Cipher, p.22
Cipher, page 22
“How’s it going?”
“Good,” Dex said. “How are you doing?”
“Better. I think.” The roads were pretty quiet as we moved through the nighttime desert.
“That’s good.”
“We’re still being followed?”
“Not anymore. They fell back. They’ve apparently ruled us out.”
Twenty minutes later, Dex had me cracking up as he told me stories from just after he and Knight had gotten their helixes.
“—and then Knight said, ‘Ma’am, please put the uzi down.’ In that calm voice of his. She’s totally off her ass on drugs, and pointing some serious shit at him, but man, that guy has iron intestines. I was nearly shitting myself and I wasn’t the one in front of her.”
I snorted. “So, what did he do?”
“You’re not seriously telling her this story,” Knight strode out of the bedroom.
“Hells yes I am. So then—”
An explosion overhead rocked the med-v.
“Fuck!” Dex slammed the gas, swerving around falling debris.
“Turn right!” Knight shouted from the back.
He turned hard, nearly flipping the med-v. I hadn’t even realized there was a chopper above us until it crashed down.
“Check in. I want to know if that was one of ours?” Dex asked.
Knight was quiet for a second. “Yes, it was ours.”
“Who was in her?” Dex asked.
“Mendleson. DeLuna. O’Brien.” Knight’s voice was cold, unemotional. “Get this med-v moving, Dex. There’s more coming our way.”
Adrenaline flooded my system and I knew Knight was right. We had to get the hell out of here.
Dex gunned the engine. As we took off down the highway, gunshots peppered the med-v.
“Michaels says we’ve got six trucks coming up on us and two choppers in the air. Their team is fighting in the air, but we have to lose the trucks or find a defensible spot. Fast,” Knight said.
My hands shook. The power of the explosion and chaos had my control slipping, and my skin tingled as electricity ran along my body.
Something slammed into the side of the med-v, knocking us to the side.
“Wrong move, asshole,” Dex muttered. He switched gears, and slammed back.
I grabbed the ‘oh, shit’ bar beside my head, and tried to stay calm.
“We can’t outrun them in this rig,” Dex said.
“So what’s the plan?” Knight squatted between the driver and passenger seats, keeping a hand on me. “I’m open to suggestions.”
Right. We couldn’t outrun them. We couldn’t outgun them. We were surrounded in the middle of nowhere with no cover and we couldn’t stop to find any.
The only advantage we had was me, but Knight wouldn’t hand me over.
That only left one thing for me to do. Fight.
I unlocked my seatbelt. Dex was busy hauling ass and avoiding getting slammed again. The med-v was swerving so much it was like being wasted, but I managed to stay on my feet.
“Where are you going?”
“The power’s building too much. I’m going to blow. It’d be better if I was outside when it does. Maybe I can direct it.”
Knight shook his head. “What exactly do you think you’re going to do up there?”
“I’m gonna, you know, zap ‘em.”
“Your control isn’t that good. You could blow all of us up.”
“I know. Always tried to keep myself under control, but this seems like a good time to let loose. Especially since I’m barely hanging on. Maybe I can direct it this time?” I hoped I wasn’t out of my mind or this would be a majorly stupid move.
Knight spun to Dex. “Rope?”
“In my pack.”
Knight grabbed a thick coil from Dex’s backpack. He wrapped the rope around my waist, and tested the knot three times.
His gaze met mine. “This is a terrible idea.” He handed the slack to Dex. “You lose this line, I will slit your throat. If you hear me yell, you pull her back in.”
Dex wrapped the end around his forearm, and then went back to gripping the steering wheel. “Great. Defensive driving and keeping lifelines. Anything else you need me to do?”
“That’s it for now,” Knight said, and then he turned to me. “I’ll go out first and cover you. Then you go out. You need help harnessing, you put your hand on my skin. I’ll help you focus.” His words were firm and clear, but I could see the fear in his eyes.
I blew out a breath. I didn’t want to put him in danger for my dumb plan. “It’d be better if I went up by myself.”
“No.” He went back to Dex’s pack and pulled out a com, putting it in his ear. “When we get up there, you do what I say, okay?”
“Okay.”
He climbed up to the top bunk and removed the ceiling hatch. He popped up, and then back down quickly as a shot rang out. He pressed on the com. “I’m going on top of the rig. Give me cover and then get the fuck out of there.”
My heart raced. I wiped a bead of pink-tinged sweat from my brow.
Shots echoed in the night. Knight winked at me and then disappeared through the hatch, big-ass gun in hand.
My breath caught. I climbed up the bunks and poked my head out.
All I could see were headlights and Knight as he lay on his stomach, aiming. He fired, a tire blew, and the first truck rolled. The headlights spun and an explosion blasted through the night.
I lifted myself onto the roof. Wind blew across my face, and I was glad I’d thought to pull my hair back.
Then the gunfire stopped.
“Emma Jean.” Uncle Jack’s voice boomed over a loudspeaker.
Was he in one of the trucks?
No. There was no way he’d take that kind of risk. He had to be watching from some safe distance.
“Stop running. Don’t let any more people get killed trying to avoid the inevitable. I will always find you.”
I copied Knight’s move and lay down on my stomach. The metal roof was cool against my chin.
For once, Jack was right. He would always find me, and three Ravens were already dead because of me. Was my life really worth this?
“Don’t listen to him,” Knight yelled over the noise. I could barely hear him, but barely hearing was enough. “We’re all Ravens. He won’t let any of us go without killing us.”
Knight was right. Maybe if they hadn’t broken me out of that warehouse, but it was too late to go back. The second the Ravens showed up, they’d signed up for this fight. I’d already tried the whole running away thing, and it hadn’t worked out well for anyone.
Now my plan wasn’t about running. It was about fighting.
My uncle continued to talk, but I wasn’t paying attention. It didn’t matter what he said. I wouldn’t go to him again. If I did, Knight would keep coming after me.
Sticking to my plan was the only option. I closed my eyes.
I breathed out two steady breaths and I could feel the little balls of energy that fueled the trucks. They were like burning candles in the night. All it would take was a burst of thought from me, and they’d explode.
I went for the one farthest away first, just in case I went out of control. The truck was fourth back in the convoy—the last one. I thought of the truck like a light bulb. I’d blown more bulbs than I could count in my life, and the truck was no different.
I magnified the energy with my power, speeding up the pulsing signal and overloading the truck’s systems with electricity. I felt the explosion in my bones. Smoke and debris flew overhead.
I was reaching for the next truck before I could stop myself. It was moving too fast. Much too fast. The second truck exploded, and another blast of heat licked along my skin, closer this time.
Before I knew what was happening, another explosion rocked the night. I opened my eyes as a chopper fell from the sky. The metal crunched into the ground and a wave of heat blazed overhead.
Oh shit. I couldn’t contain it.
The smell of fuel and burning cars filled the night.
“Emma.” Knight’s voice broke through the chaos. “Emma Jean Boyd. Snap out of it!” He started firing on the three remaining trucks as they fired at us. “Grab me. I’ll ground it.”
I scooched closer to him on my belly.
Another truck blew. This one was closer. I blocked my face from the heat. The med-v tipped over on two wheels from the force of the explosion.
“Shit.” Knight started sliding off the roof. He pulled a knife from his belt and stabbed the metal, holding himself in place until the tires met the ground again. “Get our cover away.” He yelled into his com. “She’s lost control of her powers. Assume twice the safe distance.” Another copter fell from the sky. I covered my ears from the crash.
“Fuck.” I screamed, but I couldn’t hear it over all the noise.
“Not one of ours,” he said, but my ears were still ringing. “But get it under control, Em.”
“I can’t.” I was too afraid to move. What felt like a never-ending stream of electricity was zinging through my body. I was too upset. Too angry with my uncle. Every bullet that plunked against the med-v set me off.
“If you can’t, then get over to me. I can’t stop firing at them. You’re a foot away. Just reach out for me. You can do this.” He kept his sight on the approaching trucks.
This was dumb. I was dumb. I knew I needed to get control, but the more panicked I was, the more angry I became, and the worse my control got. “No. I can’t move. I’m losing it.”
“I can’t get over to you.” He shot off three more bullets and then reloaded. “Come to me.”
Another truck exploded.
“Cy, if you’re doing this, you gotta make sure you don’t blow us up,” Dex yelled from inside the med-v.
“Trying.”
Energy built in my core. It ran through my veins, overpowering me. Searing its way through me.
There was only one more truck left. It was right next to us.
My teeth tingled with a surge of power. I couldn’t get control.
The explosion rocked the med-v. Dex tried to correct us to keep her from rolling, but I was about to fly off the roof.
Knight was already airborne.
I leaped for him. Our hands met in the air. The energy running through me was instantly quieted. Tires squealed as Dex righted the med-v.
The rope caught around my waist, slamming me back into the roof. All of the air was knocked from me, but I held onto Knight with all I had.
He was over the side of the med-v. And he was slipping.
“Slow down, Dex. Knight. Don’t.” I reached for him with my other hand, but it was no use. He was going to fall. He was going to die and I hadn’t told him how I felt about him. “I love you! Please don’t leave me!”
“I love you, too. But don’t worry so much.”
What? Don’t worry? He loved me, but don’t worry? We were going as fast as this stupid vehicle could go and he was about to become roadkill.
He kicked away from the side of the med-v. My hands slipped the last little bit. I screamed.
Glass shattered as Knight’s foot hit the window. He slid-fell into the med-v.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. I laid my cheek back down against the metal as my breath wheezed in and out of my lungs.
I’d never been so scared before. And the asshole had done it on purpose.
“Get back inside, Emma,” Knight said.
Nope. I wasn’t moving. The dickola would just have to wait.
The rope tugged at my waist, pulling me back toward the hatch. I grumbled to myself, and then made my way down to the top bunk. Hands came around my waist and set me on my feet.
I stared hard into Knight’s beautiful green eyes, and then slapped him across the face. It only took that split second of skin-on-skin for the electricity to dissipate.
He scrunched up his face. “What was that for?”
“For scaring the crap out of me. You let go! What the hell was that?”
He grinned. “That was my patented let’s-not-become-roadkill move.”
I shoved him. “Give me some warning next time, you asshole. I nearly had a heart attack up there. And you’re here all fine and dandy laughing.” He laughed harder. “Not cool. You can’t promise me a future and then throw yourself from a moving vehicle at high speed.”
His grin softened. “Emma.” He wrapped his arms around me, and I listened to his heartbeat. “See. I’m fine.”
I squeezed him harder. The overreaction said everything that needed saying.
“I love you, too, princess. And I’m not letting you go. I won’t die on you. We’ll get through this.”
Knight was in too deep, and I couldn’t let him go anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Two
KNIGHT
I soaked in the feel of Emma for a second.
She’d nearly lost control out there. Lady Eva wasn’t stupid. She would have told the whole team the danger. If Emma had really lost it, someone would’ve shot her. Even though she was a Red. Even though she was insanely powerful. Even though I loved her, they would’ve shot her dead.
There was no hope for the Ravens if another Red publicly lost control. No one would care what Nagi did as long as he eliminated the danger. It’d happened after New York, and it had taken Lady Eva decades to rebuild her cause.
Emma had been out in the open. Glowing.
Thank God she was okay. We were okay.
But we weren’t out of danger.
I held onto her hand as I looked to Dex. “Who’s left?”
“We’ve got two teams behind us. One in the air.”
That meant three air teams were down. Three ground. Jack knew our location. It wasn’t about outrunning him anymore. We were going to have to make a stand. “Where’s the closest defensible spot?”
“How much time do we have before they’re on us again?” Emma asked.
“Fifteen minutes. Max.”
She looked at the GPS. “We’re kind of in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, but there’s an abandoned military base about five miles west of here, if you take the third exit.”
I turned to her. “How do you know?”
She shrugged. “Sally. Plus, spent a lot of time roaming on my own. It’s good to have a few hiding spots here and there. Spent the night on the base a couple years ago. It’s creepy, but it could work.”
Creepy was probably a different thing for her than it was for me. Still, I didn’t like to hear that she was sleeping in abandoned military bases.
If she knew about it, then so did other people.
I connected a call to Sam. “We’re heading to the abandoned base.”
“What? No. You should keep moving. We’ve got reinforcements on the way, and if you can hold off, I think we can get you in the clear.”
There was a little bit of desperation in Sam’s voice. She was still way too young to have this job. “No.” However smart she was, she didn’t have the level of experience that came with living life and loving.
“But, Hunter,” she said. “She was glowing. You could see it in all the feeds. You can’t engage. She’ll lose control. You’ll lose her.”
“We both know that help won’t come in time. It’s better to stop and make a stand from a defensible position. How many of them are en route?”
She blew out a breath. “That’s the only good news. Y’all aren’t close to any outposts. That part of the Void is really hard to get to, which is why they stashed Emma there. Parson and his goon squad have to get to you by air, but none of them will be fast enough. If you can end this in…under ten minutes, you’ll be okay. Otherwise, you’re fucked. If that happens, surrender. Stay alive. We’ll get you out as fast as we can.”
Surrendering wasn’t an option. I’d rather die than get picked up as a dual-helix traitor. They’d already hurt Emma once, and probably had about as much information as they were going to get out of her. If Jack got his hands on her again, she wouldn’t last long.
Yeah. No. That wasn’t happening. “We’ve got this.”
“You’re being dumb, Hunter. If you’d just—”
“Sam.” I was done listening to her.
“Fine. But if you die, I’m going to be seriously pissed off.”
“See you soon.” I clicked before she could start arguing again. I didn’t run by committee. It was my choice what to do next, for better or worse. Luckily, all the options sucked. It was about choosing the least sucky one.
I hated being on the defensive. We needed to turn the tables.
One more exit to go before the base. I started to coordinate the men we had left, shoving away any grief for loss of life.
That would be dealt with later.
I rolled my shoulders, and prayed I wasn’t making a bad decision.
***
The base was a series of buildings, some more than twenty stories high. The base plans that Sam had sent showed a landing strip that took up a good swath in the back of the base. An air control tower sat off to the side.
If we stayed by the tower, then we could be in a good position to wait for the Ravens’ jet.
I called Sam. “There’s room for Eva’s—”
“Plane. Yeah. Already on it. ETA is nineteen minutes, forty-three seconds. Parson’s squad will be there in less than five.”
“Thanks, Sam.” I knew she thought I was making a foolish mistake, so it mattered that she still had my back.
“Where to?” Dex said as he swerved between buildings. “I need to know where I’m going.”
“The runway. We’ll take cover in the control tower.” I directed him where to go.
“We’ve got four trucks behind us,” Dex said. He opened one of the windows and stuck his head and shoulders out. “They’re not quite in firing range, but we slow down, and they will be. We have to move fast.” He was coming up on the tower quick. He spun the wheel as he braked hard. The med-v stopped with a jerk next to the control tower’s door.
Time to move.
I jumped out of the door, weapon in hand. “Everyone out.” The two teams behind us tore in and followed suit.
The door was coded, but it opened after a bullet and a firm kick. I checked the stairwell before motioning everyone in. “Let’s move.” The guys moved as a team, surrounding Emma. Her skin was barely glowing. If you didn’t know she wasn’t normally that brightly pale, you’d never notice the difference. But I could see it.
