Page 35 of Raven’s Claw (Raven’s Cliff #2)

Chapter Seventeen

Kash held his breath as the frag exploded, nearly bringing the entire tunnel down on top of them.

Two distinct shots sounded in the distance, the deep reports like a knife to his heart.

There was something about those last rounds — the eerie finality to them that stole his breath.

Had him waving off the smoke then booking it to the end of the tunnel.

He chucked a few larger rocks out of the way, then scrambled over what remained of the debris, squeezing through the narrow opening before tumbling into the chamber.

He staggered to his feet, squinting against the burning smoke. The stench of propellant hung in the air, a layer of ash covering half the cave.

It couldn’t end like this.

After all they’d been through — all his promises — he couldn’t lose her.

Kash zeroed in on Jordan — her limp form swaying over Rook’s shoulder — then took off. Hauled ass across the large cave, completely focused on closing the distance. Cutting it down with each driving step.

He got halfway across — had already worked through how he’d outmaneuver the bastard without compromising Jordan’s safety — when the junction to the tunnel exploded.

Just blew up, raining rock and dust down around him.

The resulting wave knocked him and Nyx back, tumbling them ass over head a few times before skidding to a halt.

Kash groaned. Every muscle cramped. Every bone hurt. The room spun, though he wasn’t sure if it was his head or just the smoke. Nyx managed to regain her balance, first, stumbling over to him, then licking his face. He gave her a pat as he tried to get everything to stabilize.

“Jesus, Kash.” Zain dropped to his knees beside him, skin smudged with dust and soot, a fresh cut across his forehead. “The way you flew backwards…”

His buddy swallowed, coughed, then gave Nyx a quick once-over. “Can you move everything? Do you need me to carry you out?”

“I need to find a way to follow that bastard.”

“The rest of the crew’s looking. Cannon had to blow his tunnel to get through, too. And Miller all but excavated the entrance to get inside. I’m actually surprised the whole cave system hasn’t collapsed.” Zain scrubbed a hand down his face. “It looks like that other tunnel’s completely blocked.”

“Shit.” Kash pushed onto his elbows, nearly fell back when the world did a full three-sixty, but he managed to hold it together. “Help me up.”

“Can you give yourself a freaking minute before you try to wage war?”

“Jordan doesn’t have time for me to wait a minute.”

“I thought I’d find you and Nyx packed full of shrapnel, so cut me some slack. Besides, if Rook wanted her dead, she’d be in the rubble. The fact he carried her out implies he wants her alive, just like she said.”

“Just, give me a hand.”

Zain shook his head. “Damn, you’re stubborn.”

Kash clapped Zain on the shoulder, though, even that small movement hurt. Increased the jackhammer pounding away in his head. Made him acutely aware of the ringing in his ears. Zain helped Kash up, stayed close in case Kash face planted the moment he moved.

Miller whistled from across the cave. “I found Donovan. He’s been shot with what looks like a forty-five, has multiple contusions, but he’s alive. Not sure how long he might stay that way if we don’t get the prick to hospital, soon, though.”

“What?” Kash picked up the pace, half-tripping his way over to the edge of the debris, Zain keeping him upright. “If that’s Rook, who the hell took Jordan?”

“Let’s ask the prat.” Miller gave Rook a shake, slapping him when he blinked. “Donovan. Chum. Who took Ember?”

Rook grunted, coughing when Miller shook him, again. He squinted, looked as if he was going to pass out, then sighed. “You’re too late.”

“Who took her?”

He laughed, drops of blood dribbling out of his mouth. “You’ll never find her, now.”

“And you’re dead unless you start talking.”

Rook snorted. “I win.” He slumped against Miller’s hold, barely moving when Miller released him.

Kash stared at the rubble. His heart somewhere up in his throat.

His chest so tight it took all his effort just to move it an inch — suck in any air.

He needed to think. Except where that jackhammer kept derailing any thought.

Sent it off on some tangent as soon as it formed. “We can’t just stand here. We…”

He inhaled, then dug for his cell, brushing all the dirt and grim off the screen. He opened the app.

Nothing.

No pulsing dot.

No way to follow her.

“Damn it. The tracker’s not working.”

Miller cursed as he picked up a bloody bandage. “Looks like whoever snatched her removed it then smashed it.”

Zain grabbed Kash’s arm when he took a stumbling step toward Miller. “Brother, you need to stop trying to crack your head open until Chase gets a chance to look at you.”

Kash shook his head, regretting it when pain shot through his temples. “I heard two shots. If Rook’s only hit once…”

“That doesn’t mean Jordan got pegged with the other. Let’s focus on what we can do, right now.”

“I’m a hundred percent focused. I…” He reran what Becca had said earlier, one thought making it all the way through. “What was that name?”

“What name?”

“The other agent who ran missions for Rook’s company, Sandman?”

“Icarus.” Cannon cocked his head to the side. “Do you think that’s who took Jordan?”

Kash palmed his head, squinting to keep from puking.

“I don’t know Donovan, but we all know his type.

Does he strike you as the kind of guy to assign his most important mission to just anyone?

If he’d planned to take her back to Scythe all along, then he gave her to whoever he trusted the most after her.

Or maybe Icarus double crossed him. Either way, I bet my ass it’s him. ”

Cannon had his cell in his hand a second later.

“Damn cave’s blocking the signal.” He jumped when another section crashed behind them, more dust billowing into the air.

“We can’t stay. This whole place is compromised.

I’ll get Becca on it, though, I don’t think she ever stopped looking into Icarus. ”

“We can’t just leave.” He grabbed another frag off his vest, nearly dropping it twice as his vision blurred. “I say we blow the fucker open.”

“Kash.” Zain had him by the shoulders. “I know how badly you want to go after her, but I don’t think this place can take another round of explosives. Everything’s still creaking and rolling. One more will likely bring it all down.”

Kash looked at the rocks blocking him from following that bastard down the tunnel. “What if there’s another tunnel and he’s going to backtrack? Or he got caught up in the explosion? What if that’s the last time I see her?”

“It won’t be. We’ll get her back. Whatever it takes.” Zain shifted closer, his face fading in and out of focus. “We can’t save her if we’re all dead.”

Kash remained silent, allowing Zain to help him stumble across the cave and into the tunnels. He picked up speed as some of the fogginess lifted. Or maybe he’d just gotten accustomed to the constant shifting. How the walls all looked as if they were at a forty-five.

Bodie met them at the bend before the main entrance, eyes wide. Mouth pinched tight. “Jesus, what the hell happened?”

Zain grunted. “Bomb. Atticus?”

“Foster just talked to Chase. Atticus was dosed with Ketamine, but his vitals are strong. He should be fine once the drug wears off. Which is more than I can say for Kash. Can you even see straight?”

Kash waved him off. “I need you and Foster to take Rook and get the bastard to the hospital. He’s the only one who knows who took Jordan?—”

“What do you mean, who took Jordan?”

“Just, keep him breathing if you can. We’ll need the bastard alive if we can’t find her.”

Bodie darted off, leaning over Rook once Cannon placed him on the ground.

The air strummed to life with Foster’s chopper spooling up — Bodie and Miller shuffling Rook onboard. Saylor kept her boat from crashing onto the rocks as waves broke against the shore. Non-stop movement that had Kash’s head spinning. His stomach threatening to empty right there on the rocks.

Foster took off as the first raindrops splattered across the ground, the machine disappearing into the night. Taking any chance of following after Jordan in the aircraft off the table. At least, not until Foster dropped everyone at Providence — got his ass back to the cave.

But they needed Rook alive if…

Jericho darted over, cell in her hand. “That task force I mentioned is inbound. They’ll deal with the cleanup, for now.

Cannon will hang out with me, just in case there are any stragglers who think firing on us is a good idea.

We’ll catch a ride home with them. Cannon’s on with Becca.

Said he’ll be over in a minute with an update. ”

A minute.

Jordan didn’t have many of those left. A fact that ate at Kash until he wanted to scream.

Zain held firm. “Brother, I know this is killing you, but if we go off halfcocked, we might waste what little time we have. So, breathe. We’ll get her back.”

Kash pushed down all the riotous feelings until they were stone cold. “I never should have lost her in the first place.”

Zain opened his mouth, then closed it, looking up at Cannon when he marched over. “I hope this is good news.”

Cannon held up his cell. “I’ve got Becca on the line. Becca? You’re on speaker with Kash and Zain.”

“Now, before everyone tries to interrupt and demand I get to the point, I’m downloading Icarus’ personal file as we speak. But I have to continuously change that location so we can’t be traced, which means it takes a bit longer.”

Cannon groaned. “How the hell did you gain access to that file?”

“I hacked Scythe.”

“Jesus.”

“Don’t worry. It’ll never come back to us. Besides, we didn’t have time for me to scour every inch of the dark web searching for a scrap of intel that wasn’t scrubbed when Rook moved over to Scythe.”

Something pinged in the background.