Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Margo Bond Collins

  “We’ll circle around and come from the east,” Wade said, offering her his hand. "Copperplate’s riddled with tunnels.”

  “Great. Because I hadn't quite had enough dark caves.”

  Riley eased out of the jeep, feeling as stiff as an old man. Carefully, she stretched, trying to hide as much of her wince as she could. They both knew she was in no real condition to make a run for it, if she needed to. Desperation was the only thing keeping her at his side. He couldn’t do this alone, and she wouldn’t let him.

  Wade shouldered his pack and helped slide her own over her shoulders. It was as light as they could make it, and even then the straps cut in. But the only other option was to head out into the mountains with no spare ammunition, food, or water, and she might as well cut her wrists now.

  Riley judged the sky, forcing herself to suck it up. “It’s about two or three hours until the sun starts hitting the horizon.”

  He nodded tersely. “It’s not a good situation,” he admitted. “But I’m running out of time.”

  “We,” she corrected, stepping past him and starting up the narrow trail. The sawed-off shotgun was a welcome weight in her hands, despite the signs of neglect on it.

  That he let her go first surprised her, until she felt his hand on her back to help her as gravel slipped beneath her boots. And she was aching enough that she didn’t try to push herself. Slow and steady… Or I’ll never make it.

  “No sign of wargs,” Wade murmured after the first mile. “At least that’s one blessing. Cane and his crew must have cleared them out.”

  Riley nodded, her legs trembling so badly that she didn’t even bother to answer. If she looked up, she could see miles of trekking in front of them, the red cliffs above rising seemingly forever.

  Scrambling up trails made for bighorn was a nightmare. Wade was the only thing keeping her going, his hand and steady presence at her back helping her up each steep incline. Riley had never cursed her body so much. Being human sucked.

  “At least you have crazy super-healing powers,” she muttered as Wade forced her to stop and take a drink of warm water from the canteen. It spilled over her lips in a welcome wave.

  Concern filled his eyes. Hesitation. “Maybe you should head back.”

  Riley lowered the water canteen and glared at him.

  He held his hands up in surrender. “Even I know some fights are never going to be won.” His lips twisted. “I just hate seein’ you hurt, darlin’.”

  "The second I stop is the second I start stiffening up. Tomorrow's probably going to be worse." A grim thought. Riley capped the bottle. “Let’s move.”

  She didn’t know how long they climbed, but she was finally staring at a cave. Water spilled out of it in a trickle, rusted metal bars covering it. Shadows had fallen as the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon. They were running out of time.

  “Spillway,” Wade announced quietly, stepping into the water. He bent low and hauled at the edge of the bars. Metal squealed as it curled back upon itself until there was a gap wide enough for her to fit through. “We’re at the back of the mine. This should bring us into the heart of it. We’ll come at them from within. I’ll track Lily down, and maybe we can get out before they even know we’ve been.”

  Maybe. There was wishful thinking.

  Riley staggered into the water, the biting cold sweeping through her and bringing much needed clarity. Ducking beneath the bars, she waited for Wade to follow, her nerves peaking. Caves. Jesus, why did it have to be more caves? Already she could feel the heavy press of the earth above.

  Unstrapping the shotgun from over her shoulder, she pumped a few rounds into it.

  “Don’t shoot unless you absolutely have to,” Wade warned. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Cane’s got a few surprises up his sleeve. Doesn’t seem like him, leaving the back door unguarded like this.”

  “Maybe we got lucky.” But she didn’t believe it any more than he did.

  Wade led the way forward, clicking on the flashlight they’d found in the reiver packs. He handed it to her, to keep his hands free. Carrying both it and the shotgun was awkward, but she managed to handle them both.

  Following the spillway, they made their way deeper into the mine, eventually coming out into an intersecting tunnel. This one had rail tracks.

  “Right or left?” she whispered.

  “Left. Air smells fresher.” A small frown played over his brow. “People have been through here recently. Smells like gasoline and tobacco.”

  “How much gasoline?”

  He shook his head. “Not enough for him to be trying to burn us alive. A small drip from a container, I’m thinking.” He cocked his head again, color draining from his tanned face. “Can you hear that?”

  Riley fell silent. “Nothing—” And then… Whispers in the darkness. A shuffling sound that echoed through the tunnels.

  Riley’s head shot up. She didn’t need to ask, but the words tumbled from her lips anyway. “What the hell is that?”

  20

  "Revenants. Fuck!" Wade bared his teeth, the light gleaming off them. “I knew this was too easy.”

  Riley lifted the flashlight. Her heart ticked in her chest, her mouth dry. She didn’t want to go further, didn’t want to let the darkness, or the reivers, sweep her up.

  But a little girl was waiting at the end of this. Wade was waiting. And he’d done the same thing for Jimmy, when he didn’t have to.

  Their eyes met. Wade knew exactly what she was thinking.

  Somehow, she forced a smile to her lips, though it probably looked more like a grimace. “Of course there have to be revenants. And Cane has to know, which means they’re probably here on purpose. Locked in the mines to protect his back. With our luck, they’ve probably been starving them for days.” She licked her lips. “Lay on, MacDuff.”

  “Mac what?” The tension eased out of his shoulders.

  “Old play my dad had that survived the Darkening. Only vice he ever had, buying books and useless things.” Riley shrugged.

  The silence stretched out. Through it, she could hear that silent whisper of clothing and rotting flesh. The heat drained out of her face, and she clutched the shotgun tighter.

  “You’re one hell of a woman,” Wade murmured, his eyes alight with a silvery glow. He stepped closer, hands cupping her face. “I’ll make sure you get out of this, Riley. I promise.” Then he kissed her, slow and deep. A kiss that promised the world and more.

  When he drew back, her fingers tightened in the collar of his shirt. Just for a moment. She didn’t want to let go, because she had the horrible, sneaking suspicion that this just might be the last time she ever got to touch him.

  Don’t think like that. This isn’t the worst corner you’ve both been backed into.

  She took a deep breath, slow and steady, her fingers unlocking from his shirt. “Don’t get yourself killed.” Voice huskier than it ought to be.

  His hand came up, brushed her cheek. A considering look in his eyes. “This was easier last time we had to do this.” He let out a slow breath. “Don’t get bitten.”

  “Or you’ll shoot me yourself?”

  The look on his face showed her he found nothing to laugh about at her black humor.

  Riley sobered fast. “Okay. How do we do this? We start shooting, and we’ll bring the whole molehill down upon us.”

  Wade stared down the left tunnel, his nostrils flaring. “Got an idea. Wait here, I’ll check out if my hunch is correct.”

  “Awesome,” she muttered, her hands sweaty on the shotgun. “I’ll stay here. In the dark. With the revenants.”

  Something groaned in the darkness. Riley tensed, but that had sounded almost metallic. Not something that probably wanted to eat her.

  Shining the flashlight down into the tunnel, she let out a relieved sigh when the silver-shine of Wade’s eyes lit up. He was pushing a heavily laden trolley cart up the short incline, using the old rail tracks. Muscle strained under his shirt, proving just how heavy the t
rolley was.

  “Son of a bitch.” Riley stepped back, eyeing the cart, which was full of gasoline tanks. “Guess you found a supply station.”

  “Cane’s, by the look of it,” he agreed happily. “Had a chance to have a look around. Don’t think he trusts his reivers enough to leave fuel out in vulnerable places. This was all locked up in a caged storeroom back there.” He jerked his head back over his shoulder and eased to a stop beside her.

  “They’re going to know we’re here,” Riley reminded him. “This is going to go boom in a major way.”

  Wade’s teeth flashed white in the darkness. “You have no idea. Guess what else I found. Check my pack.”

  Riley unzipped the bag over his shoulders and whistled under her breath. “Dynamite?”

  “It’s old,” he warned. “No leakage, so it must have been turned frequently enough. Found it in Copperplate’s stockroom. Might even be pre-Darkening.”

  “It should still work.” She zipped the bag back up. “You’ve got a plan.”

  “I’ve got a plan,” he agreed. “Stealth was never going to work anyway. So now, we’re going to create a hell of a lot of confusion and use it to cover our tracks. First though, I need to do some scouting. Find out where they’re holding Lily.” He looked at her. “Do you think you can start some minor preparations while I’m gone?”

  Alone. Riley swallowed.

  “I had a look around,” he said quickly. “This tunnel loops back on itself. In the middle’s an enormous pit, where they keep the revenants. They’re trapped down there for now. Didn’t want them free to wander, is my guess. You won’t come across any, and I’ll be quick.”

  Riley nodded. She was starting to feel a little numb to it all by now. And fear would keep her sharp.

  “Good.” He kissed her swiftly. “Here’s what I want you to do….”

  Five minutes later, she was swiftly laying out the cord to the dynamite along the edges of the pit. Wade had been right; below, she could hear the rasp of clothing and clawing fingers scrabbling at the sides of the pit as the revenants reached for her. A quick sweep of the flashlight gleamed off dozens of opaque eyes.

  “Fuck,” she whispered. “Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck.” They're down there, you're up here. Stop sweating it, she told herself.

  One misstep and she’d be down there with them.

  "Thank you, optimism," she muttered. Swiftly, she bound the cord together and began stepping backward, toward the main tunnel.

  “What the hell’s going on here? Colton?” The voice came out of the tunnel.

  Riley froze. A flashlight gleamed in the tunnel, bobbing as it came toward her. She could just make out the heavy set of a pair of rugged shoulders, and a black felt hat. Shit.

  The other warg.

  And she was standing on a narrow ledge with no place to go.

  A quick glance over her shoulder showed the gaping maw of the tunnel on the opposite end of the ledge, the one she hadn’t had time to check out. Riley darted toward it, flicking off her flashlight as she pressed her back against the cold cave walls inside the shadowy tunnel. Her heart was pounding through her chest, so loudly she almost thought the strange warg might hear it over the sound of the revenants’ sudden frantic shuffling below.

  A rock skittered against her boot. Riley knelt down and palmed it, licking her lips. What the hell was she going to do? Run deeper into the mine? Who the hell knew what was down there? With her luck, she’d probably come out right in the heart of the pit below.

  The warg flashed his light over the revenants as he stepped free of the opposite tunnel. “What’s set you bastards off, huh?” He spat over the edge. “Creepy fucking deadheads.” He glanced down, and she stiffened as she saw the moment he realized someone else had been there.

  “Or maybe something else?” he muttered, kneeling down and picking up the cord she’d been fusing together. Tattoos swirled on his bare arms in the light. Slowly, he looked up, silver-shine creeping through his irises. He sniffed the air, a smile crawling over his fleshy mouth.

  “There you are,” he whispered. “Almost didn’t smell you over that stink.” He stood up, gaze searching the dark and locking on her tunnel. “Pretty girl,” he whispered. “I smell you.”

  One step toward her. Another. His heavy boots crunching on shale.

  Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Riley stuck the flashlight in her pocket, then hefted the shotgun. No way he’d think she’d attack.

  She stepped out of the darkness with the shotgun lifted high. The warg’s eyes widened in surprise, his flashlight dropping as he tried to catch the shotgun butt. He grabbed it with both hands just as Riley stepped in to him and thrust a boot into his chest.

  Wrenching the gun from her hands, he fell backward with a surprised “Oof.”

  Riley didn’t waste time trying to get her gun back. She leapt over him and ran, reaching down to snatch at her pack from the shadows of a rocky outcrop as she darted across the ledge. Beneath her, the revenants hissed.

  “Bitch!” The snarl came from behind as the warg found his feet.

  Riley flicked her flashlight on and sprinted. Or tried to. Everything hurt, and she wasn't anywhere near fast enough. Shit. What the hell was she going to do? She was only halfway through the setup Wade had asked of her. He’d taken half the charges to plant on his way, but there’d barely been time for him to get them in place either.

  A shotgun roared, pellets spraying the walls beside her. Riley screamed, throwing her hands over her head as she ran. Bastard was shooting at her!

  Ahead, the trolley loomed, stacked high with gasoline tanks. She had the matches in her pocket, old ones Wade had found in the storeroom. A quick glance showed the warg stalking up the tunnel behind her, feeding two shells into the shotgun with steady hands.

  Riley skidded to a halt beside the trolley. She could run, but she wouldn’t get far. Not once he got those shells in. Fingers scrambling for the matches, she ripped them from her pocket and jerked one free of its pack. “Come on, come on….” Bloody fingers. So frigging useless all of a sudden. She dropped the pack, and half of the matches spilled across the ground.

  Bending down, she scrounged for the matches and swiftly lit one. Where the hell was Wade? Surely he’d heard that shot. Surely he’d come for her….

  Until then, she’d just have to deal with this herself.

  Looking up, she met the warg’s eyes, just as he pumped the shotgun. Riley flicked the match inside the trolley, and it exploded into flame from the gasoline she’d poured over the jerry cans.

  Scrambling behind it, she yelped as the shotgun roared again, pellets pinging off the heavy metal cart. Setting her shoulder against it, Riley pushed hard. A second where its weight resisted, then it moved a fraction of an inch. Faster. Gaining momentum. She felt the moment that gravity kicked in, and the downward velocity of the rail tracks caught it. Suddenly, it was racing down the tunnel toward the warg, picking up speed as it went. A raging inferno of flame with enough spare fuel to really kick off the party once the jerry cans exploded.

  The warg’s eyes widened, and he slammed his back flat against the wall. It wasn’t enough – his size worked against him. The trolley would clip him, possibly tip off the tracks, and he knew it. Glaring at her, he turned and ran, tossing the shotgun aside carelessly.

  The burning whoosh as the cart hit the end of the sheared-off tracks and soared out over the pit echoed in the narrow tunnel. Riley took a step back, her eyes glued to the spectacle as the trolley launched into space, leaving its fiery afterimage burned into her retinas.

  A lingering moment of quiet.

  Then the sudden coughing roar as a fireball bloomed. Shit. She hadn’t quite counted on that, hadn’t….

  The dynamite.

  Riley’s eyes went wide. She spun around and raced up the tunnel, fists pumping at her sides, the flashlight’s beam bobbing sporadically in front of her, and the pack slapping against her back. Her ribs gave an aching squeeze, but adrenaline had kicked in, dul
ling it to an almost tolerable pain.

  Light gleamed off a warg’s cat-shine eyes, and then Wade was sliding to a halt in front of her, relief taking the sharp edges from his face. “Riley.” Hoarseness turned his voice to granite-edged tones. “What the hell?”

  “Run!” she screamed.

  He glanced over her shoulder, grabbed her wrist and turned, sprinting at her side. “What did you do?”

  “There was another warg.”

  The explosion ripped through the world, like a massive hand shoving her in the back. Both she and Wade went down hard, Riley grimacing as the pain in her side gave a sharp aching stab. Ears ringing. Hair whipping around her head as debris rained down, and the earth beneath them shook.

  Then suddenly a heavy weight settled over her. “—iley–”

  And fire bloomed.

  It rolled over the top of them in an enormous fiery cloud, sucking all of the oxygen from the air, searing her lungs. The hard body covering hers flinched.

  Seconds that seemed like hours. Then she could breathe again, her lungs dry-baked, coughing, racking, choking for air—

  Wade shuddered and threw himself off her, rolling onto his back. The flames in his clothes smoldered out, and Riley lifted her head, fingertips grazing the floor. She blinked hard, trying to get some moisture back into her eyes. “You okay?”

  Wade bared his teeth in a grimace. “Becoming a spit-roast is not exactly what I had in mind.”

  The tunnels trembled. Riley pushed herself to her knees somehow. Her hands were shaking. “Sorry. Didn’t have much time to plan that.” She held out her hand to him, and he dragged himself upright with a wince.

  The stink of burnt flesh stained the air. Riley reached for his shoulder. “Let me—”

  He shook her off. “No time. I’ll heal.” A quick glance up the tunnel. “We need to get moving. Set off the rest of the charges. I know where they’re holding Lily.”

  Riley bit her lip. Stubborn ass… She held out a hand to help haul him to her feet.

  Wade gave her a look that seemed to say, Takes one to know one. Then he pushed himself upright. “Where’s the shotgun?”