Chapter 22
Quill
We continue to drive in silence, while I force my brain to emerge from what feels like a very long hibernation.
If I want to save her, I’m going to actually have to figure out the web of danger that’s been spun around her.
And to someone whose brain has lain dormant as long as mine has, it feels like an impossible task.
But I’m going to do the impossible.
I wrack my brain to try to draw the right conclusion from Tragen’s words, since I can tell he’s not going to tell me anything more.
Factions inside the mafia.
Logically, it’s Coltello—the underboss—who wants to kill Piper.
She’s a descendant of the Moretti family, a legitimate leader and a threat to him.
If Tragen really does want to save Piper, that means he’s working for whoever is still loyal to Moretti.
It’s a small glimmer of hope, but still, I will never allow her to go back to a family that she was brought into by rape.
But for now, I’m going to focus on saving my cricket. I’ll figure out the rest later.
I’m going to save my cricket and I’ll figure out the rest later.
Still, I have the sick feeling, as Tragen parks at the fringes of the gloomy forest, that Tragen’s got more up his sleeve.
He confirms it a moment later. “Did Piper mention something about a paper? A paper with her name on it?” he asks carefully, and though it’s dark out, I can feel his eyes on me.
“Uh… yeah.”
I think back to that item on my to-do list. Suddenly, it’s looking like my list is getting checked off a lot faster than I’d anticipated, and not in the right order.
The crunching of feet behind us keeps me from voicing the rest of my thought. Which is good, because I have a feeling the less information I give Tragen, the better it will be.
The five soldiers fall into formation behind us, and I’m vaguely aware of how stupid it is for them to be automatically walking two by two over the tiny path that threads its way through the forest.
Then my thoughts turn back to the paper with her name on it.
I care a lot less about it than I do Piper herself, but if Tragen’s mentioning it now as we traipse through the forest, I figure it must be important.
“Yeah,” I confirm again.
“And you heard who had the paper?”
I nod, before realizing that in the darkness, he probably can’t see me. “Yeah.”
“You know whose desk it was on?” he insists.
“Yeah.” My dad’s. I keep my mouth resolutely shut, wondering if Tragen’s trying to get that information from me, or just making sure I know.
Clearly, it’s the latter, because he says, “Good. Now, don’t forget it.”
I stare at him in confusion, hesitating to ask another question, but before I can, we’ve stopped in front of what looks to be a large boulder.
He bends down, and I can’t see what he does in the darkness, but soon, some sort of door is opening from it.
“What the fuck?” I breathe.
He puts a finger to his mouth, takes out his gun, and walks through the small opening.
I can’t think of anything to do other than follow him. I cock my own gun, realizing, as I enter the first of a number of small tunnels, with the other soldiers closing the rank, that I could probably shoot him in the back now.
But I’m not a fucking coward. And it would be unbelievably stupid to alert others to my presence. Especially if those others are loyal to Coltello, and they have Piper.
So I follow along, my entire body on high alert. The only small satisfaction I derive is that being brought through the secret door of a boulder, then down a bunch of tunnels, probably somewhat cheered my Nancy Drew-loving bookworm’s heart.
Then Tragen pushes himself against one wall, and I and the other soldiers do the same. We’re standing just before a very short tunnel leading straight out into a large cavern, its walls uneven and deeply recessed. It’s crowded with men. No Piper, though. My heart sinks.
In the glow faintly emanating from the space, I can just make out Tragen holding up fingers. One… two… three…
Then we barge in, guns out. There must be more than a dozen of them, but we have the element of surprise on our side.
The detonation as we empty out our guns onto them is deafening, the clouds of dust that rise from the dirt floor and dirty stone walls make me choke and go momentarily blind.
I hear loud grunts of pain, followed by thuds, including some from behind me.
Those are Devil soldiers, and they’ve died, giving their lives for… well, I’m not entirely sure.
I reach the other side of the cavern, somehow unscathed except for a wound on my arm. Nothing that will keep me from getting to Piper, if she’s here.
I fall to the floor, shielding myself from the ongoing gunfire, and manage to spot a small tunnel through the smoke. Battling my urge to stay in the cavern and kill every single one of the fuckers, I crawl through the tunnel, determined to get to Piper before Tragen.
But I know that if I do, it’ll give a chance to Tragen to get to her before me.
Soon, I find myself in another much smaller space, and—there she is.
I inhale sharply when I reach her. She’s huddled into a tiny ball in the corner, making the small cavern seem bigger than it is. She’s not moving, and my heart nearly gives out as I crawl to her, wondering if I’m too late.
But then I notice the faint up-and-down movement of her back that tells me she’s still breathing. I lift a hand to her cheek and she looks up, very slowly.
I have to bite down on a cry when I see her face. Her glasses are gone, and there isn’t an inch of her skin that isn’t dark blue or nasty green. Except for the caked blood in various parts and the split lip.
“Quill?” she mouths.
I draw her into my lap, feeling her shiver against me.
“You came for me,” she breathes against my neck.
I want to squeeze her to me, but I can tell she’s hurting. If her face is so bruised and bloody, I’m scared to think of what they did to the rest of her.
“I’ll always come for you, cricket,” I answer, once I can trust my own voice. “Always. You belong to me.”
It feels like she’s melting in my arms, and I groan at feeling so complete so suddenly, after the past few days of absolute anguish.
It’s the hardest thing in the world to get up, still holding my trembling girl in my arms, knowing that if we stay here, we’re as good as dead, no matter who wins the battle being waged in the cavern.
She protests at the movement, and my heart breaks anew at knowing how much pain she must be in.
“It’s okay, little cricket,” I murmur. “I’m going to take care of you.”
Then I look around, wondering how the hell I’m supposed to do that.
The only space I see, apart from the tunnel leading to the large cavern behind me, is a tiny opening in the rocks.
But trying to head out through there is as good as accepting we’re going to die entombed in this place, since I can only assume it’s a dead-end.
Piper mutters something in my ear.
“Hmm?”
“Cave.”
“Yes, we’re in a cave,” I murmur, kissing the top of her head. “I’m going to get you out of here.”
But she insists. “Cave. Through cave.”
“What’s a through cave?” I ask distractedly, while looking around more desperately than ever.
I can sense the gunfire slowing down, and I have a feeling the victor is about to come find us.
Between my injured arm and an injured Piper in my arms, I won’t be able to do a thing to defend her. Especially if it’s Tragen.
I feel her hot breath against my neck and I can tell she’s trying to push words out.
“It’s okay, little cricket,” I tell her again. “I’m going to get you out of here. I’m going to take care of you.”
I’m at a loss for how to do that, though. My heart is thudding sickeningly against my chest as I hear the fighting in the other cavern come to a stop. It’s a miracle it’s even lasted so long. I guess some of the men managed to hide in the deep crevasses.
Still, it’s a single room crammed with dozens of men. Only one victor could possibly emerge. But who?
I’m stuck deciding whether it would be better to chance our way in that miniscule tunnel, or face the music.
I’m just deciding on the latter when Piper groans, “Through cave. There are two entrances. Idiot.”
In spite of our precarious situation, I can’t help but smirk at the cute little insult. She hasn’t lost a speck of verve. Forcing through a whole lot of pain for the sole purpose of mocking my lack of vocabulary.
But that means the tunnel stretching out before us could be our salvation. Providing it’s large enough for us to fit. Providing the entrance hasn’t been sealed up. Providing it even is the second entrance Piper is referring to.
That’s a whole lot of ifs. But gritting my teeth, I decide to take a chance.
I push her through and follow her inside the cavity just as two or three people enter the room, shouting loudly. In the weird hollow echo effect of the cavern and the tunnel we’re in, the words reach me, distorted. I can’t tell who’s come after us. No time to find out.
It’s hard work pushing Piper through the sinewy, narrow tunnel.
Her energy is depleted, and she can barely help herself.
It would be easier if I could be in front of her, pulling her after me, but it’s too narrow a space for me to clamber over her.
Plus, it would hurt her to be pulled through the rocky, uneven surface.
All I can do is wrap an arm around her waist, nudging her along.
At last, though, the tunnel gets just a bit wider. I manage to slide my way under her.
“Hold on,” I whisper.
She locks her hands around my neck just a little too hard, and I can feel them pressing down uncomfortably over my windpipe. It’s making me a little dizzy, especially with the blood loss from the wound in my upper arm, but I don’t complain. I’ll power through it. Anything for her.
I’m starting to get really antsy though.
Because as much as the tunnel is widening, it’s still pitch black, and I wonder when we’ll start to see the sun shining through.
Where the hell is this taking us? Why isn’t anyone following us?
Are we going to get to the opening, or will we be stuck forever in the depths of this cave?
No, impossible. It can’t happen. I have to save Piper. No other outcome is possible.
Just when I’m starting to feel really defeated, I suddenly realize I’m seeing specks of dust twirling in the air before me.
That means the darkness has shifted. I can see. Just a bit.
Slowing my breathing to keep up my stamina, I continue to crawl through the muddy tunnel.
Muddy.
Had it been muddy earlier on, it would have freaked me out, because it would have meant water had been running through it, and another wave could drown us. I can’t think of a worse fate than to drown helplessly underground.
But the dirt was dry back there. Parched. Which means the water only managed to get to here. Which means…
Thank fucking God.
We’ve reached the end of the tunnel.
Moments later I tumble onto the ground, wincing, Piper still locked to my neck.
Then I grab her and fold her to me again.
“We made it, cricket. I told you I’d save you, didn’t I?”
I’m still facing the tunnel. Stupid. I guess the blood is making me a little lightheaded. Or maybe it’s finding my girl again. Whatever the case, I never think to turn around. Until I notice Piper’s expression.
She seems a little more awake than before, and her eyes are fixed on some point behind me.
I turn slowly and find myself face to face with… a gun.
Fuck.