Page 84 of Bound By Valor

Just a bottle on his head.

Just a bottle on his fucking head.

I breathed out and fired once. The merc went limp.

“Doc, Gunner, get back down,” Zarek’s voice was frantic.

Just as I turned a box came flying at me from the side and pinned me to the ground. Correction, a heavy box. Logan ran to me and lifted it off me, as he took more fire. I prayed the bulletproof vest held on.

I hastily ran towards the manhole, Logan behind me.

When more mercs started rolling into the aisle, he grabbed my rifle.

“I’ll cover, go,” he howled.

He pushed me into the hole and I was shrouded in darkness. Gunfire echoed in the tunnel and my eyes adjusted to see the team taking fire inside the tunnel as well.

Fucking fuck.

I had no gun, and was empty. I was bleeding from my arm and had a throbbing pain in my chest from the bullet that hit my vest. The adrenaline rush wasn’t going to last. My ears couldn’t take any more gunfire.

No, you’re not going to panic.

Oh, but I was.

Strong familiar arms grabbed me and pulled me down.

“You’re okay,” Zarek whispered.

And then my haze broke. I frantically started chanting Logan’s name. He wasn’t back. The firefight in the tunnel had ceased but Logan wasn’t back.

“Clear the rally point, we’re going boom in T minus ten seconds,” Sebastian said.

No, nono.

“Gunner, return to RP,” Zarek shouted.

Two legs finally emerged from the manhole and I ran to it. Just as Logan was about to jump, he was pulled back ruthlessly by someone and I heard faint muffles of struggle.

Zarek grabbed my waist from behind and pulled me back away from the manhole. Arms flailing I shouted Logan’s name. My chant was interrupted.

Boom.

I was thrown back from the explosions above and landed on the tunnel’s ragged floor with Zarek’s body covering mine. It felt as though my ear drums had burst. I couldn’t hear anything but a loud beep.

I couldn’t—

THIRTY-FOUR

Zarek

My ears were ringing and I let fear consume me again. Leora was lying there, unconscious and bleeding. The remnants of the blast still lingered in the air.

I looked back at the place where the manhole should’ve been. Nothing but a big gaping hole, concrete slabbing off. Rebars poking out of the concrete.

No Logan.

My chest constricted.

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