Page 87 of Breathe
Azrael’s eyes were fully adjusted to the dark because he, Freedom, and Boston had made their way through the completely dark compound. Oh, there was light, but it was sparse and mostly in rooms off the darkened hallways. It was how assassins worked. They took out the light wherever they went.
So, when Stone went down, Azrael saw it.
“Damn it,” Stone’s quiet mutter swept across the short distance.
Azrael was already moving that way as Stone fell to his ass on the floor.
Azrael leaped, spun, and shoved his knife into one perp’s neck and jabbed his blade three times into another man’s throat.
Real watched in horror when Azrael left his side and launched across the distance as Stone fell to the floor.
“Shit!” Real snarled and ran full out to back up Azrael, using the size of his body to block any gunfire that came their way.
Real pressed his earpiece. “Rip, come help me with Stone, we’re on the west side of the room.”
Rip was there in seconds.
Azrael, Boston, and Freedom kept the perps away from Stone.
Real grabbed one of Stone’s arms and Rip the other, and they hauled him to his feet.
Stone stumbled, and Real took most of his weight. They were backed into a corner.
With perfect fucking timing, Genesis barged on the scene.
And they didn’t come in stealthily or anything. They arrived with force. It was loud and savage and brutal.
They were out for blood.
Real caught sight of Winter, along with Crow and Rebel, and several other soldiers from the active side. These men didn’t worry about face masks because they weren’t leaving anyone alive. They wore dark military armor and helmets to protect their heads.
There was one man in particular who stood out without a helmet, and Real recognized Fierce.
Wrapping an arm around Stone’s waist, he hauled the man toward the exit with Rip helping on the other side. When a perp got in their way, Azrael and Boston cleared the way.
Freedom had disappeared in the crush of Genesis soldiers. Going after Fierce. Real couldn’t worry about the kid.
“Did we get Micky?” someone asked over the comms.
Nobody reported in.
“Shit,” Real muttered.
Had they accidentally killed the guy in the dark room back there?
Stone passed out at that point, and Real turned and hefted the man over his shoulder, carrying him fireman style.
Rip turned back to rejoin the fight, and Boston darted after him.
With Azrael watching his flank, Real held his Ruger with its twisted suppressor aimed forward and took the stairs upward.
Something warm and wet was covering his back, and he knew it was blood.
Stone had to be all right. Fuck, he just had to be.
Outside of the compound, Wrath worked on Stone the second the man was placed in the back of an SUV.
“Drive,” Wrath ordered Rogue, and shot Real a quick glance. “I’ll call you from the hospital.”
