Page 127 of When Darkness Calls

“There should be a hallway to your right. Go down that hall and turn left. There’s another loading bay. You should be able to get out there.”

“Okay. Alex, you got me?”

He nods, pulling out another gun and handing it to Nick. His brother scowls at the heavy weight in his palm but gives him a small nod.

I kneel beside Keegan, watching his pained expression as his hands begin to tremble clutching his thigh. “Can you stand at all, or do I need to carry you?”

He looks at me pleadingly. “I’m sorry, man.”

I shake my head sharply. “No. Don’t worry about this shit—” I thumb behind me. “Can you stand?”

He’s quiet for a moment before muttering a shaky yes. “But I don’t think I’ll be running.”

“We’re getting you out of here—”

“Shit,” Alex mutters. I glance at him seeing he has his phone out. “Incoming. Two minutes tops.”

“Fuck. Okay. You ready?” I ask Keegan whose face is paling rapidly.

“Let’s get him fucking home,” Nick grumbles.

“Three,” Alex says.

“Two,” Keeg groans, shifting so his weight is on his good leg.

“One,” I breathe, grabbing around his waist, and lifting swiftly. He cries out, grasping me frantically.

We move fast, ducking behind anything we see along the corridor as the guards finally spot us. Alex and Nick are a few steps behind, the pops of bullets hitting concrete, echoing around the shallow hall.

“You got company, Grays.” Cay’s voice cuts through the earpiece. I look back at Nick who’s already staring at me.

“Already? Alex said two!”

“Yeah, well. Maybe that was from the station because I’m seeing red and blues tearing down the service road right now from the motion cameras you set up.”

“Goddamn it,” I mutter.

“What’re we gonna do?” Keegan’s eyes are wide as he looks out of a barred window, seeing the faint glow of police lights reflecting through the trees surrounding the old building.

I look around thinking, before I look at him. “Still got your lighter?”

He cracks a small grin. “Always. But what does that matter?”

“Diversion.” I smile wickedly, putting my back to him, patting my shoulder. “Hop on, pyro. We’re gonna have some fun.”

thirty-seven

Dani

“News has sparked of the tragedy that befell the towns of Shadow Grove and Blackwoods last night. Late, around eleven p.m., a building that has been shut down for close to five years caught fire amid a shootout, according to Shadow Grove’s police chief. Six night shift guards were gunned down by masked assailants who broke into the building. The motivation is unknown at this time. However, Mayor Reginald Cook will be making a statement outside of town hall tomorrow at noon about the situation at hand. But as you can see Don, the damage is absolutely devastating. The names of the deceased have been unreleased for privacy of the victims’ families as they mourn their losses.” The news reporter speaks in a mundane tone as we all sit staring at the TV.

Keegan’s leg is stitched and bandaged up, but he’s got a hell of a burn on his arm. Nick’s got a dozen small cuts on his face and hands from shattered glass and wood. Grayson’s sitting still as a statue, darkness cast over his eyes. He seems relatively unscathed by the night, as does Alex.

The badassery I thought I’d bear witness to became…a huge fucking shitstorm of bad.

The guys were outnumbered, Keegan got shot, Cay lost connections to their bodycams, and they blew up a huge ass storage building to escape uncuffed and alive.

“Well, I have to say, all things considered, the night was a success,” I mutter. Keeg chirps a laugh from beside me, it’s mirthless and Cade shakes his head.