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In a matter of seconds, the decision was made for him as gunfire rang out in the distance somewhere behind them in the direction they’d come. They’d been breached. Someone was coming for Rainy.
Wit burst through a side door down the hall to the right and yelled, “Go. Go. Go. I’m right behind you.”
The stairwell door flung open and an unfamiliar face met them, weapon trained on Rainy as she let out a guttural scream and buried her face into Killion’s chest as a single gunshot echoed in the stairwell and the man with the weapon dropped to the ground, a pool of blood growing around his head. There was a friendly on the other side of that doorway, and when he appeared, Killion froze. It wasn’t a Keeper. He didn’t know who the hell he was, but there was something familiar about him. Something warm, friendly, trustworthy.
Killion looked at Wit as he charged down the hallway, a stumble in his step when he saw the man standing there over the dead body waving Killion beyond the door’s threshold. Wit’s eyes were wide and jaw slack in utter shock, but his reaction was brief.
“You’re good,” Wit yelled, but he wasn’t talking to Killion. “Get them up to that chopper. I’ll hold them here.”
The man nodded and proceeded up the stairs, weapon ahead of him, clearing a path to the roof and ultimately, safety.
“Follow him, Killion,” Wit yelled. “Go now! I’m right behind you.”
Killion realized he’d been frozen where he stood, unable to move, questioning everything for the first time in his career. Killion never questioned a single move he made, and he made them with confidence because that’s who he was. Well trained, always with a plan, smarter than the enemy. Until now.
“You’re clear. Move,” the man said, catching Killion’s attention, so he followed, running up the several flights left on the heels of a stranger who made it possible while Rainy sobbed and shrieked in his arms every time there was gunfire behind them.
“It’s okay,” he whispered to Rainy. “I got you. You’re safe.”
“On your six,” Cane yelled from below.
Wit hollered, “Get my sister on that bird and in the air, O’Reilly. Don’t wait for us.”
“Tell them we have a friendly coming through,” Killion said, looking ahead to the stranger clearing the path to safety.
Killion heard Wit on his comms indicating he was right on his heels, which also meant their unknown enemy likely was too, and that was enough to move him faster up those steps. Rainy continued to weep and tremble, causing a pain that far outweighed the burn in his thighs, biceps, and lungs the several stories of stairs with an extra body in his grips gave him.
“Hurry up,” the stranger said as Killion passed him, breaching the doorway to the rooftop where the helicopter was waiting. “Get her out of here. I’ll hold them here.”
With a simple nod, Killion continued, confused by the way the man looked at Rainy and then it hit him. He knew exactly who that was helping them to safety. Reaching the chopper, Ronan reached out to take Rainy from Killion, but he clutched her tighter and kept her in his arms. He sat with a bird’s-eye view of the man who’d appeared out of nowhere and noted every feature, every similarity down to the subtle twang that hung on his words.
He watched the man wave his rifle from the stairwell to the chopper, encouraging the rest of the team along until Wit emerged from the doorway, taking position next to the man as Cane came through. It was odd that Wit stood there rather than board the chopper, seeming completely unfazed by the guy holding the door. Wit knew who he was and wasn’t surprised to see him.
It became clear to Killion why Wit stayed behind when Hen emerged last. One look at the face behind their path to safety, and Hen froze as if he’d forgotten why he was running. Killion watched as Hen took the man in, head to toe, that knowing look of familiarity that Killion wore too strewn across his face. Awareness washed over Hen, so obvious it was impossible to miss. Hen looked back and forth between him and Wit and began to frown. He figured it out. He knew who was staring back at him, and Wit anticipated the reaction, hence waiting for Hen’s arrival at the rooftop.
It was loud, and though Killion couldn’t hear what was being said, he could see it. “Go, Son,” the man said, and it was nearly Hen’s undoing. Wit hooked his arm with his brother’s and pulled him to the chopper, forcing him on board, even buckling him in because Hen couldn’t take his eyes off the guy. When Wit took his seat and signaled for him, the man waved them off, indicating he wanted them to leave without him. Then… he disappeared back inside, the door slamming behind him just as the sound of gunfire cut through the roaring sound of the blades above them slicing through the air.
Killion clung to Rainy tighter and stared off at nothing in particular, lost in the moment, maybe even shutting down himself as she continued to sob and tremble in fear knowing he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
“We can’t just leave him.” Hen lunged from his seat only to be pulled back by his harness.
“Yes, we can. It’s what he wanted,” Wit said coolly as he pounded on the metal ceiling of the helicopter, alerting the pilot to take off.
“But that was…” Hen paused, looking down at the building’s rooftop as they lifted off, and it grew farther away as they began their ascent.
Without looking Hen’s way, completely stone faced and with a chilling timbre, Killion said, “It was your father.”
6
“Killion?” Wit questioned, standing just outside the helicopter atop Watermark Tower. “Everyone’s inside, buddy.”
Killion continued to stare ahead, not budging, clinging to Rainy.
Wit reached for her. “Let me help you. I’ll take her in and…”
Killion whipped his head in Wit’s direction, shaken from his lost thoughts like Wit’s kind offer was more of a threat.
“I have her,” Killion said, carefully disembarking from the helicopter, clutching Rainy to his chest. “I’ll take care of her.”
