Page 26 of Silent Comrade
He was no longer a man. He was baseinstinct.
He was death.
Another uncontrollable snarl, and he walkedright into the blade, shrugging off an acid-hot slash across hischest. The gut punch he delivered was aimed six inches beyond theman’s spine. The virus lapped up the melodic squish of dense liveras it rebounded, followed by the agonized thin-pipe exhalation.
Before the bald guy dropped to the tiledfloor, Red took a half-step back, teed up, and roundhouse-kickedthe hell out of the man. Ribs snapped like acorns tossed on acampfire.
So satisfying.
He drew back for another kick, but thathigh, threadlike moan—hers—caught his attention and he spun, laser-focused onher needs.
In a flash, Red knelt next to her, clawinghis way back to rational thought. “Britt?” The words ripped out ofhis raw throat. He lightly chafed her arms. He grabbed her ice-coldhands, and she pulled back with a grimace. His grip was too tight.He struggled to keep his touch gentle.
Even in the dim light and his crimson-tintedvision, he spied linear bruises marring her neck, and he fought theurge to rip everything around him to shreds. Collaring the virustriggered a stab of pain through his temple. Nevertheless, hefought for tenderness as he slipped an arm under her shoulders,cradling her on his lap.
Her gurgled whimper punched him rightthrough his gut. Her eyes opened, but she didn’t focus. Her facewas a study in shadows.
“Al?” she rasped.
“Right here, sweets.”
She lolled against his upper arm, eyesfluttering closed.
Out. He needed her out of this place.Pulling her easily up into his arms as he stood, he stepped overthe motionless bodies on the floor. Didn’t care if the men lived ordied, as long as they didn’t touch Britt again.
His vision remained maroon until he tooksome deep, cleansing breaths. Fought to push the virus down intothe cage. Quickly assessed that he had retrieved all his weaponsand that they were stashed and available. Focusing on Britt, silentin his arms, brought him back to sanity.
Damn, he needed an antidote dose. He hadburned through the last dose far too quickly. Tonight had testedhis limits. No guarantees he hadn’t done permanent damage to hismind. No guarantee that any small threat wouldn’t still push himcompletely over the edge. In his car, he had a dose. Hopefully, itwould be enough.
Hopefully, the antidote wouldn’t take awayhis ability to protect Britt. The trade-off had never been thisterrible.
At the exterior doors of the departmentstore, he retained enough rational control to keep from breakingthe glass. Instead, he flipped the bolt on the door and again onthe second similar door, like a logical, civilized human.
Once out in the open air of the mall’snearly empty parking lot, he jogged several hundred feet over to aloading dock where they could hide in a protected space while heassessed her condition. He glanced up. His teammates would have totake care of the video feeds. Easing Britt to the concrete, heleaned over to her. Half the little clips were missing, makingpieces of her hair stick out in all directions. The black cardiganhad fallen off one shoulder and he tugged it back up.
“Britt?”
“Mmm?” Her eyes flew open. “No!”
His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.He swallowed. “It’s me, Britt. It’s, uh, Al.” His words tasted likesand. “You’re safe now.”
“Those men.” Her hoarse voice strafed hisraw nerves.
He glanced around them in the night. “Won’thurt you anymore.”
“Because … oh my God.” Her eyes, surroundedby smudged makeup, were luminous and wide. “Who are you?”
A sound made him whip around. Just a plasticbag skidding along on the breeze. At the far side of the parkinglot, tree frogs chirped in the wooded area. The rumble of cars onthe city road nearby registered in his hearing. “Long story. I needto get you to safety.”
“No. I’m serious, who are you?” She tried toclear her throat but her voice came back croaky. “Why were theytalking about my sister? Which sister?” No more glazed expressionfor Britt. Oh no, she’d gone from choked out to freaked out in thespace of a few seconds. He couldn’t blame her
“Are they okay? Al, tell me what’s going on,please.”
They had no time to chat. If either guy wasconscious, they could emerge from the mall or call for backup.
Speaking of which. He dialed a number on hisphone and kept a hand on her shoulder as she sat up and swayed. Hehelped her lean against the loading dock wall and held up a hand tosilently ask her to stay put.
Hunt answered. “Red.”
