Page 113 of Resist

As if on cue, the lights in the room shifted from red to a sickly green, just as the repetitivewhoopingalarm stopped, and then started back up as a shrill, high-pitched squeal.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Blondie asked as she looked around.

“Mara!” Jacob yelled out beside me, causing me to whip around and touch his cheek. His eyes were wide and wild. Fear oozed from him as he desperately grabbed at my clothing, trying to pull himself up.

“What? What is it?” I asked, trying to get him to calm down.

“We got to gonow!“ he screamed.

“What’s going on?” Wes demanded.

Jacob turned toward him. “The hounds! They’re releasing the hellhounds!”

Oh shit.We were totally fucked.

63: Please

I’m not sure how we scrambled down the stairs so fast with Jacob. Wes and Matias were practically carrying him while Calista took the lead and I followed behind. The green light lit the stairwell with its ominous glow, while the squealing alarm kept sounding, making it difficult to hear my own thoughts, let alone one of my teammates.

But we hustled down those stairs in just under a minute and out the door that had a giant one painted on it. Back in the familiar, creepy maintenance hallway, I closed the door behind us just as Blondie shouted.

“He’s gone. The dude from the yard is gone.”

“Yeah,” Matias grunted through gritted teeth, “well I hope he had a nice time, because I sure as hell didn’t.”

“Calista, check the yard,” Wes growled.

With a brisk nod, she rested her back against the door leading outside and cracked it open, peeking through. Then she openedit a little wider, poked her head out, before throwing the door open, motioning us onward. “Clear!”

I took the lead, running through, gun in hand, ready to fire at anyone or anythingthat came our way. Unlike the hallway, the yard wasn’t painted in the sickly green light, but the same high-pitched alarm rang throughout the yard, overpowering the sound of the ocean. At least out here, it wasn’t so deafening. The guys hobbled through behind me, followed by Calista. I turned around, looking to the left and right, but the coast was clear.

“Let’s go,” Wes groaned as he marched forward.

Blondie ran up ahead, taking her position. We didn’t even bother being discreet, didn’t even try to stick to the shadows. We just ran as fast as we could around the building, back towards the hole we cut in the fence where our climbing gear was waiting for us. I kept turning around behind me, checking to make sure we weren’t being pursued. As I walked backward for several steps, I noticed the discoloration on the packed dirt. The drips and drops of crimson that led all the way back to the door we had just come out of. I whipped around, noticing that the trail led past me, in front of me, all the way to Matias and Wes.

Oh no…

Then I heard it. The delighted yip, followed by a yap echoing through the night air. And then another, followed by two more, then several others, all calling and crying out over one another. It was the most disturbing sound I had ever heard in my life. The most chilling, excitatory cacophony of animalistic calls that sent my heart racing in my chest and fresh waves of adrenaline pumping through my system. Because I knew exactly what that sound was. I knew exactly what that meant.

“What the hell is that?” Calista shouted back as she stopped short.

“The hounds!” Jacob screamed.

“Shit,” was all Wes said.

“But why are they—”

“Keep going!” Jacob all but screamed as he tried to limp on his own.

“We’re fucking screwed,” Wes growled. “Matias, take Jacob,” he ordered as he un-looped Jacob’s arm. “Mara, take point. Calista, follow up the rear.” Matias started moving Jacob forward, not waiting for me to assume my position in front, while Blondie waited for them to pass her so she could take her position in back.

I faced Wes. “Wait a minute. What are you doing?” The words came out of me so fast, desperation clawing up my throat.

Wes pulled the slide back on his 9mm Glock, loading the bullet in the chamber as he let it go and it snapped back into place. “Stop asking questions, Mara. Get your ass going—”

“What are you doing, Wes?” I asked more forcefully, taking several steps toward him. If he was doing what I thought he was doing, he was out of his mind.

He whirled on me, all hard lines, narrowed eyes, and a nasty frown. “Get thefuckout of here, Mara!” he yelled as he pointed after the rest of the team, now out of sight.

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