Page 83 of Revenant

I glance at her men, expecting them to convince the girls to leave, but they both remain stoic and silent. Maybe they know the futility of even trying. The girls are just as obstinate as Rue, and my respect for them rises a notch. “Are there any other routes into the room?”

“Another exit,” the young kid says, his voice low so as to not attract attention. “But it will be guarded.”

“Perfect.” I smile as a battle plan forms in my head. It doesn’t take long for me to explain my idea, and we split up into two teams. Gunner leads the other group to the second entrance, while Ellis and the twins remain with me.

Everyone gets into place quickly.

Jace chucks Crystal’s body into a nearby closet, then we are ready. James is silent as he stretches his arms and neck, completely calm as he ramps himself up for battle. Not that he needs it, if the manic gleam on his face is any indication. Ellis waits at my side, the gun he stole resting comfortably in his hand from long practice.

Distant gunshots boom in the enclosed space, and sounds of battle echo in through the corridor. While the guards don’t rush off as I hoped, three of them do glance behind them at the distraction. Ellis slides into the hallway and starts shooting, easily able to pick off two of the guards, even while in motion.

I’m a step behind him, sprinting down the hall. Only two guards have time to lift their guns before I raise my arm and send a wave of heat toward them. The air ripples as the soldiers pull the trigger. When the two forces collide, it’s like hitting a wall. The projectiles don’t explode like I expected, but the impact is enough to alter their course and send the shots flying back toward the guards.

One bullet only grazes the arm of the first man. The second guard isn’t as lucky, and he takes a direct hit to the chest and crumples on the spot. Before the other soldiers can react, thewave of heat slams into them. The metal of their guns glow a cherry red. Before they can curse or drop their weapons, the wave hits their bodies next.

My mouth drops open when their clothes basically incinerate on contact, then their skin just sort of melts off them. Their flesh bubbles and liquefies before plopping to the ground with a splotch. Even their bones glow, the surface pitting, the heat eating away at it before they warp and twist. The poor fuckers don’t even have time to scream before they sort of crumble into a mess of gooey flesh and smoking bones.

The doors shudder when hit by the wave next, the walls blackening, and tendrils of smoke curl into the air from where the paint peels from the walls. The guys come to stand next to me, eyes wide as we watch the destruction.

Jace blinks in surprise but doesn’t otherwise react, Ellis studies the aftermath with a critical eye, while James pouts. “No fair! You didn’t even leave me one! Why do you get to have all the fun?”

He doesn’t wait for me to respond, just marching past me with an annoyed huff, shoulder checking me in his rush. I wobble from the impact, unsteady on my legs, grimacing when I realize the blast nearly depleted my energy reserves. My skin cools rapidly, and I shiver when all the delicious heat at my core vanishes abruptly.

I shake off my weakness, cursing myself for using all my energy with a single blast. Uncertain how long it will take me to recharge, I decide to rely on my fighting skills and conserve my energy in case I need it again later.

I follow James, my pace slow and measured, refusing to acknowledge my fatigue. When I open my mouth to warn James to be careful, it’s not needed. He barely pauses in his stride, just leans back on one leg and kicks the door open with a thunderousbang. While he might be a crazy SOB at the best of times, he’s smart enough to sense the danger and not touch the door.

The metal is brittle from the heat, and the locks shatter from the impact. The twin doors buckle, the metal creaking ominously before they fly open with a screech, leaving them dangling from the hinges.

We’re a step behind him when we charge into the room. Since the other team attacked first, the soldiers went to back them up, leaving us virtually alone, and we freeze in the entryway.

A second later, the other door bangs open and more people spill into the room, but I don’t turn away from the spectacle before us. The doctor hovers between two beds, his back toward us as he checks over his patients, undisturbed by our entrance. An older woman is in the first bed, cords and wires hooked up to her too pale, too still body.

Rue is in the second bed, just as pale, just as still. She’s hooked up to an IV, along with four pints of blood dangling from a medical pole. Several other cords hang from her arm, hooked up to machines that whirl ominously as they drain her blood faster than it can be replenished. The other end of the cord is attached to the older woman.

If that isn’t disturbing enough, a guard stands at the head of Rue’s bed, pressing a gun against her temple so hard that the barrel indents her flesh.

The fucker smirks, a vicious gleam in his eyes that says if I step out of line, he will pull the trigger and enjoy it. It’s the same psychopath that pitted us against each other in the training area with the hopes we would die.

I curl my hands into fists, struggling against the urge to turn him into a human candle. The guard notices, and his expression turns malicious. He digs the barrel of the gun against her temple so hard, her head is forced to the side. I wince, knowing thatit will leave a bruise, and I’m barely able to swallow back my protest.

The fucker would only draw more pleasure from it.

Ellis mutters a curse when he takes in the scene, then the electricity flickers. The machines crunch and grind. Sparks snap and crackle in the room, and what can only be a dialysis machine dies in a puff of smoke.

“Ahhh, good, you made it in time.” The doctor straightens, then turns to face us, his expression almost jovial. He scowls at the dead machine before shrugging. “No worries, I managed to transfer enough. The transport will be here soon, and we don’t have much time before the potency of her blood degrades. I need you to wake Miss Rue and convince her to activate her abilities.” Irritation creases his face, and a disgruntled moue of annoyance twists his lips. “She’s being stubborn and won’t listen to me, but maybe she will pay attention to you.”

Chapter Thirty-one

JACESON

As the rest of the guys rush into the room, I push and shove my way through the swarm of ghosts blocking the door. There are so many of them that it’s like trying to walk through quicksand, and a ball of dread gathers in my gut.

The only other times I’ve seen ghosts gather in such a way was when something bad is about to happen. It’s like they’re drawn to violence. While some ghosts would cheer and watch the scene unfold with glee, the spirits here are silent, almost sinister.

A hum of energy is thick in the air, and I realize it’s from the ghosts. Instead of being repelled by each other, I swear they’re collecting power. The longer they remain, the more substantial they look.

That can’t be good.

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