Kai half-grinned. “Then they should be worried.” He chin-lifted to Deck. “Evac?”
“North stairs to basement. Vic will cover us out the emergency door.”
We were moving fast as Deck took lead, Georgie behind, then my dad and me with Kai taking up the rear. Deck stopped, holding out his hand as the elevators fifty feet away dinged.
“Shit. Back,” he ordered. “Vic. We need an exit. North exit and tunnels compromised.”
My dad ran up ahead. “West. There is a—”
Gunshots echoed down the sterile corridor and Kai grabbed me, shoving me in front of him then pushed me into an alcove.
“Dad?”
“Right here, sweetie,” he said.
Deck and Georgie were in an alcove across the hall.
“Can you get us in this lab?” Kai asked my dad.
“Yeah, but there is no way out.”
“Do it.”
My dad typed in a code and the door beeped but it didn’t open. “I can’t override the lockdown.” He typed in the code again and it beeped, but the door remained locked.
I reached in my pocket and pulled out my gun. Kai saw me do it and nodded once. I heard footsteps and then gunshots, but they were from Deck.
As Deck shot off a few rounds, Kai peered around the corner and the drywall splintered right beside his head. I gasped. Oh, God, they were shooting to kill. They were going to kill us.
Kai stepped back from the door and kicked it. It didn’t budge. “Fuck.” He grabbed my wrist and pushed me back against it. “Shoot anyone who comes near you. Understand?” I nodded, but I was silently freaking out. I’d seen people shot, murdered, beaten, but it was when I didn’t care about anything. Now I had my father and Kai and Deck and Georgie.
Kai looked at my dad. “They’re coming from both sides. We can sit here and be sitting ducks or take them out. I don’t do the sitting duck thing or surrender, so that means you stay with her.”
“What? Kai?” What was he thinking of doing? I reached for him, but he shoved me back with his palm on my chest.
“You need to stay right there.”
I jerked at more gunshots. Deck was shooting as was Georgie, but not for long as Deck grabbed her and pushed her back out of harm’s way. Deck glanced across the hallway at Kai and raised his hand, indicating five to the right and three to the left.
Kai nodded and Deck pointed to himself and then right. Kai nodded. Oh, my God, they were going to take them out.
“No. Kai.” My heart was pumping wildly and I shook so bad, I was afraid the gun was going to accidentally go off.
“No choice here, baby.” Before I could say anything else, Kai nodded once to Deck and they both rolled into the corridor.
I stepped forward, my breath locked in my chest as I heard gunshots from both directions. Deck and Kai were out of my line of sight.
I heard groans and bodies hitting the floor, but I couldn’t see anything. Georgie was peeking around the corner and shooting. I moved forward, but my dad blocked me with his body.
“No.”
“Dad, I can shoot.” I couldn’t, but I had to do something.
“No,” he repeated, his voice firm. “You need to do what Kai—”
A man staggered into the alcove, blood covering the front of his shirt from a knife plunged into his chest.
“London!” I heard Kai shout.
There were a few more gunshots, but everything was in slow motion as the man raised his gun and pointed it at me.
“Deck!” Kai yelled.
I raised my gun, too.
It happened within milliseconds. My dad dove for the guy at the same time as both guns went off. The man fell backward, my dad on top of him.
Neither moved.
“Dad!”
I scrambled for him, dropping the gun and falling to my knees beside him.
“Dad. Dad.” I tried to roll him over from lying on top of the other guy. “Dad,” I sobbed.
Suddenly, I was being pulled to my feet and arms wrapped around me. “Baby, give Deck a second to help him.”
It was then I noticed Deck on his knees beside my father, Georgie standing against the wall her hand to her mouth.
Deck had my dad on his back and there was blood all over his chest. “Kai, let me see him. Let me go.” I shoved at his arms and he finally released me.
I fell to my knees beside Deck who was putting pressure on my dad’s chest, but there was so much blood. I didn’t know if it was just my dad’s or the other guy’s, but when I saw my dad’s face, I knew.
“No. God, no. Dad. No. Please.” Oh, God, I was so close to getting him back. After all this time, we had a chance, but it was being ripped away.
“London,” he managed and then spurted blood, coughing.
Tears blurred my vision as I watched my dad struggle to breathe. He looked past me and I sensed Kai behind me then his hand was on my shoulder.
“I owe you. For… finding… her. Hiding her from… them.” He coughed again and I used my sleeve to wipe his mouth. “For protecting… her when I didn’t.”