Annihilate (Hive Trilogy Book 3) (6 page)

“Hello? Can you hear me? Hang on, help is on its way.”

I had to shout, offer some reassurance, even though my gut was telling me he was at minimum unconscious. That thick smoke was making it hard for me to breathe, and I’d only just gotten here. I closed in on the front, but it was completely cut off; there was no way to enter there. It looked like this was the thickest part of the flames. Dashing around the corner I found another sliding door, and there were far fewer flames here.

Grabbing a handful of slush, I pressed it against the burning metal latch, trying to cool it enough to touch. I didn’t have gloves on, which was a real pain, so this was my best chance.

Luckily it worked, and I was able to nudge the rusted door about three feet across. Black smoke poured out of the opening as soon as it appeared, and I knew that this influx of oxygen was going to give this baby more power. I needed to find him and get him out now.

I ducked my head down low, and pulling my jacket off used it as a shield above me. I wasn’t sure how flammable the material was, and it was better to not have it attached to my body if some embers caught. I had to stay very low to the ground; visibility was terrible, and it was almost impossible to breathe. I could see that some beams had fallen down near the front entrance and were fueling the majority of the fire. There was a strange scent in the air, strong and chemical. I wondered what was in this barn, and what the chance of it blowing up was. Moving as fast as was safe to do, I kept scanning the place, hoping to see something.

“Hello! Can … can you hear me?” The smoke was killing my ability to shout, but I continued calling for the girl’s father.

A sizzle landed on my arm and I fought back the cry of pain. Yep, that burn hurt like a bitch, but I would heal, the human wouldn’t. I needed to find him now. I was halfway through the large barn when I caught sight of a boot and yellow snow pants. Thank the gods this guy liked his gear hi-vis. I scurried over to him, practically on the floor. More of the still form came into view. It looked as if someone had drug him into the corner, away from the worst of the fire. His daughter had done everything she could to save him before coming for us. Poor kid.

Dropping my jacket over the top of his body, I grabbed two handfuls of his thick pants and pulled him out toward me. The fire was blazing harder behind us and I knew time was running out. A cough suddenly seized my lungs; the back of my throat burned. The guy was big and heavy, but not fat. He was someone who worked hard, I could tell.

I would not let him and his family down. He was out far enough now that I could wrap my hands around his shoulders, threading into the top of his clothing, and lift his head up to drag him. It was so hard to breathe, which made the physical stuff almost impossible. Trying to find moisture in my dry mouth, I swallowed a few times, and knowing it was my only choice, tapped into the heat at my center again. Holding on as tightly as I could, my upper body leaning over his body to protect us both, I managed to get us out of the middle and to the side door. I was thanking the gods for my ash genetics, because this man was heavy and my muscles were crying.

My energy gave out then; the man’s weight coupled with the smoke inhalation had completely exhausted me. I was unable to breathe as another coughing fit hit me. I was about two seconds from collapsing. Strong hands latched onto me then and someone drug us both out of the barn and into the cool, clean air.

My vision was a little fuzzy, and it took me more than a few moments to cough my guts up and try and bring air into my starving lungs. My throat and chest hurt like hell, and everything tasted like death.

“Charlie, are you okay?” Ryder yelled at me, and in my scattered attention I noticed someone was performing CPR on the guy.

“I got him, but…” Coughing racked me again, and I sighed when Ryder pressed a water bottle to my lips.

The cool liquid was painful and wonderful as it wet the inside of my mouth. He wouldn’t let me drink too much. I needed to get the smoke out of my lungs.

“You really need some pure oxygen,” Oliver said. “But your healing capabilities should kick in soon.” I tried to focus on him, but everything was still blurry and muffled.

“Is the … dad … okay?”

Look at me go. Almost a full sentence. I was starting to become aware of this love I had for kids. I would never have kids of my own, but something about those innocent, helpless little bastards spoke to me. First the child they had changed into a vampire, and now Lupita. I would never forgive myself if I allowed her father to die. Every little girl needed her father. I didn’t have that chance as a child, and I didn’t want her to know what it was like to grow up without a dad.

Ryder and Oliver were monitoring the situation. Just as Ryder was about to speak, the father gasped and a sputtering coughing fit hit him. His body convulsed and he coughed so hard he threw up, but the breath I had been holding left me. He was alive.

Sam, Becca, and Lupita pulled up to us, riding a snowmobile. Lupita jumped off and came after us just as a giant cracking noise sounded behind me and we all hit the deck as the barn roof gave way, sending sparks up into the air.

Ryder and I shared a look. If we hadn’t gotten here so quick, he would be dead.

Lupita’s father was holding her now. He had a bit more color in his face and Becca approached him with an oxygen tank and mask. Of course she had that shit lying around. Probably standard in any chem lab. But my attention was on Sam; the silent enforcer was circling the blazing building, his face elevated, and he seemed to be sniffing the air. Ryder was watching Sam as well.

“What is it?” Ryder asked his friend.

Sam answered by pulling his gun from inside his jacket. “Arson.”

Fear struck into my gut, and apparently into Ryder’s, because he closed the space between us and I was hauled up into his arms and shoved on the snowmobile. Oliver sat with us and we drove off, leaving Sam, Becca, Lupita, and her father to figure shit out.

“Ryder…” I said, trying to calm him; he was flooring the snowmobile so fast my head was hitting the bars above us.

“Ryder!” I shouted. He ignored me. Oliver turned, facing the back, gun drawn as if he was waiting for someone to shoot us.

We reached the lab in record time and finally my boyfriend faced me. “This was a trap to get us all outside. I don’t know whether it was to see how many of us there are, or to get you!”

Fear sliced through me. “Fuck.”

Oliver didn’t move from his position, but he called back to Ryder. “Who, though? No one knows we’re here!”

That’s true. Sam had been so careful. But there was one thing he probably hadn’t taken into account. He came to this area all the time, and after decades of coming here someone was bound to notice.

Ryder figured the same thing. “Has to be Sanctum … one of their scouts. If it was a full team they’d have just ambushed the house. The fire drew us out, and if I know them at all, he’s now counted us, identified Charlie, and will be reporting back so a full team can be dispatched. The scouts probably went out to all possible locations Charlie might be.”

Oliver let a cuss word fly this time. “What do we do?”

I hadn’t even showered since I got here and already with the drama. I was not dressed to take on Sanctum. I was kind of looking forward to Jayden’s shipments coming, 36C and all.

My man’s face looked menacing. “We go hunting.” Exiting the snowmobile, he all but ran into the house.

Holy shit.

I took off after him. After we made it inside, I found him in the main room, pulling forth some duffle bags. They were full of weapons.

I readied myself for a fight. “I’m helping,” I told him, crossing my arms.

He stopped what he was doing for a second, but then threw me a bulletproof vest. “I need the extra help; otherwise I would say no.”

Whatever … he said yes, so I wasn’t going to argue. In the next few minutes the rest of the enforcers made it back to the research facility. Which was good. If Sanctum was involved, you couldn’t have too many people on your side.

Five minutes, that’s all it took for the boys and I to suit up and for Sam to ready the helicopter. Ryder was pretty sure there would only be one scout and if we killed him that would buy us about a week before someone came looking for him. So we had to find that scout.

Jayden was going to stay at the house. His job was to pray for our survival. Worship, sacrifice, whatever the gods needed, he assured us he was on it.

Becca was still with Lupita and her father. They were heading for the hospital in town.

The rest of us were geared and ready to go. Sam was in the chopper with Oliver as our eyes in the sky. Ryder and I were on one snowmobile, Jared and Kyle on another. Markus said he was going on foot through the rougher terrain.

We all wore bulletproof vests and had semi-automatic rifles and a handgun. Night vision was limited, so only Markus, Sam, and Ryder got those. The Scottish enforcer had already set out to follow snow tracks. All of us were linked via walkie-talkie.

Time to find us a Sanctum scout.

Ryder and I were following a trail, our snowmobile rumbling along as we moved slowly through the night.

“I doubt the scouts have gotten sloppy enough to leave a trail,” Ryder said, his face obscured by the night vision. “But we have to follow all leads.”

“Might be a trap, but at least we’ll find him quickly.”

I was more than happy to find the fire-lovin’ bastard.

After following the tracks to a thick forested area that the snowmobile couldn’t enter, Ryder cut the engine and jumped off. I trailed behind him, gun held at my side and as blind as fuck because no one took the time to hunt up some more night vision goggles. In their defense, I had never used them, but how hard could it be? Would have to tell Jayden to order some more of those online.

Ryder’s walkie lit up then and Markus’ brogue came through in a low murmur. “I’ve got a human form in the trees, by—”

His words were abruptly cut off, and Ryder barely paused before he started rushing through the forest. I stayed right on his heels. If I lost him I’d be completely blind out here.

Sam came over the walkie now. “I see him, Ryder! Your 2 o’clock, one click northeast.”

Ryder changed directions slightly, because apparently northeast meant something to him. He smashed through the thick undergrowth which surrounded us, snow and ice flying in all directions. My cheeks were starting to hurt now, that sort of biting cold which was almost unbearable.

My heart pounded wildly as I thought of the way Markus’ voice cut off on the walkie-talkie. He had to be okay; my gentle giant could take care of himself. I knew that from all the training sessions where he crushed me into a pile of dust. He was fine.

We were running full force, and with all the heavy gear on; my lungs were still recovering from the barn fire, so I was in shit shape. Not to mention the frigid air and crisp snow biting at my exposed flesh. If Sanctum didn’t get us all, the elements would.

A heavy snowdrift cut me off for a moment, and by the time I got through it I had lost sight of Ryder. Luckily he’d left a decent trail of destruction through the woods. I struggled through particularly thick brush and pretty much tumbled into an open clearing. Immediately the sounds of a struggle drew my attention, and I was back on my feet in a flash. I could see figures wrestling, and before I could shout out, a distinct heavy thud echoed, followed by cracking branches and then a body slamming to the ground.

Ryder, who must have come into this section a few yards away from me, took off toward those two shadows. As he passed me, he ripped off his night-vision goggles and tossed them on the ground, before taking a huge leap and landing on top of a black-clad hulking figure.

Unclicking the safety on my weapon, I stooped down to pick up the goggles and slipped them on. Holy shit! These glasses had thermal imaging as well. I had to blink a few times to let my eyes adjust. My vision was awash in neon green, and before me was a battle of two red glowing figures that the heat sensors were picking up. A large male was unconscious on the ground. Judging by the outline of his face, it was Markus. He’d been the one thudding to the ground.

Moving as close as I could to the fighting duo, I dropped to one knee and steadied myself the way Markus taught me. From this distance it was slightly easier to tell the difference between Ryder and the black-clad male. Both were exchanging heavy blows. Breathing deeply, I centered myself, blocking out all other distractions. I needed to be sure of my shot before taking it. I didn’t want to hit the wrong guy.

God damn they were fast. The Sanctum scout was slowing just a bit, as if tiring out already. Markus must have really given it to him.

Just then another red figure jumped into my field of vision. Another one of our boys had arrived. As the figure closed in I could tell it was Oliver. He crunched in the snow, and the snapping of twigs distracted Ryder for about a millisecond. As he shifted to see who was advancing on him, I finally had an opportunity to take a shot. My bullet went right through the scout’s neck. I had been aiming for the head, so it wasn’t half bad. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, gurgling and sputtering through the blood accumulating in his throat. He kept saying something, but I couldn’t understand what it was. Something like “Allie.” Was that his girlfriend?

Okay, now I felt terrible. Even if this ash had been here to bring assassins to me and had attacked my men, ending a life was still not something I could ever agree with.

Ryder let out a deep breath, distracting me. “Nice shot, Charlie.”

He pulled his weapon then and put a bullet between the scout’s eyes. I’ll never forget the hot blood meeting the cold snow, and the way it glowed on the night vision goggles.

There was more light in the space now. Oliver had a small lantern. Where the heck had he got that from, and why didn’t I have one?

“Charlie, check on Markus for me,” Ryder said, before turning to Oliver. “I’m going to need some help hiding the body. The harder it is for them to track him, the more time we’ll have.” This was the second time in the few months I’d known Ryder that he needed help in hiding a body. The enforcer struggle was real.