Page 102 of Trial of Deceit

“The crew’s on their way.Let’s move,” Dimitri said.

Jediah nodded, tightening his grip on his assault rifle.He was about to look away from the screens when something captured his attention.His eyes widened, and he moved closer to them.

There on the ground, not too far from the front entrance, was his wife.

“Ashari,” he breathed.

“What?”

Jediah bolted toward the door.A sharp jolt of pain shot up his wounded leg.Ignoring Dimitri’s sharp hiss from behind him, he slipped on his gas mask, opened the door, and ran through the mist.Jediah gritted his teeth through every bullet that came in his direction and lodged into his vest.He killed anyone that ran toward him.What he couldn’t handle, Dimitri had his back.

The rapid gunfire got louder the closer they got to Ashari.They pressed their backs against a wall, breathing heavily and on high alert as they listened to the gunfire on the other side of the wall.

Clickscame as the clip emptied.Jediah turned his head to the side, and Dimitri nodded at him.Jediah gripped his gun tighter, about to peek around the corner, when the gunfire began again.Athudfollowed by retreating footsteps made him finally peek out.His gun trailed his line of sight, but he saw no one in the hallway besides a man on the ground.

“Move,” Jediah ordered Dimitri.

They took quiet steps into the hallway, careful not to step on any of the spent shell casings scattered about the floor.

Dimitri knelt by the body while Jediah remained on alert.“He’s one of mine,” he whispered, pressing two fingers to the man’s neck.He sighed, then looked up at Jediah with a shake of his head.“Pulse is too weak.He doesn’t have much time left.”

Jediah released a ragged breath through his nostrils.Fiery anger continued to course through his veins.The estate should’ve been impenetrable.How did this happen?!He clenched his jaw tight.“I need to get to Ash.”

Dimitri nodded, about to push himself to his feet, when his brows furrowed at the body.He reached for the man’s arm, then yanked out a dart.“Tranquilizer…” he murmured, confusion lacing his tone.

“Dimitri,” Jediah hissed impatiently.Every second away from Ashari was a second wasted.It wasn’t that he didn’t care about this worker — he did — but his wife was the main priority right now.He didn’t know how he’d live with himself if something happened to her.

Dimitri’s eyes snapped to Jediah, anger rushing to them.“If you want Ash, go get her.Mi caan’ just leave the man yaso fi dem actually kill him.”

Jediah scowled.Now wasn’t the time for this.He yanked his attention away from Dimitri and scanned the hallway.Spotting a door to the room where the janitorial staff kept supplies, Jediah tucked his pistol into his holster.He stooped, grabbed the feet of his worker, and began yanking him toward the room.Dimitri, realizing what Jediah was doing, grabbed the worker’s arms and helped to carry him.They entered the room and hid the man behind a shelf in the back of the room, then returned to the chaos.

They killed their way through the intruders, disposing of empty clips along the way.Blinded by rage and fueled with desperation to see his wife breathe, Jediah pressed on until he reached Ashari.

He froze.His heart stopped beating as he looked at her, lying motionless on the ground with her eyes closed.Her body was dusted with dirt from the explosion.The bracelet around her ankle continued tobeep.Its low and muffled tune, possibly from the impact, snapped Jediah back to reality.

Shoving his rifle behind his body, he rushed toward his wife and fell to his knees at her side.His heart raced at an abnormal rate, his hands shaky as he hesitantly reached out and pulled her into his arms.Soot smeared her face.

“Ash…” Jediah whispered, his voice not sounding like his own.Seeing a puddle of blood where her head had been, Jediah’s lips trembled.His heart slammed against his chest, somehow managing to also pound loudly in his ears.Tears filled his eyes as he shook her body.A strangled sob ripped from his throat when she didn’t react.He cupped the back of her head, his fingers digging into her bloody, matted braids as he sobbed, “Queen…”

“We can’t stay here,” Dimitri frantically said from behind him.

Still, Jediah couldn’t look away.

His wife’s eyes were still closed.Her chest wasn’t rising and falling.Her hand was lazily thrown over her belly, and he laid his hand atop hers.

Shuffling came from behind them, the sound of feet heading toward them.

Dimitri hissed a low curse before he rushed over.He helped Jediah to his feet, struggling to lead them back to the room because Jediah hadn’t loosened his hold on Ashari.As the door slid closed behind them, Dimitri reached for Ashari.“Let me help her,” Dimitri pleaded.

Jediah dragged his eyes from Ashari.Managing to nod in his cathartic state, Jediah loosened his hold.He shifted all his weight to his good leg and leaned against the wall beside him as Dimitri took Ashari from his hands.Dimitri laid her on the sole chair in the room.Her head lolled to the side.

Jediah used the back of his hand to wipe tears from his eyes before limping toward them.His leg throbbed as he knelt beside them and took one of Ashari’s hands in his.He stroked his fingers across hers, hoping she could feel his touch.

Remember what they had.

And what they had to look forward to.

Maybe, that would bring her back to him.

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