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New gunshots rang out behind them, along with the sounds of shouting. Jenna tensed, shuddering against Mark’s chest, but he actually relaxed.
“Holy shit,” Mark whispered. “I can’t believe it.”
She wasn’t going to let him die. Finding a strength she didn’t know she had, she pushed away from him.
“I’m going to surrender.” Her stomach heaved and dizziness assailed her, but she meant it.
He kissed her hard on the mouth. “I appreciate the offer of protection, librarian warrior, but don’t sacrifice yourself just yet. I think we have help on our side.”
“How?”
“Hell if I know. But I’ll take it.”
Mark held her tightly, his arms and body wrapped so tightly around her that the noise from the firefight seemed distant. She heard some shouting then a loud series of shots all at once.
Then, nothing.
“Outlaw?”
Mark loosened his arms from around her just a little. “Over here, Aries.”
Aries? That was Ian DeRose’s code name. How had he known where they were or that they were in trouble? Those were the only thoughts her brain allowed before she spun to the side and heaved her guts up all over the pine needles.
Mark waited until she was finished to swing her up into his arms. Jenna closed her eyes and curled into him, not strong enough to pretend she could walk back on her own.
“You guys okay?” Ian asked.
“We’re not hurt, but…I need to get Jenna back on the bus, stat, boss.”
“You’re clear. Sarge is out there. Landon too. No bad guys.”
Jenna couldn’t make sense of why Zodiac’s top agents were here in the woods with them. But she didn’t care.
“You took out the robots?” Mark asked.
“No, they all killed themselves when it became obvious they were going to be captured. We’ll handle the scene. You take care of Jenna.”
Mark was moving fast. Someone else said something to him—Sarge, maybe?—but he didn’t stop. Jenna could barely hear anything over the sound of her own labored breaths, even though her body wasn’t physically exerting itself in any way.
She tried to focus on him, on the smell of his skin against her face, on five things she could see or any other grounding exercise. But she couldn’t hang on. Her mind was shutting down.
She heard the vague beeps of the bus’s door code being pressed and knew she was almost to safety, but it was too late. Her body couldn’t take any more.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“What? Stay with me, librarian.” His arms tightened around her.
But she couldn’t. Everything faded to pinpricks then black.
Then there was nothing.
Chapter 18
Jenna was a dead weight in his arms.
He carried her onto the bus and laid her on the bed. He felt for her pulse—it was still rapid, but steady. She wouldn’t be out long.
Hell, it was a miracle she’d stayed conscious as long as she had.
