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I could feel us moving with Tessa’s steps and I knew we were exactly where Marko wanted us. We were seeing what Tessa was. We were … listening to her plan our capture.
“If there are no questions, I call this meeting to an end.”
At the silence, she nodded.
“We attack in one hour. Be ready.”
Air burned my lungs as I sucked in oxygen. Marko’s weight was crushing me and on reflex I pushed his body from mine.
“We have to go,” he panted. “We have to get everyone out of there.”
“What the hell is she thinking?” Coughing left me curling to my side. My body felt as weak as water as I tried to move. “She ratted us out. She …isn’t out our side?”
“Don’t you dare say that. Tessa would never turn her back on us. She said I was an imposter. He’s gotten into her mind. Reprogrammed her like Margo used to do. He took her gift once, and I felt the blankness in Tessa’s thoughts. She is confused, acting on what he is telling her to do.”
My hoodie was grabbed from behind and Marko pulled me to my feet. I could tell he was straining almost just as much as I.
“We have to save the city. We have to get back.”
“How? Look at us? I can barely fucking stand. And you, you’re swaying.”
Sweat was pouring down his face as he shook his head. “Excuses, my friend. That’s what you’re giving me. You’re the soldier. Did you ever quit because your body was incapable of going on?”
I frowned. “No. There was no quitting, only a mission.”
“This is our mission. We can’t afford to lose. All that is known will be lost if we don’t get there before they do.”
A loud bang had both of our heads spinning for the door. Military uniforms registered and men poured into the living room. The shots were immediate—no orders to stand down or to surrender. They were shooting to kill. From the burning of my arm, I knew what they were using weren’t regular bullets.
“The city!”
Marko’s hand locked on mine, but I was already fading. Pain shot through my shoulder and I felt myself get knocked to side. Warm raced toward my fingertips and the distraction made me whole again.
“Dammit, Hunter. Defense.” The air ripple as Marko’s hand shot up to shield us. “I thought we went over this in Seattle.”
“Get us out of here!”
“I can’t yet. Not both of us. I’m still too weak.”
Shots kept going off in the background and my eyes widened as one made it through his protective wall.
“I’m drained. I need time to recoup. I never considered how much it would take out of me to break into Tessa’s mind. And I haven’t fed in three days. We’ve been going nonstop.”
My lids closed as I tried to focus on healing myself. It didn’t work. He wasn’t the only one who was drained. I needed to drink, too. I was bleeding out way too much.
“We have a fucking menu ten feet away. Let’s get better and get the hell out of here.” I groaned, stepping forward on shaky legs.
“You sure you’re up for it?”
My eyes cut over to his. “I took a bullet through the brain and survived. Drop the shield long enough for me to reach over.”
One of Marko’s eyebrows rose. “You’re brave to mention that.”
“You’re weak, I decided to take my chances. Besides, it happened. I can’t erase the past. Tessa lived, as did I. No one hurts more over that than I do. Now drop the wall when I get close enough.”
“And you expect them to just stand there and let you take them? Look, they’re already backing away.”
“Drop the damn wall,” I yelled.
