Page 76 of Blue

“What the fuck, man?” a voice to his left complained.

“It’s a cop!” a woman shrieked from somewhere else in the house.

“It’s not a cop,” the irritated man responded, shaking his head.

With heaving breaths, Mooky scanned the room, desperately seeking a door to a basement. It may have been a shitty video, but it was obvious she was on some sort of sublevel. He couldn’t waste any more of her time searching where he knew she wasn’t. From what he could tell, Blue only had precious seconds left.

Mooky shoved a frantic woman with knotty hair from his path as he entered the small, disheveled kitchen. Loud ticks of a clock that didn’t exist boomed in his mind as he imagined Blue’s time running out.

“Great, another one,” groaned the unamused guy in the front room. “Seriously, you’re ruining our buzz.”

Mooky could only assume Dash had entered the building.

“Here,” Mooky called to his VP as he yanked a door he hoped led to the basement.

With a small sack in his hand, his club brother trotted behind him. The two men made a thunderous noise as their feet pounded the bare wooden steps down into the dark basement. Mold mingled with the scent of urine and vomit.

She had to be there.

From behind him, a small beam shone. Looking over his shoulder, Mooky noted Dash had taken out his phone and used it as a flashlight. The only other light source was a small window near the ceiling.

Time stood still. Hyperventilating, Mooky scanned the space for her among the shit thrown about in the basement. He swore his heart would explode with how rapidly it beat within his chest.

Where was she? She had to be here.

The blanket may have been a pale color once, but now it was dingy and covered in puke. However, on top of it was a ball of human with blue and green hair.

His woman.

Mooky practically flew from the bottom step with his heart in his throat.

“Blue!” he shouted. “Baby, can you hear me? Dakota?”

Falling to his knees and landing in a puddle, Mooky reached for her. With a shaky hand, he took hold of her shoulder. For half a second, he didn’t want to move her. He watched for her chest to rise and fall.

Was she breathing? She had to be.

He couldn’t handle it if she wasn’t.

Ever so slightly, he watched as her chest expanded with a small breath.

Thank Odin. He jerked her so she lay on her back.

“Blue!” He tried again to rouse her.

Despite her pale skin, a large, angry, purple bruise marred at her temple.

Inhaling sharply, a renewed anger bloomed within Mooky’s chest. Stuffing the fear down, he tried again. “Dakota?”

THUD.

Falling off-balance from a hard shove, he lost his grip on her.

What the fuck?

“Blue, sweetie, you with me?” Dash asked as he put two fingers to her neck. “Blue?”

The former army medic used the flashlight on his phone as he scanned over her body.

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