Page 106 of Trapped Truth

“He never should’ve gotten to them.”

“I’m sorry, Blaine. You did your best.”

“But it still wasn’t enough!”

More erupting flames and collapsing rubble permeate his words. The cacophony of sirens are close now, descending on our location. Hudson will only be able to hold them back for so long.

As I open my mouth to try to urge him upright, shouting causes us all to startle. Figures break through the murk, running from around the other side of the blaze. Well, more like stumbling. Something huge and heavy weighs them down.

“Archer and Kyle!” I gasp. “They’ve got someone!”

We both stand, keeping Raye safely hidden behind us. Archer and Kyle duck billowing flames to converge on our position. They’re practically dragging the figure slumped between them, head periodically lolling forward and feet unresponsive.

Gunnar keeps his gun locked in position, only now it’s pointed at the semi-conscious body. He doesn’t lift the barrel from its point-blank range, even when they stutter to a halt to lower the figure between them.

“Oh my God.” I clutch my chest, wishing I could calm the organ inside.

Blaine surges forward. “Spyder! Is he alive?”

“Barely,” Archer grunts in exertion.

The big guy gets rolled onto his back, revealing a chest barely pumping oxygen. Black smudges stain his face and cheeks, while a nasty-looking burn contorts his left arm, shoulder and part of his throat.

But as Blaine stops at his side, two swollen tomatoes flicker open where his eyes should be. Spyder sucks in a rattling breath, snagging the sleeve of Blaine’s undershirt.

“What happened here?”

“F-F-Firebombed.” Spyder’s tenor is stripped bare by smoke inhalation. “Out of b-blue. No warn-ning.”

“Are there more survivors?”

“A f-f-few inside… Others taken.”

“Taken?” I track over his injuries, lit by encroaching blue lights.

“M-Madden… here.”

“In person?” Blaine clasps his hand in solidarity.

“Yes. M-Message.”

“What message, Spyder?”

His eyes flicker behind half-closed lids, streaking tears carving a path through soot and ash. “For y-you.”

With the authorities swarming on our location and multiple fire crews assessing the blaze, I’m forced to crouch on Spyder’s other side to catch the next words from his mouth.

“Madden s-said… to my s-son.” After a wet-sounding cough, he continues. “I w-want my throne b-back.”

CHAPTER 18

EMBER

LEAVE - POST MALONE

Ice cubes clink against crystal glass, creating a dull plinking sound. Axel adds a more than generous measure of Hyland’s best whiskey then slides it to Blaine. The amber liquid disappears in one desperate gulp.

“Another?” Axel holds up the bottle.