Page 72 of Knot Guilty

Aaron gives a tight shake of his head. “I’m not leaving you, so don’t ask again.”

Another tear slips out, and I want to beg him, knowing he won’t listen. To Maxen, I ask, “Did you even kill our target?”

Maxen pulls me through the narrowest part of the passage, slamming my broken arm against a small outcropping. I hiss in agony as Maxen answers, “Of course not. Those were blanks I shot. Abdul’s job was to act as bait, and after playing dead, he was to give the green light for the next cache to be moved. With me presumed dead, you confirmed dead, and Aaron in federal custody, I’d be in the clear.

“This location was always just supposed to serve as a decoy to stage my death. I’m still getting out of here because lover boy doesn’t want anything to happen to you. So, here’s my offer. Get out now, Grim, and I might leave her alive for you to find.”

Gun still up and knees slightly bent, Aaron continues to stalk after us. “I’m not leaving her, so you’ll just have to find a way to kill me before I blow you away.”

We’ve now passed the part of the tunnel where Maxen faked his attack. It’s growing harder and harder to remain upright, meaning Maxen is having to spend more and more effort to keep moving. Blood soaks my pants and shirt from the stab wounds and multiple cuts, and my body vibrates with every inch I’m dragged.

I’m going to die in this cave and don’t want my best friend going with me. My eyes find Aaron’s again, and more tears flow at the hurt and betrayal he must feel. God, I’ve been so stupid.

Aaron shakes his head. “Don’t you take any of this on yourself, Sadie. We’re both going to get out of here, and then we’ll figure it out.”

We cross several more yards, and it’s getting harder and harder to hold my eyes open. Maxen pulls me through a stone arch, and a blinking red light above it catches my eye. My muddled brain takes a moment to register the small bomb, but then I summon every bit of strength I have left and drop my full weight to the ground, yelling for Aaron to get back as I do.

Aaron shows absolute trust in me, responding instantly to my command. He dives to safety just before the blast goes off right above where his head would have been. Maxen maintains his hold on me, but the blade cuts deeper into my neck as he lifts me back upright. Still, I turn enough that the cut misses my artery and isn’t deep enough to cause significant damage.

The problem now is that I’m unable to fight back as Maxen removes the knife and rears back to drive it deep one last time.

A loud shot catches me off guard, as I know it didn’t come from Aaron. Maxen’s chest blooms red, but he still turns around in disbelief. He releases his grip, and I collapse to the ground just before he does. My body begs to check out for a while, and I don’t fight it. The last thing I notice before closing my eyes is Sambi’s fugly shoes creeping up behind Maxen. I guess there’s a rear access after all.

I lie in a heap of agony, wishing I could escape into sleep. The rushing of the falls fills my ears, but I don’t miss the scratching and clatter of a gun being kicked across the cave floor or Sambi’s disgusted tone. “I never liked you anyway.”

I want to go to sleep, but Aaron is yelling my name. I force my eyes open as he climbs out from under the rubble created by the blast. “Sambi, go call Knot! Get a chopper here now!”

Sambi takes off running toward the front of the cave, and Aaron hits his knees next to me. I whimper in pain when Aaron rolls me to my back and cuts my chest armor off. He rips my shirt open at the neck to reach the wound at my shoulder.

Right next to me, Maxen is snickering, the sound coming out coarse and wet. “Nice move, Grim. You may save her, but you’ll never have her. I’m in her skin. I’m burrowed so deep in her mind that she’ll never be rid of me. Every time you look at her, touch her, I’ll be there.”

Aaron doesn’t even look up, but his jaw clenches as he works to stem the flow of blood from my shoulder. I turn my head toward Maxen to see a pool of blood growing beneath him.

At that moment, Maxen flinches, rolls, and swings a large blade down in a wide arch toward my middle. I’m powerless to react, but Aaron throws his arm up to block the shot. At the same time, he draws his pistol and fires repeatedly.

Aaron pulls the blade from his arm, throws it to the side as if nothing happened, and then slices my belt open to reach the sopping area of my pants and the wound behind it.

“Maxen,” I rasp, even though he’s dead. “Shut the fuck up.”

And then everything goes dark.

“Stay with me, Mein Engel. You can’t die on me now.”

Every brush with the tunnel wall, every unsteady step sends agonizing jolts through my body, redefining what pain means. My broken arm swings uselessly by my side, occasionally bouncing off Aaron’s leg as he rushes to god-knows-where.

In between the brushes with the jutting rock formations, I black out again, too weak with blood loss to remain conscious. Each time a blow to my arm wakes me, I wish for all of it to end, but then Aaron’s soothing voice pleads for me to stay.

I try, but I’m afraid one of these times I black out, I may not wake up again. I don’t want to die, but even more, I don’t want to die with Maxen’s words burning through Aaron’s mind. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“Don’t you do that, Fate. Don’t you dare. I…”

Whatever he says next is lost to the blackness.

A sharp tug on my broken arm pulls me out of the blackness, screaming. Only the loud sounds of helicopter rotors dampen out the sound. Sambi and another man set my arm in a splint as Aaron presses bandages to the deep cuts in my arms.

A lifetime of tears not shed still pour from my eyes. My right arm is bound, so I reach for Aaron with my left, ignoring the ache in my shoulder. “He killed Brock.”

Aaron bends down and cups my cheek, brushing away the tears. “I know, baby. Please don’t talk now. Rest but try to stay awake.”

---