Come Fill Me (The Prophecy) (27 page)

She put the Jeep in reverse and accelerated, turning it around in a tight circle. In her side and rearview mirrors, she saw Zeke’s man trying to limp toward her, yelling as he did.

With her vehicle in drive, she continued forward, into the night.

“Do you see her?” Jacob whispered.

Zeke huddled closer to the corner of the wall, sneaking a peek around it. There Kele was…three-fourths of the way down the hall. The prick behind her had gripped her hair so hard she had to lift her face to the ceiling, exposing her throat. Even from where he was, Zeke could see bruising on her neck.

He wanted to feel sorry for her and might, once his fury had passed. This was what she did when she loved someone, getting her people killed? Did she honestly believe Jacob was going to want her after this?

If he survived tonight.

Zeke shivered at the thought. He drove it away, refusing to consider that anything would happen to his brother. So far they’d been lucky. Neither of them was hit, nor had any of their other men been injured, except for poor Samuel. Ike had radioed that he and Aaron had taken down several of Carreon’s men who’d broken away from this group to search the numerous halls and rooms.

“Is she there?” Jacob asked.

Zeke nodded, then clamped his hand on Jacob’s arm, keeping him from moving. He whispered, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“If she sees me, she’ll do whatever I say, just like we practiced during the drills you made us take. It’ll give us a chance to fire on Carreon’s men.”

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Jacob argued. “If we wait for them to reach us, we’re going to be dead. We’ll lose the element of surprise.”

No shit. Zeke dug his fingers into his brother’s arm, refusing to let go. “I’ll do it.”

“She won’t listen to you.”

That was a chance he’d have to take.

“You’ll get shot,” Jacob argued.

Another chance he’d face. “Stay here,” Zeke whispered, then shoved Jacob.

His brother lost his balance, his ass hitting the floor. Before Jacob could scramble back to his knees or get to his feet, Zeke was on his, rounding the corner.

The man who held Kele stopped. He must have loosened his grip on her hair, because she lowered her face and stared, her expression as unbelieving as her captor’s.

Their surprise wouldn’t last forever. Zeke figured he had another second at most before countless bullets tore into him. “Down!” he shouted.

Kele went limp, dropping to her knees, then to her belly as he’d trained her and the other women to do in situations like this. The man holding Kele’s hair hadn’t let go so he also fell to his knees.

Zeke fired first, putting a bullet in the SOB’s forehead. The man behind him got one in his neck. As the others scattered, hiding behind the doors they’d shot open, Zeke lowered his other assault weapon and kicked it down the hall.

Kele stopped trying to pull her captor’s weapon from beneath his body and reached for the one Zeke had just provided. He dropped to one knee and fired, giving her cover. With the assault rifle in hand, she rolled to her back and sprayed the area behind her with bullets.

One of the men fell forward, his bloodied body halfway out of the room he’d hidden in.

She swung the weapon’s muzzle from side to side, taking in as much area as she could, firing repeatedly as she used the heels of her feet to scoot back toward him and Jacob.

Zeke flinched at the sudden report of gunfire coming from above and behind him.

Jacob. Fuck.

“Get down,” Zeke shouted at his brother.

He didn’t heed the advice, picking off one of the men who’d been foolish enough to lean out of his doorway to fire. The man’s weapon clattered to the floor. A split second later, his lifeless body fell on top of it.

“Bastard,” Jacob growled. “That’ll fucking teach you.”

“Dammit, get down!” Zeke yelled.

Jacob continued firing. Bullets tore into the floor around Kele from Carreon’s men. She scooted back as fast as she could while continuing to shoot. Zeke gave her another round of cover, then rammed his shoulder against Jacob’s thigh.

His brother staggered back but didn’t go down.

A bullet whizzed past Zeke’s head, then another and another.

Crying out, Jacob fell to his knees.

No, no, noooooooo.
It was just as Zeke had seen in his vision. Jacob was facedown on the floor, blood on his thigh. The next bullet would rip through his shoulder, then his back, killing him.

No.
Never.

Firing with one hand, Zeke grabbed his brother’s arm with his other, pulling Jacob around the corner, behind the wall. More shots came from the area they’d just left. From Carreon’s men or Kele, Zeke didn’t know.

Panting, he dragged Jacob down the hall with his brother fighting him.

“Stop it,” Zeke growled.

“No. I’m not hit that bad.”

He would be.

“I said stop it.” Zeke let go of Jacob’s arm, hauled back and slugged his brother in his jaw.

The blow did the trick. Jacob slumped to the floor unconscious.

Kele rounded the corner, fired once more, then stared at Jacob. “He’s been hit?” she cried.

“Keep firing,” Zeke yelled.

She did, preventing Carreon’s men from moving forward.

Zeke worked as fast as he could, pressing the wood panel that hid one of the safe rooms. The door opened. He dragged Jacob inside.

Kele watched for a moment, fired once more, then jumped to her feet and ran to Zeke.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her inside the room, shutting the door.

“Stay with Jacob,” Zeke ordered.

Already at his side, she touched his injured leg and wailed.

“Dammit, shut up,” Zeke said, shaking her shoulders until she looked up at him. “When he comes to, keep him here. If necessary, slug him. But do not let him leave. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Her face scrunched with more tears.

Shit. “I saw him die in my vision, Kele. If you don’t do what I’m telling you, Carreon’s men will finish him—”

“I won’t let him go out there. I promise!”

“Come on, help me.”

Zeke grabbed Jacob’s left arm, Kele his right. Together they dragged him to the far end of the room. There, Zeke opened yet another hidden door that led to a series of internal halls.

From the room came the sounds of men running and firing. It wouldn’t be long before they guessed that he, Kele and Jacob hadn’t simply escaped down that hall into another. When Carreon’s men noticed where the trail of blood stopped, they’d start firing into the walls. Zeke wasn’t about to take a chance on the limestone being completely impenetrable.

He closed the door to this hall.

“Wait,” Kele said, grabbing his arm. “Where are you going?”

Zeke pulled her hand from him. “To get Liz so she can heal Jacob.”

“It’s that bad?” Kele cried.

“Yeah, it’s that bad.” His brother’s jeans were wet with blood. “Put pressure on the wound so it stops bleeding. If that doesn’t work, use this as a tourniquet.” Zeke pulled off his tee and tossed it to her. “If I don’t come back, then—”

“What?”

“Shut up and listen,” he snapped. “If I don’t come back within five minutes, use Jacob’s two-way to radio the other men. Tell them where you are and that he needs help. They’ll bring Isabel here. She knows what to do in situations like this. She’ll take care of Jacob.”

“Without Liz? Without her being here and healing him?”

Yeah. If Carreon’s men were already in the internal halls and shot or captured him, Zeke wouldn’t be bringing Liz here. If his vision played out, she wouldn’t be in the stronghold much longer. Carreon’s lieutenants would be bringing her back to him. Zeke took Jacob’s pistol. “Just see to him so he’s okay.”

“Here.” She offered Zeke the assault rifle she’d been using.

Clutching his own, he backed away. “Keep it. Do whatever’s necessary to protect my brother.”

She said something Zeke didn’t hear as he bolted down the hall. This one was far narrower than the ones in the living areas, the ceiling just inches above his head, the walls so close he couldn’t stretch out his arms. With one touch of his fingertips, the walls started to glow, allowing him to see what lay ahead and behind. Not a good thing if that also let Carreon’s men see him.

However, there was no other choice. He couldn’t risk stumbling through the dark, bumping into walls, taking wrong turns.

From this deep within the stronghold, Zeke wasn’t able to hear what went on outside. His men might have already killed or captured all of Carreon’s lieutenants. His people could very well be facing those animals now, the women begging for their children’s lives, the kids crying.

His thoughts raged against Carreon.
I’m going to make you pay for their fear and Gabrielle’s death
.
I’m going to make you suffer, you fucking bastard.

He ran as hard as he could, at last reaching the room where he’d left Liz. For the moment, he was alone, the halls stretching behind him and to each side, the limestone glowing so brightly it didn’t allow any shadows.

Zeke searched for the small depression in the stone that released the door on this side. Placing his fingertips on it, he pulled in more air and waited for it to unlock.

The second it did, he hurried inside. “Jacob’s been hit, I need you to—”

He stopped, staring at the broken chair, the shade resting on the desk, the lamp’s switch, the empty room.

In his mind, Zeke saw Liz as she’d been in his vision, caressing Carreon’s cheek, embracing him, the man putting his hands around her throat and squeezing. A sense of hopelessness and finality rolled through Zeke. She was going to die. She’d already set the event into motion by escaping this room.

God, no, please. Why couldn’t she have stayed here and trusted him?

Had she feared that he’d never rescue her father? Or had her most immediate concern been for him and Jacob?

Images rose in Zeke’s mind of his brother on the floor, blood staining his jeans. However, there hadn’t been another shot to his shoulder and chest. The vision had warned, but not all of it had come true.

There had to be a way for him to save Liz. She wasn’t inside any longer. He could feel it. And she wasn’t gone because Carreon’s lieutenants had her.

Zeke tore back through the internal tunnels toward the stronghold’s entrance.

Chapter Thirteen

No more than thirteen miles separated Carreon’s stronghold from Zeke’s. Liz thought the distance would have been greater. All this time, Zeke and his people had been so close to Carreon but hidden.

It was now dark, the moon fat, drizzling its silver rays over the stark landscape. Warm, dry air poured through the van’s vents, blowing Liz’s hair and tee. Her palms continued to sweat, forcing her to keep wiping them on her jeans.

From behind, there weren’t any lights from vehicles. Not that she’d been worried about anyone following her, except for the man she’d healed. This road was as inaccessible to the average person as Zeke’s stronghold had once been to her clan.

Had he, Jacob and their men managed to fight off Carreon’s lieutenants? Were they still shooting it out? Had Zeke been—

An anguished sound poured from Liz.

She dug her thumbnails into the steering wheel, ordering herself to concentrate on her driving, not to think about Zeke getting hurt. He was a smart man who knew how to take care of himself—a freaking warrior built for battle. He’d survive.

Carreon wouldn’t.

Liz gritted her teeth, hatred surging through her at the sight of his stronghold, the building and outside lights dirtying the rest of the area. He’d appropriated their clan’s future, their people’s happiness and safety so he could live like a fucking king.

Not anymore.

She pulled up to the front entrance and waited for Carreon’s remaining men to rush out, not having much of a plan if they did.

On a noisy sigh, she realized all of them must have gone to Zeke’s stronghold, risking their lives for their leader who hid here like a frightened child. Carreon was good at jeopardizing everyone’s future except his own.

At the entrance, Liz tried one of the knobs on the off chance of the door opening. The damn thing wouldn’t budge. She went to the control panel hidden behind the shrubbery. Unlike Zeke’s stronghold, there was no need for palm or fingerprints here. There’d always been armed men around, ready to kill.

Not now.

Liz punched in a code she’d used many times when she and Carreon had been lovers.

Nothing happened. Shit.

She tried his birthday, hers… Neither released the lock. Next, she tried her father’s date of birth. The freaking thing remained locked. Perspiration ran into her eyes. With the back of her hand, she wiped it away.
Come on, think.
Carreon would use a code few would be able to guess, while also being one that held some significance to him. His way of giving the finger to the world, showing everyone how clever he was, how much smarter he could—