Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(92)

“Good.” Nick flexed his hands in the thick leather gloves. “The Enforcers have some damn good equipment.”

Zane nodded, his gaze remaining on the targets. “The weapons are new to me. You’ll have to filch a couple since I can’t teleport with them.”

“Copy that.” Nick stared at the small shack as if the walls would somehow part and let him see inside. “She has to be in there. Right?”

“Oh, she’s in there.” Zane reached for his gun. “They wouldn’t be guarding the shack for the hell of it. Now, clear your mind for battle and push emotion away.”

“I taught you how to do that,” Nick returned.

Zane released the safety on his laser gun. “Then you should know how to do it right.”

Nick grinned, and adrenaline flooded his system. While he enjoyed a good strategy, there was nothing like the final conclusion, which often meant battle. “If anything happens to me . . .”

“Ditto.” Zane crouched up on his knees. “Mates and kids taken care of, no matter what. But we’ll live to fight another day.”

“Yes.” Nick sobered. The door to the shack opened, and Phillipe Sadler drew Simone from inside. She walked sedately, her hands behind her back, her head held high. Without seeming to move, her eyes scanned the surrounding area. Whatever she saw or sensed had a small smile tickling her lips.

“Your woman is impressive,” Zane said, rocking back on his heels while remaining in a crouch.

Yeah, yeah she was. “All teams on ready and keep your masks in place,” Nick said evenly, counting the steps between the shack and the plane. “Prepare for my go.” He wanted to wait until Simone was close enough to jump into the plane, where she would be better protected. “If Zane and I give the sign, everybody clear out of the way for a massive mind attack.”

“Hell,” Kellach Dunne said through the earpieces.

Nick nodded. “We’ll try to focus the energy, but you need to be clear.” The attack would be focused on one or two people—if he and Zane tried to take out everybody, there was a good chance they’d accidentally include the Enforcers and Simone. “First we have to take a few of these guys out.” If he and Zane scattered an attack, it wouldn’t be nearly as effective as a concentrated mind offensive, and with powerful witches, it might not even work.

He turned his focus back to Simone.

Her movements slowed as she reached the steps to the plane.

“Go!” Nick yelled, charging forward and clipping Phillipe in the neck with his first shot. The bastard leaped behind the wing of the plane, returning fire wildly.

Simone dropped and rolled under the plane’s belly, doing some weird shimmy with her arms down her legs. She jumped to her feet, her hands now in front of her, and raised her arms high with her hands spread as far apart as the cuffs would allow. With her hair blowing wildly in the blustering wind, she looked like an avenging angel.

Nick paused, took aim, and fired between her hands.

The laser beam turned to metal the second it connected with the chain securing her cuffs, blowing it apart.

Flames instantly shot down her arms to form plasma balls. She turned and fired hard at the men guarding the shack. Several of them jumped out of the way, and plasma hit the shack, instantly engulfing it in flames. The wind and rain were no match for the otherworldly fire, and it consumed each inch of wood with a rapid hiss.

A soldier ran straight for Zane, who paused and lowered his chin in an obvious mind attack. The witch soldier grabbed his head, screaming in pain, and dropped to his knees.

Nick ran in a zigzag pattern, dodging bullets, heading straight for Simone.

The woman was throwing fire like a master, hitting several soldiers before they could return fire. A witch over to the north battled fire with fire against the Enforcers, who were certainly gaining ground.

A pilot jumped out of the plane, throwing plasma balls.

Nick roared and leaped toward Simone, tossing her aside and taking a ball to the chest. The plasma threw him several yards, and he landed hard, shoulders first.

No pain. He refused to acknowledge pain until he saved his woman.

He backflipped to his feet and lowered his chin to send out an attack when the world lit up.

Two helicopters hovered into view, shining spotlights on the ground. Several Humvees came from all four directions, heavy guns mounted on top.

Hell.

“We’re surrounded,” Zane said, pressing his back against Nick’s. “Any ideas?”

Phillipe Sadler moved around the wing, one hand pressed to a bleeding hole in his upper arm. Blood and dirt matted his face. He smiled. “Looks like backup just arrived. Oh. I called the Guard.”

Shit. Good plan. Without their attack, Phillipe would have had Simone safely away from the airport before the Guard arrived. But just in case, he’d hedged his bet.

Simone was a fugitive. If the Guard took her, she’d be dead by morning.

Kellach Dunne came into view, pivoting and firing a ball of plasma up at a helicopter. Bullets rained down, piercing him, and he dropped to the ground, spraying blood on the way down.

Simone cried out and started to move, but the cocking of more guns stopped her cold.

Nick eyed her and tried to motion her inside the plane. She stood in the rain, breathing heavily, her hair cascading down her back. She turned just as another pilot slipped into view on the top step, his gun pointed at her head.