Mission: Her Justice

by Anna Hackett

  “It’s going to kill him,” Declan said.

  Jonah just wanted to drift away. There was no pain, no heartache, no suffering. The Hall of Records offered him power and knowledge, a chance to transcend.

  He stared at the others and blinked. Who were they again?

  “Jonah, you have to let the orb go,” the redheaded woman said.

  “It’s a part of me now,” he replied, slightly bemused by the sound of his voice.

  “Come back to me.” She reached up and pressed her hands to his chest. “Please. I love you, Jonah.”

  His brow wrinkled. “Who are you?”

  The redhead gasped. “No. Dammit. It’s messing with his brain.” Suddenly, she leaped up on Jonah, and climbed up his body.

  She stopped when she was face-to-face with him.

  “You are Jonah Grayson. I’m Evan Fletcher.”

  He cocked his head. The names meant nothing to him.

  “Damn you, Jonah. I’m not letting that thing scramble your brain. You’re mine. We’re perfect for each other and I’m in love with you. You make me believe in love, goodness. You believed in me when no one else did. You challenge me, excite me. And you look delicious in a suit.”

  “That means nothing to me.” He felt calm emptiness inside.

  It was all room to fill with knowledge. He had no memories of this woman.

  Her face twisted. “I’m not letting a fucking bullet or a fucking ancient artifact steal you from me.”

  She kissed him.

  As her lips moved on his, he felt a flicker of heat. Tentatively, he kissed her back. She tasted good, and this felt good. He deepened the kiss, and the pressure in his head eased a little. Her tongue stroked his.

  “Mine.” She nipped his lip. “No one else can have you.”

  He clamped a hand on her hip and kissed her again. But the pressure in his head fought back. More knowledge and energy poured into him. It hurt.

  Then he ripped his mouth off hers, threw his head back, and screamed.

  “No!” the redhead cried.

  She let him go, dropping back to the floor in a crouch.

  Black spots danced in front of his eyes, but he saw her race across the chamber and pick something up. He tried to focus, but his vision was blurring. Then she was running back to him.

  Blue light pulsed from his entire body.

  “That damn thing can’t have you, Jonah. I don’t share.” She ran at him, her arm up.

  She held a chunk of black rock made from one of the broken boxes in her hand.

  She slammed it into the orb.

  The glass cracked and shattered. Strangely, his hand was protected by the orb’s energy. Blue liquid splattered on the floor, then froze, turning into a glittering blue crystal substance.

  The energy holding Jonah died in an instant. He crashed to the ground, his legs going out from under him.

  “Jonah. God.” The woman threw her arms around him.

  The pressure in his head, that felt like a giant hand squeezing, started to ease.

  “Jonah?”

  He looked into wide, hazel eyes.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Her heart was fluttering like a trapped bird.

  Evan held onto Jonah, hoping and praying that he was free of the orb’s influence.

  A hand snaked into her hair and pulled her head back. She looked into Jonah’s eyes, now once again green.

  Thank God.

  “Jonah?” A sob caught in her chest.

  His thumb rubbed over her lips. His gaze was intense. But was he all right? What if his memories were wiped? Or his brain was damaged? His veins still glowed a faint blue, the color slowly fading away.

  She gripped his arms tighter.

  “Evan,” he murmured. “My Evan.”

  With a sob, she kissed him.

  He kissed her back, deeply, like he needed the contact to ground himself.

  She pressed her hands to his cheeks.

  “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

  “I’m fine now. I thought my head was going to explode for a while there.”

  “We need to treat your gunshot wound.” His color was better, but it was probably from the aftereffects of the orb’s influence. He was bleeding out… But wait.

  She blinked. There was still a bloodstain on his shirt, but he didn’t appear to be bleeding anymore.

  His brows drew together. “I don’t feel any pain.” He pressed a hand to his stomach.

  Evan yanked his shirt up as far as his vest would allow. There was blood smeared on his skin, but no wound. She prodded the bronze skin where he’d been shot.

  “It’s healed,” she breathed.

  “My God, the orb healed you,” Layne said.

  Dec crouched beside them. “Look.”

  He picked up an object off the ground. It was a mangled bit of metal, with blood covering it. The bullet.

  Evan kissed Jonah again. “Promise me you won’t ever get shot again.”

  A faint smile touched his lips. “It’s not something I enjoy doing.”

  “And no more artifacts trying to ram info into your brain.”

  Jonah glanced at the shattered ruins of the orb. “Well, it isn’t going to happen with the Hall of Records.”

  Evan lifted her chin. “I’m not sorry I smashed a priceless, ancient repository of vast advanced knowledge.” Okay, maybe she was a teeny bit sorry. “When it comes to your life, Jonah Grayson, I’ll smash a thousand Halls of Records.”

  “I love you.” He yanked her close again.

  “So how about we find a way out?” Dec said. “I guess we need to use the second shaft.” He eyed the dark hole dubiously.

  “Uh, guys,” Layne said.

  That didn’t sound good. Still tucked under Jonah’s arm, Evan turned her head.

  The black boxes tucked into the walls were starting to glow blue.

  She stiffened, and felt Jonah tense, as well.

  “Oh shit,” Evan muttered. “That can’t be good.”

  “One of the boxes is damaged,” Layne said. “And the orb is smashed.”

  “It triggered the defense mechanism that Brennan mentioned,” Jonah said.

  “Some ancient security system,” Layne said.

  “Nice.” Dec’s hands flexed. “I suggest we move. Now.”

  The sound of slamming rock echoed through the chamber.

  Evan jerked. A stone block had slammed down, covering the entrance to the second shaft.

  Boom.

  Another block slid across the opening of the first shaft, locking them in.

  “I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.” Dec pulled Layne close. “After this, I’m wrapping you in bubble wrap, and you’re staying at home until our baby arrives.”

  Evan kept her gaze on the boxes.

  Suddenly, the tops slid open and rectangular pillars rose out of the boxes.

  They were all made from the same black rock, and covered in carved grooves.

  Nothing happened.

  “Okay,” Dec said. “It doesn’t look too bad.”

  With a hum of noise, one pillar glowed brightly and fired a blue beam of light. Dec leaped aside.

  The beam hit the wall, cutting into it like a laser.

  Another pillar glowed and fired. Then another.

  “Down!” Jonah yelled.

  Evan hit the floor and started crawling. A beam hit right in front of her, cutting into the floor. “They aren’t fixed! They can aim.”

  She jumped up, then leaped over another beam rushing toward her. Shit. There was nothing to use as a weapon. Nothing to hide behind.

  She slid under another beam and saw Jonah jump a second one. The rays of light weren’t fast, but they weren’t slow either.

  Dec pulled Layne close, and spun them out of the path of another beam of light.

  “The alcove!” Layne yelled. “It’s the only place where we can hide.”

  “Go!” Jonah roared.

  Dec and Layne sprinted. A light beam tracked r
ight behind them, scouring the wall.

  “Faster,” Evan yelled.

  Dec reached the alcove first, but Layne wasn’t going to outrun the beam.

  “Layne, drop,” her husband yelled.

  The archeologist hit the floor on her hands and knees. The light cut right above her head.

  Then Dec reached out, grabbed her, and yanked her into the alcove. The pair ducked down behind the mummy.

  “Go, Evan.” Jonah watched a beam come at them.

  Evan ran. She pumped her arms and legs. A pillar glowed and a beam shot out from another box, arcing straight toward her. She jumped into the air, somersaulted the beam, and landed. She raced into the alcove.

  Dec patted her on the shoulder. She spun, watched Jonah running toward them.

  “Faster!” Evan shouted.

  Two beams were coming right at him from different directions.

  “Jonah!”

  He dropped, sliding feet first into the alcove like a baseball player stealing a base.

  The shafts of light hit the wall, but didn’t penetrate into the alcove. Evan released a shaky breath, her pulse racing wildly.

  Jonah hugged her, and the four of them huddled in the back of the alcove behind the mummy. Sprouse was curled into a small ball, shivering against the wall.

  Evan huffed out a breath. “Now what?”

  “Well, we seem to be safe enough here.” Layne peered over the mummy.

  Jonah’s heart was still pounding. “If we had weapons, we could destroy the pillars.”

  Dec eyed the boxes. “The light beams are sort of like lasers, but not as intense.”

  “Some sort of ancient light technology,” Layne said.

  “Team 52 will find a way down here,” Jonah said. “Eventually.”

  Evan shoved her hair back. It was tangled, covered in dust and blood, but she still looked beautiful to him.

  Dec leaned against the wall. “If we’re safe, let’s wait.”

  Just then, a laser cut close to the alcove entrance. It sliced into the rock.

  “Oh, God,” Layne breathed.

  A huge chunk of the ceiling collapsed in the chamber, sending dust into the alcove. They all coughed.

  Jonah stared into the chamber. The lasers were cutting into other parts of the ceiling and walls.

  Dread curdled in his veins. “The system is going to collapse the chamber.”

  “Hell,” Evan muttered.

  “So, scratch the waiting,” Dec said. “We’ve got no weapons, so what we can we do?”

  Evan eyed the mummy.

  “What?” Jonah asked her.

  “Maybe we can find something to use.” She pulled the amulet off the mummy. It was large—covering most of the mummy’s chest. Most of it was bronze metal inset with precious stones.

  “Oh, God.” Layne slapped her hands over her eyes.

  Despite the situation, Dec grinned, though a bit darkly. “My wife has strong opinions on the treatment of ancient historical artifacts.”

  Evan pulled a beaten-metal gauntlet off the mummy’s bandaged-wrapped arm. “Sorry, Layne. This is life or death.” She looked at Jonah. “I’m planning to live.”

  Layne pressed a palm to her stomach. “Me too.”

  “Okay.” Evan handed the gauntlet to Jonah, then pulled the second one off the mummy to hand to Dec. Then she hefted the amulet.

  “What’s the plan?” Jonah asked.

  She smiled at him. “You letting me call the shots, Director?”

  “I’m letting my smart, experienced woman take the lead in a dangerous situation that she’s the best person to handle. So, yes.”

  “God, I love you.”

  “You guys are so cute,” Layne said. “Or not cute, I guess. You’re both too beautiful and polished to be cute.”

  “Here’s the plan.” Evan leaned forward. “Layne, you stay in the alcove.”

  The woman’s face fell. “But—”

  “You need to keep your baby safe.”

  Layne looked at Declan who nodded. He had a relieved look in his eye.

  “You’ll be our spotter,” Evan said. “Before the pillars fire, they glow. We need you to call out where the shots are coming from so we can use these objects to reflect back the beams.”

  Jonah’s gut went tight. The objects weren’t very large, so it wouldn’t be easy.

  “We need to destroy the pillars,” Evan continued. “We have no weapons to use, so we’ll use the light beams themselves as our weapons.”

  Dec nodded and pulled in a deep breath.

  “Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

  “I’ll go first,” Jonah said.

  “You were just shot, and hurt by an ancient artifact,” Evan objected.

  “I’m perfectly healed.” He kissed her, then darted out of the alcove.

  “To the left,” Evan yelled.

  He saw a pillar in a box glow and swivel, and the laser fired.

  He held up the gauntlet.

  The beam hit the metal and reflected back. It hit the wall.

  Dammit, he’d missed.

  “To the right!” Layne yelled.

  Jonah swiveled. But the beam was too fast and he didn’t have time. He dived and rolled under it.

  “We’re coming in,” Evan yelled.

  Declan and Evan raced out, holding up their artifacts.

  It became like some strange game. The three of them, with Layne acting as spotter, spinning, lunging, and dodging. They managed to reflect the beams back some of the time, and before long, the walls were peppered with strikes.

  Finally, luck was on Jonah’s side. His reflected beam hit one of the boxes and the pillar inside.

  The pillar shattered.

  “Got one!”

  Jonah had no time to celebrate. Another ray of light arced through the air and he slammed flat to the ground. Heat washed over his back.

  Evan leaped, landed, then bounced a beam off her amulet. The artifact exploded in her hand.

  With a cry, she whirled away, clutching her hand to her chest.

  “Evan?” Jonah leaped up.

  “I’m okay.” She sprinted for the alcove.

  Jonah kept deflecting the ancient lasers, but he realized his gauntlet now had holes in it, and the metal was turning soft. It wouldn’t last much longer.

  “Dec, how’s your gauntlet holding up?”

  “It isn’t going to last much longer.” The other man rolled across the floor, came up on his feet, and deflected a beam.

  It hit a box, but not the pillar.

  Damn. Jonah spun, skidded, and held his gauntlet up.

  “Are there any more objects on the mummy?” he yelled.

  “Nothing big enough,” Evan replied.

  Well, if they couldn’t destroy the pillars, they could at least keep them busy until Team 52 arrived.

  He and Declan kept dancing and dodging until Declan’s gauntlet shattered.

  “Fuck, I’m out.” Dec sprinted for the alcove.

  “Jonah, we’ll take turns,” Evan called out.

  He was already feeling tired. This would wear them down, and he had no idea how long they could keep it up.

  They needed a rescue. Now.

  Jonah dodged more beams and reflected one laser back, cutting into the wall.

  “Jonah!” Evan yelled. “Switch.”

  He raced toward the alcove and slid in. Evan took the gauntlet and sprinted out with a wink.

  He turned and watched her move. Pure beauty. Her body was so strong and fluid. But he saw the constant movement and precision needed was tiring.

  “Change,” Declan yelled.

  Evan ran back to the alcove, breathing heavily. Dec took the battered gauntlet.

  “We can’t keep this up much longer,” Jonah said.

  The next deflection hit a pillar, destroying it.

  Dec whooped.

  Then there was a grinding sound and a new pillar rose up from beneath the shattered one.

  Sucking in a breath, Jonah gla
nced at the box he’d destroyed earlier, and saw another pillar rising up.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Evan said.

  “Oh no,” Layne breathed.

  Two beams cut close and Declan jumped, but landed on some rubble. He stumbled and lost his balance.

  Shit.

  “Dec!” Layne cried.

  A light beam was moving right toward the fallen man.

  Evan and Jonah acted at the same time. They darted out, grabbed Dec’s arms, and heaved him up.

  The three of them sprinted to the alcove. They slid inside, just as a barrage of beams hit.

  Chunks of rock flew everywhere, and Layne screamed.

  The beams resumed trying to destroy and collapse the chamber.

  “Shit.” Evan pressed a hand to her forehead. A chip of rock had nicked her. “I’m out of ideas. We need a miracle.”

  Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the chamber. Dec threw himself over Layne. Jonah did the same to Evan, and they hit the floor beside the mummy. Curled in a tight ball in the corner, Sprouse whimpered.

  “Hey, I don’t need saving,” Evan muttered.

  “I know, but it won’t stop me from trying to protect you,” Jonah replied.

  Her face softened. “I wish we weren’t stuck in a collapsing chamber right now. We really need that miracle.”

  Jonah raised his head and spotted movement in the chamber.

  Then he grinned. “I think you just got one.”

  Several black-clad bodies climbed out of the bottom of the now-clear first shaft.

  Evan’s head lifted. “Team 52.”

  “Better late than never,” Jonah said.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The members of Team 52, plus Ronin and Logan, dropped into the chamber. Evan was damn glad to see them.

  “Form up,” Lachlan yelled, his gold gaze assessing.

  “Lachlan,” Jonah yelled. “Each box has a light weapon. They need to be destroyed.”

  The pillars glowed and light beams blasted out of the boxes. The team all ducked and dodged.

  “Omega five formation,” Lachlan bellowed.

  The team split into pairs: Axel and Smith shifted, Smith in front with his weapon up, while Axel crouched behind him.

  The pair advanced on the closest black box, Smith firing his CXM rifle. When the weapon clicked, Smith whirled. Axel came up and took the lead, firing his weapon.