Page 163 of Deadfall

“He’s an interesting man—” Nyx leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head as he looked over at West’s laptop. I watched him narrow his eyes, and his chair thudded to the ground.

“Tex—what’s going on at the front gate?” He demanded, suddenly all business.

West pulled up the security feed and threw it up on the big screen. A man had his hands up, the guards at the gate held him at gunpoint, and one spoke into his radio.

“The man is demanding to speak to Griffin, boss,” Tex said from his place near the door.

We watched as the man stumbled, fell to his knees and almost faceplanted before he caught himself on his forearms. He was unrecognizable. Tattered clothing, blood, and dirt made him look more like a corpse—

“He’s in pretty bad shape,” Tex reported. “Says, his name is—” He was listening to someone on the other end. “Sev—? Unclear. Could it be—”

Oh my god. It wasn’t possible.

I didn’t bother waiting for Tex to finish before I jumped up from the chair, hot on Griffin’s heels. He hadn’t hesitated either and was out the door before the words died on Tex’s lips. I didn’t dare hope.

I didn’t dare let myself hope a ghost was at the gate.

77

SEVEN

I tried to tell them my name, but my knees hit the gravel, then my hands, and then the ground rushed up to my face and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.

Someone shouted for the gate to open. It sounded like I should know them.

Footsteps raced across gravel and then hands grabbed me and turned me over. The pain was excruciating. Instead of darkness, blinding light burned through my eyelids.

“Seven. Fuck—” I knew that voice.

“Oh my god.”

I smiled, because I knew that voice too.

I coughed. It hurt my chest. I forced my heavy eyelids open and squeezed the hand that was suddenly in mine. I looked over at G and smiled—I’m sure it didn’t look very nice with how fucked my face felt.

“Hey, G—” A sharp pain assaulted me, and I groaned.

“Don’t talk,” G said roughly.

I turned my head and the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen filled my vision. Blond hair curled around her face, haloed by the sun—she looked ethereal.

“Ah, this must be heaven—wait—I’m not supposed to be here—is hell really this beautiful?”

Emersyn gripped my other hand as she choked out a laugh. Unconsciousness called to me again. Each breath was more painful than the last as the air rattled in and out of my lungs. I closed my eyes and listened as more people arrived.

Someone barked orders. Hands grabbed me, and the move onto a stretcher flooded me with pain.

But, it was okay, because I’d made it.

I hadn’t given up. I was home.

The bright light faded and the darkness tore me away.

An incessant beeping pulled me back toward the surface. That, and what sounded like something scratching at a door. I didn’t want to leave the darkness, but I wanted whatever that noise was to stop. I blinked awake with a groan. The place smelled sterile.

Thankfully the pain was only a dull throb, courtesy of whatever pain meds were being pumped through the IV that I was attached to. I noticed Emersyn first. She was asleep curled up in a rather uncomfortable looking chair.

“She hasn’t left.”