Annihilate (Hive Trilogy #3)(14)

My energy gave out then; the man’s weight coupled with the smoke inhalation had completely exhausted me. I was unable to breathe as another coughing fit hit me. I was about two seconds from collapsing. Strong hands latched onto me then and someone drug us both out of the barn and into the cool, clean air.

My vision was a little fuzzy, and it took me more than a few moments to cough my guts up and try and bring air into my starving lungs. My throat and chest hurt like hell, and everything tasted like death.

“Charlie, are you okay?” Ryder yelled at me, and in my scattered attention I noticed someone was performing CPR on the guy.

“I got him, but…” Coughing racked me again, and I sighed when Ryder pressed a water bottle to my lips.

The cool liquid was painful and wonderful as it wet the inside of my mouth. He wouldn’t let me drink too much. I needed to get the smoke out of my lungs.

“You really need some pure oxygen,” Oliver said. “But your healing capabilities should kick in soon.” I tried to focus on him, but everything was still blurry and muffled.

“Is the … dad … okay?”

Look at me go. Almost a full sentence. I was starting to become aware of this love I had for kids. I would never have kids of my own, but something about those innocent, helpless little bastards spoke to me. First the child they had changed into a vampire, and now Lupita. I would never forgive myself if I allowed her father to die. Every little girl needed her father. I didn’t have that chance as a child, and I didn’t want her to know what it was like to grow up without a dad.

Ryder and Oliver were monitoring the situation. Just as Ryder was about to speak, the father gasped and a sputtering coughing fit hit him. His body convulsed and he coughed so hard he threw up, but the breath I had been holding left me. He was alive.

Sam, Becca, and Lupita pulled up to us, riding a snowmobile. Lupita jumped off and came after us just as a giant cracking noise sounded behind me and we all hit the deck as the barn roof gave way, sending sparks up into the air.

Ryder and I shared a look. If we hadn’t gotten here so quick, he would be dead.

Lupita’s father was holding her now. He had a bit more color in his face and Becca approached him with an oxygen tank and mask. Of course she had that shit lying around. Probably standard in any chem lab. But my attention was on Sam; the silent enforcer was circling the blazing building, his face elevated, and he seemed to be sniffing the air. Ryder was watching Sam as well.

“What is it?” Ryder asked his friend.

Sam answered by pulling his gun from inside his jacket. “Arson.”

Fear struck into my gut, and apparently into Ryder’s, because he closed the space between us and I was hauled up into his arms and shoved on the snowmobile. Oliver sat with us and we drove off, leaving Sam, Becca, Lupita, and her father to figure shit out.

“Ryder…” I said, trying to calm him; he was flooring the snowmobile so fast my head was hitting the bars above us.

“Ryder!” I shouted. He ignored me. Oliver turned, facing the back, gun drawn as if he was waiting for someone to shoot us.

We reached the lab in record time and finally my boyfriend faced me. “This was a trap to get us all outside. I don’t know whether it was to see how many of us there are, or to get you!”

Fear sliced through me. “Fuck.”

Oliver didn’t move from his position, but he called back to Ryder. “Who, though? No one knows we’re here!”

That’s true. Sam had been so careful. But there was one thing he probably hadn’t taken into account. He came to this area all the time, and after decades of coming here someone was bound to notice.

Ryder figured the same thing. “Has to be Sanctum … one of their scouts. If it was a full team they’d have just ambushed the house. The fire drew us out, and if I know them at all, he’s now counted us, identified Charlie, and will be reporting back so a full team can be dispatched. The scouts probably went out to all possible locations Charlie might be.”

Oliver let a cuss word fly this time. “What do we do?”

I hadn’t even showered since I got here and already with the drama. I was not dressed to take on Sanctum. I was kind of looking forward to Jayden’s shipments coming, 36C and all.

My man’s face looked menacing. “We go hunting.” Exiting the snowmobile, he all but ran into the house.

Holy shit.

I took off after him. After we made it inside, I found him in the main room, pulling forth some duffle bags. They were full of weapons.

I readied myself for a fight. “I’m helping,” I told him, crossing my arms.

He stopped what he was doing for a second, but then threw me a bulletproof vest. “I need the extra help; otherwise I would say no.”

Whatever … he said yes, so I wasn’t going to argue. In the next few minutes the rest of the enforcers made it back to the research facility. Which was good. If Sanctum was involved, you couldn’t have too many people on your side.

Five minutes, that’s all it took for the boys and I to suit up and for Sam to ready the helicopter. Ryder was pretty sure there would only be one scout and if we killed him that would buy us about a week before someone came looking for him. So we had to find that scout.

Jayden was going to stay at the house. His job was to pray for our survival. Worship, sacrifice, whatever the gods needed, he assured us he was on it.