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I push Droga away and lean on a rock that protrudes out of the water. It’s slimy, cold, and I feel like pressing my forehead to it to cool down my burning head and manage my strength. A short break is all I need. The pain is so sharp that I feel like my body is cut in half.
“Droga, go ahead. I’ll wait here.”
“Crone, get your shit together.” His strong hand jerks me up, and I meet his worried gaze. “We can’t go back. Savages are waiting at the entrance. But if we stay here, we drown.”
57
KAT
A guard helpsme into one of the three speedboats parked at the shore. Several guards stand in the position farther away, pointing guns in the direction of the Ashlands and occasionally firing.
My body aches. I have multiple cuts and bruises, and my feet are shredded, but I feel alive like never before.
The guard who helped me motions to the others. “Let’s roll!”
Panic sluices over me. “Wait! Wait! We’re waiting for Archer and Kai!”
“We’re leaving a boat with several men to wait for them,” he says, not looking at me. “We need to get you back to safety.”
“You kidding me?” I shout. “I’m not going anywhere until I see them get in the boat!”
I start crawling out of the boat but his rough hand on my arm stops me.
“We’re getting you to safety and sending reinforcement. We can’t stay here.”
“Not a fucking chance!” I snap at him and jump off the boat into the water, the bare soles of my feet on fire. So is the rest of my body, but I don’t care. I’m not leaving Archer behind.
“Miss!”
I stumble out of the water and onto the shore when strong arms catch me from behind. “Get back.”
“Let go!” I snarl and slam my head back only to find nothing.
The arms suddenly toss me forward and into the water.
When I stand up, dripping, the guard stands in front of me, his hands outstretched like I’m a psycho who needs to be sedated. “I’m sorry, miss. We follow orders. There’s nothing you can do. Professionals are doing the job. They’ll get the targets.”
The targets.
Motherfucker!
“Please, get back in the boat,” he says, taking slow steps through the water toward me.
“Does Kai have a radio? Droga?”
The guard picks up his radio. “Update on Mr. Crone? Come in?”
It’s still raining. The shots still echo in the distance—that could be Archer!
“Update on Mr. Crone?” he repeats.
My heart pounds harder for several seconds of silence when the radio crackles and Kai’s voice comes in.
“It’s Droga. We’re in the caves. Entrance blocked. Crone is injured.”
My heart leaps in despair when he comes in again.
“Send a team to the northern Devil’s Caverns entrance. There’s a high tide. We only have an hour.”
