“Someone needs to get back to Sarge.” I holstered my gun before moving out to meet the werewolves.
I threw a dagger at the mercenary that had dodged April’s fire getting him in the thigh.
He growled and took a swipe at me. I avoided his arm, then kicked him in the throat. That made him stagger to a stop, and another kick that landed on the side of his jaw made him collapse.
Brody was wrestling with the third mercenary, while Tetiana and the last mercenary were circling each other.
Tetiana’s distance from the mercenary would give April plenty of room to work with, so I approached Brody and his enemy crouching low and zig zagging to stay in his mercenary’s blind spot as the two exchanged blows.
The mercenary landed a brutal punch to Brody’s side, leaving himself wide open. I launched myself at him, securing my arms around his neck in a chokehold.
The mercenary tried wedging his fingers under my arm, but he couldn’t find a place.
Brody clenched his fists before he pummeled the mercenary’s stomach. When I released the mercenary, Brody finished him off with a blow to the side of his head while April fried the last mercenary with a lightning bolt.
There were no more incoming mercenaries, but some of the ones we’d knocked out/injured were starting to recover.
If we don’t get out of here, it’s going to be a blood bath. At least there aren’t any new waves—we must be reaching the end of their numbers.
“I’ll call Sarge,” April offered.
“Brody, carry her—we’ve got to move out,” I said.
Brody’s breathing was deep and a little strained, but he gave me a thumbs up. “You got it—” The rev of an engine covered whatever else he was going to say.
No—there’s more?
A truck barreled up the street, its headlights blinding us.
“Get out of the road!” I yelled.
Brody scooped up April, then he and Tetiana followed me as we raced across the street—away from the regrouping mercenaries.
I used three of my bullets on the truck, shooting at the front two tires. I got the first tire with two bullets, but I took too long to switch targets to the other tire and my last shot went wide when I realized I needed to bolt after my teammates or I’d be run down.
We followed the cracked sidewalk, sprinting north. Unfortunately, we were somewhat hedged in by a chain link fence.
“Look out!” Tetiana shouted.
The truck veered, tires screeching. The engine roared as it jumped the curb, cutting across the sidewalk and narrowly missed flattening Brody before it rammed the chain link fence.
The windows were tinted, but there was just enough light that I could make out four silhouettes crammed inside the truck’s cab.
We kept running north, while the mercenaries backed the truck up for round two.
“How do they have the funds to purchase all this gear?” Tetiana demanded, her red eyes closer to crimson with her anger.
“Mercenary work, it pays well,” Brody shouted over the growl of the truck’s engine when it bounced over the edge of the curb—they were almost finished backing up.
“Better than the task force, apparently,” Tetiana grumbled.
I checked to make sure the vet wrap was staying secured on my arm while we ran, then grimaced when I glanced up and saw that a block up there were fewer industrial buildings, and the brick and stone buildings that marked out the beginning of downtown were visible. “We need to head west.”
April clung to Brody’s shoulders as she looked back at the truck. “We can’t—we need to get to more substantial buildings!”
I mimicked her and glanced back. The truck had stopped momentarily—the driver was probably changing gears. “We’re already too close to downtown,” I said.
April shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. We’re going to get flattened if we don’t get cover.”
Behind us, the truck revved its engine.
She’s right. I don’t like it, but she’s right.
“Fine, then we have to aim for alleyways,” I said. “Something narrow so the truck can’t follow!”
We were to the block that had brick and stone buildings by this point.
The truck’s tires squealed as the driver gunned it. The bullet holes had worked and the front left tire was now flat, but the mercenaries didn’t seem to care as the truck roared down the street towards us. The wheel shredded—flinging bits of tire into the air—and sparks shed from the rim that was now dragging across the road.
“There!” Tetiana pointed to a shadowy space between what appeared to be two apartment buildings. “An alleyway!”
I looked back—the truck was roaring after us again, closing in fast.
“Go!” I barked, slowing down to let Tetiana go in first.
She sprinted into the alleyway, and I felt pebbles pelted by the truck hit my back. “Brody!” I pushed him in ahead of me as the truck jumped the curb and hit a cluster of plastic trash bins.
Two of the trash cans hit me. I’d braced myself, except they were heavy with garbage, and they slammed into me with the force of a bulldozer throwing me to the ground.
The truck ran over one of the trashcans, braking just in time to avoid crunching the truck’s front bumper into a brick apartment building.
Bested… by a trashcan! If my brothers find out, they’ll never let me live this down.
I scraped myself off the ground and ran further up the street, making a sharp right turn into the first alleyway I found.
Behind me, I heard truck doors open—the mercenaries were getting out.
I pressed myself against the side of the alleyway and peered around the edge of the building.
All four mercenaries—all wearing soft body armor—were prowling towards the alleyway my teammates had disappeared into. None of them were heading in my direction.
The mercenaries perked up when they heard an ominous, metallic thud that echoed loudly enough I could hear it, and they jogged into the alleyway.
Our enemy’s location confirmed, I sprinted up my alleyway dodging around a parked car and more garbage cans. My breathing hitched in worry, and I nearly skid out when I popped out of my alleyway and hit sidewalk again.
I looked up and down the street, but my teammates were nowhere to be seen.
Our alleyways both ran north, so they must end up on this street. I’m faster, but I had to run farther and I checked on the mercenaries. They should be out by now. Was that slam them hiding?
I could still sense Tetiana’s vampiric presence, but my abilities weren’t honed enough to pinpoint it.
So where are they?
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Considine
When Jade and her team sprinted up the road, I followed. I had to go a round-about way to stay downwind of the mutty wolves.