Page 93 of Savage Reckoning

“Where did they take him?” I sob. “Can we get to him time?”

“The drone kept them in sight. We have coordinates. A derelict industrial estate about ten miles from Donegal.”

“You need to send men there. Now. You have to save him.”

“Tony, Aaron, and Rome are on their way. They left as soon as we had eyes on them. ETA is…” he consults his watch, “less than thirty minutes. Jed already has men assembling in the area.”

“But will they be in time? You saw what happened, what they did…”

“We’ll be there as fast as humanly possible, and in enough force to storm the building. If he’s alive, we’ll get him back.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I realise you’re doing all you can. It’s just… I need to be there. He’s hurt, I’ll be needed.”

His lip quirks. “You’ll be no use to anyone if you can’t hold yourself together.”

I stiffen. “I’ve been in war zones before. I can handle this.”

“It’s not the same. This is personal.”

“They’ll need a medic. Let me go. Please.”

He gazes at me, his eyes hard. At last, he nods. “They’ll take him to the Rothwell. You can meet them there.”

“But—”

“That’s my top offer. Take it or leave it.”

Gabriel

The air around me is erupting in flames. The din is deafening, my eardrums are ringing. Gunfire. Blasts. The building is collapsing about us.

Men shouting, boots pounding. I’m helpless on the floor tied to this chair while fuck knows what explodes around me. A dead weight lands on top of me, cutting off what remains of my ability to breathe.

Somehow, I manage to wriggle free, despite the chair still lashed to me. Sokolov’s sightless eyes stare at me, from inches away.

Hands reach for me. The ropes are sliced away, and I’m cradled in someone’s lap. His voice is familiar.

“Can you hear me?”

I… I…

“Mate? Gabe? It’s Tony. We’re going to get you out of here.”

Too late. I’m dead.

“Not fucking yet, you aren’t. I’ll tell you when you’re dead.”

There’s more shouting, but the gunfire has stopped. The silence is eerie. Is this what Heaven sounds like? And if it does, what the fuck am I doing here?

I’m flying, floating. Pain is everywhere. Everything hurts, which is odd, because I’m dead and death is pain-free. That’s the only thing good about it.

Let me go. Stop taking the piss.

“This should help.”

I let out a moan when I’m stabbed in the thigh, but after comes the euphoric rush of oblivion.

Megan

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