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“Fuck, it’s about time, we have a serious problem.”
“What?” I growl.
“Spencer, she…”
“She what?” I bark. “Spencer… talk to me baby.”
“She’s gone.”
My heart sinks to my feet, and I stumble as I make my way as fast as I can down the staircase to the first floor. Gripping the banister, I put all my weight on one leg as I try not to tumble head first down the steps. When I reach the landing, the Brothers are helping women up from the basement as I blow past them. Trying to run, I fail miserably, merely dragging my leg behind me as I head in the direction of the van.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” I bark into my earpiece, grunting through the pain.
“The gunshots, the communications went out, and she came for you guys. Did she make it?”
Stopping in my tracks, I turn to look around the alleyway. Assessing every single angle. Every nook and cranny. I don’t see her anywhere. Zeke’s voice filters in my ear again, only I hear it echoing from a short distance too, but I’m nowhere near the van. Why is he echoing?
Following his voice, panic creeps into my chest when I find the earpiece on the concrete in front of a dumpster. Next to it, a single black rose.
Powering through the pain, I make my way back to the van. The door is already wide open when I approach it, and I lunge inside, filled with blind rage.
“Why didn’t you fucking stop her?!” I scream, dragging Zeke out of the van by his vest and tackling him to the ground.
“I fucking tried Travis, I tried!”
“You didn’t try hard enough!” I growl.
“She fucking stabbed me!” he yells.
Stopping I look at him, on the ground, pressed against the van, holding up his arm. Wrapped from wrist to elbow in gauze, blood soaks through the thin layer, dripping on the concrete.
“Fuck!” I scream as I punch the side of the van several times in a row, denting the metal with my fist.
Leaning my head against the window, I try to slow my racing thoughts. How could she be so fucking stupid? I told her we had this, I told her to stay in the fucking van.
“I don’t understand! Grant is dead. Everyone in that fucking building is dead. Who the fuck is left!?”
Zeke pushes up to his feet as Riot jogs up to us.
“Where is she?” he asks, looking around wildly.
“Gone,” I growl.
“She, what? No. Zeke!” he looks to Zeke, seeking out answers.
“I tried man, I’m sor - fuck. I’m sorry!”
“Wait,” I stop, turning around to face them. “The chip.”
“The chip,” Zeke smirks.
“Huh? Chip?” Riot looks between us both.
Pushing past us, Zeke climbs back into the van just as Hannah, the Knox Brothers and several girls show up. The girls are dirty, half dressed, and look malnourished, like they haven’t showered or eaten in weeks.
“Trav, there’s something you need to know,” Hannah says.
“What?” I growl, as I wait impatiently for Zeke to track down Spencer’s location.