But even as fear clouded her every thought, she couldn’t ignore the telltale signs—the tiny quiver of his fingers on the gun, the erratic rhythm of his breathing.
For all his bravado and ruthlessness, the boss was human. And humans had weaknesses.
He dragged her along the corridor and up the stairs, using her body as a shield.
Suddenly, they burst onto the rooftop. The wind was wild up here, roaring and whipping around them, tangling Emily’s hair and pulling at her clothes.
The deafening thwack-thwack-thwack of helicopter blades punctured the air, adding to the disorientation.
She started to panic as she imagined him dragging her onto the helicopter and taking her God only knew where.
She didn’t know what would become of her.
Would he kill her when he no longer required to use her as a hostage, or would he take her to some other facility somewhere to continue her work, keeping her a prisoner forever?
The idea that she would never see Carter again caused a sharp pain to lance through her chest.
Through the blinding gusts and noise, her gaze sought out Carter’s.
He was a silhouette against the building’s backlight.
There was a fierce determination in his eyes, mixed with concern—an unspoken promise that he wouldn’t let harm come to her.
In that fleeting connection, Emily found an unexpected reservoir of strength.
“It seems like your knight in shining armor won’t give up,” the boss snarled, following Emily’s gaze to where Carter stood, every muscle coiled and ready to pounce.
Emily swallowed, summoning as much courage as she could muster. “He won’t be the only one. You might have your plans, but you’re outnumbered and outmatched.”
A humorless laugh left his lips. “We’ll see about that,” he said, dragging her closer to the waiting helicopter.
The noise of the helicopter’s engine filled the air, making it almost impossible to hear anything else.
But Emily didn’t need to hear—she could see the boss shouting commands to the pilot, his face contorted with a mixture of rage and desperation.
The cold metal of the gun remained pressed against her side, a chilling reminder of the stakes.
Glancing around, she noticed Carter and his team positioned in a semi-circle, watching the boss’s every move, their faces etched with concern and concentration.
As seconds felt like hours, a thought struck Emily. The boss was confident because he believed he had the upper hand with her as his human shield. But if that changed, even for a split second, the tables could turn.
With a deep breath, she recalled self-defense moves she’d learned in a class years ago when she was an undergrad. Waiting for the perfect moment, she shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet. Then, with as much force as she could muster, she drove her elbow into the boss’s midsection.
He grunted in surprise and pain, his grip on her slackening for just a second.
It was all the opportunity Emily needed.
She reached for the gun, her fingers grazing the cool metal before wrapping around it and yanking it away.
The weight of it in her hand was unfamiliar and heavy, but the immediate shift in power dynamics was palpable.
The boss lunged at Emily, his eyes wide and manic, consumed by desperation and hatred. The world seemed to blur as they grappled for the weapon.
“You’ll pay for this!” he spat, his voice raw and jagged.
Panicking and with her fingers still tight on the gun, Emily did her best to push him away. But the fierce tug-of-war caused her finger to slip, squeezing the trigger.
A deafening bang cut through the roar of the helicopter blades.
For a brief moment, time froze. The man’s face, mere inches from hers, twisted in shock and pain. Emily’s eyes widened, horrified by the accident and the realization of what she had done.
The boss staggered backward, clutching his shoulder as blood oozed between his fingers. His breathing was labored, and his once defiant stance faltered. But even injured, his gaze held a burning fire of malice and determination.
Carter was the first to break the stunned silence. “Emily, are you okay?” he called, rushing to her side.
Tears welled in her eyes, her hands trembling as she dropped the gun. “I... I didn’t mean to...”
“He’s alive,” Logan grunted, closing on the boss. Alive, but that didn’t change the fact she’d shot him.
Carter pulled her into a protective embrace against him. “It’s okay,” he whispered into her ear, his voice shaky. “You did what you had to do. He gave you no choice.”
But as the helicopter’s blades began to slow, and the dust settled, Emily couldn’t shake the weight of her actions, wondering if things could have been different.
Her heart raced as she took in the scene before her—the boss, injured and struggling to keep himself upright, while Logan swiftly moved to secure him, his experienced hands efficiently tying the man’s wrists together then pressing down on the wound to stop the bleeding.
Around them, the rest of the team moved with practiced precision, securing the rooftop and ensuring no further threats were present.
Max lifted a cellphone phone to his ear. “This is Max,” he spoke tersely into the receiver, giving someone on the other end of the call the details of what had happened at the facility. She imagined that he had to be speaking to someone in the CIA.
Emily’s mind was a maelstrom of emotions—guilt, relief, fear. She looked over at Carter, her eyes searching his face, desperately needing his grounding presence.
“Carter,” she began, her voice trembling, “I’m so, so sorry. They saw me steal the keycard. They followed me. I never realized... I walked you and your friends right into their hands. I led you into a trap.”
Carter’s gaze softened, his strong hands cupping her face. “Hey,” he murmured, his voice gentle. “This isn’t on you. We’re a team. We face challenges together.”
“But I led them right to you! I put everyone in danger!” Tears pricked her eyes, guilt eating away at her.
Carter’s thumb brushed away a stray tear. “Look around, Em. We’re all still here, still standing. We rescued the shifters. You played a vital role in that.”
The mention of the imprisoned shifters made Emily’s eyes widen. “Your sister,” she whispered.
“I need to find her,” Carter said, glancing around.
Emily nodded, wiping her tears. “Let’s find her together.”
“Always together,” he whispered, and the two set off, determined to reunite his family.
The stairwell echoed with their hurried footsteps as Emily and Carter descended to the floor below. The hum of activity was louder here, with freed shifters murmuring in gratitude to Carter as he passed by them.
Carter’s sharp eyes darted around the expansive room, and then they landed on a familiar face. His entire demeanor changed. “Megan!” he called out, relief evident in his voice.
A petite woman with similar sharp features as Carter’s turned. Her wide eyes locked with Carter’s and in an instant, they were in each other’s arms.
“Carter,” she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
Carter held her tightly, his face buried in her hair. “I’ll always come for you,” he whispered. They pulled apart slightly, taking each other in, as if to confirm the reality of their reunion.
Megan’s eyes then landed on Emily. She tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion mixed with recognition. “You,” she said, pointing a finger, “You’re one of the scientists who work here.”
Carter nodded. “Megan, this is Emily. My mate.”
Megan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Your mate?” She glanced at Emily, her earlier suspicion now replaced with understanding. “So, you weren’t lying. You really were trying to help us.”
Emily swallowed hard, memories of the perilous situations she’d put herself in rushing back. “Yes,” she replied, her voice soft. “But most days, it never felt like enough.”
Megan gave her a slow nod, her gaze thoughtful. “Well, today, it was more than enough.”
“I never would have found you if it wasn’t for Emily,” Carter said.
“Thank you,” Megan said, “for everything you did for me.”
Emily smiled weakly, uncomfortable with the gratitude. After all, what had she done, really?
“You saved them,” Carter said to her softly, reading the discomfort on her face. “We couldn’t have done it without you. Don’t ever doubt that. You’re the reason they’re free.”