Page 95 of Fury

Blank’s soft, Southern voice twanged through the comms. “Actual, drones show four unfriendlies on the roof—three males, one female. Confirmation on Archie Durand. Negative facial rec on the others.”

“Good copy. Base, we’re heading topside.” Davis whispered a prayer of thanks for thermal imaging that the drone could use.

It wasn’t lost on him how easily that response of turning to God had just come. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

“The female has to be Leila,” Hollyn said. “If they confirmed Archie, then he’s with her.”

Legs aching, lungs burning, they continued their climb. Finally hit the twenty-sixth floor. Davis deferred lead to Glace and Benn, who shouldered the wall next to the door, peering through the small window.

Davis stayed with Hollyn, and she’d vowed a couple of times that she wouldn’t run again. Fury, on the other hand, though he panted heavily, was still a ball of energy. The elevators Benn had moaned about were still inoperable after the fire alarm, which locked them down automatically. Not that they’d all climb in and make their deaths easy for the enemy.

“What’d you see?”

“Four, just like Blank said,” Benn confirmed with a nod. “I can take out two of them but wouldn’t have a clear line of sight because of that transformer.”

“Okay, neutralize them, and I’ll come up around to our nine.” He eyed Glace and Hollyn. “Take cover behind the transformers.” Anticipating Glace’s rejection of hiding instead of fighting, he nodded to her. “Keep her safe for me. Please.”

Lips thinned, she gave a curt nod.

“On my count. Three . . . ”

Benn adjusted his stance to erupt out the door, weapon tucked into his shoulder.

“Two . . .one!”

19

GOLDEN TOWERS ROOF, ABU DHABI, UAE

Head down,bent over, Hollyn rushed out behind Nora before the door could close. The scent of saffron and cistus wafted up from the street below as they shimmied up behind a transformer even as shots peppered the air. Heart in her throat, she could only pray that Davis wasn’t hurt or killed.

She knelt next to Nora, who inched closer to the end and peered around the large gray steel box.

“What’s happening?” she whispered. The gusty wind and droning machines swallowed her words.

And then Glace was gone, striding forward, shooting.

What?

Hollyn scooted forward. Saw a dozen more men coming from a secondary fire well on the other side of the roof. Oh no . . .

Leila stood near the edge of the roof, holding Archie hostage. More like a shield, because they all knew the woman would kill him if—no, when it suited her. A snarl yanked her attention to Fury, who fought with Davis against two men. Guns clattered to the roof.

The chaos of the conflict was mind-numbing. Hollyn prided herself on her ability to multitask, but this situation nearly shut her down. Who was she supposed to help? Nora Glace was clearly a skilled operator, moving with determination and precision, taking down one target, then going hand-to-hand with another.

And Hollyn was sitting here cowering.

Archie somehow broke free from Leila. Lunged toward one of the weapons that had clattered across the rooftop.

Oh no you don’t.

Hollyn raced toward it and kicked the weapon, her boot connecting first with Archie’s hand, then—inadvertently—his head. She should feel bad, but after all he’d done to her . . . all the grief he’d caused . . .

He whipped back and his head struck something. He collapsed with a strange wheeze that somehow carried over the din. His body went still.

Hollyn’s heart did a double beat. Had she just?—

Ping! Ding-ding!

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