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"They're down - taking cover," he added quickly. The lie came easier than any he'd ever told. "They're okay. Just - "
Another scream. Another shot. Armed gunmen rushed from behind the buildings, shouting orders. A mushroom cloud of tear gas exploded.
Finn shot to his feet. Robyn grabbed his pant leg. He put his hand on her head, keeping her down.
"Stay here."
"I'm not - "
He dropped to one knee, his face coming down to hers. "You need to stay here, Robyn. Please. Do you still have the gun?"
She nodded.
"Then stay. You aren't trained for this, okay?"
That did it - not safety issues but the reminder she wasn't qualified.
She lowered herself into the grass, then stopped, looking up. "Damon? Go with him. Help him."
Damon leaned down, kissing the top of her head. "I will, baby."
Finn cut through the field, praying everyone was too busy to notice him. Damon ran ahead, ready to call back a warning if anyone took an interest. No one did.
The smoke floated out until Finn couldn't see, and moved by sound alone. After a moment, he recognized one of the shouting voices. Karl Marsten calling for Adams. When he ran toward the voice, he smacked into Marsten, who spun, lips curling in a snarl.
"I'm not working for the Nasts," Finn said quickly. "I - "
"I know. Find Hope," Marsten said, then was about to dive back into the smoke when Finn caught the back of his shirt.
"Is she shot?" he said. "I saw her fall - "
"No, that was - " He waved Finn off. "We - " A coughing fit cut him short. "We need to find her before she gets shot."
He turned again, but Finn still had a grip on his shirt. "That gas is going to knock us flat before we do."
Marsten's red-rimmed eyes blazed, and Finn thought he was going to deck him. Then his jaw flexed and he gave a curt nod. "We need gas masks. I thought I saw - "
A figure staggered out, bent double. Rhys. Marsten grabbed him, just long enough to recognize him - and recognize that he wasn't someone with a gas mask - then dropped him. Finn dove in to catch the man before he toppled.
"I thought I heard you," Rhys croaked, squinting up at Marsten. "Where's Hope?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out. They have gas masks, right?"
"What?" Rhys coughed so hard that blood flecked Finn's pants.
"Those men. They have gas masks, don't they?"
"I think so."
"Good."
Marsten strode back into the thick of it. Finn tried to grab him.
Rhys caught his hand. "If you like the current configuration of all your body parts, I wouldn't do that. He'll be fine."
"I'll cover him," said a voice behind Finn.
He turned to see Damon jog off after Marsten.
