Page 56 of Fury

Darkness had never felt soheavy.

Fear and the ballistic vest strapped to Hollyn nearly suffocated her. With one hand, she clawed at the front of the Kevlar-lined straitjacket, trying to get some more space to breathe. With the other, she maintained a death grip on Davis’s vest strap as they descended the stairs.

Death.

Tears burned her eyes. Not that it mattered. In the pitch-black stairwell they were racing down, she couldn’t see anything anyway—terrifying, were it not for the stalwart presence of Davis. She nearly tripped a handful of times before they plowed through the side door.

Moonlight speared the dark. Breathing wasn’t any easier out here. If she could just get another inch of space. But there was no time to dwell on it.

Fury led them to the back of the building. Paused for a minute in the alleyway. He sniffed back and forth as they waited, then took off like a shot.

Hollyn willed her legs to keep up with Davis and the others. Refused to be the weak link. Leila might be gone—Leila! You got her killed!—but there was still a chance to save Archie.

Please, God. We have to get to him in time!

She couldn’t lose two friends in the span of minutes! She couldn’t scrub the image of Leila getting shot from her mind as they darted down the alley.

A warm breeze brushed against her wet cheeks, and the contents of her stomach began to rise.

Moving in unison, the team suddenly banked left and charged toward the side door of another building. She desperately wished she knew what was going on. Had someone said something in their earpieces? Was Archie in here?

Hollyn sank low behind Davis as the men stepped inside and broke off in different directions. When the door closed behind her, she was once again engulfed in shrouding darkness. They moved quickly, and she could just make out Fury’s panting over her heartbeat thundering in her ears. The feeling of someone behind her was unnerving, and she uselessly glanced back. Almost tripped.

It’s just the team, it’s just the team.

Then barking. Furious and strong, a rhythm that jacked her heart rate with it. Gunfire erupted along with quick flashes of light.

Hollyn screamed and ducked. Pressed her free hand against her ear to try and dampen the earsplitting shots. She tightened her fist even harder around Davis’s vest strap only to get yanked forward. Her shoulder slammed a doorjamb, and she wheeled past it into the open, squinting at the sudden explosion of light. Silver rays washed over the sandy asphalt. Better than nothing, but she still had to fight for focus. Blinked several times, demanding her vision obey.

Fury rocketed ahead of them at a shocking speed, heading for an Urvan microbus parked in the alleyway. Red brake lights haloed two men, one larger than the other, inching toward the vehicle in some kind of struggle.

Archie!

At least, it appeared to be him. The back of the microbus opened, and the bigger man Archie fought shoved him inside. He slammed the door closed, and the vehicle sped off a second before Fury launched himself at the guy.

The GSD all but flew through the air and latched on to the man’s arm. Screams pierced the night above the gunfire still coming from inside the building behind Hollyn.

The two figures collapsed to the ground. Rolling. Fighting.

Hollyn released her hold, and Davis raced toward them, shouting at the man to be still.

Crack! Pop-pop!

“Take cover!”

Hollyn frantically searched for somewhere to hide in the dark. Saw a stack of crates and dove behind it as booted steps thundered near.

* * *

Davis kept his M4 trained on Germaine. “Don’t move!” he shouted. Heard someone approaching on his six and spun around, gun up.

“Friendly, friendly!” Nazari yelled.

Davis turned back to Germaine as the guys surrounded them.

Fury whipped his giant head back and forth, growling around the arm. Refused to let go despite the fist crashing down on his head over and over. If anything, it amped the GSD even more.

“Get him off!” Germaine screamed.

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