Gino scanned the hallway. All clear.
Ezekiel nodded. Draden and I are taking left. You, Rubin and Diego have the right side. Move fast. We've got to find her and get her out in record time. When she's found, we'll converge on her location, and head back to the top as a unit. Questions?
They shook their heads and Ezekiel signaled them to move out. Draden took the lead, Ezekiel on his six. Like Gino, Draden could sense the energy of an enemy. He would know when someone was behind a door. That was no guarantee. Gino had more than once missed someone while training. It could happen, and his brothers' lives depended on him not making a mistake.
Knowing Zara was held somewhere on this floor made their task easier, but not knowing how many guards or their locations was extremely difficult. They were playing a very expensive game of roulette, one that could cost everyone their lives. Every step, every doorway was a new spin of the wheel and they would have to play it all the way down the long corridor and back up again. Gino just hoped they were on a hot streak tonight.
When they had to take a guard down, they knew they risked being heard or seen. Each time they had to do it increased the chances of them being discovered. If a radio call was not answered, they knew someone would come looking. The best thing to do was not to touch anyone. In and out like ghosts. The problem was that was easier said than done. In the end, in spite of all enhancements, they were still human beings with limitations. This floor, and the surrounding area where they were keeping Zara prisoner, was bound to be more heavily guarded.
Anything, Zeke? Gino asked.
They were going door by door down that unexpectedly long hall. So far it was very quiet. Too quiet. They still had to worry about an ambush. Whitney very well could have set them up. What his reasoning could be, none of them knew, but it was such an unusual situation, him asking for help from the GhostWalkers after all the shit he'd pulled on them, none of them were feeling particularly confident in his motives.
We're stuck about twenty feet from where we split. There's a guard standing here talking to someone over his radio. Sounds like he's giving a goddamned dissertation to someone on the other end. We can't proceed because if we tranq him, whoever is on the other end of that call will know something's wrong.
Gino found himself cursing under his breath. The knots in his stomach were pulling tighter. The woman needed them to find her now. Something was off. Not enough guards. Had they moved her? Where the hell were the guards? One in the stairwell and one a few feet down the hallway didn't make sense.
The floor was essentially planned in a circle with the elevator being at the twelve o'clock position. The middle consisted of a long solid wall dividing the two corridors. It was an odd floor plan, but one Cheng seemed to favor. A gun could be shot down that long straight corridor easily, so maybe it was all about defense. Or offense.
Zeke, can you screw with the battery to drain it so they have to go and replace it?
Shit. I should have thought of that. Thanks, Gino.
There was a small silence while Gino waited, counting his own heartbeats.
Yes, it worked, he's leaving.
Gino, Rubin and Diego inched their way another few feet until they came to another door. This one housed a few men. Three? Four? Gino wasn't certain, the energy was blending together, but he felt them. He held up his fist and then indicated the room was occupied. He was feeling something else. Smelling something else.
He was a hunter, just like the others, enhanced with cat DNA, and his sense of smell was very acute. This was metallic. A coppery scent. Blood. His heart sank. He hoped to hell it wasn't Zara's blood he was smelling. It was possible this was Zhu's private torture chamber. He wanted to believe that some other poor son of a bitch was on the receiving end of Zhu's brand of torture that he'd read about. The man rivaled every war criminal known to the world.
Gino couldn't make himself believe the blood belonged to anyone but Zara. His Zara. So, yeah, he wasn't as fucking detached as he should have been. Putting a bullet in her head wasn't going to work for him. If she was operating for Whitney, helping him set up an ambush for the GhostWalkers, no doubt she'd been emotionally blackmailed into it or brainwashed. Whatever the reason she was there, they had to get her out. He had to get her out.
He didn't stop to think why he was so drawn to her when he hadn't even laid eyes on her. If he looked at that too closely, he knew he'd be in trouble. He didn't want to know the reason. He didn't even care. He was taking this thing one step at a time, and the first step was locking himself down with discipline. He couldn't yank open the door to the room where he was certain five guards were inside playing cards, instead of working as they should be, and spray them with hundreds of bullets until their bodies were riddled with holes like he wanted to do.
I found the guards playin' cards in a room here, Zeke. What the fuck? I thought they were all terrified of Cheng. Why are they so sure they won't get caught? Gino posed the question to Ezekiel.
Could be they know they're safe for the moment. There was speculation in Ezekiel's voice. Find her fast, Gino.
He didn't need to be told twice. The laid-back guards could be a setup. He moved around the room with Diego and Rubin. Heading quickly down the hall, he kept his hand lifted, palm hovering toward each door they passed in order to feel the energy. Movement caught his eye and he dropped low, signaling Diego and Rubin.
Guard ahead. Two doors, standing just inside the alcove. The scent of a cigarette drifted to him. What the hell? These men weren't on high alert. They didn't appear to be expecting trouble at all. It occurred to him, Cheng didn't believe anyone would try to come for her. Or maybe she hadn't broken. Maybe he didn't know yet that she was the one to wipe his computers clean.
Diego inched into position, slithering along the hallway, moving fast, using toes and elbows to propel himself forward, his tranq gun already aimed and in position to fire. He was so accurate, Gino would have bet he could shoot the wings off a fucking fly. Rubin set himself for a burst of speed as Diego released the dart. It hit the side of the guard's neck, the needle delivering straight into the carotid artery, so the drug would take him fast. Rubin leapt to catch the guard and his weapon, dragged him into the deeper shadow of the alcove and positioned him in a chair that was against the wall.
She's here. Be careful on the approach, Zeke. There are several guards on this side massed together and they're bound to decide they need to do their jobs. Gino sent the warning and stood just outside the door the guard had obviously been watching.
He inhaled, taking the scent of blood and fear into his lungs. No, not fear. Terror. He'd been in enough hotspots and had caused men to feel petrified to know what terror smelled like. There was a taste to it. It was tangible. And it was coming from that room in violent waves. He pushed down the need to rush in and forced himself to get a feel for the energy in the room.
Hostility. So much fear beating at him. Zara was panicked, but she also was feeling extremely determined. He opened the door cautiously, sending in soothing energy to try to offset her fear. There was blood all over the bed. A trail on the floor leading presumably to the bathroom. His heart caught in his throat.
His body warned him and he stepped back automatically even before his brain fully registered the threat. An object whooshed toward his groin, just missing him by a scant inch. He caught at it and tugged hard. She came out from behind the door on her knees, falling toward the ground. Stark naked. Covered with dark, purple bruises just rising all over her swollen body. Her back, buttocks and thighs were a mass of purple and black stripes. Long. Ugly. Deep. He swore as he caught her, preventing her from hitting the ground.
Get the guard's shirt. Screw that. He didn't want anything touching her skin from this place. Not one thing. Forget I said that.
"Zara, my name is Gino Mazzo. I'm a GhostWalker, and we've come to get you out of here."
The tension didn't diminish at all. She pushed at him. He understood. If she could see him through the slits in her e
yes, he wasn't pretty. He tried again, keeping his voice low, afraid she would hurt herself more if she fought him, or alert the other guards.
"Bellisia sent us to get you out. She gave us the information on this place. We don't have time for you to fight me. There are guards all over," he whispered to her as he gently turned her over, cradling her to him.
Fuck. Fuck me, Zeke. I'm going to fuckin' burn his house down. And rip whoever did this to her from limb to limb. He knew a lot of ways to kill a man. He knew even more to hurt one. If this was Zhu's work, he deserved a taste of his own medicine.
The whip had torn her flesh, long stripes of open wounds from just above her breasts to the tops of her feet. He hadn't looked at the soles of her feet. How she'd even managed to crawl in an effort to attack someone was beyond him. She'd had to drag those lacerations on her knees and shins over the tile. No wonder the floor was smeared with blood.
Her eyes were all but swollen shut. He thought she could see out of the slits, but both eyes were black, her nose was swollen and on one side of her face her cheek was ripped open; on the other, her temple. Her fingers bunched in his shirt.
"He's coming back soon."
The terror in her voice shook him. This whole fucked-up mess shook him. Who did this kind of damage to a woman? What kind of courage had it taken for her to crawl through the room, find a weapon--the cane the fucker used on her--and wait on her lacerated, bleeding knees for a try at her attacker? She had to know it would fail. What was she trying to do? Get herself killed? His heart stuttered. Of course that was what she was doing.
Rubin, get me warm water fast. There in the bathroom.
"Baby, I'm going to lay you down right here on the floor. I need to address these cuts and then I'll get a shirt on you and get you out of here. You with me?" He kept his voice soft, pressing his mouth to her ear, trying to convey the sense of urgency and the need for silence.
She shook her head. "Go."
"Two minutes, baby," he whispered, already pulling out the antibacterial field dressings. Ignoring the way she shook her head, he began to wipe her down with one of the wet cloths Rubin handed him, hating that Rubin used a second one to start at the bottom of her feet and work his way up. Gino knew he was feeling far too proprietorial over her. Under the circumstances his reaction to her was inappropriate. They had to do whatever it took to get her out of there fast.
Gino kept the strokes as impersonal as possible, especially as he moved over her generous breasts, down her rib cage and belly to her sex. He was gritting his teeth by the time Rubin met him at her thighs. They tossed the cloths, and both started again with the antibacterial pads, cleaning the wounds. Next, he bandaged them lightly with gauze, having first put a salve on the field dressings.
Her body shuddered continuously while they worked. Gino found himself sweating. He ripped off his jacket, pulled his tee off one-handed, and shrugged back into his jacket almost all in one move. "Okay, Zara, you're doing great. I'm going to put this shirt on you. I know it's going to hurt, but as soon as it's on, we can get you out of here."
He was aware that Ezekiel and Draden had joined them. Along with Diego, they were guarding the hallway. Gino could feel the precious minutes ticking by. She tried. He could tell she wanted out of there, but she couldn't lift her arms very well. The whip marks covered her entire front and arms, the cane marks her entire back, legs and feet.
"Sorry."
The whisper broke his heart. "You're doing great, princess. Let me dress you." He even tried for impersonal when he spoke, but he knew he failed when he got a sharp look from Ezekiel. Like Gino, Ezekiel was a doctor, and he knew Zara was a mess. There would be no walking on her feet. Very gently he put her arms in the sleeves and pulled the shirt over her head. She whimpered, but immediately pressed her lips together to stop the sound. Her body never stopped trembling. The shaking had turned so violent he was afraid she might have a seizure.
"This might hurt a little, but we have to get you out of here. You can't make a sound, understand?"
She nodded.
Gino shifted his medical pack and Ezekiel took it from him to shoulder it. Taking a deep breath, Gino reached for her, getting an arm behind her back and one under her knees. He lifted her, cradling her close, trying to shelter her with his body, trying to convey they would get her to freedom. He was up on his feet and nodding to Ezekiel.
Draden took the lead, Diego followed. Gino with their package was in the middle with Ezekiel and then Rubin in the rear. Draden could feel ahead for the guards. Rubin was still disrupting electricity and cameras, not enough to alarm the security personnel, just enough to alert them that glitches were happening throughout the building and the problem would have to be checked out in the morning.
Ordinarily, Gino would have packed out the wounded on his back to keep his hands free. He elected to give control over to Ezekiel and the others in order to keep Zara's front from rubbing along his shoulder and making the lacerations worse while he took her out of there.
Halfway down the hall, a door slammed, and they froze. At the same time, the elevator began to climb from the parking garage toward their floor. Immediately, Zara stiffened in his arms. The shivers, running through her body indicating pain, turned to tremors so strong she nearly jumped out of his arms.
She began to struggle, making small mewling noises, her head turned toward the elevator. Gino didn't understand how she even knew it was moving, or how she saw it through her swollen eyes, but she was beginning to lose it.
Shut her the hell up, Ezekiel snapped. They had to keep moving, and up ahead were guards. If she gave them away, they were all dead. I don't care what you have to do.
"Stop it now," Gino hissed, his mouth against her ear. When she didn't stop, he took her earlobe between his teeth and bit down hard. It was that or knock her out, and that was coming next. He wasn't going to let them all die, nor were Cheng and Zhu getting her back.
Startled, her attention went from the elevator to him. "Keep your eyes on me. Stay quiet or everyone is fucked." He kept his voice low, a mere thread of sound, but it was commanding. He meant it.
She stayed tense, her eyes bouncing beneath those swollen lids. The sight of her so terrified turned his stomach. He had to gain control, get her to choose his brand of authority over her terror of her captors.
"Zara, you fuckin' do what I tell you. You look only at me. No matter what happens, you keep centered on me. I'll get you out."
Her breath came in ragged, labored puffs, her fear of whoever was in the elevator so strong, he didn't think he could overcome it long enough to get them to safety.
"You don't stop, you give me no choice but to knock you out." He'd put pressure on her carotid artery and give them a few seconds to clear guards and make a run for it. "Look. The fuck. At me." He enunciated each word when her terrified gaze started to slide toward the elevator.
It took a moment before she settled and it was infinitely slower than he would have liked, the seconds ticking by, seconds they didn't have. The group kept moving though. They had to be on the roof before the elevator reached the top floor and anyone realized anything was wrong.
Take out the guards. Ezekiel issued the command, knowing full well they were racing the elevator.
Diego, Draden, Rubin and Ezekiel went on the hunt, moving fast now, counting on the element of surprise as they came right up on the five guards exiting their card game. Four darts went in accurately and Rubin hit the fifth guard as he was lifting his gun. They double-timed it, moving fast, heading for the stairs.
One guard approaching the stairs.
Hell. A shift change? They'd taken out the guard on the stairs entering the building. If this was his replacement, the elevator could be holding an entire new set of guards. The sound of boots hitting the floor was loud as the guard ran toward the stairs, calling out in his own dialect.
Why haven't you answered? He's on his way up.
Whoever that guard was, he had tried to warn the guard in the st
airwell of presumably Cheng's or Zhu's arrival. When the guard didn't answer, he'd rushed to warn him in person. Diego shot him with a dart as they rounded the corner. He didn't bother to pull the body out of sight. They just stepped over it and kept going up the stairs to the roof.
Gino glanced at the elevator. They only had two more floors before Zara's torturer would join them. He was tempted to hand over Zara to one of the others, fall back and put a bullet in the fucker's head, but he kept going, holding her close, trying not to jar her as he took her up the stairs fast.
Draden jammed the door to the roof after them as they all raced to their power paragliders. Ezekiel took Zara as Gino strapped himself in. Then she was put into the harness as carefully and quickly as possible. Ezekiel clipped her to Gino's torso.
"Hold on as best you can. Keep your face buried in my jacket. The wind is going to feel fierce. We've got a distance to go," Gino told her.
Diego and Rubin were away, heading toward their destination, a park about thirty miles from the building. They had to have favorable winds to make it and Gino sent up a quick plea to whatever gods might be listening as he took his glider right off the building, following Diego and Rubin. Behind him, Ezekiel and Draden trailed them.