Still, he didn't let go. He didn't dare. The last soldier he'd walked away from kept coming back. He wasn't making that mistake again. Ezekiel seemed to feel the same way. They stayed very still, holding the two soldiers in a choke hold beneath the surface of the water.
Alligator comin' in, Wyatt reported. Stay still. He's goin' to bump you. Just checkin' you and then he'll go for the wounds.
I'm holding him off, Wyatt, but we need to get these two in the boat and make it back to help the others, Ezekiel said. You got a pulse there?
I don' feel one. Let's do it. When we're in the boat, we'll search them, just to make sure they don' have any weapons they can get to if Braden found a way to resurrect them once they're dead.
He's probably got a shock collar on them, Ezekiel said. You go first, Wyatt, dump the body in and climb in. I'll keep this guy at bay until you do.
Wyatt knew enough to hurry. That much blood in the water was going to attract more than one alligator and it could get ugly fast. He went to the surface, trusting Ezekiel to keep the alligator from grabbing at his legs while he hoisted the soldier's body back into the boat and then pulled himself in.
Ezekiel was fast, dumping the second body while Wyatt was stripping the soldier of all weapons. Ezekiel followed suit and then took up an oar. Wyatt used the other one and they guided the boat back to the pier.
Wyatt took one last look at the dead soldiers. They're not breathin'. No heartbeat. No pulse. Nothin' at all. That doesn' mean they'll stay that way. They could rise any minute, the new zombie warriors. Maybe it's Braden whose gonna be responsible for the zombie apocalypse.
Ezekiel glanced at him, shook his head, his mouth twitching as he tied to the boat to the pier. They look dead to me. I don't think they're getting back up, Wyatt.
That's the point, Zeke. They rise after they're dead.
He heard Pepper's soft laughter, still betraying a little of her anxiety. Her face had been so strained. She'd looked so alone, so vulnerable when he'd left her. He kept her with him, bridging the gap so she could hear the conversations as the team reported in. He'd needed to hear her laughter even if it was tense.
They slipped out of the boat and onto the pier, two dark shadows reclaiming the night, moving into the trees to make their way around the house toward the east and Mordichai.
Mordichai heard the soldiers coming. With enhanced hearing, vision and smell, it wasn't that difficult to locate the exact position of each of them.
I've got my sights on a big bastard. He's got to be a good six-six, Malichai informed them from the rooftop. Can't see his partner yet.
Mordichai saw the big man's partner and for just one moment he stopped and shook his head. The man's entire body was distorted, bones so thick the skin stretched taut over them. He looked like a caricature of a man.
Whoever this Braden is, he's no Whitney, Mordichai informed the others. I've got eyes on his partner, Malichai; it's going to take a bit to bring this one down.
Wyatt didn't like the sound of that. He pushed his way through the grass and brush, moving fast, trying to swing around to get into a position to aid Mordichai. Coming in from your right. Malichai, take the shot if you have it.
Malichai didn't hesitate. He squeezed the trigger, once, twice, a third time. Aiming for the eyes and throat. He didn't think the soldier's thickened bone armor was going to stop a high-velocity bullet from his sniper rifle, but still, Wyatt was worried about the zombie apocalypse and he didn't want to take the chance of helping the other side.
He watched the big soldier go down hard. He kept eyes on him, certain he wouldn't get back up again, but one never knew, not with enhancements and some kind of healing super drug. The soldier didn't so much as twitch.
A sound warned him. A soft footfall, or maybe the breeze switched directions for just one moment. He rolled fast, nearly going off the roof. He's on me. They're diversions, Wyatt. I fucked up.
He felt the bite of the knife sliding into him. The blade was razor-sharp and it cut through skin, muscle and everything else in its path without even slowing down. He knew he was going to die. The knowledge hit him even as the soldier withdrew the knife and came at him a second time.
The soldier's body jerked, his expression changing from satisfaction to shock. His eyes went wide. He staggered, recovered and turned. Behind him, Malichai saw Pepper, the knife in her hand dripping blood.
What the hell? Pepper, get out of here.
She backed away from the soldier, focused totally on the huge man. Malichai knew she was drawing the threat away from him in order for him to get on his feet. His wound was low, kidney low, and he couldn't exactly get back there to staunch the flow of blood, but she was so small and fragile, looking more vulnerable than ever.
Malichai's down. I've got one on the roof and three others in the yard getting close to the house.
Pepper didn't sound fragile and vulnerable. She sounded totally cool and in absolute control. She looked so small. He hadn't even been able to see her around the soldier. She was that small in comparison. Malichai was terrified for her. He had to get on his feet. He had to.
The soldier didn't so much as glance at him, already dismissing him as a threat. He smirked at Pepper. "I've been wanting to meet up with you again. This time it isn't going to end the way it did last time."
She kept gliding backward, drawing the soldier toward her and away from Malichai. "You mean when I wiped up the floor with you? Is that what this is, Pierre, revenge? You and the others? All seven of you?"
Pierre spit on the roof and kept walking toward her. "We agreed whichever got to you first got to keep you."
Pepper didn't so much as glance at Malichai when she reached for him. Can you get off the roof? Slide down the side, if you can. I'll keep him busy until you're safely away.
Wyatt will kill me if I leave you alone with that monster. He tried to move and nearly panicked. His body felt paralyzed. No matter what his brain said, he couldn't get on his feet.
Without warning, his brother was there, coming up over the side of the roof, one arm hooking around Malichai's chest, under his arms and then he was over Ezekiel's shoulder and Zeke was dragging him right off the roof. Leaving her. Pepper. Wyatt's woman. Alone with the hyped-up monster.
The moment Ezekiel had Malichai safe, Pepper moved with blurring speed, racing straight at Pierre, the man who would take her children, probably kill them and then do whatever he wanted to her. At the last minute, when he'd braced himself, ready for her, she took a dive, sliding under him, slamming her blade into him and continuing on to the other side of the roof and then over.
She heard him scream, a terrible, ugly sound she was certain she would never forget, but she landed softly, on the balls of her feet and raced around toward the back of the house where she knew the other three soldiers were working their way through Trap's intense security system.
Wyatt caught a glimpse of Pepper running fast, using her crazy speed even he couldn't match, tearing around the corner of the house and out of his view. He sprinted after her and his speed wasn't anything to sneeze at. Zeke, how bad?
Nonny's helping me with him. It's bad. He's losing a lot of blood. I'm putting a line in him now.
They were all medics. Damn good medics, and Wyatt counted on the fact that Ezekiel had been looking out for his younger brothers his entire life. He rounded the corner of the building and skidded to a halt. Pepper was in the arms of one of the soldiers and she wasn't fighting. Her arms were around his neck, her face nestled into his shoulder.
What the fuck, Pepper? Fury shook him. What the hell was she playing at?
Pepper stepped back and removed the guns from the soldier's hands, still looking up into his eyes as if he was the only man in her world. The soldier's mouth opened wide. He put out his hand toward her. She took it. Wyatt's entire body stiffened. Coiled tight. He pulled out his knife.
Don't be a fool. That was Trap. She's working. Get to work yourself.
Trap moved past him, con
tinued past Pepper, who never took her eyes from the soldier. Or dropped his hand. They just stared at each other. Wyatt realized Pepper's eyes could mesmerize, hypnotize. The eyes of the cobra, but more. The soldier was drowning in her eyes, lost in the stars in her night-filled gaze. His legs went out from under him and he went to his knees. She didn't let go. She stepped even closer and touched his face, holding his hand the entire time.
Movement to her left had Wyatt moving, shooting as he ran. The soldier coming toward Pepper, his semiautomatic in his arms, staggered back, the bullets spitting all around Pepper. She didn't move. Didn't acknowledge there was anyone but the man on his knees in front of her.