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Clay froze in mid-step. His eyes flickered from one guard to the other, but he didn't move, didn't even complete his stride. Tucker turned to face him, smiling.
"So it is you," Tucker said. "The brute who took out my men near Augusta. If we hadn't found the camera, I wouldn't have believed it. Three of my best men. Killed by one rabid dog."
Clay said nothing. Adam, Paige, and I stood in the open doorway. Tucker ignored us.
"Not a bad idea, disabling the radios and alarms," Tucker said. "Not bad, but not brilliant either. You underestimated how well I've trained my men. As soon as Jackson realized we had a breach, he sent one of his team to warn me personally."
Paige held my arm. As Tucker spoke, she squeezed it. Thinking she was frightened, I didn't brush her off. Then she pinched me so hard I had to bite back a yelp. When I glared down at her, she nodded almost imperceptibly toward the nearer guard. I returned an equally discreet head shake. No way was I endangering Clay's life by attacking a guard. Paige squeezed my arm harder and shot me an impatient look. I turned away.
Tucker continued, "Yes, I know it's four to three right now. Not outstanding odds for our side, but I expect them to improve at any moment. One of my men is gathering backup as we speak." He tilted his head. "Do I hear footsteps? I think I do. But you're the one with bionic hearing. Tell me, how many men are approaching? Four? Six? Ten?"
Paige murmured under her breath. It didn't sound like English ... Shit! She was casting a spell. Before I could stop her, the guard who was farther from us tensed. He looked from side to side, only his eyes moving, slowly flooding with panic. I knew then what Paige had cast: a binding spell. Paige released her grip on my arm and I flew at the nearer guard. As I slammed into him, a shot fired at the ceiling. I wrenched the gun from his hands as we fell to the floor. The second guard was turning now, the spell broken.
Adam hurdled over me and threw the other guard into the wall. Clay grabbed Tucker by the neck. As I drove my fists into my target's gut, his knee caught me in the chest, winding me. The stink of burning flesh filled the room. The other guard screamed. At the sound, my guard hesitated just long enough for me to catch my breath. I heaved him over my head and into a set of heavy steel shelves. The back of his head slammed into the top shelf corner. He hung there a minute, suspended in midair. His eyes blinked once, then he toppled face first to the floor, blood gushing from a crevice in the back of his skull. Clay checked the guard's pulse as I stood.
"Dead," he said.
One glance at Tucker and the other guard told me they suffered from the same condition.
"Can you hear anyone coming, darling?" Clay asked.
"Tucker was bluffing earlier," I said. "But they're coming now. At least four. As many as seven. We should run."
"Run?" Adam said. "Their seven to our four? That's decent odds."
"I want excellent, not decent. Seven to four almost guarantees a loss on our side. Are you volunteering for the position?"
Adam glanced at Clay.
"Elena's right," Clay said. "We run now and hope they split up. If they don't, we pick the battlefield. Here, we're cornered."
We left the gun locker.
Though I could hear the guards coming, they weren't in sight yet. We made it around the corner. Then we ducked into an open doorway.
"They're at the gun locker," I whispered as I listened. "They're talking ... they see Tucker. One--no, two are staying to check for vital signs. The rest are going to keep looking. They've slowed to a walk, but they're coming this way."
"They've separated," Clay murmured. "But not for long."
I turned to Paige. "Can you cast that cover spell?"
"Sure," she said.
"Does it work ... reliably?"
Her face darkened. "Of course--" She stopped herself and nodded. "It'll work. It's a level-three spell. I'm a level-four apprentice. Binding is fourth level, which is why it gives me some trouble."
"Good. You three wait here in the doorway. Paige will cast her cover spell. Stay still and they won't see you. Don't cover me, Paige. I'll be the decoy and lead them past you three. Clay and Adam can attack from behind. Once the guards' attention--and their guns--are off me, I'll join the fight."
Paige shook her head. "I'll be the decoy."
"We don't have time to argue," Clay said.
"You, Adam, and Elena are fighters. I'm not. Better to have you three attack. Besides, Elena may not look too threatening, but when these guys see me, the words 'kick-ass bitch' won't even enter their minds. They won't expect a fight."
"She's right," Clay said.
I hesitated.
