Shadow Falling

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Vinnie ripped open her seat belt and jumped out of the buggy, running to the rear to duck down out of sight. She took her gun from where it had been strapped to her leg, disengaged the safety, and drew several deep breaths. She edged to the side and craned her neck to see what was happening.

  Lights set atop the roll bars flipped on and flooded the beach house, illuminating a fire pit surrounded by empty chairs.

  Then they waited. And waited.

  Raze, Jax, and Tace stood to the side of their vehicles, guns out, near the loaded bazookas. Sami and Byron covered the rear, just like Vinnie.

  Finally, Greyson Storm stepped out from the building, his hand wrapped around the bicep of a petite woman. Even from a distance, her blue eyes were recognizable as similar to Raze’s. “This is a nice surprise,” the man said, his voice easily carrying over the sand and surf. “Are those bazookas?”

  “Yes,” Raze snapped back. “Moe? You okay?”

  Guns suddenly emerged from every window, from the rooftop, and from around the house. At least two dozen barrels all pointed at Raze.

  “I’m fine, Raze.” Moe held perfectly still, no doubt wanting to keep things from escalating. “Dune buggies, huh?”

  “Let my sister go, Grey.” Raze settled his stance, and sand sprayed.

  “Where’s the doctor?” Greyson asked.

  Vinnie faltered and then stepped forward. “I’m right here. Let Maureen go, and I’m happy to speak with you as long as you like.”

  Raze stiffened even further. “Get back down.”

  “No. This is what I do.” She moved up next to him. “You don’t want to hurt anybody, do you, Greyson?”

  The massive man cocked his head to the side. “I wouldn’t mind hurting the asshats who have bazookas pointed at my home, Dr. Wellington. However, I have no desire to harm either you or Maureen Shadow, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Well, it was sort of what she’d been asking. She stepped up to Raze’s side. “How about we meet in the middle? You and Maureen meet with Raze and me? We can have a nice chat with all these guns trained on us.”

  “And bazookas,” Greyson said wryly.

  “Yes,” Vinnie said.

  Greyson apparently gave the idea some consideration. “No guns. Drop yours, Shadow.” As they watched, Greyson removed a gun from his waistband and set it on a table.

  Vinnie nodded at Raze. “That’s a good sign,” she whispered.

  Raze cut her a look but took his guns out to place them on the buggy seat. “Not giving up my knives,” he muttered under his breath.

  Vinnie set her gun on the seat and then slipped her hand through Raze’s arm. “Let’s go.” She sank into the soft sand, trying to maneuver Raze toward the middle of the beach.

  He smoothly set her partially behind him and led the way. “If anybody shoots, you duck and cover,” he ordered.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  Greyson and Maureen moved off the porch and onto the sand, Greyson keeping his hand around Moe’s arm. The couples walked toward each other like some weird beach-bum square dance.

  Finally, they met in the middle. Vinnie nodded to Moe. “Hi.”

  Raze reached out and tugged his sister’s hair, his gaze intense and more than a little pissed. “You okay, wild one?”

  She nodded. “I am. Nobody hurt me, Raze.”

  “It’s so nice to see you two together. I mean, Raze is all man, but I can see him in your face. Or your face in his. I mean, you’re very feminine, but it’s cool too—” Vinnie blurted out. She slapped her hand over her mouth. Now wasn’t the time to start talking endlessly.

  Maureen’s eyes widened. “Let’s relax. We’re all on the same side. Well, kind of.”

  Raze kept his gaze on Greyson. The two men stood about the same height, both wearing threatening expressions.

  Greyson lowered his chin. “Dr. Wellington? Where is Zach Barter?”

  Vinnie shook her head. “Why do you think I know?”

  “My intel reports he’s at the Bunker, and you know where that is.” Greyson took a small step toward her, and Raze growled.

  Growled? Vinnie frowned at him. “Knock it off. I said we’d talk as long as he needs. Listen, Greyson.” She put on her most serene expression while her twitching legs longed to run away from all the guns. “I don’t know where the Bunker is.”

  “You chased the initial Scorpius sociopaths, right?” Greyson asked.

  “Yes.” Vinnie tried to listen for the soldiers behind her. They seemed to be holding tight. Good.

  “You caught some,” Greyson said.

  She nodded.

  “They were sent to the Bunker,” he added.

  She shook her head. “No. They were sent to jails to await trial. Nobody had heard of the Bunker at that point. At least none of my contacts in the FBI ever mentioned the Bunker to me.”

  Greyson sighed. “Then you spent a few weeks with President Atherton in Vegas, right?”

  “Yeah, but he wanted information about the Bunker, too. He thought I was psychic and could tell him. I’m not and I didn’t.” She lifted her hands. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t have the information you want.”

  Maureen snorted. “You kidnapped me for nothing. Serves you right.”

  Greyson studied Vinnie, not saying a word. She let him. After a while, he sighed. “You really don’t know.”

  “No, but I’m hoping we’ll find out soon,” she said. “We’re looking for it, same as you. I know we can work together here and form some sort of alliance.”

  Greyson leveled a look at Raze. “I’ll consider an alliance, but right now we seem to have a problem. Your doctor doesn’t do me much good, and your sister does. She stays.”

  Raze stiffened. “Not a chance in hell.”

  There was a moment of tense silence. Without warning, the Mercenary beach headquarters exploded out in a massive fireball, throwing debris and bodies across the sand.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I think anybody willing to put their thoughts to paper is a little bit nutty.

  —Dr. Vinnie Wellington, Perceptions

  Raze reacted instantly, going for both Vinnie and Maureen. Greyson beat him to Maureen, tackling her to the ground and covering her with his body. Raze flattened himself over Vinnie as several more explosions rocked the beach.

  Gunfire echoed from every direction. Fuck.

  Greyson rolled and all but tossed Maureen, still on her hands and knees, at Raze. “Cover her,” the Merc leader bellowed, turning and running full bore for the burning house. A man careened outside, his body on fire, his screams shrill. Greyson lunged at him and took him down, patting out the flames with his hands.

  Raze grabbed Moe by the scruff of her neck while half-lifting Vinnie and shoved them both against the dune buggy. He turned to see Jax exchanging fire with several men coming out of the water.

  What the holy hell? Raze squinted. Boats. Rubber boats.

  The night seemed to slow, and he focused. Threats in front and behind him. To the sides, he wasn’t sure. There were Mercs out there, as well as this new attacker, and none of them were on his side. Only one thing to do. He lifted Vinnie into the dune buggy and then did the same with Moe, handing her his gun. “Vinnie, drive south to where we left the trucks. Moe, fire at anybody who moves, and keep firing.”

  Both women opened their mouths to argue, and he held up a hand. “We’re trained for this and you’re not. If you’re here, I’m not concentrating. Go. Now.”

  Vinnie gave him one last look and pressed her foot on the pedal. The vehicle whizzed around, and she punched it.

  Two men in black gave chase along the beach, and one started firing toward the women.

  Raze shot him between the eyes and then took the other guy out with a neck shot. Jax slammed his back against Raze’s. “What the hell?”

  “New player.” Raze eyed Sami and Tace as they ducked behind a dune buggy and fired at any advancing soldiers. Byron lay on the ground. “Byron’s down.” He j
umped into spraying bullets and grabbed the kid, dragging him between the two remaining buggies. Jax covered him, spraying fire.

  Sami took a hit to the shoulder and fell back with a sharp cry. Tace pivoted and took the shooter out before dropping. “Sami.” He yanked off his belt and tied it around her upper arm. “Hold still.”

  Tears streaked down her dirty face, but she shoved him away and turned, her gun out.

  Three more explosions blew nearby houses to the heavens.

  “Cover,” Raze yelled at Jax as he ran his hands over Byron’s body. Blood marred the kid’s temple, and Raze turned his head to the side. “Looks like a graze.” But to the temple? Might be bad. He stood and immediately fired toward the water. His gaze ran the beach, and in the far distance, he caught sight of the dune buggy ripping wildly along. A rubber boat, its motor revving, followed on the water.

  “Hurry up,” he muttered, his gaze on the two women.

  The buggy jumped over a dune and slid sideways. Vinnie corrected quickly, getting back on track.

  The driver of the boat floored it, passing the buggy and moving quickly south on the water.

  No, no, no. Raze partially stood.

  The boat turned, cutting through the water and up the sand. Three men jumped out as if they’d practiced the maneuver a hundred times, running for the buggy, firing.

  Vinnie jerked the wheel, and the vehicle flipped in the sand, going end over end.

  Raze’s gut dropped. Had they had time to put on the belts? No bodies went flying, but he couldn’t see.

  The men from the boat grabbed both women, carrying them into the boat.

  Panic ripped down his throat. He jumped across the buggy and started running full bore, yelling at the top of his lungs.

  A bullet whizzed by his head, but he didn’t slow down. He had to get to Vinnie and Moe before that boat took off. Pain exploded in his upper arm, but he didn’t stop.

  More bullets.

  A hard body tackled him to the sand, and he came up swinging.

  “Get down!” Greyson yelled, tackling him again. He lifted his head and started firing toward the water.

  Raze shoved him off and rolled over, firing from behind a slight mound of sand. He took two guys down. The roar of the boat motor echoed over the water, and the guys in black drove out and away.

  He watched them, his chest imploding. The other two boats turned back to sea.

  Bodies littered the beach. Some attackers in black, and some of the Mercs. Raze turned his head to the side.

  Greyson Storm watched the retreating boats, fury darkening his face, promise lowering his chin. “We’ll get them back. I swear to God, we’ll get Moe and the doctor back.”

  “I should kill you right now.” Raze turned and pressed his gun to Greyson’s temple.

  Grey turned, his gaze determined. “Kill me after we get them back. I have resources you need.”

  Fire crackled in the background, burning down Merc territory. Jax stomped over, blood flowing down his left arm. “You okay?”

  “No.” Raze rolled and stood, as did Greyson. “Who the hell was that?” Had they just wanted women, or had they targeted those two? Or one of those two? “How are we even going to know where to look?” His gut hurt so bad he wanted to puke.

  Jax’s jaw clenched. “I recognized one of the guys. Vice President Lake.”

  “What?” Greyson snapped.

  Raze drew in air. “The president has them.”

  Vinnie tried unsuccessfully to free her wrists from the ropes while Maureen did the same, sitting across the truck bed from her. After the quick boat ride, they’d been locked in the back of a small moving truck. “Are you all right?” Vinnie asked, her entire body aching.

  “Yeah. I hit my shoulder when we rolled, but I think it’s just bruised.” Moe kicked her legs out and eyed the door. “I bet the lock is good.”

  “I’m sure it’s solid.” Vinnie coughed. “Did you hear what they said?”

  “That they’re taking us to the president?” Moe nodded. “That’s bad, right? I’ve heard rumors, but you never know what’s true anymore.”

  “It’s true.” Vinnie swallowed down bile. “Atherton is crazy with a sociopathic mean streak.”

  Moe tapped her head against the wall. “Wonderful. Just great.” Tears filled her eyes. “Right now, Vanguard and the Mercenaries are trying to kill each other and probably don’t even know we’re gone.”

  “Maybe they’ll work together,” Vinnie said softly. “I saw Greyson Storm tackle you and protect you from the explosion.”

  “I’m an asset to him,” Moe said dully. “You have no idea how they treat women there.”

  Vinnie sucked in air. “Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Are you okay? We—”

  Maureen held up a hand. “Geez. I’m fine. Nobody hurt me.”

  Vinnie frowned. “Um, okay.”

  “A few days ago, there were three teenage girls, and they were scared and wanted shelter. I heard a couple of the guys making jokes about what to do with them, and then they just disappeared. I don’t know what happened to them.” Pain etched into Moe’s face.

  Vinnie gave up on the rope. “Three girls? Two blonds and a redhead?”

  Moe jerked her head. “I just saw them for a minute, but yeah, that sounds right. How did you know?”

  The truck bounced, and Vinnie scrambled to keep her balance. “They showed up outside of the Vanguard fence a few days ago, looking for help. Some guy in a truck dropped them off and left. We took them in, and they hadn’t been harmed.”

  Maureen’s mouth dropped open and then shut. Her gaze turned thoughtful. “Interesting.”

  Vinnie leaned forward. “The Mercs have a bad reputation, but have you seen anything bad happen? Really?”

  “No.” Maureen twisted her wrists, but the ropes appeared secure. “Doesn’t mean something bad hasn’t happened, though.”

  “True. Although, I can see Greyson being pretty pissed his headquarters got blown up and wanting revenge. Maybe he’ll work with Raze and Vanguard for that reason alone.” Vinnie scrambled up on her knees and tried to bounce to the back door. Pain rippled up her legs. “Though we have to find a way out of here first.” She didn’t want to scare Maureen, but President Atherton liked to inflict pain.

  Moe nodded and pushed herself backward with her legs until her shoulders hit the door. She struggled to stand.

  Vinnie did the same and tried to turn the knob with her bound hands. Nothing.

  The truck hit another bump, and they both went flying. Vinnie landed on her side, and pain ripped through her ribs. Maureen sprawled next to her, swearing up a storm. They both shoved themselves to seated positions again.

  “We have to get free,” Vinnie whispered.

  “We will.” Maureen nodded. “You really don’t know where the Bunker is?”

  “No. No clue.” Vinnie scratched her chin on her shoulder. “Did anything, um, ah, happen between you and Greyson?”

  Moe’s eyes widened. “God no. He kidnapped me.”

  “Yeah. That’s true.” Vinnie cleared her throat. “It’s just, when the world blew up, his first reaction was to cover you.”

  Pink tinged Moe’s face. “My brother covered you.”

  “He aimed for both of us,” Vinnie returned.

  Maureen studied her. “Is there something going on between you and my brother?”

  What an odd time to have this conversation. “Yes.”

  “Wow.”

  Vinnie half-shrugged and then winced when her shoulder pulled.

  The truck took a series of turns.

  Vinnie’s breath caught.

  “We’ll stop for the night to avoid Rippers,” Maureen whispered. “They probably have a secured location.”

  Vinnie nodded.

  “Don’t worry. The president won’t be there. I’m sure he’s wherever their main headquarters is,” Moe said.

  Vinnie shook her head. “No. He wouldn’t have fought on the beach, but he’d definit
ely want to be at the next location. It’s who he is.” God, she couldn’t face him again. Her time with Atherton was still a drugged blur, and she couldn’t bear to repeat it. She’d been tied and shackled like an animal. She swallowed.

  “It’s okay,” Maureen whispered. “I promise. I’m here for you.”

  The truck stopped, something creaked, the vehicle moved again, and then the engine was cut.

  Vinnie fought the urge to crab walk to the far wall and scramble away from the door. Instead, she forced herself to stand.

  The door opened, and Vice President Lake stood in muted lantern light. He’d kept his blond hair buzz-cut short, and his blue eyes were the coldest things she’d ever seen. “Dr. Wellington. How nice to have you with us again.”

  Fear careened through her entire body. “I could’ve gone forever without seeing you again,” she snapped, her chin up.

  He smiled. “Get out of the truck.”

  She moved toward him, her skin crawling when he lifted her down to a cement floor. A garage door slowly closed next to them. Lake reached for Moe and set her next to Vinnie. “Let’s go inside, shall we?” He gestured the way, as if inviting them to tea.

  Vinnie’s knees shook, but she strode ahead and entered a kitchen decorated with tons of birdhouses.

  President Bret Atherton leaned against a cheery blue counter, using a knife to cut into an apple. His thick hair had grown to his collar, and he filled out his button-down shirt with streamlined strength. His hard-cut jaw ticked, and he smiled. “Ah, Dr. Wellington. I have more drugs for you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Evil can exist on its own without any medical diagnosis. I know it’s true.

  —Dr. Vinnie Wellington, Sociopaths

  Vinnie couldn’t breathe. She locked her legs to keep from falling. Bret Atherton was in front of her.

  Maureen stepped forward to partially block her. “So you’re the president.”

  Bret nodded and looked Maureen up and down. “You’re pretty, but I don’t need pretty right now.” He looked beyond her to Lake. “Take her out front and shoot her in the head. Dump her body close to the beach. That should keep anybody following us very busy.”