Chapter Twenty-seven

Kane

I was a second too slow. The shadows ripped out of me almost instantly as the gun fired and I felt the fiery burn in my arm as a bullet hit. No. Fucking no. Too close to Danny. Pure incandescent rage filled me and before I even thought about it, the black cloud had Saunders in a chokehold. But it wasn't enough. I'd never hung around to see the effects of my smoke before but this time I stepped into the cloud, my fingers finding the bastard's throat. I was used to robbing them of vision and if Danny was right, all other senses, and nothing mattered right that second other than robbing him of oxygen.

"Kane," a pain-filled whisper brought me back and I stopped immediately leaving Saunders to collapse on the ground as the cloud lifted. Fear quickly surpassed rage as I turned to see Danny with his hand splayed on his side and a red patch quickly staining his shirt. No. Fucking no. His knees buckled and I dived for him, lowering him gently to the floor. The bullet that had grazed me must have veered off and hit Danny. For far too many seconds all I saw was blood until another pained sound yanked me out of it.

"Get me something to press against it," he gritted out, so I simply yanked open the buttons on my jumpsuit and practically tore off the shirt underneath. He hissed in a breath as he took it and pressed down. "We still need to make sure Ringo got them out."

As if. As if I would let him take damage while I could do anything to prevent it. I knew we had to get out of here. I wanted to save the other enhanced, but having Danny hurt was a whole other thing. Nothing and no one was more important than him. Never would be.

I glanced up and with relief realized I could see past the first walls. "My vision's coming back." I took in the offices and saw they had been overrun and trashed. I could see past the admin block to the cafeteria and there were too many deranged prisoners from the other side taking advantage of their hour of freedom, and they were far too close. I bent and lifted him as gently as I could. He couldn't walk.

"Leave me. Put me back—

"Not a chance," I vowed. There was no way I was putting Danny in that hole without me. He would never have to face his demons alone ever again. I clutched him close, trying not to focus on the hitch of breath signaling pain, trying to think. The chances of me getting Danny out the direct route without being decorated in a hail of bullets from the cops when they saw the jumpsuit was less than zero, so I changed direction and headed for the pods. I could get Danny out. To safety. To a doctor.

Then once he was safe, I was going to take out every fucker left that had thought to hurt another. I didn't care what side they were on. I didn't care. I'd loved two people in my life. The first had died in prison and I was damn sure that I would never let that happen to the second one.

"Take me to medical," he croaked out and I stopped.

"No, I need Ringo to get you out. You need a doctor."

"Take me to the fucking clinic," he demanded, and I had to admit the swearing gave me pause. His face softened, even lined with pain. "I need to get this bullet out. We could be delayed, and it needs to be taken out."

I didn't like it because the rioters could come back at any moment, but the clinic was closer to the rioters, and we walked unopposed through two open security gates. Good because I had no pass to scan like Ringo had. The clinic had been trashed. Cupboards and fridges were open. Drug cabinets ripped from the walls. Trash strewn everywhere. I laid him on the same pallet I'd sat on not that long ago and gazed around at the mess.

"What do you need?"

He grunted in obvious pain. "Forceps if they haven't taken them all, and some bandages, pads, and some disinfectant or something similar."

I nodded, sickened with the thought of what he was going to have to do. All the drawers were empty. I found something on the floor that looked like a large pair of tweezers and held them up. "Perfect," Danny whispered. There were a couple of gauze pads, though most had been soaked in what smelled like bleach, but I found a few bandages still rolled and half a bottle of some pink stuff that Danny said would do.

He was even paler than before by the time I brought everything over. "You sure?" I asked.

"Yes. If I had to get shot in my stomach, better it missed my liver and my spleen." He took the tweezers and told me to pour the pink stuff over them. "When I do this, I need you to slap the gauze on me. If…if I pass out just keep holding it there."

Fuck. "I decided to stop swearing," I confessed as I poured the pink stuff all over the metal things. "But I think I might start again."

"You would have to stop in the first place to restart," he said, and caught my gaze. "You need to prop me up."

Blood spurted out as Danny forced the thing into the hole, and he cried out. Sweat beaded his lip and tears pooled in his eyes. "Pull my hand out," he gasped, shaking badly. I covered his trembling hand with mine, and pulled the thing out, the end clamped around a bullet. He sagged back against my arm, closing his eyes and, doing exactly what I'd been told, I laid him back down and pressed the gauze and the pads, to the wound and held them there. I glanced at the doorway. It was too quiet. I didn't dare shout for Mark, even to find out if Ringo had gotten to them. I could see four empty rooms all around us, but still couldn't see as far as the cells, but my eyes were getting better.

Danny's breath hitched and he opened his eyes. "Any blood through the dressing?"

"No."

He nodded. "Then prop me up so you can wind those bandages around me and we can get out of here."

I did exactly as he instructed. I knew we had to get out of there, even if every pain-filled inhale he took ripped me apart. We couldn't risk being here if the rioters came back. "I can't hear anything."

"You think they're back at the other side?" Danny took a couple of deep breaths as I finished then squinted. "What about you? You're hurt."

"Graze," I said decisively, "and yeah, I think they must be. If it was over this place would be overrun with cops. I don't get why they didn't go to the enhanced."

"Unless they're scared of them. I'd bet they came here hoping for the meds and a way out."

Made sense. "You still need to get out." I glanced at his bandage. He needed a doctor, a surgeon.

"Let's go with the original plan. There has to be a way through the room you saw. They didn't bring those enhanced through here." I bent and went to slide my arm under Danny's legs, but he stopped me. "I'm walking." I stared at him incredulously. "Carrying me is putting a target on my back," he said. "And I'm a Ranger. It's the Marines that are pussies." I huffed out a surprised laugh; I didn't like it but complied, as we hardly had time for an argument. "Let's head to where we think Ringo is." he said.

I nodded. It was the best decision. "Every outside exit will be guarded by the prisoners. They'll want us getting out about as much as they want the cops getting in. If we're right and they've left the enhanced alone, that way is the only option." Danny nodded as if he understood right away. He hissed and pressed a hand to his side, then waved it off.

"No big deal. I've had much worse."

Unfortunately, with what Danny had endured, that might be true. I knew what it cost Danny to walk and I went as slowly as I dared. We shot each other a look when we saw both security gates were open. I'd expected the others, but to the enhanced cells

"Good," he said. "My card lets me exit but entry is only possible by standing by the door and having the guys on the cameras see you and let you through."

"Can it be overridden?" Had I gotten the term correct?

Danny smiled despite the pain so I guessed I must have. "It must have been. Lockdown procedure means exactly that. No opening."

"But we saw how many people were watching the cameras," I pointed out. Just where the fuck was everyone?

I looked up after glancing once more at Danny as we got to my cell and I scanned the area. Then I saw something and stiffened. There was a cell five down from mine with one of the enhanced I didn't recognize simply standing at the entrance, his hand on the door.

There were also about eight bodies littering the ground in front of the cell. As far as I could tell, they were all prisoners from the other side. Behind him were all the enhanced kids I knew, plus fucking O'Connell of all people.

"Get behind me," I ordered, considering picking Danny up and hauling ass.

"What is it?" But then he stepped to the side of me and saw the enhanced. He couldn't see inside the cell, obviously. Danny smiled, even as exhaustion made him wobble a little and I took his arm. Fuck it. I would kill them all.

"It's Callum, right? My name's Danny. I'm the new medic. Are you okay?"

Callum looked behind him and Cherry stood up nodding vigorously, so Callum beckoned us forward. Danny stumbled as moved and I'd seen enough and simply picked him up, striding forward. "Don't touch him," Danny whispered, but Callum stepped well out of the way as we drew near. I glanced at the bodies on the ground—all inmates—and looked at Mark for some kind of explanation.

"Don't touch Callum," Mark warned. "They were trying to kill us, and he just fried them."

My eyebrows rose and I eyed Callum. "Good job," and I saw his cheeks pink. I drew level with the door and walked in. Cherry and Blaze made a space for Danny to lie down on the bed and very gently I lowered him.

Cherry and Blaze clustered around him asking questions. I went to the door to speak to Callum and gave him a quick rundown, making sure everyone could hear. "Have you seen any other C.O.s?" I meant Ringo but didn't want to blow his cover.

"There was one who opened our cells," Mark said. "He said his name was Ringo, but he went looking for a new guy called Shae."

I nodded. Made sense. "Wish we had a cell phone," I joked.

"You have one, in a way," Mark said and stood up.

I didn't think there was much that could surprise me, but his quiet confidence did. "Meaning?"

"I know it was you saying my name earlier, so you know I can hear pretty good. It doesn't make any difference whispering, either, once I can pinpoint you, but I have to be careful."

"So you know who I am." I said quietly, knowing he'd heard everything, and I caught O'Connell sitting up straighter. Shit. I didn't need him to hear this. "Let's step outside."

We moved past Callum, who was standing sentry, and a little way down nearer the next cell. "If you tell me a name I can talk to them."

"You can what?" I said, because that made no sense. Zero. But then, neither did my vision.

"I can talk to them. No one knows."

Taking him at his word, I thought. "Diesel Rawlings."

Mark frowned. "There's…eleven of them."

"He's a Ranger. He served with Danny Sullivan and Gray—" What the hell was his last name?

"Got him," Mark said and closed his eyes and whispered. "Diesel Rawlings. I have a message for you from Kane—" He opened his eyes.

"Diaz."

"Kane Diaz," he confirmed.

He waited then grinned and put his hand on my shoulder. "Talk to him while I keep the connection open."

"Rawlings?" I whispered.

"What the fuck's going on?" Rawlings bellowed. "Where's Danny?" I winced and Mark smirked.

"Shut the fuck up and listen," I snapped out. I told him where we were and what was going on, especially how Danny needed a doctor. Where I thought Ringo was.

"Nope, he's here. Shae was in a bad shape, but we have him. Ringo was all for going back in, but he couldn't get past the cops. If he hadn't gotten Shae out when he did Shae would have died."

"You can't tell them how the enhanced can do this," I stressed. "We have to protect—"

"Understood," Rawlings confirmed. "I'm just worried; there's a lot of trigger fingers out here."

"We have O'Connell." Much as I hated to need him. "If he comes out first, he can tell them that friendlies are following him."

Rawlings scoffed. "You've been around Rangers too long. But, will do."

I nodded and Mark let his hand drop. "I get you want to keep this secret and I'm going to do all I can. My boss knows people in the FBI, enhanced."

His eyes lit up, but then he deflated, and his smile dimmed. His reaction was the sort that someone still hoped for an outcome even when he'd been let down too many times. "Do you think they need more agents?"

"After you've done with school," I said firmly, and he grinned like it was a promise. Hell.

I walked back into the cell. "O'Connell. You have to leave first. If they see an orange jumpsuit they'll fire before asking questions. I'll bring Danny next." He needed to be seen quickly. "Guys, you have a choice. Walk out with us or stay here and wait till they come get you."

I'll stay," Callum said softly. "They'll recognize me and try to take me down or out."

"Me too," another enhanced said and sent Callum a smile.

"We'll help with Danny," Cherry said, and Blaze nodded. I stared at O'Connell.

"Do you understand what to do?"

He nodded, but I wasn't convinced. "I am in a position to make your life miserable and short. I've never done anything to you, but I will unless you follow the plan exactly. I'll be right behind you, listening to every word."

O'Connell nodded again. "I just want out of here." He looked at the floor, then back up. "I've made a lot of assumptions." He gestured to Callum. "He's kept us all safe. The rioters were trying to get to me." He waved a hand at the dead bodies on the ground.

And of course, if the riot was a coincidence, I knew that as a C.O. O'Connell would be a huge target. If he didn't die straight away when they got their hands on him, he might wish he had.

"I want to walk," Danny said as I went back in to get him. I didn't bother arguing. Stubborn idiot. Good thing he was mine. Step by step we headed toward the door that gaped open a little after Ringo had gone through. I was surprised the cops hadn't come in, but maybe they wouldn't until the rioters surrendered. An open corridor stretched in front of us, and O'Connell raised his hands when we got to the outside door, looked back at me, and pushed it open. I had a chance to see around a hundred cops all with their guns trained on us before O'Connell started shrieking. He ran toward them. "Officer. I'm an officer. He's got a bomb. He'll detonate when—"

But I didn't give him so much as a second, or any of the others. I was ready. I didn't trust that weasel O'Connell further than I could throw him, and I threw one hand up, keeping a tight hold of Danny with the other, and everything went silent. Power rippled through me, and I gritted my teeth and held them all still. "Mark," I whispered, the strain of the connection almost unbearable. "Tell Rawlings."

"To your left," I heard. "Black truck. He has the side door open." I picked up Danny and ran, then went back for Blaze and Cherry, my control lasting until I got back to the truck. The blackness vanished and, disorientated, a hundred guns fired on the only target they could see.

O'Connell.