Fever Claim (The Sigma Menace) (19 page)

No!
Her voice didn’t work.

One last mighty kick from his heavily-booted foot rendered the door useless. A strip of wood still hung where the deadbolts and doorknobs remained, the rest of the door ripped from the hinges.

“I’m bringing her out,” Jace called. “Don’t fucking shoot. She’s sick.”

“Did I or did I not say that this was a shit plan and he’d tear this place apart with his bare hands, hmmm?” X was out in the trees with them, still as convivial as ever. “Relax big guy. Grab your girl and we’ll take her to our lovely abode, get her back in working order.”

Cassie weakly struggled into a sitting position as Jace stalked toward her, concern and determination on his handsome features. She shook her head. “No, no, no. We can’t go with them.”

Gathering her in his arms, he brought his mouth close to ear so he could speak without being overheard. “We’ll make our move soon, but we’ve got to get you out of here.”

Maneuvering them through the remnants of the door, Jace stepped outside. Cassie blinked rapidly against the strength of the sun but Jace didn’t flinch or squint in the slightest. His diamond gaze swept the Agents in front of him and the surrounding woods, inhaling to determine scents and locations.

“Car’s here,” X announced, as Cassie heard the crunching of tires in the distance. They must’ve set this up near a remote road so they didn’t have far to drag two unconscious bodies in the dark last night. “Remember… you’re still in our crosshairs…” X finished in a sing-song voice, crossing in front of them to meet the on-coming SUV.

The vehicle bumped along the unkempt gravel road where grasses and weeds had grown into the wheel tracks. A man, all in camouflage like the others, drove and Agent D was in the passenger side. Both men climbed out after pulling to a stop. The driver, holding a long-range rifle, opened the back door, expecting Cassie and Jace to get inside. If they got into that backseat, it was over. They would have no more chances to escape, they would be Madame G’s toys, her baby-making factory at whim.

Agent D covered the other side. The ornate dagger box was still hooked to his belt. Why it needed to be kept in their vicinity, she didn’t know, but she did know that if she could get a hold of it, she’d have their key to freedom from the oily clutches of the dark lady and her devoted Agents. Even in her sickened state, she could feel the tight clench of evil around her heart tightening with the dagger so close.

Jace held onto Cassie as tightly as he could, tensed and ready to spring. Cassie wondered what he sensed that she couldn’t. She wrapped her arms around him as best she could, her injured hand still slowly oozing from Madame G’s dagger. Her stomach roiled with each movement, but the shot of adrenaline from breaking free of the cabin and the uncertainty of their escape kept her hormones from skyrocketing further and making her sick all over Jace.

The wind kicked up, rustling old leaves, and died down just as quickly. For a moment, it was eerily silent, and then Cassie heard it—howling. More than one wolf bayed in the distance and they were closing in.

“And there they are,” X muttered.

“Guardians,” the driver confirmed. “Get in.” he ordered.

That was the last thing Cassie wanted to do, but she understood why Jace finally acquiesced. Left outside, it was at least three to two, if she would even be counted as an opponent in her weakened condition. She had no idea how many Agents were still in the woods, and the steel around the vehicle would provide some protection if gunfire were to break out.

Jace set her gently inside and was sliding in next to her when she heard the muffled gunshot and shouts from the woods. He immediately covered her with his body as the driver slammed the door behind him. They were left alone in the SUV while the Agents attempted to standoff against the Guardians.

“You okay?” Jace asked.

Cassie nodded, as much as she could with her head tucked under his protective upper body.

“The Guardians just took out a sniper, and I think they got them both. Cassie, do you think you can run? At all?”

Cassie nodded again, her stomach lurching at the thought, but it wouldn’t matter. She’d throw up on the go if she had to.

“We’re surrounded by the Guardians. As soon as there’s an opening between the three Agents left, we’re gone. Understand?”

Cassie peeked up, out of Jace’s embrace, to look out the window. The remaining, and most formidable Agents had them surrounded. X and the driver with his rifle were on one side, with Agent D still on the passenger side, but all three faced the trees where the Guardians prowled.

“Don’t lose that dagger, Double D,” X called over her shoulder, checking on the couple. “We wouldn’t want to nullify this whole deal.”

“Shut the fuck up X!” Agent D angrily shouted back at her.

“Do you have sights on them?” the driver shouted.

“Negative,” X replied calmly, gun in one hand, whipping around when the SUV rocked slightly with the sound of hissing air. “Fuck, they got a tire. We’ll need to have a good old fashioned standoff.”

Agent D unloaded the clip from one of his weapons into the trees, firing almost blindly. When he opened the vehicle door to dig out another clip from a metal chest in the front, he caught Cassie looking at the dagger box dangling from his belt.

“Face down, you dog-humping bitch,” he snarled, shoving the fresh clip in, the waves of hate for them rolling off him. She jerked her head back down. He must’ve been an easy recruit for Madame G.

Jace coiled over her, a low growl rumbling from his chest. “You already had your warning…
Double D
,” he stressed snidely. Cassie drew in on herself, knowing Agent D wouldn’t allow an insult from Jace pass.

The comment earned a snarl from the man leaning across the front seat and he lunged toward Jace to slam the butt of his gun into Jace’s skull. Before Cassie could draw in a breath to warn Jace, he reached over with a speed she didn’t know he possessed, grabbed Agent D’s hand on the gun, and slammed his arm straight over the seat. Bones crunched and the gun dropped into her lap. Agent D cried out in pain, drawing a knife with his other hand to strike at Jace’s throat.

Cassie flung her hand up to send it off its intended path. The knife ripped across the fabric of the SUV’s ceiling. Jace grabbed the gun from her lap, reached back, and shoved it into Agent D’s chest pulling the trigger.

Cassie yelped, Agent D slumped over, and all that could be heard was her own and Jace’s heavy breathing. The Sigma Agents had to have heard the shot. Would they come rushing back to the vehicle and deal with them, or did the shot get lost in the ones already being traded between the Agents and the Guardians?

The wolves were baying, closer this time, but so random and frequently it was hard to tell how far away and how many there were. The Agents outside the car fired shots into the woods, those shots getting returned by tufts of dirt and leaves flying up around the Agents’ feet.

Jace rummaged through Agent D’s pockets for more weapons while Cassie snagged the dagger box.

“It’s time to run. If we can get into the woods, we have a chance.” Jace eased the back passenger door open for them to drop out since the death of Agent D left the much sought after opening they needed.

“Is he dead?” It made her feel better to whisper. She didn’t know if it was necessary but all of these people heard way better than Cassie.

“I don’t sense a heartbeat, but they said he was enhanced so…” Jace helped her glide down to the ground, still clutching the opulent box to her chest, scarcely making any noise on the rough gravel. He moved down next to her with a grace and assuredness that made up for his size.

What does that mean?
She didn’t want to hang around Agent D in case “hopefully dead” didn’t mean well and truly dead. Not willing to make any more commotion, even with just a whisper, she remained silent, waiting for Jace’s instruction.

Afraid any movement would make a sound, she looked questioningly at him. His brows were drawn together as he scanned the woods to determine their best route. They had to get to cover fast, otherwise the remaining two Agents could easily wound them, or worse. They weren’t distracted enough to not see or hear them trying to get away.

Cassie almost missed the wolf, it barely moved, waiting in the thicker foliage of the trees, completely camouflaged. Jace rose, taking her with him, and used his body to shield her from the driver and X as they took off into the same dark area the wolf appeared from.

X and the driver shouted. Sheer terror spurred her forward. She was a moving target with a giant bulls-eye printed on her back. Wood chips exploded from trees around her as bullets made their mark. She was sure she would lose Jace, be unable to keep up since he effortlessly kept pace with her frantic fleeing through the trees.

More gunfire echoed through the trees. Cassie stole a glance over her shoulder. The two remaining Agents were being held off by gunfire from the woods.

Her foot caught on a tree root and she dropped the box, flying headfirst next to a tree trunk. Jace’s strong arms lifted her back up so they could keep running.

“Wait the box!” she cried. Jace found it first, tucked it into his side, and grabbed her hand with his free one. Their pace was no longer the initial frantic run to get away as fast as possible, but more of a quick rush allowing her to pick through the brush with relative ease.

Slaps from low-hanging branches stung her face and her sliced hand burned, but it could have been much worse.
 

Cassie drew in a quick breath as a wolf veered in running next to them. She hoped the beast was a Guardian.

The terrain became steep and Jace had to let her go so they could clamber up using all fours. A dark form waited at the top. Cassie could make out the outline of a wolf. But which one?

Jace dropped behind her to help finish their ascent, and with his hand on her back guided her over. “Stop here,” and they dropped down to their bellies.

“What’s the plan, boss?” Jace spoke quietly, peering up and over to get a view of where they’d come from.

Boss? Wasn’t that—?
Cassie yelped as she looked up to find a very naked Christian standing there. She looked away, knowing she was blushing furiously, and it shouldn’t matter; they were running for their lives. The random naked men, she’d never get used to.

“The Guardians are holding off X and E, but without the firepower they can only do so much. Kaitlyn’s got the long-range weapon, and one of the twins is on his way with more firepower, but we didn’t have much time to mobilize when I got your call.”

“Kaitlyn’s out here?” Cassie’s concern for her friend added to the concern for herself and Jace.

“Helluva shot she is, too. Which is good for us.”

“We keep heading toward town, then.” Jace stated more than questioned.

Christian nodded. “Keep following me, we stay ahead of them we’re good, but…” He shook his head and looked out, his predator eyes reflecting silvery green. “Even if X doesn’t turn, we’ve got to move. She can still fly faster than a motherfucker and that E isn’t a vamp, but he ain’t normal, either. They both can haul it.”

“E’s the driver, then? The Guardians won’t take them on?” Jace asked, scanning the area, his eyes reflecting like his boss’s.

Christian shook his head. “Commander Fitzsimmons wants X taken alive, but her and E are too good, been partners too long. They can hold off several Guardians and cause major trauma.” Christian rolled his massive shoulders, moved his head side-to-side, stooping. “Besides, they don’t want to kill you and we need to know why.”

He dropped to all fours and his skin transformed into dark fur as he flowed into the form of a large wolf in seconds.

Cassie looked into Jace’s now silver hologram eyes. “If you shift, you can move faster.”

“I’m no good to you out here naked on all fours.” He leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her.

She closed her eyes briefly, wanting to enjoy the sensation, but feeling as if there was a vice squeezing her around her ribs. “It’s not right. This mating.”

His face was grim. “No, it wasn’t.” He grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll work it out when we get back. We’ll be good.” And he started moving forward, picking up the pace, the dark box still tucked into his side.

“But it’s not right,” she repeated, wishing they could stop and talk all this out. That’s what she did. She talked things out—with herself, with her patients, with Dad… But this feeling of wrongness that settled deep into her after the ceremony would take more than a quick peck and a few words of reassurance to repair what was really wrong. Their flight for freedom, and burning through much of the hormonal overload from the drugs, left
the vice of evil around her chest a prominent feeling.  

They were making their way through the woods at a decent pace, but Cassie knew it wasn’t enough. She’d run five days a week for over ten years, but she could not compete against supernatural creatures born to rule the woods. Nor could she compete against enhanced humans who were probably enhanced to hunt supernatural creatures in dark woods.

Her hand slipped out of Jace’s, both of their hands not healing well from the ceremony, and she went down with an
umph
. Jace bent to help her up. “We’re almost to Christian’s car. The main road’s close.”