Page 65 of Whispers and Warriors
What was wrong with him? He was trained for exactly these moments, how had he missed someone get so close? Was his worry for Emma someone overriding a decade of training?
The corridors seemed to stretch on forever, each turn revealing another obstacle in their path. Overturned crates, debris, and horribly enough bleeding bodies littered the floor, forcing them to weave and jump as they pushed forward.
“Watch your six!” Bash shouted, his gruff voice cutting through the chaos. He moved with a warrior’s grace, his eyes constantly scanning for potential threats.
Alex added in, “Check your corners! We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”
Chris nodded, his jaw clenched with determination. Emma’s face flashed through his mind, her hazel eyes wide with fear, her curly brown hair matted with sweat.
He pictured the last time he’d held her, the way her small frame had fit so perfectly against his a few nights ago. The scent of her lavender vanilla body wash filled his nostrils as if she were here. She was his everything, the reason he fought, the reason he breathed. He would tear this ship apart with his bare hands if that’s what it took to keep her safe.
As they rounded another corner, a figure stumbled into view, clutching at a bleeding wound on his arm. Chris’s finger tightened on the trigger of his weapon, ready to fire, but he hesitated as recognition dawned.
“Ben?” he called out, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Are you okay?”
A guard they’d gotten to know staggered toward them, his face twisted with pain and fear. “I don’t know,” he gasped,his words coming out in short, desperate bursts. “I was in the cabin?—”
His words were cut off by another explosion, the force of the blast knocking them all off their feet and sending Chris headfirst into a post. Chris’s ears rang as he struggled to his feet, his vision blurring at the edges. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog, but the world seemed to tilt and spin around him.
Focus, he told himself, gritting his teeth against the pain.Emma needs you.You can’t fail her, not now.
He turned to Bash and Alex, his eyes still blurry but coming back to normal. “We keep moving,” he said, his voice hard as steel. “We don’t stop until we find her, no matter what it takes.”
A deafening splashshattered the tense stillness, sending water cascading over the ship’s railing in a violent torrent. Bash whirled around, his heart pounding against his ribs as he searched for the source of the disturbance. The sudden shift in the atmosphere was palpable. Was it a new threat emerging from the depths of the churning sea, or was it a cannon that had missed the ship?
“What the hell was that?” Bash growled, his voice barely audible above the roar of the waves. He squinted against the salty spray, his eyes scanning the turbulent surface for any sign of movement.
Chris and Alex flanked him, their weapons drawn and ready. Alex’s hazel eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched tight with tension. “Could be anything,” he muttered, his tone grim. “We need to be prepared for whatever comes our way.”
Bash nodded, his grip tightening on his gun. The weight of the weapon was familiar, almost comforting, a reminder of the countless battles he’d fought and survived. But this was different, the stakes higher than ever before. Emma’s life hungin the balance, and he’d be damned if he let anything happen to her.
I failed once.
The memory of his Brooke’s death still raw and painful all these years later and despite his love for Emma washed over him as it always seemed to do.
A hail of gunfire erupted, the sharp cracks echoing through the ship like a twisted symphony. Bullets ricocheted off the metal walls, sparks flying in their wake. Bash ducked instinctively, his body moving on pure instinct as he sought cover behind a nearby crate.
“We’re sitting ducks out here!” Alex shouted, his voice barely audible above the cacophony of gunshots. “We need to keep moving, find a better position!”
Chris nodded, his face set with grim determination. “I’ll take point,” he said, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. “Bash, you cover our backs. Alex, you stay in the middle, keep an eye out for any signs of Emma, William, or Liam.”
They moved as one, a well-oiled machine forged in the crucible of battle. Bash’s senses were on high alert, his ears straining for any sound that might herald a new threat. The acrid scent of gunpowder filled his nostrils, mingling with the briny tang of the sea.
Come on, Emma,he thought, his heart racing as they navigated the narrow corridors.Where are you and Will and why does this ship feel so damn big all of a sudden? Give me a sign, anything to let me know you’re still alive. And where the fuck are Liam and Ranger?
But the only answer was the relentless barrage of gunfire, the sound of their own ragged breathing, and the distant cries of the wounded and dying. Bash gritted his teeth, his resolve hardening with every step. He would find her, no matter thecost. He would bring her back safe, even if it meant laying down his own life in the process.
Turning behind him, Bash looked past Alex and unleashed a hail of bullets, saying a quick prayer they only hit those they needed to hit.
The group pushed forward, their steps swift and purposeful as they navigated the labyrinth of the ship’s interior. Smoke and gunpowder filled the atmosphere that enveloped them. Bash’s heart pounded in his chest, a relentless drumbeat that echoed the urgency of their mission.
A scream pierced through the cacophony of gunfire and chaos.
“Bash!” The voice screamed again.
Bash’s head snapped toward the sound, his eyes widening in recognition. “Liam?” he called out, his voice hoarse with tension.
A figure stumbled out of the smoke, one hand his right shoulder, the other reaching out for support.
