His eyes appeared dead, chilling as they stared into hers. He shifted and pain exploded in the side of her face when he clocked her with his fist. It came as a shock and blackness threatened to take her but she’d been hit plenty of times before by angry guards. She fought the urge to escape into unconsciousness.
He grunted in satisfaction as he used the hand he’d hit her with retrieve and then speak into a radio. “I’ve got the bitch. She was the one on the second level. Clear me a path.”
He rolled off her but Beauty couldn’t move, still reeling from the blow he’d dealt. She felt sick, as if she’d throw up, and spots blinded her while she continued to struggle to avoid passing out. Her cheek felt broken, throbbed in agony, and her neck hurt too from being hit so hard.
Rough hands dug under her and she was hoisted up then shifted. He tossed her effortlessly over his shoulder. She hung there limply while an arm hooked behind her thighs. As he walked, the swaying motion made everything worse. She saw guns strapped to his thighs but her hands refused to grab them when her mind urged them to do just that. Instead her arms hung uselessly.
He entered Shadow’s room and another voice spoke. “Eyes got it right. Good thing he caught sight of her with his scope and we didn’t level the second floor the way we thought we’d have to.”
“You want to take her down, or me?”
“You. She’s not big, is she?”“Nope. Doesn’t weigh shit either.” He stepped up and turned. “Follow me.”
Beauty stared down, realizing the man holding her stood on the windowsill of Shadow’s bedroom. It was a long drop to the ground below. She felt a flash of fear as he released the back of her thighs. Would he just let her fall? It was a horrifying concept.
Instead both his arms rose, trapping her hips between his neck and biceps on one side. He jumped. They fell about five feet, but then his boots hit the side of the cabin when their momentum slowed. He rappelled the rest of the way down with two more jumps until he roughly hit the ground. Gunfire was loud, the battle still raging. He hesitated a moment while the second man left the cabin and then the arm hooked back around her thighs. He ran into the woods, carrying her with him.
“No!” She tried to scream but it came out more of a ragged hiss.
“Shut the fuck up,” he panted. “You’re a lot of trouble but you’re worth a hell of a lot of money, Mud.”
No. NO! Her mind yelled when her voice refused. They were going to return her to Master and the life she’d once led. He kept running, taking her farther away from the cabin.
The gunfire suddenly ceased and another fear struck. Did that mean Shadow and Breeze were dead? She couldn’t hear anything but the panting of the men as they ran.
“She was more trouble than I thought she’d be.”
“Yup,” the one holding her replied.
“She doesn’t look like a million bucks to me.”
“The customer is always right.” He slowed to a fast walk. “When is our helicopter coming?”
“Three minutes out. We have to make the clearing. You want me to take her yet?”
“Nope. She is fine and we’re close.”
Once they got her into a helicopter, it was over. She’d disappear. There was a chance the NSO would locate her again but she didn’t believe in luck. Being freed once had been a miracle. She licked her lips and closed her eyes, trying to get control of her body. She was hurt but she was Species. Tough. Her jaw clenched and she opened her eyes.
The guns on the man’s thighs were unsecured for easy access and the holster straps flopped with every step. She stared at one and clenched her hands. It had to be done fast. Keeping her body limp was key to making him think she wasn’t a threat.
The guy next to them moved slightly ahead and some bushes separated them a little. It was probably the only opportunity she’d have. She lunged and grabbed at the butt of the weapon. Her finger somehow found the trigger and she squeezed as she twisted it slightly. The gun went off, loud, and then the one holding her cried out.
He staggered, blood pouring from the wound where she’d shot him. He went down, crashing to his knees. She managed to tear the gun from the holster as she was thrown away from him. Her back hit the grass but she was prepared to have the air knocked out of her lungs this time.
She lifted the gun and fired at the other man. He threw his body to the side, falling into a bush to avoid the bullet. She was already twisting, struggling to get to her feet.
“Fuck!”
She swayed on her feet but ran. It didn’t matter where she went, she just had to get away. Shadow and Breeze needed help too. She might be able to find some of those Wild Zone residents.
Something crashed after her and she knew the other guy chased her. She didn’t dare glance at him, afraid of running into a tree or tripping on something in her path.
Run! She urged her legs to move faster. If there was one instinct she was familiar with, it was terror. She let it take her, submerged all her thoughts and only focused on survival.
Chapter Seventeen
Shadow shoved up from the floor where he’d dived to avoid the last splatter of bullets that had ripped open more of the walls. He saw Breeze crawl away from the fireplace. He could smell blood but wasn’t sure whose it was since they were both suffering from cuts from flying debris. The walls were destroyed from the massive amount of bullets that had ripped them apart.
He raised his arm, just firing blindly from behind the two thick log end tables he’d sandwiched together on their sides to make them thicker. It wasn’t safe anymore to try to target the enemy by searching for them. That would mean revealing his face, something a sniper would hit.
“Shit,” Breeze growled. “What is holding up the cabin?”
He didn’t have an answer. Enough sunlight poured through all the holes that they might as well have been outside. The enemy had massive firepower and, in his estimation, the only thing that had saved them was the rock trim along the outside. It was low to the ground so it had probably kept them from being shot as they were driven to the floor every time the enemy opened fire.
He could only pray Beauty was safe. It was an older cabin and he was sure the tub was made of cast iron. Bullets hopefully wouldn’t penetrate the sides of it. He glanced up but the ceiling had a few holes from ricochets.
“You good?”
Breeze hesitated. “I was hit but it’s not bad. Through and through to my side.”
It was a wonder they were both still alive. Thousands of bullets must have been aimed at them since the attack had started. He was going to yell at Beauty when this was over. He’d heard her firing one of his handguns at the start of it but was sure she had retreated to the bathroom when he yelled at her. After that it had been impossible to tell where the gunfire had come from. His ears were still ringing.
The break in active gunfire was disturbing. He tensed, waiting for return fire. Seconds passed and nothing happened. He frowned and glanced at Breeze. She was hunkered down near the fireplace, weapon in hand. She met his questioning gaze, a frown on her face as well.
“Do you think they are going to rush us?” Her eyebrow arched in question.
He fired another bullet to make sure the mercenaries knew they were still alive. That should keep them from entering the cabin. Breeze fired a bullet from the other side of the cabin, not looking out either. She’d almost had her face taken off by a bullet and had yelled a warning to him. They’d both stayed down ever since.
No one fired back. More seconds ticked by. Breeze shrugged, one hand going to her waist to hold her wound. He spotted the blood soaking her shirt. It didn’t look too bad but he worried.
Hope softened her features. “Maybe help has arrived and they took off. Maybe we should actually stop firing. I’d hate to hit one of ours by mistake.”He strained to hear but was still having difficulty because a slight ringing noise remained. The bad thing about having oversensitive hearing was loud noises hurt. Breeze made a keening noise.
“What was that?”
“A distress call. Our males will respond if they are nearby.”
They both listened. Shadow watched Breeze. Her hearing might not be as disrupted as his. She shook her head, worry returning. Shit, she mouthed.
He had to agree. A howl suddenly rent the air and both of them felt relief. Breeze lowered her gun and grinned. “We’ve got help.”
He hesitated to rise from the floor, not sure if it was safe yet. Minutes passed before something crashed through the bullet-hole riddled door. The male was barely dressed in only a pair of cutoff shorts with a mass of hair that honestly reminded Shadow of a lion’s mane.
“Leo.” Breeze grinned.
The male glanced around and held Shadow’s gaze for a second before rushing to Breeze. He knelt, sniffing at her, and gently removed her hand from the wound. He threw back his head, roaring.
Shadow winced. There was no doubt the male was part feline even without seeing his eyes and facial features. He recognized him as the male he’d seen at the river hunting a female lion. Shadow got to his feet and charged toward the stairs to check on Beauty.
“Are the humans all dead?” Shadow hoped so.
“They ran away. We were being shot at or could have reached you sooner.” Leo forced Breeze down to lay flat on her back, growling when she protested. “Stay still, female! You’re bleeding.”