Anastasia risked a glance at Lincoln, and saw his eyes were shining. She reached over and took hold of his free hand. “Whatever it takes, we’ll keep this baby alive.”
He nodded as a tear tracked down his cheek. “Whatever it takes.”
A red light started flashing on the wall by the door.
“Shit!” said Lincoln. “Not now.”
“What’s the light mean?” asked Anastasia.
“Trouble.”
The door to the medical room was shoved open and Heath strode in. “Don’t want to disturb you, but we’ve got company outside.”
“Just saw the alarm trigger warning.” Lincoln scraped his hand across his face. “What’s going on? What’s happened?”
“There’s a militia truck parked at the end of the alleyway. They’re poking around, as if they’re trying to find a way in. Could be someone got followed on their way back. We’ve been making supply runs for two days, so someone could have missed a tail on them.”
“And we were out getting the dragon hybrids, but I’m sure we weren’t followed,” said Lincoln, getting to his feet.
“Doesn’t matter for now,” said Heath. “We need to get them off our scent.”
Horror slid through Anastasia. “Do we have to leave?”
Heath shrugged. “We’ll know soon enough. We just have to draw the militia away from here. We can evacuate if we have to.”
“But we don’t want to. We’ll deal with them,” said Lincoln, his gaze shooting back to Skyler. “We have to keep this place safe.”
“We’ll run distraction. Draw the militia away from the alleyway.”
Lincoln looked at Anastasia. “Stay here.”
“I should help.”
“No way,” said Lincoln. “Skyler needs you more than we do.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, before brushing a finger along Skyler’s arm. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The tears Anastasia had been holding back fell, as Lincoln hurried away with Heath. In the last few days, she’d discovered so much happiness; a new home and community, people who’d helped bring down her barriers and show her what it was like to be a part of something great. And now, they were in danger. The State would never stop hunting them.
She pressed a kiss to Skyler’s cheek, before letting go of her hand and slipping after Lincoln. She would not let that happen. Her new family would not suffer. No matter what she had to do, Lincoln and Skyler would be protected.
Chapter 19
Lincoln strode along beside Heath to the vehicle bay. Arlo, Kade, Honor, and Annie were there when they arrived, dressed in combat gear and holding weapons.
“Give me an update,” Heath said to Kade.
“Two militia trucks parked at the end of the alleyway,” said Kade. “Twelve soldiers in total.”
Lincoln hissed through his teeth. “They know we’re here.”
“No. All they might think is that we’re somewhere nearby,” said Heath. “They don’t know where the concealed entrance is, and won’t be able to get through the security. Even if they did, they won’t like the welcome they get.”
“We need to keep it that way,” said Lincoln.
“How is Jude doing with the signal jam?” asked Heath.
“Should be messing the hell out of their comms,” said Kade. “They won’t be able to communicate with anyone outside of a ten foot range.”
“How do they even know we’re here?” asked Annie. “You don’t think someone sold us out?”
“The credits on our heads must tempt some,” said Heath.
“No one inside the base would do that,” said Lincoln.
“Your woman betrayed us once,” said Arlo.
Lincoln bared his teeth. “First off, she did it because she had a damn good reason. And secondly, she’s not my woman. She’s her own person. You’d better remember that.”
Arlo raised his hands and grinned. “Just yanking your chain. Wanted to see how you’d react.”
Lincoln glowered at him.
“Focus on the mission,” snapped Heath. “We’ll split into three teams and draw the militia away. We’ve worked too hard to abandon the base.”
“And Skyler’s too sick to move,” said Lincoln.
“As are others,” said Heath. “Lives will be lost if we have to abandon this place.”
“We should use the bikes,” said Lincoln. “Faster than anything else we’ve got and easier to hide.”
“Agreed,” said Heath. “Take the bikes. Kade and Honor you’re together. I’ll take Annie. Lincoln and Arlo, run some interference. Give the State something to distract them. Draw them away from this alley. Make them think we’re located somewhere else.”
“I’m thinking something bright and loud would be a great distraction,” said Arlo. “Something that will make their teeth rattle.”
“So long as mine don’t,” said Lincoln.
Arlo grinned at him, his eyes bright with the prospect of an upcoming explosion or two.
“We’ll head west,” said Heath. “See what the militia’s movements are. Check if they’re setting up road blocks and trying to pin us down. Kade and Honor you go east toward Tower Bridge. There’s a good vantage point there. I want you slowing down any militia heading this way.”
“Isn’t Anastasia joining us?” asked Annie, as they hurried to the bikes.
“She’s staying with Skyler,” said Lincoln.
“Oh, of course.” Annie ducked her head. “Heard she wasn’t doing so well.”
“She’ll pull through.” Lincoln slung his leg over the bike, ignoring Arlo’s protests that he didn’t want to ride pillion. He couldn’t let himself get distracted by thoughts of Anastasia and Skyler. If the worst thing happened, and the base was discovered, they had plans in place to get everyone out safely. But taking a sick baby on the road was not an ideal option.
Lincoln inserted an earpiece, giving him open comms access to the group and Jude in the comms room.
“Is it safe to leave?” Heath’s voice came through the comms.
“It’s clear,” said Jude. “You’ve got thirty seconds before they sweep past here.”
The exit bay went dark, the precursor to the door opening. The three bikes crept out of the underground bunker, the door quickly sliding shut behind them, concealing the base from prying soldiers’ eyes.
It was pitch black in the alleyway, the lighting also disabled here, to ensure anyone moving in and out of the bunker wouldn’t be detected.
Lincoln cruised to the end of the alley, keeping watch for any militia. He rode around the arc of the ring road, away from the bunker, away from Anastasia and Skyler.
Arlo patted his shoulder. “Head to that big, old warehouse two streets over. Got an idea I want to test out.”
“What are you going to do?” Lincoln adjusted his course.
“Fool the militia,” said Arlo. “That warehouse has potential as a base. We looked at it in the beginning, as a possible site. I will rig up a few booby-traps, we can lead them straight there and then disappear. They go inside, trigger the bombs, and boom. Some will die, but those who don’t will think they’ve found our secret hideout.”
“It’s too close,” said Lincoln.
“They already think we have a place around here,” said Arlo. “If we move too far out of the zone, they won’t follow us.”
Lincoln gritted his teeth and nodded. He slowed the bike as they reached the abandoned warehouse, its windows boarded up. The double front doors were shielded by sheet metal.
Arlo jumped off the back of the bike and ran toward the doors, his hands already deep inside his shoulder bag, looking for explosive treats.
Lincoln rode the bike in an arc, readying it for a quick getaway, before climbing off.
“Catch!” Arlo lobbed two bombs at Lincoln, who cursed and caught them. “Put them on the side of the building, three feet off the ground and about ten feet apart. I’ll do the front door.”
Lincoln hurried around the side
of the building, placed the first bomb on the brickwork, and activated it.
A flash of red light over his head made him freeze and duck into the shadows. It was a State drone. The red light strobed through the gloom of the alley nearby, before drifting farther along the street.
Lincoln let out a breath and finished attaching the bombs. He ran to the front of the building and stopped, his heart stuttering as he saw Arlo on his knees. Two soldiers were pointing guns at his head.
“These piece-of-shit comms aren’t working again,” said the taller of the two soldiers. “Can’t get a damn word through to base to let them know who we’ve caught.”
“I’m telling you, you’ve made a mistake.” Arlo looked up from his kneeling position. “I was just out walking my dog.”
“Which is also a crime,” said the other soldier. “Pets are outlawed.”
“And so is tampering with State-owned property,” said the taller soldier. “And you don’t have a dog. We know who you are, Arlo Ember.”
Lincoln pinned himself to the wall and raised his weapon, waiting for a clean shot. But the soldiers kept walking around Arlo. He was in danger of hitting his brother if he discharged his pulse laser.
Cursing under his breath, he looked back along the alley and saw the bombs still active and blinking. They needed a trigger to go off. And Arlo had that trigger.
“The boss will freak out when he realizes what we’ve discovered,” said the soldier. “Finally, we found the Ember brothers’ base.”
“Don’t know who those guys are,” said Arlo. “But they sound cool. Wouldn’t mind hanging out with them myself, some time.”
The soldier slammed the butt of his weapon on the back of Arlo’s head. He grunted and dropped to the ground, his hands falling to his side.
Lincoln raised his weapon, his aim now perfect and a soldier in his sightline.
“Move that trigger finger a millimeter and you get to see your brains on the wall in front of you.”
TERROR AND RAGE COLLIDED through Anastasia, as she watched Lincoln get ambushed. He’d been so intent on watching Arlo, that he hadn’t kept an eye on his own back. Now he had a gun pressed to his temple.
She’d chased the bikes as soon as they’d left the bunker, slipping out the door before it closed. She’d pushed every ounce of energy into her muscles as she’d struggled to keep up with Lincoln and Arlo. They hadn’t gone far, and the abandoned building opposite the warehouse had been an ideal location to watch from. Anastasia was so glad she had, because Lincoln needed her.
She was too far away to use her fire on the soldier who threatened Lincoln, so dashed to the door of the building, her heart pounding as she slid the door open and stepped into the muggy air. The threat of thunder and acid rain lingered around her, neither good conditions to work in when using her fire.
Her skin itching with the fire that burned inside her, she struggled with her primal urges, forcing a growl to remain inside her so as not to give away her location.
She checked where the other soldiers were, before dashing out of the building and across the street.
The soldier holding a gun to Lincoln’s head looked at her. His eyes widened with surprise before he shifted his gun and fired. She ducked and rolled and was back on her feet, the heat inside her now out of control as it boiled up her throat and poured out of her mouth, slamming into the brickwork.
The soldier gave a startled cry and ducked, giving Lincoln a chance to get away. But Anastasia kept on running. She launched herself at the soldier, the flame still shooting out of her as her teeth fastened onto the man’s neck.
The growl she’d been holding in ripped out of her, as the life died in the soldier’s eyes. She threw his body to the ground, and wiped her hand across her mouth.
“You are frighteningly beautiful when you do that.” Lincoln was by her side. “But what the hell are you doing out here?”
“Saving your sorry behind.”
“I’m so glad you never listen to a word I say.” Lincoln grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. “But we have more soldiers to deal with before we can get Arlo and blow this place.”
Anastasia growled low in her chest, as two more soldiers joined the others and stood around Arlo, their weapons raised as they focused on the alley. They must have seen her attack.
“I’ve got plenty more fire,” said Anastasia.
“Can you aim it without hitting Arlo?”
“He might get singed, but my aim is good.”
“Not ideal, but we can use it as a last resort.”
A whooshing sound above their heads filled the sky. Anastasia looked up to the clouds and gloom. She stared, as six para-soldiers descended, their arms extended and attached to huge bat-like wings made of black fabric, which slowed their approach.
“Get down!” She shoved Lincoln to the ground as a para-soldier opened fire, pulse laser blasting around them and slamming into the ground.
Lincoln pulled her against him and rolled them to the wall, his arms folding around her and shielding her from the blasts. Then he was up and yanking her to her feet. “Run!” He pulled her along by the hand, dashing farther along the alleyway, but away from Arlo.
Skidding to a halt, Lincoln backtracked. “Shit! This way is blocked.”
Anastasia glimpsed more soldiers. She turned, dashing back the way they’d come. But there were already two para-soldiers on the ground striding toward them.
Lincoln raised his gun. Two warning blasts shot over their heads.
“Our orders are to bring you in alive, if possible,” said the para-soldier at the front of the group, a tall, broad guy with a twisted nose.
“That’s never going to happen,” growled Lincoln.
“If you value this dragon hybrid’s life, it will,” said the para-soldier. “We can do whatever we like with the freaks.” He shifted his gun toward Anastasia.
She growled at the para-soldier, her fingers clutching Lincoln’s arm and leaning toward him. “I’ll cause a distraction, you get back to Arlo and blow this place apart,” she murmured near his ear.
“No way,” muttered Lincoln. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
“I can take care of myself.” Anastasia’s gaze narrowed as she glared at the soldiers.
“I know that, but you don’t have to, anymore.”
“Same goes for you.” She pressed a kiss to Lincoln’s cheek. “I’ll start a fire. You run for it.”
His gaze flashed to her. “If anything happens to you—”
Anastasia saw the worry in his eyes. “It won’t. And if it does, I know you’ll be there to look after me.”
“Always.”
It was a single word, but it meant everything, and wiped away her concerns. “Now, get out of here, so I don’t have to singe that pretty face of yours.”
“It’s time to go,” shouted the para-soldier. “Drop your weapons and hands on top of your heads.”
“I don’t think so.” Anastasia winked at Lincoln, before focusing on creating a perfect jet of flame. She whipped around in a circle, blasting fire as she spun.
The soldiers danced out of the way of the flames, their attention on avoiding being set alight and not on Lincoln as he punched a soldier, and then raced along the alleyway.
“Take her down,” yelled a soldier behind her.
Anastasia roared and increased the size of her flames, determined to keep the soldiers away from Lincoln for as long as possible.
She ducked as pulse laser fire shot down the alley, but wasn’t quick enough. A shot sliced through her left arm. She staggered backwards, her flame fading, as pain ran through her body.
Shaking her head, Anastasia shut out the agony and shot two huge fireballs along the alley. One was a direct hit. A soldier slammed against the wall and slumped down. It left the way clear. Anastasia didn’t look back as she raced away, her heart pounding as she neared the mouth. Lincoln had to be there. They wouldn’t have captured him. He’d have gotten Arlo free. They’d be waiting for
her.
A breath shot out of her as she rounded the corner and saw Lincoln grappling with a soldier. Arlo was still face down on the ground, but none of the other soldiers were keeping watch on him, all interested in the fight between Lincoln and their colleague.
Anastasia’s gaze shot to the sky. She saw a State copter hovering overhead. There would be more troops inside. They’d soon be outnumbered.
She licked her lips, her gaze locked back on the fight. Lincoln was holding his own, and the soldier had a bloody nose. But it would only take one other to decide to end the fight with a gun and Lincoln would die.
She had no choice. They needed a big distraction. Nothing was bigger than a building exploding. Anastasia focused on Arlo and ran. She was almost by his side when a warning shout rang out. She ignored the shout as she rolled Arlo onto his back and saw the detonator beneath his stomach.
A searing pain slammed through her back. She sprawled to the ground as a laser hit her, and hissed out smoke and flames. But the detonator was in her hand. It was all she needed to end this.
She rolled over, ignoring the burns on her back. Her heart clenched as she saw Lincoln being held by two soldiers. One had a gun to his head and was about to pull the trigger. She caught his eye.
Lincoln gave her a small nod.
That was all the encouragement she needed. With a flick of a finger, the building exploded, and a curtain of blackness fell.
Chapter 20
Lincoln’s eyes opened. He recognized the gray ceilings of the bunker and the soft puff of recycled air through the vents. He groaned as the stretcher he lay on jolted to one side.
“He’s awake,” said Kade. “Thought we’d lost you, for a minute.”
Lincoln groaned, his head pounding and his skin feeling like he’d been flayed. “What the fuck happened?”
“Your girl set off the bombs with you standing beside the building,” said Heath, who was carrying the other end of the stretcher as they hurried along the corridor. “You’re lucky to be alive.”
Lincoln (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 3) Page 20
