“Steve is the only one.” Sloan nodded toward the crude block building. “He’s taking a piss.”
“Damn.” Slade frowned, hating one of theirs failed the initiation. He continued searching the clearing, hoping to spot Jill soon. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the sudden sound of gunshots rang out.
Immediately, all Warriors took cover, their training kicking in. Some knocked confused trainees out of the line of fire. As if in slow motion, Slade watched Steve walk out of the building. Turning, Steve looked at Sloan and Slade lying on the ground. His mouth opened to say something as his body jerked hard; he fell to his knees. His shocked eyes found Slade before he fell face first to the ground.
“Fuck!” Slade army-crawled toward Steve. Grabbing Steve by the back of his jacket, he pulled him beside the building, rolling him over. Steve’s eyes were opened slightly. “Steve, hold on buddy.” Slade ripped his jacket and shirt completely off, seeing the exit wound right above his heart. Rolling him over, he checked the wound on his back.
Jared slid to a stop next to Slade. Seeing Steve, he cursed. “Shit! Is he dead?” Jared looked around, his eyes scanning for danger.
“Not yet, but if I don’t get him to a hospital, he will be.” Slade pressed his fingers to his neck feeling a pulse, weak, but there. “I can’t tell if this hit his heart, but all this blood isn’t a good fucking sign.”
Suddenly, the gunshots stopped. “Let me get a car.” Jared stood, still hunched over. “Keep your fucking head down, Doc. Those are silver bullets.”
“Give me your shirt,” Slade ordered before Jared left. Tearing Steve’s ripped shirt, he pressed his own to the back wound, Steve’s to the front, and Jared’s he wrapped around Steve’s body to hold them in place. Steve’s blood pumped out faster than he could control it. The shirt was soaked already. “Dammit!” Slade pressed harder, applying more pressure.
Hearing her voice, Slade looked to see Duncan stop Jill. Her eyes went from him to Steve. The anguish in her face was more than he could take, forcing him to look away. Thank God, she was unhurt. His need to find her almost overrode his job, which was to save as many lives as possible, but since he knew she was safe, he could focus. He had been afraid to look over the field of fallen Warriors for fear of seeing her among them.
Sloan ran over, a look of worry on his face. “I got the van.” Sloan helped Slade pick up Steve, and Jared ran over to help.
Slade looked up at Jared. “Keep her safe.”
Jared nodded. “You just worry about Steve. I got her.”
Once Steve was loaded in the van, Sloan slammed the door and ran to the driver’s side. “You’re in charge of our group. Keep me updated.”
“I will.” Jared smacked the van as it drove by.
Steve moaned when the van went over bumps, Slade tried to keep him still. “Hang in there.”
“Wasn’t ready to go yet.” Steve’s voice was weak and faint.
“You aren’t going anywhere but to the hospital.” Slade checked Steve’s pulse again, not liking his coloring. “You just fight, you hear me?”
Hissing at the pain, Steve jerked. “Damn, it hurts.”
“As soon as we get somewhere safe, I’ll give you something for the pain,” Slade replied. After a few minutes of silence, Slade figured Steve had passed out since he still had a faint pulse. They hadn’t lost him yet. He was startled when Steve grabbed his wrist.
“Please don’t let me die as the guy who got shot coming out of the pisser.” Steve laughed weakly, then coughed.
“No worries, Steve. Just hold on and you can tell this story however you want.” Slade’s voice was firm.
A sad smile tilted his lips before he swallowed hard. His eyes met Slade’s. “Take care of Jill and Adam. They’re my family, you all are.”
Slade nodded, watching as the life slipped away from Steve. “Goddammit!”
The van stopped. Slade met Sloan’s eyes in the rearview mirror, a silent message passing between the two Warriors.
Chapter 23
Jill, along with Adam and Dillon, sat in shocked devastation. Jared walked over, sitting next to them.
“Slade is going to do everything he can for him. He’s a damn good doctor. You know this.” He wrapped his arm around Jill, giving her a squeeze. “As soon as we are given the all clear here, we’ll head to the hospital.”
Nodding, Jill watched numbly. The events and scene around her appeared dreamlike and hazy. She caught her thoughts and grimaced. No, a nightmare, a horrifying nightmare. Duncan headed toward them, his face a mask of anger. “They caught two and are bringing them down now.”
Jill, along with Adam and Dillon followed Duncan to where five Warriors dragged two bloodied men to the group, tossing them to the ground. Two of the Warriors pulled them up to their knees.
“We told you everything we know,” one cried, his frightened eyes scanning all the Warriors surrounding them.