Page 85 of In The Trenches (Owens Protective Services)

I pulled the trigger and watched through the scope as the bullet made contact with his head. Blood poured over Beth’s shoulder and down her face. The knife fell from her throat. Without even taking a moment to make sure she was okay, I switched targets.

I was vaguely aware of Eli and Thumper’s teams moving in. There had to be at least twenty men on the inside, not to mention the men on the outside watching the perimeter. As they made their way toward the entrance, I continued to take out men with Sally. I’d never been so happy that Fox ignored orders and went after her alone. Without him, she might already be dead. Now he stood over her, throwing his knives at anyone that came near him.

The sound of helicopters overhead had me looking up sharply. More men were on their way. What the fuck did they want her for? “Incoming!” I shouted, shoving Sally in my case and slinging it over my shoulder. I ran down the steep slope to the building, pulling my gun from my holster and firing.

“Boss, we’ve got the perimeter!” Eli shouted. “Get in there and get her the fuck out!”

“On it,” I shouted, running flat out for the facility.

“I got this, boss!” I heard IRIS laugh over comms. I didn’t want to know what he was doing, but a moment later, a high-pitched sound whizzed past me and then the door exploded in front of me. I covered my face as flames exploded out toward me. Ignoring the building flames around me, I ran through the burning doorway and straight for Beth, who was being dragged by her arm further into the building.

The first thing I saw was the massive amount of fertilizer in the building, and the flames quickly spreading toward them. When they reached the first pallet, a massive explosion rocked the building. Men were scattering, trying to find cover and finish the job. The flames were so fucking high, it was nearly impossible to see.

In the distance, I saw three men converging on one target. Fox was pinned down under fire near a post. I turned and fired, taking out three of them.

Fox stepped out from behind the post, holding out his arms. “I fucking had them!”

I shook my head and ran to the back of the building where Beth was running from one man. She stumbled, falling to her knees as the man grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up in front of him. I moved into a better position, needing the best angle possible so I didn’t accidentally shoot her.

“Hey, asshole!” I shouted.

As expected, he spun, pulling her in front of him for cover. He grinned at me. “You’ve got this wrong. I don’t want her. She just needs to die.”

I looked into her eyes momentarily, saw the fear and resignation, but that’s not how this was going to end. Even with the building ready to burn down around us, I was calm. He started to raise his gun, but I was faster. I fired without a second of hesitation. She stiffened as the man fell behind her, crumpling to the ground. Racing over to her, I grabbed her by the arm and ran for the back exit. She was barely standing, her feet stumbling over one another. Without a second thought, I swung her up in my arms and ran for the exit, just barely making it out as the building began to crumble around us.

But as soon as we got outside, we came under more fire.

“Eli! I thought you covered the outside!”

“They just keep coming, boss! What the fuck do they want her for?”

“Fuck if I know.”

Ahead of us was our only chance at escape. Dense trees covered the landscape, which would make it easier to hide, but there was only so long we could run with me carrying her like this. I ran for the tree line, not stopping until we were heavily shaded by low-hanging brush. I gently set Beth down on the ground, noticing the strain on her face as I laid her flat. Digging around in my pockets, I pulled out a kit Lock always insisted I carry on me. I hadn’t thought I’d need it since my military days. Now, it was going to save our asses.

I pulled out the large needle, ignoring the way her eyes went wide. “I’m going to inject this in you.”

“You’re what?” she shrieked.

I didn’t waste another moment, pulling up her sleeve and taking the insanely large needle and shoving it into her arm. I knew it burned like hell. In fact, it felt like fire was burning through you, but it would give her the strength she needed to get moving.

I gripped her hand in mine, staring into her terrified eyes as she panted through the heat. After a minute, the worst of it passed and she sagged back in my arms for a moment. I pulled her to me, pressing a kiss to her forehead, though I wasn’t sure why. I mostly wanted to comfort her.

“Better?”

She nodded against my chest. “What was that?”

“You don’t want to know. We’ve got to get moving now.”

I stuffed my kit back in my cargo pocket and grabbed my pistol, as I held out my hand to her. She got to her feet, surprised at how easily she stood. “Whoa,” she muttered. “Whatever that is, I think I want more.”

“One dose is good. Any more than that, it’ll kill you.”

Grabbing her hand, I started jogging through the trees, putting as much space between the flaming building and us. After fifteen minutes, I stopped, hunching down in the brush to check for anyone following us. We weren’t exactly being silent, but I didn’t notice anyone following us.

“Eli, this is Bullseye.”

I waited for him to respond, but the line was dead.

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