Page 59 of Protected By the Convicts
Chapter Thirteen
VAUGHN
“What now, Vaughn?” Sersie asked as they stood in the middle of the jungle, unsure of what direction to search. He kept his right arm folded over his left ribcage.
“I don’t know,” Vaughn said before he resumed reciting mathematical equations, trying to focus his mind.
Out of nowhere, Ren slammed Vaughn against a tree, digging his hands into his upper arms. “Pull your shit together, Vaughn. This isn’t over until we find her. I need you thinking. Hannah needs you thinking.”
Hannah. . . Vaughn had failed to find her. They’d all failed.
“We need a plan,” Ren said. “She’s still alive. She has to be.”
The desperation in Ren’s voice cut through to Vaughn. “She’s still alive. They won’t kill her. Not yet.” Griggs had spoken of planning to use her often.
Vaughn turned and threw up. He should have killed Griggs himself when he’d had a chance. Injected him with a lethal dose of a narcotic. NK171. He should have used the god-damn drug on Griggs.
Sersie placed a warm hand on his back.
“I’m okay now,” Vaughn said, brushing off Sersie’s hand. Someone handed him water. He rinsed and spit. “Weapons. Need weapons,” he said as he took a deep breath.
Ren was right, they didn’t have time for him to be in shock or whatever was going on. Hell, he couldn’t even diagnose himself right now. His focus was shot.
“I can throw a few chemical grenades together,” Sersie said, as he leaned against a tree, winded.
Ren moved over to Sersie and swiped his hand away from his side. “What the fuck. You’ve been stabbed. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Need to find Hannah.”
The coppery smell of blood snapped Vaughn out of his fog. Sersie was injured. He eased him down to the ground and lifted the man’s shirt. “Doesn’t look too bad given the depth and location. No major organs affected, but I need to stop the bleeding. Vaughn pulled out the vial from his pants. Only one nanite left. He hadn’t been able to restock since Dresden discovered he’d been stealing nanites.
God, this was his fault. Dresden had taken Hannah away and given her to Griggs.
Vaughn stood there, holding the vial.
“Insert it and let’s go,” Ren said, eager to keep searching.
“It’s okay, Vaughn,” Sersie said. “Save it for Hannah.”
Ren grabbed the vial from Vaughn and removed the cap. “Hannah won’t need it if we can’t find her. We need Sersie for that.” Ren inserted the nanite in the open wound and tossed the empty vial back to Vaughn.
“I have more back at the house,” Vaughn said, starting to focus. “And Sersie has ingredients there for grenades.”
“Not quite. The best stuff is back in my lab.”
“No one’s returning to West Side,” Vaughn said as he straightened his back. “We’re not giving Dresden a chance to lock us up, not until after we find Hannah.”
When they reached the house, Ky’Li emerged with a sack over his shoulder. The horrific image of Griggs’s carrying Hannah struck Vaughn, and he nearly threw up again.
“Griggs has Hannah,” Vaughn said.
“Not anymore. I have her.”
“Is she okay?” Sersie asked.
Ky’Li swallowed hard, which said too much. “Bring your medical supplies, Doctor.”
Vaughn ran inside and practically ripped the floorboard off the floor to get to the stash of nanites he’d hidden there. He grabbed several items from the kitchen and bathroom and shoved them into a pack as well. When he returned, they followed Ky’Li in near silence until he asked what happened at the assembly. While they briefed one another, they walked, soon arriving a section of the jungle close to where Vaughn and Sersie had split up.
