Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Thirteen's POV

I bring the motorcycle to a stop just before the trail stops, the boys pull to a stop next to me. I flip my visor up and they do the same.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say Garrett isn't completely prepared for us yet," I tell them. "He hasn't called to gloat, and he has no way of knowing that we know what's going on."

"He might suspect though," Jason says. "He has to know we'd be suspicious when Lily and Sam didn't check in."

"Right," I reply. "He's probably waiting for us, but can't have been expecting us to arrive this soon. Locating Lily and Sam and getting them out if they're injured is our top priority. Garrett is secondary, if he manages to get away, Ryder still managed to put that tracker on him, so we'll be able to find."

"I'd rather we just blow the bastard into a million pieces," Jason mutters. He holds up his hand when he notices I'm about to comment. "I'm not going to try to do that until after we've located Sam and Lily and made sure they're alright. You don't have to worry about me." He gives a pointed look in Devin's direction.

Devin scowls at him and sticks his tongue out. Jason rolls his eyes before reach over and flipping Devin's visor back down.

"Quick question," Devin says as he opens up the visor again. "If I mistake someone for Garrett and shoot them, am I going to get in trouble?"

Zack glares at him. "We all know who you're talking about."

"Oh good, I didn't want to have to explain."

Zack takes a swing at Devin and he nearly topples off the motorcycle trying to dodge it.

"Hayden, Lydia, and a few others are waiting nearby. When I tell them to, they'll come in a help, hopefully, they won't make a move before. But I can't count on Lydia." I tell them. "We're going to be under fire as soon as we're within range. If it becomes necessary, ditch the motorcycle and take cover. We don't know for sure how many guards are there are going to be."

I flip my visor back down. "Let's go," I say.

I start up the motorcycle again and take off down the path, the boys right behind me.

We come around the side of a hill and immediately bullets begin to spray up the dirt around us, and splinter into the trees. I swerve back and forth, making myself a harder target to hit and speed up, pulling away from the boys.

As I said, five small fast moving targets are harder to hit, but only if we're spread out.

I end up having to ditch the motorcycle early on. Too many guards surrounding the outside, and they need to be taken out. Chase and Zack also ditch theirs, and Jason and Devin continue to drive around, providing a distraction and diverting some of the guards' attention.

I throw a knife into the chest of a guard and another one tackles me from the side. I roll out of the way when he takes a swing at me and I kick my leg back into his chest. I jump to my feet and swing out my dagger, catching him in the arm and the leg. He swings a knife of his own at me and I dodge, grabbing hold of his wrist and pulling him towards me. I stab the dagger into the side of his neck and he crumples.

Gunshots echo out all around us and guards crumple. I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Hayden.

MOVE IN. KEEP THE FIGHTING OUT HERE. GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN.

Hayden's reply comes not too long after, but not in the way of a text. It comes when several explosions go off in various areas all around the base.

I continue on fighting, throwing knives as I go and trying to get closer the base itself to get inside. A guard raises his rifle to shoot me. A gunshot echoes out and I can feel how close it is when it passes me. He drops to the floor, a bullet between his eyes.

I turn to look a Lydia standing behind me. "Did you miss and shoot him when you were trying to shoot me?" I question sarcastically.

She gives me a blank look. "A thanks would be nice," She says simply more moving further into the fight.

Chase comes up to me. "She's not someone you'd want as an enemy."

I shake my head. "Unfortunately, I still don't know what we qualify as to her," I reply.

He grimaces. "I'll keep that in mind." He looks around at all the guards, who are now distracted by everyone else. "She's definitely drawing their attention."

"They see her as the bigger threat right now," I tell him. "Their mistake."

He must have heard something in my tone because he gives me a look. "You've held yourself together pretty well so far."

I grimace. "Someone has to keep a clear head. I'm too emotionally involved and that's not going to solve anything. It does no good to panic to the point of not being able to function."

"I don't think you'll ever get like that," He says.

I shrug. "I did once. I learned not to give in and do it again, but that doesn't mean the thought of losing Lily again isn't causing me panic, and I don't want to lose Sam either. He just got free of all this."

Chase raises an eyebrow. "We'll get them back. We won't have a problem."

"I know," I reply. "Just because I'm aware of what can happen, doesn't mean I'm not feeling mean as a snake. I'd like to rip out someone's throat."

"Garrett?"

"He's currently at the top of the list," I reply. "I also have a couple 'I told you so's to say."

"I'm sure you do," Jason says as he comes running up. "Devin and Zack are right behind me, they were keeping score of who could take out the most guards. Just in case Zack walks over with a bullet wound in him, I'm telling you now that Devin was losing and he wasn't too happy about it."

"I told them to keep their childish rivalry contained while we're doing anything for the mission," I mutter.

"How well do you really think they listened?"

"Good point."

Zack and Devin make it over to us, both of them bulletless, but Zack's sporting a cut in his cheek. I raise my eyebrows in question and he shoots a glare Devin's way. Devin flips him off.

"Sam gave me the code to get in a while ago," I say as I move towards a side door on the base. "I don't think it's likely it will work since Garrett's likely to have changed it, but we'll try it anyway."

"He might not have changed it," Devin says. "Not if he's decided to set a trap. He's probably counting on you coming to him."

"His wish is my command," I mutter sarcastically as I punch in the code on the keypad. A green light flashes and there's the audible click as the lock disengages. I swing open the door and step inside, the boys following close behind me.

"Spread out and keep on alert. We have no idea how many people are in this base. We don't have the benefit of the element of surprise, so don't bother trying to be quiet. Find Lily and Sam and let each other know when you do." I pull out the earpiece I stashed in my pocket and put it in my ear. "Keep in touch," I say as I tap my ear and start to move off through the base.

Zack follows behind me for a while before splitting off to go down a different hallway, so far I haven't run into any guards, but I can hear people talking and stomping through the halls. Occasionally I hear shooting, but most of the shooting I hear is outside.

I make it to a door with a small glass window in the top middle of it and I cautiously peak through to the other side.

The room is large and has the appearance of a jail. Concrete walls and floor, one light fixture that gives off very little light, and a guard standing in front of a long row of cells all up against the back wall.

Lily's seated on the floor in one of the cells behind the door. Her face is pale, her spiked heels have been removed, and her eyes spark with anger and determination. But Sam isn't in any of the cells.

"I've found Lily," I say. "Everyone head to the south side of the base."

"On my way," Chase replies.

"I'm close," Zack says. "I'll be there in a minute, don't mistake me for anyone and stab me."

"I've got a couple guys to take care for before I make it over," Jason responds. "I'll keep my eyes open for Sam as I go."

"Coming," Devin replies. "Still no sign of Sam . . . or Satan."

"When you say Satan are you talking about yourself or . . ." Zack trails off. Devin demonstrates his colorful vocabulary.

I kick open the door in one quick motion and stand tense and at the ready as the guard rushes toward me. He lifts his gun and I knock his arm aside. He tries to kick my legs out but I jump out of the way and throw a knife, satisfied when it hits his neck and he goes crashing to the floor.

Lily's gotten up off the floor and is standing at the front of the cell, her hands wrapped around the bars.

"Everly you need to leave now," She says, her face pale and her eyes wide.

I shale my head. "I'm getting you out of here first," I reply. "Do you know where Sam is?"

She shakes her head in response and rushes on. "Everly. Leave," She hisses.

I hear footsteps approaching behind me and whirl around as two more guards come running into the room, before they can get any closer to me though, two shots echo out and they drop, Zack standing behind them.

"Everly!" Lily shouts to bring my attention back to her. "You need to leave now. It's a trap-"

"That's kind of what we were already counting on," I interrupt as I work to unlock the door to her cell.

She shakes her head, panic on her face. "No. You don't understand. He's working with Garrett."

I stop and look up from the lock to her. "What? Who?"

She opens her mouth to reply and I hear the gun as it's loaded. She sucks in a sharp breath and her eyes widen.

"She was trying to warn you about me," A new voice says.

"You son of a bitch," Zack growls.

"Turn around Thirteen. Slowly," He orders. "Hands where I can see them."

I spin around slowly to face him, my hands up in surrender. He stands in the doorway Zack had previously been standing in. A gun in his hands, his entire posture relaxed and at ease. A mocking grin is spread across his face.

"Bet you didn't see this coming," He says smugly.

My hands clench into fists and I shoot him a nasty glare, his grin widens.

"Nor could you see this coming," He says and he fires the gun.

Three shots in quick succession.

I tense.

Lily screams.

Zack crumples to the floor.

And blood spreads across the concrete.