Page 42 of Tooth and Nail

Worst of all…Eoghan could barely see a foot in front of him. The very idea that one or both of his partners could be dying right now turned Eoghan inside out. He trudged forward, endlessly swatting, getting closer and closer to where he’d last seen Ari. Only when the scent of ammonia had clouded his senses to the point of distraction, did he realize his nose plug was also gone. His eyes were streaming. His nose and throat were burning.

Eoghan was in real trouble…terrible trouble.

When Wick’s screams abruptly stopped, a chill went through him. If he’d stopped screaming, it could only mean one thing. Images of Wick and Ari lying face down in guano, victim to a swarm of terrified albats and the predator who’d come to destroy them, raced through his mind like a film reel. Small, black projectiles constantly smashed into his body,leaving him feeling like he was being hit with something akin to snowballs. It wasn’t painful, but it was distracting as hell as he waded through the muck toward his partner who was ominously silent. But at least he hadn’t joined Wick in his screams.

When the sound of a gunshot rang out, Eoghan felt his heart squeeze at the same time as the air cleared of swirling bodies. Only then did he realize several were clinging to the drape’s netting over his head, blocking him from seeing what awaited him just ahead. He fumbled for his own sidearm, grabbing it and pointing it out in front of him as he spotted two large shapes on the ground just up ahead.

“Ari. Jesus.” He breathed out a sigh of relief as he recognized the man.

Ari looked up from where he squatted in front of the lifeless body sprawled on his back several feet away.

Eoghan stumbled forward, dragging the drape from his head, taking the stuck albats off with it as a clearer picture emerged. Ari slowly stood, gun in hand as he turned to stare at him for a few seconds, slowly returning his weapon to his holster. Miraculously, his nose plug remained in place.

When Eoghan finally reached Ari and realized he was unhurt, a sigh of relief hissed out of him. Speechless, he simply stared at him, quite stunned as Ari pointed upward. Eoghan craned his neck. The ceiling was once again, thick with Ralphie’s remaining albat colony. He silently thanked his lucky stars and looked down again, letting his gaze rake over Ari’s tall, handsome form. Sweet air rushed over him and he suddenly realized they stood only twenty feet from the stinking cave’s entrance.

Other than the fact that he appeared slightly stunned, Ari seemed fine, still wearing his protective gear, still holding a can of deterrent in the opposite hand. The massive BMA laybeside Wick’s uncovered face, wings still encircling the mesh which had once draped St. Clair’s head. A bleeding bullet hole could clearly be seen in the giant albat’s yellow striped spine.

“It’s dead?” Eoghan asked, hearing the scratchiness in his voice.

Ari nodded before walking over and taking his hand. He pulled him into his body, enfolding him into his embrace, turning his face into his neck.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against Eoghan’s skin. “It was suffocating him, completely encircling his drape.”

Eoghan nodded, saying nothing, enjoying the closeness of this man, the mild scent of sandalwood and citrus soap which clung to him, the strength of his body coming off him in waves. When he finally recovered enough to ask about St. Clair, his voice shook.

“Wick?” he asked, shivering as he eased back from the embrace and looked up at him.

Ari smiled. “Fainted.”

“What?” Eoghan practically shouted, feeling his eyes widen.

“Fainted dead away,” Ari said, grinning down at him. “Now, can we please get him the fuck out of here, so I can breathe?” He pulled out his earwig, holding it out before pointing up. “Do you have your earwigs?”

“No, I was forced to ditch them when suddenly all Ralphie’s people started screaming at once.”

“Lucky you.”

“Why? What are they saying? Tell them they’ll be okay now. Are they terrified?”

“I don’t think so. Listen.” Ari held out the earwig, and Eoghan slipped it into his ear. What he heard made him want to smile. “What is it?” Ari asked. “What are they saying?”

Eoghan shook his head and smiled.

“They’re laughing.”

Chapter Eleven

As they carried St. Clair out of the cave and set him down some distance from it, one the sanitizing crews pulled up in their signature van. Fortunately for Eoghan, this time it was Wendy Graves heading up the team. The very last person he’d wanted to run into after their scare today was Kellen McGillis. If he’d had to work with his sleazy ex after what he and Ari had just been through, he would have decked him the moment he made one sexually seductive comment toward his new partner. And he knew Kellen wouldn’t have been able to resist. Ari was one good looking man, and his ex was nothing but a hound. As Wendy got out, already dressed in her yellow suit, she smiled at him and walked over, holding out a gloved hand for him to shake.

“Sapphire! Well, well, haven’t you been busy the last couple of days. Kellen told me all about your encounter with Derwin.”

“It’s definitely been eventful,” Eoghan said with a smile.

She nodded and looked at Ari for the first time. “Hi there. I’m Wendy, cleanup crew. You must be Sapphire’s new partner.”

“Ari Brown. Nice to meet you,” he said, smiling as they shook hands.

She looked around, assessing the area momentarily before spotting Wick and running over to him, squatting down and checking his pulse before glancing at them as they walked over to join her. “What happened to Wick?”

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