Darling Wildfire (Red Rabbit #2)

54

ATLAS

A grenade rolled down the hallway towards us. Without a second thought I launched myself at Nyx. We collided and crashed through one of the cabin doors as the grenade went off. We rolled across the floor and I ended up on top of Nyx as debris rained down. My ears rang.

Nyx moved over me, gloved hands holding my face as he shouted. His voice sounded far away as the ringing in my ears continued. He was frantically looking me over for injuries. I looked over his shoulder to see a figure darken the door and grabbed my hand gun, shooting him down.

Sound roared back to me and I struggled to my feet.

“Let’s go,”

I panted, grabbing for Nyx as my equilibrium returned.

“You good?”

Nyx asked.

I nodded. We needed to get out of this death trap of a hallway. Bullets whipped through the doorway and Nyx and I broke apart, quickly finding cover on either side of the entrance. Nyx pulled a grenade from his vest and looked at me, miming a count before he pulled the pin and threw it out into the hallway. We heard shouts before the explosion and quickly followed it out clearing what was left of the small team of four. Then we left the cabins behind.

“Target acquired,”

Kane’s voice came over comms. “She was restrained in the engine room. Making our way up top now.”

“Copy that,”

North said. “Report in.”

“Atlas and I just left the crew quarters, headed up,” I said.

“Meet us where we left the boat,”

North answered.

“Copy,”

I replied.

Chaos greeted us as soon as we came up on the top deck. Teams were engaged all across the ship and up on the level above us. I saw North make a move with Preacher towards the ladder leading down to the boat. Kane and Red appeared next while the two new recruits laid down cover fire. I was surprised they were still alive. At the last second, I saw the glint of glass and threw myself back against the nearby shipping container.

“We’re pinned by a sniper,”

I said over comms.

Nyx motioned for me and we headed the other direction until we reached another crossroads in the stack. He pied the corner and we continued down a narrow gap until we reached the edge of the ship’s railing. Looking down the line, I could see North hanging off the rail, helping Red down the ladder while Kane and the kids laid down cover fire a few yards away behind a stack of crates.

“North—take the target and go,”

Kane shouted.

“We can swim it,”

Nyx confirmed over comms. “Go, North!”

“Copy that,”

North said.

I could tell he wasn’t happy but getting all of us off the ship in one go wasn’t looking good unless we could take out the sniper. Nyx crept down the ship’s edge but as soon as he got to the open area we’d have to cross, I saw the sniper again.

“Get down, Kane!”

I shouted at the same time I yanked Nyx back. Kane listened and ducked just as a shot buried itself in the wood where his head had been. He looked at me and gave me a thumbs up before he popped up and resumed cover fire.

“He’s buried in some metal scaffolding, I can’t get to him,”

I grumbled as I risked another look at the sniper hide. I heard the kick of the boat motor as North tried to get it to catch. Another attempt and it still wouldn’t take.

“We’ll cover you,”

Kane said over comms. “Get in the water.”

Nyx and I quickly stripped down to only necessary clothing, packed our pockets with ammo and clutching the AR to our chests.

“In the water in three,”

I reported.

I heard the engine of the boat catch and it roared to life. Nyx winked at me with a grin before launching himself off the side. I followed right after. The wind ripped past me and my feet hit the water. It was nothing I hadn’t done a million times—if anything I was as comfortable in the water as I was on land. I surfaced and pushed my gun across my back, then looked around for Nyx. He popped up and we headed to shore.