Page 160 of Crimson Tears

Kai rubs a finger over the red handle, tracing the Celtic shield etched into the metal. Something about him holding that gun makes a lump form in my throat. The way his eyes light up at the power he now carries is something I never realized I was capable of giving another person.

I wrap an arm around his shoulders and hug him briefly before we help instruct the others on how to barricade the door. Before we move on, I tell the team about the situation and where we’re headed next.

We have to make it through the entire compound, so Lev is scanning to make sure it’s clear. His drone flies just above us as we exit the building, guiding us in the right direction.

When I look out at the trees, an eerie feeling settles over me. My hand goes to my stomach instinctively, and Kai watches my movements as he holds the gun like a trained professional.

“You okay?” he asks. I nod, not wanting to worry him. But I can’t shake the feeling that there are eyes on us. Ones we aren’t aware of.

Chapter 49

As soon as we’re sure the south side of the compound is clear, Boris and I head straight down to Nessa. They make their way North with Lev’s guidance, and Evie and Alexi are closing in from the other side, picking off guards one by one.

Alexi and Evie tell us they have taken out ten of the guards, but they can’t find the final two. Kai informs Nessa they will be in the girls’ bunker. Just as we meet up, I see the brave child who has stepped up to help us, and it registers just how young he actually is. He can’t be more than eleven or twelve.

Yet, he stands tall and looks like he belongs here, just like the rest of us. His back is straight, and he watches our surroundings as if it were normal for someone to jump out at him. He almost reminds me of myself.

I look over at Boris, who’s studying Kai carefully. Then I watch as he glances to where the kid is holding Nessa’s hand. The both of us are clearly torn between slapping it away and letting him have this comfort.

It’s the look on Nessa’s face that I believe has us dropping any idea of separating them. She was so adamant about not being a mother, but she has no idea how much this small gesture is helping the child at her side.

“Hey there,” I greet the kid, holding out my fist. He bumps it before shaking Boris’ outstretched hand.

“You with her?” Kai asks.

I grin. “Something like that.”

Nessa narrows her eyes on me but I ignore it, shooting her a playful wink.

“Pretty brave of you to step up here and help us. Got anything we should be aware of?”

A branch snaps in the distance, and we all freeze. Lev’s drone turns to investigate, but when it comes back to give the all clear, I think we are all able to breathe again.

“They are sneaky,” Kai says in a low tone. “One of the exercises they run with us is letting us believe that if we can get away from here, then we would actually have a shot at being free. I still feel like one of them might jump out from behind a corner and tell us this was all a joke.”

His hand falls from Nessa’s, but she turns to face him as I kneel in front of him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight.

“This is not a joke,” I vow, finally feeling the piece of me that was desperate to rescue them relax a little. “You are safe now. I swear it.”

Boris steps up behind me.

“There is a house stocked with food and clothes waiting for you. Real beds and bathrooms for everyone. You can all walk out the front door at any time you wish. You will not be a prisoner again.”

Kai studies all of us. After a minute, his shoulders sag and he lets out a long breath I could swear was almost a sob. But he catches it.

“Okay, I believe you.”

I never knew how much those words could mean to me, but as I look up into this kid’s striking eyes, a sense of accomplishment fills me.

I stand as the rest of the team gathers around us, and we form a plan on how to get to the girls. As far as Lev can tell, the guards inside of their bunker are none the wiser to the fact that the rest of them are dead.

Since we don’t want to risk losing any of the kids at this point, Kai suggests that he, Boris, Alexi, and I go back to get the boys on the bus. One of Alexi’s men is going to drive them to our secured property, and they will have four armored cars following alongside them at all times.

We aren’t taking any chances.

As Kai approaches the door and types in the key, we listen closely. A short boy with dark skin is the first thing I see when we step into the silent space, a gun raised at us.

Kai puts up his hands, and the second the kid recognizes him, he lowers the weapon.

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