Page 236 of Lethal King

I’ve hardly even started running when I hear the first gunshot go off. It crackles through the crisp morning air like a splintering tree. A dozen more follow in its wake.

Then, just like that, chaos erupts.

I’m already pushing out of the trees and towards the now unguarded side door when I hear Deacon hollering in my earpiece.

“Come get some!” he shouts. When he starts shooting, I click my earpiece off.

“Maniac,” I mumble to myself, jimmying the locked door.

It comes open easily enough. An alarm bell follows. But I was expecting that. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a little black ball and throw it directly above my head. When it hits the ceiling, a flash of red-light bursts from its seams, spreading in all directions until the alarm goes out.

The lights turn off.

Perfect.

“Now, where are you, angel.”

Planting a finger on my temple, I play with my earpiece until it connects with my phone.

“Tytus?” I ask, hoping he can hear me.

“Did you find her?” he asks, hope cutting through his drooping voice.

“Not yet. I need your help. There should be a button on the lower left screen of my phone. A blue rectangle. Do you see it?”

“Yeah.”

“Click on it. It should bring up the drone’s thermal camera.”

“Okay, I clicked on it, but I can’t see shit.”

“That’s because it’s too high up,” I explain. “But now that everyone is distracted you can fly it lower. Do that until you can see inside, then lead me towards Rozalia.”

“On it.”

As Tytus figures out the controls, I start to make my way through the darkness. Outside I can hear the roar of a battle raging on. I decide to give my men some relief.

Grabbing my radio, I give the rest of my soldiers the go-ahead. “Team Two. Team Three. Team Four. Annihilate.”

A split second later, the muffled roar outside gets louder.

Upstairs, I can hear hurried footsteps rush through the halls. Men shout. I find my way to the nearest set of stairs.

“Ah, there we go,” Tytus mumbles into my earpiece. “Now, where the hell are you, Roz?”

I wait at the top of the dark stairwell, ear pressed against the door as I wait for Tytus to find her.

“Look for a red blob that’s not moving,” I whisper, trying to help. “If Leander has any brains, he’ll have tied her up.”

“Oh, just wait until she hears you called her a blob,” he chuckles, weakly.

“Snitch,” I quietly bite back.

“Hey, you should be thankful I don’t—oh shit, is that her?”

My heart kicks.

“Where?” I growl, immediately dialed back into the hunt.