Page 137 of Misted
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I arrivenear the warehouse where Mist’s tracker is only a few metres away. My hand tightens around the gun while the rifle hangs on my shoulder.
Close-range combat has never been my thing, and since I don’t have a view inside the warehouse, I have no fucking idea what I’ll see when I barge through. Maybe there’s a little army of Molly’s friends in there. Maybe they already have Mist as a hostage and I’ll put both of us at a disadvantage when I storm inside.
I’ll slaughter anyone who dares to fucking touch her.
A hand taps my shoulder. I whirl around and point my gun at a petite blonde.
“We’re here,” Scar whisper-yells. “Though I gotta say Ink dragged me along.”
“Where is he?” I look around her.
“The back. I’ll take the side.” She pushes me and points at the abandoned building across from the warehouse. “I bet you can have an excellent shot range from up there.”
It takes me a fraction of seconds to mull it over. There’s nothing I want to do than to barge in the warehouse and shoot whoever got Mist in the fucking forehead, but Scar and Ink are better than me in close-range combat. The two of them get off on slicing throats and knife-play. I’m more efficient off the ground.
After a nod, both Scar and I sprint in opposite directions. I climb the mouldy, old stairs four at a time and check my ammunition simultaneously.
A tremor plagues my left hand as if it’s afraid of making the shot after months of disability. I fling the rifle under my armpit and squeeze my useless hand with my non-dominant one. It has to work. I don’t care if I can never shoot again after this, but it has to fucking work today.
I find a position at a non-railed part of the wall. I crouch so I’m at eye level with my rifle and take a deep breath while I look through the hole.
Mist is on the floor wrestling with Molly. I can’t get a good view of the younger woman’s head because Mist is blocking her. My heartbeat nearly stops when I make out the blood dripping from Mist’s clothes.
Mist gets on top and punches Molly over and over again. I curse when I still can’t get a view. Mist’s fists and successive blows block Molly’s head from my range.
Scar and Ink must be waiting for my signal, but I have no idea if there are more of Molly’s friends, or if the place is fucking wired. I can’t put anything past someone who’s been doing their hardest to make Mist’s life miserable.
Molly says something and Mist freezes and stops hitting altogether.
What the fuck? Fight, Hellion!
Molly jumps to her feet, sweeps a gun from the ground and points it at Mist’s head.
In this fraction of second, when I see that Mist has no will to live or to fight, my heart shrinks. Even my useless fucking hand keeps telling me I’ll miss, I won’t hit Molly’s head and she’ll shoot Mist.
Everything will be fucking over.
Scar barges from the window behind Molly and jumps on her back and stabs her with a knife at the same time. Molly doesn’t attempt to remove Scar. Her only attention is on her gun and Mist.
Scar glances behind her then jumps away, giving me a clearing.
I shoot. Straight to Molly’s fucking nape.
She falls over Mist and I freeze when Hellion’s body remains unmoving in the middle of blood.
No. Fuck no.
Molly didn’t shoot. I’m sure I got her before she could.
I throw my rifle and fly down the stairs. I don’t know how I get there, but I finally do.
Flame and Shadow arrive with me. They stand beside Scar. Ink is pulling Molly’s body from on top of Mist, but she’s still covered in blood. So much fucking blood.
I fall to my knees beside Mist and cradle her head in my hands. My fingers push her hair from her closed eyes.
Just like fifteen years ago, a roar claws out from my throat.
Ink and Scar jump, backs to each other, and raise their guns and knives. Shadow and Flame pull out their weapons at the same time, but it’s too late. Guards surround us from every side.
They part to make way for a man in an elegant, black suit with his aristocratic nose held high.
Hades smiles at each of us. “Miss me, kids?”