Page 15 of Shadow Blind

That was new.

But then Grub had never faced the possibility of insanity before. That shit could stir up stress. How were they supposed to differentiate an abnormal response from a fear-based one?

You don’t. You tie him up and let the docs sort it out.

He wasn’t the only one focused on Grub. Squirrel and Benny were too. Both men had discarded their goggles and were watching Grub closely. Lurch was crouched over his rucksack, ignoring the lot of them. And Hutch…where the hell was Hutch? The dude had disappeared.

What the hell?

Aiden returned his focus to Grub. The corner of the guy’s eye was twitching even worse. Like a grotesque wink. With careful, slow steps, Aiden edged toward his pack and the 550 cords. Flex cuffs wouldn’t hold Grub. He’d snap them within seconds. It was much harder to escape from 550 cord and tight knots.

“Where the hell are you going?” Grub asked, an edge sharpening his voice.

Aiden stopped and twisted to face him. “Just getting my thermal blanket. He held the thermal underwear up as evidence. “It’s getting cold.”

“Liar.” There was no humor in Grub’s tense laugh. “You don’t get cold.” His rifle lifted. “Don’t fucking move.”

Aiden froze, his gaze locked on Grub’s hands. The cold weather gloves wrapped around the rifle grip were twitching, too, like his fingers were flexing inside the leather.

“Calm down, bro,” Squirrel said in a soothing voice. He took a cautious step forward, moving between Grub and Aiden. “We’re just talking. No need to get riled up.”

As Grub’s gaze shifted toward Squirrel, Aiden eased toward his pack again. He needed the damn cord, and he needed it now. Although…how the fuck was he going to restrain Grub when the dude was armed up the ass and twitchy as hell?

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced over. Benny was closing on his pack, no doubt going for the ketamine.

“Stay the hell away from me.” Grub’s voice rose until it was close to a shout.

Fuck. Grub didn’t raise his voice. Never. Until now.

He should have restrained everyone as soon as they escaped Karaveht. Exfil could have come to them. But with evac delayed, they’d needed their cold weather kits. Besides, how was he to know the insanity bug would hit so soon?

“How about this, you prick? How about you give me that rifle before you kill someone?” Squirrel snarled.

Aiden jerked. Where the fuck had that tone come from? Nothing soothing or placating about it at all. He shifted to face his two deadlocked squad mates. The step Squirrel took toward Grub was predatory. His rifle rose.

Squirrel glanced back at him. It was just for a second, but long enough for Aiden to get a look at his eyes, his muddy, bloodshot eyes, the corners of which were twitching.

No! Fuck no!

His gaze dropped to his best friend’s fingers. Twitching.

Motherfucker.

“Fuck you,” Grub snarled, his rifle rising higher. “Nobody is restraining me. Nobody is stealing my ability to defend myself. I’ll see you all dead first.”

Squirrel lifted his rifle, his feet squaring up. “Of course you’d see us all dead, you selfish prick. You’ve always been more me than us.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

As his two teammates squared off, Aiden scanned his remaining three teammates for help. Twitching fingers and bloodshot eyes. All of them.

Son of a bitch.

How had this happened so fast?

He keyed his mic. “Base. We’re infected. Early signs are twitching faces and fingers, and bloodshot eyes.” He dropped the call as voices exploded over his comm. How to stop this brewing blood bath? They were about to shoot. He could feel the animosity crackling in the air all around him.

He gathered himself, about to tackle Squirrel. “Benny,” he yelled. “Take—”

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