Destin's Hold (The Alliance #5)(69)

“I’ll let it slide this…,” Mary started to say before her voice faded on a shocked hiss and she staggered backwards, clutching her chest.

“Grandma!” Beth cried out, reaching for the older woman when she started to slide down against the wall.

“Shit!” Jason said, lurching to the side as laser fire swept past them. He slammed the heavy metal door shut. “There are two of those creatures in the garage.”

“Lock… Lock the garage down,” Mary whispered in a pain-filled voice. “Key… The keypad. Hit nine-one-one.”

Jason turned and punched in the code. The door immediately locked and he saw the large, thick metal door to the outer entrance to the street lower. The aliens didn’t realize until it was too late that they were trapped. Beth knelt next to her grandmother, trying to stem the flow of blood from her chest.

“Oh, shit!” Jason whispered with a touch of horror in his voice as he stared through the thick glass window in the door.

“What is it?” Beth asked, glancing up at him with tears in her eyes.

“These things… they… they’re changing. We’ve got to get out of here,” Jason replied in a hoarse tone.

“We can’t move her. We’ve got to get help for her,” Beth said with a shake of her head.

Beth was vaguely aware of Jason glancing down at her and her grandmother. Her blood-covered hands trembled as she put pressure on the wound. Her grandmother reached up and gripped her hand.

“Go, child. I’m not going to make it,” Mary whispered.

“No!” Beth cried out in a shaking voice. “I won’t leave you. Jason, you’ve got to help me get her up. We can go out through the service elevator at the end to the infirmary.”

Jason jerked back when the door started to glow from where one of the Drethulans fired on it. The other creature was trying to burst through the outer door to the street. Beth watched him shoulder his weapon and bend to slide his arm around Mary’s waist.

“No,” Mary hissed in pain.

“You heard, Beth, Mary, we aren’t leaving without you,” Jason stated.

Mary pressed her hand against Jason and shook her head. “I can feel death coming for me, Jason,” she whispered in a strained voice. “Get my granddaughter out of here and keep her alive.”

“Mary…,” Jason muttered, but he could see the light beginning to fade in the older woman’s eyes.

“Do you have one of those little bombs you like to carry with you?” Mary asked in a barely audible voice.

“No, Grandma, please… no. You can’t leave me,” Beth cried. “Please… Oh, god… please….”

“Take her, Jason. Promise me…,” Mary whispered as Jason slipped the small, round explosive into her hand. “Promise me….”

“I will,” Jason murmured, sliding his arm from around her waist and touching her cheek in sorrow and regret. “You’re an amazing woman, Mary.”

“We’ve fought hard. Don’t give up,” Mary replied, leaning weakly back against the wall. “Go, Beth. I love you, honey. I always will. I’m in here if you ever need me.” Mary weakly pressed her hand to Beth’s heart.

Beth sobbed, clutching her grandmother’s hand that was weakly pressed against her heart. She shook her head violently when Jason reached down and wrapped his arm around her waist. She wanted to fight him. Instead, Beth held onto her grandmother’s hand until it slipped free.

“Noooo!” Beth cried, sobbing as Jason half carried, half dragged her down the corridor to the service elevator. “Noooo!” she screamed in pain, her gaze still locked on her grandmother’s peaceful face. “No!”

Pain and grief tore through Beth. She would have never made it to the elevator without Jason. She stumbled, her eyesight blurred by tears. Jason activated the lift and pulled her inside. They both watched in grim horror as the door at the other end broke free from the hinges and long tentacles retracted and reformed until the two Drethulans were once more in an almost humanoid form.

She watched her grandmother’s head move slightly before Beth closed her eyes when a brilliant flash, and then an explosion, shook the corridor. The doors to the lift closed before the wave of heat could hit them. When they did, Beth collapsed to the floor in uncontrollable sobs.





22





Sula applied another bandage to one of the human soldiers that had been brought in. All around her, she could hear explosions and feel the building tremble. She ignored the fear pulsing through her. It had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Destin.

Patch and Chelsea had quickly become overwhelmed when the wounded started coming in. Sula had taken over the waiting room, working on helping those that were not in critical condition. She turned when the door opened and another man staggered in, his arm wrapped around a wounded soldier that looked too young.

“Mason!” Sula exclaimed, hurrying over to help him when he lowered the man into the last available chair. “Where is Destin?”

“Fighting,” Mason replied. “We came upon this kid and he needed help.”

Sula nodded, relieved to know that Destin was still fighting. She glanced at the young male when he moaned and leaned his head back. A thick piece of metal protruded from his upper thigh. This one would have to go back to Patch and Chelsea.