Page 48 of Beast: Part Two

“Beast is that you?” he calls out. “Why don’t you step out of the shadows. Let me get a good look at you.”

Slowly, I glance around the air unit. An arrow comes whizzing by again as I slide back to avoid getting hit.

“Beast, I need you to get me a clear shot,” Zel says in the earpiece.

“Where are you?” I whisper.

“To the left of that large green square thing.”

I move to the other side of my unit and peek around to see where Zel is. I spot a flash of light reflection. We’ve used the technique before. Zel usually holds up a mirror and reflects it off the sun so we can find him.

“Alright,” I say. “I’ll draw him out.”

I listen closely trying to find where Archer is.

“Archer,” I say once I don’t hear him. “We don’t have to do this. I’ll come out.”

It’s silent for a moment, and then I hear the slight sound of gravel underneath feet right on the other side of the unit. Seconds later, Archer rounds the corner, his arrow docked. I only have a split second to react as the arrow flies clipping my ear.

I move fast, knocking the weapon out of his hands. Archer drops down and sweeps my legs out from under me. I stumble to the ground falling on my back. He does a backwards flip heading toward his weapon. Getting back to my feet, I pull my Bowie out and toss it in his calf.

He groans as he stumbles to the ground. I march over to him and grab his leg. He turns to the side and there is a small object in his hands. Too late, I realize what it is. The small dart launcher shoots off, hitting me in the chest.

I stumble back before yanking the little dart out of my chest. The moment I pull it out, I start to feel woozy.

Archer gets to his feet and charges at me. Even though the vision of him keeps getting blurry before clearing up, I can see him well enough. As soon as he’s close enough I reach out myhand and grab him by the throat. He pulls out a small blade and slices at my arm.

I groan. “Fuck.”

I toss his ass to the ground a few feet away from me. Immediately, my world becomes more and more blurry.

“You feel that?” Archer asks rolling to his side. “It won’t kill you, but it’s enough tranquilizer to knock your big ass out.”

I stumbled once again. I have to prop my hand up against the air unit to keep my balance.

“I’ve been…..poisoned,” I say out loud knowing someone in my earpiece will here.

“Stay put, we’re on our way, Beast,” It’s Seth’s voice I hear in the earpiece.

Archer leaps up from the ground and charges at me. His shape is too blurry to make him out completely. He yells as he draws closer.

My vision clears long enough to watch the bullet from Zel’s rifle blow a hole in his head. It’s the last thing I see before I go crashing to the ground. Only one thing crossed my mind. Summer.

chapter Twelve

D.O.E

Priest

Ihave no concept of time. My world is a mix of excruciating pain and vivid nightmares. There is a small reprieve in the mix. The sweetest voice I’ve ever heard calls out to me and soothes me in between the pain and the dreams.

“Summer,” a female voice says. It is not the voice of the angel I hear in my dreams. “Sweetheart, you haven’t eaten all day. You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” the angel says. Her tone is sad as if she’s crying.

The brief reprieve is over, and the pain is back. It feels as if my body is burning from the inside. I groan as my muscles began to spasm.

“Gabriel, baby, please. I’m here,” the angel cries before the soft touch of something wet and cold touches my skin. I want to go to the angel, to reassure her I am alright, but the nightmares pull me back.

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