Simone pivoted to run and slipped, falling and turning sideways, protecting her belly. Nessa reached her, grasping her and pulling her up. She turned to see the closest threat.
Everything somehow slowed down.
The other helicopter swung in close, a man leaning out of the side. He fired several darts.
Nessa cried out and tried to shield Simone. One dart hit Nessa in the arm, and she hurriedly yanked it out. The helicopter rose and turned around, flying away with multiple soldiers shooting at it.
She gulped, turning to look at Simone.
Oh, shit. Simone had three darts sticking out of her arm. Her eyes wide, she slowly looked down at the darts.
"It's okay," Nessa said frantically, pulling each one out. "It's okay."
Simone swayed. Panic filled her eyes. "Nessa?"
"Yeah?" Nessa asked, sliding her shoulder beneath Simone's arm and gently prodding her toward the bedroom.
"I, ah, I think I'm bleeding." Simone stopped moving and looked down.
Nessa swallowed and looked at Simone's beige-colored pants. Blood showed at the vee of her legs.
"The baby," Simone whispered, anguish in her tone.
* * *
A knife blade slashed across Bear's thigh before he landed, men bouncing on either side of him. Flipping to his feet, he drew his gun and fired rapidly, hitting each man in the neck. There wasn't time for nuance.
He turned just in time to get hit with a blast to the chest that threw him back to the metal door. His head snapped into the metal, and stars exploded behind his eyes as he went down. The vest had protected him, but his entire torso felt like it had been hit by a truck. Sucking up air, he rolled and shoved the table over, taking cover for a moment. Gunfire and the sound of flesh hitting flesh overwhelmed the song on the jukebox.
Garrett sailed over the table and scrambled on his belly to Bear's side. Blood poured from a cut beneath his eye. "We're outgunned. Too much firepower," he gasped, spitting out more blood.
Nick hurtled over, his left pant leg shredded and covered with blood. "I'm thinking they don't want to negotiate." He dropped his clip and grabbed another from his back pocket before leaning up and firing a volley.
Something crashed.
The song on the jukebox stopped playing.
Bear dragged over the three guys he'd shot and quickly frisked them, finding three guns and two knives. Good. More firepower.
Bullets sprayed above their heads, and they ducked. "Ideas?" Nick asked, leaning around the side of the downed table and firing quickly.
"I could shift." Bear levered up and fired several rounds at the bar. Bottles shattered, and alcohol poured down.
"You'd knock us out with the shift," Nick gritted out, wincing as he moved his leg. "And you wouldn't have your vest. There are too many of them for one bear to take out."
Yeah. His face hurt, his head pounded, and a bone in his chest felt like it might be broken. He wasn't completely healed yet from his brush with being a dragon.
Garrett leaned around the other side and fired quickly, ducking to avoid the return fire. "I'm almost out," he said. He shook his head, and blood arced across the back of the table. "One other thing."
"Don't say it," Bear snapped, handing over two of the stolen guns. "I know."
Nick checked his clip and snarled. "They knew we were coming, so that means they know headquarters is without us."
"You said it. I said not to," Bear hissed, leaning up and shooting toward the bartender again, who ducked quickly. The man had the biggest gun, and he needed to be stopped-now. "We have more guards than ever at territory. Unless there's an air strike, Ness and Simone are safe." Their enemy had hired rogue wolves for an attack. If they had had an army, they would've used it. "Let's just get out of here."
Garrett fired and then stopped. "How? I'm out of my bullets." He picked up both extra guns. "We need a plan."
Bear handed over his gun and the final extra one to Nick. "This is all I have left."
Shots pinged into the table, several bullets penetrating the wood and going right through. One whizzed by Bear's ear. "Shit." He had to think. This was his fault, damn it. There were at least ten men facing them, all armed and probably prepared to shift into wolves if necessary.
It probably wasn't.
Nick fired again and then dropped down, a bloody slice cut along his temple.
Bear grabbed his head. "You got hit."
Nick shrugged him off. "I'm fine." The blood slid down to coat his collar.
Bear swallowed. "All right. You guys duck and cover your heads. I'm going to shift in the air and go for the bartender. The second I clear the bar, you shoot with the remaining bullets."