We finally reached my floor. Ryder took point, and was just about to hit the handle when I felt a slight shift in the air. This was my only indication that something was above us, and then a black shadow pretty much fell from the sky. My finger sort of did a spasm, and sure enough I managed to shoot out the light above us. Great, not only could I have killed someone, but I also plunged everything into darkness.
This didn’t seem to bother Ryder. He managed in one movement to spin, block the masked man’s outstretched arm, and step in front of me in a protective stance. My ash sight was advanced enough to see a gun fly off and clatter against the wall, but I couldn’t tell who it had come from. It didn’t fire at least. I backed up to the wall and stood there silently, my own weapon still grasped in my sweaty hand. I couldn’t use it. It was too dark and I wouldn’t risk hitting one of my guys.
Oliver moved in to help Ryder, swift and silent even with his injury. He kicked out, cracking the guy in the back. The black-clad man – legit dressed like a ninja, face mask and all – had been busy keeping Ryder from breaking his limbs and hadn’t seen Oliver. The ninja dropped to the ground now, and on the way managed to kick out his leg and push Oliver down the flight of stairs.
Before I could dive down the steps to see if my friend was okay, the ninja popped up and pivoted himself to the left. He practically flew across the stairwell in my direction. I started to lift my gun, which had fallen uselessly to my side, but instinctively knew I was going to be too slow. This guy moved like a shadow, so fast he almost looked blurry. Just as his hands landed on my throat, and I was tightening my finger on the trigger – I didn’t even care if I only managed to shoot his nuts off, that would certainly slow him down – Ryder leapt out of the shadows, moving in the same blurry way, cracking the ninja straight in the temple. As the Sanctum guy stumbled, Ryder whipped up his weapon and pressed the barrel to the back of the ninja’s head.
It was like time stopped. I could see Ryder’s hesitation. He wasn’t a cold-hearted killer. And for all he knew this Sanctum ninja was very possibly an old friend of his.
“Call off this job and I will let you walk,” Ryder said, his voice clipped.
I could see the ninja breathing deeply. “She’s worth more than any job we’ve had, and you were always too weak to be one of us.” The ninja folded himself over, doing a front flip, his feet kicking Ryder in the stomach, knocking him back. The ninja didn’t take time to fight again. He jumped up high and spun over the side of the railing, down the stairs and out of sight.
I didn’t hesitate then to scramble down the steps to Oliver. My breath came a little easier when I saw the Latino enforcer gaining consciousness. He groaned. I almost tripped over the final few stairs – he’d fallen down a set of ten – and skidded to his side.
His eye fluttered a few times before focusing on me. “I’m fine. Get Jayden!” He was all business, and I knew he would never forgive me if I didn’t leave him in this stairwell right now. Of course, if anything happened to Oliver, Jayden probably wouldn’t forgive me either.
I leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “Stay hidden. Do not get yourself killed. We will rescue Jayden and come back for you.”
He propped himself up. “I’m going to try and make it to the other guys. They’ll drop me at the medical ward. I just need some blood and I’ll be fine.”
He didn’t look fine. His arm was bleeding pretty badly again, and bones were definitely broken in his hand. I wondered why he wasn’t going to the feeding area for blood. Probably it was in lockdown too.
I felt heat at my back. Ryder was standing protectively over both of us. “Get some extra blood. We will probably need it. Meet us back at the Humvee.”
Oliver gave his leader a nod, and something passed between them. The sexy six were family, and none of this situation was easy on any of them. Especially the splitting up part.
Ryder reached down then, and before I could say anything he stashed a gun into the side of my boot. I recognized it as the one from the ninja. I didn’t question him – he would have a reason and I would be okay with that reason.
He started to move then, his gun on display. I picked up my original weapon from where it had dropped. I needed to start training again. Guns started to feel scary and odd when you didn’t have regular contact with them.
No one jumped us this time. The door silently opened, and my eyes remained glued on the broad shoulders in front of me. I didn’t question, I just followed him down the hall. My apartment door was unlocked, but Ryder kicked it open hard, like it was no more than a piece of paper, and it banged against the wall.