Page 48 of Blade

It was evident the guy was getting to the top. I lifted my head to look back and saw his head pop up over the edge. He shined his flashlight at me and the bright light momentarily blinded me.

“Got her!” he yelled down to the others.

I scrambled to my feet and tried not to stare at the light. Desperate, I glanced around.

“You’ve got nowhere to go, you little bitch,” he gleefully announced after he obviously noticed what I saw. There was no railing. Just this long catwalk-like platform that I assumed held hay at one time.

Still, I started to inch my way away from him.

We both paused when we heard a rumble in the distance that seemed to be coming closer.

“Hurry up! This wasn’t supposed to take this long!”heraged. “Bring her to the helicopter!”

Because I wanted to keep my attention on the asshole slowly closing in on me, I didn’t look down. I could hear several people running. Then a bright light from the other end of the barn permeated the dim interior, telling me they’d gone out a back door.

“Harvey!” one of them shouted from below. “Get her and let’s get the fuck outta here! Someone’s out there!”

By then, the rumble and roar of several bikes could be plainly heard. The engines cut off and the front door burst open.

“Eliska! Where are you!” Blade called out and I smiled with relief.

“I’m up here!” I shouted down to him. “There’s one up here too!”

“Coming!” he replied right as a lower whirring sound started up. The sound was familiar but I couldn’t place it. That is, until it started to lift off. It must be the helicopterhehad mentioned.

“You bitch! They’re leaving me!” the guy that was closing in on me shouted. “If I’m going down, so are you!”

Before I could process what he meant, he rushed at me. I screamed as I toppled over the edge. In a heart beat, I was slammed to the ground, landing on an old wheelbarrow. The massive crunch I heard was immediately followed by agonizing pain. Then my momentum tipped the wheelbarrow over and I landed in a crumpled heap.

“Eliska! No!” Blade shouted as his booted feet pounded toward me.

I was aware of him dropping to his knees and his hands feathering over me as if he was afraid to touch me. But though I was aware, I couldn’t move. Breathing was becoming difficult and I started to choke as my mouth filled with something hot and coppery. It spewed forth and I could swallow again—but it didn’t last long before I coughing up more.

“Oh fuck. Oh shit. Oh baby, no.” My lids were heavy, but I forced my eyes open. He was openly crying as he brushed my hair out of my face. I could feel that, but I could no longer feel anything else.

“Dammit,” Squirrel swore. I couldn’t see him as he was standing behind me. “I tried to transport up to her, but that prick tackled her off before I could. But I got him.”

Blade cradled me to his chest as he let out a feral sound straight from the depths of hell, then began to sob. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck….”

“Let me see her,” Angel quietly demanded.

Their voices were muffled—like I was underwater.

I was aware of being jostled, but then I couldn’t hang on any longer. Darkness descended, and with it, my desire to breathe.

“Riptide”—VanceJoy

We came to a sliding stop on the gravel drive, surrounding Squirrel’s truck. It was immediately evident that it was empty.

We all made eye contact and got off our bikes, pulling our guns as we did. Though I preferred a knife, in a situation like this, it wasn’t practical. Not until I could assess the situation.

When I heard a scream, all common sense fled and I raced to the weathered barn and shouldered through the old walkthrough door. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the lowlight. When they finally did, my worst fear was unfolding in front of me.

Eliska went flying off the top of a hay loft and I took off toward her. Despite running as fast as I could, she landed on a wheelbarrow with a sickening crack, then rolled to the floor when it tipped over.

I was in a living nightmare. That was the only explanation for this. My chest was in agony as if it had been ripped open and my heart rested in tatters on the dirty, dusty ground.

Blood ran from her nose and mouth and she wasn’t moving. At first, I was afraid to touch her. Was she already dead? What if I made it worse?