Nate
We parked our vehicles in a vacant lot a few blocks from the Spartans’ warehouse. Loaded down with weapons and plenty of extra ammo, we headed down the dark sidewalk toward the building. Since Romeo was expecting us, we wouldn’t have the element of surprise. We might even be walking into a trap. It was possible The Company had set this up to get us all in one place so they could kill us. In fact, it was that worry that nagged at me as we approached the building. The Company knew we would never leave Tony behind. They might use that to lure us all in. But even if they did, it wouldn’t stop me. I would never leave Tony behind. Never. I’d rather die by his side than leave him alone to die.
Not a soul stirred as we neared the building. Even the guards that were normally stationed out front were gone. Something was definitely up.
Tracker and I exchanged glances. “Is he here?” I whispered.
Tracker closed his eyes and centered himself while we all waited for him to locate Tony.
At last, he opened his eyes and nodded. “Yeah. He’s here.”
I could still feel Tony through our connection, though he was growing weaker by the moment. I couldn’t shake the fear that Romeo would wait until I got closer, then kill Tony before I could save him.
My phone vibrated in the front right pocket of my jeans. I fished out and checked the text that had come in.
Send Alissa in and I’ll send your buddy out.
I chuffed. Was he serious? There was no way in hell I was sending Alissa in alone. It would give Romeo all the power and I wasn’t about to let him win.
Not gonna happen, I texted back. I’m coming with her to get my friend out. Then I’m leaving.
I could almost hear his evil cackle as I read his response. Fine, Nate. Come in with her. Your friend is going to need someone to carry him out anyway.
His easy acquiescence made me suspicious. You would think he would at least have guards posted to check us for weapons before letting us inside. This whole “exchange” seemed suspicious.
“He’s not going to let you leave with Tony alive,” Jacob murmured. “He’ll kill both of you.”
“Yeah. He just wants Alissa for some reason.”
“So he can kill me,” Alissa spoke up. “He hates me. He won’t be happy until I’m dead. But I’m going to kill that asshole first.”
Luke let out a soft snort, but there was admiration in his gaze.
“You go girl,” Ryan murmured, a twinkle in his eyes.
“Whatever you decide to do, Nate, I’ll back you,” Jacob said quietly. “I’ll be the Phantom if you need me to.”
“Thanks, man.” Coming back to the place he’d nearly died was probably not a good idea for Jacob. Though he’d overcome his demons, coming back here might trigger a flashback that sent him spiraling out of control. “Are you sure you’re okay to be here?”
Jacob nodded. “I can handle this. You and Tony didn’t abandon me. I won’t abandon you.”
Tracker clapped me on the shoulder. “We’ve all got your back, Nate. What do you want us to do?”
This was a rescue mission to save Tony. And keep everyone else alive. “Wait out here,” I said. “But only long enough for us to get to Tony. Then come in however you can and get us the hell out of there.”
Everyone nodded. “Will do,” Logan murmured.
Alissa looked into my eyes. “I’m ready,” she whispered. “Let’s go get Tony.”
While the others waited outside, Alissa and I opened the door and quietly entered the building.
Silence met our ears. The place was dark. Nothing stirred.
Then suddenly a light clicked on over the octagon, like a stage light, highlighting Tony where he lay in the middle of the mat. As still as death.
He was covered in blood, his skin pale, obviously from blood loss. My heart gave a worried thump. Until I was able to assess his condition, I wouldn’t know the extent of his injuries. But even a cursory glance from across the room told me how serious the situation was. If we didn’t get to Tony soon, he would die.
I stood still and let my superior senses take everything in. I quickly determined that no one else was in the building.
But my training had taught me to never rush into anything before checking it all out.
This stank heavily of a setup. Of The Company. They’d used Tony to lure us here. Probably to kill us all.
I scanned the room, my hair standing on end as I noticed the tripwire not more than twelve inches away from the outside of the octagon. I followed it with my gaze, noting that it spread across the warehouse and hooked to…
Oh shit!
Alissa gasped beside me as she stared at Tony. “Is he…alive?”
She took off, rushing straight toward Tony, before I could warn her about the trip wire. She wasn’t a soldier. She didn’t know to assess the situation before rushing in.
“No!” I shouted. “There’s a tripwire!”
But it was too late.
She reached the octagon and her foot connected with the tripwire that was attached to a row of automatic machine guns that were lined along the far wall of the building, hidden in the shadows.
Alissa gasped and fell forward as she tripped over the wire.
I dived for cover, dropping and rolling as the heavy staccato of rapid gunfire filled the room with a deafening roar.
I glanced up in time to see her crawling into the octagon where Tony lay.
She was unharmed.
Thank God!
I followed after her, staying low, out of range of the gunfire.
Alissa leaned over Tony, then swung her head toward me, her eyes wide. “He’s not breathing, Nate! He’s not breathing!”
Fuck. I crawled faster toward them, trying to stay low enough to avoid the bullets that still pinged and banged and cracked and exploded all around the room. When I reached them, Alissa was already giving Tony CPR, trying to bring him back.
My chest caved in. No! He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t!
Suddenly the gunfire ceased.
Then Romeo’s voice filled the room. Loud. Obnoxious. An evil cackle.
I swung my head around, seeking the source. Speakers. A sound system. He was somehow operating the sound system remotely from outside of the building. Did he have a camera on us, watching us?
“Looks like I got you two right where I want you. You were lucky to avoid the bullets. Quick acting, by the way. I’m impressed. But your buddy’s already gone.” He sniggered.
My heart stopped. I swung my gaze back to Alissa, who was still administering CPR to Tony. I moved to her side, intent on taking over.
The front door of the building burst open, and the other dregs stormed into the room.
“Go ahead and take your dead friend away.” Romeo’s voice filled the room again. “You won’t get far. There’s an army of soldiers waiting to take you out. Bunch of guys dressed in black with machine guns and Kevlar. I do believe it’s your former employer. I was told to lure you in and they would do the rest. They’re probably closing in right now, ready to kill you. This was all a setup to take you guys down.” He laughed again. “Today all the dregs will die, and so will the bitch who thinks she’s too good for me.”
My dreg brothers moved around the room, cautiously taking everything in.
Alissa lifted her head, her gaze meeting mine. “He’s still not breathing!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I can’t get him to breathe, Nate! I tried and tried, but he won’t breathe!” She choked out a sob. She bent over him again, frantically trying to bring him back.
No. It can’t be true. Tony’s not dead. I would feel it.
And then, I did.
His life slowly ebbing away…
His heartbeat dying off...
Then…nothing.
My heart literally stopped then. Right along with Tony’s.
No! Son-of-a-bitch! No!
For a moment, I was so stunned, I couldn’t move.
Tony was gone.
Gone.
The breath snagged in my throat. My lungs seized.
Then the sight of Alissa trying to save him hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut. Tony was really dead, and Alissa was doing everything she could to save him, while I was sitting there, frozen, not doing anything to help.
I sprang into action, thrusting her aside, and immediately took over. I leaned over Tony, listening for breaths. She was right. He wasn’t breathing.
You have to bring him back. You can’t lose him. You can’t.
I drew in a deep breath and forced myself to relax. To be calm and in control.
I slowly exhaled.
“I’ll do chest compressions. You do breaths, all right?”
Alissa nodded, quickly blinking back tears.
And for the next several minutes, we worked together, desperately trying to bring Tony back. All the while, Romeo’s evil cackle came over the speakers, taunting us. If I ever saw that bastard again, I was taking him out once and for all.
My dreg brothers all gathered around with a somber air.
Alissa and I relentlessly kept up the CPR, trying to get Tony’s lungs to work, trying to get his heart to beat. Breaths. Chest compressions. Breaths. Chest compressions. Again and again and again.
I finished the next round of chest compressions and glanced at Alissa. She was sobbing quietly now, the tears flowing readily down her cheeks.
And the truth slammed into me. Tony was gone. Truly gone. We’d lost him. We hadn’t gotten to him in time. Our efforts to bring him back were futile.
A pain unlike anything I’d ever felt before skewered my heart, piercing deep. Oh God. We’d lost him. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see his face frozen in death, unable to look at him like this. I couldn’t bear it.
No!
My partner. My brother. My best friend was gone.
Dead.
I hated that word. It was so final.
Dead.
I slammed my palms into his chest, a final thump of pure misery.
You can’t die!
Then I put my face in my hands and lowered my head as the pain in my chest became unbearable.
How would I go on without him? I couldn’t. He knew me better than anyone. He’d been by my side, supporting me, since we were teenagers. Even when he didn’t want to, he was there for me. Always.
And now he was gone.
Dead.