by Keri Arthur
Then a third, even more distant.
The other two checkpoints were now alerted to our presence.
I kept running, my gaze switching constantly from the gate to the wall. No more Mareritt appeared, but there had to be other guards alive and well beyond the open maw of the gate given the still-sounding siren.
I slid to a halt on one side of the entrance. Kaiden stopped on the other; he reloaded his weapon, then glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. I unslung the rifle and then nodded at his unspoken question. As one, we stepped into the gateway. No gunfire met our appearance, but the ashy stains on the ground suggested there’d been at least three others here.
The courtyard beyond the tunnel gateway was still and silent, and there was no visible movement in any of the other buildings.
But the Mareritt were out there. I could feel them. Smell them.
I called more fire to my hand and then glanced across at Kaiden. He motioned me to the left and then held up five fingers. I watched the silent countdown and then unleashed my fire, throwing it around the corner and then following it fast and low. Screams ripped through the air, along with bullets. I raised the rifle and unleashed on the Mareritt hiding behind their burning companions. Three went down; four others backtracked and ducked inside the nearest doorway. The mote in my eye began to bleed as I caught more flame and flung it after them. This time, no screams followed my fiery lance; they simply didn’t have the time.
I shifted position and scanned the immediate vicinity. No movement; no Mareritt. I swiped at the blood dribbling down my cheek, then rose and padded toward the nearby buildings to check them, the rifle held at the ready and fire burning through my blood, eager for release. There were no more guards in this area.
But in the last of the five rooms situated under the wall, I discovered what looked like a control center. I studied the various panels for a moment, found what looked to be the klaxon switch, and pressed it. The resulting silence was eerie.
I reloaded the rifle, then shouldered it and walked back out. Kaiden approached, blood staining his left thigh.
“How bad is that wound?” I asked.
“Nothing vital was hit, and I’ve already sealed it. We’ve bigger problems to worry about now that the other checkpoints know we’re here.”
“The chances of getting past this one without the others being notified was always remote, but it remains a better option than the tunnel.” Especially given the Mareritt had had plenty of time to flood the Jantingle Forest with additional forces. “We’re going to need better transport than the scooter, though—that thing might have the speed, but it offers zilch in the way of protection.”
“Agreed.” He studied the long structure that was both the end of the checkpoint station and the exit. “Let’s go investigate the machinery shed.”
I followed him across the courtyard and into the building that stood to the right of the exit gate. Inside were a couple of scoots, what looked to be an armored people mover, and a tank. It was smaller than the one that had chased us into the tunnel at Break Point Pass, and its gun decidedly shorter. Still, it was a far better option than the scooters—and came with the bonus of being able to blast open the next gate if it was closed. It didn’t look particularly fast, however.
“Mover or tank? Or both?” I said.
“The tank is a two-person vehicle—one to drive, one to use the weapons.” Kaiden walked across to the tool racks lining the far wall. “The mover is more practical—it has the speed and will at least offer some protection from whatever armaments they throw at us.”
“Which may not mean much. Even if the next checkpoint hasn't received extra men, they probably have the use of a tank.” My gaze went to the mover. “And if a drakkon attacks us, that thing will act like an oven.”
He picked up a large bolt cutter and walked back. “Not if you hit her with fire first.”
Just thinking about that had the ache in my head intensifying. “The blood heat isn’t endless, Kaiden. We do have limits; when the mote in my eye bleeds, it means I’m nearing mine.”
His gaze jumped up, and his expression became concerned. “What happens if you do hit your limits?”
“Unconsciousness at best.”
“And at worst?”
My smile held little in the way of humor. “Death.”
“Well, that’s certainly not an option we want.”
Definitely not. “The other problem is the fact that we haven’t got enough ammunition to take out a fortified checkpoint.”
“Let’s deal with one problem at a time.”
He strode out the door but returned a few seconds later with a severed hand. Obviously, the mover required fingerprint activation. After opening the mover, he walked across to the small tank and repeated the process.
“If we’re not using the tank, why are you activating it?”
“Blowing up the entry gate will at least delay any ground forces sent after us. Do you want to check the armory on the other side of the exit gate and grab anything that looks useful?”
As I headed out, he climbed into the tank and started it up. The armory wasn’t particularly large—no surprise given how few people normally used this pass—but there were plenty of rifles and ammo, as well as guns that looked to be some sort of handheld cannons.
From outside came a soft whoomph, then a sharp explosion. I peered out the doorway and saw smoke and fire rising as the wall around the gateway collapsed inward and utterly blocked the entrance. Kaiden jumped out of the tank, then turned and ran back.
Once we’d found the armaments for the cannons, we hauled the weapons across to the mover and secured them in the gun lockers. As we rolled out of the gateway, I grabbed our backpack and sat in the front passenger seat. “Hungry?”
“Yes.” His gaze, when it met mine, held a warmth that suggested he wasn’t entirely speaking about food.
A smile tugged at my lips. While it wasn’t an unknown phenomenon for intense military action to cause a spike in sexual drive, we were hardly out of the woods yet. In fact, we’d barely entered said woods.
I reached into the backpack and pulled out the bread and a chunk of cheese, tearing off some of each before handing it to him.
“Thanks.” His voice was bland. “Just what I needed.”
“How far away is the next checkpoint?”
“It sits midway through the pass, so about thirty minutes at this speed.”
“How close will we get before they start attacking us?”
“That depends entirely on what weapons they have. At the very least, they'll hit us with the hand-cannons; they have enough force to damage the mover, if not destroy it.”
“Excellent. Just what I needed to hear.”
A smile tugged his lips. “Better to know than not.”
I wasn’t entirely sure about that—at least when it came to this sort of situation, where the odds were greatly against us.
Even though I was too tense to be really hungry, I nevertheless ate. I needed strength for the battle ahead, and going hungry wouldn’t help that goal. What we should have done was find the medical center and look for something that would aid our recovery and boost our strength.
The road followed the twisting path of the river, and the vegetation was sparse and shrubby. The shadows grew longer the deeper we moved into the pass, and the miles rushed by. Eventually, the road ahead turned sharply left; Kaiden slowed the mover. Tension once again ran through me, as did the blood heat. But its force was far less than it should or could have been. Thirty minutes just wasn’t enough recovery time.
“The road snakes around an S-bend before it straightens and runs true to the next checkpoint,” he said. “It’s rougher terrain, so I’ll have to lower the speed. It should be safe enough for you to open the top hatch and ready one of the hand-cannons.”
I climbed from the seat and moved back to the storage bins; after pulling one of the cannons and a number of armaments out, I stacked the latter on nearby holders, then ste
pped onto the gunner’s stand. The hatch was latched but not locked and slid back easily. The air was cool against my skin and smelled faintly of mud and Mareritt—although the latter was probably my imagination, given the checkpoint remained some distance away.
“Let me know when we’re about to leave the bends.” I grabbed the cannon and locked it into the holding mounts.
“Will do.” He hesitated. “If they start firing, drop back into the mover.”
“If I drop down before returning fire, we’re in deep trouble.”
“Remember the whole 'not getting dead' thing,” he bit back.
Amusement stirred. “It wasn’t so long ago you were ready to kill me yourself.”
“Yes, but you’ve proven a rather useful woman to have around since then—and we have unfinished business besides.”
I grinned. “I’m beginning to suspect you have a two-track mind, warrior.”
“Three-track—food is as vital to the soul as fighting and sex.”
I laughed but cut it off abruptly as bright shafts of sunlight began to lift the gloom up ahead. “That’s the end of the bends, I take it?”
“Yes.” He glanced around, his eyes aqua pools of concern. “I’ll keep as close to the middle of the road as practical to give you a straight shot at the gate.”
I nodded. My heart raced a hundred miles an hour, and my palms were so sweaty I had to keep wiping them on my pants. I’d rather face a thousand Mareritt alone on drakkon back than a handful of them on the ground any day.
The road made its final turn and then straightened out. The next checkpoint lay ahead of us, the red structure a replica of the one we'd broken and left behind.
But between that checkpoint and us sat a tank, its gun raised and ready to fire.
Seven
I unleashed the hand-cannon. At the same time, the tank's gun boomed; air whistled as the shell arced toward us. Kaiden swore and turned the mover sharply left, throwing me sideways. My shoulder hit the edge of the hatch, and pain slithered down my arm. I cursed and grabbed at the rim to steady myself. The mover scraped the mountain's side, and metal screamed in protest. Sparks flew, fiery stars that were quickly lost to the spray of dirt and stone as the shell hit the ground to our right and exploded. But the rising cloud wasn't thick enough to cut my vision; the tank's gun was already swinging toward us.
As Kaiden pulled the mover off the mountain and angled sharply away, I fired again. I had no idea if the first shell had hit, but the second did, exploding close to the point where the gun merged with the body of the tank. It didn’t appear to cause any damage.
I swore and ducked inside to grab more ammunition, only to hear the whistle of an incoming shell.
Instinct had me sliding the hatch shut and ducking behind the gunner's stand. A heartbeat later, we were hit, the force of the blast so near and strong that it not only rocked the mover off the edge of its tracks but also ripped a hole in its side. Dirt, stone, and metal flew into the cabin, a dark and dangerous cloud that shredded the seats in its path. It was only thanks to the gunner's stand that I wasn't killed.
I twisted around and peered through the smoke and dust, trying to see Kaiden. He was still in the driver seat, fighting to keep the mover upright and moving.
Another blast hit us, and the mover tilted alarmingly. I held on tight and crossed mental fingers that we remained upright.
But our luck had run out. With a metallic groan, the mover crashed onto its side. The still-moving treads dug deep into the ground and swung us around, exposing the vehicle's underbelly to the tank's gun.
Kaiden clambered out of the driver seat, his face ashen and blood smeared across his forehead from a cut above his left eye. “Out—get out.”
I grabbed the sleeping rolls and a couple of rifles and then pushed open the hatch. Smoke rushed in; smoke and heat. Our tank was on fire, but that was the least of our problems right now.
The mover had settled at an angle to the pass, leaving more space at the front of the vehicle than the back. I scrambled out of the hatch and edged sideways to the rear. It was tight—damn tight—but I pushed on, trying to hurry, trying to ignore the fear pounding through my veins and the knowledge that, at any minute, the mover could be hit again and we’d end up little more than bloody smears on the mountain. Rocks scraped across my breasts and tore into my stomach, but it didn't matter. Nothing did except getting away from the mover.
Kaiden followed me out with the other cannon and a third rifle. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Not even against a tank, let alone a locked-down checkpoint full of Mareritt.
Again the air whistled. I pushed past the end of the mover, tearing skin and drawing more blood, and then ran, as hard as I could, away from the vehicle. Kaiden was three steps behind me, his fear as sharp and as strong as mine. It was all I could smell. All I could feel.
The shell hit the mover. This time, it exploded, sending a wave of heat and metal debris into the air. Kaiden swore and his weight hit me from behind, sending me sprawling to the ground. He fell on top of me, covering me, protecting me. Air whooshed from my lungs, and for several seconds unconsciousness loomed. I fought it with everything I had; to do anything else would be giving in to death.
A shock wave of heat and metal hit us a heartbeat later, a force that tore at our clothes and skin with equal abandon. The shattered remnants of the mover thumped all around us, some pieces so large they'd kill us in an instant if they hit. Kaiden's body shuddered several times, and the metallic scent of blood filled my nostrils. Fear surged anew—fear for him—but his fingers found mine and squeezed lightly. Hurt, but not seriously.
As the deadly rain eased and thick smoke plumed around us, he pushed off me, then sat up. I saw the jagged piece of metal puncturing his calf.
“I'm fine,” he said, even though he plainly wasn't. He shoved the hand-cannon at me. “Go shoot that bastard.”
If the previous hits hadn't caused the tank any damage, I doubted the two remaining shells would, but we were out of options. I hadn't recovered enough strength to turn the tank into an oven, and even if I did manage it, then what? We still had to get through this checkpoint, and rifle power wasn't going to achieve that.
I grabbed the hand-cannon and scrambled upright. The remains of the mover burned, and black smoke billowed skyward. I couldn't see the tank but I could hear it—it trundled toward us.
I kept low and ran to the mover's broken shell. Red flames danced and shimmered within its metal bones, their heat caressing my skin. Though I couldn't draw on them to refuel my own fires, I could use them.
I brushed the fire to one side; the tank appeared through the thick smoke. I had no idea if they could see me, and no desire to give them that time. I hefted the hand-cannon, sighted on the tank's gun barrel, and then, with a prayer to Túxn, fired.
She must have been listening.
The cannon's smaller shell cut through the smoke and fire and arrowed into the tank's gun barrel. It was a one-in-a-million shot, and it not only destroyed the gun but also ripped open a wide seam in the front of the tank. I hastily gathered the fire and lanced it toward the tank. It hit the seam, flooded inside, and consumed any who might have survived the blast. The tank rolled past the mover’s remnants and headed toward the river.
I swung around and ran back to Kaiden. He'd torn his shirt into strips and was tying the metal dagger into place.
“Why not pull it out first?” I stepped past him and quickly gathered the scattered rifles and sleeping rolls.
“Because I have no idea if it simply sliced through muscle or hit an artery.”
“If it hit an artery, you would have bled out by now.”
“Unless the metal has it plugged.” He finished knotting the last strip of material, then raised a hand. “Help me up.”
I hooked the guns over my shoulder, then gripped his hand and hauled him upright. Pain flickered through his bright eyes, but he didn't say anything, and after a moment, he nodded.
I released
him and then handed him a rifle. “The Mareritt remain locked behind their fortress.”
“That's no surprise, given we've just taken out their tank.” His voice was grim. “Has the hand-cannon got any ammunition left?”
“One shell.”
“Then that will have to be enough.”
He hobbled forward. I fell in step beside him, my gaze on the checkpoint barely visible through the smoke billowing from the two vehicles. There were no Mareritt on top of the wall and certainly none standing outside the gates. It left us with absolutely no idea how many more remained inside.
Kaiden paused several yards away from the burning mover. Though the heat was fierce this close, he gave no sign of feeling it. Perhaps pain or even adrenaline overrode any such discomfort. Or maybe it was an indicator of kin in his bloodline, even if there'd been little evidence of it so far.
“Have you enough fire strength to take out the Mareritt in this checkpoint?”
I hesitated. “Maybe, but it’ll leave nothing for the last checkpoint.”
“If we don’t get past this one, there won’t be a next.” His voice was resolute. “I'll play bait. You take them as they rise to shoot.”
“That is an insane plan.”
He glanced at me, eyebrow raised. “Have you got a better one?”
“No, but I need you alive to help me navigate what is basically a brand-new country to me.” I dropped the sleeping rolls onto the ground, then handed him the hand-cannon and the other rifle. “I'll draw them out—”
He snorted. “What were you saying about insanity?”
“I can at least run. You shoot them, I'll flame them, and—if Túxn is still looking favorably our way—we'll both survive to bust open the gate and get inside.”
He studied me for a second. “Run fast.”
I smiled. “I'll pretend I'm late for a date with a flagon of mead.”
He laughed softly. “If we survive this, I'll buy you one.”
“I'll keep you to that, warrior.”
I touched his arm lightly, needing the contact in case it was my last. His hand covered mine, and something flared between us, something that was bright and strong—a connection that was new and yet old, and far beyond the scope of physical desire, even if desire was a part of it.
