Consumed (Blood Ties Book 9)

Hunter pushed the four-wheel drive harder, sweeping around one of the other trucks to push in front. That stony-faced look of determination and rage burned in his eyes. Eyes that flicked up to the rear-view mirror to meet mine and in an instant, I felt the vehicle slow, as though he’d forgotten for a second what was at stake here.

“Go,” I urged. “Go.”

The Hummer surged once more, gaining ground.

“Trouble,” Riven called from the passenger seat. “Your weapons.”

I looked down, finding Kane trying to fix my holster as I seated my Glock against my chest.

“We’re to stay together.” He demanded. “No one is to be a damn hero, we get in and get out before any of the others even know we’re there. How hard can it be to kill one fucking asshole?”

Too goddamn hard.

If it was easy, it would’ve been done by now.

Hunter glanced at his cell as we skirted the city, taking the back roads. But the moment we were thirty minutes out, we seemed to gather company.

“Incoming.” Thomas murmured from across the other side of the back seat.

I shifted, my guns in my holster slamming into Kane as I looked behind us. There were more vehicles, spilling in from every direction, north and south to join the convoy to end Haelstrom Hale and his fucking Order.

Beep.

“Yeah?” Riven answered in front of me. “Understood.”

In the side mirror, a truck came roaring past, overtaking us. Riven glanced at Hunter and motioned back with his head. We slowed a little, letting the truckload of paid mercenaries take the lead. Dust kicked up as they took a hard left. Three more trucks behind us followed them.

“Stay on the course, brother,” Riven murmured.

We headed for the towering fence that bordered the private airfield and followed it along to where the guard hut and the entrance were. Tires skidded from the four-wheel drive as we turned hard. I caught movement inside that confined space as the guard stepped out, the automatic rifle in his hand raised. But before Riven could even get the car door open, the pfft of a sniper’s shot filled the air.

The guard never had a chance, falling where he stood, allowing Riven to climb out and flank the front of the car before he made his way inside the hut. Seconds later, the towering gate rolled open. Other vehicles flew past as trucks followed, barrelling inside. Riven hurried back to climb inside before we took off, following the others through.

I glanced behind us, to find London’s Explorer, and beyond them, Tobias was at the wheel of their midnight blue Land Rover. Our vehicle bounced hard, jerking my focus back.

“You know what to do, Trouble?”

I gave a nod. “I know.”

“You get separated from us, you head for London and the Sons, got it?”

“Got it.”

“And if…if anything bad happens, you get yourself to DeLuca. He’ll take you to the safehouse.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen.” I could barely get the words out.

Hunter spun the wheel, throwing me against the door.

“No, it won’t,” Hunter growled.

But Thomas and Kane were silent as they looked at me. Nothing bad was going to happen…because I didn’t think I could endure one more death…or any more heartbreak.

We pulled up inside a thick line of trees and Hunter killed the engine. Others did the same, Vivienne and her men beside us, Ryth and hers next to them. The trucks of armed soldiers quickly emptied and the moment I cracked open the door, the sound of gunfire filled the air.

“We’re on.” Hunter scanned the trees, pulling his weapon free.

Car doors closed. My pulse was racing as Riven turned toward me. “Remember.”

“Stay together,” I answered for him, meeting his gaze as he adjusted my holster and the rest of the others made their way around the car.

Hunter scanned the trees, but then turned back to me. I was all they cared about. I was all they saw and I didn’t have to listen too hard to know my sisters were being treated the same.

“You two move ahead.” London ordered. “But not too far. Vivienne.”

“I know. Stay at your back.”

“Yes, my love. We are your shield, do you hear me? We. Are. Your. Shield.”

My chest throbbed with the words as I glanced over to where London brushed her hair from her face and kissed her. She reached out to brush Carven’s hand. He reached behind and grasped her fingers for a second before he was gone. But Colt…Colt was the one standing still, staring as London stepped away.

“I’ll be okay,” she said quietly, her eyes brimming with tears.

“We have to go,” Riven called me away.

I quickly met her stare, then glanced over the front of their car to where Ryth held her son against her chest. Nick and Caleb were in front of her, with Tobias striding ahead.

We’re going to be okay.

We’re all going to be okay.

I followed Hunter and Riven, leaving Thomas and Kane to flank my sides as we pushed through the trees. The sound of gunfire was growing faint now. Men swept in all around us, running forward with their guns raised.

Roars followed and the sound of gunfire filled the air again, causing me to pull my weapon free. I’d fought for my life before—I glanced at Hunter, with his sniper rifle resting against my shoulder—and I’d fought for them. But this…this was war on a whole scale I wasn’t prepared for.

Click.

Something sounded under my foot. Hunter stopped instantly and swung around. His eyes widened before he lunged. I was hit and knocked through the air as the sound of rapid fire exploded around me.

Screams followed, guttural screams before the deafening sound of gunfire fell silent. I sucked in hard breaths, the heavy weight of Hunter pressing down on top of me. He lifted his head, scanning the trees behind us before he turned his attention to me. “You okay?”

I gave a slow nod as he rose.

“Goddamnit!” Kane barked.

Hunter shoved upwards, letting me follow. I rushed forward, finding blood seeping into the arm of Kane’s shirt. The sound of tearing fabric filled the air as Hunter ripped the shirt open. “It’s just a scratch.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Kane bellowed.

But Riven was the one who strode to where the automatic machine gun was waiting. One of London’s men rose from behind the weapon, the pin and something else in his hand. He met our gazes and gave a nod. “This place could be filled with automatic turrets, we need to be careful where we step.”

No shit.

I glanced behind us to where Vivienne and her men stared at us with wide eyes, until in the distance…the thunder of footsteps sounded, growing louder.

“Riven,” I murmured, swinging my gaze toward the rumble.

“Easy, baby.” He took a step to place himself in front of me. “Easy.”

The army of men that had come with us urged us forward, gathering speed.

“With us, Helene.” Hunter pushed forward, raising his weapon.

I took a step, desperate to be ahead of Vivienne. “Go.” I lifted my weapon, moving ahead. “Go.”

We surged forward, our pace picking up as the crack of gunfire came, and as we charged through the trees toward that goddamn warehouse, I finally saw what we were up against.

There was an army.

A whole fucking army.

They stood around the shimmering thing. Sunlight bounced off the walls, blinding me. I blinked into the glare as Hunter squeezed off a shot, crack, then swung the muzzle, firing again.

Kane was next, then Riven, and the deafening sound of gunfire filled my ears. Hale’s men were everywhere. Men dressed in leather cuts, others dirty and sweaty. They were nothing but bullet catchers.

I raised my gun, my finger squeezing the trigger until the gun kicked in my hand. In an instant, it all came back to me. The rush. The fight. The collision of all I was and all I had been. I unleashed a roar. Hunter jerked a look at me over his shoulder. Pride and love burned in his stare as he turned back.

Our men collided with Hale’s men with a deafening THUD. Hunter lunged, slamming into a big-ass biker. Fists and rage were all I saw. I swung my gun, squeezing off a shot as another biker came for those I loved. Behind us, London roared. But I couldn’t look back at him. I couldn’t risk taking my eyes off those in front of me.

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

Every hard step was a blow, tearing through my ankles and into my knees. I kept up with Hunter and Riven, veering left along the mammoth shimmering monstrosity this thing was. It wasn’t a warehouse. It was a goddamn spaceship buried in the ground.

There’s a door. In the northeast side of the warehouse that’s not far from the private airfield. The door is small, you’d miss it really, trying to break down the main doors.

The door. My steps faltered, skidding hard.

“What is it?” Kane, slowed meeting my gaze.

I sucked in hard breaths, scanning the glimmering walls as each angle caught the sun. No wonder we couldn’t see it from above. But we saw it now. We saw it and wanted to burn it to the ground. “The door…there’s a door.” I scanned the walls, desperate to find any kind of entrance, and kept running. “There’s a small door, we need to find it.”

“A door?” Kane jerked a panicked gaze my way, then jerked his gun up and squeezed off a shot, hitting a guy in the center of the chest. “What goddamn door?”

I stopped, scanning the wall, searching for any way inside, but there was none. There was no fucking door. I lunged, driving past Riven and Hunter as they took aim and fired.

“Helene!” Riven barked. “HELENE!”

I couldn’t wait, my mind raced as I made for the corner of the building, desperate to find a way inside.

“Goddamnit!” Riven roared.

The heavy thunder of my heart was deafening. I scanned the wall in front of me, then turned back…it was only then that I caught the gap in the mirrored wall. It was larger than the others, drawing my focus like a star in the sky that shone brighter.

“Helene!” Riven grunted. Bang! “We have to go now.”

We have to go.

We have to⁠—

I surged forward, my heart driving into my throat as I skimmed my fingers along the smooth, glittering surface. “Go…go where, Riven?” I murmured. “There’s no way inside. There is no way inside.”

No without this door…

There was a smaller gap, one I pressed.

Click.

A section swung inwards, showing a keypad instead. My heart boomed. But the others weren’t calling me anymore. They were silent, giving all their focus to the fight. The jarring sound of gunfire faded as I stepped closer to those numbers. Flickers of a memory rose. One I didn’t want or need in this moment. Still, all I saw was the sensor on that safe in my father’s destroyed study. The one which had held that report. The one I’d tried so hard not to think about. But here it was…pushing to the surface now.

“Trouble!” Riven barked. “Gonna need you to do something here.”

I stared at that keypad.

Medical report for Weyland King.

My fingers trembled as they lifted. In the back of my mind, the numbers sixteen oh-one echoed. I pressed the first digit one, six—CAT Scan evaluation, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade IV. My fingers shook so damn hard I couldn’t press the buttons.

“Baby,” Kane urged.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying desperately to force the image of that report away, then opened them once more. Zero-one.

There.

It’s done.

I stared at the keypad, waiting for the click. But it never came. Nothing came.

Agony roared across my chest. I stared at that keypad, waiting for the red blinking light to turn green. Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade IV…Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade IV…Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade IV.

“Helene?” Kane urged.

Crack!

Crack!

CRACK!

It was all I could hear, until that tiny voice inside my head pushed through. Betrayed once more. My throat thickened, so tight I thought I was being strangled. I shook my head and stepped closer. Maybe I put in the wrong code? Maybe I fucked up. I pushed in the code once more.

One.

Six.

Zero.

One.

Nothing. There was nothing. “No.” I shook my head. “No…no…no.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Movement came from the corner of my eye.

“Look at me.” Kane’s finger under my chin forced my gaze to his. There was dirt on his cheek and his normally perfect hair was dishevelled. Dressed in cargos, boots and a black t-shirt, my Teacher was more like a soldier. Still, that didn’t stop him from dropping everything to keep me together.

“They lied.” I forced out the words. “They all lied.”

Crack!

Crack!

“Then we’ll find another way in,” he said carefully. “We do it on our own. We are a team, you hear me? Whatever happens out there, you have us. We’re not going anywhere. We’re with you.”

Tears blurred his face as the light on the keypad in front of us turned from red to green and the door gave a click, opening itself.

Kane jerked his gaze to the door, then shouted behind us. “Boys.”

They all turned and glared at us, until they saw the door. It hit me at that moment that it opening hadn’t come from the code. Kane stepped forward, grabbed the smooth edge of the door and opened it wider. I lifted my gaze, sweeping along the glinting wall and upwards. High above us was a camera…one so small you could easily miss it.

“What the fuck?” Riven muttered as he brushed my shoulder, opened the door wider, and peered inside.

But a chill raced along my spine. Someone was watching us…no, someone was watching me.

“Riven, wait—” I barely got the words out before he stepped into the darkness.

It was too late.

Far too late.

To stop this now.