Page 134 of Mafie Trials

Gunfire rings out behind us as they approach the bunker Damien and Evie are in. Dread pools in my stomach. No communications are getting out and I don’t know where we should be focusing our efforts as I watch a new team approach and go into the building on the east end. Havoc jumps on his bike and Alexi does the same.

I don’t want to lock the doors just in case we can get another man up here. I take out the long-range rifle and scan the buildings in the distance. There aren’t many close to us, but if they knew this was a trap there are a few places someone could be lying in wait.

I see a figure tucking himself behind the luggage cart near the doors by the east building. His black combat boots come into view so I signal for Arrow to come to my side.

“What do you see?” he asks.

“There’s a man behind the cart over there. I can hit his foot. If I get him to move out from the shelter, can you get him?”

He takes a moment to ready himself, notching an arrow and drawing back. I fire the moment I hear him pull in a breath.

The Shade jumps and falls out from behind the cart the moment my bullet goes through his shoe. An arrow releases, embedding itself straight through the man's neck. I refuse to look at the blood. Instead I look up at the man who works so well with me, the one who I think I'm in love with.

I don’t know what changed between last night and tonight to make him question our dynamic, but I can’t help but feel my heart ache as I accept that he’s not ready for this. For me.

I look back at the tower to see Nessa scoping with her rifle. She makes a hand signal toward me but I can’t make out what she’s saying. I turn my scope on her just in time to see her signal when the comms open up.

“Sniper on the roof.” The sound of a bullet rings out, and the impact changes the course of my life in an instant.

Chapter 57

I have the long-range rifle set up out the window and I’m moving it to try to get Laney's attention on the roof. I can see her talking to Arrow after they took down the Shade hiding below, but what she doesn’t know is there’s a sniper locked on them. I don’t know what else I can do.

When I finally catch her eye, I try again to signal. Her scope peers up at me and when I signal again, Lev is able to break through the comms just as I yell, “Sniper on the roof!”

I see it when it clicks in her brain, but it’s too late. Arrow heard me loud and clear. His body collides with hers as he tries to get them both down at the same moment a shot rings through the air.

The thing the movies get wrong is the reaction after you hear the shot. Bullets move faster than sound. So I shoulden't be suprised when they both go down and blood is shed before they can prevent anything. I can’t see what’s happening, but I know it can't be good. I get word to Havoc while the comms are open.

“Wolverine, get to the rooftop now. Man down.”

I see his bike fly up to the staircase just as another team comes in from the west end of the building. There are so many people out here that we didn’t account for. We were expecting a ten to twenty-man assault, but there are easily forty men here. And those are just the ones we can see.

We still can’t get word to Evie as a team approaches the bunker. They won’t be able to get in, but Evie and Damien are now just sitting ducks, unable to move. We need a new plan, we need…

I look over to Boris. By the time we make eye contact, he already knows my plan. He reaches out to click the button to speak over all the comms when Lev comes through our earpieces.

“There’s a team at the base of your tower.”

My skin goes cold. We may have the upper ground, but if they get in here, there’s not much we can do. I strap two rounds of ammo to my chest and fold my brass knuckles over my hands. This might be the moment I need to run. Boris grabs two grenades from under the desk. Opening the window, he tosses one down and the men below scatter.

The explosion goes off, and we look down to see only half of the men get back up. But half is still too many. Boris readies himself to throw the other when one of the men blows open the door to the tower.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I get my new gun out from the holster and take aim at the door. Boris stands in front of me like a human shield and I walk around to his side.

“Together?”

His jaw clenches, and his fingers turn white from where they grip his pistol.

“Together.” His voice is tight and strained.

I have no idea what this moment means to him, but ghosts seem to dance behind his eyes. I lower my gun for a brief second to plant a kiss to his cheek. I don’t question it. I plan to fake die here anyway. But he seems like he’s about to fall apart, and I figure we could both use a distraction while the enemy climbs to us.

His shoulders relax at the same moment my lips brush the salt-and-pepper stubble on his face. His grip loosens to allow blood flow to his fingertips and I pull back. Footsteps sound directly below and we ready ourselves.

Panic seizes my heart as Boris gets off the first shot. The man in the door goes down instantly and the one behind him goes down from my bullet. Two more are down before they can so much as get three feet into the room. The others seem to think it’s a better idea to run.

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