The Last Marine (28 page)

Chapter 35

Did they plan to leave her in here all night?

Prudence’s eyes grew heavy and she forced herself to get up and pace the small area. It felt as though hours had passed since she’d locked herself in here. She’d counted the blood splatters on the wall. She’d rearranged the broken glass in the corner into a heart shape and stuck the biggest piece in her pocket for an extra weapon. She’d run through several scenarios of what might happen next.

But mostly, she worried about Griffin.

The one thing keeping her somewhat sane was the fact that she still had no mating marks. Griffin would possess the marks until he died, so she knew he lived. But in what condition? Would he have brain damage from oxygen deprivation? What kind of psychological scars would he come away from this with? Would he have physical limitations, now? Sexual limitations? They hadn’t spared a speck of his flesh from what she’d been able to see. She’d love him no matter what, but she feared he’d grow to resent her after this.

The lock rattled and Prudence tensed.

A Blue Helmet walked in. His doe-brown eyes scanned the room and his brows drew together. “Where’s the guy that was in here?”

She shrugged. “Two Blue Helmets came and got him about an hour ago.”

The door closed and locked.

Prudence let out a shaky breath. Now she’d have to wait and see if they bought her lie.

*****

Griffin and Lucan hid behind a cluster of shrubs, peeking out at the compound.

The back door was lit up brighter than Fort Bragg during a Fourth of July celebration. Two Blue Helmets stood guard at the door, but as many lights as they had directed at the spot, he didn’t doubt a sniper hid nearby.

“I suspect they figured out we used that door.”

Griffin shot his brother a droll stare. “Ya think?” He glanced over his shoulder at Grady and Merrick who had their heads together over a blueprint. “Is there another way in?”

“Yep.” Grady cleared his throat. “Front door.”

Griffin had the distinct urge to palm his face. “Give me the fucking thing.” He waved at the blueprint and the penlight. “Come on.”

Grady handed them over with an indignant sniff.

He studied the building. There were no windows on the first floor, and, as Grady said, there were two doors—front and back. Unfortunately, both would be covered by Blue Helmets after their earlier breach. Grady had been correct.

“I don’t suppose we have any more explosives?”

“Nope.” Grady sucked his teeth. “Used all Liam’s firecrackers earlier today. Would’ve bought some more from old Zeke had I known we’d be doing this twice.”

Griffin surprised even himself by chuckling. “Oh, God, we are fucked six ways to Sunday.”

Eleven men stared at him, waiting. Griffin sobered. Here they were ready to give up their freedom, maybe even their lives and he was taking a piss. “Sorry, just letting out the tension, boys.”
Think, you son of a bitch. How do we get in there and get everyone, including Prudence, out alive?
“What do we got? Eleven able-bodied men, eleven automatic Lockheed Martin light machine guns, one hover car—”

“Stolen from the Blue Helmets,” Lucan added.

“I got a grenade.” Grady held up the small explosive. It was a fucking antique. “Don’t know if it’s got any kick left.”

“Doubt it,” Griffin said. “Though I bet it’s still got some shock value.”

Grady grinned.

“All right, gather ‘round.”

Eleven men huddled closer, their intense faces locked onto Griffin.

“Here’s the plan. LMGs down your pants. I know it’s gonna be awkward as hell trying to walk with a machine gun in your pants, but as long as no one looks too close, we might get away with this.” He dragged his hand down his face. “Merrick and Lucan are in uniform. They’re gonna drive us up to the gate, saying they caught us joyriding in the stolen hover car.”

“All prisoners go in through the front,” Merrick said. “They’re taken to a holding cell on the ground floor a couple doors down from where you and Prudence were held. I pick them up on Wednesdays for trial and sentencing in Diamond Fjord. Since we’re going in the front door this time, we might be better off ditching the uniforms. They’re used to seeing me around here. They won’t question me bringing in people for holding, but they’ll question the uniform.”

Griffin nodded. “All right, good. Now, we’re gonna try to make it all the way down to here without drawing anyone’s notice.” Griffin pointed to the room where he and Prudence were held. “But if anyone looks suspicious, pull your weapons and fire at will.”

All the men nodded.

“You boys keep your heads. I don’t want any friendly fire due to itchy trigger fingers. You watch the man on either side of you and keep him safe, and trust them to do the same for you. You all understand?”

“Yes, sir.” The response was weak. They were brave, they were all here of their own free will, but they were scared.

Griffin grabbed his weapon and stood. “Always hug the walls. Keep your body at an angle to make the smallest target possible.” He lifted his weapon to the ready position. “Keep the butt of your weapon tight to your shoulder, stay crouched and point the gun wherever you’re looking.” He demonstrated. “You want to look right, your weapon comes with you, look left, it comes with you. Understand?”

The men nodded.

“Now, before we go in there, I want to thank you all for helping out. I couldn’t have picked a better unit for this mission myself.”

That was what they needed to hear. Their intensity didn’t lessen, but now, pride and confidence showed in the straightening of their spines. Now they were ready.

Merrick reached over, plucked Grady’s hat from his head and tossed it to Griffin “Put that on, Chief, and pull the brim low so they don’t recognize you.”

“Thanks.” Griffin put on the hat and piled into the bed of the hover car with the others, ready to be a prisoner for the second time that night.

They approached the front gate of the compound five minutes later. The spaceport was like a beacon in the distance, bright spotlights shining up on a spacecraft that stood stories higher than any of the surrounding buildings.

Merrick pulled the hover car to a stop outside the gates to the compound and a Blue Helmet walked up to the driver’s side door. “What’s all this?”

“Found these boys having a drunken joyride outside Diamond Fjord. Heard you all had a hover car go missing earlier today. Thought I’d bring it back. We don’t have the capacity in town to hold these lot until court on Wednesday. You mind if I take them down to the brig?”

“Yeah, go on, Merrick.” The Blue Helmet stepped away from the hover car and signaled for the gate to be opened. “It’s Merrick. Let him in.”

The courtyard was lit up as bright as the backdoor. Patrols of Blue Helmets walked the perimeter and snipers held posts on raised platforms on the corners of the property. Griffin was sweating bullets. He had no idea how capable these men were. Merrick must be a good shot, he was Special Ops, but he couldn’t begin to guess about the others. Didn’t know if they’d be able to hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. He might have just signed all their death warrants.

Merrick pulled right up to the front door. Another Blue Helmet approached. “Quite a roundup. You need some help?”

Merrick got out of the hover car. “Nah. These boys won’t give me any trouble.” He dipped at the waist to look in the car. “You gonna give me any more trouble?”

A round of woeful “No, sirs” came from the men, startling Griffin. Well, hell, with a little luck they could shoot as well as they could act.

“They’re good men for the most part. Had a bit much to drink and got a little rowdy. I’m foreseeing community service in their near future.”

Grady and a couple of the other men groaned.

The Blue Helmet ducked his head down. “Grady, is that you moaning?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re making a habit of this. Maybe Merrick needs to be a little tougher with you.”

“No, sir.” Grady slurred his words as if he were three sheets to the wind. He hiccupped. “It’s like my mama always said, I need to pick my friends better.”

The Blue Helmet chuckled. “Go on, get them inside to sober up.” He wandered off.

Merrick came around the back of the hover car and lowered the tailgate. “Let’s go. Left hand goes on the shoulder of the man in front of you.” His tone was matter-of-fact and he spoke loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear, but not so loud as to draw attention. “Right hand flat against your thigh. There will be no talking, no moving out of line, no pushing. Anybody here deaf?”

“No, sir,” they mumbled together.

Griffin stifled a grin and bowed his head. He ended up in the middle of their human chain right behind Grady. Everybody played their part, swaying as they walked, eyes downcast, shoulders slumped.

Merrick opened the front door and continued his lecture as they shuffled past. “Now what do you think your wives will say when they find out you lot are in prison?”

Being inside this place was like being back on Earth. The compound had hardwood floors and white plaster walls with moldings at the top, center, and foot of the wall. Mounted colored photographs of nature scenes on Earth were placed at intervals along the halls.

“I don’t got a wife,” Grady said.

The front hall was huge, extending far back into the compound and full of Blue Helmets.

“You boys walk along the right wall, keep out of the Blue Helmets’s way.” Merrick walked up alongside Grady and shook his head. “You do this every time, talking back to me. Am I gonna have to put you in solitary until Wednesday?”

“Nope, sir. Don’t like solitary. I meant I don’t know what my wife would think ‘cause . . . on account of . . . I don’t got one.”

Griffin listened to the exchange while scoping out his surroundings. None of the Blue Helmets seemed to pay them much mind. This must be pretty common, which was a good thing, because if anyone looked too close, they might notice how their pants and shirts were molded to the shapes of their weapons. To be honest, he didn’t know how the fuck no one hadn’t noticed yet. Merrick’s order to walk along the right wall helped, they all had their weapons on their right, but, Christ, how unobservant could these soldiers be?

“Now, Grady, you did it again. This isn’t a conversation, boy. I’m giving you food for thought. Now, don’t you be answering me again.” Merrick walked farther up the line, keeping pace with Lucan who was second in line. “Take a right at the end of the hall, I’ll tell you when to stop.” He turned, walking backward to check the line, to scan the Blue Helmets. “All you boys need to think about what you’ve done. Was your little joy-ride worth the trouble you’re in? No, it was not. You left those poor Blue Helmets without their ride, and what if . . . .” Merrick kept up a steady, one-sided conversation. Must be part of his routine, because the Blue Helmets didn’t bat an eyelash in their direction.

They turned the corner and headed down a passageway. The hardwood floor echoed under their boots. There were fewer Blue Helmets here. Three walked past their human chain and headed for the front of the building. Two stood on either side of a door ahead.

As long as they were quiet, they shouldn’t draw attention when they took them out.

Merrick turned around again and nodded to Griffin.

Merrick stopped them in such a way that he stood in front of one Blue Helmet and Griffin stood in front of another.

In one swift, silent motion, he slipped out of line, cupped his hand over the Blue Helmet’s mouth and put him into a head lock. He flexed his arm around the kid’s throat, holding him through his struggles until he went limp. He released him, checked for a pulse, and nodded to Merrick.

Merrick had the other Blue Helmet slung over his shoulder. He pointed to the door and held up one finger.
One guard.

Griffin pointed to him, and to the door.
You go first.
He pointed to himself and Lucan.
We’ll come behind.
He pointed to Grady and put two fingers to his eyes.
Keep watch.

Merrick passed off the unconscious soldier to Lucan and opened the door. “Hey, Dugan. How’s it hanging?” Merrick slipped his hand over the guard’s mouth and put him into a choke-hold.

This one put up a fight. He was going for his gun.

Griffin dumped his Blue Helmet in the corner and went to help Merrick. He disarmed the guard and held the guy’s nose, cutting off his oxygen. “We’re putting you to sleep, buddy. Don’t make this worse. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

The man’s terrified stare stayed with him until his lids began to sag and his eyes went out of focus. He slumped in Merrick’s arms.

Griffin released him. “Lock ’em all in a cell.”

As soon as Merrick and Lucan started lugging the unconscious Blue Helmets back, Griffin headed out of the room. He strode across the hall to where he and Prudence had been held and flung open the door.

The room was empty.

His gaze raked over everything, looking for a clue, a hint she’d come back. In the corner, the broken glass from the bottle of liquor Randolph had poured over him had been shaped into a heart.