Into the Lair (Falcon Mercenary Group #2)(32)

Taking careful aim, she focused on the scene below her. Her first priority was to take out the lead gunman. The other two were pussies, and if she could nail the first guy, the others would probably tuck tail and run. Thank God for all the time she and Gabe had spent at the shooting range.

As soon as he stuck his head above the truck, she squeezed off a round. Blood arced through the air, splattering the metal hood as he fell. To his right, curses rang out as the other two men scrambled for cover like rats abandoning ship.

One made the mistake of running into the open. She nailed him before he took two steps. And darn, it wasn’t a clean shot, which meant the slimy little bastard would have to suffer for a while.

The other ran for Ricardo’s sports car. She clipped him in the leg, but he staggered on, diving into the interior. He peeled away in a cloud of dust, tires squalling as they made contact with the road.

Satisfied that she’d put an end to any immediate threat, she turned her attention to getting out fast. No way in hell was she going to stick around to see what plans the jaguar had, nor was she inclined to learn what wild animal Braden could turn into.

Seizures. Just what kind of a moron did they take her for?

As she darted through the trees, the reality of what she’d just witnessed hit her like a ton of bricks. A f**king jaguar. What in the holy hell? People didn’t just turn into animals. Was she losing her grip on sanity?

She pressed on, ignoring the searing pain in her abdomen and the warm rush of blood coating her skin. And then she remembered the tracking device.

She reached up to her neck, barely slowing in the process. When she felt the slight protrusion, she yanked with her fingers. The sliver came free, and she tossed it on the ground.

Her energy was fast fading, but she couldn’t stop. Not now. She had to find a place to hide and regroup. Preferably where she was safe from a predator like a jaguar.

The image of the cat’s jaws around Ricardo’s throat flashed back to mind. Not that the jackass didn’t deserve what he’d gotten, but Katie had no desire to be the cat’s next meal. She had no doubt that as humans neither man would hurt her. She wasn’t sure when she had embraced that knowledge, but it was there, irrefutable. But as wild animals? She’d seen the way Ian had taken Ricardo out, and she knew in that moment he was capable of horrific violence.

God have mercy, had Gabe known what Ian and Braden were?

Fatigue swept over her, swift and unmerciful. She’d lost too much blood, spent too much adrenaline. She was going to crash and burn.

She spun around, looking for a direction, someplace to hide. Shelter. Picking an old deer trail, she barreled through the underbrush, determined to ride the well of her strength until she went bust.

She crossed over what looked to be an old logging road or an ATV trail, and she stopped in the middle to stare down either side. She couldn’t afford to remain in plain sight, so she headed into the woods on the other side. The brush enveloped her, and a chill raced across her skin in the absence of the sun.

For two hours, she pushed herself relentlessly, until she was beyond simple endurance. Nearly unconscious, she staggered over a rise and fell to her knees. She jammed the stock of the rifle into the ground to give her leverage as she hauled herself to her feet once more.

Ahead she saw a thick shroud of snarly bushes, and she focused single-mindedly on it. In the end, she didn’t even remember crawling those last feet. She dove into the brambles, wincing as the branches tore at her skin. She struggled to the middle and hollowed out a spot where she could rest. Gripping the gun tightly to her chest, she curled into a tight ball and closed her eyes.

Chapter Sixteen

Tyana stared dully over the ocean as the sun’s first rays peeked over the horizon. The sky was bathed in soft lavender, a beautiful contrast to the dark rolling sea. The sea fit her mood. The beauty of the sunrise mocked her.

Her foot was propped on a pillow but there was no comfort for her. Inside Jonah and Mad Dog were determining D’s fate while Tyana grew sicker at heart by the moment.

He can’t stay, Ty.

He’s a danger to you. To himself. To everyone.

He’ll be better off.

It’s better this way.

She closed her eyes against the statements that had been flung during the long night. No one had slept. No one had rested. They kept watch over the unconscious tiger until finally, an hour before dawn, the tiger had slowly given way and D’s naked, weakened body had appeared on the floor of the game room.

The glass doors opened. She looked up to see Eli file out followed by Mad Dog, Marcus, the team physician, and finally Jonah. Her chest tightened with dread. They’d come to deliver their edict.

“Are you all right, Ty?” Jonah asked in a gruff voice.

She nodded, her throat too knotted to speak. She glanced expectantly at Marcus. He stared back at her, apology in his eyes.

“He has to go,” Mad Dog said quietly.

“No,” she choked out.

Eli sat down next to her, his fingers curling around her nape and massaging.

Marcus nodded even as she shook her head in denial.

“It’s time, Tyana,” he said. “I’ve done all that can be medically done. It’s time to pursue other means. It’s our only hope. He grows more unstable all the time. His shift last night was so fast that you didn’t even have time to react before it was done.”

She closed her eyes. “I won’t leave him alone.”